buddies

Wednesday is garbage day. Amado LOVES garbage day. He peers through the porch railing, commenting on each move of the truck. But the best part is talking to the garbage workers.

So today, first sound of the recycling truck, amado drops everything and tears out the door. The truck is still one house down from us, but as soon as Amado appears on the porch, the garbage trabajador who is hanging off the side smiles. A big huge smile. The kind of smile I give to Amado when I have been gone all day and havent seen him.

"Hey!" he yells.

"Hola! Gracias!" Amado yells back.

"We missed you the last two weeks! The route isnt the same without you!" he yells!

We were in Chula Vista visiting my mom and dad. And the garbage guy noticed. And commented. And was happy he was back. That is so awesome. What a cool kid, that even the garbage guy would comment on his absence!

my boy is growing up...

Three interrelated updates.

1. We have a potty chart in the bathroom, we put it up on Sunday evening. The thing is that each time Amado goes in the inodoro - pee or poo, we are equal opportunity - he gets to paste up an estrellita. 10 estrellitas equals one treat. He decided the treat would be helado (its actually plain flavored frozen yogurt, but shhh). Today, he reached 10 stars!! So we dropped eveything and headed out the door for helado con mochi y moras.

2. Amado went to see Dr. Bean yesterday for his check-up. You can sort of predict a child's height by the time they are 3 - there is some formula I cant rememeber right now. Anyways, Dr. Bean told us that Amado will probably be 6'2" or 6'3". Seriously. Oh. My. Lord. He gets a kick out of saying that he will have to look down to say hi to me. "Hola mami" he says, craning his neck way down like he is talking to an ant, then he explodes in a fit of giggles.

3. Based on the recent potty victory, Amado really likes to talk poo-poo. Tonight, as I was dressing him for bed, he started singing a song that he created, to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell":

Poo-poo huele feo
Poo-poo huele feo
Hi-ho-dee-airy-o
Poo-poo heuele feo

summer time means frambuesas

si tu puedes!

Today, Amado and I were leaving Berkeley Bowl. We were walking to the car, which was parked on the street, when we saw that there was a garbage truck in the Berkeley Bowl parking lot, picking up the Berkeley Bowl dumpsters. Well, most of you know Amado's love of the garbage truck. So we stayed to watch.

Little did I know that this show was gonna go on and on. They are really turning out a lot of waste over there at the Berkeley Bowl. Dumpster after dumpster was hoisted up, its contents tossed into the truck. Now, this is actually very interesting, I now know, since Amado has shown me the light. But I do have my limit. I mean, jeez, we were standing there for like 10 minutes. So then, I break the news to Amado, look, man, after this dumpster we are going. Okay, he agrees.

Of course, the truck stops mid-lift of this dumpster. Lord. I am trying to be patient, can't believe I didnt give the "last dumpster warning" on the previous dumpster. So in my impatience, I say, "come on, camion! sigue, sigue!"

Amado jumps right in. I guess my urguing must have reminded him of "La Pequena Locomotora Que Si Pudo" because he started cheering on the camion de basura. "Sigue, camion de basura! Si tu Peudes! Si tu pedes!" He picked up a little rythm with that one. "Si! Tu! Puedes! Si! Tu! Puedes!" he is chanting, jumping up and down with his little arm in the air.

And it worked.

The camion roared back up and lifted the load into the truck. Its amazing what a little cheering and support can do. Amado turned to me, completely satisfied and said, "wow, yo ayude este camion." Not surprised, just proud.

amado and tariq ali

my baby, when he was a baby...hanging out with tariq ali

three

today, my boy is three! my computer battery is about to die, so i'll leave it at that and write more later. please send him all your love, good wishes, and prayers for a happy day and year.