Now I'm really Three

Now that I'm really three I feel sudden new insights. Controlling your mind and your pee brings each person unbelievable courage.
My parents bought me a stove for my birthday. I have a new chant, "Microwave, Oven, Dishwasher, "Frigerator, YES! Microwave, Oven, Dishwasher, 'Frigerator, YES!!!"





Emma spontaneously broke into a cheer listing the four major components of her Fisher Price stove. "Microwave, Oven, Dishwasher, 'Frigerator, YES!!!" It is how I'm going to try to behave at JFK at the Jet Blue terminal tomorrow. "Baggage, Metal Detector, Water, Magazines, YES!!!" Well, we'll see.

"The event of the season"

Wow! What an awesome partay! Danna Banana drove in from Rockland County to rock out at the Hippo Playground. My dad was quite anxious the night before. His neck was jotting from side to side like a malfunctioning crane. All the weather stations said there was a 90% chance of rain. Bad odds, especially when they upgraded it to 100% chance. I guess because I am truly blessed "The event of the season" was storm free, just a few light sprinkles.

Wow, what a relief. Emma was correct, nervous I was. 'There are horrible floods in Missouri, but please I have favors and strollers and jeuce boxes to transport. Please let the rain storms stall in Pennsylvania for a few hours.'
That was my prayer.
Danna Banana was concerned that the kids weren't that into him. He was drenched in sweat and a little despondent. Adina tried to cheer him up, telling him, "You did great."

Today is Emma's actual birthday. We're getting ready to visit the San Diego Taubman clan, packing, napping and charging the batteries.

Hokie Pokie

Over the course of my first year of school, I mastered the Hokie Pokie. School was fun. Finals were a little stressful, though. Thank goodness for chocolate and Red Bull.

Emma received straight A's in school and is on track.

Here are some transcriptions from her report card:

Social-Emotional Development: Emma interacts and shares well with everyone. She is able to follow directions, daily routine, and easily transitions to activities without any disruptions. She did very well with separation from her parents. Emma has the ability to wait for her turn and focus on an activity.

Cognitive Development: She loves to play with pegs. She fills the entire pegboard with pegs on top of one another and say, "I am making a tower." When the pegs fall off from the pegboard, she says, "Uh oh, it's broken."

Physical Development: Emma likes to go on the slide. She is able to run without falling. Emma also enjoys riding the scooter and pretends she is going to the zoo. In addition, she likes to throw, kick, bounce and roll a ball.

Emma is very cooperative, happy and dedicated student. She takes an interest in her work and alway does her personal best. She made progress in all areas of development. She is ready for next year, and we will miss her.

Father's Day 2008

My dad is doing pretty well, as a dad. He buys me stickers whenever I want them and is also willing to teach me the hard lessons of life (IE stickers don't grow on trees.) I'm glad I got to spend father's day with my dad. Here I am pulling his wacky head of hair, on a sweltering day in New Jersey.

Emma is making me look good as a dad. Now I'll have to see about Madeleine, baby number 2 who is growing every day.

Invitation

So, I'm almost three. Everything is making sense to me. It's all falling into place.
This is the invitatiton my dad made. He started sending it to people because he thought it was the cutest invitation in the world. He just wanted people to compliment his card and how cute I am.
There could be 60 toddlers crammed into a tiny room. Welcome to New York.

People get nervous when they receive an invitation to a children's party. You never have to attend. The key is telling the parent what a cute kid they have, over and over and over again. It's like a get out of jail free card when it comes to children's parties or anything.

Maddy in my old watermelon dress

Maddy has already started wearing my old clothes. Fortunately, I have excellent taste. I won't blab to people that I used to look good in the watermelon dress. Who doesn't look great in watermelon. Can you believe how hot it is? Oh, my god.

Emma peed in the potty after bath tonight. "I peed. I peed." she exclaimed jumping up and down. I am very proud, in deed.

Party of a million bubbles

My parents have this rule: no bubbles in the house. So imagine my amazement when I went to this party on 73rd and Amsterdam where they had this machine that blew 1000 bubbles a minute, that's what they clamied, 1000! a minute all blowing into their apartment.

The fear of going to different homes is seeing the brave and expansive ways others live.

Pack of Dermanskys

I'm part of a pack. We circle the block looking at red, white and pink roses. Maddy is now in a bassonet Grand-Pa bought at a garage sale from the Wolfers. Is a coincidence they were called the "Wolfer" family. I think not.

Filling my dad's Infinite with two car seats, my wife, and myself, driven across the George Washington Bridge to the Hudson Avenue Bagel store, we were in deed, a pack. At one point, I put my head out the window and howled. People were shocked, but my dad immediately pulled into the parking spot probably because I saw a good parking spot I'd spotted five blocks away.