Got a nasty comment on my last post – the self-righteous Kate. As much as I would like to defend myself against her, and those who imply (or directly state) that I am a bad and unloving mother, a bigger part of me shrugs – albeit sadly. Why defend myself against someone who has obviously already made up her mind about me? When willful ignorance meets judgemental cruelty, the result is almost comical. If this person had read the entries leading up to our placing Jonah at Anderson, she would hear how it very damn near killed us to do it. And yeah, I suppose I could just delete those kind of comments before anyone sees them, but that would sugarcoat a blog that’s intended to be “sans sugar. ”
I really appreciate those of you who bristle on my behalf (and on behalf of everyone like me whose life is all too easy to judge). Your advice is gentle, your kindness is a cushion, and your support means more than you know. Words can and do wound, but likewise they can heal. So thank you for writing all those healing things to me.
As for Boo, he had a pretty good week. He’s ravenous as usual, and his new kick is to put lettuce on grilled cheese sandwiches. In the grand scheme of possibilities, I suppose it isn’t all that weird. I wish he’d slow down and chew better, though. He often eats so fast he ends up gagging.
We did some singing on our last car ride. Jonah’s into the Chainsmokers and all kinds of other music. Lately he’s been asking for a CD of electronica my friend Gina made in 2000. It’s called Oracle of the Silent Mind; she sampled everything from Bugs Bunny to Beetejuice to make this opus. I love that Boo loves and chooses it on his own accord, without prompting from his biased mama – and I’d love to share it with you, but I need to upload it to YouTube.
Other current Jonah favorites include a host of Top 40 selections (it seems Ryan Seacrest is the new Casey Kasum), some rap, and, on nearly every car ride, he requests the beloved immortal classic by Sonny and Cher, Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves.
Yeah, you read that right.
About a year ago I made a mix for him with lots of poppy dance music, like Groove is in the Heart and Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). I added Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves to the mix as a joke – and guess what? It’s the only song on the whole damn mix he ever wants to hear. “Mama mix?” he asks to request this CD. Then, “Number 12?” he adds, evidently jonesing for some Cher. At the conclusion of the song, he states abruptly, “All done Mama mix,” and is on to the next request. If he asks for radio but is displeased with the current offering on that station, he’ll ask “other radio?” and Andy will try another station.
I miss my Boo and am looking forward to tomorrow’s visit. I’d like to try to make another mix for him, if only to find out which song he’ll enjoy the most. Knowing his penchant for Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, I’m tempted to seek out a similarly goofy tune – maybe Escape (The Piña Colada Song) or These Boots Are Made for Walkin.’
Feel free to comment with fun song suggestions.
Will Jonah like Put the Lime in the Coconut? In the Year 2525? Lemon Tree?
There’s certainly no shortage of interesting and wacky music to try.
Never stop listening to the music, Boo, whatever it may be. I’ll be there tomorrow to share it with you.
