Grabbing at his feet and singing with charm and enthusiasm:

To hear San and Laz sing this song, try this sample (2.2 MB) from the terrific CD with orchestra on the Gemini Web site.

Enjoying his sister's company and the comfort of a lemon bath, Simon marketed the experience like the best in the advertising business:

Have other parents found magic in the wisdom of "Siblings without Rivalry" and "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk"? Simon's daily neupogen shot is a perfect time to redirect complaining about someone to expressing needs directly. Here's the amazing scene that two worn-out, didn't-nap kids pulled of this evening. Simon made his customary request:

Miriam nodded, but still looked. Simon, reverting to a previous, ineffective style with his voice rising to a pinched whine:

Getting a hold of himself and finding an even, respectful tone without sounding patrionizing:

Miriam shook her head at the dolly idea and averted her gaze, as she was so politely asked to do. Simon's shot was over in no time. The cool bandage was applied, and we praised the children for showing each other respect. Mary asked what respect is, and Simon said:

We saw the marvelous children's play "Frog and Toad" put on by Wild Swan Theater today. During this fun adaptation of the Frog and Toad stories, the actors froze in tableaux between the scenes while the narrator set the stage for the next story. At one such point, Simon noticed how still they were holding and remarked:

He should know. He had his third CT scan without sedation the day before. He holds completely still for the five minute procedure, avoiding "sleepy medicine", which he doesn't much like.

Simon began to review the upcoming birthdays of kids at daycare.

Mary: And who has birthdays in September?

Mary: Miriam and Amelia! (Amelia and Miriam are a year apart and were BOTH born on September 20.) Simon responded enviously:

Mary: Does that mean you want to be a twin?

On the day we went to see Monsters, Inc. at an obscure mall on the east side of Cleveland with Grann, we had a bit of a whirlwind departure with no real hope of arriving before the 1:00 pm start time. As we drove out of Oberlin, Markus said:
"I need to push the button to make the lights and sirens go on!!"
Mary suggested:
"You need to push the button that says, 'So what if we're a little late for the movie? There are probably previews. And besides, we're a family that starts videos in the middle of things all the time. What's the big deal?'"
Markus replied:
"I don't have one of those buttons!!"

After several days of absence from the bathtub, Simon got reacquainted with bathing. When Markus asked him to use a washcloth to wash his arms and armpits, Simon wanted to know  what armpits are. Markus explained it to him and Simon happily complied:

He then moved the washcloth to his legs and continued:

Jenny, one of Simon's play therapists in the Activity Room at Mott, asked him as he left the room this afternoon: Simon, will you come back and say goodbye before you go home?

Jenny: You won't? Why not?

[Actually, Simon did stop by for a quick goodbye to Jenny and others in the Activity Room before we wheeled ourselves off the floor and headed home!]

While visiting Simon at the hospital on Saturday evening, Miriam began asking, quite insistently, for something we couldn't understand at first (has anyone else ever experienced that situation with a 2-year-old?).

We looked around for a book of Mother Goose, glanced at the videos to see if she was seeing something there, and finally figured out what she was after. The Nourishment Room!! (This is the room down the hall where families and nurses grab beverages and food from the refridgerators and freezers. What did Miriam want from the "Nursery Rhyme Room"?

said Simon, walking off with pickles number 3 and 4 before 10:00 am this morning (these are 3-inch Kosher dills, by the way).

Looking joyfully around Simon's hospital room during a visit, Miriam said:

Mary: Is there anything else you'd like to buy?

*Carr's Table Water Crackers.

Anyone who has interacted with Simon at the hospital knows that Rule Number One is not to stand in his line of vision if he's watching television. Rule Number Two is not to expect him to respond to verbal communication while he's watching television. Rule Number Three is to hold out for those sunny times when he DOES want to interact and he engages just as fully with you as he does with the TV when it's the TV's turn.

This morning, a young man came in to draw Simon's blood. As he typically does, especially with a new face, Simon asked him what he was doing. When the young man lifted Simon's shirt to locate his Broviac lines to draw the blood, Simon (who had perspired heavily during the night) cautioned in a friendly voice:

Here are the fortunes Simon got with our Chinese dinner:

May you have great luck.

An ounce of gold cannot buy an ounce of time.

Simon was making a jigsaw puzzle and got distracted by something Miriam did. Trying to pick up where he'd left off, he remarked:

In the Reptile House at the Toledo Zoo, Mary and Simon found a wishing well. Referring to his recent comments about making a wish (see February 26 quote), they had this conversation.
Mary: Do you want to make a wish?

Why not?

[Coins that travel a mesmerizing spiral to the bottom of the "well" do, in fact, support zoo activities! Simon had picked up on the signage over the well.]

If you've just joined us (or you want to see an older quote again), please have a look at the previous months archived here. Simon continues to amaze us with the insightful and funny things he has to say, and we know this section has been a popular part of his site!