Raising Boys

Siesta time May 12, 2005

Lennon has been falling asleep around noon for a few days now. I’m pleased–he has never taken a siesta before four days ago–but worried at the same time. Could something be wrong with him? Is this just a development stage? Is it because of the heat? It’s been so hot the past few days in the city.

Elsewhere, I’m hearing reports that the heat wave has destroyed millions worth of crops. It’s that hot, huh?

Just around the same time he started taking a siesta, my son has had a new sitter, too. Could the sleeping be a reaction to a new face in the house? He seemed to have adjusted well to his new nanny, though.

If this persists, I may just have to bring him to a doctor for a check-up, just to be on the safe side.

Angelo’s birthday party May 8, 2005

Dylan and Lennon arrived two hours late for their cousin Angelo’s birthday party today in Maryville Subdivision in Talamban, Cebu City. What’s more, they came without a gift.

Dylan was able to join one game, but was unsure how it ended. Lennon was at his most difficult the whole time, running around and screaming at each attempt to get him seated.

Copycat May 3, 2005

Lennon, 2, loves to copy everything his older brother says or does. If I ask Dylan something and he answers back, Lennon will usually echo his brother’s reply. Hearing Lennon speak is a welcome relief especially because, until very recently, he did nothing of the sort.

Lennon has also taken to copying words he hears from TV. He has taken to imitating the trademark reaction of a game show host to each right answer from contestants. He’d get the intonation correctly but would pronounce the word as “coyyect” instead of “correct”.

He has also taken to laughing while watching Mr. Bean on TV, in imitation of Dylan. Lennon laughs even during the not-so-funny times, to the chagrin of his brother.

The world and superstition May 2, 2005

Today’s conversations between my son and me.

Dylan: Mom, what makes the world go ’round?
Me: (in bed, reading Foucault’s Pendulum) Ummm…love…love makes the world go ’round.
Dylan: No, no. I want the real answer.
Me: (still reading) Love is really the answer.
Dylan: (exasperated) Mommmmm…
Me: (shakes sleeping daddy) Dad, Dylan wants to know what makes the world go ’round.
Daddy: (mumbles) Don’t know.
Me: (eyes still on book) I don’t know, baby. I’ll just find out later and tell you tomorrow. K?

Later…..

Dylan: What’s a superstition?
Me: (wishing she has dictionary in hand) Things people believe in that are not supported by the natural law.
Dylan: (confused) What?
Me: Well, it’s like this. Some people believe that if you break a mirror, you will have bad luck or something for seven years. That’s not true, of course. There is no connection between a broken mirror and bad luck. We don’t even believe in bad luck.
Dylan: Ahhh…Like it’s not true that if you step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.
Me: (thinking) Mmmmm….good one.

Original songs

I did not allow my son Dylan to watch his favorite TV shows for a few hours today and naturally he grumbled about not having anything to do. I was not swayed, however, and after a few minutes sulking he came to sit beside me outside, under the mango tree that grows in front of our house.

He talked about some crazy things (mostly about stuff he watched) that I half-listened to because I was sleepy from the noontime heat. Then we talked about what he should do when his younger brother Lennon grabs his (Dylan’s) toys. Or when Lennon is in one of his tantrums. I told him he should be more patient and not raise his voice at Lennon even when his brother is at his most difficult.

Later, he told me he had composed several songs and he was singing them to me. He belched out songs that I knew he made up just then, lines like “raindrops, raindrops…they fall from the clouds…like ice pops” or “small, big, biggest…a mouse is small, a dog big, and an elephant the biggest” and a really long one about how you can’t do anything when you ride in a sports car. (We don’t have a sports car so I’m also wondering where he gets these ideas.)

I regretted not having been able to take his picture, though, while he was screeching at the top of his lungs in his best approximation of singing.