Raising Watsons

My sister Catherine sent this video while Ben and I were on our vacation.  We must’ve watched it at least 20 times.

When Tucker watches roller derby on the computer he points to the scream and says “Mama!”

We were both on the edges of our seats for tournament season.  🙂

I remember when you’ll be a month old, and I’ll stumble out of bed to give you your 2:00 a.m. feeding. Your nursery will have that “baby smell” of diaper rash cream and talcum powder, with a faint ammoniac whiff coming from the diaper pail in the corner. I’ll lean over your crib, lift your squalling form out, and sit in the rocking chair to nurse you.

The word “infant” is derived from the Latin word for “unable to speak,” but you’ll be perfectly capable of saying one thing: “I suffer,” and you’ll do it tirelessly and without hesitation. I have to admire your utter commitment to that statement; when you cry, you’ll become outrage incarnate, every fiber of your body employed in expressing that emotion. It’s funny: when you’re tranquil, you will seem to radiate light, and if someone were to paint a portrait of you like that, I’d insist that they include the halo. But when you’re unhappy, you will become a klaxon, built for radiating sound; a portrait of you then could simply be a fire alarm bell.

At that stage of your life, there’ll be no past or future for you; until I give you my breast, you’ll have no memory of contentment in the past nor expectation of relief in the future. Once you begin nursing, everything will reverse, and all will be right with the world. NOW is the only moment you’ll perceive; you’ll live in the present tense. In many ways, it’s an enviable state.

from ‘Story of Your Life’ by Ted Chiang

This is our campsite on Anini Beach on the north shore of Kauai. We are in our second night here and I’m pretty sure I font ever want to leave. Camping is definitely a bit rougher than the resort lifestyle common for travelers to the island, but we have had a chance to explore so much more of the island and experience everything Kauai has to offer. No roadside stand too small, no scenic overlook too inconvenient. We have met some real characters during our brief stay so far: a state sanctioned marijuana farmer from Colorado, a recently emigrated family from Alabama, a Mexican vagabond, and a all-American soccer star that suffered a career ending traumatic brain injury. The recently relocated family invited us to their campsite for an amazing feast of fresh crab wontons, fried chicken, steak, potatoes, and s’mores! Everyone we have met has been so friendly and welcoming, native and howlie alike.