For the next few days we will be
visiting Papa Bird’s Great Grandma at her home in Denver. The whole family is here — Grandma Tuba, Grandpa Piano, Auntie Music, Antenna, and many more.
Posted in Antenna, Auntie Music, Denver, Grandma Tuba, Grandpa Piano, Great Grandma, Monster Hands, Papa Bird, People
Today, 6:30 pm:
In which I and the Slavering Beast walk to the park, are threatened by a squirrel, have a multicultural experience, and develop a complex–maybe.
1. With Squirrel:
Squirrel, glaring: THIS IS MINE.
Me: “Ok, that’s yours. Cool.”
Monster Hands: “OooOOaaahaaooo!”
2. With woman and small girl:
[Woman and small girl, aged 7 or thereabouts, walk over. Woman stands very close to me and pats Monster Hands on the cheek, rather suddenly and with surprising vigor.]
Woman speaks Asian language, Girl translates: “We like your baby!”
Me: “Thank you!”
Woman speaks Asian language, Girl translates: “How old is your baby?”
Me: “Three months.”
Girl: “My baby is one month.”
Me, to both: “You have a one month old baby at home?”
Girl: “Yes, his name is _____”
Me: “Congratulations!”
Monster Hands smiles, Woman laughs, delighted. Woman speaks Asian language.
Girl: “What is his name? Your baby is a boy.”
Me: “Monster Hands. Actually, she’s a girl.”
Girl, suddenly shocked and incredulous: “A girl, but WHY?!”
3. With Older Gentleman:
Gentleman: “Why hello! The baby waved at me!”
Me: “Hello!”
Gentleman: “Are you his Grandmother?”
(etc.)
Posted in Around town, Monster Hands, People, Places, Uncategorized
Our favorite musical baby toy appears to be haunted.
Papa Bird suggested this yesterday, when it spontaneously changed songs; now it has turned on when it was across the room from us and not near any cats.
If it isn’t haunted, perhaps the explanation is that the baby has experienced some sort of telepathic growth spurt.
Posted in House and grounds, Monster Hands, Papa Bird, People, Places
Monster Hands and I are out for a walk in the neighborhood. We just passed two little boys, aged 4 or so, playing in a yard.
Boy #1: “Baby!”
Me: “Hi!”
Boy #1: “Is that a real baby?”
Me: “Yep! She’s just wearing a big hat. See?”
At this, I tilted Monster Hands’s sun hat so it fell over her eyes and then perched back on her head.
Boy #1 laughed. Boy #2, made a face that suggested he was wresting with an existential crisis, aimed his empty squirt gun at us, and slowly pulled the trigger.
A few minutes later, we sat down under a tree. Here she is, possibly contemplating our earlier brush with gun violence.
Posted in Around town, Monster Hands, People, Places
Just two Western Washingtonians, geared up to face the sunshine.
Posted in Monster Hands, People
Phil: “Which end of the baby do you need? I mean which side do you want her on? I know which end of the baby you need for this procedure. Well… I’m not up on all the latest parenting blogs.”
Posted in House and grounds, Monster Hands, Papa Bird, People, Places
Having been informed recently that it is important to talk to your child, regardless of what exactly you say, Papa Bird has now spent a fair amount of time reading to Monster Hands from Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiment.
Posted in Monster Hands, Papa Bird, People
