Say Cheese

Cliffs: I'm taking mental pictures and dreading future developments.

Today was a good Christmas. We were happy to spend the time with family, and it's been fun to see Entropy interacting with everyone and getting excited about his gifts. Which leads me to the moment I felt the foreshadowing of pain.

Entropy recently started taking pictures with our camera, so Pommel and Paps did us a favor and got him a digital camera that's made for small kids. He loves it. He's been taking pictures with it all morning, and he took it with us to the family lunch.

And apparently he's not the only one. Another cousin, who's about a year older, also got a digital camera. But the cousin's camera was a bit more advanced and a lot more expensive.

When the cousin brought out his camera, Entropy ran over and asked me for his. We retrieved it from the diaper bag, and Entropy bounced away to show off his similar gift. I was smiling at how cute the boys were and at how happy Entropy was, when I saw the cousin give a quick appraisal of Entropy's toy and say, "Mine is a real camera."

My heart sank.

Entropy was too young and distracted to understand the implications of the comment, but it made me melancholy just imagining his pain if he had.

The cousin wasn't trying to be mean. And Entropy emerged unscathed this time. But it's inevitable, right? One day someone will insult my son, or make him feel inferior, or will show him up and destroy the pride he had in something. 

And I will have to watch. And hurt. And scramble aimlessly for something to do or say to make him feel better. And I don't know how effective I'll be. 

Maybe some days I'll be successful: I'll be funny and creative and know just what to do to make Entropy brush off the insult and smile. 

But I'm sure there'll be days when I'll fail: I'll be at a loss for words, or I'll say the wrong thing, or a hug and some sympathy simply won't be enough. And those days of being a helpless mother will be harder than these days of being a sleepless one. 

So I'm trying to soak in the abundance of smiles and laughter. And I'm bracing myself for the inevitable. Because in the end, I can't shelter him from pain, I can only help him to face it.

The Dangers of Snuggling a Sick Boy

Cliffs: Last night Entropy was sick.

Good: I got solid snuggle time with him on the couch.

Bad: I got solid chunks of vomit in my hair.

I'm Getting Motivated

Cliffs: People are productive when allowed to work freely on something meaningful.

I’m on assignment. The BFF spontaneously announced that she is taking on the role of life coach in order to help me pursue some of my goals. (This is a role she’s had since we met twenty-seven years ago, but now it’s official.)

We’ve already had two sessions, and I’ve been thrilled with the homework. (Yes, I’m a nerd like that.) But the new projects--along with a two-day Internet breakdown and temporary NaBloPoMo burnout--have kept me from posting more.

All of this has got me thinking about another TED Talk. I saw Dan Pink’s lecture “On the Surprising Science of Motivation” last year, but tonight K showed me this shorter adaptation from RSA Animate. (I watched several other RSA Animate films, and while I love their technique, I almost stress out trying to keep up with the speedy hand.)

Pink explores the idea that people are motivated, not just by money--though that is a factor up to a point--but by autonomy, the satisfaction that comes from getting better at something, and the desire to make a contribution. I can’t pretend that I’m making much of a contribution, but this lecture does a good job of articulating why I’ve absorbed myself in my new assignments--and this blog.

Pay it Forward

Cliffs: It's the season to be giving, and we're going to try and stretch it out a bit.

K and I are taking on a new project. The blessings in our own lives seem to be overflowing, so we feel compelled to help pass them on.

Our nanny, Fabiana, has four children, ages 9, 11, 17, and 18. Her first husband passed away, and her second husband left her for another woman. She has family nearby, and her two older children work part-time jobs, but money is tight.

The public schools in Brazil are not as well-equipped as those in the States. Class sizes are larger, teachers have less pay, fewer resources, and more responsibilities. And even after going through the public system, most students still have to pay to take additional courses if they want a chance at passing the standardized test to get into college. Just last week The Economist wrote an article describing the abysmal state of the Brazilian public school system.

So K and I have decided to help sponsor Fabi's two youngest children to get an Adventist education through high school, or for as long as our resources and their interest allow. (The oldest girl, Carolina, just graduated, and the 17 year-old, Guilherme, will be beginning his Senior year, which includes some trade courses he is interested in.)

Isadora, the 11 year-old girl, is slightly overweight and has been the victim of bullying at public school. She gets good grades, enjoys her studies, and has learned how to play the violin through a government program for the arts.

Herbert is 9 years old, he loves soccer, and he takes karate classes through a similar government program. Though he is not as enthusiastic about his studies as his older sister, he did very well on the placement exam and is excited about the prospect of attending an Adventist school.

I don’t want to be too hyperbolic or emotional here, but a solid education at a good Adventist school is something that could be life-changing for these kids.

The monthly fee for each student is approximately $260 ($3,120 per year). K has already spoken with the principal about our plan, and at this point the school is willing to give both students a 30 - 50% discount, bringing their monthly fee to $130 - $180 each ($1,560 - $2,160 per year). In addition to the monthly fees, the school charges a separate registration fee (another $260 per year), books for both kids will cost another $650, and we would also like to help purchase one or two sets of uniforms.

So, we've taken on a big commitment. And we're confident that with the help of God and others we will be able to fulfill it. I owe so much of what I have to a good education and a loving, Christian background, and I'm excited about being able to help pass on this educational opportunity to two kids who could really use it. If you would also like to help Isadora and Herbert, you can donate through the PayPal button below. If you know me personally and would prefer to send a check, write me an e-mail and I'll send you an address. Thanks for reading.

Happy Holidays.

Entropy and the Jackson 5

I already posted these videos from Entropy's school program on Facebook, but I thought I'd put them up here as well.

My dad is the one who you hear laughing the most.

Paps Visits Brazil

Cliffs: Paps visited Brazil and we had a mini pre-vacation vacation.

Post-show without his "ABC" vest

Thursday morning Paps flew in and Entropy, Babe-A and I picked him up at the airport. His flight was a little late, but during the delay I got to see K’s cousins who were just arriving from Miami, and Entropy got to roll around on the floor and eat crackers.

Pre-show

We arrived back home with just enough time to eat lunch and raid Paps’ suitcase before picking up K from work and heading to Entropy’s school show. His class sang “Rockin’ Robin” and “ABC” by the Jackson 5, and once again, this biased mother believes that her child stole the show.

Entropy helps carry down the surf racks

Friday was a fairly normal day with school, a walk, a grocery run, and swimming lessons. Paps also started learning some Portuguese in an attempt to better understand his talkative grandson.

Saturday we went to the beach. The waves were small, but Paps got to surf and Entropy got to play with a random kid camped out in front of us. Everyone but Babe-A got just a tad too much sun, but there were no major burns. At one point Paps said he wanted to send a Christmas card to the inventor of the Brazilian bikini. But he had to reconsider this comment after a few 250+ pound women walked by in the revealing style.

Babe-A basks in the shade

Sunday: we went to Wet ‘n Wild. Paps was there for work, so he toured the park with the owner for three hours, but we got a free cabana, wait staff, drinks, food, and popsicles. Entropy had fun, but was still a little scared of most of the slides and didn’t like water spraying in his face. Overall we had a great time, except maybe for that very last part where Entropy stood up on a chair that tipped over and left him on his face, and then Babe-A screamed for a solid thirty minutes on the ride home.

The Pirate Park Paps came to research (and the aforementioned bikini style)

Monday: Paps and I went for a four mile run/walk and then picked Entropy up from school. When we get there he was crying because he had hit his cheek on a table while running around with another kid. (Entropy’s face had a rough 24 hours.)

The seat that later lands baby on his forehead

Entropy had swimming lessons in the afternoon. He was delighted, as usual, but the most memorable part for us was when he tried to get a classmate’s attention by tapping her on the leg. The girl was not impressed and immediately wiped off the place where Entropy had touched her. Swimming lessons were followed by a trip to the bakery where we all had some fresh orange juice with acerloa. (Dee-lish!) That evening I took Paps to the airport and made the round trip in record time despite some traffic and rain. I’m finally starting to feel more confident driving in Sao Paulo by myself.

He loves posing with his sister