snapshots

As with previous years, Risa seems to always know exactly what she wants to be for Halloween. This year it's a "purple 3-eyed monster". Luckily she gave us a month's notice so we had time to figure out how to execute her concept. Not that we were able to make her look like an obvious 3-eyed monster, but at least we created a conversation starter. Some people felt compelled to give her 2 servings of candy so it did the trick! We ended up with enough candy to make her complain about carrying her bag! Risa wears a cut out milk carton on her head, to which is attached 3 googly eyes on straws. Long purple gloves and an old purple t-shirt top off the outfit. Raymond sports the luchadores Mexican wrestlers' mask that actually got a few screams from kids as he answered the door.

It was a beautiful evening, not too cold, full moon. I was quite impressed by the number of houses that went all out with decorations, and one house had someone lying still as a statue on their front steps in full mask, waiting to reach out and grab unsuspecting trick or treaters, while a 2nd person in very menacing costume dared kids to go up to the top step to get candy. Some kids had caught up with us at this house and Risa cowered with them at the bottom, refusing to go up until one brave person went up by himself. After that, Risa went up by herself and then the pack moved on. Now that was a scary Halloween.

Risa: Are there any rules in this house?
Me: No jumping and no yelling.
Risa: (short pause) I can't not do that!

We are so far away from the age of reason. On a more constructive note, Risa's culinary skills have progressed to being able to pat out a ball of biscuit dough and cut out rounds. All by herself. This dough was just the right consistency and very little mess was left in the handling. We made biscuits with just cream cheese, flour, baking powder, and milk. Simplicity rules.

Why don't they just say they want our money?

Ah, the frankness of 5 year olds. Risa wanted to know what a "fee" was and how was it different from a "fine". I was looking over the notices she brought home from school, and was muttering about the fees, at about the same time my mother was complaining about receiving a parking fine. But it's all about handing over money, isn't it?

And this might as well be a picture of a money sucker. Vancouver had a doozy of a rainstorm this week and we had a suspected sump pump failure which resulted in water backing up into our catch basin. There is about 3 inches (8 cm) of water down there. Luckily the water did not enter the house, but we spent 2 frantic hours scooping and shopvacuuming it all out. Our sump pump, on which we are now taking a crash course, is at the end of its life of 13 years and is now being upgraded. It's going to leave quite the hole in our pocketbook. With global warming, we might expect more of this weather.

Here is Risa in essential Vancouver gear: the waterproof raincoat and gum boots. She's holding a snail caught from our garden to bring for show and tell at school. The class is learning about snails and slugs. Her backpack is almost as long as she is. We were informed that children are "expected" to carry a backpack that can hold one 8.5x11 inch folder, one library book, and snacks and supplies needed for the day. I was astounded at what 5 year olds are expected to carry, but Risa seems to be holding up without complaint.

Inspired by a tv episode of Little Bear this morning Risa decided to make soup for her daddy's birthday. It was a little while before I realized what all the focused activity in the kitchen was all about. I should mention that I've joked before about having Risa cook us dinner by the time she's 5. I guess that time has arrived.

When I arrived in the kitchen, Risa had gathered a pot, a plate for cutting, a butter knife, and various vegetables from our refridgerator. She had used the butter knife to cut off small pieces of broccoli and cauliflower, and cut a tomato in half. She then threw in 2 mushrooms and a few sections of onion which had already been cut. She used a measuring cup to get water from the dispenser in our fridge and poured it into the pot. My only intervention was to advise adding salt and pepper, which I let her scoop in with an appropriate measuring spoon. The only help she asked for was to put the pot on the stove to cook. This dish will be her contribution to tonight's family dinner party for her daddy's and grandpa's birthdays.

While she's out at the playground with dad, I snuck a taste. It's mighty fine, indeed.

Risa's dream has come true and we took her to a free trial martial arts class. She attended a tot session which had 4-6 year olds, in a dojo that seemed to have good word of mouth reviews from the few friends I've spoken with. It's one of a number of new dojos in Vancouver, practicing a hybrid style of martial art.

A few thoughts as I watched and looked around:

"I am a lion. I refuse to lie down with the sheep"
- hmmm

"I will respect the value of all living things"
- nicely Buddhist, but how does that jive with lions and sheep?

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery..."
- heeyyyyy, I know where that came from

Then out came the punching dummy, a life sized upper half rubber manequin stoicly taking it on the kisser from a 5 year old. Which stirred up the conflicting feelings I have about martial arts in general. The big questions/thoughts that came to my mind following this were:

1. What kind of world do we live in where a 5 year old is being taught to punch someone in the throat?
   
2. Given all the positive arguements for discipline, fitness, and confidence building, doesn't it all boil down to fighting? "It's not just about punching and kicking" is a common comment. Well, it's just about 50% of it.
   
3. I guess the world hasn't changed much from ancient times, when a 5 year old could be doing the same thing in China.
   
4. I guess I was only partially joking when I said I could send Risa to Shaolin Temple for 7 years.
   
5. Would the sensei from this dojo be able to stand up to a butt kicking from a Shaolin monk?
   

I admit I hope that through this class Risa will actually eventually learn that punching and kicking hurts. She will never learn that from our hands, and she is entering the point where she'll listen to others rather than us (at least on the surface). Defying us has begun.

The instructors were very good with the kids and, most importantly, Risa enjoyed the class and wants to carry on. She even participated in her first "tournament". The kids paired up for a one-on-one contest where an object was placed on the floor and each child had to try to grab it first. The first child to grab it then had to run and touch the wall because the second child could still score a "point" if he could tag the first child. Risa won her round.

She now has a uniform and will begin her training. I'll just wait and see.