Play

Its really interesting to see your play change recently. Over the last week or so you've started to play the roles of some of your toys.

Last week you re-enacted Nemo with a set of four rubber Nemo toys you have. You've only seen the movie a couple times but you know everyone's name and would have them all say hi to each other.

This weekend, we took the cars from your magnetic Cars book and went up and down the mountain that is a chair in our living room. You would hand one to me and say, "Daddy, you Mather." And you'd take Lightning McQueen and we'd drive off to the mountain.

First Carousel

So, we went to a family day carnival at Glen Echo Park this weekend. They promised balloon animals and puppet shows and they have a carousel, so we figured that sounded fun.

Turns out that's all they had, but the carousel was worth waiting for. It only cost $1 a person and we just missed out on the ride before us so we got your first choice of animal, lion. Giraffe was the back-up animal.

You had a silly grin on your face the entire ride. Which was quite fast and Mommy had a headache already from the bad weather moving in and nearly got sick.

But it was all worth it.

Mastering the Non-Sequitor

One day this weekend, you woke up from your nap with the decleration of "I'm poopy!"

As I take off your pants to change your diaper, you ask me "Where's the tiger?" In your jungle themes nursery there is a small tiger garbage can on the changing table. So I point to it: "There's the tiger."

"Oh, there's the Tiger!"

At which point, I've discovered that you were, in fact, not poopy. "Michael, you're not poopy."

Then Mommy comes in to say hi, so you update her on the goings-on.

"I'm not poopy. There's the tiger!"

What you doing?

I bailed on work early yesterday because I ended up working all the night before and by 4:30 I had completely run out of steam. It was really great weather out so we went outside to play.

You saw a squirrel sitting on a fence post down by the neighborhood playground and thought that was pretty cool. In fact, we then had to run after the squirrel, which the squirrel did not seem to like. After the squirrel fled to the other side of the little run-off creek, you yelled at the top of your lungs, "What You Doing Squirrel?"

The Squirrel decided that this was most likely a war cry and promptly ran up a tree.

What you doing is another of your current favorite phrases. Usually it is followed by Mommy, sometimes Daddy.

Which reminds me, on the way down to the playground I'd periodically ask you "Which way playground?" To which Mommy suggested "Why don't we talk in complete sentences?" Which of course, I agree with, I had just gotten carried away channeling you.

But later, it occurred to me that you are just channeling your 'Burgh heritage. I've always felt that Pittsburghese was really an exercise in leaving out as many words or parts of words as possible while still communicating effectively.

Prepositions and helping verbs are strictly optional in Pittsburgh. If letters can be sliced off words and still be understood, great. If two or more words can be squished together, even better.

Hence: "Et yet? No, jew?" (translation: Have you eaten yet? No, have you?) or, I suppose, "What you doing Mommy?"

First Kite

We went to the playground this last weekend... Adventure Playground. They have practically a life-sized castle and pirate ship but your favorite part was watching the kites.

There is a decent hill there and the wind can be pretty good. You thought the kites were great. So the next day we went to Target and got you your first kite. You picked the Penguin over the Fish or Dragon. (Although when we got to the cash register you made a late appeal for the Dragon that was denied.)

Of course that day was the least windy day on record. But out we went anyways. Watching me drag the kite behind me to catch the little bit of wind trying to stay aloft for more then 30 seconds was actually quite entertaining for you. Maybe because your favorite part was helping to pick up the kite after it fell. You'd say "I pick up" and run over to the the kite and carefully pick up part of the tail then put it back down. Then you'd go back over to where Mommy was sitting. "I sit next (to Mommy)."

I can't wait to get the kite up in decent breeze.

Starbucks Baby

I just had an interesting discussion with a co-worker where it was suggested that Starbucks is this era's corporate-cultural icon. If so, you are in good shape.

I believe we took you to your first Starbucks at age 2 days or so. Right now you are so enamored with Starbucks scones, er cookies, that you know they come from Starbucks.

I was at a free-standing Starbucks in the middle of Lake Forest Mall once with you a couple months ago and we got near the front of the line when you saw the display case. "Cookies!"

Perhaps we need to start teaching you the say Starbucks. Then you can say "Right There Starbucks!"

Right There Blog Post!

I knew there was another catch-phrase I was forgetting... "Right There ____!" Always accompanied by excited finger pointing. Often, but not necessarily accurate.

Its really very neat because you really want to find things, so even if you don't know where it is and we ask you you might end up pointing somewhere and saying "Right There Marker!" or what ever we are looking for. Of course, we end up asking you because there are pretty good odds that you do actually know where something is and can find it.

All Done

Its pretty funny how Jodi and I end up using some of your "catch phrases" all the time now.

Your/our absolute favorite is "All done ____." Typically only one word gets to fill in the blank, almost always a noun. Ie. "All done nap." Or maybe "All done conference call."

Bad Days Lately

Mine, not yours.

Which works out alright in balance because when I get home at night, I quickly shed coat and jacket and work bag and meet you down stairs or in the living room. To calls of "DADDY!" usually accompanied by lots of jumping.

All of which is great for making me feel better after a long, painful day at work.

Thanks.

First Movie

You saw your first movie in a movie theater last Friday. I had the day off of work because our office was being moved from one part of downtown DC to another.

The movie was Meet the Robinsons, a Disney computer animated movie with time travel and just lots of stuff in it. It was the only thing close to a little kids movie out at the time. You did really well. Sat on mommy's lap for some then my lap for some. Had some snacks. Every so often would express your displeasure with an "all done movie" or "I want to go home." But then you'd settle in and watch some more.

The movie wasn't really that great, certainly no Cars, which is your favorite movie of all time.

The Fork Story Redux

My parents were in town this last weekend for Easter and I told my Dad that you had been channeling him with the whole fork thing. He thought that was fabulous and got a real laugh out of it.

The Fork Story

The story goes like this:

My dad and my grandfather are at a church function. I imagine they are sitting in the basement, around a table. I assume that Jack and my grandfather are there.

Then desert comes around -- strawberries. My grandfather finished his before my dad finishes his. So Nice Guy reaches his fork into my dad's bowl to take one of his. My dad instinctively defends his strawberries with his own fork.

Decades later, my grandfather swore you could see the four tine marks in the back of his hand.

I remembered this story because today at lunch, you were playing around with a plastic fork. You like silverware, even if your not that good with it yet. And you decided to see what might happen if you stabbed the back of my hand with a fork.

I guess you can't escape genetics.

Why not

Or will this just be the written equivalent of those baby photos we might just spring on your first girl friend. Truly embarrassing?

I guess we'll jest have to wait and see.

Why

Most relationships are very much like two strands of thread woven together, with long dangling pieces hanging out below the weave. Jodi and I have been together for what seems like a good amount of time but still less then a third of our total lives. This is how it is with most relationships. Some of my oldest friends I've still known for not much more then half my life and it certainly has not been a daily relationship.

Then there's you.

I've had the luxury of knowing you for your entire life. I will end up remembering things about your first years, that you have no hope of ever remembering. Until I die, I will always have known you for your entire life. On the other hand, when you are 16 and sure that I'm an idiot, you will have known me for less then 1/3 of my life.

Obviously this is true of any parent-child relationship. But part of what I think makes it odd is that you end up having such a lopsided perspective relative to your parents. They know everything you ever did, and then you end up hearing some strange story at a family gathering and it turns out to be about one of your parents, but sounds like someone from Mars.

So I started writing this letter.

So you might end up knowing Jodi and I a little more through stories about us and you and our parents and other relatives and friends. But also so that you might know more about you and your history then you could possibly remember. Because right now you are only two and are most concerned about when you might next get to play with trains. But someday you will be 30 and wonder what life was like before your memories kick in.

At least that's the assumption I'm working from.

First Hebrew

Second night of Passover was last night.

The table was singing Dayeinu and you kept coming up to your Mom and asking to sing. Of course you did not know the words. But by the end of the song, you had started to figure out the repetitive chorus and ventured a very credible try at "dayeinu."

Your first ever Hebrew.

For the record (and the non-Jews in the audience) the song lyrics:

Ilu hotsi - hotsiyanu, mimitzrayim hotsiyanu - velo asah bahem shvatim - Dayenu.

Chorus:
Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu, dayeinu! Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu!

Dayeinu means it would have been enough.

The real meaning of holiday

Last night was the first night of Passover. The Strauss clan gathered at Heather and Scott's for Seder -- Marcia, Barry, Heather, Scott, Mitch, Jodi, you and I.

At one point you sat on my lap, and wore a yamika. It didn't last long but it was pretty cute. It was definitely a moment. Which is interesting since Seder isn't something that really means much to me personally.

I think its further proof that holidays are really about gathering family together in a tradition. The religious or nationalistic aspects that are nominally the reason for gathering together is just the excuse. The real meaning for me comes from the gathering of family in tradition and generational continuity this creates.

On a funny note, I remember a holiday when Mitch was perhaps not much older then you are now (2ish) and he was wearing a yamika. But he also thought that his chicken nuggets needed a yamika, so he took his yamika and put it on top of the nuggets saying, "chicken hat."

That was funny.

Terry and the Pirates

I saw a blog link today about the author/artist behind Terry and the Pirates. I was hoping it would lead to an image or something. But it did not.

Terry and the Pirates is a comic strip that was apparently very influential from 1934 through the 1950s and also was the direct inspiration for my Dad's first name (Terry).

The cartoon spun off a TV show and serialized movie and was the spring board for creator Milton Caniff who became a cartoon rock star.

wikipedia entry