KidPlay: Not much Ocean, but definitely Motion

When I received the invitation for a birthday for a 2 year old at Oceans in Motion [http://www.oceannmotion.com/] I was skeptical to say the least. I am not a big fan of children’s birthday parties to begin with and I am even less of a fan of lame wordplay. So, when the invitation arrived with the phrase, “Can’t wait to ‘sea’ you” scrawled on it, I almost puked.

The web site boasts, “Can’t get to the beach? Come to the ocean!”. This pissed me off even more. I love the beach and I look forward to introducing my little one to the sand and ocean. I couldn’t begin to fathom how some hole in the wall in a strip mall in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey was going to deliver the bliss of the sea and sand. Ultimately, it didn’t matter what I thought, what crazy cynical streak was rearing its ugly head – we were going. My son [Ben, 19 months old] was locked and loaded in his best little outfit – herringbone trousers, a button down decorated with fleur de lis and a hip little short sleeve sweater that sports a small almost unnoticeable tag that says “little citizen of the world”. He was at least going to look fabulous no matter how lame this party might be.

Sure enough, we turned into a strip mall in Mt. Laurel, NJ and parked among the endless rows of SUVs. We scanned the strip and spotted “Oceans in Motion”. It didn’t look particularly impressive from the outside. And, truth be told, save the random stuffed animals shaped like fish or sharks there wasn’t much that reminded you of the ocean once you were inside either. On the other hand, what this place offered was actually quite wonderful. It was essentially an indoor playground. There were little trampolines, mazes to climb on, toys to jump on, and a ball pit that didn’t look like it harbored a million bits of bacteria. All of this was in an environment friendly for children ages 2-6. Even Ben, at just past a year and a half, had a blast. He caught major air on the baby trampoline and took a great deal of delight throwing balls at his own reflection in the mirror and then catching them as they came bouncing back (he’s an only child and was delighted to meet such a well dressed friend).

Alas, all cynicism aside, Oceans in Motion turned out to be quite a nice place for little ones to play. It was safe and clean and the staff could not have been nicer. We were there for a party but you can bring your children to play anytime. And, as someone who has been stuck in the house with kids on yucky rainy days, this place could be a wonderful diversion from trying to convince your children how fun it would be to help mommy dust and fold laundry.

More Adventures in Bad Parenting

I fed my baby a Lean Cuisine today. He was hungry and I wanted to watch the Project Runway from last week before the new one airs. In my defense it was Butternut Squash Ravioli with veggies on the side. That sounds like a healthy, toddler quality meal -- right? And, I just couldn't pull together a lunch with veggies based on what else was in the frig at that moment.
Ben, my son, was totally on to me though. When I served it [big smile on my face] he immediately looked skeptical. He placed a piece in his mouth, closed his mouth, and then reopened it and let the ravioli just fall out onto his shirt. He was disgusted with the lunch and with me. He knew what I did. He knew, I knew he wanted a hot dog and cucumbers. But, I persisted, pointing out the little snap peas that I know he loves. But, these weren't his snap peas. These peas were coated with some kind of thick white sauce adults need to entice them to eat vegetables. And, whatever this sauce consists of, babies know it is bullshit. Eventually, I knew the jig was up and I had to step up and be a good mom. I paused the DVR, pulled out the Aquadoodle and played with him while proper ravioli boiled on the stove. What can I say? I am learning.

Rock-a-baby!

I am totally beginning to live vicariously through Ben. I miss listening to music, going to concerts and hanging out with friends. I've decided to make Ben a little fan of Bowie and The Cure. Robert Smith never looked cuter.

Adventures in bad parenting

As the mother of a one-year old I have extensive experience in bad planning. Over the past few weeks I've neglected to notice my son make it all the way upstairs and then tumble down the stairs with my hair dryer in his hands, I've walked into the living room and found him sucking on the top of a container of eyeglass cleaner, and most recently I backed my huge ass into him in the kitchen and sent him flying about six feet into a tile floor. But, maybe most pathetic, is the unfortunate circumstance of continuing to miss his little school events. I was the only "no-show mom" for his mother's day pageant. My husband said that when he picked him up at 5:15p.m. all the lights were out and Ben was alone sitting on the Director's lap in the front office. He was the last child there because every other kid went home with their mom at 4p after the show. And, most recently, I missed what was called the "Imagination Celebration". Ben was in a parade wearing a costume he helped make (an Orange crayon).

Pumpkin picking

Most of you know that I am not crazy about this "country living". Still, I can't help but admit that when October rolls around and the local farms are speckled with orange dots, I get excited. This year bringing Ben was really fun. He rode in the wheelbarrow, chose his own pumpkin, and danced to the music of a live band while picking straw from bales of hay. So, while I am still missing the city sidewalks and walking to coffee shops and parks, I can always look forward to October.

Consider Kiva

Vacation?

We just completed our first "family" vacation. A nine day romp through New England with a one year old. In retrospect, quite an ill conceived plan. However, lots of fun and good memories were had even though they were speckled with a few tantrums, thrown food and nights of interrupted sleep.

Video of Ben

Check out this little video of Ben: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHSG9TvLTuE

Firsts!

This past week, on June 30th, Ben turned 1. In preparation for the big day he got his first real haircut. His pictures suggest generally good behavior in the barber's chair. However, not long after these pics were snapped he began screaming and throwing his head around. Needless to say, he didn't make the best partner to a scissor wielding lady. We left before the cut was complete. Fortunately, he is so damned cute that it doesn't really matter that his hair is a bit uneven.

On Saturday, in celebration of his birthday, Ben decided to forgo all napping. He stayed up from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.. We begged him to take it easy and lay down for a bit. But he laughed at the idea and instead got to swinging, throwing, laughing and eating cake. He was so tired and delusional by the time the cake eating commenced that he missed his mouth completely many times. The cake that didn't make it into his mouth was instead used as hair product. He spread it around his new haircut and actually created quite a unique style.

Thailand: Weekend Excursions

This weekend was very interesting. It was essentially all the time I had to pack in as much sight seeing as possible. Of course, the rushing and unplanning resulted in some pain. Saturday started off a bit slow. I made arrangements to leave with some students at 10:30 to get a massage. I woke up at 4:30 and the wait until 10:30 began to work on me a bit. But, the massage was amazing and it was great to have my student there who lives in Thailand. She was able to tell me what to expect and how to respond to some little oddities.
After the massage I went on my way in search of Khao San Road. Another student mentioned some good things about this place so I thought I would check it out. Sadly, it turned out to be quite horrible. Tourists from around the world behaving badly gave me a glimpse into how the rest of the world must see us. As I stood next to an American college girl wearing extremely short shorts that were turned down at the waist in order to expose the maximum amount of skin, I felt embarrassed. I decided to head to the ferry and take the river down to the Chinatown area instead.

A pleasant surprised popped up on my way to the river. I stumbled upon the National Gallery and a special exhibition of artists' interpretation of Buddhism. I love art museums and especially sculpture so this unplanned encounter was extra special.

In the evening, I joined more people from my class to go to the night market. They had some great stuff and amazing bargains. I am so indecisive though. I left with just a few little trinkets for my neices.

Sunday was an entirely different story. I went to a place called Ayuthaya which was about an hour and a half on the bus. It cost 50 Baht to get there (about $1.50 US) and I was on an air conditioned Greyhound type bus. Once you're there you see amazing ruins from when the Burmese sacked the original capital of Thailand. I also sat with two different ceremonies and saw the large reclining Buddha. All of this was made possible by the sweetest man ever, Pongsak. Pongsak was my Tuk Tuk driver. The minute I got off the bus he came after me with a map. I was a bit turned off at first, but he just seemed nice so I agreed to let him take me around for three hours. This turned out to be the best decision I made. He took me everywhere, bought me bottles of water and even took me down a little residential street where he bought me a bag of fresh pineapple and let me taste his potatoes.

When he took me back to the buses he made sure I got on the right one and sent me off with a smile. His English was limited but he tried to give me little bits of info as we traveled. One funny thing though -- when we arrived at this one monument where there are statues everywhere of roosters (aka cocks), he explained that "we [the Thai people] love cocks".

Do good, get good

One of the students from my class started singing a little magic phrase yesterday, "Tum dee, dae dee". This phrase means, "do good, get good". Apparently in a society where everyone is seeking to make merit it helps to provide this reminder when bargaining for goods at market. However, I couldn't help but think about how it relates to everything. Over the past week I have observed a group of people work incredibly hard, stretch the limits of what they know and all in the service of children. As someone who thinks a lot about teachers and how they function I am left feeling very inspired but the thoughtfulness and effort being put forward by this group of educators. Surely, they have done good and hopefully they will get good.

Day three: Thailand

OK, so my course began today. It was a long day but very exciting. I am most surprised by the wide range of experience my students bring to the table. There are students teaching in Kuwait, India, Pakistan and many other places. In addition, they are an extremely bright group. I definitely am going to have to step up my game in order to make sure they get what they need and stay engaged.

Day Two: Thailand

I arrived in Thailand yesterday. The flight was extremely long (17 hours). Exactly as a friend warned me -- I looked up at the monitor when there was a little over 7 hours to go and thought I might die. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep for a few hours and all was well.
Today is a completely different story. I woke up early this morning ready to adventure out. I practiced a bunch of Thai phrases, mapped out my plan and ordered breakfast. Ah breakfast! I order the "complete Continental Breakfast" - pointed right to it on the menu. I recieved a bowl of cornflakes. Small by my standards. I waited endlessly for my check. Ok fine. I used the Thai phrase for "thank you" quite a bit despite the incorrect order and slow service.
Then, I asked the desk how to get to the river. They explained that was very far and called me a cab to take me to my first destination, Ka Phrat Kao. This was beautiful. After negotiating the cab fare, and borrowing a skirt to cover the three inches of calf that would surely offend the buddha, I took out my camera. Alas, it didn't work. Apparently, I never put batteries in it. So, I took lots of pictures with my phone. Upon leaving I found a store to buy batteries for the rest of the day.
As I left the Grand Palace and traversed the street that ran along it's gate, I met a man who offered advice about where to go next. He circled 4 more Wats on my map and put me in a Tuk Tuk. He told the driver that I would pay 40 Baht for him to take me to all 4 places and then back to Wat Po. For those of you wondering, that's about $1.50. I should have known that there would be a catch given the low price of transportation. The driver insisted on taking me to some shops where the sales pressure was through the roof. When I said I didn't want to shop, he explained that it was for him and not for me. The shops give him vouchers for gasoline when he brings people. And, as I discovered, he doesn't get a voucher if I don't stay long enough.
So, I saw some wonderful temples where there were no tourists. I got to pray alongside Thai people in home temples. I made a friend at the first. We sat on the carpet in front of a great golden buddha and chatted about our children, living in the US and Thailand, and other random topics. I bowed a lot, practiced not allowing my feet to point toward anyone and tried to use Thai phrases as much as possible. I was also bamboozeled into a few purchases and overpaid for one or two things by choice because I sensed the sellers needed the sale more than I needed to hold on to a dollars worth of Baht. I also enjoyed seeing sleeping cats around some of the temples.
And, a simple highlight for me was seeing lotus flowers. I had never seen one in person and was surprised at how sturdy and beautiful they really were. I wished I could grow them at home.
Finally, my feet were aching and blistered from my cheap Target sneakers. I hopped in a cab and gave the address to my hotel. He said he knew where to go but was hopelessly lost. We drove around for what seemed like hours. I watched him miss signs and tried to point them out but to no avail. He finally figured things out. The taxi ride was an adventure. Now, having been running on fuel from one small bowl of corn flakes all day, I am quite hungry. I am a little disappointed that I passed up so much good food today and definitely sad that I just walked right by the massage school. I chickened out at the last minute. Not only am I a little shy about being touched, I was very sweaty by the time I got there.
Well, I have a few more days left to explore.

10 months old!

A little bit nasty and a little bit rock n roll

This picture is Ben at almost 9 months old. You may notice a cut under his right eye. That injury, as well as a few others which are less apparent, are the result of an altercation with another baby at day care. Apparently, Ben stole Andrew's pacifier. Ben doesn't even use a pacifier. Never the less, Andrew went after Ben and put a little hurtin' on him. The story goes that Ben didn't bother Andrew for the rest of the day.

Ben @ 8 months

Civil Unions for Everyone!

As many of you know, New Jersey now supports Civil Unions for same sex couples. And, as per usual, conservative Christians are outraged. Apparently, gay rights put the sanctity of marriage in jeopardy. Never mind divorce, substance abuse, physical abuse, and infidelity - clearly gay rights is ruining marriage.
Personally, I feel that states shouldn't grant anyone a marriage license. Our government should ONLY have the power to grant civil unions to couples, hetero- or homo-. Then if a couple wishes to enter into the covenant of marriage that can be done through their church. There are religions who honor same sex marriages and those that don't. But, at least one has the choice of where to worship.
So, there it is -- take "marriage" out of the government's hands all together.

Support my students

Some of you know that I maintain another blog for my other life. That blog can be found here: http://artistryequanimitypower.blogspot.com/

If you have a few minutes, please jump over to that site and check out the bulletin boards for Black History Month and Women's History. There is a link to a very brief survey about these boards. Please consider weighing in on them.

TI(RED)

In the spirit of The Gap's new campaign, I am thinking of creating a t-shirt with the logo "TI(RED)". I searched through the pile at The Gap -- INSPI(RED), DESI(RED) -- none of them applied to me. I don't feel inspired to do much more than sleep. The excessive Eeyore like pouting and Rip Van Winkle like sleeping also leave me less than desirable.
Is this a "30-something" something?
Here are just a few things I am TI(RED) of:
* seeing headlines about how thin or fat movie stars have become
* caring more about Reese Witherspoon's marraige than my own
* getting huge overstuffed envelopes of coupons in the mail
* actually opening the huge overstuffed envelope full of coupons and throwing them out one by one
* blow drying my hair
* packing up leftovers, not eating them and then having to clean out rotten food
* snooze buttons
* the endless supply of fur my animals have to shed
* the impossibility of even being able to vacuum up all of the animal hair
* the NE Patriots
* Rosie O'Donnell
* ughn, this post