Thursday Thesicle

It's not a real day if rockstars don't rock out on your couch.

A New York Surprise!

The boys have been obsessed with Jimmy Buffet for quite a while now. (A year I think) At first he was “Dimmy Muffet” but now that their pronunciation has gotten better, he is the real deal. He is not the only singer in their hearts, however. Dan Zanes, an actual kids’ singer, who writes kid-appropriate songs that are not about drinking and sailing, is right up there in their hearts by Buffet. On top of having most of his CDs, they got a DVD of a live concert from Uncle A for Christmas, and that sealed the deal—they want to be Dan Zanes. He has crazy, sticky-uppy hair, and they love for me to get their hair wet with a little water or even hair gel, in order to really create the full effect, as they belt out his songs in front of the TV, playing their guitars and mimicking his every move on stage. 

Brian had been watching Dan Zanes’ tour schedule and there was nothing close. He’s a New York guy, and most shows are up in that area and not on good days of the week for us. He found only one show that we could make work time-wise and so we decided to take them up to New York City for a surprise Dan Zanes concert. It’s about a four or five hour drive from here.

Yesterday was the big day. We told them we were going to New York City and described it as a cool place with really tall buildings. They immediately asked if we’d see Dan Zanes because he sings “Sidewalks of New York” on their DVD while he walks on the sidewalks of New York. We said maybe we would, maybe we wouldn’t. There are a lot of people in New York City. We don’t know which ones we’ll see. The good part about their age is that they didn’t once ask why we were going or what we were doing; they just went along, excited. Brian and I were eager to surprise them.

They were great in the car. We listened to a little Jimmy Buffet of course, and then they watched their Dan Zanes DVD. We got to the Metropolitan Museum of Art right on time for the show. We told them who we were going to see a little while before we went into the auditorium. They got scared, as we thought they might. Calvin especially. He kept saying we wouldn’t stay long and we’d go home soon. During the show they let kids and parents dance and sing in the aisles. Clark enjoyed being up on Brian’s shoulders and dancing, but Cal just wanted to be in his seat, clutching onto me. For the last two songs Cal was on Brian’s shoulders and he finally was laughing and enjoying the music. I’m not sure what it is that makes them afraid of someone they love so much, but I’m sure it’s not uncommon and has to do with a kids’ development. We had a chance to have a picture with Dan Zanes after the show, but they were too afraid. (I really wanted that photo!) They’ve been talking about the show ever since we came home and Cal has been saying, “I was a little afraid of the real Dan Zanes, but that’s okay.” Afterwards, we took the subway, walked on the sidewalks of New York in the drizzle, had dinner and cupcakes with some friends, and then  Brian drove the four hours back home. They slept the entire way and once Clark belly-laughed in his sleep.

This is such a cool part of being a parent—getting to surprise them and introduce them to so much in our world. Even though Brian and I probably enjoyed the actual concert more than they did (his music is great!), I don’t think they’ll stop talking about this for a long time.

Bagel-munching on the way

Here we come!

Watching Dan Zanes DVD (Clark still clutching his "bagel phone")

Into Delaware...

Sharing some family chocolate

The Turnpike!

Rest stop shenangins 

Playing cups like guitars

Yay! The Big Apple

A distant Lady Liberty

Cheaper gas!

Under the water and into the city

A nervous Clarky outside the show

Getting braver

We have these CDs!

Commence (insert nervous habit here)

I can do this. I think.

The man himself! 

Decompressing by throwing coins in a museum fountain

Making faces and friends on the subway

Cupcakes with Molly and Grace!

Discussing the finer points of the concert

Thursday Thesicle

Yes, Michael's craft store does sell wooden electric guitar picture frames.

Thursday Thesicle

All the stool's a stage. 

(with apologies to Shakespeare)

Thursday Thesicle

There's Cool and there's Rockstar Mohawk Cool; you can't touch Rockstar Mohawk Cool.

Thursday Thesicle

Lizard bath towels rock and roll.

subtitle: I learned how to edit images. 

Tuesday's Thanks

Cal: "I'm thankful for music."
Me: "What kind of music?"
Cal: "Instrumental music. I love to sleep with it on."

Clark: "I'm thankful for Jimmy Buffet and Dan Zanes. And Grandma and Papa. I love those guys."

How the Teddy Graham Won (and Other Toddler Tomfoolery)

We’ve had a couple breakfast battles lately. The boys used to love oatmeal but they haven’t for the past couple months. A few weeks ago we told them they couldn’t go to the store with Brian if they didn’t eat their oatmeal. It was a struggle for awhile but Clark finally took some bites because he wanted to go shopping. Calvin didn’t. So Brian and Clark went to the store. For over two hours Cal refused to take a single bite of the oatmeal with the fresh peaches they loved eating plain. He didn’t sit at the table the whole time, but I wouldn’t let him eat or drink anything else and I told him he couldn’t watch their favorite video series Signing Time. I warmed it up when he said he was ready to take a bite and he’d turn away. Whatever. Finally he took a bite and (of course) loved it and polished off the whole bowl in a couple minutes. I gave myself a mental high five.

Monday it happened again. I cut up banana in little pieces in Cal’s oatmeal and strawberries for Clark. Refused to take a bite. Yep. We were planning to go listen to Mr. Knick Knack at town center with their friends and so I foolishly(?) boxed myself in and told them we weren’t going to see Mr. Knick Knack unless they took just one bite of oatmeal. An hour passed. I sat there at the table with them for over an hour as they refused to take a single bite. I tried to be calm. I sipped my coffee. I read a cookbook. We talked about the weather. I took deep breaths. I was in it to win it even though I didn’t want to be. They moaned, they wailed, they laughed, they changed the subject. Finally Clark acknowledged defeat and humbly took a bite. Shocker, he then took a bunch of bites because EVERYONE KNOWS OATMEAL WITH MILK AND STRAWBERRIES IS DELICIOUS. Arg. He elicited loud praise from me, and even Cal said, “Sharky did a great job!” but he refused to take a bite of his. What to do? Clark wanted to see Mr. Knick Knack, and as much as I wanted to leave Calvin at home in his chair with his nose in oatmeal, I had to take him too. I packed up the oatmeal and a spoon.

Oatmeal Standoff, mid squirms

When we got there I ran into a friend who usually has snacks and told her not to give Cal any until he ate his oatmeal bite. However, I didn’t get the message to another friend in time and he had climbed up in her lap and had a couple Teddy Grahams before I could turn around. HORRORS! I didn’t let him eat anymore and whipped out my tiny container of oatmeal and a spoon. He of course refused. In the blink of an eye she dug a Teddy Graham into the oatmeal and served up a nice pile of it on the cracker to Cal. Of course he ate it. Who wouldn’t eat it served by a pretty lady who had not been raging a battle of wills with you for the last couple hours, and on a Teddy Graham?

So that is how Cal can beat me even when he’s not actually beating me.

Yesterday morning it was eggs and bacon and bananas. First of all the charming part: when I took the raw bacon out of the wrapper and held up two pieces to show the boys, Calvin said, “like a butterfly!” It did look a little like a butterfly because the strips were pretty wide and I was holding them up from one end and parallel to each other. That’s where the charm ran out. They ate their bacon fine. They had to be coaxed to eat bites of their eggs by being promised another bite of bacon. I left the room for a tenth of a second and when I came back all the eggs and bananas were on the floor and the little boogers were giggling. As I stormed toward them, Clark piped up, “How about a little Jimmy Buffet?” Small brain explosion. Instead I dragged the garbage can over to the table and made them get down and pick up the carnage. Of course that was nearly impossible because they kept changing the subject and wanting to look in the garbage can and talk about the banana peel and the old coffee grounds and Jimmy Buffet. Finally, after I had managed to get them to pick up a few of the bigger chunks, my friend Gen came over to go for a walk and when I turned around she was picking up the eggs.

Egg carnage

Good thing I have helpful friends or else I would not know the power of a Teddy Graham and would have a house covered in eggs. I'm not sure it's worth fighting battles over food...but it feels like I need to.

I’m praying for a better breakfast day this morning. I could always go the easy route and march them across the street to the bagel shop. But the free-bagel-upon-purchase-of-a-beverage coupon has run out so it’s less tempting. Ice cream? Teddy Grahams? Mimosas?

Dimmy Muffet in Paradise

401-Clark: our retirement plan, baseball-style*

I’m no Parrothead, but I do like myself some good Jimmy Buffet tunes when the mood strikes. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to fly on a whim to Margaritaville or Saint Somewhere and sip boat drinks, but that’s not really the way my life is shaping up. No complaints, though. Maybe retirement will involve soaking in rays, running into chums with bottles of rum, and being the only bait in town. It’s hard to say. As long as Clark keeps practicing that left-handed fastball and dirty curveball, his pro baseball career could fund an island retirement for us. Maybe we can lie on some Little League forms soon and get that action rolling.

seriously swingin' in Dimmy Muffet shirts*

Anyway. I had a Buffet hankering a few weeks ago and so I turned on a greatest hits CD and mentioned his name to the boys. ONE TIME. The following week I had something else in the CD player, (I know, CD player, how archaic. I don’t even know how to use an iPod.) I don’t remember who, and Calvin yelled, “Dimmy Muffet!” which cracked me up, so I promptly turned on Dimmy Muffet. The boys wanted to rock, one in the recliner and one on the rocking horse, side by side as Dimmy sang. They then started saying, “See Dimmy Muffet? See Dimmy Muffet!” so we watched some YouTube clips of Jimmy singing. They loved it and now they request his music on a regular basis.

As soon as they start requesting cold draft beers, brand new tattoos, and pencil-thin mustaches, I may have to be more selective in which songs they listen to. But for now it’s pretty fun. I wish the Barenaked Ladies had a different name or maybe I’d introduce them to that band too. Sigh. Bring on the wholesome Dan Zanes and Veggie Tales, I guess.

*Thanks to Uncle Ken for the 401-Clark nickname and to Aunt Kelly for the tire swing picture

Cal-isms

Cal has been entertaining us with some great lines lately. Here are a few:

Lately the boys love to listen to the radio while we are driving. One time a few weeks ago Clark got a lot of attention and laughs for saying, after a John Mayer song, “I sure like that song.” We were in the car on the way to the store yesterday, and during a song I saw Cal lean over and touch Clark’s arm and look at his face searchingly. He said, “What do you say, Shark? Do you like this song?” I like to think he was trying to get Clark to make us laugh and not stealing the show, but he sure did steal the show.

Yesterday at home Brian was trying to get Cal to come over to him so he could get his diaper changed. Cal was playing hard to get so Brian instructed Clark to go get Cal and bring him to Dad for a diaper change. Clark, the one who always loves to be physical, ran across the room, put Cal in some kind of a friendly-toddler chest hold, and dragged him across the floor to Brian. Cal didn’t protest, and when he was down on the floor mid-diaper change, he said to Brian, “Sharky pulled me like a wagon.” There goes Cal again with his brilliant similes. As an English teacher and poet I couldn’t be happier to hear his cool takes on his world.

Curious and Cautious Cal with his Cousin at a Coop

Cal and I went on a date the other morning while Brian took Clark to the doctor. We went for a walk to town center (without a stroller!) and Starbucks and threw coins in the fountain. We sat outside the coffee shop on the bench while I prepared Cal’s juice box for him. I set my iced coffee down on the bench for seriously what seemed like two seconds, looked across the road for some reason, and looked back in time to see Cal come up for air after taking a sip of coffee out of the straw on my cup. He puckered up and looked at me, his nose all wrinkled up. “Kids don’t like it,” he concluded.

Today in the car I gave the boys each a cracker. Cal nibbled around all the sides of his, making it jagged and said, “It’s a star!” Again with the figurative language. Love it.

I'm including this picture of Cal and his cousin at a petting zoo chicken coop because I think it nicely captures his delightful mix of curiosity and cautiousness. Also it proves that he is like me because he called the chicken "yucky" on the way home. Maybe I prompted the response from him, maybe I didn't. I can't remember.