rest of 2012

Oct. 28

"I have a confession to make, which will sound as appalling to some people as though I were admitting to torturing small mammals: Buster and I walked out on NYCB Saturday night. I don't really enjoy that company. I'm sure they danced wonderfully, and that violinist who played onstage while the dancers stood gazing admiringly at her was brilliant. But it was hideously hot in the opera house, we have awful seats this season and we were both bored.

I wish we had gone to Grand Rapids Ballet's "Sleeping Beauty," instead."

 ***

Oct. 22

"Nana, singing: Our honor defend, we will fight to the end -- (distracted by traffic)
Buster: for Mich-i-gan! No Bucks!
Nana: What did you say?
Buster: Dough-nuts!"

***

Oct. 21

"Buster gave me some of his pancakes. Then he gave me part of a doughnut. Then he gave me half a candy bar. Then he said: Don't you think you're eating too many sweets, Nana?"

***

Oct. 20

"I went with Buster's Scout pack to a haunted forest. I figured he would be scared -- I didn't expect to walk half a mile with him clinging to my hip and sobbing, "I don't like this, I wish I was someplace else!" We were able to take a shortcut off the trail back to the party while everyone else went on screaming."

***

Oct. 8

"Busy Saturday with Buster: We sat on exercise balls and made little animals out of clay. Then we held a banjo concert using Silly Bandz on Tupperware containers. We made paper airplanes that we tried to fly down the stairs. We watched an episode of "Robot and Monster" on the Cartoon Network before switching to the Buckeyes game. We read jokes to each other. He made me a snack using ingredients, as he calls them (marshmallows, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries; microwave for 15 seconds)."

***

18: 4

"Buster: Mom said, "He's figuring out the remote!" And Dad said, "That's dangerous!" But it's not dangerous for me. I won't get hurt. I'm escaping from bad channels." *** Nice weekend with Buster, though overshadowed by anxiety over my daughter's broken foot. Yesterday, we toodled around. That's when you drive from place to place, doing a little of this and a little of that. Last night we watched a Dutch movie, dubbed into English, about a cat that turned into a young woman. I had him read to me today, instead of me reading Harry Potter, and discovered that he has lost the fluency he had in the spring -- I couldn't understand him because he was running all the sentences together. School cannot start soon enough! His brain is getting mushy." *** Aug. 14 Buster came over this weekend. Lots of fun: washed and walked the dog, visited a friend and played a board game with her, watched "Tangled" and tried to figure out what the plot could be if they made a movie called "Untangled," and read lots and lots of Harry Potter. I hadn't seen him in nearly a month. He said: I missed you, Nana, I missed you so much, I almost cried." *** Buster: Who's Aunt Mary? Nana: You know Aunt Mary! Buster: What does she look like? Nana: Tall, dark, dark hair, wears pretty clothes. Buster: I don' t know who she is. Nana: She has glasses. Buster: Oh, now I know who you mean! *** July 27 Buster: Who's Aunt Mary? Nana: You know Aunt Mary! Buster: What does she look like? Nana: Tall, dark, dark hair, wears pretty clothes. Buster: I don' t know who she is. Nana: She has glasses. Buster: Oh, now I know who you mean! ***  July 17 Buster: You're an old woman, I mean, lady! Nana: I am not an old lady! Buster: OK. You're an old person." *** July 2 Elvis "Buster" Presley sings the Dinner Song: "Love me tender, chicken tender... ***  June 26 My poor little Buster had his top four teeth pulled today -- Mother Nature was dawdling, and he needs braces to correct a crooked jaw (and you just thought he had a particularly darling smile!)." *** June 22 Buster: Why are roller skates so heavy? I guess so you won't fly into the air. Because the more you fly, the higher you go, the more you will hurt yourself." *** June 20  Buster: Why don't you make a war horse? You could go to a toy store and learn how." *** Also June 20: "I want so much to go to Chicago to see "War Horse"! Buster: Do you want to go to Chicago, or do you want to go to Paris? It's a tough question. Think it over." *** June 4 I spent three hours chopping excess foliage and trimming trees Saturday, to the detriment of my shoulder. But I didn't want to quit till I had run out of smart trims, because Buster was swinging on his swing set singing, "Nana and me, we're the best cutters ever!"" *** June 3 "Neighbor to Buster, who's practicing his gymnastics: Don't you get my lawn dirty! Buster: It's OK, these are clean clothes." *** May 27 Buster, in a threatening voice: I must take you to my evil lair! What is a lair, Nana? Nana: Your den, your hideout. What did you think it was? Buster: A restaurant. Nana: How could a restaurant be evil? Buster: All the food is poison.   ***  May 6   Buster doesn't think you should bother with "Dark Shadows": They put him in a box so he can't get out. He gets out. The end. Now you don't have to go and see it, Nana.   *** May 5 This land is your land, this land is my land, from the my-y-ystries to the sherlock holmeses. ***  May 4 Buster: You gave me too many noodles, Nana -- I have a little mouth! *** April 6 Buster: We had a great day today! And we had a great night! And tomorrow is another fun day for us and tomorrow is another fun night -- right, Nana? Also April 6: "I don't know what's funnier: trying not to laugh, or letting your grandmother push you along the floor with her foot. Or both. (Sorry I scraped your face on the bottom of the couch, Buster. Those corners are tricky!)" *** March 20 "I told Buster to tuck in the shirt he wears for the recital with his sequinned hoodie, and he said: We don't have to to! It's not Easter!" ***  Marcj 19 Buster tells me the little girls in his hip-hop class are going to wear masks as part of their recital costumes. Thinking of trick-or-treaters falling off porches, I ask: How can they dance with their eyes covered? He replies: Masks do have two holes if you might remember. It's not like they're fashion girls!" *** March 5 Buster, leaving a restaurant: It's OK if you leave your phone, Nana. Do you have your keys? What is more important, getting into your house or starving for food?" *** March 4 Buster writes a poem: The cheese sat on the knee. The cheese wanted to make friends with the knee. The knee didn't say anything. The cheese sat on the knee, Until he had to pee. Then the poet said: Sorry, Nana, I had to put that part in so it would rhyme. *** Feb. 25  Wonderful day with Buster. We watched "Phineas and Ferb," he played on the computer while I napped. We went to Trader Joe's with a little stuffed dog. We attempted to make lanyards or bracelets or somethun-somethun (his new word) by braiding plastic cord. He bounced around the house pretending to be a dog named Baxter. We watched a movie, played a card game and read three books. I'd like to bottle this day and take little sips of it for the rest of my life." *** Feb. 12 "We went to see the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble last night -- fine performance as always. But the best part was when the lady behind us whispered, "Well, that was pretty racy," and Buster whispered back, "And there weren't even any cars!"" ***  Jan. 28 The only thing crueler than tricking the dog into thinking again and again that someone's at the back door is handing your grandmother a Transformer and then leaving the room to trick the dog." *** Dec. 27, 2011 Buster, out on a walk, spies a neighbor: Look at that guy looking out his window! It's like he's in 3-D! *** Dec. 18 Buster trying to figure out "It's better to give than to receive": What do you give if you don't get anything? That's just crazy! You have to get presents for people, or you won't have anything to give them!" ***