Parker loves to jump on the bed

Yesterday Parker held Isaac for the very first time. Maybe now that he's six months old it's a little less scary for Parker. Isaac has also been practicing rolling over as you will see below.




Monday morning, as we were driving to the church to deliver something, we came to our turn onto Hargrove Road. Parker pointed to the left and said, "That way to the church." Then he pointed to the right and said, "That way to Granna's house, and to the Gleasons." Parker has such a great memory. We haven't even been to the Gleason's house in months and months.

I wish he didn't love jumping on the bed quite so much though.

Books I am trying to Read

I've got so many books going at the moment that it can be a little overwhelming. I keep looking up different titles on Amazon to see what kind of prices I could get on these used. Some books can't be read before the time comes to return them to the library.

While we were away on vacation: I didn't get a whole lot of reading in, but I did manage to finish *Crime and Punishment,* the first Russian novel I have ever succeeded in reading from beginning to end. I know that I am missing something. The book was good. I was not profoundly moved by it. And yet this book, and Dostoyevky's name has come up in so many other books that I have read and enjoyed. There's something about 18th century Russian culture I cannot connect with I guess. I wonder, what was I expecting. And why is it that the only significant change taking place in Raskolnikov's life occurs in the last two pages of the epilogue? The epilogue of all things. Must keep reading, but at least now I'll have some idea of what Wayne Booth is talking about when he mentions *Crime and Punishment* in his book, *The Rhetoric of Fiction.*

I started reading *The Life You Save May be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage* by Paul Elie while we were at the beach, but only barely. I hope by reading it to gain insight into Southern writer's who also happen to be Catholic. I hope to learn something about Walker Percy from the book as well.

Tonight. I've got three books going, and I'm thinking seriously about a fourth. Tonight I have been reading *Mommy I Have to Go Potty,* because that's where we are with our oldest child for the moment, as well as working on *The Baby Food Bible* because I'm concerned that I must start offering my babies better food choices so that they will grow up prepared to enjoy a variety of wholesome foods. My imagination rarely strays beyond sliced apples and peanut butter and jelly at lunch time, and I know that we are not getting in the vegetables that we need. Also this evening I started reading that Walker Percy book of essays that I mentioned previously, for my book club. So far, as usual, I don't know quite what is going on. The fourth book I've been thinking about is Dr. Weissbulth's *Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child* because we are trying to resume our regular routine now that we've returned home after almost a week away. I have got to get some sleep.

I started Ursula LeGuin's *The Dispossessed* weeks ago, but haven't worked out the time to devote to it, and soon it will have to return to the public library. Two other books sit on my shelf that I had hoped to read, but again I must return them unread, *On the Road* by Jack Kerouac, and *The Glass Bead Game* by Hermann Hesse.

And that concludes my book obsession for this evening.

Suddenly Felt Like Writing Something

I'm very interested in the act of reading. So I'm sitting in my dining room, feeding strained peas and squash to my six month old son, and I start thinking about where the impulse to read starts. I suppose the reader starts by hitting upon an author, or a book, or a subject that they want to experience, or learn something about. Take for instance my interest in Walker Percy.

I've never read one of his books. I started the novel Lancelot, because I'd heard of Percy, because the book was available at the public library, and because the title interested me. I knew a couple of guys who had read Percy, and I respected their choice of reading materials. I knew that he was one of the Catholic writers, along with Graham Greene, who I had already discovered. I looked him up at the public library, where the choices are too often painfully limited, and I think that Lancelot was one of two books they had written by Percy. Because of my interest in Arthurian literature, I already had experience with the fictional Lancelot, who I simultaneously admired and loathed, so I was predisposed to wonder what Percy could mean by choosing such a title. Unfortunately I started the book, but never finished it. It wasn't to my taste, somehow I couldn't really understand the implications of the action, and I gave up on it.

I still really want to read Walker Percy. I want to know why a friend described him as a grouchy old man. I want to know how and why he came to be identified as a Catholic writer. Mostly I want to know, and learn, and see if he has anything to teach me. Whether I am capable of meeting the lesson, I just don't know.

I am about to read a book of essays by Walker Percy in company with some perceptive female friends. Day by day I check the mail to see if the book has yet come. It's much to early to expect it, but I can not help but look. Simultaneously, I have checked out another book from the library that discusses Percy in company with some other Catholic writers who were his contemporaries. I can't satisfactorily start that one yet because I've promised myself I would finish Crime and Punishment before embarking upon too much else. It's hart to read with two young children in the house, along with a recent obsession with an on-line community based game, and a long term cross-stitching project I've been pursuing.

Even as I sit here writing this, I am thinking about another book I almost checked out from the library but didn't, that talks about the Celtic influence on Southern Literature. It's title reminds me of what I learned from Diana Gabaldon's fiction, that Celtic ceremonies play a significant role in the activities of (I can hardly stand to think the words, much less type them) the Ku Klux Klan. I'm also reminded of an almost thrown away comment read recently in a Mark Helprin novel, that the Apalachan poor still bear the genetic markings of a noble highland ancestry. I don't really read Southern Literature. I'm sure that John Grisham doesn't count, though Flannery O'Connor certainly does.

So much to read, such a limited amount of time.

I'm temporarily without wi-fi, and having use Michael's new keyboard, which is hard type on, so I probably won't be tempted to post anything in the next week or so.

My First Time Uploading Video to Blogger

This is just a little video of me playing with Isaac one morning a couple of days after Mother's Day. I tried to load it as a private video to YouTube, but for some reason we were unable to grant access to the people (mostly family) who we wanted to see it. If you are a friend simply checking in to see if I've written anything lately, you may not be interested in the video--although he really is cute, and this is an opportunity to see him smile.

Update on Isaac

I realized this morning how way far behind I am with this thing. Isaac has not been swaddled in months, he shares a room with Parker now, and last night I dropped his late evening feeding. This morning I tried some Rice Cereal on him, and I gave him a little bit more at lunch time. I don't know whether he liked the rice cereal or not, but he opened his mouth for it, and his tongue thrust reflex is gone. This means I finally have a use for all that milk I pumped in the first few weeks after we brought him home from the hospital, if I take the time to pick it up out of my friend's freezer. Now if I can get him down to three predictable naps every day I'll be happy, happy, happy.

Pictures

My mom has been asking for pictures of Isaac smiling, and the one of Parker is from hunting eggs at Easter.

Cars

My mom keeps asking me what was wrong with my car last post. We took the van in for an oil change last week and found out that the oil pan needs to be replaced. Speculatively we think we have damaged it on the part of our driveway that has been damaged by a giant tree root. If we're careful we don't have to run over it, but the damage has already been done.

Our other car has a transmission leak. I had an adventure with it on my way home from the library Sunday night. I realized around 8:00 p.m. that my library books had been due back the day before, so out I went.

Michael has been supplementing it with transmission fluid regularly, but I guess it was a little low Sunday night because it decided, on McFarland Boulevard, to stop changing gears. I was stuck going about 40 until I could pull over, while the engine sounded like it was trying to tow a house across some railroad tracks on an incline. Actually, it was probably in second gear. I thought it was funny as I pulled over the my left foot was searching for a clutch.

I turned the engine off, and then back on, and it got me home, but I did have to release the gas pedal at times to get the engine to change gears. We'll get it fixed as soon as we can.

The Healing Power of Milk; or What's Wrong With My Car?

I tried to post pictures yesterday, but it didn't work out. Sorry, Mom!

I bundle Isaac up and swaddle him every night for bed. He sleeps better, it seems, if his hands are not free to wake him up since he sleeps on his back. Early this morning he was awake. When I got up to check his little bare feet were kicking and he was cooing to himself. At one point Michael went in to cover Isaac, and I heard a happy Isaac laugh. How cute is that?

Now I haven't yet seen a book that tells you what to do when your baby is sleeping too hot or too cold in the middle of the night and you want to make him more comfortable without inducing the need to feed. Any ideas?

I've been having trouble sleeping lately--it hits me every other night. I called the doctor yesterday to find out what I can do to help me sleep without impairing my ability to nurse Isaac. Dr. Edwards recommended warm milk, to our surprise. It isn't the first time milk has been recommended. Dr. Blum told me to try milk once when I was having more severe problems, yet still we were surprised. I guess I had forgotten.

Two Movies for Review

I started this post weeks ago.

Movie the First. Quiz Show

When I first heard Ralph Fiennes name, I thought the pronunciation was ridiculous, (I've since learned that his is a common pronunciation.) but after seeing this movie I decided he had done such a good job that he could pronounce his name anyway he liked.

The movie is, in one of my professor's words, not the kind of film you want to rent with your friends on a Friday night, but I watched it again a few weeks ago, and was reminded of how much I like it. I'm not very good at film reviews, so I'll just tell you what I like about it.

This isn't a suspenseful film, so I see no need to avoid giving away certain plot points. Maybe you're on pins and needles over what will become of the television industry, but considering these things happened more than fifty years ago, it's doubtful. Perhaps Robert Redford considered taking poetic license with the outcome (I'm sure he did to some extent), but surely that doesn't extend to pretending the grand jury investigation to place in an alternate universe (although that might have held a certain interest for me).

I like that John Turturro's character gets what he wants in the end, the exposure of Charles van Doren's participation in a fraud, but finds that what he wanted isn't at all satisfying. I like that it shows van Doren's reluctance to participate in fraud at first, though is reluctance is quickly subsumed by the lure of fame and popularity. I love the portrayal of Charles's father, Mark van Doren, who is crushed by his son's loss of his teaching job. I like that Charles is lauded for eventually telling the truth, but that he isn't ultimately allowed to avoid of the consequences of his dishonesty--because his conscience could never have been satisfied by getting away with it in the end. I don't love that these things happen, but I love what they show about reality.

The movie has its funny points, but it's that wordy sort of humor I like so much, like when the van Doren family quotes Shakespeare around the birthday table, or when Charles says that if they give him the questions but let him look up the answers on his own, it might be less egregious. Hank Azaria as Albert Freedman: "What's 'egregious'?"

Quiz Show is in my top movies.

Movie the second. Pushing Tin

Somehow my parents wound up with a copy of this film, no idea how. And I really can't put my finger on why I enjoy this so much. For some reason I am fascinated with Billy Bob Thornton in this film--deepset eyes and high cheekbones have something to do with it. His character is a melancholy one. He doesn't easily fit in with the social norm although he is excellent at his job. The risks he takes are somewhat juvenile, but in that terribly creative way that makes me feel protective of him as a fictional character. Weird, huh? Angelina Jolie appears with him in this film as his young bride. His acting in this film is only so-so, but we do get to hear him sing, and at one point in the film John Cusack's character literally kicks him in the butt.

The movie is cleverly written as John Cusack's movies generally are. Honestly, I don't always get the humor. The movie is about the destruction of a marriage, guilt, and the power of unrestrained obesession with being the best. Cate Blanchette is in this one too.

Eventually perhaps I'll figure out why I'm willing to sit through this film over and over again. Melanie once said that when Parker enjoys the same activity or book or movie over and over again it may mean he's trying to work something out about it in his mind, and I think that's what I'm doing with this film. Or maybe it's just about Billy Bob Thornton. I don't know.

Other movies I've enjoyed with him in them: Intolerable Cruelty and The Apostle.

One of the interesting things about Billy Bob Thornton is his versitility. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize him from film to film, The Apostle being a case in point.

Movie Quotes, and a New Name for the Blog

So I need a new name for my blog now that I have two. Any suggestions? Today I started thinking about doing one of those silly "How to..." titles, because:

A couple of weeks ago I followed Kathy Bates and Rene Auberjonois to a movie called My Best Friend is a Vampire a/k/a I was a Teenage Vampire. Information about the movie referenced the fact that this was one in a series of films with "I was a..." blank blank sort of title. You may remember that one of Michael Landon's first films (or was it his very first?) was I was a Teenage Werewolf. Vampire also starred Robert Sean Leonard. It was fun and amusing, but generally awful.

Maybe the title of my blog should have something to do with the birds nest inhabiting the light on my front porch. Something about the birds watching us.

Isaac occasionally looks gloweringly at us, which Michael says means he's judging us. This is a reference to the movie America's Sweethearts.

Kiki: Nobody hates you.
Gwen: Oh yes, they do. I was in a store the other day, you know that great store on Melrose? And there was a baby in a stroller and he was looking up at me and he was judging me. The whole world is judging me for what I did to Eddie.

(copied of of the IMDB page for this film)

This is one of those films we often quote. Particularly (in a whiney voice):

"It's so hard being the only person who cares about other people."

Parker

Smiling Isaac

Isaac Smiles; Too Bad I Can't Get a Picture of It

Isaac has begun smiling at us spontaneously on occasion. For instance, this morning Michael watched the boys for me while I got a few extra minutes rest and then took a shower. By the time I rejoined Isaac, after a twenty, twenty-five minutes absence, he seemed genuinely happy to see me. That sweet toothless grin. And he's finally begun making sweet little baby noises. On the flip side, he's back to making me hold him, or else put him in a moving seat for naps.

Not the best kind of sleep a baby can get.

I've been thinking about the fetishization of the black male and how it relates to some of the media's attitude toward our new president, but I haven't figured out how to blog about it.

I wish he were interested in *Robin Hood*. That's a good one.

I had a thought. What was it?

It's amazing how many Disney cartoons you can fit into one day. I think Parker has had me play Dumbo four times, The Little Mermaid, and now 101 Dalmations, and we've still had time for computer play, a long nap, and lots of laundry folding.

We're letting him get his fill now as he recovers from that surgery.