Frith O’Steen

So, readers of past entries in the Frith and Decker blog universe will perhaps recall that my son in loopy and loco for fruit. Sadly, he is particularly loopy and loco for fruit that is seasonal, so we can’t always get it for him. But the great thing about that is - when it does come back into season, he is so beside himself that he literally can be motivated to do anything you ask for the promised reward of fruit - specifically, strawberries and blueberries. I blame this addiction largely on his grandpa, my dad. The man is just silly for fruit. And he knows that my little guy is nuts for it too, so he always has some sort of special treat for him when we come over. (Plums, grapes, berries, you name it). It’s actually very sweet - I think sometimes Decker has been intimidated by my dad because of his size, but the two of them have truly bonded over nature’s bounty. Decker knows if he brings an orange to his grandpa that he will peel it for him, and the other night he was willing to do tricks for pieces of strawberry hidden in my dad’s hand! (ie: “Decker - can you be a scarecrow - you can have some strawberry…”, whereupon the child’s arms stick straight out practically before the sentence is finished!).

It is a good motivator though - but you have to be sure you have the goods on hand before you say their name! Today I told Decker it was lunch time and we were gonna have strawberries but we had to put all his toys away first (we were outside). You have never seen a toddler move so swiftly to put away bikes and wagons. He then sat promptly down with his little legs sitting straight out, calling “sooooooos, OFF, mama!” (shoes off, now mommy!). We go inside, and he streaks for the highchair, chanting “sahbeddah” over and over, and I go to the fridge to find….no strawberries. WHAT? I just bought some last night? Where are they where are they where are they? Sean put the groceries away, but maybe I forgot them in the shopping cart? Oh man I am practically ready to load the kid back in the car to go the store just to procure the promised produce, for I know the disappointment and angst that awaits me if I don’t cough them up right now. I call Sean, and he reassures me that he simply had put them in a hard to spot place for Decker (and his mom, thanks very much!). Ok, apoplectics fits averted - strawberries for all!

Kid still won’t eat cheese, peanut butter, or meat - but dang he loves his fruit. No scurvy in this house!

So a couple of weekends ago, I went with my family to catch the Upright Citizens Brigade at the SF Sketchfest over at the Eureka Theatre. The show was awesome - they are so damn funny. I’d gotten to see them once before at their regular location (a theatre under the Gristedi’s grocery store in NY), and it was really cool to see them again. Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler are hi-larious. Very funny women. (And quick on their feet! Much more fun to watch than the disastrous planned improvs of high school drama days gone by).

Anyway, we had parked in the Embarcadero area, and we were walking over to the Ferry Building to meet my sisters, when we crossed over through the little park across the street from Safeway. From a couple of blocks away, we could hear what sounded exactly like someone jumping up and down on a big box of squeaky toys (which would be my idea for a performance art piece, albeit probably not a very good one). We get closer and realize that the trees there are jam-packed with bright green parrots! I thought they only hung out at the Filbert Steps, but they must be moving out to the birdie suburbs because there were over 100 of them, easily, and they were squawking and picking all the cherry tree blossoms clean off of the trees. I love SF - no way would you see that anywhere else!

Are grumpy. And goopy. And cuddly (so it’s not all bad). And bad sleepers at night(well, so that part sucks). It is pretty funny to watch a little kid try to learn to blow their nose, though. (Sean: “Decker, can you blow into the tissue?” Decker: “BBBBBB” (blows a raspberry into the tissue, leaving us with a damp hand and him still with a runny nose)).