Jul 12 10
A Discovery
Tasting grass is a universal childhood experience, I imagine. No, it doesn’t taste good; and it tickles the back of the mouth!
Jul 6 10
Summer Days
Lou’s school offers an optional summer program for the youngest kids; while we did keep Lou home in June, he will probably be attending for the rest of the summer. The great thing about the summer program is that the summer teachers have outings planned for nearly every day. Today, the kids visited to the art museum.
I couldn’t resist stopping by to see how the trip was playing out. Young children and fine art are, unfortunately, and unlikely pairing. Cedric and I have never had much luck taking Lou to art museums; children are tactile and don’t much enjoy exhibits that are only for looking. However, when I arrived, I was surprised to find the kids so quiet and attentive. Many of them, as kindergartners and and almost-kindergartners, are apparently able to grasp some of the significance and beauty of these works. Lou was very engaged with the explanations from the docents.
When I lived in Paris, I enjoyed visiting museums. I was enrolled in an art history class that frequently met in the various museums. It was through experiencing the true size, color, and beauty of the works that I began to love art. I still do, even if I am only rarely able to visit the museums. This museum is only ten minutes from our house; but somehow I doubt Lou will be in any hurry to visit again. Someday, I’ll walk through the art museums freely and leisurely again, but that will not be anytime soon I’m sure. Such is life for the mother of small ones; for the moment, there are other rewards.
Jun 30 10
Back Again, Panic Sets In
I didn’t have time to write an entry for our last day in Jamaica. That evening was spent packing bags, so that we were ready for an early flight out of Montego Bay. For that last day, we decided to do what we enjoyed most, and hired a couple of guys to take us back to the reefs. This time, without Lou, we were able to take a longer and more relaxed swim. We were followed by a school of Tiger fish – a species of yellow and black striped fish that are either very friendly or very curious. There were moments when I considered that so many fish could devour us completely in small bites.
We also hired Sonia to come back and babysit for the kids. When we returned, we all shared a lunch of coco bread, beef patties, and fruit. Because it began raining hard in the afternoon, Sonia stayed and we shared tea and chocolate. She seemed sad to go after the rain, and becoming choked up, said that she was going to miss us. She asked for pictures of Johanna, at the least, if we couldn’t return again next year. I felt strangely sorry to say goodbye as well. Jamaicans are such beautiful people.
Since we’ve been back, Johanna has come precipitously close to crawling. She is constantly on her belly, pushing herself up on her arms. I do mean constantly – she flips herself over during diaper changes and even when nursing (it was comical at first, but is wearing thin). Unfortunately, she seems to know she’s on to something. Our house is far, far from baby-safe, and so I feel a nagging, ever-present panic. The baby proofing is very much complicated by the older brother, who is known to leave small plastic bits, marbles, and change lying around everywhere. No joke, I do not feel good about this.
