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Joshua

Our son is shifting from formula to whole milk. This entails several adventures; for example, we're now meant to be "brushing J's teeth" on a regular basis.


J's pediatrician can say this with a straight face. She can also say: "Just pin him to the ground with your two knees; kneel over him. Then, while he is restrained, swipe a wet washcloth at his gums. That's all. Just get him in the habit."


An awkward silence follows. "Yes," I say slowly. "Yes, I'll definitely do that." When the topic comes up again, a few weeks later, I say that the teeth-brushing has been a triumph, and then I quickly change the subject.


Whole milk means occasional constipation. Joshua's face will get bright red, and he'll cry, in distress, as he tries to squeeze something out. My husband will become Florence Nightingale, showing deep empathy, recalling his own struggles with a "clogged system." ("Josh, I have BEEN THERE, man....") Marc will use J's thighs to draw circles in the air; this allegedly helps. Mashed-up pears materialize. Mashed-up apples.


My own approach is to turn constipation into a monster, a witch or sorceress, and to narrate a fictional battle with that being. Josh and his friend--Princess Aliyah--cross paths with the monster, sometimes in undersea chambers, and emerge victorious. By the time the story ends, Josh has often moved on to other thoughts, other challenges. (Often, not always.)


And, on that note.....Here are the good things we're reading:


*"Honey" (Keats, a sequel to "Leaves." A must.)

*"The Three Robbers" (Ungerer -- and each time I notice the beauty of the pictures and the black space more and more.)

*Pinkney's "Ugly Duckling," mainly for the bitchy cat who arrives halfway through. This cat berates the duckling/swan because he can't hiss. "You don't know how to hiss?" And of course the "duckling" struggles to respond.


Happy weekend to you.....

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