Beware the Brownies

Last weekend we took Tai to a local children's museum for the first time.  Since it was a cold Saturday morning, the place was pretty packed.  And Tai was most certainly on the far end of the age spectrum--I think he was actually the youngest kid there that wasn't sleeping in a sling.  But he had a rockin' good time anyway.  He "drove" the forklift, crawled through a tunnel, and climbed around on a very large structure covered in the most slippery carpeting ever.  

Unfortunately, Minh and I had to spend most of our time making sure Tai did not get run over by all the big kids.  When we weren't picking him up and shuttling him to safety, we were standing in front of him, directing older kids to go around him.  And I spent a fair amount of time just flashing them dirty looks (to no avail).

And you know who behaved the worst?  The ones who showed depraved indifference?  The hyperactive boys, right?  Nope.  It was the Brownie Troop.  Dressed in their little brown skirts and vests, and present in such large numbers, they took over the place like a little biker gang.  They were everywhere at once -- running, jumping, falling, and pushing Tai out of the way to get where they were going.  Two of the future Hell’s Angels even tried to shut a mailbox door on Tai's head.  Apparently, with all the knot-tying and flag folding, there is no time to earn a Regard for Human Life badge.   

The museum has several different play areas you can visit, and Minh and I became focused on making sure we stayed one step ahead of the Brownies.  When they showed up at the ambulance Tai was driving, we moved on to the post office.  When they caught up with us there and nearly decapitated Tai, we moved on to the bodega, etc, etc.   The Girl Scout promise must also include something about waging turf wars because these chicks were ruthless.  They would arrive at, say, the bubble blowing station, and express their annoyance that Tai was using it with audible sighs.  And once Tai gave up some ground by taking a step back, they would hit him in the stomach with a tire iron, take his lunch money, and ride off on their tricked-out Hannah Montana Huffy bikes*.   

The whole time, Tai appeared blissfully unaware of his several brushes with death at the hands of The Brownies.  But maybe he was not as oblivious as we thought?  Later that day I asked him if he had fun at the museum and what he had done there and he said, "kids!  kids jumpin'! watch out kids!"

 

*This part may be embellished 

The Next Blues Traveler...

My dad is really great at selecting gifts for Tai. Seriously.  He has a real knack for picking out the kind of thing that Tai will love and that will drive me and Minh crazy (I know, I know, that's exactly what grandparents are supposed to do.)

At the age of, oh about 8 months or so, Tai received his first musical instrument from my father-- a wooden recorder.  At the time, he was (thankfully) too young to know what to do with it.  But now he's figured it out and (when we agree to let him play with it) makes ear-splitting music all over the house with it.  I think this is just my dad's way of paying me back for all the time I spent trying to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the flute-a-phone that our public school system handed out to every third grader in town.  (Who's idea what that?)

Anyway, the newest gift from "Grampy" is a harmonica.  When he first received it, Tai turned it over and over looking for the on switch and, upon finding none, declared "it broke."  But after a few demonstrations of how it worked, he started to get the idea.  Just barely.  In the days that followed Tai would periodically go find his harmonica and wave it around declaring "harmonica!" and "Grampy!"  And sometimes he'd try to blow air into it, being marginally successfully.  And it was terribly cute.  

And then one morning it happened.  Out of nowhere, he just picked it up and started playing it.  Really playing it.  And it was terribly cute.....for a while.  And now we get treated to concerts, regularly:        

So if anyone is a big Blues Traveler fan and wants to come over for some mean harmonica playing, just stop on by.  Minh and I will hand Tai the harmonica and sneak out the back door.  Just know that each time he stops and stares at you, he's looking for applause. 

I Missed You Too

I was away for three nights and four days.  And Tai hardly noticed.

I know, I know, he's not even two yet and I can't expect too much.  But still.  Apparently, a couple times while I was away he said to Minh, "Mama gone."  But that was about the extent of his concern.  We did talk on the phone a bit (usually while he was eating breakfast) and I got lots of "Hi Mama!"  and a few stories about his Adventures With Daddy.  But when I got back he couldn't even be bothered to stop what he was doing to say hello to me.  

After not having seen him since Saturday morning, I excitedly arrived at day care pick-up on Tuesday afternoon to find him playing outside in the sand with, what else, a toy backhoe.  He was walking across the yard toward the backhoe when he spotted me....and kept walking.  He settled in and started playing with the backhoe.   

OK, no huge smile and no running over to hug and kiss me. But what can I expect?  So I went over to him and squatted down in the sand where he was playing.  He looked up and, without even a glimmer of realization that I'd been gone and was now back he said.  "It's broke.  I need help."  (The backhoe at the ridiculously expensive child care facility was indeed broken.)

Our afternoon and evening was pleasant, but ordinary.  It was like I'd always been there.  This morning, however, as he was eating breakfast, he may have noticed that we were not talking on the phone and that I was actually there because half-way through the meal he looked right at me and exclaimed "Hi Mama!"

I'll take what I can get :)    

The Results Are In...

Tai was the most adorable kangaroo anyone has ever seen. Although he practiced saying "trick or treat" all evening, including saying it about 30 times while heading down our driveway toward our neighbors' house, he would not say it at ANY of the 5 doorsteps we visited. He did, however, demonstrate that a kangaroo goes "boing! boing!" for each and every household.

He very much enjoyed carrying his pumpkin-shaped bag around the neighborhood and delighted in selecting a piece of candy and depositing it in his bag, exclaiming each time, "I got one!" But he had no idea the candy was edible--and we'll keep it that way for as long as we can :)

For Tai, I think it was all about the novelty dressing up and going to "play" outside after dinner in the dark. And all his neighborhood friends were outside too! Next year, I fear, it will be all about the candy. (And we'll see if that lion costume still fits next year.)