The Children

So, Peaches and The Plum. They are so ridiculous, and so wonderful, that I have to share some stories. I have fallen into a pattern of visiting on Wednesdays, because my sister likes to go to yoga and leaves the two with me all alone to manage. And I don't accidentally kill them, and she lets me do it again. I've also babysat them at my apartment the past two Saturdays while Dusie and Jesse X went to lunch. Oh, the fun, even if we didn't manage to walk over to the library to read books and to the cupcake place for special cupcakes.

On Mother's Day we had brunch with my mom at her new house before she ran off with the widows to go to the casino. I was holding The Plum and he knows how to open his mouth and laugh now, so I started shaking my head and smiling and laughing at him. He would laugh back at me, and we went on together in a call and response laughter pattern for a good three minutes, caught on video by someone, and I only had to goose him under the arms a couple of times.

Today Dusie called me and said that as she was climbing in the front seat she heard Peaches let out a really exaggerated, fake sounding laugh. "What are you doing?" she asked. Peaches replied, "I am laughing like Aunt Kerry to make Plum laugh back."

But also The Plum apparently looks around in public, when he's alert, and seeks out dark haired women to stare at. Not redhaired Mamas, not blonde Babas, not light-brown haired Aunt Aces. He's got a type already, and it is Aunt Kerry lookalikes. Chubby brunettes of 2032, watch out.

Peaches continues her streak of awesome. Because I'm not working and have little money, I take library books to her. She has really liked some of my selections. Recently when I was leaving she got all demanding, slapping her hand down on the stack, "More Slinky Malinki, more Octonauts, more Skippyjon Jones!"

Whoa. One of the things that was a big push when I was a kid was the whole idea of raising a reader, and the idea that reading was the fundamental skill for your child to master. Parents were a little perplexed and cranky about kids who did not like to read. Is it worse now? Is the new push, "Are you raising a coder?"

Her imaginary fixations have expanded to include mermaids, along with cats and fairies, . It's been ridiculously hot here, so we go swimming in the pool. She is a good swimmer--my sister had her in classes over the last year, because it's a life skill in AZ, but Peaches really takes after my sister in her love of water, fearlessness and skill. Me, water was a huge panic trigger for me, what with the fear of whales, and things in water and grossness. After 6 years of weekly swim classes in the freezing pool, I finally made the Intermediate Level. But I think the next year they bounced me down to Advanced Beginner again. Dusie asked me if we went to the ocean, would I go in with Peaches, what with my fear of whales and all. And I said, "Of course. But it would not be wise to let me go in the water with her."