mars n venus

I've heard it said
That after you have a child you think you know what parenting is all about
and then you have another
and you realize how little you know

so true.
for me.

just stuck lukas in the tub
that'll usually keep him super happy for 25 minutes
and
give me some guilt-free computer time

it's been laundry laundry laundry
this morning
and he couldnt be less interested
like luna, lukas likes to play in the same room I'm in
and can be ok independently making his dinosaurs roar
unlike luna, he could care less what i'm doing
wanna help me sort the laundry? let's fold it together? can you put the towels in the bag for me?
no thanks mama, a jump on the back, a slick kiss on the mouth
anything but yes
i'm gonna close the lights on you mama
the game is on
let's skateboard through the house
let's sneak and eat icecream under the table
Boxcutter,
lighter,
WD-40
and spray it all over the door
the name of the game
is smile, breathe, and remember these days are numbered
live it.

luna woulda been all up in my doings
and still is
sure i can help you fold mama
actually,
i can do my own

planets apart

sshhh

I'm talking to imaginary people
she announces
kind of self-consciously
as i outside to where she's playing
You re talking to imaginary people?
uh-huh
well what do they say
they say
come play with me
i nod
it's so true
we all hear them

I like my coffee sunny

Lukas is refilling my coffee mug
Here mama
Can I have some milk please?
You no like it black mama?
No baby
You no like it dark?
I nod
Ok mama
Lukas pours the milk in my coffee
Like that?
I nod
You like it brown mama
You don't like it like nighttime?
I nod
You like it sunny mami

Gettin our Green ON

There are so many things I love about the time I spend in Puerto Rico with Luna and Lukas
Key ones
are
rhythm and time
we are never rushing anywhere
there is no plan of events
itinerary
con compromisos pa' cumplir
this flexibility
allows for massive amounts
of
cuddletime
sleeptime
foodtime
familytime
unpluggedtime
greentime
bluetime
watch the wind shake the branches time
and stop and listen
for a long time
to the
birds
insects
coquis
and overall random
polyrthythmic nature
around us
i swear the syncopation
starts on those
leaves

Talkin ghetto

Oldie but goodie from last month i neglected to post:

havin lunch
luna and i at a favorite spot
around the way
when out of the blue
she says
do you know how to talk ghetto mama?
ghetto?
yeah, ghetto english
um, i don't know, what does ghetto english sound like?
you know, like, ain't this and you ain't that she reported with a little tilt of the head
hmm, well , who do you know that talks like that and where did you hear that ?
It turns out the fabulous movie
Akeelah and the Bee was culprit
in the movie, Spelling bar champion Akeelah, is scolded by her coach to stop talkin ghetto and start speakin proper english
the whole thing turned into a great conversation about multiple englishes
started off by my own personal rendition of Spanish Spanishstyle PuertoRicanstyle Argentinestyle Colomobianstyle Cubanstyle and not as successful attempts of a couple others
took it
to English
the coolnes of code-switching
and how usually using the expression talkin ghetto is a put-down and a way of sayin its not as good as other ways of talkin english
when really
they are all beautiful
in their own special way
'nuff said
;)

Second Tooth

Luna had a super hard time falling asleep tonight
the tooth fairy jitters
her first tooth fell out two weeks ago
but she lost it
and so had nothing to put under her pillow
she even wrote two letters to the tooth fairy
explaining that it disappeared
but the fairy never listened
so now that # 2 fell out
it was under close surveillance
until bedtime
do you really think she'll come mama?
where does she live? i want to visit her....

super sleuth

being a mommy
means often having to do really gross things
and really not think too much of them
like coming into intimate contact with vomit
or
the reality of my past two days
trying to determine why my son's feces is turquoise
yup
like he ingested a blue crayola magic marker
and everything comin out is dyed electric blue
part of the detective work
means
saving the crap
pokin through it
googlin blue poo
and
tracking it
as in
its more green than blue today what could that mean
the kind of gross
that i will spare my general facebook buds
but will share with the devoted few
who may wanna read on here

From the mouth of babes...

Driving along listening to talk radio, Luna's in the backseat(daydreaming I think) when I get the question: How do the people on the radio know where there's a fire?
Cute, no> Hmmm...well how do you think? Well maybe they have lots of screens in aroom and they hafta watch everywhere all the time to see what's happening. Ahh, the mega surveillence theory. At which point I tried to explain what a beat reporter does but it was all so sweet really.

Or when recently after having paid the toll at the Holland Tunnel and just wanting Luna to be aware of all the workers we have in our community, small and large, and I start to remark how it must be such a hard job to be a toll booth worker, stuck in that tiny space for long periods of time. And her response was, Well at least they get a lot of money Huh? Yeah, all the money from all the people in their cars. Ooohhh.That was a hard one to explain. Tried to go the toll money was used for public works projects route (is that even right?)But then who gets to hold the money?
Who keeps it in their house?

PTA business

I went to a fair for all the public schools in my district this week. Ten to fifteen schools were there, each set up at a table with either the principal, assistant principal, parent coordinator or some other parent rep. Schools had flyers, brochures, charts, some even had a slide show on a portable dvd player. I knew heading into this that participation at this fair was probably a district mandate, and besides the few "good" schools in my neighborhood, the rest were pushing a hard sales pitch.
I was interested in what they had to say. What would be the pitch? Why should I send me child to your school? Achievement, We’re really focused on achievement. Achievement. What kind of doublespeak is that? Achievement. We're really working on achievement with our kindergarteners .
I watched the principals try and read me as they spoke. Everyday the kindergarteners are writing. Even kindergarten has computer time every week. We are really focused on raising our levels of achievement. Yuck. Not what I wanted to hear. Or at least not what was impressive to me. Can I get a do-over? Please. This is the part where you tell me they get music and art and a lot of it. This is the part where you say that kindergarteners should play, a lot , and they get to, because truth be told that shit doesn't always happen afterschool. That kids are treated like the beautiful human beings that they are and not told to shut up all the time and sit still. Come on, that's what would hook me, tell me that's part of the package too.
And them at one of the less desired schools, I go over and introduce myself to the principal and request a tour at which point she responds, well our tours are on Tuesdays but if you can’t do Tuesdays just let me know and we can schedule you in whenever is convenient. So really you tell us when you can come and we'll work it out.Wow, I thought that is so incredibly flexible. At the fancy schools there's a set tour date and they never offer to change it. Wow, I thought, is that what she says to all the parents who are milling around this cafeteria or is this just an offering to the gifts she assumes my visible skin and class privilige could bring her.