Invisible Magic: November 2013

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Seeing the Engagement Video And Retching

Oh, my little Prince, O Little Boy, I have been focusing on the wrong story.

It is Thursday Night, we have just had pizza and watched cartoons about taming dragons.

Your Father arrived home. And he showed you the video.

THE VIDEO.

The one he had spent the past 10 months working on, taking Cody the dog to Fort Tryon Park. The Lady of Lacksley (where is she from?) and he of Hudson Heights.

"Weren't you embarrassed to walk around the park like that?" you asked.

You were watching, and we made sure to get your reaction (my idea). Amber didn't have room, but your Dad's phone did. (Silent communication on their part).

The video was twee. And frankly, it's a huge shock/surprise (but not really). Amber and I have been living in the apartment about the same amount of time, 2 years. As soon as your father mentioned he wanted to do a surprise for her last week, I KNEW it was a proposal.

He had been planning for a long time. Wanting everything to be just right. Sweet. (And somehow, I can't imagine someone doing that for me, nor can I imagine I want that. I want to be the one telling the story, in control of the story. I would hate it if the story was better than I could imagine.

Quite honestly, it did seem SUPER romantic. I did what I could to stop myself from retching the first time I saw it-but only because that is not what I would want. Something so obvious, something that comes so easily to both of them. Or maybe I cannot tolerate other people's stories.

But I am a grownup, and quite honestly, I learned a long time ago to react (under circumstances) the way people want you to react. LAUGH at the comedians' jokes. Look sympathetic when your friend is sad. Do not be mean. When people are offering their stories to you, LISTEN to them. Basic advice you should ALWAYS follow (It's more important than you realize).

Because you are 9, you retched. Repeatedly. We were your audience, hoping that you'd say, "GREAT!!" and understand that your Dad is marrying Amber and that will be your life and your future (because, in a sense, you are marrying her too. And Cody, the dog)

Now, I should return to the stories I have about princes & magic. Maybe incorporate it all together.

Currently working on a NaNoWriMo book: "The Swimming"

MATH Museum

We have been watching a whole morning's worth of cartoons. You were up at 7:30 and we didn't leave the house until noon. all cartoons all the time, until we were bored. I remember Saturday Morning Cartoons. ALL Morning, until Captain Kangaroo around 11:30, and then just stuff for adults. I had Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo.

Your mom calls 2 hours before she's supposed to pick you up. She sounds tired and also surrounded by death. Of friends, of people who are not in the hospice circles. People who are supposed to stay alive. She can't come. I hear your voice go dull, like it does on the phone when the distant parent is distant. Darwinian survival. It is the same tone of voice I hear when your dad calls and we have made it to Madison Square Park. (And are eating our cookie & chocolate croissant, today I am spoiling you!)

Your dad said to go somewhere wacky, and because he's your dad, you imagine that he has a place in mind. But I had walked by a few weeks before, I looked in and saw kids. I wanted to go and I was even happier to bring you. Turns out, it was kinda perfect.

MATH MUSEUM

We go inside and the first thing I see is the Triangle Trykes. We try them on. Then wander to a building-table where they have a huge number of erector set pieces. Then we wander to The Matharium where you play on the computer, designing a Dodecahedron (12 sided shape) with many faces and vectors. (There's a contest and I vote as much as I can)

Then there's a car ramp game, where you have to negotiate with the other boys around you (more 7-10 year old boys in one space than I've seen anywhere! Only one girl)

Downstairs is a dance floor that changes every 20 minutes, you love that. A fractal camera that makes you look like a tree of pictures of yourself and a laser cutter that creates a giant puzzle out of tessellations.

Basically, you did everything as much as you wanted, we stayed for 4 hours. It was awesome!!

I also taught you those three words, which you were happy to show off to your dad. And he was impressed.

Excellent day, kid.