Chez PLJ

Jon came home the other day with several participation ribbons and two medals (real metal medals), for being on the third place team in teeball and second place team for floor hockey. He is very, very proud of his awards. It’s nice to see him so enthused about aspects of his life that we have barely seen.

In other domestic cuteness news, I purchased “Le Festin“, a sweet French song from the Ratatouille soundtrack (it’s a fantastic score—and like all good scores, seamless with the movie itself). We decided to play it for Jon without any hints about what he was about to hear, to see if he’d remember it. What were we thinking? Within a second he broke out in a wide grin, and immedaitely exclaimed “Ratatouille!” He instantly wanted it on his playlist, so I imagine he’ll want to know what she’s saying, and we’ll have to find the French lyrics.

First in captivity, at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

(Jon’s promised journal entry. —L)

On Saturday I went to the movie theatre with my dad. I had some chocolate and some ice tea and also some popcorn. My daddy sat with me and I watched the wholle ratatouille movie. First there were previews of movies. Then there were trailers. I saw the wall-E trailer. It was really good. Then there was a short called lifted. I really liked the sound effects in the movie. Tonight I’m going to watch a DVD.

Jon

I went swimming with my daddy at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I jumped off the diving bord. My daddy did a cannonball. I like to do a dive on the diving bord. I love to watch dad do a dive. I like to swim to the stairs. I had a lot of fun swimming.

Jon

On Photon’s breeder’s site: Some recent pictures of Photon’s littermates. There is definitely a family resemblance between a lot of them (look at Smudge’s rolled-up ears in the upper left shot; they look just like Photon’s ears used to.)

So, I happen to be looking over Laura’s shoulder as she digs into the paper Saturday morning, and we both see the ad proclaiming a sneak preview Saturday night for Ratatouille, Pixar’s new pic. Jon has been anticipating this for quite some time, and has been almost literally counting down the days ’til June 29.

So we rush to the computer and book some tickets, and we decide that we’ll surprise Jon with it later in the day. We already had an exciting day planned, attending the market at the Brickworks and swimming at Grandma and Grandpa’s pool (and as Jon points out, Wii and computer too).

We had a early dinner—oddly organized and suspicious behaviour for us—so Jon had his guard up a bit. When we got to the theatre, he overheard the key word from some others talking, and he went into denial. “We can’t see Ratatouille. Ratatouille comes out on June 29th” We crouched by him. Yes, yes it’s true, we’re going to see it tonight. It’s called a sneak preview. Overwhelmed, Jon welled up with tears. “I don’t want to see it!”

Part of the emotion was a kneejerk sudden panic not to see the THX tag at the beginning, something that still bothers Jon. But that was just a convenient scapegoat: it was the shock of having all of his careful plans scrubbed and replaced by this. As he was going into shock, I had my own emotional moment, realizing with shame how profoundly unfair we had been to our boy in not telling him earlier. Still, having just paid forty bucks on tickets, there was no going back. (I’m such a dad! )

Jon sat beside me in the theatre (because he’s in a wheelchair space, he can only sit beside one person), tray filled with snacks, nervous and jumpy. When the ads came on fifteen minutes before he calmed a little, and he wanted a full schedule of how it would go—ads, trailers, followed by Disney trailers (they tack those on to the feature), then the short Lifted (Pixar always has a short, I happened to know the title, good thing) then the feature. If the THX (which, when discussed, has to be named obliquely, the letters alone cause panic) shows up, it will be after Lifted. Second surprise of the evening: there were just a couple of Disney trailers, one being for Pixar’s next one: Wall-E, and then on to Lifted. There were no THX trailers. Jon lightened a little.

To the movie (no spoilers, but this is from Jon’s perspective): This a hard movie for a visually-impaired viewer without descriptive commentary. It was directed by Brad Bird, the same guy who did The Incredibles, so it has a mature visual sense: a lot of rich vistas with fancy, fast camera work. The character uses a lot of body language to communicate, wonderfully animated: so subtle; in other words, a lot is communicated in silence. It was tough for Jon to get a grasp on. (They released nine minutes of the movie about a month ago: if you care to spoil a bit—see what I mean?)

About a quarter of the way in, Jon suddenly brightens up. He realizes he’s seeing what he wanted to see, he’s at a sneak preview and everyone’s having fun. His own body posture brightens immeasurably. About halfway through, the delighted hugging begins. I personally didn’t get to see the whole movie, between getting hugged and having to try to keep Jon fairly quiet from delighted general discussion (“I’m going write a journal about Ratatouille tomorrow!!”). He often laughed with the crowd (how’d he catch that?), sometimes on his own (that happens—he delights in clever sound effects more than most), occasionally glancing around when he missed a moment that the audience is reacting to (the best moment of the film was one of these, but I imagine a lot of kids won’t fully get that one). Even when he can’t parse what’s happening, he absorbed the film-making: at one point he whispers “New scene”, at another “We’re near the ending”.

In retrospect, despite the fear and shame, I think the surprise did what it was supposed to do. He was high as a kite ’til nearly eleven, when he feel asleep.

Oh ya, Jon says we’re still going the opening weekend. And Laura says she’ll sit beside Jon next time, so I can see the movie.

(The water Jon writes about is the fountain in Berczy Park near the Flatiron Building, which some of the dogs also liked! —L)

Woof stock

I went in the car to go to woof stock. Photon came with us. She behaived herself. I had a snack at woof stock. I had some Goldfish. On the way I listened to my iPod. When I’m there I love going for a walk. I also like looking at the water. I petted some dogs. I had a lot of fun. I got home on Sunday. Tonight I’m doing physio. Then I ‘m watching a video.

Jon

(Sunny View teacher Julie ran the choir program on her own initiative. She’s retiring this year, and won’t be replaced, so that’s it for the choir program. —L)

Choir

I have choir today in the adventure center. I like to sing I’ve Bin Working On the Railroad. I also like to sing the song Shoe fly pie and apple pan douty. I love to sing different songs too. I love to see Jooly our choir teacher. She’s a lot of fun. Tonight I’m going to watch Between the Lions two.

Jon