Jonah desperately loves playing with our cell phones. He likes to press buttons; he likes to hold it behind his head (his preferred phone position) and say “hiiiii;” he likes to suck on them. He’ll play with them even if they are turned off. The memory of what they can do is probably vivid enough for imaginative play.
I prefer to turn them off before surrendering to his highly vocal and repetitive demands because I’d like to try to prevent that brain cancer that people aren’t sure but are pretty sure anyway but don’t worry about it that the phones do or don’t cause.
Yesterday, Scott took Jonah on an errand to the hardware store. A few minutes after they left, I received a video message on my cell phone.
Yes, he managed to film his view of the backseat, select send, select my phone number, and click it.
I texted back a question. Did Jonah send this?
When Scott got home, he was a little mortified. As he tells it, the boy had ahold of the phone before he got a chance to turn it off — and he thought, Well, it’s only five minutes.
Hilariously busted.
* * *
Last night we had a date. We went to see the Watchmen. The 7pm show.
I was furious with Scott. He’d bought the tickets a week in advance, just in case it was going to sell out, and hadn’t consulted with me on the time. 7pm start meant getting in line at 6:30; roughly Jonah’s bedtime.
Someone else was going to have to put him to bed.
I spent the week imagining me having to run out of the theater, drive home, sing him to sleep, and zoom back. I thought about not going at all.
But…
The nanny came at 6 and took over the bedtime routine. I filled her in on the order: Potty, books and bottle, then turn off the light, hold/rock him and sing three songs, and then down to bed. If he cries more than five minutes and/or is hyperventilating, go back and soothe again. And call me when he’s finally asleep.
We snuck out at 6:15 — as the nanny was pulling the boy’s pajamas over his head I peeked around the door frame and waved. (Of course I wondered and worried later as I do in these situations — is it better to sneak out after a successful transition or to say goodbye? Internets, please discuss.)
At 6:45, as we were sitting in the theater with our friends and listening to the Mighty Wurlitzer, my cell phone vibrated.
The nanny, reporting in. He’s asleep!
Phew.
Another milestone.
And I freaking loved the movie.
* * *
In addition to LikeIt, Jonah has added a few more twoword phrases to his repertoire:
UpAbove. As in the start of the line Up above the world so high (Twinkle, Twinkle…) — said at any time, as if singing to himself, or prompting us around him to start the song.
OfOne. Short for the Other One, as in, I’d like to nurse from the other boop, please.
AllRight. Said at any juncture. Can be like Wow. Can also be a comment on nothing. Marking the ending of something. Copying us and how we just sort of say it a lot. He said it in the check out line at the hardware store, after examining the roll of tape Scott was buying. The cashier was a bit shocked.
See’Em. At the zoo today, at each exhibit. Because we always ask: Can you see him/them? SeeEm!
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