小椅子的意義--what a difference a chair makes

When Dawei, Sebastian and I visited my brother in Taichung, he took us to this diner called Finga's Base Camp. It's a wonderful, family and child-friendly diner with freshly made food. It sort of doubles up as a deli and a supermarket. And it has a nice and sunny garden area. What impressed me about this place is that it has more than one highchairs for young kids. These days, I am becoming less and less willing to patron a restaurant that doesn't keep a high chair around. It's not much to invest. And if a restaurant doesn't want to make such an investment, then it's making a statement about who it wants as its customers. As a potential customer, I also can be choosy for the sake of a pleasant dining experience with my child.

A chair for a child makes a world of difference. What's in a chair? It's a claim on space. It spells a right to be here, to be among other people, old, young, poor, rich.

At home, Sebastian has always liked to move a small wooden chair around. He didn't seem that interested in sitting on it. He would turn it over, push it across the floor, or lift it. He tried to stand on it a couple of times--with our supervision. Sometimes he just seems content with having an object of the same scale. After all, everyday is like Jack and the Beanstock day.

One day, my mom bought a red plastic stool for Sebastian. It's much lighter and easy to move around. This red chair has a special function--it's the "eating" chair. Depending on the hour of the day and where the sun shines in the house, it will be set in different corners. So for example, during breakfast time, the chair is set in the corner between the kitchen and the dining room. When it's "banana" time, the chair is set next to the green couch (see picture). And when it's "cake" time in the afternoon, the chair is set against the door.

What's in a chair? It's a perspective. It's a way to experience the world.

安撫暴走母親的男人與小男孩

偶爾將安步託付爸媽照顧時，會發現自己陷入一種暴走的狀態。這是什麼意思呢？就是我會加倍的想要利用這個時間，multi-task到一種歇斯底里的狀態，搶時間洗曬衣服，回email，寫東西，處理公私的大小事。那種暴走比較是個心理狀態，當然雙手、雙眼、腦筋、整個身體都沒閒著，晚上入眠前會先做些基本的瑜珈呼吸，讓自己可以calm down。

我很苦惱這種暴走的狀態，更苦惱對於「太遲了」感覺的焦躁。

某天，蔡安步小朋友睡得比較晚，我跟大尾也慢條斯理的吃著早餐，等他睡到自然醒。當天我們相約要去看國際書展，九點一到，我卻開始焦躁，因為這樣往前推，等安步吃完早餐，大概就十點，慢慢的磨跟搭車去托兒所，大概也快十一點了。從家裡到市政府，大概也要45分鐘，大概逛不到一下，就要吃中飯了。我對如此沒效率的運用時間其實是頗有意見的。

安步大概九點一刻起來，他被大尾「發現」時，正一個人安安靜靜的坐在透著陽光的窗戶旁，把玩著桌燈的電線。果然，等到一切弄妥，到公車站旁時，已經十點半，結果我又很糟糕的沒攔下某班車，大尾很有氣度的沒對我發脾氣，但夫妻倆都有些無奈，各自嘆氣。我說坐小黃吧，再等下去恐怕真的要到中午才會到托兒所。進了小黃，我擋不住歲歲念的因子。

面對又開始暴走的我，大尾只說：look at this way, at least he got a full night's sleep.
我看看安步的臉龐，閃閃發光，充滿了朝氣與平衡。
頓時我不再暴走了。

可愛動物？！

許多針對兒童所製作的教具或書籍，都常有可愛的動物圖案，或是將動物描寫成溫和的動物，彷彿可愛的小朋友跟可愛的動物玩在一塊，真是再自然不過的事了。

在都市成長的小孩，或許在某個階段得先靠抽像的動物符號來認識實體的動物，但這樣的接觸或許也必須搭配另外一種媒介真實，第二張是幾年前有一位老兄在木柵動物園被獅子咬的新聞畫面。

其實我自己從不敢跟動物裝熟，遇到稍微大隻的的狗，我還是會露出害怕的神情，或是暫時不敢通行的狀況，或許與國小穿過政大校園曾被「七匹狼」追有關。現在安步遠遠看到狗要不就大吼一聲 DOG，要不就叫ㄍㄡˇ，上週日去台中玩時，在綠園道遇見遛狗趴踢，那兒的狗真的比幼兒多，而且應該花費也跟養小孩差不多吧。小娃兒很興奮，一付不畏的模樣，追在一隻又一隻狗的後面。為娘的我一邊追隨著他，一邊要在他與狗之間拉出一段安全距離。

不過我覺得這個階段安步還沒有被「動物＝可愛」的意識型態全面包圍。我這樣說好像很弱，但人類有時還是要意識到自己的limit. And, if I may say so, have some respect for animals. There will be times when animals and human beings are not on the same side in the survival game.

On Food, Eating with Sebastian, and New Year's Resolution

One of the most precious moments at the end of last year was breakfast with Sebastian in our kitchen. Typically, Sebastian is seated in his Combi chair during breakfast. But on this one particular morning, he seemed very interested in the food I was preparing. The food wasn't particularly different--blended mixed fruit and vegetable and rice porridge. The only difference was that he was patient and focused on eating this time. So instead of seating him, I simply sat down on the floor with the food and spoon fed him right there. The little guy sat right on my laps and ate happily.

It was one of those magical moments because it doesn't happen everyday. Sometimes the little guy eats happily and efficiently--thanks to Dawei, who both distracts him with new tricks and makes deals with him--with slightly better-looking food. Other times he simply refused everything. The little guy is developing a complicated sense and preference of tastes, texture, and looks. He checks out the kind of food Dawei and I eat and knows it's a different "class" of food even though he is not ready for it. With more teeth on the way, he seems less and less interested in mushy food. And he could smell sugar miles away.

It is human nature to gravitate toward sweet things. The question is quantity and timing--how much and when. I don't have too many resolutions for the new year. I just hope to cook for the family regularly and be less strict about sugar intake. Ha!