gps boy

Twice this week, we were approaching an intersection near the home of friends. In both cases, we visited the two different house only once, and neither visit was terribly recent. We met & had a playdate at Ethan’s house about 6 weeks ago. Ethan’s mother is a very old friend of Kathy from their Long Island days in the 1970s. Peter’s classmate Matthew had a birthday party at his house back in March that Peter attended.

We were nearing the intersection at which we would turn at to get to Ethan’s house, but from the complete opposite direction that we approached to go to his house weeks ago. I pointed to the left and asked Peter who lived down this way. Without hesitation, he excitedly shouted “Ethan!” He was right - and I was shocked. He had been there once - and never from that direction.

Remembering this last week, we neared the traffic light close to Matthew’s house - again from the opposite direction we would normally come. “Peter, who lives down here?”, I asked. “Matthew!” he shouted.

When an old (and brilliant father of 4) family friend met Peter for the first time a few months ago, and was told that Peter had developmental delays, he was surprised. He paused, looked at Peter in the eyes, and emphatically told us that this child is processing everything.

Until this week, I didn’t realize it, but Peter knows EXACTLY where he is at all times. Processing, indeed!

emma’s emeralds / pierced ears

As an early birthday present to Emma, we took her to Claire’s at the mall to have her ears pierced. She has been asking about the possibility of having it done for months now, and we decided that it would make a good birthday present from Mom & Dad. With her birthday falling so close to Memorial Day (the traditional opening of ‘Pool Season’), we decided that we would have the piercing done early so that her ears will have weeks of healing & ’setting’ before she jumps into a public swimming pool.

Emma’s birth stone is the emerald, so her ears are now sporting a teeny “crystal emerald” - your guess is as good as mine!

Another milestone & rite of passage for Emma Mankin.

game over, dude

Lately, I find myself startled at how well, clear & correct Peter’s language skills can be. Last night, he was playing a Blue’s Clues PC game on our old computer. One month ago, he had no mouse skills at all (often trying and failing to control anything). Within a weeks time, he was pointing, clicking and double clicking appropriately. He stepped away from the computer, came over to me & said, “The CD is broken, Dad. The CD is broken”. When I looked over at the computer, the CD drawer was open, and his game was, therefore, interrupted. He was independently playing, using newly-developed skills, interacting appropriately with the game’s prompts, reasoning out the puzzles put forth - AND verbally expressed a problem to me accurately.

Keep going, Peter!
(but stay away from eBay ’till you’re six)

elmo, pooky, and the next generation

When I was growing up in Lakewood, New Jersey, my best friend was Tom Moore. Tom lived a few blocks away, was a year younger, and was generally made of ‘completely different stuff’ than I. Therefore, we got along famously. His home was my second home, his brother was my non-related brother, his mom was my other mom, and so on.

After high school, I left the New Jersey Shore - Tom stayed and built his business, married a Jersey Shore girl, and had two sons. As the years rolled by, I saw Tom occasionally, but once I married and started my family in Virginia (and my remaining relatives in NJ had passed away), trips home become scarce.

One does not have to see or spend time with a dear friend often to be close. Tom and his sons came to Virginia last week. College scouting for the oldest son & Washington, DC sightseeing for all were the main reasons for the trip, but it gave Tom & me an opportunity to see each other again, and for me to meet his sons as young men now - not as little boys (as I had last seen them).

Tom got to meet my children as well. Remember the comment about ‘being made of different stuff’? Tom’s family is delightful - raised with different stuff, no doubt. His sons have his wit and charisma - it will take them far.

Justin and Casey are fine young men - and Tom is the same. We laughed as we recounted endless stories and characters from our youth. Although 40 years have passed, the stories and memories were as fresh as if they occurred last week.

It is clearly the quality of a friendship, not the frequency of visits, that define its depth.

“Pooky Ports & Prints” is alive & well after all these years!
(don’t ask - you wouldn’t understand anyway - trust me)

bedtime stories

It’s a very touching event in my house that happens each night. After hours of loud banter between Emma and Peter, Emma sits in the big chair in Peter’s room and reads him a bedtime story. This is followed by a lullaby and Peter is left alone, where he “reads” a book until he’s asleep.

For 5 minutes, you’d swear you were watching The Waltons.

header?

Our school district had its Spring Break this past week. The kids were home on their ‘down time’, which of course is the exact opposite for parents - we go into overdrive keeping the children occupied and entertained. We organized a few play dates with Peter’s classmates from his preschool class. On Tuesday, we met at Charlie’s house, and the kids had a great time. We (parents) felt it was beneficial for the kids to see each other in order to keep the continuity of their interactions rolling through the week off. Yesterday was our turn to host the gathering. Peter’s classmates all had a chance to see Peter’s house & play with his toys. In attendance were Charlie, his little brother Alex, Matthew and Heather. Of course, there were moms & dads there too. My espresso machine got to crank out a few lattes for the big folks, and the kids had their favorite snacks on hand as well.

All the kids get along beautifully. They are a joy to watch interact, but nothing tickles me more than hearing Peter call his friend Heather, “Header”.

down in front!

Hurray Peter! Yesterday, he received his award for Special Achievement from the principal of his school. There was a small ceremony in which a handful of students received this award. All recipients were hand-picked by their teachers.

Peter was the youngest to participate. Mom & Dad hid from view as Peter was brought into the auditorium - seeing us would have thrown him into further confusion as to why he was being pulled from his classroom to attend the ceremony. He sat with the other recipients, quietly & maturely.

At the start of the ceremony, the school mascot entered the arena - Cosmo the Crocodile. Island Creek Elementary is filled with crocodile images and likenesses. Even little Peter is used to seeing them everywhere, but Cosmo entered the room, walking, smiling, green, and 6 feet tall! As he entered, one could hear the sounds of a preschooler becoming slightly unsettled.

Wisely, Peter’s turn came very early in the program. Each student was to receive a certificate from the principal, shake hands with her, walk over to Cosmo, shake the reptile’s hand, turn to the camera for a photo op, and be reseated. Peter carefully took his certificate from Dr. Owner and the vice principal, the fuzzy beast maintained a safe distance from the whimpering lad, and he returned to his seat.

I, on the other hand, had my own battle to fight in the audience. I borrowed my brother’s video camera to record Peter’s academic milestone. I emerged quietly & stealthfully from my hidden position in the crowd, sat myself on the floor in front of the audience - so no one could obstruct the camera’s line-of-sight. Peter’s shining moment was all of maybe 10 seconds, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

No one, however, told the man who apparently thought Peter was cute… so cute that he wanted to get him on videotape. As Peter was receiving his certificate, and was now facing the crowd (still upset about Cosmo), this guy jumps down in front of me, completely blocking me (and the camera) from seeing Peter’s proud moment in the spotlight. Now, while figuring out a foreign videocam, I had to get up and move to see the action!

Anyway, here it is - captured on videotape. Don’t blink - it’s over in a hearbeat!

You’ve done amazing work this year, Peter Mankin.
We Love You!

distinguished

The mailman brought us a surprise today -
a letter from Peter’s school principal.
Our son will be receiving an award for “Independent Skills”.

Way to go, Peter.
We’re beyond proud of you and your accomplishments.

roasting goldfish

With unseasonably high temperatures in the 70s yesterday, I roasted a pound of coffee yesterday out on my deck. I was accompanied by my usual assistant-roastmaster Peter. His list of expected duties is small;

1. don’t touch anything… it’s all very hot
2. enjoy your Pepperidge Farm Goldfish

Really, there is never any need to lecture about rule #1. If there are Goldfish in hand, there will be nothing else touched. PERIOD.

¿cómo el infierno él sabía eso?

Out driving with the family today - running some errands. Approaching a busy intersection, the traffic light changes from green to amber - and then finally to red. I slowed the car down and stopped at the intersection. As this is happening, Peter calls out “Verde… Amarillo… Rojo.” When the light finally turns green again, and I’ve picked my jaw off of the car’s floor, I am told that it’s Verde again, and that I should proceed.

¡Mierda Santa!