You Learn Something New Every Day

When: Today, on our way back from the pool, 10 minutes past naptime
Where: Uptown 6 train

Evelyn screams vigorously for 2-3 full minutes because I won’t let her get out of her stroller and walk around the subway car. She has been playing with my sunglasses, but now throws them on the ground to show she’s serious. A minute later, she starts playing with the strap on her sandal.

Two stops later, a woman about to get off the train hands her a pamphlet from a local art show. The pamphlet has a flower on the front. As she steps off the train, this kind Samaritan turns and says, “You may think it’s tough love, but it’s bordering on child abuse. She obviously needs something to play with. Child abuse!” She then exits.

Approximately 30 seconds later, Evelyn hands the pamphlet to me because she's having too much fun playing with her sandal to keep track of it.

* * *

Lesson of the day: Only children whose parents mistreat them throw temper tantrums.

Fellow city moms beware: The next time your child is throwing a fit in a public place instead of in the privacy of your car because, well, you don’t have a car, a visit from child protective services could be just around the corner.

Father's Day

John had a bang up Father's Day this year. First, I let him sleep in on Saturday, a rare treat for either of us round these parts. Then, I planned a fantastic dinner for Sunday (which we didn't eat until Wednesday, but it's the thought that I'm counting). As if this weren't enough, Evelyn and I finished up by taking Daddy on a scintillating tour of our family's latest real estate acquisition. Our city space has grown by the size of a 4x4x4 cubby hole at Manhattan Mini Storage on 62nd street.

I think John was particularly impressed by our new space's fantastic location - 10 feet off the floor, and accessible only with an enormous ladder delicately perched on wheels that appear unable to pivot, convenient when moving it in and out of the narrow aisles.

No, Evelyn, we don't climb the ladder. No climbing.

Oh, well, nevermind.

* * *

I know, I know, we outdid ourselves, but Evelyn was adamant that this year be better than last year. She's grown quite attached to Daddy since last Father's Day. Most recently, she asks for him several times a day in conjunction with requests to watch Signing Time. This behavior initially had me puzzled, partially because she rarely watches Signing Time anymore, but also because even when we do, John almost never watches it with us. Last Sunday, I turned down another Signing Time request only to hear the theme song start up a few minutes later. Little stinker, I thought, how did she turn that on? But the TV wasn't on. The sound was coming from the bedroom. I walked around the corner to see Evelyn giggling with anticipation as John started up a Youtube Signing Time clip on his Ipod Touch. Mystery solved.

Thanks for always making everything more fun, Dad. We love you!

Bad Habits

This will probably not be news to anyone, but I have a long history as a nerd. Example: When I was in 3rd and 4th grades, we lived a little less than a mile from the elementary school. In that school district, only students who lived 1 mile or more from their zoned schools were bused, so we were stuck walking every day. In the wintertime, this led to amusing antics for onlookers as my 9-year-old self struggled to carry home a heavy backpack and violin over ice-packed sidewalks. When the weather got warmer, the walking was less demanding, and I took to occassionally reading while walking. This was, perhaps, even more amusing to onlookers. Certainly, my parents and siblings still enjoy teasing me about it. I may or may not have also been known to sit alone reading over lunch in the middle school cafeteria. Cool, I know.

Thanks to premium denim and eye surgery, among other things, my nerdiness lives a little further below the surface now than it used to, but at the end of the day, you are who you are, and you can change only so much.

***

As a mother, I want the best for my daughter. I have attempted, therefore, to avoid exposing Evelyn to some of my bad habits in hopes that she will not develop the same vices. It's too late for me to prefer classical music and the history channel to today's top country and ABC's Thursday night line-up, but maybe I can point the next generation toward better practices, I think, eliminate the weaknesses from my line going forward so to speak.

As it turns out, my efforts at self denial may have been in vain. For, despite appearing to be John's mini-me, Evelyn is my daughter, too, and while some things are taught, others are bred into us in ways that defy logic. I present to you Evelyn's activity of choice while walking to the tram Thursday (side note: she walked from our apartment to the tram, then to the toddler park on Roosevelt Island with no breaks - that's over 1.2 miles).

And later, while waiting for Fox at the playground.

Nature: 1, Nurture: 0

Placeholder

Not all deep thoughts are appropriate for blogging (this is most definitely NOT my journal), and I have had very little to share lately. We are off to Boston to help Laurel move into her apartment and blow off some final steam before residency, but in the meantime, I offer this placeholder post for the family.

What have we been up to lately?

-Shopping for clothes in our closet, a recession-friendly strategy. These shoes were pronounced "cute" as was the pair of black and white striped pants, but the latter only if worn as a "shirt."

-Play dates

-Relaxing with a few good shows

See you next week!