Anatomical Terms

If it's an anatomical term, it's not wishy-washy or fishy. So one day several months ago I told Vivian about vagina and anus. And when she noticed that there were girls and boys, I explained that boys have a penis instead of a vagina. You'd be surprised how often these terms are used during normal conversation with a 2-year old.

But Jo prefers the terms Vivian has grown up with - "hoo-ha" and "butt". So we ignored the new terms when Vivian mentioned them, hoping that she'd forget.

And she has. The other day after lunch, Vivian said:

"My hoo-ha's name is 'gina, and my butt's name is angel".

So now there's Gina and Angel.

ps. and Peanuts.

Uncle Alu

Vivian's been racking up the frequent flier miles this summer with trips to Florida, New Orleans, Arizona, and Nebraska. Airports, airplanes and rental cars are like her second, third, and fourth homes. So she happily jumped into the Jet Blue flight to go visit her Uncle Alu.

Aunt Michelle and Uncle Alu spoiled her as usual and in return Vivian ate all their cookies, peed on their furniture, sang and played on the piano, picked mushrooms in the yard, watched Loony Tunes, and had a jolly good time. We celebrated Alu's August birthday a bit prematurely and Vivian got to blow out the candles on the tiramisu. Then she invited Alu over ("Uncle Alu - come to my house, I cook dinner for you") and made him imaginary pancakes and tomatoes.

There were beach visits and a trip to Mystic Aquarium ("squar-ium") and parks and swan boat rides and barbecues and walks on the sea wall. Vivian went on her first ever carousel ride and loved it. And we snuck in the Annual Family Summer Portrait for the third straight year - under the prominently displayed signage of the Hotel Dolce Villa in Federal Hill, Providence.

Beach Bum

Vivian is a regular beach-bum - her hair is bleached lighter and she is tanner - that in spite of SPF70 sunscreen and the big green floppy hat. If my grandmother was alive, she'd worry that we'd never be able to get her married off. Vivian mucky-mucked around with the locals at Manatuck Beach, hob-nobbed with the society while munching on cherries at the private Willow Dell beach club, and strolled the sands of Cape Cod.

Summarize

Jo sometimes sings the fuzzy wuzzy rhyme to Vivian. It was new to me:

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy
Was he?

The other day, we were all getting situated in the rental minivan at Alu's. Out of the blue, Vivian pipes up:

"Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear with no hair."

I had to laugh. I asked Jo if she heard Vivian's summarized version. To which Vivian responded:

"I summarize."

Juan In Some Large Number

My dad and I made our way to Juan in a Million this morning. Juan was there shaking hands as usual. I seem to have graduated to a hug. Someone was taking names for a waiting list - that's new for Juan's.

About midway through my million calorie breakfast, I saw something else unusual. A guest of Chinese ethnicity - what we'd call an "Asian" in this country. And if I stand up for my fellow south-Asians it can be Juan In Two Billion Give Or Take a Few Hundred Million.

Vivian - I got some Don Juan back for you.

Are They Getting Married?

Jo woke Vivian up early this morning so they could get dressed and head out for a wedding. After seven years of happy matrimony, Michelle and Nicolle are getting married a second time - in Iowa. Once for God and then again for Country - or I suppose a state with favorable laws. I wish them the very best, again.

The following conversation transpired.

Vivian: Can we go swimming?
Jo: No. Aunt Colle and Aunt Chelle are getting married.
Vivian: What about my cousins? Are they getting married?

Raju: Oct 1962 - Jul 2009

I regret meeting Raju only once in the last 25 years. My dad had chatted with him more recently. Raju was like that. We were of the age when friend's parents were generally avoided or otherwise quickly greeted. Raju would sit down in the living room and chat for a while.

Trouble found Raju even where there seemed to be none. Once, at an overnight Boy Scouts camping trip, we tried to make things more lively by daring ourselves to be the first to steal and bring back a nice juicy bunch of grapes from the neighboring vineyards at nightfall. Raju almost got caught and hid out in a tree till dawn while we searched for him for hours.

And then there was the Indian Rope Trick - the rope ladder via which Raju descended from his second story bedroom window to skip out with us and finance nights of beer guzzling in the barren rocks of Jubilee Hills. I went back there years after HPS and the ground was still thick with fragments of UB bottles.

We'll miss you, my friend - your calm smile and an eagerness to take it one step further. Vivian - may you be fortunate to have friends like Raju.

Asleep at the Keyboard

It's too hot to type.

Vivian - while you're in the express checkout lane at the Haiawatha Walmart Supercenter, ponder this: 7 out of the ten of you waiting in line believe in creationism and 5 think that electrons are bigger than atoms (both according to a recent national Pew survey). In the best case two out of 10 individuals hold both these beliefs. In the worst case.....oh well - how are things in Kansas / Nebraska?