spynotes ::
  January 13, 2007
The big baboon, by the light of the moon, was combing his auburn hair

These school vacations are hell on my writing schedule. Why yes, AJ does indeed have a four-day weekend. Why? Because apparently the six days of school he�s had since Christmas have been terribly grueling, what with the coloring and pasting and all. And also, according to the alarmist weathermen, who are reporting horrific blizzards and arctic cold (a virtual guarantee that there will be less than an inch of snow that will melt immediately after falling, due to a freakish warm spell), Monday will be a snow day. So it�s a good thing he already has the day off. Thank you, MLK, for that little bit of advance planning.

The last few days have been exceedingly busy, but also quite enjoyable. My next door neighbor, who teaches my Wednesday night yoga class came to take my beloved Thursday class. We did wheel (essentially your basic backbend, but you turn your head back so your face is towards the floor, making you look kind of like a circle. This pose always makes me really wired afterwards, and also hungry, so neighbor and I went out for Thai food afterwards, which was a lot of fun and also delicious. Most of my friends live in the city, so I don�t do the one-on-one thing very often. It was nice to do something social that didn�t involve typing for a change.

The last couple of days have been all about AJ�s doings. Friday we went skating in the morning. In the afternoon, we had planned to go to the movies to see Charlotte�s Web, which we�re almost finished reading (AJ and I are taking turns reading chapters to each other � this is a huge pleasure for me as well as AJ. He�s really fun to listen to. He puts a lot of interpretive spin on what he reads and makes sure he stresses the italics, etc. I love to read out loud and I�m glad he does too.), but AJ was looking sleepy. He doesn�t tend to make it easily past the 1 hour mark in a movie theater on the best of days, so we decided to have movie day in our living room. While the rain drummed on the skylights, we snuggled under a pile of afghans on the sofa with popcorn and Skittles (he usually only gets them at the movies) and watched Babe, which is a favorite of both of ours and is a pretty good Charlotte�s Web substitute.

Today brought more yoga for me in the morning while Mr. Spy played with AJ. When I got home, we all set to work on a giant puzzle of the Peanuts that someone had given us for Christmas. AJ asked to play his favorite song (at the moment this means �Can�t Do Without You� by the Detroit Cobras). I hastily made AJ his own CD so he can play it anytime he wants. It�s not one of my better mixes � I didn�t have time to figure out how to make the tracks flow � but AJ seems to like it anyway. The playlist includes:

1. Jack Johnson: �Upside Down� from the film Curious George
2. Cannibal and the Headhunters: �Land of 1000 Dances�
3. Bobby �Boris� Pickett: �Monster Mash�
4. The Beatles: �Good Day Sunshine�
5. Chuck Berry: �Route 66�
6. R.E.M.: �Lotus� fromUp
7. Wadsworth Mansion: �Sweet Mary�
8. Jonathan Richman: �Here Come The Martian Martians�
9. Bruce Springsteen: �Pay Me My Money Down� from We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions
10. Canasta: �Slow Down Chicago�
11. Chuck Berry: �Johnny B. Goode�
12. The Cure: �Why Can't I Be Like You?�
13. Nellie McKay: �The Dog Song�
14. Lyle Lovett: �I've Been to Memphis� from Joshua Judges Ruth
15. France Galle: �Ella, elle l'a�
16. Mecano: �Bailando Salsa� from Aidalai
17. Diana Ross & The Supremes: �Stop! In the Name of Love�
18. Crew Cuts: �Sh-Boom�
19. The Detroit Cobras: �Can't Do Without You� (AJ specifically requested that the CD end with this track)

So we played this CD and danced around the kitchen while putting the puzzle together on the kitchen table. It was one of those family domestic scenes I remember from my own childhood and it was great reliving it in my own house from a different point of view.

This afternoon I took AJ to his basketball game, where he led his team in assists and stole two balls before being told that stealing isn�t legal in kindergarten league. He played his little heart out. He was soaked in sweat at the end, when his team had won 16 to 6 (his team actually scored another 12 points, but they don�t allow any team to lead by more than ten in this league so there are no humiliations). They look like real ball players out there � it�s amazing. Well, except when they try to get by their guards by ducking under them. That�s the advantage 5-year-olds are used to � being the shortest ones in the room.

Afterwards, I took AJ to The Girl Next Door�s 6th birthday party. They ran around a gym and ate a lot of sugar for an hour and a half. When I arrive to take him home, they were all screaming and running around in circles. I think that means they had a good time.

AJ could barely keep his eyes open for tonight�s chapter of Charlotte�s Web. He stared at the picture of the Ferris Wheel at the county fair, tracing its outline lightly with his finger. �That looks like fun.� Last time we were at the carnival, he wouldn�t go on the Ferris Wheel because it looked too high. That was the time when I went up the wheel with his cousin and stopped at the top as a hot air balloon landed almost close enough to touch. �It is fun. Maybe we can try one at the carnival next summer.�

�Maybe. Or maybe I can just dream about it.�

�That�s a great idea. Then you can go right now.�

He closed his eyes. �Ferris wheel,� he said softly. �Ferris wheel.�

2 people said it like they meant it

 
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