Stress Reliever

Everyone wants to know how "I like being a big sister?"
"How do you like being a big sister?"
"Are you angry?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Do you think peace is possible, while you're in a state of inner turmoil?"
It gets so it's hard to breathe. Fortunately the Shoe Tree, the neighborhood shoe store, is just across the street. They treat me right and have a fabulous selection.

Emma has a good eye. Take it from an old shoe dog.

Oh my

What's mommy doing? What is everyone doing?
Those are my primary questions. I have a baby sister, Maddy, I call her.
I tried to give her a bottle of milk but she didn't grab it. Daddy picked me up at school and both my Grand-mas are visiting, so it has been a very exciting week, but what is mommy doing?

Emma is such a joyful creature. I picked her up at school and she seemed like she was ready to pop out of her skin, just from the pure surprise of it. Adina told me having a new big sister is similar to me bringing home another woman and telling Adina how wonderful she was and that I would now have two wives and love them both the same. Hopefully Emma won't see things that way.

The Bed

I've settled into my Toddler Bed. My mom ordered these happening Elmo sheets in anticipation of the baby coming out of her belly. I'm going to be a bigger sister. I have walking Pneumonia, but other than that, I'm excited.

Emma does have walking Pneumonia. She wouldn't take her medicine all weekend. I kept squirting it down her mouth, only to have the pink anti-biotic bubble up and dribble off her tongue. My wife says she's having contraction but I don't hear her moaning so I don't believe her, which, my non-belief, causes her to curse at me and say, "What is wrong with you?"

Caleb's Birthday

I am so swamped. Second B-day in a row. This one had juice boxes. I really appreciate when the parents take the time to buy juice boxes. Mommy didn't come because baby is growing super big inside of her. I'm not sure how it's supposed to come out of her belly?

This party was a free for all. Whatever someone else had, suddenly Emma wanted it. There was wind, slush, puddles, mess, greed, pain and desire. It was a party for savages.

Puppet Elmo Returns

I'm happy Puppet Elmo is back. I believe we are all part of one giant whole and we're all connected.

I got Emma a new Puppet Elmo. She noticed he didn't have band-aids all over him, like the old Elmo, but she seemed to love him right away, as if her belief system calls for a continual state of happiness.

B-day circuit

I went to a b-day party in Washington Heights. We took a yellow cab there and a black cab back. It was pretty civilized. I was there with all my classmates and we were served Pizza and creamy cake. A party entertainer put on a Dora outfit and danced the Macarena, a dance that I'm told was once extremely popular.

I didn't take any pictures. It seemed like I'd be stealing the other families memories if I took photos at their birthday party. It was a long party. The party entertainers came late, and set up a crafts table before transforming into Dora. They served juice in regular non-sippy cups. Emma splashed the juice in many direction. I was the only parent who snuck out and walked under the George Washington Bridge. There is a little red light house under the mammoth bridge. It seems like people are always looking for help and can find it in the strangest places. I have another party this Saturday to take Emma to. Oh, my.

Every moment counts

So, it was drizzly and I was in the Vitamin Store, and then I started checking the newspaper bins. Then I went to the Westside Market, where the deli guy yells "West-Side Mawket!" as loud as he can. Somewhere in between these every day common moments Puppet Elmo vanished.

Boy, I'm so upset that Puppet Elmo was lost on my watch. I lost focus. We back tracked, following the path from Westside Market to the Vitamin Store. I called the stores managers over, "I'm looking for a puppet Elmo with lots of band-aids on him." And, then it sunk in. Elmo was gone. Bam, all the air left me and I felt hollow and realized every moment counts.