Scenes from March

Vaughn, Miles and Eliza 

Eliza decorated and furnished her doll house and left it outside for the fairies.

Panache and Eliza having milk 

Vaughn and Miles looking at a comic book

Friends & Fun

A lost/unfinished blog from November.

So you think slugs are gross? How about giant 8-inch-long FAT slugs that hang out on your back porch (right where you walk) or climb up the walls of your house or the INSIDE walls of your hallways? I'm not a big fan, but the kids think they're great. Miles's second unit of study in grade one was "Wings, Stings and Wiggly Things." They grew their own silk worms, went on "insect safaris," and learned to be fascinated instead of grossed-out by all the little creatures.

Yeah, that's a slug.

Our pool is nice but FREEZING cold. It's funny how so many houses have pools in this country, but I have never been swimming. It just doesn't get hot enough here. One day, I will find affordable insulation to cover the pool. The kids, however, like to spend a sunny day on the weekend, playing in the pool for as long as they can.

This is our tortoise, Cindy, who we inherited from the family we replaced. She's very low-maintenance, just eating what she finds in the garden. We see her only occasionally when she ventures out of the thickest parts of the bushes.

Eliza & Cindy

Everybody loves Mambo. When the kids wake up or just get home from school, first thing, they need a good old snuggle with the cat.

Mambo & Miles

Our children got into the terrible habit of watching TV while eating dinner when their mother realized that "Aang, The Last Airbender"- the Nickelodeon animated series - was the best show on TV for kids, as far as she was concerned. OK, there's fighting. But there's a war going on! And Aang must travel to the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Air Nomad temples to learn how to bend the four elements so he can save the world. And by the way, Aang, our hero, is a humble, fun kid who wisely finds a way to battle evil without ever killing. The show has philosophical and stylistic similarities with anime, but it's more accessible for an American audience.

Anyway, after Halloween, Miles decided one day to dress up as Aang.

Focused meditation.

Panache and Miles with the day's avocados.

Aang, the last Airbender

The Usual Stuff

Miles and Eliza have their own "language" of things that crack each other up or incite pandaemonium or refer to some kind of pretend game or whatever. I have failed to get it on video, and writing it out doesn't capture the tone which is half of it. Often it's a phrase they say together over and over like a chant. Here are a few attempts at getting it. 

They were chanting it up in the car while I was driving, but when I stopped Eliza was too preoccupied with getting out of the car to do it again.

Language creation in action.

An oldie but goodie...

Haircuts and Island of Flies

Miles told me the other day that when Addy Daddy hugged him good-bye at the airport, he said, You still need a haircut. And I had to admit, he was right. Miles's shaggy, cool haircut just didn't fit his straight hair. And Eliza's "do" required barrettes at all times or else it was in her face. Almost every day Eliza would rip out her hairbands at school. It just wasn't working. Without Fe here in the mornings to do her thing, the only alternative seemed to be -- bangs.

So weekend before last, both the kids got cuts. M's is more conservative. No more sideburns. But he looks cuter, less shagged out, more his age. I was a tad shaken at the site of Eliza with bangs. It appears as though her baby blond is disappearing the way Miles's did. Now it's just long on the sides, like a flapper from the 20s.

Any guesses as to why I took this photo?

 She just decided the other day that she wanted Henry down from his protected post, and she carried him around for days. Luckily, it didn't last too long or else he'd need another surgery. 

The need for baby doll fell away soon after we returned to Amman, due probably to its temporary misplacement. She never really took a shine to the new one, though she plays with both of them a lot. The old one (a hand-me-down from Samantha) went missing for a few weeks in February. (It was at a friend's house.) It was a quiet withdrawal. Eliza would ask for her baby and look around, but she never really fell to pieces in desperation (which she is apt to do these days over the tiniest of incidences, i.e. she wanted to flush the toilet herself!!!). One morning (she was in bed with us again), she said upon waking in a very calm tone of realization and acceptance: I lost my baby doll. I almost cried. But baby doll is back.

Here's Miles at violin last week. (I love his teacher. She's Cuban.)

Here's some typical play between the kids. Miles focused on creating his fantasy; Eliza along for the ride. You can imagine why Eliza's vocabulary includes such words as Saturn, annihilate, and capture. (This was pre-haircut. You see the problem.) 

M:  ...to save the island from bad...all the flies hunt...they get in the island...they get past the rivers...and the sharks...

E:   What's the ?? ...take the bugs?

M:  and they attack the flies with their energy...

E:  why?

M:  to keep you away from the flies...to keep you away from the flies...

M: ...and away...keep them away to the flies...don't know that the ?? do to them...they eat...

E:  Let me see. that.

M: they eat their island and they eat and they eat their island. They're eating the island of flies.

E:  They're eating the island of flies? ...yuck.

The Bug Series

Miles has asked that I include his recent Bug Series on the blog. These are three he selected from the book he's assembled. All three have blasting powers.

The first in the series is Explosion Bug which attracts other predators with its explosions.

The second in the series is Dirty Smell Bug which smells yucky because of its "ban" of yucky prey.

The third in the series is Heatblast (inspired by a Ben 10 alien) which is a fire thing that blasts fire out of his hands so everybody can be safe home and no bad guys can ever be seen again.

Nightmare on Al Torrah St.

Miles: Mom, I had a nightmare last night! There was a sloth with the face of a clown...fish that was chasing me and Max and Wael.

David: Was it its speed or bright cheerful colors that you found more frightening?

Me: Or was it scary to just see a sloth and clownfish together?

Miles: Yeah, together it was scary. But I got away! It ate Max and Wael. They made a hole in its tail and escaped, but they were covered in orange saliva.

Drawing: "A Sloth named Greener: a Massive Predator"

On the Drive Home from Nursery School

Me (in upbeat mom voice): Eliza, what do you do today?

Eliza: I threw something at someone.

Me (exaggerated inhalation of shock): No! You shouldn't do that! What did you throw?

Eliza: A parrot.

Me: Who did you throw it at?

Eliza: Ms. Iman

Me: Did you apologize?

Eliza: Yes

Me: Were you nice to people?

Eliza: Yes, I was nice to everybody.

Miles: I went outside....I fought Jude. I have more muscles than she does. I have more muscles than Makenzie. I have the most muscles!

Me: You have the same number of muscles. But if you eat all your vegetables, you can have bigger muscles, and that will make you stronger. But you shouldn't fight. What happened?

Miles: I poked her in the eye.

Me: That's horrible! 

Miles: I went outside. The teacher made me. She didn't take me to the baby room (it's a punishment to be sent down to the nursery if you're "acting like a baby") or to the office. She just took me outside the room.

Me: What did she say?

Miles (in firm tone): You stay right there!

Me: Then what happened.

Miles: I cried. (in a more mumbled tone: Then I shot a sticky web over the room...over the sticky garbage...ffshyew! ffshyew!!) Then I went back inside and was nice to everyone.