movie time

To pass some time and bond with Juma, we pursued one of my favorite time-wasters, watching movie previews online. Since Juma was with me, I kept the previews to kid movies.

First on the list was Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which Juma laughed at. He kept wondering, "Magic? Is magic real?" I guess this has gotten pretty poor reviews, but I'm sure little kids like Juma would enjoy it. I really like the stars Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman.

Next, we watched The Golden Compass, which I really want to see. But I think Juma is young enough to be frightened by the action and thrills.

Lastly, we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks, a movie I would never consider seeing. Except that Juma laughed his head off during the preview clips, and watched them four times each. I haven't seen him laugh that hard. Ever.

california

We drove back from Utah to California yesterday. Some people think we're crazy for making the drive with a kid, but, frankly, he loves it. Why?

"I get to watch movies all day long."

Yep, we got him a mini-DVD player. This from parents who got The Alphabet Game when we drove all day long as kids.

So when Juma complains that the screen on the DVD player is at a bad angle, or the previews won't get over fast enough, or he can't get his right earphone to sit just so on his ear, and tell him, "Well, Juma, I'm really not going to listen to you complain about stuff like that, because you know what? When I was a kid, and we drove in the car with all my siblings, between Washington and Utah, do you know what I got to pass the time? A cup to throw up in. So quit your whining or I'll turn off the movie and we can play Name That Smell or Count the Sagebrush. You don't know how good you've got it, boy!"

I might as well be telling him about how I walked to school uphill, both ways, through the snow even in May, without shoes. I am officially a parent.

honey nut cheerios

"I love these. It's like honey rolled up into a tiny circle."

an afternoon walk

thanksgiving

We're driving out to Utah on Saturday to be with my family and two of Justin's siblings for Thanksgiving. We're excited, Juma and I were practically leaping on the walk home from his school today. I haven't had Thanksgiving with my family since we moved out to Connecticut, so five years ago. Back then, there were only five Wilson grandkids, and now there are twelve!

Thanksgivings in Connecticut were generally quite small, and often lonely. The first year, we joined our friends the Valenzuelas, a family who only became closer over the next couple years. But they moved to Indiana for more grad school. The second year, my sister Jody and and her son Ammon joined us from Massachusetts, and we cooked a chicken rather than a turkey. And then Jody moved away, too. The third I can't remember if we joined the Valenzuelas again or if we had it alone, just the three of us. Last year, we joined the Wests, Frost/Lundeens, and most of the Woodworths (the wife was getting an appendectomy), people who had become more family than friends in our four years in New Haven.

juma's first book

Juma wrote a book in school. The text reads "By Juma/ Matthew is my friend/ I am a police officer and Matthew/ is a burglar"


bi Juma




I am a ples afasr and Matthew
Matthew is my friend






is a brglr

breakfast time silliness

Halloween

Since we participated in Halloween activities on four separate days, Juma chose to wear three different costumes.

On Friday, when we went to the local zoo's Halloween party, and on Saturday, when we met some friends in Pismo Beach, he was a ninja, the costume we actually bought for Halloween.





On Sunday, when we went to his cousin's school carnival, he was an ewok (a costume make by his grandma years ago).




And on Halloween, he was Spiderman, a costume he chose months ago as a "reading practice reward."

jack-o-lantern

Juma was big enough this year to be really excited about his jack-o-lantern and pumpkin carving, and even big enough to truly want to help. But when those slimy, smelly insides of the pumpkin hit his senses, he was all for watching mom and dad finish up the job.

A study of carving, in pictures:

pumpkin hunting

Juma and I, along with Juma's cousins and aunt and uncle, traveled out to a local pumpkin patch to search for Halloween pumpkins.

Juma had a great time playing with his cousins.




He also learned how the local Native Americans used to grind corn using stones.




The boys also explored a teepee.




Then Juma ran circles around me. Just 'cause he's five.



I didn't actually take a picture of him with his chosen pumpkin at the patch, but I'll put some pictures of carving his jack-o-lantern in another post.