Famous among dozens
Hank: Do you think there’s life on Mars? Some people think so.
Me: I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m sure there’s life somewhere else besides Earth. What do you think?
Hank: I don’t really know. I’m not sure how life is formed.
Me: No one is really.
Hank: The computers know.
Hank: Do you see the light is green?
Me: All those lights are green. When that happens it means the lights are timed. That means little robots tell the lights to let everyone go at once.
Hank: Outside robots?
Me: Yes, they live up by the lights.
Hank: We cannot see them. We should go on a walk to see them. And then they will give me robot high fives!
A few days ago, Hank finally figured out how to use the viewfinder on a camera.
Ever since, he’s been crying when I won’t let him use my delicate, precious SLR.
So we hightailed got him his own kid-friendly digital camera, which he hasn’t put it down since. Seeing the world from his perspective has been awesome.
Me: Do you want syrup on your pancakes?
Hank: Yes.
Bryan: Here you go! The finest syrup New Jersey has to offer.
Me: Real syrup. None of that watery maple crap.
Bryan: Tree whiz.
Hank: Dad, I need a rainbow.
Dad: Hmm. How can we get that?
Hank: Mom. Let’s be right back. Need to get a rainbow.
Me: OK, let’s go to look out the window.
Hank: I don’t see a rainbow.
Me: A lot of times, you have to wait for a rain, and then the sun comes, and you see a rainbow.
Hank: Hmm. Let’s wait for it to come.
Me: OK.
Red Rocket Print from John W. Golden
A few months before his third birthday, Hank comes into the living room where I’m working.
“Mama! You wanna see the moon?
“Sure.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom where Dad is already looking out the window in the dark. Hank closes the door to block the light from the hall, and comes to the window with us.
“The moon!” he says.
“The moon!” we say.
It’s a bright crescent moon, high above the apartment buildings. Hank sighs, “I never gonna get to the moon. The moon is very far away. I don’t know what kind of spaceship I need.”
“Yeah, what kind of spaceship do you need?” I say.
He says, “A red one, I think.”
Bryan turns to him, “Yeah. Those are always faster.”
Hank (yells from living room): Mom-Mom? Where is this tank engine?
Me (yells from kitchen): I’m not sure. Are you holding it?
Hank: Yes.
Me: It’s in your hands, love.
Hank: Oh!
Hank turned three today. He loves trains, and chocolate, and fire truck sirens. When he sees a new person he says, “Oh, hello friend.” He sometimes closes his eyes when he walks down stairs. If he hurts someone by accident, he kisses it better. He loves to run, and if both Bryan and I are holding his hands, he lifts his feet so we have to swing him. We go to the Academy of Sciences to visit the Daddy Fish, the Conservatory of Flowers for the train exhibit, the Japanese Tea garden for the stairs and the “fishy playground” koi ponds, and the toy store — which he requests by saying “Could we go to the toy store? It is open.” When I drop him off at day care, he finds a friend to hug, then all the kids come for a hug. Sometimes I get one too.
Happy Birthday, little Hank. I sure do like you.
Me: Have a bite of your zucchini soup, honey.
Hank: I can’t.
Me: Why not?
Hank: It’s dangerous.
There’s this game in the California Academy of Sciences playroom. You dump a bunch of cloth leaves on the ground, and the kids rake them up. We were doing this (over and over) when I realized that Hank had no reference point for the game. My kid, who is almost three, has never seen anyone rake leaves before.
Also, he could get to his favorite toy store on a MUNI bus without supervision.
Mighty Girl 