<p class="ql-block">【看娃】 Archer 生日快乐</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">绫子 12/31/24 周二</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">在这个家里，最常听见的哭声不是来自妹妹，而是来自哥哥。Archer的自尊心很强。受到爸妈管教时，会心存不满，义愤填膺，悲愤哭号。如果没有奶奶这个“外人”在场，似乎还可以忍受。当着奶奶的面受到训斥，哭声更大更多更委屈更悲愤，不绝于耳！</p> <p class="ql-block">周二既是新年除夕，又是Archer的生日。生日聚会在Chuck E Cheese举行。这是一个室内儿童游乐场。小马小时候我也带他去玩过。现在的Chuck E Cheese 比二十年前fancy 多了。聚会小朋友来客有六个，主要是Archer的幼儿园同学，加上来宾的兄弟姐妹，爸妈，也有了一大桌。聚会十二点开始， 有饮料，披萨，烤鸡翅，蛋糕。当然，最有吸引力的是这里大批各式各样的游戏。庆祝活动时长两个小时。但是玩游戏的时间几乎是“无限”的。 整个场地“租金”，包括餐饮，共$300。</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">我在聚会上遇到的家长有一家印度人，是Archer家的邻居；有一家是华人。这家华人中的爸爸，非常年轻，还不到40岁。他主动过来和我聊天。他以为我是刚从中国来探亲的。我了解到他是移民过来的。加入了美国陆军。虽然已经“退伍”，但仍在active 预备队中。 他来美国也已经十几年了，但仍有很强很典型的“中国思维和焦虑”。</p> <p class="ql-block">其他的家长都是白人。有一位还是乐乐的海军战友，同一条船上的战友。</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">聚会结束回到家，已经下午四点多了。立刻出门遛狗。在西雅图，遛狗总是我的任务之一。因为我也想散步。 晚上做了红烧肉。吃完饭早早就睡了。</p> <p class="ql-block">【Baby Sitting】 Happy Birthday， Archer！</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">12/31/24 Tuesday</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">In this family, the most crying sound is not from the baby sister, but from the older brother. Archer has a strong sense of self-esteem. When being disciplined by his parents, he will be dissatisfied, indignant, and cry in grief. If there is no "outsider" like grandma present, it seems to be bearable. When being scolded in front of grandma, the crying is louder, more aggrieved, and more indignant, and it is endless!</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">Tuesday is both New Year's Eve and Archer's 3rd birthday. The birthday party was held at Chuck E Cheese. This is an indoor children's playground. I used to also take Thad to play there when he was a child. Chuck E Cheese is now more fancy than it was twenty years ago. There were six children guests at the party, mainly Archer's kindergarten classmates, plus the guests' brothers, sisters, parents, and there was a pretty big group. The party started at twelve o'clock, with drinks, pizza, grilled chicken wings, and the cake. Of course, the most attractive thing is the large number of various games here. The celebration lasted two hours. But the time for playing games is almost "unlimited". The "rental" of the entire venue, including food and beverage, is $300.</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">The parents I met at the party included an Indian family, who are neighbors of the Archer family; and a Chinese family. The father of this Chinese family is very young, less than 40 years old. He took the initiative to come over and chat with me. He thought I had just come from China to visit Rocky. I learned that he was an immigrant from China. He joined the US Army. Although he is veteran，he is still in active reserve. He has been in the United States for more than ten years, but he still has a strong and typical "Chinese thinking and anxiety".</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">The other parents are all white. One of them used to be Rocky’s navy comrade, a comrade on the same ship.</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p><p class="ql-block">After the party, I returned home. It was already past four in the afternoon. I went out to walk the dog immediately. In Seattle, walking the dog is always one of my tasks. Because I also want to take a walk. I made braised pork in the evening. After dinner, I went to bed early.</p>