Since the videos of Binbin drumming seemed to work pretty well, we thought we'd add one of Binbin climbing last summer at Jockey Cap, which is on rt. 302 near NH and North Conway. This video is probably best watched with the sound off, otherwise you have to hear De-nin and I trying to coach him.

A bit longer session of drumming

Well here's Binbin at it again on this time he's improvising on one of his basic patterns he had to memorize.

A chance to see Binbin's drumming in action

We're trying out something new and wanted to give you all the chance to see Binbin's drumming these days. The sound and picture aren't professional quality, but I think you'll get the idea.

2013

Binbin is back in school today after yesterday's cancellation due to "unforeseen events." Apparently a group of unidentified teenagers decided that it would be a funny prank to let the air out of 28 tires on 15 school buses. We have the great good fortune that I happen to be on spring break from Emerson and Jack's work is flexible, but I'm sure that there were plenty of other Lisbon parents who lost pay and scrambled for childcare, not to mention the overall cost to the schools and everyone in town.

Binbin got an spontaneous playdate with Anja, and the two of them did pretty well. They have a tablet and a DS to keep themselves entertained for a bit. Then, they took to the play room where Binbin and Jack set up a mini basketball hoop over the door. Since I took our guinea pigs, Oreo and Inky, back to the shelter in January (Binbin turned out to be allergic to them), we now have space for more rambunctious physical play in the play room. The loss of the guinea pigs was just about the most traumatic event in Binbin's life, and I'll not rehearse that sad saga now.

 We still have plenty of snow outside, so the two of them ran around our makeshift fort for awhile. The snow this season...about 3 big storms 3 weeks in a row in February...has made for much better skiing than last year. Binbin's already gotten in 9 days' of skiing at Black Mountain, Mount Abrams, and Saddleback. He's got season tickets at two of those places, and he's now venturing carefully into Black Diamond territory. Carl gave him some US Ski Team stickers, and he proudly put one on his helmet.

After lunch, we played a round of Ticket to Ride...still one of our favorite games. And, since we refilled Killer with helium, Binbin and Anja took turns navigating our "air swimmer" around the house.

Anja and played groupies at Binbin's drum lesson with Ben in the afternoon. During our February break from lessons, Ben picked up the bass, and the two of them jammed a bit together. Binbin is sounding increasingly professional. Perhaps it's helped to go hear some Maine Academy of Modern Museum (MAMM) concerts recently, at the Big Easy bar and the Bayside Bowl. The first concert featured Playing for Change's "Be in Love," and it was fabulous to be enveloped by their big, luscious sound.

These days, Binbin has picked up the "Warriors" series about cats, kind of a Watership Down meets Hogwarts adventure for tween readers. He still watches Mythbusters, and peppers conversations with what Adam and Jamie have done. Jack has finished about 5 chairs, and we're waiting for the upholsterer to finish his end of it. I'm on spring break and playing scrabble with friends Denise and Lorraine from time to time. Binbin has developed enthusiasm for watching sports, especially basketball, but he'll take hockey and football, too. He and Jack stayed up late for this year's crazy Superbowl, and he picked the Ravens over the Niners, so that made him happy. Binbin still giggles like there's no end when the zombie porcupines attack. He got his first pair of glasses last Friday evening, and he really looks more and more grown-up, but I'm hanging on to every last bit of little boy.

Signs of Spring

Where has the time gone? I recall that when we came home from Deep Springs, I experienced a surprisingly profound culture shock. Now, sometimes I feel as if that time away was a dream, because the motions of everyday driving here, shopping there, cooking now, eating later, getting up, going to sleep have become fully normal. And in that time, an entire season has passed.

We skied as much as the stingy snow allowed. Binbin hit the slopes at Shawnee Peak, Lost Valley, Saddleback Mountain, and Mt. Abrams. He's a pro at getting on and off the chairlifts now, and he's eager to take on the terrain parks. He's leaving his Mama in the dust, er, in the ice.

Before we know it, we'll be returning our rentals, because the mercury is possibly going to hit 80 degrees before this week is through. Binbin has switched to baseball, and he's been going to skills and drills clinics sponsored by the Lisbon Junior Athletic League. On Sunday afternoon, we walked over to the MTM community center to hit the ball, and before we knew it, 6 or 7 kids were cycling in and out of the batting line up. I think it was just about the most small town moment I had ever experienced. Jack was just relieved that none of the kiddos nailed me in the skull with the bat. Apparently I'm not the world's best catcher. Who knew?

Binbin is back on drum lessons, too. He's been practicing the pattern for a Beetles' tune, and been working on his Ringo fill. I think he feels proud of his improving skills, but it's not all guns and roses. The snare is a bit too big, which makes it difficult to fit his little body behind that thing in such as way that he can still reach the pedals for the cymbals and the bass drum. He stood against the door jamb to the bathroom for the semi-annualish marking of his height, and I think he's gained but a scant half-inch since last summer. So, why does it look like he's wearing "floodies"?

Binbin's faves, in brief:

Reading: Lunch Lady, Encyclopedia Brown
Listening to: The White Giraffe, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Watching: The Avengers, The Secret World of Arriety, How It's Made, NOVA
Eating: rice, cold cuts, Klondike bars, strawberries with sucanat
Not eating: goldfish crackers, burned roasted sunflower seeds, Clif Bars, Z Bars
Playing: modified house pingpong, competitive solitaire
Still loves: Oreo and Inky aka the Wheekers, the Girls, the GGs, the Poopers, the Freakers

Home Sweet Home

We were (and are still) exhausted, but Binbin is exhilarated! He endured about 55 hours in the car from December 9-18, and his reward: a playroom filled with stuff with which to be reacquainted. I heard in my mind the happy soundtrack of "Toy Story" and the toy euphoria of being played with as I watched Binbin scoot around the house on his way-too-small wooden tricycle.

It's good to be able to smile even while my eyesight is blurry and my mind delirious from so many, many miles on the Interstate Highway System.

We're starting to unpack the dozen boxes that we sent through post (Thank you for staying in business even while you are losing money, USPS). And the task to get organized seems as herculean as is seems uninteresting. So, sounds like a good time for procrastination. Hmmm...what memories do we have of the last bleary blur of weeks at DS?

Much cooking with Edward and Matt, including a delicious end-of-term meal, which including tiramisu! More slaughtering of lambs, some done in bone-chilling weather. A handful of game nights with Emily and Katie, and one final spoon challenge to end all spoon challenges, which ended in a torn 8 of clubs and wicked, triumphant expression on Isaac. A last family photograph taken by Henrik's mercurial camera. Amity picked up "Pox: Save the People," which added a fresh twist to our game selection. Brother Kenneth was on hand to wipe the grins off our face, whenever necessary (and then some).

It feels, now that we are back in our home for the first time since the end of July, that our time in the high Sierra desert was just a dream. But, we are fortunate to have evidence in the form of a digital video shot and narrative by Binbin. The voice-over is delightful and original ("...and here...we have...our toilet... "), but the shaky clips of gazing at the ground are not recommended for the weak of stomach. Now that we're back in the land of (slightly) faster internet speeds, we'll try to edit a clip. Stay tuned.

Those of you at DS, we miss you; our friends in Maine, we can't wait to see you!

still here

We're still here, and we're still having fun! We had a visit from Yeye and Nainai last weekend, and it was great to be able to show them around our neighborhood, including a hike to the Druid and a drive up into the Whites to see the bristlecone pines. This weekend, things have been quieter. Family movie night featured "steamboy," an anime film in the "steam punk" genre. That was new to us, and pretty exciting with the mechanical inventions mixing with megalomaniacs. Today, we drove into Bishop to have a swim in the hot springs again. We had lunch at the Village Diner, stopped in to pick up a few things at Manor Market, and then used up half of our credit at the used book store, courtesy of Deep Springs.