Where is Evan

One morning before school we went to 24 Diner for breakfast. Jo and I had paleo breakfasts and Vivian ordered French toasts. Evan practiced yet another of his new pet tricks - peekaboo.
"Where's Evan?" Here he is!

Vivian and Abe

The weekend before last we were at Carol's. Abe came over to say hello to Vivian in the tall grass and all I could see of Abe was his tail sticking straight up. But he was so happy to see Vivian you could hear him meowing a block away.

Vivian on the Swing

Vivian loves the swings at Rosedale School. The swings are designed for kids in wheel chairs and they have a nice red seat and a bring yellow harness. Last week when we were there Vivian had a daffodil in her hand. The first of the season. I took this photo with my iPhone.

Butt Biter

I wish there was a delicate way to say this: Evan's a butt biter. He tries to bite Crazy's butt all the time. And as soon as he laid eyes on Soren he went for the rump. If the photo had a sound track, you'd hear Jo beseeching me to do something. I was doing a couple of things - laughing very hard and trying to take a picture.

Birthday Gifts

Vivian got great loot for her birthday. She decked out Rody with some of her gifts to get him ready for a wedding. Then I pretend-walked Vivian down the aisle and she got married to Rody.

And here's a picture of her and Holden ridding away on Rody.

Vivian loves everything she gets. She is very excited and  happy if you give her a darn leaf. This attitude of hers has made me lax and I have relied on Jo more and more to buy stuff for her. We both helped buy her bike at Christmas, but the other stuff mysteriously appears. I bought her exactly two small items for her stocking stuffer: a glowing chemical filled necklace, and a bouncy ball with flashing leds. For her birthday, Jo got her gifts. I nodded like I had something to do with it.

So when Vivian profusely and specifically thanked me for one of the movies she got for her birthday, I felt a tinge of guilt. I had to tell her:

"Mommy actually got you the gift"
"Um, OK - thanks for the other DVD then, Daddy"
"That one was also Mommy's work"
"Well - how about the dress?"
"Mommy"

And here's what makes Vivian such a lovely child. She could have wondered out aloud what exactly the fuck I had got for her. Instead she gave me a huge hug and said:

"Well, Daddy - thanks for the necklace and the ball you got me for Christmas."

Bless you heart Vivian.

Daddy Doctor Friday

I spend Friday mornings with Evan. Some times we go to the park. Vivian is usually at school but last Friday she had the day off.  Vivian and Evan played together. Then Evan practiced his newest pet trick - the wave. Then he crawled under the couch to retrieve something and he thought that he was stuck there. I know I should have rescued him right away but he looked so comical and I had the camera all ready to go and couldn't resist taking a quick photo.

This Friday we spent our quality time at the doctor's. Poor Evan is sick again - the third time this month. We hung out at the doctors for two hours. We started with the usual weigh-in and temperature reading. Followed by Dr G's first visit. Then a trip across the hall to draw blood for a test. A second consult with Dr G. Back to the lab for a couple of x-rays. Consult #3. A visit from the nurse and a big fat shot of antibiotic in the thigh. And finally a 20 minute wait to see if he reacts poorly. Evan took it all very well. Even the shot which the nurse told me is so painful that they mix lidocaine in it to help with the pain. Dr G made us an appointment to see him on Monday again. But we hope it will be quick this time because Evan's already a lot better.

I went with Jo every time Vivian went to the doctor. But it was for scheduled shots and check-ups. Between Vivian's second and third birthdays we saw Dr. G only once. Probably the same between 3 and 4. The second child syndrome hit in Evan's case - I've almost never gone to any of his visits. But Evan's working to rectify that. I am now reacquainted with the entire staff at the doctor's office. And Pooja - the Indian phlebotomist, and Evan are practically buds.

Birthday

Vivian celebrated birthday week with three parties, the now traditional dinner at Musashino, and a special Grandma Princess Day. For her actual birthday party at home, she invited all the kids in her class at school and a few other friends. Jo created a ice-cream themed party and turned the garage into Vivian's Ice Cream Shoppe - with a few gallons of Amy's Ice Cream ice cream, toppings, checked table cloths, bubble-making machines, and birthday cup cakes in the shape of an ice cream cone. It threatened to rain all morning and then cleared up before the party.

 

In the pictures below, there are a couple of things worth noting.  These two pictures were taken early in the party. First, note that Vivian is wearing a light pink fluffy dress. The pictures above were taken about a hour later. Note that she's wearing a dark blue dress - in fact the same dress she wore at her 3rd birthday party. At some point she asked Ms. Mary to help her - and there was a quick costume change. We didn't notice it till later.

Also note the large cardboard box with the hand drawn ice cream cone. I drew that at 11pm the night before the party. I was supposed to cut a window in the middle of the pink ice cream portion and the box was to serve as prop in a bean bag toss game. About an hour into the party, the box was pushed on to it's side and six or seven kids camped out in there for some time. We had to trick them into coming out when the ones towards the back started turning purple. Kids love boxes.

A day before Vivian's party, she asked me if she could start doing grown-up things because she was going to be four now. I said No. "How about on my 5th birthday Daddy? Can I drive then?" Check back in about 12 months to see if you want to keep off the streets.

Science and God

If Science and Religion stayed out of each other's way things would be simple. No overlap. No heartburn. But over time, more things that were unknown become known. Why does it rain? Why does the Sun rise every morning? Why do comets appear? What makes people sick? What makes some people gay? What explains speciation? How old is the universe? What is the nature of matter? And invariably some new-found answers conflict with someone's religion. At which point the keepers of that faith have to stick their heads deeper in the sand or acknowledge the error and move forward.

If I were a big-wig in one of the major religions of the world, I would organize a strategic retreat. Instead of trying to defend everything, pull back to a defensible position. Put some serious effort  into collecting the questions that will forever be inexplicable by science or be outside the realm of science. Like what happens to you after you die and where did the stuff come from before the stuff that science can explain came from. The NP-Complete set of problems of Life. There's plenty there. And it's not chicken shit either - these are the questions that keep humanity collectively awake at 4am. Then, own this set staunchly and cede the rest to science.

At the dinner table today Vivian said "At school Ms S told us that God made us all".  I reminded her that she can believe it and that I don't. She reminded me that Aunt C believes it too. We followed it up with some friendly banter. A little bit later Vivian and I were in the car and there was a story on NPR on how America was falling further behind other countries in science and math.

Vivian asked "Daddy - what do scientists do?"
I said "they try to find the truth about nature."
She asked "like what?"
I said "like where we came from."
She said "But God made us all."
And I said "May be someday you may decide to look into that a bit more and then you can ask a scientist."

And I wished that Ms. S at school could have told her that God decides what happens to you when you die and and I could say that scientists measure the pH of water. No overlap. No heartburn.

Birthday Candles

When you are three years old, it must seem like an awful long time for a whole year to pass before it's your birthday again. A third of your life. And during this time, Vivian missed blowing out birthday candles more than anything else. She dutifully attended probably a dozen birthdays where some other twit got all the attention and got to blow out the candles too. But she diligently practiced on the little dinner table candles at Musashino every week.

This birthday I captured most of the sequence on film - from the studied calmness before, to the crazy-happy dance after.

Daddy Daughter Dance

The 2011 Daddy Daughter Dance was upon us before we knew it. Karen graciously babysat Evan while her Daddy/Daughter and ours went to the dance. And our Mother was the official photographer.

The girls knew what to expect this year. And they were much more interested in playing with their friends than dancing with Daddy. But it was fun.

And here's a photo of daddy, daughter, and son that Karen took before Vivian and I left for the dance.

While I Waited in Line

This story is left over from our trip to Santa Fe. 

The morning we were to fly out of Austin, we got a couple of inches of snow. So Austin came to a slipping and sliding halt. We however, dutifully made it to the airport an hour before our flight. After all, Southwest's website indicated that our flight was on time. Till we pulled up in front of the airport, when we got an SMS that it had been canceled.Thankfully before we had to unload the two kids and several car seats and rolling stock and luggage. So Jo dropped me off at the terminal and went to wait for me in the parking garage.

There were about two hundred people in line at Southwest and two agents. I timed the first three in queue and estimated that it would be tomorrow before I got to the counter. So I called Southwest and waited while on hold. A helpful message estimated that my wait time would be about 37 minutes.

About 25 minutes into the hold I was beginning to feel that I was really making progress. But then I got an SMS from Jo telling me where she had parked. She had re-booked us for the afternoon flight.While nursing Evan. And repacking our luggage.

Recovering

Vivian turned four during every minute of this last week. I think I recollect that it was great fun. The celebrations started on Monday and they ended (we hope) with the opening of the presents this afternoon.

Over dinner Jo and I wondered how it could be so hard to recover from a four-year old's birthday party. Before I could sit down on the couch and type these few lines, I spent 30 minutes making enough space on the couch first. After a Halloween Party, we used to bring the big outside trash can in and dump everything in it. Now the house and every nook and cranny are filled with Disney princess dolls, wands, crayons, glitter, tiaras, parts of 1000-piece toys, ribbons, purses, shoes, bracelets, books, ribbons, bows, and things for which I have no names. Several times a day I move them from room to room and Vivian and Evan dutifully track it all back.

I have some good pictures and stories to share - and I'll start posting them soon. Thanks for helping celebrate my princess' birthday and making it so memorable.

Snow

Jo wanted a beach but Evan hasn't gotten himself a passport yet and there aren't any warm beaches this time of year without leaving our shores. So I got my family ski trip to Santa Fe. And it snowed before we got there, while we were there, and when we left.

Evan seemed slightly perturbed with all the white stuff and couldn't tell what the fuss was all about. Vivian is a snow bunny and doesn't seem to mind the cold. She built snowmen, tobogganed, fought snow ball fights, took ski lessons, and had a good time. Jo tolerated a few runs on the beginner slopes. Carol signed up for the Never Before class but her knees said Not Now. I had a great time.

 

I  suspect the future holds more beach vacations. But Vivian and I have a plan. We'll spend a few days at Tahoe and then catch up with the rest of the fam on the way to Hawaii. I can get used to packing swim shorts and ski pants in the same bag.

Puye Pueblo

The snow was coming down pretty hard when we left Santa Fe to go see the Puye Pueblo. But as we got closer to the Jemez mountains it cleared up. We stopped at the Santa Clara gas station to buy an entry pass but the man behind the counter told us to drive on to the cliff dwellings and see if they would give us a guided tour.

During the 7 mile drive from the gas station to the cliff dwellings, we tried to give Vivian some background information. "Hey Vivian - see the tops of these mountains - they are really flat. They are called mesas". For the next mile Vivian pointed out every mesa (and there were many) and sang "there's a mountain with a flat top". It got irritating quickly and Carol tried to distract her: "Vivian - we are going to see where Indians lived a long time ago".

To which Vivian replied "I know Indian, Grandma. Daddy is Indian".

Which then led to a quick discussion of European explorers blah blah and bam - suddenly a whole people incorrectly called Indians. And about that time we pulled up to the bottom of the cliff dwellings. They were impressive - even from the parking lot.

Because it was in the low 10's outside with wind chill, we decided to not do the all-walking cliff face tour and opted instead for the drive up to the top of the mesa and a tour of the mesa top village. AJ - a kid in his late teens or early twenties was our guide. He was very friendly and his spiel wasn't rehearsed. Frequently he would start an answer with "Well - the way my Grandma explained that...". And stories that included what he did growing up and how his uncles taught the youngsters about their land and animals and hunting. And stories about playing basket ball and little league baseball growing up - and how their team called themselves the "Savages". While he was a fluent English speaker, at times he would do what non-native (irony) speakers do - he would hunt for English words to express himself. AJ's first language is Tewa.

We froze our butts. But we got a great tour of the pueblo and a vibrant picture of the lives and times of the people who lived there several hundred years ago. In a time and land where people move constantly, and being a person who has moved thousands of miles from my own place of birth, it was astounding to meet AJ - who lives a short run from where his ancestors lived nine hundred years ago. And to see and feel his sense of pride and belonging and attachment to the land of his people.

Meanwhile Evan spent most of the tour trying to displace the Indians again - by eating as much dirt as his could.

Night Life

Our vacation home renter's guide came with a list of Santa Fe's hottest night spots but Jason, the vacation home owner, warned us that there were many great things about Santa Fe and that the night life wasn't one of them. However one evening Jo and I left Evan and Vivian in Carol's care and we did manage to stay out till midnight. And we ended the evening at the Emergency Room of the Christus St. Vincent Hospital.

It all started quiet harmlessly. After finishing dinner at the vacation home, everyone had a hankering for dessert. Jo and I are in the middle of the Crossfit Challenge and have been off sugar since that first week of January. But hey - what's a vacation without some indulging. Carol and Vivian wanted apple pie a la mode. Jo and I wanted something with chocolate. So we went to the Whole Food's. And we ogled at the cake section and couldn't decide - so we got a slice of chocolate cheesecake, a slice of chocolate decadence cake, and a chocolat grande petit four (the name may be an oxymoron but it was oh so delish!). And half an apple pie and a quart of Haagen Daz vanilla bean. To go.

When we returned home Jo tried the chocolate cheesecake and then had a spoon of Vivian's apple pie and ice cream and decided she preferred that. About half an hour and a large bowl of dessert later she started itching her palms. Then her lips got tingly. She downed a couple of Benadryls and went back to watching Cars on TV with Vivian. After all this wasn't the first time she displayed allergy symptoms after eating eggs or something with eggs in it.

But in a few minutes things didn't improve and in fact started getting decidedly worse. Carol made a decision and told us to head for the hospital. We jumped in the rental minivan and sped off  through the darkness and snow to wherever the Garmin led us to. Along the way Jo's voice got hoarse and I started imagining having to pull over and perform a tracheotomy with the minivan key.

It didn't come to that. We made it to Christus. The ER nurses and doctor were very nice and helpful. After several blood tests and an IV of steroids things got better. With helpful advice (don't eat eggs, drive carefully, wear a helmet while skiing) they eventually sent us on our way and we were back home by midnight. Par-tey.

Rough Patches

We returned from Santa Fe yesterday. Jo ran into Tim outside. He asked how the trip went. She said it was great with a few rough patches. Like snow and ice and backed up airports on the way there, natural gas shortages in Santa Fe due to the unnaturally low temperatures, a late night trip to the ER, and Evan coming down with Croup.

 

 Evan and Jo at the Plaza. Note the Smartwool logo on Evan's hat. We'll do anything to raise his IQ 

 Evan after a cup of Joe at Ohori's Coffee

Vivian with a touch of static at the vacation home

It really was a great trip otherwise.