We See DC

Olivia and I spent the day – a hot and sunny day – in our nation’s capital. Here are the highlights:

9:54 a.m. - Washington Monument

10:22 a.m. - Lincoln Memorial

10:28 a.m. - Lincoln Memorial

11:15 a.m. - Freer Gallery of Art

11:42 a.m. - Air and Space Museum

1:10 p.m. - Sculpture Garden

1:38 p.m. - Natural History Museum

2:45 p.m. - Ford's Theatre

Later that day - Homemade postcard of Lincoln Memorial

Block Party

Not much to say here to introduce the latest video – just a suggestion for a new title for Dr. Karp’s book.

In the Throes of Throws from chris k on Vimeo.

Good-Bike, My Darling

Not unlike a lot of parents of a child of this age, we set a goal of teaching our six-year-old how to ride a two-wheel bike this summer. Our challenges were thus: (1) she’s averse to boo-boos and the prospect of picking up boo-boos, and (2) her general equilibratory sense is still more obtuse than acute.

From the Sunday newspaper’s magazine section, I learned what will be a neat trick if it works: to take off the training wheels completely (the article claims that these learning-to-ride staples only benefit their manufacturers), as well as the pedals, when teaching the art of bike riding. The idea is for the child to first learn how it feels and what it takes to balance a bike from a stationary position, and once she gets the hang of that, to do the same in short, parent-guided passes through a parking lot (or even a grassy area). The pedals are introduced only when the child builds confidence in her ability to stay upright while gliding.

We’ve yet to try the technique, but we’re eager to do so. I’ll keep you posted like a bike seat.

Gaga for Laga

We have a grin-and-bear-it situation: Reed lights up whenever Laga, Olivia’s Swedish teddy bear, is in proximity. His older sister has graciously loaned out her favorite bear to her younger brother, and he in turn has rewarded all of us by sleeping through the night more consistently ever since his stuffed companion showed up cribside. This development, along with Reed’s infectious cheeriness, has meant smiles all around – at least for this week.

All's Well that Ends Welcome

A committee of three welcomed back Beni, who returned home after a week of training: Olivia decorated the garage, Reed picked out some flowers for her at the morning’s farmers market, and I had some bubble teas on ice.

Splashy Headline

Seeking refuge from the heat, the kids and I headed out to the sprayground tonight. I remain impressed at the extent by which Olivia interacts with Reed. If she has the urge to run off to play by herself or join like-aged children, then she often suppresses it in favor of spending time with her younger brother. Reed, as a result, constantly looks to her for guidance and assistance, although there are moments when he’s the one looking out for his sibling.

While the two were playing this evening, Reed took offense when another girl encroached on the area by the fountains where Olivia was playing, and so he went after the trespasser with fists swinging in a can’t-help-but-laugh-at and ultimately feeble attempt to make room for his sister.

Pockets Knives

Be it bats, toothbrushes, or plastic utensils that came into his possession surreptitiously, our son always seems to have an object – or objects – in hand that he waves around, as if he’s conducting the house orchestra.

A Cut Above

For someone who loves the topic of haircuts, Olivia was none too pleased to be on the receiving end of one, especially one that said so long to her long locks. No matter how many times we’ve told her to keep her chin up about her up-to-her-chin do – It looks great! Hey – no more tangles! – her response has been the solemn vow to grow out her hair once again. And so getting the above photo was a minor miracle – the child wants no documentation whatsoever of her new look. I had to tell her that I needed to get a picture of the dresser in the background to set up its possible sale to a furniture consignment shop.

Back and Fourth

America is indeed beautiful, especially from the vantage point of the windshield of the family car, where one get a clear view of the dazzling array of colors lighting up the night’s sky on our country’s birthday.

A Midsummer's Night Read

Reed is all too happy with doing the homophonic verb of his first name. Nowadays, he’s just as likely to grab a book from his bin, hand it to you, do a 180, and then park his backside on your lap as he is to play with blocks, toy cars, or puzzles. He is, in this way, much like his bibliophilic sister, who was consuming texts at an early age.

A Good Summer Reed from chris k on Vimeo.