so much better
March 28, 2010, 7:45 pm
Yesterday the subject of "rich" and "poor" came up and I began describing the difference between wealthy people and the Schremmers in our humble one bedroom apartment. I said something like, "You may have noticed that Daddy and I aren't very fancy," to which Huck immediately replied, "But you're hilarious.";)
[ 241 comments ] ( 508 views )growing up is hard to do
March 25, 2010, 1:55 pm
After a couple weeks of separation anxiety weirdness, I've realized that Huck is a person who doesn't like change, mostly when it has to do with me. We were at Target the other day and I glanced at the swim suits for a minute. He asked what I was doing and I said I was thinking of getting a new one this summer. He begged me not to, assuring me that my current four year old suit is wonderful and perfect and that there’s no reason to get a new one ever, ever, ever! While this is good for my self image, it can make for a lot of counseling sessions about why change is okay and sometimes necessary. (Plus I'd really like a new swim suit.)Recently he left tap class during the last 15 minutes and cried in my arms about how much he hates it (favorite new phrase), which doesn't match the happy little dancing guy I see through the windows every Monday afternoon. I think he just missed me. A few days after that he made Troy stay with him for the first half hour of school as he cried and cried, upset that the plan changed at the last minute and Troy took him to school instead of me. When I do take him to school on all the other days we practically have a make-out session in the hallway first. “Just seven more long kisses and six more hugs!” he shouts in a panicky voice while I give the other parents a look that says, "I'm sure this is perfectly normal."
This is making me feel more than a little nervous for kindergarten. We’re still not completely sure where his school will be come September 8th. He’s on the wait list for our top choice Muscota and also for the duel language school Amistad. He has a seat at his current school PS 187 and we’re waiting on the Gifted and Talented test results which could give us more options but all are far away, so we’re not too hopeful. All this school anxiety has Troy wishing he could quit his job and home school Huck, and while I believe they would both thrive in that environment, I want Huck to go to school-school. I just love all those school parties and spirit weeks and concerts and notes from the teacher about meetings and things. Plus I really don’t want to get a full time job. I am pretty sure Huck would never recover from that.
In the meantime, Troy is practically home schooling Huck already. Thanks to the wonderful They Might Be Giants CD/DVD “Here Comes Science,” Huck has become obsessed with the periodic table of elements. Honestly, I don’t understand half of what he talks about these days. Something about hydrogen and oxygen and coal being made into diamonds. All over our home are post-it notes with symbols like H and Ag and whatnot. Troy, in his “I wish I could home school my son” ways, has enthusiastically embraced Huck’s love for all things elements and the two of them are working on memorizing the chart. Whatever happened to Sesame Street?
Here's Huck and Troy working on their own life-size periodic table, the world's most boring activity ever:
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Here's Huck trying to draw his body while also working on palindromes:
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And here is Huck this morning preparing for his "come as a star" day at school. First he wanted to come as President Obama but decided against it when I reminded him he didn't have a nice suit. He thought of Bono next (he knows his parents' stars) but then decided to come as his very favorite star of all, The Sun! He's wearing a yellow shirt with stripes that represent the orbits and brown pants which represent the sunspots, and he has all the astronomical symbols of the planets stuck to him by post-its. I just took him to school where his friend Lucia is dressed as a Frida Kahlo and Valentino is James Bond and Parker is a rock star. I'm afraid Huck's going to have to explain his costume a few times.
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And last but certainly not least, the ferris wheel I made all by myself with Huck watching in awe and wonder. It even moved like a real ferris wheel. I know, I know, it's impressive. (This gives us all a little insight into what would happen if I home schooled Huck.)
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[ 485 comments ] ( 1170 views )film friends
March 24, 2010, 10:27 am
After Huck's birthday our friends Greg and Dezi came from Texas for a visit. We three Schremmers are heading back to Austin this summer to make another movie (but not another baby) with our CHALK peeps, and so we spent several days brainstorming the story and creating characters. Huck admitted to me that he was feeling left out, for he knew that once he went to bed every night the four of us grown-ups were out in the living room having "meetings." But luckily once morning arrived everyone put on their wide awake faces and gave him all kinds of attention, whether it was gardening at our dining table with Greg or making interesting paper creations with Dezi. Still, I think Huck prefers to be what it's all about.;)
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[ 4 comments ] ( 18 views )spring!
March 23, 2010, 1:40 pm
We New Yorkers got six days of spring last week and words cannot express how wonderful it felt to be outside again! Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our beloved orange hammock that we've had since Huck was about a month old, as Troy's body was the final straw. (It's now a cherished picnic blanket.) Never fear: we've ordered a new one and it should arrive in time for the next burst of warm sunshiny days. (And maybe Troy should stop riding on Huck's bike like that, if you know what I mean. We don't want to say goodbye to old Yellow quite yet.);)
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[ 3 comments ] ( 26 views )a super long sentence
March 9, 2010, 7:19 pm
Another fun-filled birthday weekend has come and gone, which means Aunt Jeni has come and gone and we're all feeling a little lonely without her. Our time together included a visit to the New York Hall of Science museum in Queens, a magic shop in midtown and the Museum of Modern Art (where Huck complained, "This place is just painting after painting after painting!" and also became an expert pretend texter using Jeni's fancy phone), a bike ride and river run, the Bryant Park Carousel, the New York Public Library, dinner at the Indian restaurant that throws a birthday party like no one else (including a siren), more presents than you can imagine, a mystery detective birthday party where six super sleuths followed clues throughout our building and discovered Huck's lemon-lemon birthday cake on the terrace of our friends Kimberly and John (forever known by Huck's friends as "the thieves"), a choreographed "Sisters" number performed by Jeni and me (complete with ostrich feather fans) as an Oscars halftime show, a school birthday party with vanilla-vanilla cupcakes, and a delightful tap class where Jeni got to witness Huck awkwardly stalking his favorite girl (seen in pigtails with headband). Just another relaxing, lying around the apartment kind of weekend!;)
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[ 2 comments ] ( 22 views )happy birthday, huck!
March 7, 2010, 7:21 am
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[ 80 comments ] ( 864 views )no more four
March 6, 2010, 7:49 am
Today is Huck's last day as a four year old!In his fifth year of life Huck finally began learning that actions have consequences, with his parents constantly begging him in whiny voices to treat others the way he wants to be treated. The other day at the grocery store he began tossing paper towel rolls into our cart, which caused a very stern look and a few stern words from yours truly. As he apologized and began putting the rolls back onto the shelf he accidentally hit his knee really hard on the cart. And because he kind of likes the idea of it he smiled and exclaimed, “Instant karma!” He’s become much more social with kids in this last year, thanks mainly to pre-K, and I’ve watched him figure out that he needs to try be a good friend if he wants to have friends. Sometimes he takes it out on his poor sweet parents and bosses us around, usually inserting a mean “It’s not fair!” in there somewhere, which we tell him really means "I don't like it." The other day during one of these bossy moments Troy said, "Isn't it interesting that I can't change the way you speak to me?" and Huck responded with a sassy, "No, that isn't at all interesting." Lately I’ve been saying things like, “You know, if you talked this way to a friend they wouldn’t want to play with you anymore.” Then he reminds me that I’m his mother and I have to play with him. Still, I think he’s learning something from his parents' vast wisdom and insight.
In the last few months I’ve noticed that Huck and I have a similar relationship to mine with my dad when I was a kid. We’re very alike, the three of us, and that can make for some spicy interactions. Huck and I argue quite a bit and Troy sometimes gives me a look that I’m sure my mom gave to my dad all those years ago, a look that says, “He’s four. You’re forty. Let it go.” He’s a good debater, and I like that in a kid.
As always, we're celebrating Huck's birthday weekend with a visit from Aunt Jeni! Yesterday we went to the New York Hall of Science museum in Queens where Huck repeatedly told us that he wants to come back A LOT. Optical illusions, incredible microscopes and the dissection of a gross cow's eyeball, during which Huck answered many questions and proved himself an expert on eyes. He's full of surprises, this four year old.
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[ 22 comments ] ( 72 views )