We saw the Paw Patrol movie! Elliot enjoyed it. During the previews, before the movie started, he kept asking “What happened?” when the preview ended and there was a gap before the next one. Then when the special effects for Paramount or the other movie studios started, he was mesmerized. These are the bumper videos that shows fireworks or lasers or just other effects for the studio involved. He still did not know there was a coming. “Wow! Cool!” etc
Afterwards, he danced on the seats.
Then he spent 5 minutes asking me over and over about the projector. “What’s that?” I explained it. And again “What’s that?” or “Why?” Again. I enjoyed it even if he was like an old man asking again and again. I guess he did not understand me and was asking again in order to get me to explain the projector in a different way. The next day I was able to explain by using his space projector in the darkened bathroom.
Elliot is always so delighted to see me when I pick him up from preschool. It is such a treasure. He sees me outside, through the window in the door, as he is being led by a teacher or the rabbi towards me.
His face lights up. A huge smile with open mouth crosses his face.
He is truly, genuinely happy to see me.
This happens even if I am the one who dropped him off that morning.
Elliot says “Lock and Load!” when handling a “ray gun” (water gun) in the pool. And every gun is called a RAY GUN. It is so cute. He has no idea what it means. He must have learned it at school or from Max?
The neighborhood kids were playing out front. Jed, who lives two doors down, rang the bell asking if Elliot would come out to play. But he’s with Karolina. But I’m so happy for him!
Why is this important? Because it has not happened to Max, now age 13. We have not lived in a neighborhood, besides this one, that has neighborhood children. That’s part of it.
And yesterday, I got a text message from Erin, who is McKinley’s mother, if Elliot would come and play with her at the pool. She said that McKinley asked for him.
Jed ringing the doorbell for Elliot on August 27, 2021 Elliot and McKinley in the Indigo Hills Pool on August 28, 2021
Today Elliot and I sold the 1981 LADA 2101 to Christian Ondr from St. Louis. He flew to Denver and is driving it back against my warnings about its lack of any safety features.
Elliot didn’t seem to understand or really care, as I would expect. Max does norm know; he is with Gaga and Karolina.
Elliot and I went on several “last rides” both this morning and yesterday evening. Even our neighbor, Claudio from Argentina, drove it with Elliot and his daughter Josie in the front seat and me in the back seat.
As soon as the buyer reached Walgreens, 2 miles away, the trouble started. The LADA stalled and wouldn’t start again. They pushed it off the road and into the Walgreens parking lot. How many times have I done that? He was lucky enough to to have 4 or 5 friends with him.
He called me, asking if i knew what might be wrong. Elliot and I drove there. By the time we arrived, he had put 2 gallons of gas in it and it was running. But there was oil in the grooves around the engine that he thought hadn’t been there before.
5 hours later he asked me what kind of oil i put in it. Not a good sign: he probably bought some and it is leaking oil. He wrote,:
It has died a few times and given me some issues with starting, but I’m sure I just need to learn the magic tough.
Christian Ondr 5 hours after buying the LADA
Sadly I think he is wrong, and he is about to learn how unreliable that car is, even after almost $2000 in work a rebuilt carburetor, new fuel pump and hoses, etc.
9 times out of 10 that car died when I took it out. Even when I lived in Massachusetts. It got to the point that I only drove it around the Mueller Dr cul-de-sac so that in case it died, I was close to home.
Thank you! Just got to the hotel, resting up for the big trip tomorrow/Monday. Had troubles all day with starting, dying in neutral/at stop signs, and the temp gauge going up a bit so fingers crossed!
Christian Ondr, 12 hours after buying the LADA
The last time it died on me was down the street at the elementary school. So close but too far for me to push myself (also 3-year old Elliot was with me so how would that work?). Karolina did not answer her phone or texts, usual, and AAA would have laughed at the tow distance to my house.
I called Jody Harris. He came with his truck and together we towed them pushed it up the driveway. It stank like gas and oil. I knew I was done with that car then.
Every time I saw it in the garage, no matter which house In lived in, I went through these emotions and thoughts:
The car cover should be covering it to protect it.
The trickle charger is not working, so the battery is dying. I need to buy yet another trickle charger or figure out why the current one does not work.
I have not turned the engine over in months; it’s not going to last without exercising it. But i can’t run it in the garage because of the fumes, and if I move it down the driveway then I have to worry about it stalling and not getting it back up the driveway.
The gas is old and rotting. It needs fuel stabilizer or more fuel stabilizer.
Who will ever maintain and repair this now that Tom at Aspen Auto has died? Every “classic car” shop I call only wants to work on American muscle cars.
If I take it out for a drive, how many hours of my day will that consume when it breaks down?
The fear and prayers that would commence when it stalled. The fear that it wouldn’t start again, and I’m not at home. How about the time it stalled on Wadsworth Blvd at a red light and would not start? The giant SUVs passing me, honking, staring, pissed off. Me wondering how I could ever get it to the side of the road when I’m alone (or perhaps Max was with me but he was too young to help). Such fear when it would stall, no matter where I was. Wondering how long a tow truck would take, and then, when I got it home, how do I get it repaired?
There are so many things about to go wrong with it. It has 49,256 km on it. It will need new brakes and who knows what else. Who will work on the transmission?
Remember replacing the spark plugs? Remember spraying carburetor spray into the carburetor and hoping it will start?
Remember permanently staining the black plastic floor a white color with armor all?
Remember how the side triangle windows seized shut?
Remember the feeling of dread when Elliot accidentally broke the windshield wiper switch?
Remember the feeling of learning the brake light was burned out and you could never figure out how to get the brake light cover off to replace the bulb?
The feeling when the radio speaker mount broke or the rear view mirror detaching and being unable to glue it back? (Finally bought an after-market mirror at an auto store)
What about thinking you had lost the keys permit? You bought replacement ignition with keys and replacement door handles with keys from eBay. Fortunately you eventually found the keys and did not need those. But in the meantime, the car was not started form months (see previous anxieties listed above regarding that danger)
buying blank keys on eBay and trying to get a locksmith to make copies: they could not do it because of the blanks did not fit the machinery. I had to photograph the keys and email the photos for duplicates to be made. And the trunk key duplicate never worked. I ended up not even giving that key to Christian and gave him the original trunk key instead. But remember thinking you were permanently locked out of the trunk because you lost the original keys AGAIN? (Later to be found but not for a year or more)
The disgust with yourself when, with Jody helping you replace the battery in Feb 2021, you broke an original metal plate that secured the battery. The plate was corroded from allowing the previous battery to leak, probably because the trickle charger was not working properly.
DON’T FEEL NOSTALGIC FOR THIS THING THAT CAUSES YOU SO MUCH ANXIETY SND STRESS. BE CONTENT THAT YOU FOUND A BUYER WHO COURTED YOU FOR MONTHS AND PAID $9950 TO TAKE A HEADACHE YOUR HANDS!
August 8, the day after he bought it: “Bad news, we were driving through Kansas and the car suddenly lost power while moving/while in gear. Pulled off on the shoulder and now realizing that I can’t hear the fuel pump. Feel like it might’ve just gone out. Tries to start and seems like it really wants to, gets shaking and then just doesn’t start.
Definitely no noise from the fuel pump anymore. Any advice? Having roadside assistance sent to my location and obviously the shop in Denver didn’t answer.
On the tow truck now going back to Hays, KS. Tow truck driver isn’t much help but all of us are fairly certain that the fuel pump went out.”
August 9 after staying in a hotel in Kansas: “New fuel pump worked, yes. The humming noise from the Eddlebrock is more of a clicking noise on this brand, but mechanic said that’s fine. Fingers crossed that it was just a faulty part and that this one won’t burn out too.”
Then later that day: “Just stopped again… bought ANOTHER pump… this one started sputtering so I figure I should play it safe.” (That’s the THIRD new one in a month). And my response: “so something is causing it to go thru pumps. definitely order an original one — these replacements are not intended for the lada i guess.”
August 10 from the buyer: “Hey there, the Lada is still leaking oil pretty bad. Isn’t that one of the things The Carb Shop was supposed to address?” And my response: “Yes and they did … there was no oil in my garage for all the time It was sitting there after the Carb Shop. It is probably a new leak”
My response: “Yes and they did … there was no oil in my garage for all the time It was sitting there after the Carb Shop. It is probably a new leak”
In the last week or two, I’ve been encouraging Elliot to call me Daddy or Papa.
It’s an amazing feeling to hear him call me that. It feels different than Aki. At first, it didn’t matter much. I just wanted it. Now it feels substantially different, a constant reminder of our precious relationship.
I’ve had to correct him almost non-stop and even ignore him when he calls, “Aki?”, but it has paid off.
When I picked him up from preschool yesterday, he immediately called me Daddy. He didn’t use Aki for a full day.
He seems to have chosen Daddy instead of Papa, so I’ll encourage that from now on.
Karolina won’t agree to help. She insisted that he call me Aki. I hope it’s not too confusing for Elliot, but so far He seems fine. It must help that we don’t live together anymore; I can’t imagine him using both names simultaneously if we were still a family.
In the car today, Elliot asked that I play the Rain Go Home song. He meant “Rain, Rain Go Away”.
He loves to gargle after brushing his teeth. I taught him this a few weeks ago. It is still the highlight of brushing his teeth. He gets a lot of joy from it and asks me to do it when he’s finished.
Thu, July 15, 2021: 1st swimming lesson. WaterWorks with Bowen. 5:20 – 5:50 PM.
Mon, July 19, 2021: TOT basketball at Highlands Ranch Northridge Rec Center. 4:10 – 4:45
Wed, July 21, 2021: 2nd swimming lesson. WaterWorks with Bowen. 5:00 – 5:30 PM.
Thu, July 22, 2021: Arapahoe County Fair with Elliot’s friends Maya and Ella.. Elliot’s first night sleeping alone in his Paw Patrol bed in own room.
Fri, July 23, 2021: 3rd swimming lesson at Water Works with Bowen. 5:20 – 5:50 PM
Sat, July 24, 2021: Shabbat services 10:00 – 11:00, Arapahoe County Fair, visiting Tiffanie and Greyson in Lafayette.
Sunday, July 25, 2021: Swimming at the pool next door in the morning, then dress-up (marshmallow costume and astronaut costume), lunch and the Renaissance Faire
Mon, July 26, 2021: TOT basketball at Highlands Ranch Northridge Rec Center. 4:10 – 4:45
It was a rough night, but Elliot did better than I expected. He was exhausted after several hours at the Arapahoe County Fair. He fell asleep fast even after the excitement of seeing his new bed, blanket, sheets, pillow, and “Chase” stuffy. I lined both sides of the bed with throw pillows in case he fell out of bed in the night. I had to sleep next to him on the floor. It was about 9:30, an hour later than usual.
After an hour, I got up and went to my bedroom. About midnight, I heard him crying. I ran to him. He was sitting up, crying. He was sweating profusely. Too many blankets. I hugged him, soothed him, comforted him, gave him the “vuvs”.
“Did you have a bad dream?”
“Yeah!”
More crying. Then he says, “I want to go home.”
“But you are home.” I paused, then added, “Do you want mama?”
“Yeah!”
My heart sank to think that he did not consider this home, and he wanted mama’s soothing more than mine. But I didn’t let it show. I kept at it. I offered him the “Chase” and sting-ray stuffies.
I said, “Do you want some water?” I was concerned about how how he was.
Through tears, “Yeah”
I said, “Right back, right back” — something he started to say last year — and left the room, got a glass of water, and fed it to him.
After a while he settled down, but he wanted to sleep on the floor in my arms. Instead, I lay on the tiny toddler bed with him. It was pretty uncomfortable. He fell asleep. I went back to my bed, but could not fall asleep for a very long time.
He woke up once more towards morning. I went to him, carried him with his Paw Patrol pillow and blanket to my bed, and we fell asleep together for another hour or two. We woke up two hours later than usual.
We did it!! I told Elliot several times how proud I was of him, kissed him, praised him. I think it will get easier each night.
Every time I pickup from a 5-day stay with Karolina, I notice something about his growth and development. It always astonishes me. Today I noticed that he consistently uses the word “I” in sentences now, rather than “me”. For example, “I have it” instead of “me have it” or “I want more!” instead of “me want more”.
