He received kudos from the school director for his ability to jump and spin at the same time, which is apparently pretty advanced. He can actually pull a 180 now, and I can envision him doing a big tail-whip on a 4 foot board down the shore by the time he’s ten. His motivation for the jump-spin is to transform from Wyatt into Super Why, from the popular PBS show.

The highlight of last week was the visit from Chris, Megan, Kalea, and Makai. They flew in for a few days and we made the trip up to Quakertown to frolic in the snow with them and catch up. There was powder in Quakertown, in contrast to the crusty sleet we received here in Philly. Silas and Kalea chased Chris relentlessly for half an hour, throwing snowballs at Chris’ groin, and crashing in the snow frequently. We’re going to make the trip back out to Madison this spring come hell or high-water, we’ve been away far too long. Life has been busy, but still, it’s only a horrible US Air flight away. Maybe we’ll even experience some winter out there, we haven’t had much to speak of here. It’s 50 and raining today. Blah.

Off to his first day at St Mary's

St Mary's, first day, butterfly net

packing-material pillow

E-Babbee observes Molly's scolding from the Ipad on the table

We finally received Lenny’s hamster ball, and I think it’s a big hit. Lenny rolls all over the house, Ella follows close behind, sniffing, and Silas occasionally kicks it. That was the reason for Silas’ second time-out this morning. When his time-out expired he followed Lenny through the living room repeating “I sorry, Lenny!”  The first time-out resulted from Silas clambering up on the dinning room table, grabbing the water pitcher and calmly pouring it onto the floor. He seemed really fascinated by the process. Time-out!  So far the time-out doesn’t upset him at all, which is good I suppose, we’re not trying to upset him, but some kind of reaction would help us out. But no, he’s Cool Hand Luke. “I could eat five eggs….” “Why’d you have to say five?” That’s as high as I can count.”

Most days he doesn’t want to go to bed, and he’s expanding his stalling tactics. Last night he sat down on the ground and complained “Ow ow ow! Ow something hurts me!”

“What hurts?”

“Um, um, um… my forehead.” He should have picked a more plausible body part. I didn’t even bother to kiss it.

Monday he heads off to nursery school (daycare.) It’s likely to be a non-event, as I’ve never seen him have separation anxiety for more than a split-second, but I’m still a bit nervous. It’s probably like how some parents fear spending their first night alone without their kid, although I never had that fear myself. He’s 99% potty trained, but I’m worried about that too because he might just play so hard he’ll forget to visit the bathroom. We’ll have to set an alarm for somebody to take him half-way through the morning. I’m getting ahead of myself.

Mimi is here today to visit and to help out a bit. We have a progressive appetizer event here in the house this evening and we’ve got a little cooking to do. Then we’re seeing Red Tails later this evening with some students and staff. Silas just went down for his nap, so I’m off to the kitchen to whip up some really unhealthy stuff. Cheeses creams and dough. Yum.

Don't tell him there's no film in the camera

He loves his new microphone

I'm sorry I kicked you Lenny

"Lenny is cute!" he said

I won’t call it the terrible two’s, although I may come around to that phraseology. Silas just has tons of energy and a strong will, and heaven help me if I let him get bored. I’ve been handling it alright, except today was too cold and blustery, so we stayed inside.  But he skipped his nap and was unstoppable.   I had to pull him off the record player half a dozen times. When I readjusted the living room carpet this morning to take his chair-portrait I noticed something sticking out from underneath… it was the vinyl Wilco album Molly bought me for Christmas. It must have been hiding under there for weeks, and it is the worse for wear. T-minus ten days until he starts part-time nursery school. This will be a new stage for us all.

“I have a question for you….”  is his favorite new opening line, which is cute, especially since he doesn’t know to follow that phrase with a question. He’s likely to follow “I have a question for you…” with “You go outside.” And he will confront innocent passers-by in the Quad with his little riddle. “I have a question for you….” “What’s your question?”  ”Get in my airplane!”

Molly’s new class has started up and she’s psyched. Her students are really engaged. She’s teaching in a room just a few yards from our house, so she can stop in to hug Silas on M-W-F.

The Fisher house staff (including me) went curling at the Philadelphia something something curling something Club. There were at least twenty of us and it was a good time. It’s kind of a long narrow building with a big long ice sheet inside. They spray the ice so it’s dimpled, which makes the 42 pound granite stone slide with low friction. Youtube it if you have no idea what I’m talking about. The picture below is me warming up. The subculture is cool and seems very north-mid-west. Since the space is kept around 40 degrees the club keeps all their beer out on the ice.

I’m writing this from Mimi and Pop’s living room, where Larry and Molly are discussing politics, so it’s getting harder to write this post. The exchange can sometimes resemble one of Silas’ conversations with a student who can’t understand Silas’ toddler speak. Larry and Molly are exchanging roles intermittently. Oops, I let my tongue slip.

Rebecca and Mike are driving up from VA tomorrow morning, and we’ll see Jeremy and Ayanna this weekend, for our belated Christmas celebration.  I promised Silas he’d receive a gift or two this weekend, so if the extended family doesn’t come through I’ll need to run out to Rite-Aid tomorrow for some Christmas-clearance goods.

Cookie time

Pull up a chair I mean table

I need help with this caption....

This would make no sense without a caption

Fisher Hassenfeld Staff curling field trip, no joke

Egg-dog-in-french-toast. I wanted to see if I could do it.

French-toast-dog

"I have a question for you... Here!"

We drove back from Florida last weekend, driving from Tampa to South Caroline, then spending Saturday with my great uncle Hank and aunt Mary near Raleigh. We had a great day catching up, and Molly picked Hank’s brain about international study programs until it surely was near empty. We even took a bike ride on their tandem recumbent trike, which also features a motor-assist, which I must say is awesome. My Big Dummy cargo bike is going to get a motor some day, and then I’ll really fall out of shape. We got lucky on Sunday, driving straight up I95 through the heart of DC and Baltimore, and encountering only moderate traffic. I thought we’d surely die stranded in traffic on the beltway, but thankfully I was really wrong. Molly’s office was closed Monday so we had a day to theoretically clean up, although mostly we did laundry. The students are still away on winter break, so we had run of the laundry room, running 6 loads at the same time.

Silas put himself down to sleep a few times this week, becoming crankier and crankier before saying “I’m tired, where’s my binky?” He’d march off to his room, shut the door, and hit the sack. We were incredulous, and hardly believe it can continue.

The week raced by as it usually does… we spent a few hours at the Please Touch Museum, having tea with the Mad Hatter, and checking out a few kids at the register of the ShopRite grocery store. We were there with our friends Jon and Solomon, and Solomon sure is getting around since we last saw him. Silas is jumping higher, but they can keep up with each other pretty well. While I’m chatting with Jon I’m often surprised by how fast Silas can get away from me. Once he made a break and made it all the way down the winding ramps to the basement floor before I caught up with him. One of these days…. I may research toddler tracking devices, surely they’re coming down in price.

Molly attended a meeting with the West Philly Coalition of Neighborhood Schools, or Whoopicans, as I call it, and the guests were a few administrators pretty high up in the district hierarchy. It’s a time of transition since the superintendent was recently pushed out. It seems like change might be possible in the local schools, but of course we’re new to the area and maybe looks are deceiving. Our local school catchment maps are being redrawn before next year, so we don’t even know where Silas would go to school if he were of-age.

Speaking of school, we made our way through the wait-list at St. Mary’s day care on Penn’s campus, and Silas is off to half-day day care at the end of this month. He’ll be able to burn off his ridiculous energy, do some serious socializing, and bring home more viruses than he’s currently able to muster. I’ll have some time to work on my own projects for a while, although between dropping him off at 9 and picking him up at noon I’m sure that time will seem short. I plan to do some serious photography work and see what I can get done.  Maybe I’ll post a few more pics up here as I go.

Mimi came down to visit today, and she’s out there getting worn down as I write. Let’s get some pictures up here and then we can go double-team the boy.

Peanuts? Just throw em on the floor.

Oh the horror

Reluctant subject

This past week we spent between a condo in Madeira Beach Florida, and Molly’s sister Kerry’s place in Tampa. Kerry works at the Children’s museum, so we visited there twice so Silas could get his kicks. It’s a nice place, with some pretty challenging activity stations. I killed it at the basic math computer. Silas turned out some wicked burgers over at the Outback Steakhouse  for Kids.

Babbee kept Silas busy the entire week, tiring him out on the beach, and watching Shaun the Sheep with him as he went down for his naps. He had some pretty solid naps this week, needless to say. His language is developing pretty fast, and I’m sure he’s made some more big leaps with Babbee’s constant interaction.

The beach was beautiful, the temps were friendly, the water was brisk,  and we had some swimming lessons for Silas in the pool. He loves that about more than anything. But he doesn’t love it more than jumping, which he does 24/7 these days. A few pictures attest to that. A few of those below were taken at the Tampa Aquarium, which is pretty nice. They have a big nautical themed playground for kids, and Silas enjoyed that a lot more than he enjoyed the fish. The aquarium had otters though, which may have been cooler than the playground. I certainly think so anyway.

Our Christmas dinner at Kerry and Calvin’s house was great, tip the hat to Calvin, and Silas has a bunch of new toys and clothes to get him through the dark winter. I could get used to the holidays in Tampa, I hope I absorbed enough sunshine to tide me over until the spring. Molly and I did some nice jogs, credit solely to Molly. I was reminded however that I really hate jogging.  I really do. I’m ready to reacquaint  myself with my bike when we get home.

The week was busier than this entry suggests, but Molly and Silas are sleeping soundly, and it’s about midnight.  They turned off “Big” a little while ago, and without “Big” there’s no more reason to stay awake. Happy New Year to everybody. 2012… oh my goodness.

Get off that manatee, they're endangered!

Aldi's Winking Owl brand wine, and Kerry's Winking Owl cookie jar

A lizard on the nativity Jesus

Pirate Silas

Let me down!!!

We also unveiled Silas’ second gift, which is a cool kitchen set we bought used from a closed down home daycare in south Philly. It’s built industrial style. Silas didn’t have much time to play with it before we left, but I think he likes it. The daycare threw in some plastic play-food that smells funny. That went in the recycling.
I shouldn’t report this but I’d like to record it for my own benefit… We’ve known for a while that Silas understands everything we say, and so we need to watch our mouths, but today I slipped up and Silas busted me. On I95 a car changed lanes right on our front bumper without signaling. “You d!ck….” I muttered. “You d!ck…” echoed back from behind me. Oops. He hasn’t repeated it since, so cross the fingers it didn’t make it to the long term memory and “awww, bummer,” continues to be his favorite expression of displeasure.

Tomorrow morning we roll into Tampa so we need to hit the hay. It has taken me two hours to type this with my thumbs.
We hope you’re all safe and sound and in good company this holiday season. All the best.

The Fisher Hassenfeld staff dinner at Vietnam (the restaurant)

deft

Whack a ball from Grandpa M

His own kitchen

Every evening there are study-breaks, which means cookies in various locations throughout the Quad. We had a study break at our place (poorly attended for some reason) and also had Molly’s class of 16 students over for dinner. The curry dish went over well. I didn’t make it too spicy for once. Molly and one of the RAs played violin during a scone and tea study break on Wednesday. It took a while to brush off the cobwebs and tune up the violins after they’d been “resting” for a while.

Molly tried a kick boxing workout on Netflix, and ended up limping around for two days. We went jogging as well, and then I limped around complaining for three days. I took Silas on a bike ride today to pick up a camera and lens I bought off craigslist (pathological) and at least the ride was nice. It’s the exercise I don’t hate- I need to get out on the bike more, which everybody and their sister knows.

Molly organized an event this afternoon which boggles the mind, logistically, bringing in fifty local high schoolers for a lunch and video screening. The video was a compilation of footage the high school students had recorded with the help of 3 of Molly’s work-study students. She is knocked out cold right now, which is tough because Silas skipped his nap and is causing havoc. A moment ago we heard the front door close, as Silas escaped out into the hall. We haven’t finished installing the latch which will keep him locked safely inside. In the meantime we have to block the door w/ a side table. Obviously we forgot to block it when we last came in.

We received a large Christmas present for Silas the other day. I made the box into a car, taping a car steering wheel toy to the top of the box, and hacking a cup holder in the top. I’m happy he likes it, although today I had to help him out as he slid down into the undercarriage. Silas also received a cool present when we found a big plastic mailbox at the thrift store. He insisted on carrying it all the way home. It didn’t have any mail in it yet, so it was pretty light.

sleeping in his car

sweet thrift store find

U-lock fail (my fail)

you've got mail

We had a few of Molly’s student-workers (not the right term) over for dinner the other night, and I made a chipotle-butternut squash soup from a Rick Bayless recipe. I love his recipes although they take three times more work than I’m usually willing to give, and in this case the soup came out screechingly spicy, despite my intention to make it mild. I have no control over the spice levels of my cooking recently. It’s become routine, and I soon expect Molly to boycott any of my ethnic cooking attempts (I can keep cooking Polish and Canadian food, I think.)

On Monday we’re having all of Molly’s students over for dinner, all 16 of them, so I need to get on that. That’s going to be a doozy and I always make these occasions harder than necessary. I’m thinking ceviche!

We’ve had a horrid mouse infestation the past two weeks, culminating in my purchase of several more humane traps. The mice had munched a hole in the back of Ella’s dog-food bag, so I can understand the attraction. If Silas and Ella like dog food, then mice will probably eat it too. We cleaned up the dog food, set out the traps, and proceeded to not catch mice. There is doubtless easier food down the dorm hallway somewhere.

Silas is asleep now, as he walked up to me earlier and said again “I very tired….”  Sometimes he says this just so I’ll fetch his pacifier, as naps are the only opportunity we’ll give him.  I gave him his pacifier before his nap and he climbed up on the big bed, threw it down behind the headboard and said “I can’t reach it! Daddy reach it….”  If I don’t get his binky he’ll never nap, if I do get his binky then he’s successfully played me… You can all surmise what happened.

I didn’t take any respectable photos of Silas this week, though I did shoot an event at a friend’s dorm event where we set up a hand-painted beach background and shot dramatically lit cheese-ball portraits. That shoot necessitated I buy a few more camera accessories, which may well end up being my Christmas presents.  So I chased Silas around this morning trying to get his portraits. He didn’t cooperate, ran me in circles, knocked over my light-stand and bent the umbrella, so I basically gave up. The below photos testify to that. And I’m ok with that. I very tired.

He wouldn't even play his Keytar for me

"Don't take my picture!" He said that.

Coming in or going out?

Nose bubbles were blown this week, as Silas’ colds usually linger on for weeks in the form of mucus, even though the virus is probably long gone. He passed it on to Molly, who was vulnerable due to exhaustion anyway. At least she can take cough suppressant though, Silas can’t really take anything effective, just us offering to read him books and make him hot tea. “Yes hot tea!” he says.

And another family member joined us this week… Silas’ horse, who rocks and neighs. It’s a gift from Babbee, and Silas has the horse broken already, though he’s been bucked off the back a few times, once or twice with his feet caught in the stirrups like in the Lone Ranger type of shows.  His call of “Help!” echos through the canyons of our living room. Maybe I’m Tonto.

I finally ordered a new battery for my ancient pocket camera this week, and we were all pleasantly surprised to find some old pictures on the memory card. I’ll post a few below. That is one chubby cheerful kid.

We spent Saturday morning at the zoo with a big group of residents. Silas followed Christy around all morning, wandering off and then running back yelling “I’m coming!!!” We rode our bikes and Silas fell asleep about thirty seconds after I plunked him back in the trailer for the bike ride back home.

Saturday night we asked Graham to look after Silas while we went out with Katie to the SEM (society for ethnomusicology) dance party. A dance party at a music conference….. could be good…!  except nobody showed up. Katie scouted it out and her report was not positive. We beat a hasty retreat and headed back to hang out closer to our neighborhood.

Sunday was doomsday, which is to say our cookie baking party. We baked a few piles of sugar cookies ahead of time for students to frost and decorate. We also had a station to make chocolate covered pretzels, and baked chocolate button cookies and peanut butter cookies during the party. Forty or fifty residents probably came through our apartment. It’s a lot of work but always a big hit with the residents. Molly and I gave most of the extra cookies away to save ourselves from ourselves.

The rest of the week…. I don’t know, it was busy until the last moment when we packed up the car and drove to my parents house for Thanksgiving and the weekend. We visited the zoo again on the way out of town, as Silas had explicitly requested to go to the zoo with mommy. One can get enough of me, after a while. Thanksgiving dinner was great,  thanks to Mimi and everybody who chipped in. Uncle John arranged a variety pack of CapoGiro gelato, ensuirng that we were all groaning by the end of the meal. Today is about naps, and I’m about to take one. Here come the photos. Of course we’re not home today so we don’t have the yellow chair as a prop. We have an osage orange in the last photo, for scale.

At the otter tank

peek a boo!

Down the crick