OUR OWN PRIVATE QUIDDITCH

Yesterday, Nicholas had a playdate with a friend, so Cate and I decided to go to the pitch (soccer field) together. We had talked about doing this all week, so she and I were quite excited to finally go.

The first pitch we went to was full, so we had to come up with plan B. The second pitch was also full, but there was space on the sideline for us to kick the ball around. We set up some goals, and Cate went to work.

Cate's has been taking a soccer class at her pre-school, and her skills have improved. She was laughing, smiling, but also focused on putting that ball in the net. Many of the parents who were watching their older daughters play on the field looked on with astonishment to see my little one in action. Cate was wearing her kit (uniform) which added to the spectacle.



When she began playing, I was not sure how much of Cate's interest was simply due to my love for the game versus her own. However, it is now clear that Cate is hooked, too. As we drove home, we joked about how much we both loved soccer. I said she and I loved soccer as much as Nicholas loved legos. Cate said, "No dad! We love soccer as much as Harry Potter loves quidditch!"

Well said kiddo.

THEY WERE ROBBED

This year for the first time in recent memory I did not watch the Oscar ceremonies on TV or participate in an Oscar Pool. While it is true that I did not see many of the nominated films and performances this year, that is true most years. I did not tune in this year because I felt as though the outcome for many of the top awards was a foregone conclusion, and I did not agree with those conclusions. Will we remember the silent black and white film "the Artist" that took home three top honors in 10 years... let alone next year? I think not.

In my opinion, "the Descendants" was by far the best film of the year. George Clooney is my favorite actor, and he always excels. However, he played a very different character in this film- a man faced with a comatose, near-death wife who was having an affair and who is faced with the prospect of having to raise his young daughters alone. Nothing in his life prepares him for this situation and for a large business decision he must make on behalf of his extended family. However, his character comes to learn during the course of the film that his history, his experience, and his family make clear what he must do. There is no happy ending, but there is comfort in the knowledge that his character, like us, is not alone in this world. Isn't that what great films, like great books, help us to realize?

There are causes greater than ourselves. There are tales that must be told. Yes deeds matter, but so do words. "The Artist" could learn more than a few things from "the Descendants."

THE BOY WHO LOVED

We recently completed a two month long odyssey watching the Harry Potter films. They were amazing! At first, they started out rather simple and sweet. However, the subject matter and themes quickly grew more intense.

While we watched the films, at least one part of Nicholas' body was in contact with mine. If I tried to leave the room while the movie was playing, he quickly rose to his feet and followed me. When I asked him why he did not want to be alone/could not be alone, he simply said he wanted to be close to me. Thus far, there have been no nightmares. Thank goodness!

Cate got in on the action, too. Not to be outdone, she began casting spells and matter- of-factly said her favorite wizard was Voldemort. The video below shows young Cate in action.



Do not worry. Cate skipped the last few movies, which were quite a bit more intense than the earlier ones.

During the last film, at one point I recommended to Nicholas that we turn it off and re-visit it in a few years because I was concerned about the turn the story might take. He protested and said that he wanted to see what happened. He made the case that he had come this far and that he loved traveling on the journey with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I tried to explain to him that that was the precise reason that I wanted to turn the movie off, but we forged ahead. I will not spoil the ending for you in case you have not seen the films, but it was quite a conclusion.

Despite the fact that the movies are all done, our interest in Harry Potter has not waned. Every other night, he and I read "The Sorcerer's Stone." He reads one page, and then I read five to ten pages. We should be done in the next few months at which point we will move on to the next one.

While we know how things will end, rediscovering the written story seems fresh and lively. I hope that we find other such treasures to share in life, and I hope they bring us closer together... even if that closeness is just to keep the bad guys away!

A WHALE OF A GOOD TIME

Nicholas is currently learning about animal migrations in school. This section finishes up next week. However, it ends with a study of whales, which have become quite the hit around here.

Last week, the children in Nicholas' class had a whale-themed bake sale. They raised over $200, and the proceeds will go to a whale museum in Washington State. For math, they sort whales and count the teeth in the tooth whales. For writing, they write about whale adventures, and for reading they study whale-themed books. All of this integration surely captivates the kids' attention, and I am quite certain that they do not even realize they are learning.

How much fun is Nicholas having in school? Well, today, he had a dentist appointment during the day that finished up around 1:00PM. Even though his class is dismissed at 3:00PM, he asked Kathleen to drive him all the way back down to school from our neighborhood. She gladly obliged. Who could refuse especially after seeing his passion for the current whale section and for school evidenced in his drawing below?



Here's to Nicholas!

UNSCRAMBLED STATES OF AMERICA

Nicholas is in a geography phase currently. He cannot get enough maps, games about countries, states, or license plates, or books about all of the above. It is quite cute, and his encyclopedic knowledge of all things geographic is equivalent to mine when I was about twice his age. This interest, I believe, comes from his desire to understand his world and to become familiar with all that is out there.

More than anything though, Nicholas loves learning about the United States. He has already declared that New Hampshire is his favorite state even though he has never been there. He likes it because it looks beautiful in the books and because his mom and dad have been there. He has even made up his mind that he will go to college there. Dartmouth here we come! Go Big Green! Cate, according to Nicholas, will be moving to Connecticut, and she will also be attending college in the Constitution State. Go Yale Elis! Have I mentioned that their 529s have been tanking? According to Nicholas, Kathleen and I will move to Manhattan around that time, and eventually Nicholas will settle in "Brookland" because Sesame Street is there. As you can see, he has it all figured out!

Not just content to talk about states, Nicholas draws states incessantly. He can draw a map with each state depicted accurately from memory now, and he knows nearly all the capitals and license plates.



We have a license plate spotting game, and we have seen and photographed 44 of the 50 plates in the past month. If anyone can send us pictures of: North Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississsippi, Washington, DC, Delaware, and Connecticut, we would be forever grateful!

I hope Nicholas always remains this passionate about things as important as our world and his place in it. I have a strong feeling that that is the state he will always be in.

PORTLANDIA

Recently, I began watching the TV show Portlandia, and I can honestly say it is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Sure, the show is replete with inside jokes/references, but the appeal is much broader than the confines of the Rose City. In liberal enclaves throughout this country- think Cambridge, Brooklyn, Berkeley, Seattle- people like those depicted in the show exist and flourish with their farmers' markets, farm-to-table restaurants, and bike lanes. I, too, like all those things.

However, what draws me to this city and to this show is Portlanders' desire to be authentic and unique while at the same time respecting everyone else's right to want the same thing for themselves. I have lived in no other place that exudes as much independence, pride, or energy. People here, like me, are both particular and passionate about the things that interest them. The shows does a great service to that vibe.

The latest episode of the show began with an "Allergy Pride Parade." That says it all! While those with gluten allergies were celebrated, those with air, sun, and water allergies were also lampooned. Near the end of this segment, one of the hosts of the parade, played by one of the stars of the show Carrie Brownstein, inadvertently consumes a candy with dextrose, to which she has an allergy. She chokes and dies off-camera. Moments later, a hearse with her remains inside enters the parade, and she is eulogized. If you are not feeling it, you need to watch the episode for yourself. I was dying laughing.

There are far too many moments and characters with which I identify on Portlandia to list here. Portland, as the other main actor on the show Fred Armisen says, is where the young go to retire. Portland is also the place people go to savor every last bite of life in the flavors they like best. If you think of a town as a fast food restaurant, Portland would definitely be the local chain Burgerville- a locavore's paradise. Would you like to try a seasonal shake? Oregon hazelnut is currently in season.

However, a slow down and smell the roses riff on the motto of another fast food restaurant- Burger King- rings true in Portland: your way... whomever you are...eventually.

NEOLOGISM

Today, this beautiful little cow helped me to unload the dishwasher. When Cate picked up two ceramic coffee mugs, she said, "Dadda be careful! These are fragilous." I asked Cate to repeat what she said and to define fragilous. Cate said, "Fragilous dad- it can break."

I started cracking up. This led Cate to crack up though I am not sure she knew why. Fragilous it is!