Seeking balance in a chaotic, unpredictable world against a backdrop of evolving politics, spirituality, world events, relationships, navel gazing and an ongoing love affair with the city of San Francisco... all with 2 small boys and a Black Lab in tow.
We've been all about dressing up this week. The boys really enjoyed to Camp Galileo(incidentally, Quinn liked it even better than the other science camp he went to this summer,Camp Edmo) and they had lots of fun activities and costume days. First it was crazy hair day
Next they got their faces painted
and then Medieval day and "team color" day (neither of which I got pictures of) and finally Decades Day. The boys understand a lot of things you might think they wouldn't, but the concept of a decade and dressing up from another decade is not one of them. I kept trying to explain, but finally Jordan said, exasperated, "where is 'the 80s' and why can't I just dress up like Peter Pan?" So I let it go and the boys went as Peter Pan
My brain is still suffering from watching so much of the Olympics, so today it's just shortish thoughts.
First of all, I must recommend to all of my mommy and daddy friends the They Might Be Giants DVDs and CDs. I have no relationship with these guys whatsoever except for being a huge fan. The songs are catchy for kids and adults alike and have made many-a-car-ride 10x more pleasant. The key part is that there's a video, too, so the kids get hooked on multiple levels. As a large added bonus, they have really good information in them, as well... especially the 123's set and the Here Comes Science set. Love it love it love it.
Also currently happening in our world:
Seasons and months are a big deal- this morning there was great excitement in our home because it's now March. After dropping off Quinn this morning, I turned around to see him running down the street after me with the news that he is, indeed, going to get a new calendar page in his class today! wOOt wOOt!
Jordan currently wants to be a vet, Quinn a paleontologist (this potential profession coming straight from Here Comes Science)
The boys' favorite restaurant is either Rainforest Cafe or Mel's Diner
We routinely refer to the fast food chain as "Old McDonald's" and the boys are under the impression that there's a jungle gym in each one and that that's what they're primarily known for.
Before many a meal, Jordan asks if the relevant animal is dead. When that is confirmed, he says something along the lines of: "Oh. Somebody just shot him, or whacked him with a sword."
Sleepovers officially started last month. We've had one and also both boys at a friend's, we've had friends sleep over at our place, all combinations of slumbering. Seems to go smoothly enough and has been a fun addition to our routine.
Our 5 year old has become addicted to video games in the past few weeks. I used to only let him play with Starfall, but then one day I thought it was innocent enough to show him Scooby Doo Games. Well. Right off the bat- boom- hook, line, and sinker. It's now clear that he would play the game 8 hours a day (or more) if I'd let him (which, of course, I won't, not to worry).
Jordan finally rode a 2 wheeler (with training wheels) on a family bike ride yesterday. He'd been extremely resistant, staunchly hanging on to his trusty tricycle despite the physics. But then yesterday he was finally ready. He earnestly explained to me that anyone 3 and 3/4 should really be on a bike by now.
And that's it in a nutshell. Or perhaps, as Shaun White would say, I think we're out of the nutshell.
Last night my parents took the boys and I to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the De Young Museum here in San Francisco.
I'd been really looking forward to it and I was happy that my boys got a chance to experience the exhibit and see King Tut's stuff. Jordan loved wearing a velvet blazer that used to be his daddy's back around the time that the original Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibitwas touring America in the late 70s.
The Treasures of Tutankhamun toured seven U.S. cities from 1976 to 1979 was one of the most beloved and captivating art exhibits ever. According to the De Young website, Treasuresattracted
8 million visitors and set traveling show attendance records - making it the most popular museum exhibition of all time and ushered in the term "museum blockbuster".
I have many good memories of all the Tut-Mania (and even the Toot Uncommons).
"he
The current exhibit, though allegedly "bigger and better" than Treasures of Tutankhamun, does not include many of the pieces that I remember fondly from the 70's exhibit, like the leopard
and, particularly, Tut's iconic Death Mask- which is incidentally all over the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs marketing materials.
The Egyptian parliament declared in the 1980's that the famous gold mask (and a lot of other pieces) no longer travel outside of Egypt because minor damage to an artifact during theTreasures of Tutankhamun tour freaked them out. I mean... I get it and all... but taking away many of the blockbuster artifacts does change the experience for the worse. Couldn't they at least add some good replicas?
Egypt apparently rents out the relics to museums- $10 million for 6 months- and again, no Death Mask, no actual mummies, reduced recognizability of the relics they do have. The hefty price tag has kept the current exhibit from many places- e.g., Australia- because the museums cannot afford it.
Interestingly, the first time my parents saw Tut's items, they were at the Cairo museum in Egypt in 1966. My dad said that at that time the Cairo museum was pretty shoddy and that they had to get a guide to turn the lights on in the museum and take them the room where Tut's famous golden mask was just sitting behind a simple glass cabinet with no lock.
According to my dad, many of the little figurines, ancient coffins, etc. of Tut were just sitting out in the open, deserted room, and my parents could and did touch and hold anything and everything they wanted and thought nothing of it. And get this: the museum guide who turned the lights on for my parents smiled and left them alone, wholly unguarded and unobserved, in this room with all the artifacts that they were free to fondle. He just asked that they turn the lights off again when they left.
Considering the security lockdown in effect at at Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs last night and that they won't even let many of the pieces travel under lockdown conditions now, all that's pretty amazing to me sitting here in 2010. I asked my dad if he could have pocketed some of the artifacts back in the day when he and my mom were in the Cairo museum, and he said sure. Undoubtedly, some people did pocket stuff.
Not sure when they figured out the value of what they had, but I'd wager a guess that it was sometime between 1966 when my parents were there and 1972 when Treasures of Tutankhamun came to London. Here's a couple photos of Queen Elizabeth II checking out Tut's mask:
My favorite part of the evening was the boys' genuine enthusiasm and the endearing comments they made throughout the evening. At one point, my mom was explaining to our 3 year old, Jordan, that King Tut was actually a pharaoh, not a king. He just looked her right in the eye and said "then why do we call him King Tut?"
We're about to take down the Christmas tree. School and work start again tomorrow and normal life resumes again. I'm at the same time eager for it to be over and already nostalgic and wistful. It's been a good break, with Christmas parties
and Ry's birthday celebrations
This was the year of the boys making faces for the camera... or maybe it was the first year of the boys making faces for the camera... we shall see
I always enjoy the holiday cheer and festiveness of the season, and I love having a decorated Christmas tree in our living room.
It was great to have Nana out to San Francisco for a visit
and spend the holidays with family
Our fun in the snow trip to Tahoe was a great way to leave 2009 with a bang
and now it's almost time to pack Christmas away for another year. We've been horsing around this morning, dressing up in costumes
All the while I've been mindful that this is the last day, the last hours of Christmas break. I've been procrastinating a little on taking down the tree this morning because it feels like the official end of the holidays.
The Christmas tree is a symbolic way of saying goodbye to 2009. Au revoir, tree, arrivederci holidays. The 2010 door is already open, and putting away Christmas is as good a way as any to let go of the past and look ahead. Better go take that Christmas tree down now- it's time.
