Thursday, March 27, 2008

Making A Wish


Making A Wish, originally uploaded by Corbie.

Willow finally got her birthday party, nearly a month after her actual birthday. A while back, she had been invited to a party at "the jumpy house place" and had been impressed enough to want her party there too. Of course, the Jumpy House Place costs about double what other party-oriented destinations do, but money means nothing to the preschool set, so we forlornly forked over the dough and spent an hour or so bouncing up and down on large, inflatable play structures, which actually ended up being a lot of fun. Willow's paternal grandparents came along (but didn't bounce), as did her siblings and some friends from preschool (who did bounce). The bouncing was followed by pizza, soda, and cake. Then, once all of the kids were properly sugared up, the party ended and everybody went home to no doubt continue bouncing in less bounce-friendly domestic environments.

The night before this, I went with my mom to see the latest Central Works play, Wakefield (based on a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story that I have yet to read). Greg, as usual, did the sound. The play concerns a husband who returns home after a 20 year disappearance, much to the outraged disbelief of his wife, a disbelief which grows exponentially when it turns out he'd been living two blocks away all that time, with no real explanation as to why. This is definitely a story for anybody who has heard the call of the open road and taken it, regardless of the consequences. Of course, it also deals with that all too human quality of procrastination - in particular the kind that makes it harder and harder to do something, like phoning somebody, the longer it is delayed. I know exactly what that feels like. In a strange way, it also made me think about that woman who was in the news recently for sitting on the toilet for two years, saying, "maybe I'll get off tomorrow," while her boyfriend just adjusted to the strangeness and enabled her to remain perched on that most undignified of thrones by feeding her.

I'd say go see the play, but its run has ended. So, go see the next play, which should be up and running in July/August.

On Easter, the kids participated in multiple egg hunts, the first at home, the second at the Unitarian church that Jen has been going to lately, and the third at a friend's house. Willow says that she wants to help hide them next time. At this third party, a number of kids were playing "rock band", which is basically karaoke with points. Kids play guitar and drums, and of course, sing karaoke-style. The guitar and drums are electronic mock-ups upon which you must finger the correct chords or hit the right drum at the right time, as indicated on the tv screen. If everybody messes up, the song "fails" and the virtual audience on the screen throws things at the virtual band. So much for enhancing self-esteem. I joined in after awhile, singing Black Sabbath's "Paranoid," Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper," and "Should I Stay or Should I Go," by The Clash. Loudly. Alex played "guitar" most of the time. The Drummers came and went, in true Spinal Tap fashion.

On Tuesday morning, I took Willow to the Children's Discovery Museum, with all of my pets in tow (excluding the iguana, who is agoraphobic). They had asked me to do this a couple of months ago, as part of a Green Week - a celebration of biodiversity and other things "green." It ended up being a popular event, with my table being quite mobbed for most of the three and a half hours that I was there. While I was managing the table and letting kids touch spiders and snakes, Willow played nearby. This was the first time I'd let her go off on her own, and she did a great job of checking in every so often. I even gave her money to go buy something at the cafeteria, and she dutifully brought me the change. It helped of course that about half of the museum staff knows her.

And here it is, almost the weekend again. The week at work has been chugging along smoothly, with a couple of coyote sightings to liven things up. As I got there on Monday night, I saw a number of deer near the main office being watched by a rather small coyote, who of course ran away when spotted himself. Apparently, the watchers don't like being watched. The other coyote was hanging out by the boys' bathroom, and inspired at least one person to put nature's call on hold.

Still waiting, after all of these years, to see a Mountain Lion.

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