Dumb ideas - #876 Horse's Mouth Story time

I have had more fun than should be legally allowed playing with a true little story from my life.  

I will be telling this tale at Horse's Mouth Story telling in a week or so - and I've been telling and retelling the story to myself in preparation.  

It's amazing how one little story can change...Both my German and English teachers would be proud. I think.  (I did send a copy of the story to my former English teacher. He didn't reply.  Maybe he was bothered by the accent.  The German teacher is long dead.  He would have replied, I am sure.)

When I first signed up for Horse's Mouth, my plan was to tell the story of how I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.  But then the "Taking a leap" topic line-up filled before my name was called leaving me with a spot the next month: "Good luck with that." 

I didn't think that a story of "how I jumped from a perfectly good plane" would be the story to tell in that context - even thought it would be pretty clear that I lived as I was standing in front of the audience as I am telling the story -  live.  But I digress. 

I decided to tell a different story - how I saved $1 on bus fare - "Luck favors the prepared"

Dumb ideas - #375 - Momo

 I love the book "Momo" by Michael Ende. 

While there is an English translation, I was shocked to find that our library didn't carry it and that there was not an audiobook version available of it. 

It's an important book, so I'll read it to you!

Momo - by Michael Ende

Part One: Momo and her friends

Chapter 1: The Amphitheater

Chapter 2: Listening

Chapter 3: Makebelieve

Chapter 4: Two Special Friends

Chapter 5: Tall Stories

Part Two: The men in grey

Chapter 6: The time bank

Chapter 7: The Visitor

Chapter 8: The Demonstration

Chapter 9: The trial

Oma and Baby in a blanket fort

This is the adventure that started the Pocket Oma idea.  My kids know that I'm a bit nuts.  But it's a fun, innocent, childlike, explorative kind of nuts - and I love interacting with itty bitty like this.  Apart from that, when was the last time you were in a comforter fort built by a 2 year old.  

I just got to experience the feeling again while sitting in my queen size bed 2 states away.  Play tents and play houses were great, when it was easy to get on the floor - and when no parts were in the way of folding yourself in half.  A few months ago I could have told you that [spoken in your best grandma voice]"I have not been able to climb into a blanket fort in years".  

My main problem was that I didn't have access to a 2 year old, so there was not a pressing need for a blanket fort.  Once the 1 year old exited, she was a bit far away... but in the last few months we've had access both in person and over the phone. 

So we have been in a blanket fort in real life.  When munchkin was at Oma's house, we figured out that 2 high back chairs and a blanket make great fort for 2. 

But this fort preceded the fort at Oma's house.  Her Daddy gets credit for this blanket fort idea.  He started it with her one day - maybe with a light down there - and she ran with it.  During the next call with Oma, I was invited to visit her and the baby doll in the blanket fort. 

Mom tried to come it, too.  But only her head fit.    

Please tell me that I am not the only person doing this. What fun games are you playing with your grandkids?  

Safe games only!  In this house we buckle our seatbelt and we play games that everyone enjoys.  We try to practice gentle parenting and education and science is the greatest thing that ever existed, 

What can I do with this child as she is getting older?  I suspect that it will get easier for a little bit as she is learning how to talk.  But then it will be hard to keep her attention.  

How do I read a book to her?  I have some ideas, but I'd rather not reinvent the wheel if anyone has figured this out already.  

Peek-a-boo

I love talking to my grandchild on the phone.  Little bugger is 2.  She's more fun than should be legally allowed.  

I've always embraced technology.  I may be a digital immigrant, but I love the ability that the technology brings to address issues.  Life's a big puzzle.  Technology gives me the tools to solve the puzzles as they come up. 

Imagination and creativity is how I connect with my late mother - human connection is how I channel my late father. Playing with the munchkin channels both while healing all of the generational trauma in one fell swoop.  It's a magical little exercise. 

With every call I try to find new ways to interact with her.  We've been playing Peek-a-Boo for a while.  Munchkin plays the game in a variety of different ways depending on her mood.  I enjoy everything about this game with her: paying attention and collecting the clues that make me realize how this is fun for her; finding the things she can and can't do - watching that little brain work - and the little human have fun.  That is the life! 

And my biggest joy is knowing that his little human, on some days, does not even have her eyes open when she gains consciousness in the morning - and the first words out of her mouth - with sleep in her eyes - barely awake are  "Call Oma phone" 

When we first started to talk on the phone, she'd walk out of the view of the phone for "Peek-a-boo".  That was very effective for the game - and she didn't talk all that much.  She delighted in me calling for her and "looking" for her.  Sometimes, we'd play hide and go seek with the help of an adult. She'd hide in the room, and the adult would carry the phone around as we're both trying to find her - under the table or behind the curtain. 

Sometimes she'd cover herself with a blanket.  Sometimes, she'd cover the phone.  She does understand that, if her eyes don't see - the cell phone (?) - I don't see her.  I love seeing how her brain works these things out. 

This one - her covering her eyes in front of the screen was a first today.  We were playing peek-a-boo in different ways, when suddenly, this is what she does. 

I started calling her name "Munchkin, where are you?", but she didn't budge.  She's playing the game, enjoying it, but she's not willing to be found quite, yet.  Clearly, she wanted me to do something else.  But what can I do?  I am on the phone! It's not like I can poke her, walk around and look for her.  

So I started describing what I was seeing: "I see some fingers; where is the baby?",  "Blonde hair, but no baby?" - "I see hands and fingernails, thumbs and pinkies, but no baby." - "Where is the baby?" - "I see snowflakes on a red sweater...."

What is she waiting for me to say so she'll peek out?  

The most fun games are the ones where the unexpected happens.  That's when you learn about how their little brain works - and it turns out that - this moment was NOW - I had just just f'd up BAD!

She was offended!

She was so offended that she interrupted the game - glared at me, raised her white-snowflake-on-red-soft-long-sleeve-something-clad arm up to her mother to show her and join the baby in protest!

"No! - NO! Not sweater - pajamas! " She proclaims. 

"Oh, I'm sorry - pajamas. "

We settle back into the game. 

"Where's the baby?" "I see a snowflake on a red pajama - what else is on the pajama?  A Santa Claus?  A beard? I see an elbow - and - oh, do I see an eye peeking through." 

"There she is!"

I love this kid! 

My greatest Joy

 I teach biology.  As any biology teacher knows, it's nice to have kids.  Kids are fun and kids are great.  (Kids are also expensive, a pain in the butt and they talk back, if you've raised them right.) 

But kids are a means to an end. 

The true measure of success is - grandkids!

I got a few of those, but due to life circumstances, I can enjoy this one like I have not enjoyed a grandchild in the past!

The current one - largely because she is two - is my greatest joy!

Fostering Kittens (I): They'll share their birth day with my Ex

Like many other people, I started working from home when the COVID pandemic began.  Unlike many other people, I was still working from the home office in 2022. 

That particular morning, I was preparing for my work day at 8 am, when Momma-Cat came to get me.  I didn't know what was going on with her, but she kept meowing and seemed pretty insistent that I follow her. 

"Momma-Cat, I don't really have time for this!  I have a meeting at 10 am that I need to get ready for."

But she insisted - meeeooww - so I followed her to the basement. 

I'm glad I did - because those kittens were coming. 

Momma hopped into the Rubbermaid box we had agreed upon as her baby crib; and one big long meeeoooww later - here was kitten number 1. 

I hung with Momma for a bit, but then made my 10 am meeting - and the one following at 11 am.  In between meetings I'd keep checking on the cat.  

I recorded a video before I went back upstairs to teach a class in the early afternoon. Excuse the mess - the kittens are brand new.  https://youtu.be/xzy1WNnQXx0

In the end, there were 4 of them:

Tigger, Soda Pop, Bitty and Dude.  This picture was obviously taken when they were a few days older.  

Fostering Kittens (I): Introducing Momma

It was really my granddaughter's fault: After moving into my house, she wanted a cat. 

Rather than adopting, I offered a kitten-foster situation since that represented less than a lifetime commitment. 

Kitten availability was limited, but there was Momma-Cat!  She had been found as a pregannt stray by one of the local rescues and she was looking for a place to have those babies.

This is how Momma-Cat cat came to my house on 3/16/22.  We were told she was about a month away from having the kittens, but she looked like she was about to explode. I had my doubts about that timeline!

It didn't take Momma-Cat long to make herself at home. 

We do have a resident cat and dog.  Both were put on notice by Momma-Cat that she lived here now - and that she intended to rule the place. Then Momma-Cat plopped her pregnant belly right in the middle of the kitchen counter.  

Well, it didn't take a month...