Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Bottomless Pit

How can anyone afford more than one son?

The cost to feed this small mammal is more than the GDP of some nations. The only time my son is not pointing at and requesting food is when he is sleeping. He has once requested food in the bathtub.

I took my children to the dancing fountains at the local mall this weekend. My son had eaten lunch as usual, and had a graham cracker when he woke up from his nap. After about thirty minutes playing in the fountain, I broke out the watermelon I had brought along, as a treat.

With the exception of two pieces of the half a watermelon I had brought, eaten by my daughter, my son had the rest. Swallowed each piece whole.

My friend bought him some ice cream. Each spoonful of ice cream went in his mouth. He swallowed and then readied himself for another spoonful by unhinging his jaw and waiting for the next bite. With each passing spoonful, he got the chills, but it didn't even slow him down.

Then he climbed over the chair to get at the diaper bag, where I keep the other food.

There was a stale piece of fruit leather in the diaper bag, from a previous trip a while back. Perfect, I thought, this would at least slow him down, since the dehydrated stale fruit would be tough to eat.

My son shoved the entire piece into his mouth, found he couldn't chew it well, extracted it and spent 30 minutes with a slimy piece of fruit leather in his hand, chewing away a little at a time.

When he finished with that, he searched the diaper bag again and found some old raisins and crasins. He finished those.

Then he started in on the wooden chairs that lined the plaza.

I thought it best we return home so I could make him dinner before he ate the tires off the cars in the parking lot.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Independence Day

I've always loved fireworks. Bright lights, big bangs, what's not to like?

Traffic. Sure, getting home's a pain. That's why living in Manhattan's great - the subway gets you home, no traffic to sit in. Being forced to smell people people who have been standing out in the sun all day while on the subway seems a reasonable trade off to avoid traffic.

Once you have kids, though, it's a whole new ball game. Your discomfort is now meaningless.

Luke AFB makes it about as easy as possible to enjoy the holiday. There's a big cookout, lots of space to run around, a beer truck, cotton candy and a guy making balloon animals. It's fun to sit and enjoy the evening.

But the cookout starts at 6 pm. The children go to bed at 7. They didn't nap at all well today, either.

So we went, and I'm viewing each activity with a strict cost/benefit analysis. Will my son tolerate the activity? Will my daughter enjoy what my son would enjoy? Will they eat? Will they make it past 6:30? Past 7? What time is it now?

No way we are going to make it until dusk tonight. It's doubtful I'm going to make it until dusk. It's been a long four-day weekend.

I'd really like my wife to come home. Holidays are no fun without her.

Happy Fourth, sweetie.