Home Stretch

We're coming down the homestretch to two young Cameras! Hard to believe it has been almost four years since Jonas arrived. He is very excited about having a younger brother, and very well-informed. Last visit to the midwife he looked up at the posters and said "that's the baby, and that's the uterus, and that's the pelvis, which is right here" (pointing to his own hip bone). Didn't know we had been so thorough.

I should have guessed, though. He picks up *everything*. Recently came the day I'd been waiting for, "that toilet is F******* loud" (to Sam in the grocery store bathroom). Of course, it had to be the weekend of a visit from his Great Grandmother Camera. We had the requisite conversation about how some words can hurt people's feelings, and he seemed to take it all in. I'm just waiting for a report from school, though.

He's also taken in quite a bit about birds and their calls. He falls asleep to a birdcall cd every night. In fact, we measure how sleepy he was by how many species it takes before he drifts off (last night was a four-bird bedtime at 7:00 'cause he didn't nap).

This has led to several funny exchanges with Sam:

(on the swings in our backyard)
S: I wonder what that bird is? I'm going to go see.
J: It's a black capped chickadee, mom, keep pushing me.
S: No, honey, it doesn't sound like a call I know.
J: It's a chickadee, mom, keep pushing me!

You guessed it. He was right.

(another day a few weeks ago in the backyard)
S: What is that call, Jonas, I don't recognize it?
J: That's number nine.
S: ???? No, I mean, which bird is it?
J: Oh, a Northern Flicker.

Anyway, Lang Elliot, wherever you are, thanks for teaching our son so much, and helping him fall to sleep for so many nights in a row!