Kinecting with Family

In preparation for Thanksgiving: "Noah, we're gonna celebrate Grandpa's birthday and Thanksgiving with our family like Brynn and Candace and Augusta and Grandma and Baby Kate and..." -> Noah as we pass the Galleria: "and Galleria!"

Me: "Happy 65th birthday, Grandpa. Can we play with your present?" Grandpa got an Xbox Kinect, and their house has never been more intense. Now we wear comfy clothing because we know we'll break a sweat when we visit.

Noah is so into Kinect that he pulled a muscle and popped a blood vessel in his leg from jumping around so much. Every time he finishes a game: "I got a gold medal!" Even Ari gets into it and imitates the hilarious movements, but she doesn't have to worry about hitting her head or hands on the ceiling.

It's a lot of fun to watch everybody play, especially seeing Grandma and Grandpa working it. I can't wait to see the dancing game. Noah has even been very patient about sharing turns. The main problem now is explaining that we can't just go over there anytime we want.

Noah: "I'm thankful for Chuck E. Cheese and going to the park with Daddy. What are you thankful for, Daddy?" -> Me: "I'm thankful for my wonderful Kinection with you and the rest of our family."

Hearing Implored

"Noah, please come inside...Noah, it's time to go in the house...Noah, let's go!...(no reaction)...That's it. No books before bed." Noah immediately pleads as if his life depends on it, "I can listen! I can listen to you!"

Mary and I don't know how to respond except "Really? Why don't you then?"

Noah's response has become so automatic that he says it every time he gets in trouble no matter what actually brought on the condemnation. He acts as if the universe is conspiring against him and swallowing his freedom. Although this is his last ditch effort to evade punishment, his proclamation ironically reiterates our frustration and cements his guilt. In our heads, Mary and I finish his statement for him, "I can listen to you...but I choose not to."

As long as he refuses to listen, we'll be listening to his refuse.

Never Ending MonStory

The most common phrase in our house these days: "Daddy, can you tell me about a monster?"

Almost any story will do. This would probably work for Noah: "One day AriMonster went for a walk to...THE TARGET STORE! She went inside and found...TOYS! She tried to take a race car off the shelf but all of the toys fell and trapped her...TargetMonster saw the accident and called for help...who came to help? NOAHMONSTER! NoahMonster ran through the aisle with his magic broom and swept all of the toys away - flying and crashing off the shelves...then NoahMonster picked AriMonster up and took her to...CHUCKECHEESE! They went in and played SKIBALL!...but the game was broken...so they called MOMMYMONSTER! for help. She brought her toolbox and NoahMonster was her assistant and they fixed the game. Then they scored 1,000 points and won a prize...a FLASHLIGHT! They took the flashlight home and the house was dark because the power was out...they used the flashlight to look in the freezer and they saw...ICECREAM! It was melting without power so NoahMonster, AriMonster, and MommyMonster ate the whole carton of ice cream...then they all took a long nap."

If you think your journey is over and your story has finished - you haven't been around here often...

The second most common phrase in our house these days: "Daddy, can you tell me about another monster?"

Living on a Square

Before our kids were born, Mary and I took quite a few road trips. We went to the beach, visited friends and family, and even enjoyed romantic getaways. Now our ventures are usually few and far between, but our mileage picks up in the summer.

"Daddy, but how are we getting to the beach?"

"We're on our way. We're driving on the highway."

"But why are we driving on the highway?"

"Because we can go fast."

Sometimes we feel like the questions and wining will never end, but we can thank Dora for helping to ease the pain of long trips. Her annoying friend ("I'm the map!") has helped Noah understand how journeys work and how to plan a trip. After both of us got frustrated during his line of questioning, I reached behind Mary's head rest and drew an imaginary map on the square surface, "First we'll drive over the mountains. Then we'll drive through the train town. Then we'll drive through the woods. Then we'll drive on the really big highway. Then we'll drive around a city to our hotel." The specific description of our plan and landmarks for him to spot worked pretty well if you don't count the six times he asked, "Can you show me that map again?" He also felt special when we'd tell him that we were looking for a rest stop with a great playroom for him to run around.

We did the same thing for our trip to Boston, and the exciting people-mover walkways and security "checkpoint" helped as well. We just have to make sure that we don't forget any important details on the itinerary. Otherwise Noah will chastise us for not following the plan. Anuj, Maria, and Nujy's parents took turns playing "knock down" with Noah, where he knocks them down on the grass and they get up for more. Noah also fell in love with Indian musical TV. Squal's wedding was a blast and well worth the trip, and he knocked us off our feet with three big surprises. Their official on-the-alter wedding kiss was a coming-home-from-war makeout session; They had an impressively choreographed wedding dance; The grand finale was Pasqual singing Bon Jovi with the band at the reception as if he were true blue Jerz.

Whether you're living on a square or living on a prayer, hold on! We just might be halfway there.

Pee, Myself and Why

I'm going to triple post to make up for lost time. If you're not into bathroom stories, skip the first paragraph.

Potty training was everything we expected. A) Challenging? Yes. I felt like I was chasing a chicken around our house. B) Unbelievably unfortunate timing? Yes. A cold day at the park when every building nearby is closed and I'm trying to convince him to pee on the ground behind a dumpster is not exactly smooth sailing. C) Wishing we could go back to the ease of diapers? Yes. D) Funny? Yes, but sometimes in unexpected ways. I never predicted that Noah would be fascinated with urine and poop. I still remember how excited he was with one of his first successful trips to drop the kids off at the pool: "Hey, it looks like a rocket ship and two little rocks!" He was very proud when he was finally tall enough to pee standing up, but he, of course, had to spray it everywhere. I didn't even know how to respond when he asked if he could touch the pee with his other hand as it made its way down towards the potty. By the time we came back from reunions last week, he had become almost completely independent in the bathroom. I'm proud of how he's grown and how we stuck with it. Now it's time for his pizza party celebration. E) Use rewards and bribes? Yes.

I'm glad that Noah has confidence and desires independence. It certainly helped with his potty training above, but I'm growing a little weary of "blah blah blah by mySELF!" The most memorable moment was at USC community day. Noah had never played mini golf before, but he knew Grandpa liked it and he watched us play a little bit on our Wii. He asked to try the hole-in-one for a prize, so we said sure. Mary stood behind him helping him hold the club when he demanded, "No, Mommy. I'll do it by mySELF!" He swung the putter and knocked it right in the hole to the shock and amazement of everyone watching. After crushing the ball into another section on his second try, he proceeded to sink another one to win two prizes. His incredible strokes of luck only enhanced his already overflowing confidence, which made it just a little bit harder to offer help the next time he was about to jump off of the neighbor's driveway wall. He still calls for Mommy when he lands the wrong way, though, so he hasn't completely lost the need for us yet.

If we hear "mySELF!" five or six times everyday, we probably hear "Why?" at least a dozen. Sometimes there's a dozen in one conversation: "Why do I want to wear a pullup?" "Because you might pee while you sleep tonight." "Why do I want to pee while I sleep?" "Maybe because you will sleep for a long time." "Why will I sleep for a long time?" "Maybe because you're tired." "Why am I tired?" "We had a long day." "Why did we have a long day?" Sometimes Mary and I don't even know how to end the conversation. The best strategy seems to be "I don't know Noah. Why do you think?" Our most surprising why question yet was probably when we gave in to his persistent requests for ice cream. When Mary handed him the bowl he asked, "Why did I want ice cream?" While Mary and I have almost stopped asking why questions since the answer tends to be "because he's 3 and he's Noah," he seems to just be gearing up.

All three important developments in Noah's life are signs that he's growing and, while challenging, his growth can be pretty entertaining. Before I was married and a dad, I was mostly focused on Me, Myself and I. Now Pee, Myself and Why has most of my attention, and I've never been more engaged.

Water for Thought

Last week I had the chance to attend the Social Entrepreneurship Forum after work. The short pitch by the founder of Epiphany justified the company name. With all of the frustration and uncertainty I've experienced this spring trying to figure out where/if I'll be attending law school this fall, I needed a reminder of why I'm making this new commitment. It was also a reminder of the great opportunities available here in Pittsburgh.

Epiphany Solar Water Systems has developed an innovative, revolutionary product that boils any source of water with a large, solar-powered magnifying glass. Through Project Eviive, they are developing a sustainable business strategy with one focused goal: deliver clean water systems to as many people around the world as possible and as fast as possible, people who are struggling from thirst and illness. Tom Joseph, his team, and many people at the forum are dedicated to, focused on, and passionate about providing long-term solutions for our world's most pressing problems in our least served communities.

This short break from work, parenting, applications, etc... was a refresher course on genuine motivation and the purpose of work. Three years from now I hope to be developing innovative strategies for our most challenging social, political, economic and technological issues, fueled by my Eviive-filled water bottle.

Frame her vs. Blame her

I'm not sure which bothered me more: the fact that Noah purposely placed his toy right next to Ari, who was laying on the floor at the time, or the fact that he chastised her and repossessed the toy from her slobbery grip. We've been dealing with new baby sister issues longer than we expected, but as down as we get during these episodes we certainly cherish the other moments of contrast.

Making Ari giggle is an addictive game: She bounces up an down, curls up her body, reveals her big dimples and shining eyes, sticks her hand in her mouth and squeaks and drools uncontrollably. Nobody elicits this response as powerfully and easily as Noah. Ari can't get enough of his games like suddenly appearing from behind a door, dancing around the room Risky Business style in his undies, singing loud gibberish, and the grandaddy of them all: his own intoxicating laugh.

Despite his intentional interruptions of her naps, his adamant protests when I hold Ari in my arms, his sometimes violent physical impulses, and his play-by-play announcing of every house rule she unknowingly violates, Noah is still Baby Ari's rock star, her protector and her crush.

As their relationship continually levels out and turns into Klaber vs. Klaber, I hope the competition between these two seemingly strong-willed siblings serves mostly uplifting ends and retains the laughter and adoration we now enjoy.