Happy November, Chicken Little.

Here’s a chronicle of recent happenings in October/November 2017. 

The latest 1 Second Everyday Video:
In September I dedicated the 1-second video clips to Mommy, in celebration of our 5-year anniversary. So in October, it was all about Clementine. She’s been a constant companion five years before you were born. She has been Mommy’s girl since 2008. We had some great sunny weather this month, so fortunately all the clips of dog walks are bright with no drips. Clementine especially likes when Gaga and Grandpa visit; Grandpa pays a lot of attention to her with petting and walking.

On this video, there’s only one time when Boo isn’t in it – and it was the clip I couldn’t resist using – Mommy hitting the bullseye with the apple slingshot at the Pumpkin Patch in Peshastin, WA.

What you’re doing these days:

You’ve been invited to ten birthdays in the last several months – everyone in your little world has been turning 4, including yourself. Your party was just two days ago. Mommy arranged for a dozen of your friends to play at Seattle Gymnastics play area for an hour and then have cake and fruit. It worked out really well. You all got exhausted, everyone went home soon after that, and there was no cleanup, especially of our own house. Mommy and Nana helped you write thank you cards immediately.

You continue to be in a Mommy phase which has lasted for most of this year, which makes it more of an era than a phase. Only Mommy can take you through your morning and evening routines. If I try to help out while Mommy is in the house, you revolt. During Nana and Poppop’s visit, on the weekend of your birthday, you threw the worst temper tantrum I’ve ever seen from you. Mommy and Boo were getting ready to go on a run, so you wanted to come. You leeched yourself to Mommy’s leg, always wanting more hugs and kisses, sobbing and clinging. Finally, Mommy went out the door with Boo into the driving rain, but you followed in your footy jammies. Mommy gave you one last hug and kiss, then she took off running, not for exercise but to flee your attachment. You fled too, and I finally took you down on across the street. I carried you back into the house kicking and writhing, which continued inside the house, all witnessed by Nana. Your efforts turned to damage, throwing all the recycling, Boo’s pawtectors and shoes on the floor in a rageful episode. I stayed by the door, making sure you didn’t run out again, and Nana stood at the base of the stairs, aghast. Eventually, when you ran out of things to throw, you tried to strip naked out of your jammies, but your had boots on over them which made your jammies trail after you like a bad cape attached at your ankles instead of your shoulder. I’m not sure how you came down from this, but I managed to talk some reasoning and shame into you, convincing you that Mommy would be awfully sad and mad when she returned home from her run to see what happened. So I helped you back into your jammies and we together put all the strewn stuff back on the shelf. The last pawtector was returned just as Mommy keyed back into the house.

With winter coming, Mommy got you a new puffy coat to replace the one you’ve outgrown from last year. It is pure pink, and you were very proud to show me that you are able to zip it up all by yourself. This marks such an advancement for you, especially in your independence, since this is an everyday task you don’t need an adult to help you with.

You put on a dance for us on Tuesday night after swimming as you and Mommy were getting ready for bed. I was downstairs grading papers as I heard the pounds of your feet on the ceiling. The thumps continued, then were joined by lyrics, “Look at my vagina, look at my vagina,” in a snappy jingle (you love to rhyme and drum at the same time). Then Mommy called down to me, “Daddy, you need to come up here.” You put on a dance show for us, this time with those words and accompanying rhyming gibberish like “take a trip to China” or “hooka hooka hyna.”

Before Thanksgiving, we stopped by the library to pick up some fresh books and videos. It had been raining, so there was a big puddle that you spied as we got out of the car. You headed straight for it, leaping high in the air and stomping down with a large splash – then you realized that the puddle was fairly deep and you were not wearing your boots 🙁 Most of your tights and all of your shoes were soaked, and you started to bawl. I took you into the library and, after taking off your shoes and socks and leaving them at the entrance, we checked out items quickly. Your sobbing ended quickly after we got into the library – you even wanted me to read some of the books there in the library.

Thanksgiving at Nana and Poppops was fun with all of Mommy’s family there. The next closest person in age to you were your aunties at 42 years old, but you’re used to that and made some fun times with the adults. The highlights this year were Thanksgiving Dinner at Cousin Eric’s on the Maryland shore, celebrating Poppop’s birthday, and going to the Nutcracker (and sitting through it all) with your grandparents!

This conversation you had with Mommy and I figured I’d just copy it down and let Mommy handle it.

You: Mommy, Did Boo get made by God?
Mommy: Boo was made by her Mommy and Daddy
You: How was I made?
Mommmy: How do you think you were made?
You: God
Mommy: You were made by Mommy and Daddy.
You: But the other people were made by God
Mommy: The other people were made by their Mommies and Daddies.
You: Mommy, I’m hungry.

I tell you a lot of stories – lately the stories have to have your three friends, Caroline, Leana, and Ruby. The last few episodes have had Mr. Whispery, the ghost from Halloween who is sad because he can’t eat candy or has lived in the same house for many years.

You’re getting better at telling your “Interrupting Cow” joke, but you still don’t get Hide and Seek. When I am the seeker and start to count, you ask me to help you hide in a place and then you tell me to, “go count and try and find me.”

We were all in the car listening to the Crosby Playlist, which includes your favorite sing along songs because you only like songs with words. The Hokey Pokey was playing and you asked Mommy to show you which was your right foot. 

A recording
This clip is from November 2017, just after you turned four. Lately you have incorporated Clementine into your play, much to her chagrin. You pull her over to where you are playing and engage her in your pretending. In this episode, I think you made up three other dogs, Kocho, Locho, and some other -ocho dog.

In my life these days:
I’m working on improving my crossword puzzle skill. Now I can finish the Monday puzzle with ease, and nearly Tuesdays.

Our ultimate frisbee team won the C-pool championship last weekend. We went on a late surge in the end of the season, getting out to early leads and playing good defense that didn’t allow the other team to advance into our territory. We also added a new couple who helped….Dennis and Amanda, who are going on three years with out team, have NY friends who just moved to Seattle and needed a team to play with.

I’m also getting ready to start a new Peabody Planner and think about what my 2018 New Year’s resolution will be. 

Here’s the November 1 Second Everyday half-minute. Notable clips that you’ll see include Dia de los Muertos parade, your Birthday Party, Kaelyn celebrating her new job, another date night, your first downhill ski, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving in DC with Nana and Poppop, and a look at my long beard at the end of No-shave November.

The new Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, comes out December 15th. I’m pumped again for another movie that has every indication of being just as good as the most recent two in 2016 and The Force Awakens in 2015. I’ve watched every trailer that’s been released. Mark Hamill, the original Luke Skywalker, plays a major role in this movie, as he trains the Force-blessed Rey to harness her powers. I don’t have tickets yet but hope to steal in a show as soon as possible. 

In the news:

There was another shooting in the US. As I write this, I can’t remember what the last one I commented on was because there seem to be one every few weeks, just about the time when the newspapers stop featuring the last one and my facebook and twitter feed cease to be filled with enraged folks calling for gun control.

Oh yeah, now I remember……a guy in Texas who was dishonorably discharged from the military and had been arrested for animal cruelty and beating his wife and family…..stormed into a church in Southerland Springs, TX and killed 26. He fled the scene in a truck, but then shot himself before he was apprehended.

There’s more political shit that I don’t care to comment on….like the tax bill, resignations by politicians who’ve been accused of sexual misdeeds, and a big special election for the Alabama senate seat between Roy Moore, another alleged sexual predator who refuses to give up the race, who is backed by president trump. 

A summary of a book or podcast I liked:

I just finished the S-town podcast – where an investigative journalist gets a tip about a murder from a polymath in rural Alabama. From the producers of Serial, S-town unfolds to reveal much more about Bibb County and it’s residents than the listener figures. I was swept into the story by the conversations with John B. McLemore, the whistle blower, and his phone conversations with the narrator.

I skimmed Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by Skip and Dan Heath. What I took from it was the two parts of a person, the emotional (The Elephant) and the Rational (The Rider), and how a person is trying to manage both. We think that The Rider in us is usually in charge, but it isn’t.

While at Nana and Poppop’s in DC over Thanksgiving I watched the 2015 movie Spotlight. Based on the true story of the Boston Globe team that exposed the epidemic catholic cover up of child molestation by priests, the movie shows the story of the investigators uncovering the layers of protection, and denial by police, prosecutors, and the Archdiocese. After the original story was released in 2002, scores of victims came forward and named priests who had committed the heinous acts. The quote that shook me most from the movie was, “It may take a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to molest one.”

There’s a similar opening of a scandal lately with the, “Me too” movement of individuals coming forward to accuse men of sexual harassment. Matt Lauer, Senator Al Franken, Kevin Spacey and dozens more has created a storm of accusations, resignations, and media scrutiny. The Harvey Weinstein story seemed to galvanize victims to come out and share, which also began a social media #metoo viral release of individuals who have been sexually harassed in some way.

Time to wrap this baby up and start a new one, corazon. I love you and can’t wait to report what you’re doing next. 

Love, Daddy