“Triangle man, Triangle man…
Triangle man hates Particle man;
They have a fight – Triangle wins…
Triangle man!”
Jonah loves musical instruments. While digging though his toy box to clean out broken or outgrown stuff, I came across a triangle and beater. It was one of those things he didn’t have a whole lot of interest in two or three years ago, but I demonstrated its use and then handed it over to see if he’d like it. Immediately he jammed out, playing in definite rhythm to a song in his head…I think it may have been “Jingle Bells.” (Since Jonah doesn’t really understand the concept of seasonal music, he’s just as apt to perform a Christmas song in July as December).
Just the other day he was in the bathroom sing-shouting “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” He butchers both the reindeer names and their order of appearance: You know Datter and Bitzen and Danter and Comma! Dishen and Rudoff and Rudoff and Rudoff!
This from a kid who can memorize lyrics of most songs nearly perfectly, if you forgive his lack of diction.
I wish I could’ve taken him with me to see the Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead re-enactment band my cousin Brian and I went to on Saturday night. We stayed in the back and danced, and I think Jonah would’ve loved it. But is it worth the $31 ticket price to take the chance? I suppose the concert would’ve been loud enough to drown out any of his annoying screeching or yelling, but what if he flipped out completely and we had to leave, or he ran through the crowd and got lost? These fears keep me from taking him with me to a lot of things. I’ve tried and regretted it too many times. And I’m selfish enough to admit that I really enjoyed being at the show with just my cousin. (I danced like I did when I was 20 at a Dead show… spinning, grinning, whirling, stomping around. Stupid Deadhead, spinning’s for kids! Eventually I spun myself right into a wall and had to sit on a step to rest. And when it was all over, I limped back to the car like a peg-legged pirate.) I guess I ain’t 20 anymore.
So Jonah’s in his room now playing a keyboard toy. He’s been banished there because he tried to attack Andy on the ride home from after-school program. He was okay at school, and good at after-school, so Andy was going to take him to Burger King (right up there with Grandma’s house on the list of Jonah’s favorite places to go) — but then Jonah lost his shit. So no Burger King. Andy swears he’ll crack him and I think if anyone can do it, he can. I’ve also got a meeting with a child psychiatrist who consults with kids at Wildwood; I guess the doc is going to observe Jonah (with my luck Jonah’ll be an angel that day) and then offer some recommendations.
I sure hope this dude’s got some good ones, ’cause we’re running short on ideas here in Jonah-land, and it isn’t a whole lot of fun.
The Never Normal 