Life in the Big City

So here I sit...11 floors up at the window and looking down on the building that houses the Liberty Bell. It's 70 degrees and breezy. There's not a cloud in the sky. At lunch, I walk across the street to Washington Square Park where I choose a wooden bench, plug in my headphones, sit back and watch the people walking their dogs through the park for an hour. Ahhh....it's life in the big city.

Moving my office to Philadelphia was not all that bad. Yeah, the five bucks a day to travel is a pain but the train ride is enjoyable and it's fun reading the paper over someone's shoulder every morning. It takes just 45 minutes or so from home to office which is not all that bad. The office location is incredible. I can see for miles out of the city from my desk and I am right in the main tourist area so there are tour groups walking the streets constantly. I can eat whatever food I want at any time with a five minute walk and ten bucks. I'll be bringing my lunch most of the time. Plus I get a brisk, five block walk to and from the train twice each day and that's good exercise. My new title of Senior Corporate Trainer is the fourth title I have held here in the past two years. My resume is HUMMING! I get to come to the Jersey office every once in awhile so I can have sushi with the old gang. It's a good gig.

Yesterday we gathered over at Candice's house for a little birthday BBQ for Mom. She turned 60 years young yesterday. We had the big surprise party last week at our house and it was a great success. Last night it was just a few of us and some turkey burgers. It was nice. Mom does not look a day over 48 and a half. She's amazing. I think it's the Latino blood. My father-in-law turns 60 later this month and he looks younger too.

It's strange because I am totally not freaked out that my parents are in their sixties. It just does not seem that old to me. I remember when they turned 50 and I was weirded out. I was so young then and that's probably why. I am turning 38 next week so 60 does not seem so old anymore. 38 doesn't either, actually. Unfortunately, I don't look a day younger than 37. Maybe that Latino blood will kick in soon.

Elijah starts up his second year at the JCC Camps later this month and he's so excited. He's totally independent now with so many things. He picks his clothes in the mornings, he brushes his teeth, he had soda for the first time last week (no comments, Mom), and he never needs help in the bathroom anymore. Last night after he ate a piece of Mom's birthday ice cream cake, he said it was "delectable." Then he answered about 35 Star Wars trivia questions correctly in a row that were fired off by Candice and Scott. (do YOU know what color Mace Windu's light saber is?) .

Hannah is an amazing dancer. At two years old she's already a pro with the arms flailing and she's even got the beat down! She's communicating perfectly now. Her life is Dora the Explorer. Every night it's DORA DORA DORA and she got about 10 birthday gifts pertaining to Dora this year. She's had this runny nose for a few weeks now and, in Spanish, when your nose is runny, the "output" is called moco. So Hannah says "moco" when she wants her nose wiped. Last night she said it about five times and Mom went on this speech about how it's not right that her grandkids call eachother "moco" because it means SNOT. She was OK after we explained what was going on. Personally, I think it's funny to call someone a snot. It's a funny word! Moco is an endearing word, anyway....kinda like Coochie. My mother-in-law calls the kids Coochie. The literal translation of that is vagina. So does that mean she's calling my kids vaginas? It just means that Coochie is a warm, loving word. Maybe I should do a quick experiment next time I am in Target with both kids. I'll call them from across the store "Come over here snot and vagina!"

I am now beyond the "goo goo ga ga" stage which is fitting since Littlefoot will be arriving soon to push me back into it.

Speaking of Littlefoot, all is well in there and tomorrow Deb is having an amnio test. She is over 35 so they take extra precaution. Littlefoot will be here in mid-November!! I know it's going to go by quickly but it seems so far away still. I am getting more accepting each day so that by the time Littlefoot gets here, I will be ready. ;-)

Will there be some sort of Littlefoot updates here? Maybe. Certainly not daily like the Peabody Update and the Deuce Daily. Those were fun at the time but it's different this time. It's not as free and simple as it was then. Now, all of a sudden, we have a family of FIVE and the kids will outnumber Deb and I. Elijah will be six years older than Littlefoot so maybe he can help out here and there. We will see.....maybe I will break out the Littlefoot Press or Littlefoot Today. I dunno. Ask me in a month.