July 10, 2006

Why I was late for work.


Duck Princess
Originally uploaded by Citizen Rob.
I'm not a morning person. (And if you are, it doesn't mean I won't be your friend. I'm just unlikely to be your friend before 10am.) But some mornings are tolerable. More than tolerable, actually.

Take today, for example. We started off the day getting ready for summer camp the same way we always do, singing the Village People. Don't start with me. I don't put on assless chaps when we sing it, freaks. It's topical. Don't look at me like I'm a monster.

Anyway, our version just has the refrain over and over, with appropriate variations on her day camp theme. Today went like this:

Me: "We're gonna' play at the..."

Schuyler: "Eye-eh-ee-ay!" (YMCA, with the moves. Well, of course.)

Me: "We're gonna swim at the..."

Schuyler: "Eye-eh-ee-ay!"

Me: "And have some fun at the..."

Schuyler: "Eye-eh-ee-ay!"

Me: "And eat a bug at the..."

Schuyler: "Eye... Nooooooo!"

And then she laughed and signed Mommy, because as she makes clear to anyone who asks, Julie is the bug eater in our home.

When we were leaving, Schuyler opened the front door and stepped out first. I heard her gasp in amazement and say "Ah-ee!" (Daddy) When I looked out the door, I saw her standing in the grass as a flock of baby ducks mobbed her. They ran up to her, peeping excitedly and then lining up in front of her as if for inspection. They settled in for a while and relaxed with her. They weren't even a tiny bit afraid of her. She talked to them in her strange moonman language, and they peeped back at her as if she was making all the sense in the world.

That's how it is with Schuyler. She talks and you don't get it, but you want to. As we drove to camp, she was so happy about the ducklings that she sang the whole way. Unless I am horribly out of the loop regarding songs known by six year-olds, she wasn't singing anything she'd been taught in school. She makes up songs and lyrics, and I could listen to her sing them all day. Her songs make up the best part of any day, and also the saddest. They are songs that will be forever lost to the world, with meanings known only to her.

Anyway, that's why I was late to work. You can't blow off baby ducks.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something tells me that before long, she'll start writing her thoughts down for posterity for the fun of it.

Balancing Act; Jenn said...

You so totally can't (blow off baby ducks). You so totally can't.

How do you know I'm not Liddy Wales? said...

Dr. Doolittle! That's what the problem's been all along! She's been speaking duck!

Anonymous said...

I am a "lurker" who is unlurking. Great post...I love how you focus in on a simple yet meaningful event in Schuyler's life (in this case, Schuyler meets ducks). I'm excited for your book to be published.

Veeg said...

Good God, Rob. Could you please post a warning on posts which just might kill me with their cuteness?

Anonymous said...

Having grown up with a tense and angry mother who never got us out the door on time, I was determioned that Lynn and I would have perfect mornings full of laughter and singing. This post took me back to those wonderful days.

Once, just as we were about to exit the neighborhood to go out on the main road, we spied our neighbor's turtle, which had somehow broken out of its enclosure. We stopped, picked it up, took it back to the neighbor's house, and made sure it was secure. On Lynn's tardy excuse I wrote "saving turtle's life." She got marked up for an :unexcused tardy" and I got berated by my principal. It was worth it.

Anonymous said...

If you or Schuyler catch any flak for being late because of this, then you have officially found out that your boss/her camp counsellors Just Aren't Human.

Robert Hudson said...

No, I have the coolest boss on the planet. It's all good.

Amanda said...

amazing. great storytelling, both, uplifting and only a little lamentable. i think that you take the time to notice these things is beautiful. it's great that you are memorializing her childhood in this way.

Major Bedhead said...

That's just too cute. All of it, from Village People singing down to the ducks.

cd0103 said...

OMG-- Too cute for words.

Anonymous said...

that was lovely. you're a good dad.

Matilda said...

You can't blow off baby ducks.

. . . because baby ducks will FUCK your SHIT up.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for reminding me to appreciate the things I would normally overlook. Schuyler continues to grow into an amazing little girl.

kris said...

This may be my favorite Schuyler story ever. And I love just about every Schuyler story. I love the singing, I love the ducky conversation...even the animals realize they are in the presence of wordless wonder.

Anonymous said...

My brain just exploded with the awesomeness.

grandefille said...

Me: "And eat a bug at the..."

Schuyler: "Eye... Nooooooo!"


The ... oh ... my.

Thank y'all.

I hope every day has at least a small bit of this joy. From what you tell us, that appears to be the case.

Smooches from Tennessee!

Anonymous said...

by the way? you, rob, are gorgeous. with the gorgeous words.

Unknown said...

Ha, I'd love to hear her singing YMCA. That rules. And that's so sweet about the ducks! I'm sure they wish they understood her stories, too. Or maybe they did..

misty harley said...

Goodness, that backpack is bigger then her! What a great story, one I will need to remember when my kids are driving me batty!

CameraDawktor said...

good for you! what a super reason to be late for work!

that was an adorable story, thanks for sharing, and love the title of the photo, that's smart!

Anonymous said...

Lovely. I loved this story, it's a little tear in the eye, but a little gladness in the heart, all at once. Is Schuyler's singing tuneful, even if she doesn't pronounce the lyrics? I don't know which part of the brain helps us "carry a melody", but it'd be so great if this was one part that her monster had no domain over.

Anonymous said...

Rymer's a speaking kid, in fact he does nothing but talk at least 95% of the time but I've talked about this before..his songs, they're in some made up language only he understands. He sings alot, in the car..in the bath..cause he wants to and invariably if they're not Field Mice or Johnny Cash songs they are always his own little creations in the "secret language" and he won't translate. So even though Schuyler will be able to write them down at some point, like Rymer she may decide on the advantage of only she having the key to their meanings.

Anonymous said...

oh yeah..I almost forgot. You might try some Sigur Ros music for Schuyler. Most of the lyrics are made up of sounds not actual words, it's where my and Rymer's "yousialow" comes from. It was actually Rymer's idea since he loves them and thought she might like the fact that she could pretty much sing along. Of course, they're also his favouritest of favourite bands so he thinks everyone should love them. The newest album "takk" is a good starter.

FosterMommy said...

that's the cutest thing ever.
you are the best dad.

restlessly said...

"Why do birds suddenly appear
Everytime you are near
Just like me they long to be
Close to you"

Delurking to say thanks for sharing with us that sweet story, and that song suddenly came to mind when I saw that picture.