Monday, May 30, 2005

the theraputic value of play-doh

D-Money got it into his head that Zee was bored with her toys, so we went on a hunt for more age-appropriate items. We scored a bucket of Play-Doh and assorted extruders, shape cutters and other tools of the trade. 'Twas a big hit. Zee was particularly drawn to the purple Doh and the trimming knife. She and I played with the stuff for a half hour - monumental for a short-attention span toddlin' human.

I have to admit, it felt good to smush and shape things out of the Doh. There's almost a Zen-like concentration that comes over me as I'm rolling out the Doh and cutting shapes out of it. Something about using the hands, thinking about the texture, the familiar smell, trying to stop overthinking about what to make. It was relaxing.

When you buy the cans, you usually see some photos of elaborate objects people can make of the stuff. Me, I'm happy making balls and snakes...out of one color.

In other news tonight, Zee got a hold of a milk chocolate Lindor ball. Against my better judgement, I let her keep it and bring it to the car. Within the 10-minute drive home, she had opened the packaging and demolished the chocolate. I knew because I could smell it (delicious) and hear her squeals of triumph and delight. She was, classically, coverd from head to toe in gooey chocolate goodness. She was pretty happy. And who could blame her?

Sunday, May 29, 2005

I sometimes think about what kind of adults Zee and The O will become. I have an idea of what I'd like them to become. I don't want to lose sight of my role as parent, though. As much as I want Zee to be an artist and pro surfer and The O to be a musician skateboard punk, it's my job to help them reach their potential even if they want to be, I don't know, widget counters or something.

It looks like we're going to buy a house in the near 'burbs. Just watching Zee running around the backyard and having a blast was a big negative against the urban condo. She's a girl that needs her private space. Not to mention piles of freshly mown grass to plop into.

Friday, May 27, 2005

little man

Still in state of shock that Baby 2.0 is a Little Man. I was thinking that I would have another girl and that Zee would like a sister to grow up with. Now she's going to have a brother who will torture and annoy her at every turn.

Little Man's first purchased outfit is a very soft cotton knit tee and pants in a modern sort of beige-y color. Then he's getting a lot of black and grey onesies and pants from American Apparel.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Now that the belly has popped with Baby 2.0, I feel like a fertile earth goddess. I say this now. Come September, I will complain about being fat hourly.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

melancholy playlist

Not really melancholy, perhaps, but more of a quiet, reflective type of music that you'd listen to on a drizzly Sunday afternoon.

1. Fall at Your Feet / Crowded House

2. More than This / Roxy Music

3. Save Me / Aimee Mann

4. Solsbury Hill / Peter Gabriel

Friday, May 06, 2005

Lake Shore Drive is full of weird, interesting driving experiences during high commute hour. I was particularly intrigued by two cars this week.

One was an older model black Mercedes with a license plate that says "FAIA". For those of you not in the architecture profession, it signifies that you're a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. A Big Deal in my world. But who was the driver? I don't know. It's a silver-haired white gentleman, that's all I can tell you. He evidently was so proud of his FAIA status that it became a vanity plate. It's like having a plate that says "MD" or "PHD".

Yesterday, we were behind a Jesus car. Black Civic with the Jesus fish and a license plate frame that read, "Smile! God Loves You!" The driver was a middle-aged woman with enormous sunglasses who was smoking a ciggie and then pitched the butt onto the road. I ws fascinated. God loves you, even if you're a smoker and a litterbug!

Then I got to thinking, am I allowing a Puritanical mindset to color my perception of what a God-fearing Christian should be? There's nothing in the bible, I don't think, that specifically forbids smoking or littering, though there's a lot of stuff about the body being the temple of God. But it seems like the contemporary Christian has a lot more latitude in misbehavior than Christians of old. Because, you see, God loves you.