Sunday, January 23, 2011
Packing to go home
From running around wearing nothing but a t-shirt
(which also helps with the potty training)...
...to unearthing these ridiculous objects called winter jackets in the depths of our suitcases.
(Now, just a couple of days later, they no longer seem so ridiculous.)
(which also helps with the potty training)...
...to unearthing these ridiculous objects called winter jackets in the depths of our suitcases.
(Now, just a couple of days later, they no longer seem so ridiculous.)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Puff the Magic Dragon
Sorry it cuts off... need to buy a bigger memory card for this lovely new camera Ann gave us. But I love how serious he suddenly gets.
Last day
Looking through the veranda railings.
Bye-bye, Nevis!
Last morning at Oalie Bay. (Used to be called, accurately, Mosquito Bay -- but you can see how that would have been bad for business.)
Next time we are on a beach, it will probably be in Egypt next fall...
Bye-bye, Nevis!
Last morning at Oalie Bay. (Used to be called, accurately, Mosquito Bay -- but you can see how that would have been bad for business.)
Next time we are on a beach, it will probably be in Egypt next fall...
Experiment in gravitational attraction
Despite the many frustrations (with which you will no doubt fail to sympathize) of being away from work and childcare and one's familiar routines for three weeks, the good part of all this was getting to spend some quality time with Henry and especially Esti, whom we know less well and who is at an absolutely delightful age. And incidentally, they got to spend a big chunk of time with each other.
It's great to watch the two of them play together. They have become really good friends.
It's great to watch the two of them play together. They have become really good friends.
Lover's Beach embankment
Peek-a-boo!
Whee!
Today (back in Arlington) she was doing exactly the same thing, but on a snowpile.
Whee!
Today (back in Arlington) she was doing exactly the same thing, but on a snowpile.
Seen from the Calypso veranda
It rained for 10 minutes almost every morning, which meant spectacular full-arc rainbows visible from the veranda. That's the island of St. Kitts in the distance.
Can you see the second rainbow at 40 degrees from the first?
Esti strains through the screen door to see.
Sunset from the veranda. If you've had time to give the kids their bath and grab a beer, so much the better.
Can you see the second rainbow at 40 degrees from the first?
Esti strains through the screen door to see.
Sunset from the veranda. If you've had time to give the kids their bath and grab a beer, so much the better.
Excursion to Golden Rock Plantation
Halfway around the island from Villa Calypso. We stopped here on our way to see a big scary wave Atlantic beach with my dad. A pretty spectacular place (fountains, papaya-upholstered director's chairs and lunch canopies, etc.), but most of my photos are of a banyan tree in their parking lot.
It was actually pretty intimidating.
Then, I could barely drag them away.
Hotel terraces. We didn't have lunch here or anything -- but Esti did manage to climb up on that green chair you see, prompting one customer to leap from his table to rescue her and one employee to come running. I grabbed her before anything untoward happened.
It was actually pretty intimidating.
Then, I could barely drag them away.
Hotel terraces. We didn't have lunch here or anything -- but Esti did manage to climb up on that green chair you see, prompting one customer to leap from his table to rescue her and one employee to come running. I grabbed her before anything untoward happened.
Hikelet in Cat's Ghault (Nevis)
More vacation photos (please feel free to skip if these bore you: I'll never know).
Mostly we were very lazy and just oscillated like yo-yos for three weeks: down the hill to the beach, up the hill to the house. But one day my dad managed to drag us out for a little hike through a bit of the rain forest in Cat's Ghault (Gully).
Swinging like Tarzan...
Traveling in style...
Posing (he's that age) as someone who does not pose for photos.
Posing (accurately) as someone who does.
Mostly we were very lazy and just oscillated like yo-yos for three weeks: down the hill to the beach, up the hill to the house. But one day my dad managed to drag us out for a little hike through a bit of the rain forest in Cat's Ghault (Gully).
Swinging like Tarzan...
Traveling in style...
Posing (he's that age) as someone who does not pose for photos.
Posing (accurately) as someone who does.
Thus spake Henry (Ethics 3, back in Arlington)
Yesterday was a big loud three-timeout evening culminating in a Conversation. Today...
Henry: You said last night you had two things happen that you didn't want to happen. What were they again?
Me: I said I had a really rude Henry and an upset Daddy, and those were two things I didn't want. Why?
H: And there were three things that happened that I didn't want to happen. I wanted meatballs that were plain instead of mixed with pasta sauce, I didn't want my lips to hurt [his mouth-area rash, which disappeared in the tropics, is back since we got back to the cold dry climate - ed.], and what was the other thing?
M: That there was no time left for bedtime stories.
H: Three things. So I win.
M: Henry! It isn't a competition!
H: Why not?
M: Besides, I had two BIG things that were wrong. And Daddy had one really big thing he didn't want, which upset him very much, and that was a very rude and ill-behaved Henry. What could be worse than that?
H (not missing a beat): A fire in your house?
Henry: You said last night you had two things happen that you didn't want to happen. What were they again?
Me: I said I had a really rude Henry and an upset Daddy, and those were two things I didn't want. Why?
H: And there were three things that happened that I didn't want to happen. I wanted meatballs that were plain instead of mixed with pasta sauce, I didn't want my lips to hurt [his mouth-area rash, which disappeared in the tropics, is back since we got back to the cold dry climate - ed.], and what was the other thing?
M: That there was no time left for bedtime stories.
H: Three things. So I win.
M: Henry! It isn't a competition!
H: Why not?
M: Besides, I had two BIG things that were wrong. And Daddy had one really big thing he didn't want, which upset him very much, and that was a very rude and ill-behaved Henry. What could be worse than that?
H (not missing a beat): A fire in your house?
Thus spake Henry (mathematics 2)
At breakfast today, I was cutting blueberries in half to make them safer for Esti to eat.
Me: Wow, look how many blueberries you have in your oatmeal, Esti. I cut each one in half, and now it looks like twice as much.
Henry: Twice as much as two is four.
M: Right! So what's twice as much as four?
H: Eight!
M: That's right. So how much is twice as much as eight?
H (almost immediately): What's 20 take away 4?
M: 16. Why?
H: So twice eight is 16.
M: Wow! How did you just know that?
H (immediately): Well, because I know that 4 times 5 is 20!
Me: Wow, look how many blueberries you have in your oatmeal, Esti. I cut each one in half, and now it looks like twice as much.
Henry: Twice as much as two is four.
M: Right! So what's twice as much as four?
H: Eight!
M: That's right. So how much is twice as much as eight?
H (almost immediately): What's 20 take away 4?
M: 16. Why?
H: So twice eight is 16.
M: Wow! How did you just know that?
H (immediately): Well, because I know that 4 times 5 is 20!
Thus spake Henry (Ethics 2)
Me: Henry, it's a good idea to put your bowl in the sink when you are finished with your oatmeal.
H: Don't tell me that! I know that already!
M: Well, why didn't you do it then?
H: I just didn't!
M: You know, a long time ago there was a philosopher called Socrates who said that it was impossible for someone to know the Good and do the bad. He thought you couldn't know what the right thing to do was but still do the wrong thing.
H: Yes you can.
M: Well, if you're really convinced something is the right thing to do, why wouldn't you do it?
H: You just wouldn't! Maybe you just wouldn't feel like it!
H: Don't tell me that! I know that already!
M: Well, why didn't you do it then?
H: I just didn't!
M: You know, a long time ago there was a philosopher called Socrates who said that it was impossible for someone to know the Good and do the bad. He thought you couldn't know what the right thing to do was but still do the wrong thing.
H: Yes you can.
M: Well, if you're really convinced something is the right thing to do, why wouldn't you do it?
H: You just wouldn't! Maybe you just wouldn't feel like it!
Thus spake Henry (genetics 2)
Me: You know, Nevis has a medical school on the island.
H: Is that where people learn to be medical students?
M: No, they're already medical students. What they're learning is how to be doctors or nurses. A student is someone who's studying in order to learn to be or do something.
H: Yeah, like my friend Emma in the Blue Group is going to lessons to learn to do genetics.
M: Um, you mean, gymnastics?
H: Yeah, gymnastics. What's the difference?
H: Is that where people learn to be medical students?
M: No, they're already medical students. What they're learning is how to be doctors or nurses. A student is someone who's studying in order to learn to be or do something.
H: Yeah, like my friend Emma in the Blue Group is going to lessons to learn to do genetics.
M: Um, you mean, gymnastics?
H: Yeah, gymnastics. What's the difference?
Thus spake Henry (genetics 1)
Ken: You have Mommy's eyes, Henry.
H: What do you mean? I thought Mommy had her eyes?
K: I mean, your eyes look like Mommy. You inherited her eye shape.
H: How?
K: Well, let me tell you how people are made. (Explains the genetics, though not the mechanics, of sexual reproduction). So, you inherit features like your eye shape or height or hair color from people in your family who are older than you.
H: So, Esti inherited her blue eyes from me?
H: What do you mean? I thought Mommy had her eyes?
K: I mean, your eyes look like Mommy. You inherited her eye shape.
H: How?
K: Well, let me tell you how people are made. (Explains the genetics, though not the mechanics, of sexual reproduction). So, you inherit features like your eye shape or height or hair color from people in your family who are older than you.
H: So, Esti inherited her blue eyes from me?
Thus spake Henry (mathematics)
On Nevis there was a lot of discussion of even and odd numbers, also (because 2011 is a prime year) of prime numbers.
Henry: Is 5 considered a prime number?
Me: Well, how would you tell? Let's say you had five friends from the Blue Group -- how would you line them up?
H: You could do one row of five friends. Or five rows of one.
M: Okay...
H: That's the same thing, except you look at it from a different side.
M: So 5 is prime, right?
H: Right. ... But couldn't you do one row of two and one row of three?
Henry: Is 5 considered a prime number?
Me: Well, how would you tell? Let's say you had five friends from the Blue Group -- how would you line them up?
H: You could do one row of five friends. Or five rows of one.
M: Okay...
H: That's the same thing, except you look at it from a different side.
M: So 5 is prime, right?
H: Right. ... But couldn't you do one row of two and one row of three?
Thus spake Henry (Ethics 1)
This was a couple of months ago.
Me (hint, hint): Henry, I am going to get up now and put my cereal bowl in the sink.
H: Why? It isn't your sticker chart.
Me (hint, hint): Henry, I am going to get up now and put my cereal bowl in the sink.
H: Why? It isn't your sticker chart.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Intrepid
It's about a quarter-mile walk down a steep hill from the house to the beach. And of course the hill feels equally steep on the way back up. Henry (prone to being grumpy about things these days) often drags his feet and complains that he's tired. But Esti has been insisting on walking much of the way. We stopped using that backpack thingie for short walks after the first day - she won't have it.
"Down!" she'll say to whomever is carrying her, right when the hill gets steep. She huffs and puffs her way up, enjoying every step.
In general she's at a good age (16 months), trying very hard to be grown up. Eating with a spoon or fork, using the toilet, repeating every new word she hears. If only she hadn't started waking up at night and demanding to sleep in our bed, it would be perfect. Last night, she said the word "Bottle," pronouncing the t's clearly for the first time. We would have been excited, except that it was at 3am when we asked her what she wanted.
"Down!" she'll say to whomever is carrying her, right when the hill gets steep. She huffs and puffs her way up, enjoying every step.
In general she's at a good age (16 months), trying very hard to be grown up. Eating with a spoon or fork, using the toilet, repeating every new word she hears. If only she hadn't started waking up at night and demanding to sleep in our bed, it would be perfect. Last night, she said the word "Bottle," pronouncing the t's clearly for the first time. We would have been excited, except that it was at 3am when we asked her what she wanted.
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