Super Dad Proof Point #42

I called Jason yesterday evening to check on him and the kids. "HORSES DON'T WEAR PURSES!" is how he answered the phone.

Horses don't wear purses? He was arguing with Lu. They were in Hobby Lobby, getting supplies to make her stick horse for the kindergarten rodeo, and she was plying him with other things to buy. Carting two children through Hobby Lobby before dinner is my idea of hell. I bid him goodnight and returned to the lovely wine and weather I was enjoying at the Hotel San Jose with some out-of-town coworkers. I mean, technically I was "working." But what Jason was doing sounded like a lot more work.

School

Milo started daycare...I mean, uh, "school" on Monday. And guess what? I did not die. I did not cry. He did not cry.

This is clearly the right arrangement. He gets to spend every afternoon in the company of some nice people whose job it is to pay attention to him. We're doing a little juggling in the mornings, Jason, my mom and I, but so far so good.

They LOVE Milo at school. It is a sweet little church daycare with just a few babies, and I've spent a lot of time getting to know the place because Laney and Solly both go there. Every time I've come to get Milo they are holding him or playing with him and he is...happy. The only sad thing about the place is one baby, who's a little older than Milo and started school not long before Milo did, who always seems to be crying. The kid is having a hard time adjusting, but I am comforted by how hard the teachers are working to cheer him up (and also the fact that Milo is NOT crying all the time).

The stress of trying to do it all — all at the same time — has been lifted. I don't think I realized what a toll it was taking, but I am much better now.

Kate's Car FAQ

So, we have been in the process of buying a new car. On Thursday I accelerated that process. A handy FAQ to spare me the embarrassing conversation:

1) Kate, is there, um, something wrong with the hatchback on your wagon?
Your eyes don't deceive you. That hatchback only vaguely closes.

2) Wow, how did that happen?
Well, I was moving my car in hurry to make room for the jogging stroller that wouldn't fit between two cars. The hatchback was up. We have this fabulous oak that arches over our house at weird angle. I hit it.

3) Bummer, has this happened before?
Miraculously, I have never hit this particular tree. Shocking. Especially given that I was planning not to own this car mere days after this incident.

4) There are, uh, some other things wrong with your car.
Yes, I know. That's why I am trying not to be its owner anymore. Someone once told me, "Kate, there is a piece of your car in front of your car." I vowed to get rid of it then. But not without a thorough beating.

In other news...
FOR SALE: USED VW PASSAT WAGON. MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE. NOT ENTIRELY WATERTIGHT. LOVED. FILLED WITH MANY MEMORIES AND SMASHED GOLDFISH CRACKERS.

6 Things I Like About Lu

My girl. She turned 6 on Friday, and this post is much delayed by life, work, Milo...like so much of our attention to her these days.

I brought two dozen decorated sugar cookies in the shape of the number 6 to her classroom on Friday. I got them from Central Market, and that is okay. That compromise allowed me to show up in her classroom vaguely on time and smiling.

As part of her birthday celebration, Ms. P invited the class to think of compliments for Lucy. The birthday girl got to call on 6 people, and they said:
• I like your printing
• You run fast
• You're cool
• You're my friend
• You're my best friend

I forgot #6, the compliment from the youngest, most ostracized member of the class, but I was most proud that she called on him. We'll call that #1: her kindness. Here's the rest of what I like about Lu:

Her emotional intelligence. She's tuned into other people's feelings, and she understands nuance.
Her singshpiel. Lu's Gilbert and Sullivan-style operettas are elaborate, if somewhat off-key. She thinks in song.
Her manners. She has written 17 of the 36 thank-you notes she has to write. It's been a bit of a battle, but she understands the importance of writing them. Also, she can't play with the gift until she has written the note.
Her imagination. The other day, I heard her say haughtily, "Trevor, please bring the limo 'round." Seriously. We should put this both in the category of imagination and ambition.
Her sense of humor. She likes knock-knock and fart jokes. She inherited this from her father.

There is so much more that I truly like about her: her brain, her curiosity, her confidence. She's a good kid.

The Grooming

I just want you to know that I know I'm falling down on the job. But this morning, upon discovering that rice cereal has the consistency of spackle when dried and some of it was stuck to the side of Milo's head, I had a choice to make. I tried to remember when I'd last bathed him. I gave him a good sniff. He smelled like leftovers. So I washed him, and now he smells like a cookie.

But no, my hair is not washed. No, I am not wearing cute shoes. And yes, that is urp on my shirt. And I know that you know. We're just not gonna talk about.

Happy Half Birthday, M!

Six months ago, at this very hour, I was...busy...bringing Milo into this world, and I didn't even know who he was yet. Seems like a lifetime ago, but then, I guess, before Milo, it was another life.

This life is really, really good. The goofy lovefest we are having with him — Jason, me and Lu — would make your teeth squeak, it's so sweet.

His face just breaks open when he smiles. He makes me feel like I am the most entertaining, spectacular, important person in the world. And I think there's a good chance he is actually charming: other people seem to have a similar response to his smile. Smilo. He's a pretty magic baby.

Milo at Work

While it might look like he is contributing BIG IDEAS to this meeting, it is getting harder and harder to have Milo at the office with me. He wants — and deserves — more attention than I am giving him, and I think maybe my work does too.

So, in a couple of weeks, he'll start "school." The thought of it makes me ill.

In the mean time, I will bask in the popularity that Milo provides. Walking around our campus with him is like having a small celebrity strapped to my body.