Category: Uncategorized

New toys!

We are always de-cluttering.  But wait!  How come it's still so messy around here?  

Anyway, the other night Art and Ben went through Art's toys a bit and chose some things to give away.  After filling a bag with unwanted toys we decided it was a good time to go to the used toy store.  I told Art he could pick out one new toy after giving away so many old ones.  Unfortunately I didn't specify what was acceptable…

There were some really big things there.  One was a huge ride on train that must have weighed 30 pounds and it was $90!  He was NOT happy about being denied that one!  But he got over it and played with a Polly Pocket thing for a while.  Then he saw another colossal thing way up high.  He threw a big fit about not getting that one.  Being the persistent and hot-button three-year-old that he is he was not recovering from this meltdown and I was ready to leave the store when he said he had to pee and was temporarily calmed.  During that post-pee calm he found a grab-bag of plastic bugs.  He was IN LOVE.  After finding that bag of "spiders" he was ready to leave.  He kept saying, "Let's pay, Mama!  Let's pay so I can open it!"  Price for said spiders?  $3.50.
I opened the bag at the store and he lined them all up in a bassanet.  On the drive home he set them out on his legs and made them talk.  One of them "helped" me drive.  I couldn't have been happier to see him find something that he liked so much and for that thing to be so beautifully simple.

What I love.

I love going to the cafe with Art. It's the pinnacle of my short life as a father.  Every other week or so Art and I ride the bike (he's in the bike trailer or bike seat) a few blocks to the May Day cafe near Powderhorn Park. We barely talk as Art plays with communal (and mostly broken) toys and I watch him or read the paper. This morning I asked Art as he was playing, "Do you know that I love you?"

"I love you, Papa," he said while making this new little car he found go back and forth. The kind of car that when you push it it keeps going for a long time. He pushed it all around the small restaurant. People are so friendly there. They would look up from their paper or laptop to smile in Art's direction.

I realized today that some of the best time Art and I spend together is when we're doing things entirely familiar and unspoken. Just being together.

Art’s (younger) friend.

The other night Art and Tsundi, our neighbor’s little boy – who was born in the same hospital one day after I gave birth to Art – played together for the first time. Tsundi was living with his grandparents in India for a year and then it was winter so we never saw them. I actually was wondering if they still lived there! So when the boys were both outside in their respective yards at the same time Tsundi’s uncle and mom and I got them together.
Art was actually playing in his sandbox when Tsundi came outside and was playing with a bat and ball. I asked Art if he would like Tsundi to come and play and Art said yes. Tsundi’s uncle asked Tsundi and Tsundi made a goofy face and kept playing with the bat and ball. But his uncle plopped him in our yard anyway. Ha! Then Art tried to convince Tsundi to play in the sandbox. He must have noticed that Tsundi was not using the same words as us (he only speaks Tibetan) and Art held out a spade and said, “Shovel.” He showed Tsundi the toys and said, “You can sit on a seat! See? I have a seat and you can have a seat!” I was really impressed with Art’s salemenship. Once Tsundi was playing in the sandbox Art said, “I want he to come in my house!”
So Tsundi’s mom and I went inside with the boys. They played trepidatiously for a while at the door and eventually went upstairs. After Art showed Tsundi his room and Tsundi had seen everything upstairs one of them started running and doing laps through the hallway and our bedroom. Eventually they were both running and screaming at top levels. Tsundi would say something in Tibetan and Art would sometimes mimic it. And when Tsundi took a break from running Art said, “Come on! Let’s run! Zhhhmmm zzhhhmmm zzhhhmmm!” just like Tsundi had been saying and then they ran some more.

Remember Quest Garden Garvin?

A year ago today, when Jessica was real real pregnant with our yet unnamed baby (Lewis), we made the below post in an attempt to terribly frighten and fool our friends and family for April fools. And we also made this little video announcing the name of our new little one, Quest Garden Garvin:

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From April 1, 2008

Friends and family,

As most of you know, it took jess and I nearly a week to name Arthur. We met him, had a good look, and tried out a number of names. Arthur seemed to fit perfectly.

This time however we’ve been thinking alot about the name for the new little person in Jessica’s belly (in part because this time we know it’s a boy). We decided on a name a couple weeks ago (march 15 to be exact), and rather than share it with you after he’s born, we thought we’d do it today, now that Jessica is officially full term. It also helps it feel more official to let folks know even though he’s not here yet.
anyway, here it is:

Quest Garden Garvin

We love it and feel it really gives sums up what we hope his little life will be. Full of growth and adventure. And we also thought it was quite fitting that jess had a little ‘quest’ of her own while on bed rest for over a month. To be honest we had mixed feelings about the alliteration of Garden and Garvin, but we finally just gave in and though thought ‘why not’? This is probably our last kid so why not just go for it!

Anyway, that’s the big news from our family. We hope you love Quest’s name as much as we, do. Jessica is already rubbing her belly and asking how little Questy is doing in there. We’ve updated the blog to reflect Art and Quest’s new life together, and we’ll send out photos as soon he’s born!

Here’s a video-tour of his new room (complete with Art saying his new brother’s name!)

lots of love,

Ben, Jessica, Art, and Quest