I left Emmy in the car for a minute while I tool Marin into school this morning. When I returned to the car, Emmy was in the back seat just beaming - all proud of herself.
"Guess what I can do, Daddy?"
"What?"
" I can burp and cough at the same time."
"Emmy!!"
"Watch me"
And she proceeded to demonstrate.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Mother Africa
I recently found my journal from a 1982 trip to India. It reminded me of the predictions of a fortune teller I engaged in Connaught Circle, New Delhi.
He said "Your first wife will be a cute blond. She is nice, pleasant, has a good heart, and everybody in your family will love her. Alas, she will not be the Mother of your children. You will later fall in love with a woman of dark hair, and she will give you two children. Two daughters. "
I remember telling Colleen that story when we were dating. Kind of as a joke like "We can get married, but we'll probably divorce because this fortune teller told me I'll have children with a dark haired woman."
So I pondered the fortune tellers predictions, all of which have come true except that I am still married to Colleen. Then it occurred to me, the Mother of my two daughters is a dark haired woman, and I did indeed fall in love with an entire culture of women with dark hair, and could this be what the fortune teller intended when he told me his prediction?
It is a mixture of freaky and calming to think about a total stranger having predicted this arc of my life over 25 years ago.
He said "Your first wife will be a cute blond. She is nice, pleasant, has a good heart, and everybody in your family will love her. Alas, she will not be the Mother of your children. You will later fall in love with a woman of dark hair, and she will give you two children. Two daughters. "
I remember telling Colleen that story when we were dating. Kind of as a joke like "We can get married, but we'll probably divorce because this fortune teller told me I'll have children with a dark haired woman."
So I pondered the fortune tellers predictions, all of which have come true except that I am still married to Colleen. Then it occurred to me, the Mother of my two daughters is a dark haired woman, and I did indeed fall in love with an entire culture of women with dark hair, and could this be what the fortune teller intended when he told me his prediction?
It is a mixture of freaky and calming to think about a total stranger having predicted this arc of my life over 25 years ago.
The F word
Marin and Emmy were in the playroom and I was in the kitchen reading the newspaper. Over time I tune into what they are saying.
"You said the F word."
" No you said the F word."
" I'm telling Mama you said the F word."
" No I didn't, you said the F word first."
Hesitantly, I interrupt the conversation to ask "What is the F word?" hoping to God it is not the real F word.
Marin says "You know what it is Daddy." (Isn't that the perfect bait I might have bitten on if I were 20 years younger) "Yes, Marin. I know what it is, but I want you to tell me."
Finally, Emmy, unable to stand the tension yells out "It's fart Daddy. The F word is fart and Marin said it first."
And I breathe a sigh of relief.
"You said the F word."
" No you said the F word."
" I'm telling Mama you said the F word."
" No I didn't, you said the F word first."
Hesitantly, I interrupt the conversation to ask "What is the F word?" hoping to God it is not the real F word.
Marin says "You know what it is Daddy." (Isn't that the perfect bait I might have bitten on if I were 20 years younger) "Yes, Marin. I know what it is, but I want you to tell me."
Finally, Emmy, unable to stand the tension yells out "It's fart Daddy. The F word is fart and Marin said it first."
And I breathe a sigh of relief.
If the glove fits............
I can't believe I forgot to post this Christmas story.
About a week before Christmas, I had a repairman come in to maintain the gas space heater in the cold living room (the room over the garage where we have our tree and host Christmas) so we can have heat for Christmas.
Fast forward to Christmas morning, Marin is rummaging around for gifts under the tree and suddenly cries "Come see this! Come see this!" as she proudly hoists a pair of old blue and yellow work gloves. "I found Santa's gloves! I can't believe it!" Then she stuck her nose deep inside one of the gloves, inhaled powerfully, and exclaims "Yup, it smells like Santa!"
We promised Marin we would mail the gloves back to the north pole so Santa can have them for next Christmas.
About a week before Christmas, I had a repairman come in to maintain the gas space heater in the cold living room (the room over the garage where we have our tree and host Christmas) so we can have heat for Christmas.
Fast forward to Christmas morning, Marin is rummaging around for gifts under the tree and suddenly cries "Come see this! Come see this!" as she proudly hoists a pair of old blue and yellow work gloves. "I found Santa's gloves! I can't believe it!" Then she stuck her nose deep inside one of the gloves, inhaled powerfully, and exclaims "Yup, it smells like Santa!"
We promised Marin we would mail the gloves back to the north pole so Santa can have them for next Christmas.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Speed Demons
I took Marin and Emmy skating for the first time. What a show. They gingerly stepped out on to the ice and hugged the siderail with a death grip. Taking baby steps, we completed our first lap around the rink in about 25 minutes.
By the end of the free skate, Emmy was standing by herself out in the middle of the rink doing turns. She fell a lot, but she always got right back up and skated more, and she got really upset with me when I tried to help her. The kid is fearless.
Marin was a lot more tentative. She began skating better and faster, but was never more than six inches from the rail, and always caught the rail before she fell.
The kids really enjoyed skating and I think we'll do more of it.
By the end of the free skate, Emmy was standing by herself out in the middle of the rink doing turns. She fell a lot, but she always got right back up and skated more, and she got really upset with me when I tried to help her. The kid is fearless.
Marin was a lot more tentative. She began skating better and faster, but was never more than six inches from the rail, and always caught the rail before she fell.
The kids really enjoyed skating and I think we'll do more of it.
Closure??
People who have been reading the blog know that our children are true orphans and they miss their Mother terribly. One of the ways Marin and I first bonded was when I told her that my Mother died. We told each other stories about our Mothers and then I took Marin to my Mothers' grave site. Marin calls this "Maries' place."
Colleen and I had been talking for some time about buying an engraved stone for Marin and Emmys' parents and placing it beside my Mothers' gravestone. Last month we finally did it. It is a beautiful roughcut stone that we imagine you might be used as a gravemarker in a poor country. It has a few hearts carved into it and is inscribed with:
Our Father Asefa Lema - 2005
Our Mother Ketemash Dube - 2004
Shebedino, Sidama, Ethiopia
Missed by Meron and Emnet
Before Christmas we took Marin and Emmy to the graveyard to show them the stone. Marin teared up, but she was beaming with happiness. She and Emmy asked us to read the stone to them several times. Then they hugged us and thanked us for giving them a place to visit with their Africa Mommy and Daddy.
Colleen and I had been talking for some time about buying an engraved stone for Marin and Emmys' parents and placing it beside my Mothers' gravestone. Last month we finally did it. It is a beautiful roughcut stone that we imagine you might be used as a gravemarker in a poor country. It has a few hearts carved into it and is inscribed with:
Our Father Asefa Lema - 2005
Our Mother Ketemash Dube - 2004
Shebedino, Sidama, Ethiopia
Missed by Meron and Emnet
Before Christmas we took Marin and Emmy to the graveyard to show them the stone. Marin teared up, but she was beaming with happiness. She and Emmy asked us to read the stone to them several times. Then they hugged us and thanked us for giving them a place to visit with their Africa Mommy and Daddy.
Love for Daddy
The other day I had to scold Emmy. She ran to her room, jumped on her bed, and pouted.
After a few minutes I heard her cute little sing songy voice making up another song and I thought to myself "Wow. She really got over that one fast." As I got closer, I heard her singing.
I wish my Daddy wasn't my Daddy.
I wish my Daddy wasn't my Daddy.
After a few minutes I heard her cute little sing songy voice making up another song and I thought to myself "Wow. She really got over that one fast." As I got closer, I heard her singing.
I wish my Daddy wasn't my Daddy.
I wish my Daddy wasn't my Daddy.
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