Since these blog entries have all been from my perspective (Charles, the 41 year old father), I thought you might enjoy hearing from 8 year old Sho. The following are some of the observations and questions that have bubbled up during hours of biking each day.
- "I want to have a kid to play with when I grow up, but not a wife. Too many girls are in love with me, and it's really annoying. Maybe I could find an orphan to adopt."
- "Daddy, the old fashioned way to beat someone up on the beach is to kick sand in their face, then punch them in the wiener. This only works on guys."
- "Did you know that they make back pads? They find a turtle about your size and put the shell on your back, but make it look cool, of course."
- "I like Japan better than New York, because it's cleaner, and the stores have a lot of great kids' stuff. There are no Pokemon Battorio or Kyouryuu Kingu (Dinosaur King) games in New York. I don't know why. If I became President of the U.S., the first thing that I would do is to order that we have to have these games."
- "If you cut off your wiener, do you die?"
- Endless stream of "Would you rather..." questions, like: "would you rather stand outside for 5 minutes nude on the coldest day of the year, or stand outside for 5 minutes wearing 5 winter coats on the hottest day of the year?"
- "Some things look bad and smell bad, but taste good. Like ika (squid), for example."
- "Why are bugs attracted to light, if it usually kills them?"
- "If a baby farts in his mommy's tummy, does she burp?"
- "In Japan, people bow instead of hugging, because a strong person might hurt someone if they hug too hard."
- "I wish everything was good for you. Like, if a mosquito bit you, it made you stronger. Or if you ate 2,000 pieces of candy in one day, then bam! You get muscles."
- I told Sho that, even if I get angry at his behavior sometimes, I always love him and always will. He thought that this was funny and challenged the unconditional aspect: "What if I cut off your ears? Would you still love me then?" He went on to come up with ever more gruesome acts of violence against me, testing at which point my unconditional love would falter. This conversation made both of us crack up.
- "I want to have a kid to play with when I grow up, but not a wife. Too many girls are in love with me, and it's really annoying. Maybe I could find an orphan to adopt."
- "Daddy, the old fashioned way to beat someone up on the beach is to kick sand in their face, then punch them in the wiener. This only works on guys."
- "Did you know that they make back pads? They find a turtle about your size and put the shell on your back, but make it look cool, of course."
- "I like Japan better than New York, because it's cleaner, and the stores have a lot of great kids' stuff. There are no Pokemon Battorio or Kyouryuu Kingu (Dinosaur King) games in New York. I don't know why. If I became President of the U.S., the first thing that I would do is to order that we have to have these games."
- "If you cut off your wiener, do you die?"
- Endless stream of "Would you rather..." questions, like: "would you rather stand outside for 5 minutes nude on the coldest day of the year, or stand outside for 5 minutes wearing 5 winter coats on the hottest day of the year?"
- "Some things look bad and smell bad, but taste good. Like ika (squid), for example."
- "Why are bugs attracted to light, if it usually kills them?"
- "If a baby farts in his mommy's tummy, does she burp?"
- "In Japan, people bow instead of hugging, because a strong person might hurt someone if they hug too hard."
- "I wish everything was good for you. Like, if a mosquito bit you, it made you stronger. Or if you ate 2,000 pieces of candy in one day, then bam! You get muscles."
- I told Sho that, even if I get angry at his behavior sometimes, I always love him and always will. He thought that this was funny and challenged the unconditional aspect: "What if I cut off your ears? Would you still love me then?" He went on to come up with ever more gruesome acts of violence against me, testing at which point my unconditional love would falter. This conversation made both of us crack up.
I really enjoy reading your blog as we feed laci and Jon Jon breakfast everyday. I dream of the day when we all do a great big adventure together.
ReplyDeleteSho - you are going to make Femke laugh when I read these to her this evening - she's at sports camp now! Femke and I went for a bike ride in Central park yesterday (she is trying out the new bike she got for her birthday last week) and we really had to think of you and your dad! Luckily in addition to your blog, we get updates from your mother and Saya when we see them at the daycare!! Have fun!! Bike hard! and laugh a lot with your father! Maaike & Femke and family!
ReplyDeleteSho and Charles,
ReplyDeleteWe think of you a lot. Every time we take our tandem bike out, we explain that this is what you're doing. Only much, much farther! Sounds like the trip of a lifetime. Carolyn Oppenheim