LB’s latest linguistic kick is identifying things that he likes as “good.” On a stroll to the playground yesterday, he periodically paused to point out cars and say “Machina good” or “Machina good no.” This kid has a taste for cars, let me tell you, preferring Audi convertibles and vintage Fords over minivans and compact sedans.
From his mastery of “good,” last night we got his first English sentence. He identifies his cereal bars as “little bar” and kiddie granola bars as “big bar.” While chomping down a cereal bar, he told Mr. P. “Little bar ‘esa good.”
The move to our new condo went smoothly, thanks to lots of help from my father (who endured heavy labor) and stepmother (who kept LB out of the way.) LB seems unfazed by the move; it probably helps that our new place is roomier and sunnier, a definite improvement over our shambly apartment. An added bonus: about a half-mile away, there’s a tot lot with spraying fountains for kids to frolic in on hot days, a real life-saver during the recent heat wave that has now subsided into cool sunshine.
Cooling Off
The last time we were there, I sat near two women who were watching their daughters (around 6 years old) play together. One of the girls seemed pretty crazy. She was drinking the fountain water with a plastic shovel, and her mother hastily made her stop. “Well, that was a new one,” she said to her friend, referring to her daughter’s errant behavior. The girl then began standing over a water spray so that it indecently adjusted the position of her bathing suit, and her mother quickly made her move. “Well, that was a new one,” she again told her friend.
The girl then approached LB, who was watching water swirl down the drain. She started touching his hair, at first gingerly and then by placing both hands on his head and rubbing it like she was scrubbing a plate.
“We don’t touch other people!” her mother called, and the girl dropped her hands and ran away. A. looked at me and pointed at her with this priceless expression of “what the eff, Mom?”
“Well, that was a new one,” the touchy girl’s mother sighed.
