Surfin' USA

Elias wants to move to San Diego. This seems to be a general theme within my extended family and it has been voiced very strongly within my immediate family. I think Sophia is ok with not moving to San Diego as long as we visit there frequently (i.e. tomorrow), but Elias and Papa have some big plans to move. Cybele as usual adds "Nan" to every conversation and lately I get the feeling that her "Nans" are tinged with salt water and sunshine.

The interesting thing is that Elias was pretty sure that he was going to surf in California. He told me several times before the trip that Captain James was going to teach him to surf. I did not discourage him of this idea because some part of me thought that some version of this might be possible. James used to boogie board. Boogie boards are kind of like surf boards. Well, at least they both have the word board in them. But, after we arrived and we saw the waves, and the cliffs and the bare-footed surfers I had to tell Elias that he was not going to be learning how to surf with Captain James. And you know what he said. "I know, it's ok". He was not phased by it one bit because he was in a new state of mind, the California state of mind.

courting

sophia comes home from school and says that a boy from her class told her that he thinks they should spend more time together,
and that she could come be with him at his house in the jungle, and that he is gonna ask her father if that's okay. it's good by me. now sophia is giving cybele horsey rides on her back. i am amazed that sophia has developed the capacity to recast herself as a beast of burden. things i never thought i'd see.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Sophia is very excited for our vacation to San Diego. She is so excited that tonight she could not go to sleep and she came up with about one hundred reasons why should she be out of bed. Finally, she just admitted that she didn't want to go to sleep and I let her come watch some tv and stay up late. Sophia doesn't seem to understand what staying up late really means and is happy to stay up for fifteen minutes longer than Elias. No matter how much time seems to pass she always says the same thing. "I am going to stay up all night long". Staying up all night long used to be a frequent request from Sophia and I was grateful to hear her ask again if she could do it.

After tonight's turn at staying up late I was putting Phia to bed when she brought up a topic that has not been discussed in a long time. Tookies. She is proud of the fact that she doesn't use tookies anymore because she is a big girl now, but she was considering them as a possibility for making the ear discomfort on the plane more tolerable. We concluded that tookies are useful for some people on the plane but for Sophia gum is a better option now that she is a big girl. Maybe I will pack one just to make sure she really is a big girl now.

timeout chair

cybele's aforementioned struggles with acceptable modes of behavior have precipitated the introduction of 'time-out' techniques in order to reinforce more pleasantness. her initial outrage with this technique quickly yielded to significant comprehension of the process, such that within a week or so, she knew when she was in line for a t.o., and indeed even initiated one herself. it has already been co-opted into game-land, but she was still happier to get out of than to go into the timeout chair. the best part is watching her climb in and out of the chair itself. she's nimble for such a rotund mammal.

The midwest ninja

Nothing could have prepared me for the degree to which Cybele can be impossible. The flight to NY was impossible. I have never seen so many people glare at my family at the same time until I took my wee one on a plane. We made the mistake of flying with Cybele on our laps. This is the same mistake that I will make in about two weeks on our flight to San Diego but it is too late to change that. She hated flying but mostly she hated being pinned down. You see, Cybele is THE baby which means, no one says no and she always gets what she wants. Cybele wanted off the plane, off my lap and back to Indiana.

After the disaster that was our flight we headed out over the hills and through the woods to our comfy accommodations at the Grandparents house only to have Cybele wake up painfully early and repeat her plane performance on the LIRR. Lucky for us, Cybele was a dream at the party for Lore and Hugues

I think she must like dancing to the eighties and eating lots and lots of Italian food cause she was definitely in her element. But now that we are home it is all too clear that Cybele just likes to be home. She is back to sleeping 10 hours straight at night, taking three hour naps and dressing like a ninja.

Finally!

Now I want you all to know that my recent absence from the blog scene is not because I don't love you and not because I am not proud of my kids, but because this web site never wants to upload my photos. It is infuriating, and although I am witty and charming (and modest), the blog does not work without photos of my adorable kiddos so I haven't bothered to type anything cause I don't even know if you guys even read what I write.

But really look at my little man. I don't really think he is little anymore. He loves to go on bike rides with me which is the best feeling in the world. We have started venturing out in colder and colder weather and most recently, even when there is still patches of ice on the ground. I was a little worried about the ice but he was not phased. We even went over a patch of ice about 15 feet long while we were passing a car driving down our block. My heart was beating pretty fast but Elias was calm and cool. I guess he is a bit of a pro on the ice after a month and a half of ice skating though. Now that ice skating is over we are trying to decide on a new activity. Here are the options: Baseball, Soccer, Dance, Tae Kwon Do. Tristan is leaning towards dance and my vote is for either soccer of tae kwon do. If we can find it, my vote is going to be for the Robo-boogie. I think Elias would be an awesome Robot.

schoolboy

i realized after substituting at elias' school for a week that not all my assumptions about him as a student are correct. i thought he was still raucous and full of unbridled energy. in fact, although he's not always the most focused and industrious student, he's developed good self-control. he doesnt run around wildly like some kids do, he doesnt complain or have to always fight against his baser emotions, like many kids do, and he isnt that loud. he is quite well self-contained and -directed. i am also amazed to see how physically well-rooted he is at his school. he knows where things are, where to go, what he should be doing. he knows where he belongs, and how to get what he needs. it relieves me and makes me proud of him.