hsushi's Xanga

How do you describe your friends?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:04:23 GMT

Batlad is getting dressed after taking a bath, getting ready for bed, and he stops to tell me, "There's someone new at my school, Daddy."

I stop what I'm doing to give him my full attention and ask, "Yeah?"

"He's my new friend."

"That's good. It's nice to make new friends, right?"

"Yeah," Batlad answers, letting the conversation falter.

It's unusual for Batlad to initiate a conversation on his own, so to encourage him, I keep talking, coaxing the conversation. "What's his name?" I ask.

"His name is Hendrix."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Again, coaxing the conversation, I ask, "Well, what's Hendrix look like?"

So Batlad answers quite bluntly, "Well, he has a head." And then drawing in the air, the shape of a circle atop a rectangle, he adds, "Yeah, he has a round head. And clothes."

And then he's just smiling. And I just laugh.

Santa's A Sucker

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:57:36 GMT

For some time now, my desk has been known as Santa's Workshop. When there's a broken toy, Zatanna leaves it on my desk. And I fix the toy, so long as it's fixable. It's always on an as needed basis, and the moniker is used loosely with affection. The duo always seem to appreciate it, and I've never really had a second thought about it, simply fixing whatever injured or damaged toy happened to need rescuing. I felt the burden of the job however, when I returned to an empty house after an exhausting day at work to find a note, transcribed by Zatanna, taped to the sliding glass door:

Daddy,

Please fix the Leapster. the batteries are dying. Also please [sic] the yellow and red motorcycle guys, because their legs are broken. Finally the big Han Solo's leg is broken. Please fix it also.

Love,
[Batlad]

As this was the first thing to greet me after a long day, Santa started feeling a bit like what started as a favor was now becoming a job; and muttered to himself that the Duo had better start taking better care of their toys, because this Santa is real, and he can't work a list of miracles after his day job.

That being said, the note was from about a week ago, and since then, the Leapster's come back to life, Yellow and Red motorcycle riders are riding again, and Han Solo is back to blasting Storm troopers with Chewie. I just figure Santa's a happy sucker. He can't resist the Duo's happy thanks when they see their newly mended toys.

almost Homonyms

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:19:07 GMT

So somehow the subject of the word "doctor" came about, and Zatanna was explaining to Batlad how to say "doctor" in Chinese.

"Yi sheng," explains Zatanna.

Batlad responds excitedly, "That' me, Mommy. I'm Yisheng!"

Zatanna looks confused, so Batlad adds, "That's my name, Mommy. I'm Yisheng."

Still confused, Zatanna tries to explain to Batlad again, enunciating slowly, "No, [Batlad], it's 'yi - sheng'."

"But it IS like my name, Mommy," insists Batlad. "It's Yisheng. That's how Yeye says my name, Mommy. He says 'Yisheng'. I'm Yisheng."

And so this is really only funny if first, you understand Chinese; second, you understand that Yeye has a bit of a Chinese accent; and third, you know Batlad's English name.

Boys Baking

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:51:57 GMT

This morning, Zatanna and the Duo were making cupcakes. When she pulls out the electric mixer to mix the batter, Batlad asks, "Can I drill it, Mommy?"

Zatanna responds, "It's not drilling, Batlad. It's mixing."

Later, Zatanna adds some sprinkles to the batter mix.

So then Batlad asks, "Can I blade it, Mommy?"

Zatanna rolls her eyes, exasperated, "They're certainly boys."

When you wish upon...three stars and the Moon.

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:37:59 GMT

On our way home tonight, Batlad looked up into the sky and saw a total of three stars and the Moon. He said, "Three stars -- one wish for Superboy and me and Flash."

And Superboy added, "Mommy and Daddy get the Moon."

Zatanna asks, "What's your wish, Batlad?"

"I wish I could fly."

"What's your wish, Superboy?" asks Zatanna.

"I wish for a new toy everyday, and only if we're good, we could open it right away. What do you wish for, Mommy?"

Zatanna thinks quietly. And having not offered an answer after quite some time, Batlad offers one for her, "For Superboy and Batlad to be best, good."

Superboy explains, "For us to be good listeners, Mommy."

And that's enough for me, but then Batlad adds, "What do you wish for, Daddy?"

"For you and Superboy and Flash to always take care of each other."

"Like when we're older?" asks Superboy

"Always," I answer.

"Like when we're younger and older, and all the time," finishes Batlad.

Giant Potty

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:06:51 GMT

Neither one of the Duo like to use the potty. This is especially true when they are playing, or otherwise occupied with something that they find particularly engaging. We were at a particularly engaging toy store today. This was one of those toy stores with not only all the usual toys, but with the Manga and Japanime stuff as well; they also had sections with locked glass displays of collectors item Robotech, Star Wars, Marvel, and D.C. collectibles alongside the usual fare. They were even selling old school Star Wars and G.I. Joe action figures which they must have had stocked en masse in some warehouse from years ago. I'm talking multiples of the same characters that they were selling. This was a toy store I was enjoying a little too much too.

As Murphy's Law would have it, both Superboy and Batlad started fidgeting and squirming like they had to go, because they had to go. Neither would admit to having to go, even upon direct questioning by Zatanna and me. Finally after minutes of this, which seemed like hours, Zatanna mandated a compulsory potty break as to avoid any embarrassing accidents.

I took Superboy, and she took Batlad. Because they always hold it in for too long, the potty always comes out big; almost always bigger than adult potty. Today was no different. Superboy did his big business and we were back in the toy store before Zatanna and Batlad. Apparently Batlad had a particularly big potty too, because when they returned, Zatanna let me know that as Batlad got on the toilet, he complained, "It's the really big poo that has to come out of the small hole."

Poor backed-up kids.

"...combine to form Devastator!"

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:13:15 GMT

Zatanna was telling the Duo at lunch today, "Yeye left a message for you and Batlad on the answering machine. You can listen to it after lunch."

"Why was it for both of us?" inquired Superboy.

"Because it was a combined message," Zatanna replied.

Without missing a beat, using his best Transformers voice lowered an octave, Superboy answered, "...like Devastator."

the mischievous housefly

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:01:49 GMT

We trapped a common housefly in the window today, as we often do, to leave him there to die. The Duo are always entertained by this and knock on the window to watch it bounce about in frenzied flight. They were busy entertaining themselves in this manner when it was time for dinner, and Zatanna called them to the table. Like all kids, they usually don't come immediately, but rather linger at what they're doing. Today, the excuse came from Superboy, "Wait Mama! The fly is doing mischief!"

"What?" came our usual, tired reply.

Undeterred, Superboy jumps down from the couch, holds his hands out in front of his chest, and rubs his palms together in faux mischief.

We walk over to inspect the fly. Sure enough, the fly too is busily rubbing his forelegs in front of himself in mischief, as all flies do.

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone"

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:45:00 GMT

So we're road-tripping home today and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" cues up on our road-trip CD. The Duo are watching Empire Strikes Back in the backseat, but nevertheless Superboy interrupts his viewing to immediately comment, "This song reminds me of Uncle Shade."

Perplexed, I ask, "Why?"

"It just does. It just feels like the song is Uncle Shade."

"It feels like the visitors' parking lot," intejects Batlad, soaring in from left field.

Momentarily stunned, and feeling as if I will be hopelessly and perpetually perplexed by the Duo, I shoot a sideways glance at Zatanna silently beseeching help, or at least an explanation. She shrugs her shoulders silently in return, proffering no assistance at all. So I can only once again ask the mundane, "Uhhmmm, okay...why?"

I get no response from either member of the Duo, and am racking my mind trying to think where Batlad would have heard the term 'visitors' parking lot' before I have to repeat the same mundane question again; when the thought occurs to me that Batlad must have overheard me talking on the cell phone with Uncle Shade asking him where to park as I pulled into his condo complex two nights ago. And even before I could say a single thing, as if to stymie my moment of clarity, Batlad casually comments, "It's the song we heard when we were at the visitor's parking lot at Uncle Shade's house."

I can't actually remember which it was, but several songs later, either "Blowing in the Wind" or "Puff the Magic Dragon" is playing, and Superboy once again deigns to break attention from Empire Strikes Back to comment again, "This song feels like Uncle Shade."

"Do all Peter, Paul and Mary song remind you of Uncle Shade?" I ask, exasperated.

"This is the song Uncle Perfect S.A.T. and Uncle Shade were singing at Yeye's house."

And I'm astonished because the last time Uncle Perfect S.A.T. and Uncle Shade were karaokeing at Yeye's house was probably Christmas, a year ago.

(Uncle Shade, feel free to suggest an alternative moniker for yourself if you find that this one doesn't suit you.)

Getting married to Mommy

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:33:36 GMT

A few weeks ago, my cousin got married. At the ceremony, Batlad asked, "Why are they getting married?"

"Because they love each other. They're going to be husband and wife, like Mommy and Daddy," I replied.

His eyes turned wide, just as they do when he gets a new toy, and he asked in wonderment, "She's getting a new husband?" (And in all fairness to my cousin, this is her first and only marriage we know of.)

"He's going to be her husband, yes."

"She's getting a super new husband, Daddy!"

And then just tonight, when Zatanna was putting the Duo to bed, after they exchanged their usual "I love you"'s, Batlad asked, "When are we getting married, Mommy? Because I love you."