Raising Watsons

Here we are again, building more furniture from ikea. who knew that we were actually building a train. Tucker figured out right away which side was the locomotive and took the pilot’s seat.

When I asked where my seat was, I was informed that it was certainly NOT in the front and I could sit in the back!

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.

This is late, but I wanted to make sure and get it posted for historical purposes.

Sometimes we just hang around the house.  Sometimes we even dress up in outrageously cute outfits and just hang around the house.  There are always plenty of things to work on with hammers.

Then play time is over, and we just want to be picked up and carried around the house.  So we look for other activities to keep us grounded and entertained.

… like playing piano.  Tucker was sitting up with me for a while, but at this point he’s more interested in hitting all the buttons on the keyboard than any of the keys.  Oh sure, he loves to pound on it a bit and make some noise, but he’s a button masher first and foremost.  He’ll either be a great electronic musician one day, or he’s going to be pressing THE BUTTON from the oval office.

This is a bit old, but people need to see these.  All this brown and green, a smiling little man.  It’s too good not to share.  Heather went to Las Vegas for a long derby filled weekend, leaving the men on their own.  We did quite well thank you(!) and here’s the photographic evidence.

Magic is still alive and well in our town.  This cedar box in the patio wall, I believe you call it a ‘mailbox’, is able to conjure objects randomly throughout the day.  I have occasionally seen a large woman in uniform slam the outer door, this somehow activates the box and the papers appear.  Some have brightly colored pictures and a thick binding, others are plainly labeled and seem to only bring frustration or sighs from my large roommates.

Throughout history men and their offspring have been driven to take on mechanical challenges.  Some built the railroads, some built ships that took us to the moon, some built prefab furniture from Ikea complete with instructions.  But the call of the wrench and hammer comes to all Y-Chromosomers.  We’re going to start with Duplo blocks, transition to legos, and then go straight into production etching our own circuitboards and fabricating our own hardware.  We’re going to pay for this kid’s college with other people’s money!  That’s the future, now back to the “peg A into slot B” show.  Henry Ford started the same way I’m told.

We had grand plans for setting up an assembly line, distribution out of Topeka, stores on 5th avenue and Rodeo Drive, but we were pretty wiped after putting the first one together. Once the labor has finished for the day and the sun dips below the horizon, Men can sit and enjoy the fruits of their labors as the calm of evening washes over the playroom.

Just an average day in the house:

We try to keep the man in his chair until we’re done eating dinner. But without fail he is either finished eating (or finished throwing all his food on the floor) before we manage to finish our dinner. These are all similar, but too good not to post. (my editor might feel otherwise)  = )

That much drool, you know it’s a good time.