Saturday Afternoon

We had lunch at P Terry's (where Jo ran into the owner Kathy eating lunch too) and then headed out to Canyon Lake. We've been out there fewer times than most other years.

 Carol is still in Nebraska and we don't know if she's ever coming back. The house is empty and the air conditioner is turned off. It was nice and toasty when we arrived. So we made a bee line for the pool with Vivian and Evan. Later in the afternoon their cousins arrived and after that we didn't see much of the kids till it was time for bed.

Growing Up - Two Views

Evan does not want to grow up. On the way back from their schools on Wednesday afternoon:

"Daddy - I don't want to grow up"
"But you will have so much fun when you are older" I replied.
"No. I wish I can stay just like this"
"Well - you can't stop time"
"I wish I could stop time".

And Vivian solemnly said: "Evan - time is your friend, not your enemy"

Vivian can't wait to be older. The four of us were lazing around in bed this morning. The kids expressed interest in tacos from Taco Shack. Jo said "Vivian - why don't you go to Taco Shack and get us back tacos"

"Sure!" and she jumped up. In the end we agreed that I would go with her but stay a few feet behind and not interfere her unless she needed me. She crossed 45th at the light at Burnet and got to Taco Shack and placed a complicated order correctly (we each have very specific taco tastes) and paid by (my) credit card and picked up the order and made it back home. I was surprised.

Jo said that next time we need to give Vivian cash so that she can start figuring out change and Vivian agreed and said "And remember I get to keep the change". I hear this used to be Jo's modus operandi.

Nerds

This morning Jo assembled a Lego Star Wars fighter that Uncle Alu and Aunt Michelle gave Evan for his birthday - while I was at a meeting and the kids were in the shower.

Then Evan enjoyed playing with the fighter almost as much as Jo did making it. He made me take photos of the fighters against the dark stone background of the hearth so that "it looks dark - just like space"

The other day Evan and I were chatting after dinner.

"Daddy - how fast do things fall?"
"It depends on how far they fall from"
"It gets faster as it falls?"
"Up to a point. Then the drag from the air stops it from getting faster"
"Is that why a sheet of paper falls more slowly than a rock?"
"Yes. Can you guess which one would reach the bottom first if we dropped a sheet of paper and a rock from a tower but there was no air?"
"They's reach the bottom at the same time"

I told Evan about Galileo's Leaning Tower of Pisa experiment . And that it took humanity hundreds of years to figure this out.

Nerds. I've had my suspicions for a while.

Por Favor?

There's this new girl in Evan's class who is having some trouble letting go her parents at drop-off in the morning. So Jo asked Evan about it, hoping to find out that G was settling down.

"Does G have a hard time after her parents leave? Does she cry?"

Evan pondered the question for a moment. Then he gravely answered "You know, Mommy, sometimes it's tricky to tell which one is G."

Not "Who's G"? Or "I don't know G".

Evan's Spanish is coming along too.
"Mommy - I know how to say 'please' in Spanish"
"How, Evan?"
"Por favor. I heard my teacher say it"

Vivian came back from her first day of school a changed girl. She shampooed and conditioned her hair in the shower before being yelled at several times. Then she offered to shampoo Evan's hair. At dinner she thanked me for cooking and waited politely till I had served everyone and myself before starting. She ate everything without a mess. She even mentioned that she didn't have her elbows on the table. After eating, she put away her plate and washed her hands.

You are thinking "So what". We are thinking "Wow! What happened"?

There's a new girl in Vivian's class. She sits next to Vivian. Yesterday her mom and Jo were walking by the class. They've never met.

"My daughter is in 2nd grade"
"Oh, so is mine"
"She's a new student"
"How is it going?"
"Pretty good - she's already made a new friend, Vivian, who is really nice. "
"That's my daughter"

If this is what second grade is like, we can't wait for more.

Cupcakes

On Friday Jo picked Evan up from school and I met them at Foodie Kids with Vivian, Quinn and Kai. They decorated cupcakes.

Evan has been eating Patricia's Lunchbox at school. This lady brings in hot boxed freshly prepared organic food to their school at lunchtime. Everyday when we pick Evan up he gives us a report of what he ate and what he left on his plate. On Friday he shook his head and said that there was nothing he could eat. And then he inhaled his cupcake and wanted another one.

Vivian took her's home for later. 

More Cousin Time

During the last week, from Wednesday onwards Evan's being dutifully going to school. And Vivian had a party with her cousins - first Grace, Ava and Cade, and then Quinn and Kai. On Thursday I took the boys and Vivian to see The Guardians of the Galaxy. For a Marvel it was funny and not bad at all. Of course Vivian had questions like "Daddy - what is a dick?" (someone called someone else a "100% dick" in the movie)

I got the kids to pos in front of upcoming movie cutouts at Gateway. They thought it was hilarious. Kai took a long look at Carmen Diaz and said "Uncle Arun - Miss Hannigan is hot!". Quinn sagely agreed. 

A Gigantic Worm

Yesterday I was clearing up the wall above Vivian's desk in preparation for the new academic year. I found this gem. I can't remember how it came by but she must have put it together some time at school during first grade.

When I get mad
I turn into a
gigantic worm
with a lot of venom
and poisonous spikes

Gentle girl - I'll heed your warning and mess with you a little less. And when you are older if you have an ass for a boss or a boy/girl friend, you need to remind them of this.

Segundo

It's finally time for Vivian's first day of school. Second grade. She had been partying it up while poor Evan has been putting on his uniform and going to school since Wednesday.

Vivian and I met her new teacher and her classmates. They mix the different sections up each year. So Vivian doesn't have many friends from last year. But she knows most of the kids in her class. I think it's going to be a good year for Vivian. We are so happy and excited for her. But we are also so happy for another more mundane reason.

We love you, Evan and Vivian. But this summer, except for three days at Slumber Falls camp and an occasional day at Aunt Cole's you have spent every moment with us. So it's a real treat to look forward to several hours a day of adult time.

Jo worked out at the gym. We napped. Then we went to Hula Hut for drinks and lunch.

Yay, school!!

A Year

What came first - the memory or the photo? I don't know.

This is about my oldest memory of my dad, "Bu". I was a year younger than Evan is now. I remember walking down the hill on Sunday mornings and then across the train tracks holding my dad's hand to the edge of the lake. My dad bought fish from the fishermen as they pulled their boats ashore with fresh catch. Alu and I threw an old cricket ball for Raja and he would jump into the lake and swim back. Mausma Begum's rambling old house that we rented was the only house on the hill. The waters of Hussain Sagar were crystal clear. My dad was big and strong. Good times.

When he died a year ago, for a while my memories of my dad were the most recent ones. Like Vivian and Evan, I had trouble imagining or remembering a time when he was younger. Vivian and Evan often speak of their Grandpa. They talk of him being dead and of his favorite cookies with the same lightness of being. I am trying to learn from them. Life is short. Death is certain. So enjoy your favorite cookies and your loved ones. Or something like that.

Bu - you were a good dad. I am grateful for that, specially as I grapple with fatherhood myself. But I am also very thankful for how you lived the last year of your life with us. I still hear "Rontuuu" echoing through the house. Or wait - that's Vivian pretending to be you. Good times. 

Magellan Boy

Vivian's school is going to start three days late. Construction delays. Evan started on time today at a different Magellan campus that houses the pre-school students. Jo woke him up and he asked for pancakes for breakfast. Jo obliged.  Neighbor Ava stopped by to wish him good luck. Then he changed into his new uniform and flanked by his sister and cousins he stepped out ready for the day. 

I dropped Jo and Evan off at school and took Vivian and cousins to nearby Doss park. Jo reported that Evan was calm and cool and didn't bother to say bye, like Vivian. When the teacher asked parents if they had questions, Evan raised his hand and said "I have a question". It turned out to be more of a statement. He told the teacher that when nap was over she was going to need a horn to wake him. Something Vivian had told him. 

He ended up not taking a nap. I asked him how lunch went (he's a picky one). "Ok. I ate the chicken and the banana. And I drank the milk. The only things left on my plate was the beans and the potatoes."

"And did you learn some Spanish?"
"Yes - I did. Quatro, cinco. What do they mean?"

Yesterday at dinner at China Cafe you got a fitting fortune, we hope. Still, good luck, little one. And good luck to your teacher, Ms. Marisol. I think you'll both need it.

Hometown Blues

A short while back Facebook wondered if I was from Dawson, Nebraska. Now it's given me back it's usual 3 choices. But in a resigned tone, Facebook also gives me a fourth option now.

Nomad.

Though I have spent my entire life in just three places: Hyderabad, Pilani (for college) and Austin.

Evan pines for his "white wooden house" when we are traveling. He's probably at least as confused as Facebook. 

Twenty Four Hours

We upped our game. Last evening Karen ordered pizza. Jo took La Croix and fruits. And we ruled the pool. I can't believe that the life guards didn't blow their whistles at Karen and Jo.

This morning Cade, Evan, Ava, Vivian, Grace and I walked to Taco Shack for breakfast. Then against Jo's better advice I went to play soccer. For the first time since mid June. And on the very last play of the game I kicked the bottom of someone's boot so hard that it felt like I had broken my toe. My right big toe wasn't in the same place as the left one. Before the pain got any worse I drove home in a hurry. Jo and the kids had prepared an icy treat for my ALS ice bucket challenge. Nicolle had challenged me the day before. You only get 24 hours to do it. While everyone stood around and watched in glee I dumped the ice water on my head. Brrr. Jo sure can make a mean bucket of icy water.

Then I made the mistake of taking off my soccer boot. I had intended on driving to the hospital in my boots and parking in front of the ER and then taking my first look. Should have stuck to the plan. My right big toe was squished back into the foot and stuck up at about a 60 degree angle.

A couple of hours later during which I sat in an ER while Jo made lots of short trips with all the kids, the doctor straightened out the toe. Six x-rays finally convinced him that it was only dislocated. Good news. "So it will heal in a couple of days?" I asked hopefully. The doctor laughed. He said I would probably be able to ditch my ortho boot and wear regular shoes in two weeks. Which is good because I sure can't hike the Tetons in my ortho boot.

Earlier when Jo was driving me to the ER, Evan said, a couple of times, "Daddy - I love you". And then he wanted to see what the toe looked like. When I got back in the car after I was done at the ER, he asked "Are you feeling better now, Daddy? Did they flatten out your toe?" He was clearly concerned. Five kids saw the same thing. He was the only one to react that way. 

Vivian will cry at the memory of a cat dying in a movie ("Vivian - you know the cat didn't actually die?" "I know but I can't help it. It makes me so sad"). But she doesn't get that way about real people. A bit like someone's Hallmark commercial problem.  

Jo and I have noticed this about Evan before. The boy immediately tunes in when someone is in pain, emotionally or physically. 95% turd. 5% sweetness and caring. 

I've taken my hydrocodone. Getting ready to drool on my pillow. Good night y'all. Looking forward to seeing videos of Simran, Karen and Michelle P icing their lovely heads tomorrow.

Oh - and it's Evan's very first day at Magellan tomorrow. Cross your fingers or say a prayer for the boy and his teacher please. 

Sibling Love and Sarcasm

Reshma sends me a raakhi every year in August. Now she sends two - one for me and one for Evan. Vivian is supposed to tie Evan's on his wrist. I gave Vivian the raakhi on Sunday morning (it's a week after the official Raakhi day this year but we were in Copenhagen that day and the raakhis were in Austin). Evan freaked. Vivian asked if she could have the raakhi instead. So I tied it on Vivian's wrist. Not much sibling cooperation around here.

At breakfast, Evan stopped eating his pancakes and demanded more syrup. But there was already syrup on his plate.

"I'll give you more syrup when you finishing the syrup that's on your plate" said Jo.
"But I want more syrup first"
"Why? What's wrong with this syrup?"
"Ava dropped a waffle in it"
"And?"
"So I don't want it"
"But you are dipping waffles in your syrup. Did the waffle ruin the syrup?"
"It just did"

And he didn't budge. I wiped up the syrup with a piece of waffle and offered it to him. He sat there with pursed lips. I ate the waffle and then gave him fresh syrup. And then he was happy and jolly instantly. Jo said "this is what happens when you wake up at 530am. You are tired."

A little bit later I sprayed Evan down with deet and sent him to the backyard to join Vivian and Ava. Then they said they wanted to go jump on the trampoline in Ava's yard. After Ava and Evan proposed multiple complicated ways of getting from our house to Ava's house (through back yard and side gate, through garage doors), Vivian responded huffily, "How bout let's just use the front door." As they walked out the front door Evan confided to us, "I think she's a little tired."

The End of Summer

Vivian and Evan are making up for lost time with their friends.

We got back to Austin on Thursday. Vivian and Evan spent that night at their cousins. Then they had Ava (and her parents and Jen and Trav) over for dinner on Friday. Last night, Sautrday, Ava had a sleepover. Sunday morning everyone went to hike (and a swim) at Edward's park.

And then Sunday afternoon we met the cousins half way between here are New Braunfels and picked up Cade, Ava (which one - cousin or neighbor? I'm have trouble myself) and Grace to come spend the next few days with us. 

Last night at Ramsey pool a couple of different people who we hadn't seen in a long while congratulated us on our family. We admitted that they were not all ours. One person went as far as asking - "but I hear them calling you 'Mama'". To which Jo said "two of mine are mixed in there". 

And Jo and I wondered if what we'd tell the next person who asked. "The boys are twins. So are Vivian and Ava. Fraternal, you know. And the eldest, Grace - she is a love child".

When we finished Jo wrapped the boys in one towel. And called them Siamese twins. The towel eventually fell off. Evan said "Mommy - can we do that again - be Chinese twins".

It's so nasty humid that the whole Austin outdoors smells like a cave filled with bat guano. And it's over a 100 degrees. So there is no danger of feeling like summer is over. But Ramsey pool closes at the end of this week. Evan starts school the day after tomorrow. And Vivian starts on Monday (construction delays - and they let us know on Friday). It's time to find water bottles and backpacks and school uniforms and shoes and breakfast.

Summer vacation was fun while it lasted. Now we are down to the last day or two.

Back

Time to go home. We've spent just about too much time with each other.

Our flights from Copenhagen via Reykjavik to Boston were uneventful though we did have to see three different immigration and customs agents at Logan airport when Jo remembered that we were carrying dreaded Danish carrots. We stayed at Alu and Michelle's for a couple of days. Alu and Michelle entertained the kids while Jo and I did nothing. One rainy morning Vivian set up a shanty shop in their front yard and tried to peddle home made perfume and other odds and ends. No takers but she had fun.

Me: "Did you sell anything?"
Evan: "We sold a lot of things"
Vivian: "No"

Evan: "What is sell mean?"

When our airplane landed in Austin airport, Evan looked out the window and said "Austin - I love you". At arrivals the kids climbed the metal protectors / sculptures and enjoyed the 100 degree weather till Jen came and got us. Full circle.

Within an hour we were eating lunch at Whole Foods. Within two we were on our way to Canyon Lake. The kids are spending the night with their cousins. Evan wants us to make a play date with Vivian's friend Felix. So they can fight.

"I'm not into girls now" he announced the other day.
"What?"
"Oh - I'm still into Vivian".
A moment later,  "...and Ava"

"I'm just not into x. She wants to do things her way when we play"
And then after a moment's reflection, "It's not even that. I'm just not into her"

[I'm going to keep the identity of poor (or lucky) x secret for now]

The kids grew up some more while we were busy traveling. Thirty five days, 5 countries. Evan has added words like "destination" to his normal speech. Usage: "Vivian - today our destination is Reykjavik. In the meantime I have a deal for you". Vivian replies "Evan, can't you just keep quiet for a little while?" Yesterday Alu asked Evan why he was feeling sleepy at 6pm. "Because it's midnight in Copenhagen time, Uncle Alu".

We've found that long trips like this are different from the weekender. The family gets into the rhythm of traveling. Habits and interactions change. Vivian and Evan are more grown-up since we did this the last time. But I'm happy to say that like the GM tomato, we still travel well without spoiling.

So we are back home. It's four in the morning and I'm wondering which one is stupider - drinking two bottles of wine at Nicolle's pool party last night or going to work out with Jen in three hours time. And I'm thinking it's time to plan another trip. Yesterday Jo mentioned Santorini. 

The Little Mermaid

On our very last day in Copenhagen we had two humble goals. To walk by the Lego store, and to see the Little Mermaid.

Legos were invented in a small town about three hours away by train from Copenhagen in 1943. Since then about a hundred lego pieces have been built for every man, woman and child alive today. Billund is also the site of the original Legoland. The city has it's own airport (originally built by Lego, though sadly not from Lego) and is the most visited attraction in Denmark. I had told the kids we would go there. But then we found out that it wasn't exactly in Copenhagen and instead they agreed to be taken to the main Lego retail store in Copenhagen instead.

Vivian and Evan had fun. But it was about as large and exciting as a medium sized shoe store. The Lego people seriously need to hire someone with a bit more imagination.

After the Lego store we walked past the Danish royal palace - with it's royal guard in poofy bearskin hats and all who marched up and down the sidewalks in front of the palace. They seemed, both in demeanor and gait to be less militaristic. More relaxed.  Then we got to the harbor and Jo found us a way to get past the throngs of Chinese tourists up to the statue of the Little Mermaid. Evan found himself a rock and solemnly posed as the Little Mermaid himself.

Then we walked around Churchill Parken, across the moat and into the Kastallet fortress where there was a board that read "Rule and Regulations" in Danish and English. Vivian was carrying a little stick which she used like a school teacher to point to various icons and explain them to us and any one else watching.

"Put your trash in trashcans"
"Dogs must be on a leash"
"No fishing"

And then she got to the last one which was a capital "P" with a red line across it and announced

"And no peeing".

She's a Hyderabadi. "Yahaan peshab karna mana hai".



We walked up a path to the top of the grassy glacis and the kids ran around while Jo and I rested at a bench. Here is a sequence of them pretending to load and fire a cannon.

Both the Lego store and the Little Mermaid were underwhelming but we expected that. Still, a nice and relaxing last day. Tomorrow we catch an early morning flight to Reykjavik and then to Boston. We'll be back in the US of A by noon. 

Louisiana, Denmark

Today we told the kids that it was our day to enjoy grown-up things. So we took the train to the town of Humlebæk  and walked for fifteen minutes or so to get to Louisiana, Denmark's famous museum of modern art. And then spent most of the day with them at the superb children's section where they painted and sculpted.

It felt that way. But in reality we mostly spent the day out in the breathtaking sculpture gardens. The sound between Denmark and Sweden is along one edge of the property - with sailboats and jetties and swimmers. Huge old trees and artist designed trails and site specific sculptures made it a magical place for kids. 

We didn't get much time in the permanent art collection but there is a superb room filled with Giacometti, and two amazing temporary exhibits of Nolde and Philip Guston that I dragged everyone through. A beautiful day at a great place.

Vivian and Evan rolled down a long sloping grass lawn over and over again (it reminded me of rolling down the sand dunes in Pilani). Evan found himself a low branch and pretended to be a sleeping sloth (he's got talent). And Vivian found herself a good climbing tree. And when they got bored of these diversions they played tag around soaring Calder mobiles and squat Moore figures.

København

Copenhagen is our last stop. We arrived there from the Faroe Islands with Evan sleeping as usual. We caught a train from the airport (where the baggage claim looked "end-of-world-ish" according to Jo - wagons upon wagons of luggage piled up along the walls, a frenzy of people, no luggage carts to spare). And then walked from the central station to our hotel. Our first order of business was to do some laundry. The Laundromat Cafe served a great dinner, a fine collection of beers and ciders, and had laundry facilities.

The next morning we walked to Copenhagen's famous public harbor swimming pool - the Islands Brygge Havnebadet on Amager Island where the kids swam for a bit. These pools are floating wooden structures. The children's pools have bottoms and are suitably shallow. The harbor water freely flows in and out of the pools. It was a bit cold and windy and then it started drizzling and that was that. We walked to a nearby cafe and had a long slow brunch and went back to the hotel for our afternoon beauty sleep.

That evening Jo voted for Tivoli Gardens. It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel - one of the world's great amusement parks and the place where Walt got his inspiration for the Disney parks. Vivian and I went on our first roller coaster ride at the world's oldest wooden roller coaster - a whopping 100 years old and suitably rickety. That's when I realized that Vivian is a fearless adrenaline junkie. She went on many more rides by herself, some that I would have balked at. And bounced around joyously as if life was one long happy dance.

I'm not a fan of the Disney parks. I try put my feelings aside occasionally and go with the kids. Last year in June Jo took the kids to Disney with Nicolle and her clan. I still had my dad to take care off and was mercifully excused. So I was a bit apprehensive about Tivoli. It turned out to be as much gardens and park and restaurants and concerts as amusement. And it has a grace and charm that probably comes from being smaller and older. No room for miles of asphalt parking and townships of hotels. And no humans in rodent costumes and no princesses (Denmark has a real one). The founder of the park famously got a lease from the king of Denmark in 1843 by saying "when the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics".

Evan was too short for many of the rides but he got in a few here and there including a tame steel roller coaster that he loved. But he holds on tight and has a very serious look the whole time - just like on this carousel ride.

We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants while watching the house orchestra and band play outside the windows. We strolled past the illuminations at the moorish Nimb and the Chinese theater. Then I bought them two giant cotton candies. They ate and sang and made a video for Ava. And at midnight we watched the fireworks and then took two very sticky jacked up kids back to the hotel.

Next morning Evan woke up and asked if we could go to Tivoli Gardens right away.

Torshavn Hipster

On the last day in the Faroe Islands we stayed in town and did some window shopping on Niels Finsensgøta, the main shopping street. It's got at least half a dozen stores - may be eight.

Jo walked in to a girls store and found a skirt and a dress for Vivian. They were cute. Then Evan found a jacket he liked. He put in on and loved it. I told him it made him look like a flaming hipster. Vivian and Jo told him he looked great.

I tried to convinced Evan to leave it behind and promised that we'd find him a more suitable item of clothing at a boys store. He sobbed and very unwillingly left the jacket and the store.

And there wasn't another boy's jacket in downtown Torshavn. So we went back and got it. Mother of pearl buttons and all. And Evan wore it around proudly and called himself The President and Vivian treated him like he was.