The Jordan Harold Update
April 16th, 1996
801 “D” Street Apartment # 21, Davis California -95616-

I am teaching my son magic.
The most fantastic magic I know.
I am teaching him about the dancing of the wind with the trees, with long grasses, with Mama’s hair, and with bubbles Jordan is learning how to blow.

About hugs from friends, about how to watch wild birds and not be frightening.
How to ask a dog if they’d like some pats-so they’ll understand-and how to understand their answers.
How to climb trees-not hurting them, not hurting yourself.
Animals sounds:dog, cat, bird, crow, hawk, snake, bee, giraffe, cow, sheep, horse, pig, chick, duck, wolf...They make him very happy.

New ways to eat! With a spoon and a fork-mostly in the mouth anyway. New ways to move! Run, dance, spin, climb, crawl, backwards & forwards, up and down.

He makes new friends and has now has names to go with people. He asks for and about people he knows. He remembers where family members stayed when they came to visit and he talks about them when we pass the hotel or go into their rooms...”GiGi” for Great-gramma Martha, “PaPa” for Granpa Bill, “Babu” for Gramma Ellen (we were trying for Bubbi but Jordan had other ideas), “Auntie Mine” for Janet...

Jordan’s vocabulary grows everyday. He is finding ways to express himself in simple two and three word sentences. Funny ones like-”ask please pats” while he walks up to a dog and dog owner with one hand extended or “Daddy ‘umm” to tell Louis to eat something he thinks is yummy-come to mind.

The spring rains are ending. The final storms are passing through. The roses and a riot of late flowers are blooming; lilacs and daffodils are past. Jordan and I went out last week for a long walk and because Louis was studying and could not come with us to enjoy it, we brought the evening home to him. We filled my big floppy green felt hat with springtime-flowers, new leaves, a stone or three from puddles, feathers, and seeds-and presented them to the student at his desk.

Jordan has also discovered Winnie the Pooh and adores him. Whenever Jordan sees him (on Jordan’s sheets, on another child’s clothes or toys, in books, in a store or on TV), comes the excited cry of “Pooh! Pooh!”. We’ve had a bit of trouble with that at the video store. Jordan saw a Pooh video and yelled “MINEMINEMINE!!!!”. There was some yelling and a few tears when I told he we couldn’t buy it. We found common ground by renting it and a good time was had by all.

As that shows, not all with Jordan is easy or perfect. “Mine” and “no” are two of his favorite words (Louis says he is practicing to be two). I often remind myself he is just a little person learning and growing as little people do. Generally though, we get along well. I try to listen to him and he trys to listen to me. When this doesn’t happen and conflict occurs I ask him to sit with me and we “talk about it”; it seems a good method for now.

There are also tantrums...ugh...We try the sit and talk first but sometimes he is so upset, that all I can do is hold him and let him work it out for himself. He is a strong child.
Notes on the rest of the household.

Louis’ school year is drawing to a close and finals are looming as they tend to do. He has made Senior Articles Editor on the UDC Law Review! He is now ranked 8 kyu as a Go player and stills finds great enjoyment and challenge in it. Summer work is still up in the air. There is a good fall back job, as a research assistant to a professor at Davis.

I’ve stopped my flute lessons again. There was simply not time for me to devote myself; I felt I wasn’t getting enough out of it because of that. I’ll still work with Louis-we both get a lot out of that. I think my tone is better and relaxation level higher without the worry of whether I’m doing well enough for my teacher hanging over my head all the time. Perhaps in the future, when Jordan is older, I’ll try yet again.
Bozo cat just seems to get fatter. Her truce with Jordan is holding though.