Max's first movie

I took Max to see his first movie today: Wall E. He earned a big adventure for going to bed 5 nights in a row at 7:15 without asking mommy and daddy for things and protesting. I picked Max up from school and the whole drive to the theater he kept asking "is this it mommy?" over and over. "It's going to be so exciting," he said.

We bought our tickets and when we walked into the theater, I wish I could have captured the moment on film. With the widest eyes, Max exclaimed, "look at all the seats mommy. Why are they all the same? Where are the other kids?" We essentially had a private screening of the movie. He tried to sit in the chair and was so perplexed why it kept folding him up that he sat perched on the edge clutching the seat in front of him almost the whole time. Half way through the movie he settled back in his seat, so proud that he had figured out how to keep it from folding up. The previews started and Max kept leaning over asking me, "is this Walleeee mommy?" After 5 long previews I was wondering myself if we'd ever see Wall E. Then it came on and Max was beside himself. Not knowing the quiet movie voice, anytime Wall E wasn't on the screen Max would yell "where's Wall E?" then Wall E would appear and he would say "oh, there he is." I kept feeding Max rice cakes and banana chips as he stared at the screen. I handed him a jelly bean and with wide eyes he smiled and just said, "wow!" I have never seen someone savor a jelly bean like that. Then in the middle of the movie he announced "That is the biggest TV I have ever seen. Why is it soooo big?" At one point he just leaned over and hugged my neck and smiled, almost unable to contain his excitement "This is a big present mommy. Can you see ok?"

The movie was dragging on and Max said "Mommy I am getting very tired. I really really want to go home." I tried to leave and he freaked "NO! We can't leave because I never ever saw this part before." As the end approached it was clear that Max was exhausted and had to pee really badly. As I carried him out to the bathroom he cried at the top of his lungs over and over again "FREEEEEZE it Mommy. Freeze it". He is clearly part of the on-demand generation. Then the movie was over and we walked out and he desperately wanted to go into the men's room like the bigger kids who were sitting in front of us. Outside, Max ran to the car with so much energy and happiness, telling me not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. As we were climbing into the car, Max spontaneously hugged my legs and said " I love you mommy." He chattered the whole way home about climbing a tree with Olin and Daddy.

I think this experience was almost better for me than for Max. At one point I looked over at him perched on the edge of his seat, staring at the screen and I welled up with tears. I wish I could bottle up our afternoon. Seeing life through the eyes of a three year old is a huge gift.

The things Max says

Max is picking up on all sorts of phrases these days. Suppose you ask him "do you want noodles for dinner?" He'll invariably start his reply with "Actually, I think I'd like some..." I'm sure he gets this from one of us, but in a 3 year old it is just plain funny. It is similar to his "No, but thank you for asking," or when he gave me a drawing the other day, and I thanked him, he said "maybe you can put it in your office... but actually you can put it anywhere you want to Daddy."

So tonight he's had a bit of trouble going to bed, probably due to a late nap in the car on the way back from Target (where I heaved him out of the car, threw him over my shoulder, climbed the stairs, plunked down on the couch, with him still on my chest, and still fast, fast asleep). He had called me back into his room with a plaintive cry of "Daddy I need a hug." After giving him a hug I told him how much I loved him: "Max, I love you so much." At which point he looked me in the eye and said, "Daddy I love how God made you."

Wherever he picked this one up, it made my day.

Burgers and Bands

We had a really nice July 4th this year, making it out of the cold foggy city in the morning to Sausalito, where we saw the end of the parade and then joined the music-filled festival by the water. Christine, James and William joined us for the BBQ corn and burgers.

Daddy, Max and Olin found a tree to use as a bench, and then Max spent about an hour trying to skip rocks into the water, unsuccessfully, except in his own mind. "That skipped 3 times, Daddy!" Olin just sat in the grass and giggled.

Afterwards we headed back into the city, and had more burgers! This time at Nate's place. Then, of course, in bed before the fireworks. Perfect.

Olin discusses world affairs

As Olin grows up in the shadows of Max, he has developed a nuanced and complex world view... listen as he discusses the current political environment, using a lens cap as a metaphor:

You should (can) see the other guy...

We sent Max to school today armed with his new response to questions about his eye... and when he came home he couldn't stop saying it, thinking it was the funniest thing in the world. He probably got one laugh, and that was it. Seemed worth capturing on camera:

Slow down, Max...

So Max ended this Father's day quite nicely, with a little bump on the head, as he slipped on the kitchen floor and glanced his eye on the corner of our kitchen table (granite):

Luckily, an emergency room is literally across the street. I threw an unhappy Max over my shoulder, and took him into the waiting room, looking quite a mess.

The nurses and doctors loved him, especially when I goaded him into replying their questions about the cut with "you shoulda seen the other kid." But the doctor who cleaned up his eye, named Josh, wasn't responding to any of Max's jokes, and when Josh left Max turned to me and asked, quizzically, "why isn't Josh fun?" Good question, Max. Because everyone, really, should be.

Goodnight, Max

Well, it still hasn't been easy to get Max to sleep. But we do have some fun trying. Tonight I figured I would just stay in his room for a while, and let him babble on, thinking that he would get tired and shut his eyes, and fall into a relaxing sleep. Well, he's still talking in his room right now, but at least he is still calm.

Some highlights:

Max: Daddy why do you have hairs in your nose?

(I laugh)
Me: Because I'm an old man, Max.
Max: (laughing) You're not an old man, Daddy. You're a new man.
(I laugh)
Max: (laughing) You're not a new man, Daddy. You're a short man.
(I smile)
Max: No, no, no Daddy. I say You're a short man and then you laugh.
Me: Oh, Ok.
Max: You're a short man.
(I laugh)
(Max laughs, a lot).
Max: No, you're not a short man. You're a new man.
(I laugh)
Max: (snickering) No, no, no, you're not a new man, you're an old man.
(I pretend laugh, Max laughs and laughs and laughs, having completely cracked himself up).
(20 seconds of silence)
Max: Let me tell you a story. Max got up, and it was a beautiful day, and...

And he went on, for 30 minutes. Even though he was clearly playing me, sometimes it is those little moments that I just want to bottle up and keep forever.