Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Day 241: Ask and You Shall Receive
Whelp... our video is too large to post on blogspot...
BUT, it is on my facebook page!
BTW: Today Grayson told me that his mama drives like a Serbian. I am not joking... he really said it. I’m not sure what that means... but it made me giggle.
BUT, it is on my facebook page!
BTW: Today Grayson told me that his mama drives like a Serbian. I am not joking... he really said it. I’m not sure what that means... but it made me giggle.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Day 235: Rock Out, The Saga Continues
So, as per my previous post, “Rocking Out” has become a Schutz Happening... on a regular basis. But, Cake is no longer. For some reason Grayson now finds “The Distance” scary. Now, I do understand... the band Cake does have a bit of a creepy sound if you don’t understand their lyrics... but alas, “Rocking Out” has not ended... but evolved. Grayson now has two favorite bands... “Barenaked Ladies” and “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy”. And for the latter... for those of you who know me well... I couldn’t be prouder. Grayson likes swing music!
Now, the point of this story is the cutest conversation that we had over dinner tonight. Whenever i play a song for Gray, he is now very interested in knowing “who is signing this song”. And of course, I tell him the names of the person or the band. If he likes them... he will request them by name. Tonight we eat dinner to “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy”.
Oh, and one other distinction I give these bands is whether I have seen them in concert.
Me: “Oh, Dada really likes ‘Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,’ I have seen the in concert.”
Gray: “You’ve seen them?”
Me: “Yes.”
Gray: “Oh.”
Now, although Gray understands the concept of a band as friends getting together to play a song... he has yet to grasp the concept of a concert... not that he should at 3 years old... but this level of confusion tonight at dinner achieved a whole new level of cuteness.
Gray: “Daddy, you’ve seen them?”
Me: “Who?”
Gray: “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.”
Me: “Yeah, I’ve been them.”
Gray: “How did you see them?”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Gray: “How did you see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy? Did you stand next to them?”
And thus... cuteness achieved!
Now, the point of this story is the cutest conversation that we had over dinner tonight. Whenever i play a song for Gray, he is now very interested in knowing “who is signing this song”. And of course, I tell him the names of the person or the band. If he likes them... he will request them by name. Tonight we eat dinner to “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy”.
Oh, and one other distinction I give these bands is whether I have seen them in concert.
Me: “Oh, Dada really likes ‘Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,’ I have seen the in concert.”
Gray: “You’ve seen them?”
Me: “Yes.”
Gray: “Oh.”
Now, although Gray understands the concept of a band as friends getting together to play a song... he has yet to grasp the concept of a concert... not that he should at 3 years old... but this level of confusion tonight at dinner achieved a whole new level of cuteness.
Gray: “Daddy, you’ve seen them?”
Me: “Who?”
Gray: “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.”
Me: “Yeah, I’ve been them.”
Gray: “How did you see them?”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Gray: “How did you see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy? Did you stand next to them?”
And thus... cuteness achieved!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Day 231: He's Going the Distance
Have I taken the opportunity to declare how proud I am of my son? Definitely not often enough. So, can I just take a minute to brag and tell you how proud of that 3’3” tall 3 year-old I am? Not only is he a big boy and new going to school 3 days a week... but he is adjusting amazingly to this new adventure of our... he can count and knows his letters... he’s making friends easily... and he has amazing taste in music. Right now he is obsessed with the song “The Distance” by Cake... which is one of my favorite bands.
I know what you are probably thinking... one of your favourite bands... of course he is going to attach himself to a song if he hears it all the time. Not true. Those of you who know me we know that I have a very eclectic music taste and I have no problem putting my entire music collection of shuffle and simple enjoy what I hear.
So, how did this obsession begin? Well Grayson and I really enjoy “Rocking Out”. And cute as it is... that is what we call it, “Daddy? Can we rock out?” It’s awesome. And frankly, rocking out is pretty much what it sounds like: loud music and lots of dancing.
I can’t remember how it all started, but I am pretty sure I was trying to distract Gray from bugging Serena while she was making dinner... and I wasn’t interested in turning the TV on... I think I was in the mood for listening to music. Anyway, I don’t like silence, so I wanted music and whenever I would ask Gray if he wanted to listen to music he would say “no”. So, this one evening, instead of asking if he wanted to “listen to music” I asked if he wanted to “rock out”... this new phase instantly intrigued him. “What’s rock out”. Me: “I’ll show you”. So, we ‘rocked out’.
Really, all I do is scroll through my iPod and play fast upbeat music... it is also a great way to tire him out at the end of the day. Most of the time when we ‘rock out’ we don’t finish any of the songs... when I start to see him getting bored I change songs... and sometimes he doesn’t like songs and he requests a change. A couple weeks ago we were doing this and I played “The Distance”. Now, you need to understand that I did not tell him the name of the song... he figured it out on him own. We danced and listened to the whole song... and when it was over, he asked for it again. I think we danced to it about 4 times. And that was it... so I thought. The next day Gray kept asking for something... and finally I realized that he was asking for “a distance”... and then quickly realized that he was referring to the song. I have to admit it is a very catchy song... but I didn’t realize how attached to it he had become until this afternoon, we were out running some errands and on our way home I heard Gray singing in his car seat, and the following quote is not an exaggeration, Gray was singing “he’s going the distance, he’s going for speed, he’s all alone, all alone, in a time of need.” Once Serena and I realized what he was saying the car erupted into the rest of the song. It was awesome. And I love the fact that Gray even included the “all alone” echo from the back-up vocals. It is really great and terribly cute. I will have to shoot some video of it.
-JP
I know what you are probably thinking... one of your favourite bands... of course he is going to attach himself to a song if he hears it all the time. Not true. Those of you who know me we know that I have a very eclectic music taste and I have no problem putting my entire music collection of shuffle and simple enjoy what I hear.
So, how did this obsession begin? Well Grayson and I really enjoy “Rocking Out”. And cute as it is... that is what we call it, “Daddy? Can we rock out?” It’s awesome. And frankly, rocking out is pretty much what it sounds like: loud music and lots of dancing.
I can’t remember how it all started, but I am pretty sure I was trying to distract Gray from bugging Serena while she was making dinner... and I wasn’t interested in turning the TV on... I think I was in the mood for listening to music. Anyway, I don’t like silence, so I wanted music and whenever I would ask Gray if he wanted to listen to music he would say “no”. So, this one evening, instead of asking if he wanted to “listen to music” I asked if he wanted to “rock out”... this new phase instantly intrigued him. “What’s rock out”. Me: “I’ll show you”. So, we ‘rocked out’.
Really, all I do is scroll through my iPod and play fast upbeat music... it is also a great way to tire him out at the end of the day. Most of the time when we ‘rock out’ we don’t finish any of the songs... when I start to see him getting bored I change songs... and sometimes he doesn’t like songs and he requests a change. A couple weeks ago we were doing this and I played “The Distance”. Now, you need to understand that I did not tell him the name of the song... he figured it out on him own. We danced and listened to the whole song... and when it was over, he asked for it again. I think we danced to it about 4 times. And that was it... so I thought. The next day Gray kept asking for something... and finally I realized that he was asking for “a distance”... and then quickly realized that he was referring to the song. I have to admit it is a very catchy song... but I didn’t realize how attached to it he had become until this afternoon, we were out running some errands and on our way home I heard Gray singing in his car seat, and the following quote is not an exaggeration, Gray was singing “he’s going the distance, he’s going for speed, he’s all alone, all alone, in a time of need.” Once Serena and I realized what he was saying the car erupted into the rest of the song. It was awesome. And I love the fact that Gray even included the “all alone” echo from the back-up vocals. It is really great and terribly cute. I will have to shoot some video of it.
-JP
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Day 226: The Trifecta!
So, it has been a while yet again. Life has been very busy for the Schutz’s... February has been a month of travelling. We made it to three different countries in three weeks.
We started the month off with a wonderful trip to Opatia, Croatia. It is on the Adriatic coast and I highly recommend it. The Croatian coast will be a place I will return to... and often I hope.
The following weekend it was off to Rome, Italy... which was... well... really expensive. Too expensive actually. Don’t get me wrong, I was breath taking to see the Coliseum, Vatican, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain... but Rome is just expensive. Listen... I love bourbon... and someday I might treat myself to a glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label... just to enjoy it once and say that I have had it.
I have been to Rome.
Now, I would definitely go back to Italy... it is such a beautiful country and there is so much to see... I just don’t think I’ll be dying to go back to Rome just for the Gelato.
Anyway, we finished up our trifecta of travel with a very special trip to Budapest where we met up with our good friends Kirby and Heather Winters, and their son KJ. And there is one thing I will say about Budapest... the food is amazing... we were in Budapest for less than 24 hours and every meal was one of the best I have ever had... except for the breakfast at the hotel. We had turkey, duck, fuagra, and wild boar! It was amazing... and my meals were cheaper than a taxi cab ride in Rome (big plus... yes, I am bitter).
If you are a foodie... believe it or not... go to Budapest! You will not regret it.
After our amazing meals we all (Kirby, Heather, and KJ included) ventured back to Belgrade for a few days of wining and dining... It is nice to actually show people that we are not messing around when we say that Serbian cuisine consists of meat, stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon.
It was a great trip... and it was really nice to see old friends... it is hard to believe that it has already, almost, eight months since we left Georgia... it is even harder to believe, now that I have done the math, that we have been in Belgrade for over three months (going on four). Time sure does fly when walk to work in the snow. Seriously... the snow just melted yesterday... it was on the ground for about two months. But beautiful.
Anyhow, we are back in Belgrade... and the Winters’ hadn’t even been gone for a week when we received the next reservation for a room at the Casa de la Schutz... Serena’s best friend from Peace Corp, Erin, will be joining us for a little over a week at the end of the month. We visited with Erin last year, when we were in Geneva... so it should be fun... and there is some talk about hitting Romania. Which is another interesting prospect... I hope the food is good!
We started the month off with a wonderful trip to Opatia, Croatia. It is on the Adriatic coast and I highly recommend it. The Croatian coast will be a place I will return to... and often I hope.
The following weekend it was off to Rome, Italy... which was... well... really expensive. Too expensive actually. Don’t get me wrong, I was breath taking to see the Coliseum, Vatican, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain... but Rome is just expensive. Listen... I love bourbon... and someday I might treat myself to a glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label... just to enjoy it once and say that I have had it.
I have been to Rome.
Now, I would definitely go back to Italy... it is such a beautiful country and there is so much to see... I just don’t think I’ll be dying to go back to Rome just for the Gelato.
Anyway, we finished up our trifecta of travel with a very special trip to Budapest where we met up with our good friends Kirby and Heather Winters, and their son KJ. And there is one thing I will say about Budapest... the food is amazing... we were in Budapest for less than 24 hours and every meal was one of the best I have ever had... except for the breakfast at the hotel. We had turkey, duck, fuagra, and wild boar! It was amazing... and my meals were cheaper than a taxi cab ride in Rome (big plus... yes, I am bitter).
If you are a foodie... believe it or not... go to Budapest! You will not regret it.
After our amazing meals we all (Kirby, Heather, and KJ included) ventured back to Belgrade for a few days of wining and dining... It is nice to actually show people that we are not messing around when we say that Serbian cuisine consists of meat, stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon.
It was a great trip... and it was really nice to see old friends... it is hard to believe that it has already, almost, eight months since we left Georgia... it is even harder to believe, now that I have done the math, that we have been in Belgrade for over three months (going on four). Time sure does fly when walk to work in the snow. Seriously... the snow just melted yesterday... it was on the ground for about two months. But beautiful.
Anyhow, we are back in Belgrade... and the Winters’ hadn’t even been gone for a week when we received the next reservation for a room at the Casa de la Schutz... Serena’s best friend from Peace Corp, Erin, will be joining us for a little over a week at the end of the month. We visited with Erin last year, when we were in Geneva... so it should be fun... and there is some talk about hitting Romania. Which is another interesting prospect... I hope the food is good!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Day 163: Painting the Town Green
So as you may have known, that before leaving the States, we had joined an organic vegetable co-op. Every two weeks we would drive out to some random person's house and pick-up a box of random fruits and vegetables… our involvement in the program was really quite random. And also before we left, we were talking with my brother about buying a cow… not to graze in our backyard… but to eat. You see, there are farms that you can contact that sell free range, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free cows. My brother had done this previously, and we were so impressed by the quality and the price… it is based on the hanging weight of the cow, so every cut of meat costs the same… which next to nothing… so if you are willing to upfront he cost of an entire cow.
Anyway, what is my point? In Serbia there is no such thing as buying "organic" fruits and vegetables… because everything is organic. And there is no such thing as hormone/antibiotic free cattle… because they don't use hormones or antibiotics on their cattle.
It is really an amazing concept… and yes, everything does taste better.
Anyway, for people like us… and our ideals in the food we eat… we are living in a wonderland. There are these amazing "green markets" here, which are just like our "farmers markets" back home, except way more elaborate and open every day… even in the winter. But if you come shopping at the green market in the winter time, you better like root vegetables, because you can only buy items that are in season.
How elaborate? Well, besides the myriad of stalls dedicated to produce, there are also a number of permanent structures dedicated to butchers, fish markets, cheese and dairy shops… it’s not just some guy with a cooler full of frozen meat… we are talking about a full blown butcher shop… like the kind in the movies… which pretty much doesn't exist in the States anymore. Think about going to Publix and asking the "butcher" there for specific poundage of a specific cut of meat… what is he going to do or say… "uhhh… everything we have is out in the coolers." At these markets in the dedicated butcher shops… you can request whatever you want… How glorious is that?
Besides these specialty shops, you can also find people selling basic electronics, clothing and toys… so there is a flea market vibe in some sections of the market at well. This is pretty cool.
Now, you have to remember… which I always remind you in these blogs. We speak very limited Serbian. And frankly, the green markets, are not where you go if you want to find a vender that speaks English… although we have found some. So… on our first trip to the green market Serena and I figured out a full proof plan. We would only go to vender who had their prices posted. In Kenya, it is a bartering society… and the last thing we wanted was to try and barter not know in the language… or knowing what the price trends were. So, we would go to a marked vender, point, and say "Jedan Kilo"… which simply means one kilogram. The vender would weigh our order, hand it to us, and rattle off some number so fast that we could not understand. But, that lead us to the second part of our plan. We would smile, nod, and hand them 200 Dinar (less than $4.00) and then wait for our change. Which we always got. 200 Dinar seemed to be a full proof number… we never looked like idiots for giving them to little money… we only looked like idiots when we gave then 200 Dinar… and the only needed to give them 50 Dinar. But the point is that no one tried to take advantage of us… that we know of. It was a great experience… after all of our shopping and paying for a taxi cab both ways… we only spent about $26.00 US Dollars… and had plenty of Beets… and Pears… and Turnips… and Carrots…
Oh… and walnuts. There were some venders there that specialized in chopped nuts. And we wanted some walnuts. But, who needs one kilogram of walnuts… so we tried to ask for a half-kilo of Walnuts… without knowing how to say it vocally. So Serena held up one finger saying "Jedan" and began using another finger to strike through it… or cut it… in half. Eventually, we had the nut vender doing the same thing… and then he started saying something to us in Serbian… which we can only imagine was "oh, you want a half-kilo of Walnuts you strange America nut eaters…" Well, our assumption was correct. We communicated with the international symbol for a half-kilo.
All is right in the world, hurray!
Anyway, what is my point? In Serbia there is no such thing as buying "organic" fruits and vegetables… because everything is organic. And there is no such thing as hormone/antibiotic free cattle… because they don't use hormones or antibiotics on their cattle.
It is really an amazing concept… and yes, everything does taste better.
Anyway, for people like us… and our ideals in the food we eat… we are living in a wonderland. There are these amazing "green markets" here, which are just like our "farmers markets" back home, except way more elaborate and open every day… even in the winter. But if you come shopping at the green market in the winter time, you better like root vegetables, because you can only buy items that are in season.
How elaborate? Well, besides the myriad of stalls dedicated to produce, there are also a number of permanent structures dedicated to butchers, fish markets, cheese and dairy shops… it’s not just some guy with a cooler full of frozen meat… we are talking about a full blown butcher shop… like the kind in the movies… which pretty much doesn't exist in the States anymore. Think about going to Publix and asking the "butcher" there for specific poundage of a specific cut of meat… what is he going to do or say… "uhhh… everything we have is out in the coolers." At these markets in the dedicated butcher shops… you can request whatever you want… How glorious is that?
Besides these specialty shops, you can also find people selling basic electronics, clothing and toys… so there is a flea market vibe in some sections of the market at well. This is pretty cool.
Now, you have to remember… which I always remind you in these blogs. We speak very limited Serbian. And frankly, the green markets, are not where you go if you want to find a vender that speaks English… although we have found some. So… on our first trip to the green market Serena and I figured out a full proof plan. We would only go to vender who had their prices posted. In Kenya, it is a bartering society… and the last thing we wanted was to try and barter not know in the language… or knowing what the price trends were. So, we would go to a marked vender, point, and say "Jedan Kilo"… which simply means one kilogram. The vender would weigh our order, hand it to us, and rattle off some number so fast that we could not understand. But, that lead us to the second part of our plan. We would smile, nod, and hand them 200 Dinar (less than $4.00) and then wait for our change. Which we always got. 200 Dinar seemed to be a full proof number… we never looked like idiots for giving them to little money… we only looked like idiots when we gave then 200 Dinar… and the only needed to give them 50 Dinar. But the point is that no one tried to take advantage of us… that we know of. It was a great experience… after all of our shopping and paying for a taxi cab both ways… we only spent about $26.00 US Dollars… and had plenty of Beets… and Pears… and Turnips… and Carrots…
Oh… and walnuts. There were some venders there that specialized in chopped nuts. And we wanted some walnuts. But, who needs one kilogram of walnuts… so we tried to ask for a half-kilo of Walnuts… without knowing how to say it vocally. So Serena held up one finger saying "Jedan" and began using another finger to strike through it… or cut it… in half. Eventually, we had the nut vender doing the same thing… and then he started saying something to us in Serbian… which we can only imagine was "oh, you want a half-kilo of Walnuts you strange America nut eaters…" Well, our assumption was correct. We communicated with the international symbol for a half-kilo.
All is right in the world, hurray!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Day 159: Pip, Pip, Cheerios
So, if you have been reading… you will know that Grayson has an obsession… pillow fights. Pillow fights and chocolate. Two obsessions: Pillow fights, chocolate… and naked time. Three obsessions: Pillow fights, chocolate, naked time… and the Backyardigans. Four obsessions!
But the sake of this story… there we need only to focus on the forth: "The Backyardigans"
For those of you wondering, "what the heck is the Backyardigans" I will allow IMDB to fill you in with the details:
"THE BACKYARDIGANS is Nick Jr.'s animated musical adventure series about five high-spirited young (probably early elementary school age) friends, who rely on their vivid imaginations to embark on amazing, epic adventures. In every episode, the backyard transforms into a new fantastic, photo-real landscape that serves as the backdrop for completely original, story-driven musicals. Broadway-caliber music spanning a variety of genres and cutting-edge 3D dance choreography propel the stories forward. The series will inspire children to sing and dance along with these lovable characters and stretch their imaginations as they climb up mountains, slide down glaciers and sail across oceans."
Sounds fun huh? It's actually a pretty darn good show… and for TV really promotes imaginative play. Which leads me to my Grayson story:
The other day after work, Gray and I were hanging out… and out of no where he started calling me "father". "Father, would you like to play pillow fight with me." "How are you today Father?" "Hip, Trip, Cheerios Father." "Would you like a cup of tea Father." And yes, he pretty much all of those things back to back. And I don't know what it was that he said… because he was a little hard to understand… and then it dawned on me… "Grayson, are you speaking in a British accent?"
Now, personally, I don't think Grayson knows what a British Accent is… but he said yes and quickly offered me "a spot of tea". Some how he had gotten the lingo down and was pretending to be British. That's my boy!
So, of course, I throw my accent on and Gray and I have a wonderful time making each other laugh while pretending to be British… all the while, I am wondering how we even started this game… and most importantly… how Grayson ended up being the one who started it.
Well, that question was answered a little later. After dinner Grayson asked to watch "The Backyardigans"… as he always does… and there are four episodes on each disc… so if you are not careful, after one ends, another episode will start right away… and at the start of each episode they tell you the name of the backyard adventure you are about to watch. To my dismay… and Serena's… we here a character call out the title of the episode, "The Great Tea Party"… and then see Grayson cheer, just up and down on the couch, and start shouting, "Hip, Trip, Cheerios"… or rather that was what we through he was saying… Grayson thought he was saying "Pip, Pip, Cheerio."
And after his excitement of the episode was over, Grayson turned to me and said, "Thank you Father."
BTW: Santa could not resist. That sweet little boy was surprised to stuffed animals to all five Bandyardigan characters. And yes, that “Santa Claus” is more than happy to pack all five of them into a backpack whenever the family leaves the house… because that sweet little boy doesn’t want to leave his best friends behind.
But the sake of this story… there we need only to focus on the forth: "The Backyardigans"
For those of you wondering, "what the heck is the Backyardigans" I will allow IMDB to fill you in with the details:
"THE BACKYARDIGANS is Nick Jr.'s animated musical adventure series about five high-spirited young (probably early elementary school age) friends, who rely on their vivid imaginations to embark on amazing, epic adventures. In every episode, the backyard transforms into a new fantastic, photo-real landscape that serves as the backdrop for completely original, story-driven musicals. Broadway-caliber music spanning a variety of genres and cutting-edge 3D dance choreography propel the stories forward. The series will inspire children to sing and dance along with these lovable characters and stretch their imaginations as they climb up mountains, slide down glaciers and sail across oceans."
Sounds fun huh? It's actually a pretty darn good show… and for TV really promotes imaginative play. Which leads me to my Grayson story:
The other day after work, Gray and I were hanging out… and out of no where he started calling me "father". "Father, would you like to play pillow fight with me." "How are you today Father?" "Hip, Trip, Cheerios Father." "Would you like a cup of tea Father." And yes, he pretty much all of those things back to back. And I don't know what it was that he said… because he was a little hard to understand… and then it dawned on me… "Grayson, are you speaking in a British accent?"
Now, personally, I don't think Grayson knows what a British Accent is… but he said yes and quickly offered me "a spot of tea". Some how he had gotten the lingo down and was pretending to be British. That's my boy!
So, of course, I throw my accent on and Gray and I have a wonderful time making each other laugh while pretending to be British… all the while, I am wondering how we even started this game… and most importantly… how Grayson ended up being the one who started it.
Well, that question was answered a little later. After dinner Grayson asked to watch "The Backyardigans"… as he always does… and there are four episodes on each disc… so if you are not careful, after one ends, another episode will start right away… and at the start of each episode they tell you the name of the backyard adventure you are about to watch. To my dismay… and Serena's… we here a character call out the title of the episode, "The Great Tea Party"… and then see Grayson cheer, just up and down on the couch, and start shouting, "Hip, Trip, Cheerios"… or rather that was what we through he was saying… Grayson thought he was saying "Pip, Pip, Cheerio."
And after his excitement of the episode was over, Grayson turned to me and said, "Thank you Father."
BTW: Santa could not resist. That sweet little boy was surprised to stuffed animals to all five Bandyardigan characters. And yes, that “Santa Claus” is more than happy to pack all five of them into a backpack whenever the family leaves the house… because that sweet little boy doesn’t want to leave his best friends behind.
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