tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18419657491380471312024-03-05T04:36:47.395-05:00BoywonderesqBoywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.comBlogger550125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-61076720547379731132014-10-02T22:56:00.001-04:002014-10-02T22:56:45.659-04:00Why I've Stopped Blogging<div style="text-align: justify;">
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If you still have this page bookmarked, I owe you an explanation. It
used to be fun to blog, and worth the pain in the ass of uploading pictures. But
then Charlie started going to sleep later. I can't be on the computer while he's awake since he'll either demand my attention
("Help me! Help me!") or insist that I play the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEcojSwHy2o" target="_blank">"robot arms"</a>
video again, so he can DANCE. He's not usually in bed until around 9:30, and by then all I want to do is <strike>take prescription pain medications</strike> watch tv. Blogging has become a thing that hangs over me, something that I'm not doing, and
that's no fun. I actually did a post at one point a few months ago, but
never posted it because it sucked. </div>
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It would be nice for the world to be blessed with my clever to come up with lines. For example, Charlie's first sentence was, "More ketchup." But I didn't
want it to become a series of stories about funny things my adorable son
did. It's not just that it's too self-centered, I'd be afraid I'd cross
a line and embarrass future Charlie. For example, we got an inflatable
kiddie pool and put it in the backyard. (Having a house is awesome).
Charlie would lie on the edge of the pool, naked, pour a cup of water
on his penis and say, "This is nice..." Does the world need to know
that? Of course not. It would be wrong to post that on a blog. (Side note: If I could have
lunch with any two people who lived at any time in history, it would be
my dad and Charlie when we are all 38, so we could meet each other as
contemporaries). </div>
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And now we're expecting another baby in December. Oh, did I not mention that? Nilda's pregnant. (We spent years of shots and prayers to get Charlie, and for the second kid, we took a nap. And, it's another boy.) So I think it's time to take a break
from the blog. I feel like Trey in 2004, which is a reference only
Andrew will get. Maybe I'll get back into it someday or, maybe like all
blogs, this one has run its course. In the meantime, here are a few things I've uploaded through the months that I never got around to
posting. </div>
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Winter sucked. We moved to a house to get out of the cramped apartment, only to find ourselves stuck in a house that you have to shovel your way out of. They say it takes a full year to adjust to a house, and they're right. Btw, everyone who told me that I would have to shovel snow must not
have known about the nice men who will shovel your driveway for
you, and all you have to do is pay them.</div>
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We took Charlie to see Sesame Street Live, which meant he got to go on a train AND a taxi. He was practically catatonic the whole time. Also,
Madison Square Garden does not sell alcohol before noon on a Sunday and
IT IS AN OUTRAGE!! </div>
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Charlie had his first taste of a black & white milkshake from Carvel. He's not sharing.</div>
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I have no idea how my parents raised four kids. Good job, Mommom and Poppop. <br />
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I have no idea how we realized this, but Charlie loves the Jeopardy theme song. <br />
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Charlie mixes up the word "blueberry" with lady parts.<br />
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Anything you say to Charlie can and will be used against you. You need to STOP, Mommy!</div>
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Thanks for following along. Maybe I'll see you soon. Oh, and the lawn's looking great, thanks for asking.</div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-20153770556606535612014-04-03T22:08:00.000-04:002014-04-03T22:16:53.937-04:00The Lawn<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been a long, terrible winter, but it's finally getting warmer, staying light longer and Deadliest Catch is coming back soon. We can almost start to enjoy having a house again. Tonight we worked on the lawn to achieve Nilda's dream of an organic lawn. Here's what we did:</div>
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<li><u>Dethatch</u>: I had no idea what this meant two weeks ago, but apparently there's a layer of dead grass called "thatch" that can build up and suffocate the lawn. You take it out by using a special rake to rip up the thatch and take away, but that's way too much work so we had the lawn people do it this morning. Lawn people are your friends. And they leave about 20 brown paper bags filled with thatch on your driveway. </li>
<li><u>Aerate</u>: When soil gets compacted and unable to properly drain water, it can hurt the grass. You can aerate it by punching little holes in the soil or using a chemical aerator. I don't see how the chemicals is the way to go, but Nilda assures me this is part of her organic lawn plan. She sprayed the aerator this afternoon. </li>
<li><u>Top soil</u>: We put top soil over the bare spots. I gather this is supposed to give the seeds something to grow in, but I imagine this will mean the spots on our lawn that consistently flood will have the healthiest mud on the block. </li>
<li><u>Overseed</u>: This is putting new grass seed on top of the lawn. Because apparently that's something you're supposed to do. Nilda, after hours of research, picked out this very special kind of grass seed that has micro-clover and is supposed to be drought and weed resistant, It must have vitamin c or something. We were going to do this over the weekend, but the lawn people said we should do it now since it's supposed to rain tonight and that will make it harder for the seeds to sink in. I got home a little early around 6 and we got to work.</li>
<li><u>Fertilizer</u>: After using the nifty rotary spreader to put down the seeds (because we have one of those now), we put Milorganite on the lawn. Dad tells me that Milorganite is actually sewage from Milwaukee, which means it's very possible we have Matt and Mary's poop on our lawn. Happy birthday, pookiebear. </li>
<li><u>Compost</u>: By now it's dark and Charlie is screaming his head off to go inside, but we have to put down the lobster-shell compost Nilda picked out on top of the grass, known as top dressing. We had planned to use the spreader for this too, but soon learned that the compost, which is basically dirt to me, does not go through the spreader, so we were just throwing it around by hand in the dark. Don't worry, I had watched one of the many youtube videos Nilda had sent me in advance, so I knew what to do. </li>
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What all of this means is that you can never predict what kind of crazy obsession Nilda will pick up next. When the girl who grew up in the city and did not want anything to do with yard work spends hours - hours - looking at pictures of shrubbery on line, you never know what will come next. She even got a compost bin. Nothing is safe. </div>
Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-79851324769803898012013-12-07T21:11:00.000-05:002013-12-07T21:11:02.157-05:00Charlie's First Haircut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Charlie had his first haircut tonight. There were tears, but Nilda
survived intact. Charlie loved it. He got to sit in a taxi (which he
chose) and turn the steering wheel while watching cartoons (Spongebob,
which he had never seen before), so he was as happy as he could be. He
didn't like the blow drying, as you'll see below, but he did really
well. Luckily, the woman didn't cut off too much, so Nilda didn't have
to cut anyone. They gave us a certificate with some hair in a little
baggie, but it's no where near as cool as what they were giving out in
Miami in 1977 for Andrew and I.
Charlie refused to look at the camera or even smile if a camera was present,
but the lollipop at the end was his favorite part. I can't believe he'll
be two in a week. When does college start?</div>
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P.S. - I know I'm way behind. I'm working on it. Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-31528272139374217262013-10-29T21:33:00.001-04:002013-10-29T21:33:22.545-04:00La Reconquista<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're finally settled in, and it's great. It's the first time since last fall that I'm not wondering where we're going to live and how we're going to get there. Now begins the task of making this place feel like home, of taking it back and making it ours. Now begins La Reconquista. Like the Europeans who pushed the Moors off of the Iberian peninsula (Spain) during the middle ages, we are taking this house back. I am <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cid" target="_blank">El Cid</a> of Quaker Ridge Road. </div>
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Nilda has done or procured a ton of work around the house. My father says that she'd better slow down or else she'll run out of things to do. I told Nilda that he was right, to which she responded by laughing that "you're so stupid!" laugh, since we all know she'll never be done. </div>
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Charlie absolutely loves the space. He can finally run around without
running out of room or upsetting the downstairs neighbors. I, similarly, can walk as loud as I want and the only one who gets upset is Nilda.</div>
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This video of me chasing after Charlie ends the only way it possibly can. </div>
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Charlie now goes down the big slide. </div>
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I bought a ladder to get the satellite dish off the room and I didn't
fall off. Who says I'm not athletic? This let me take a ton of
unused cables off the house, which is nice because this house has wires running everywhere,
but none of them are compatible with Fios. It's wired for the peak of
technology in 1999. </div>
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There was a Columbus Day carnival and Charlie was mesmerized by everything. This is apparently where all the junior high kids hang out. Putting aside all of the horrible atrocities committed by Columbus, it was a great time. The Indians who didn't bring the Spanish enough gold may have had their hands cut off, but Charlie loved zeppoles, so it all works out. </div>
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We love going to the gym, where he gets to hone those athletic genes he inherited from his parents. Here he is playing basketball. Look at the care he takes in making sure the ball goes into the basket. Yeah, that kind of attention to detail clearly comes from me. </div>
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Nilda took Charlie to story time at the library. Nilda said it was a great program, but we all agree that Charlie is probably not ready to sit still for that long. Also, this is what happens when Nilda thinks she can cut Charlie's bangs. </div>
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Check out this sky from our driveway.<br />
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We went apple-picking again. It's technically "free" to take the flatbed the 50 feet to the apple
trees and pumpkin field, but you can't leave without spending $60 on
more apples and pumpkins than you ever planned on getting. He said "ah-pul" for the first time and I kept wanting him to repeat it. </div>
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Look how different Charlie looks from a year ago. <br />
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A girl a few months older than Charlie wanted to go on the seesaw with him, so naturally Charlie went and hid in the jungle gym. The family tradition of being sleek with the ladies continues. Don't worry, Charlie, it gets easier once you're married. </div>
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These are the leaves on the trees by the playground.</div>
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We even got to spend time with our cousins. </div>
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Finally, check out this hair. The longer it gets, the more Nilda says she'll never get it cut. Every woman who sees his hair agrees, so Nilda's probably right. <br />
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<br />Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-18028083212481086992013-09-22T14:34:00.001-04:002013-09-22T14:34:23.467-04:00The House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We finally made it. It's been a month and we're finally settled in enough that it feels like we're home. Moving day went fine. You don't realize how much stuff you can stuff into an apartment until you actually have to move it. Charlie seemed to be fine on moving day, though he was a bit freaked out
when we left Stella's to get the stuff out of the old apartment
building. It took the movers longer than I thought it would, but I didn't mind because I was glad that I didn't have to carry anything. I'm handy. </div>
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Here's the short tour. Living room, dining room & foyer. I am NOT painting those blank walls. I tried to paint the trim in the study yesterday and it was a freaking nightmare. That part of my life is over, Nilda. </div>
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The kitchen, which is pretty sweet. Nilda tells me don't worry, we're only going to change a bunch of this. <br />
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Outside the kitchen, dining room and downstairs family room is a great two-level deck. The biggest change I've noticed in moving to the house, besides the space, is how easy it is to get outside. In the apartment, you had to get your shoes on and go through the lobby just to check the weather outside, but now I only have to open one of the doors to see what's going on. </div>
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That amazing looking thing in the back is the phenomenal grill that my parents got <strike>me</strike> us as a housewarming gift and I freaking love it. (Don't worry, there's now an appropriate cover for the grill.) This is the family room downstairs from the kitchen. </div>
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The bedrooms are above the family room (Nilda calls the house a side split). We had Charlie's room painted first, and it looks great. </div>
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This is the guest bedroom, i.e. Stella's room. She has stayed with us for days at a time and it's been great, but
she's happy she gets to go home after a few days. The morning after
that first night, she said, "This is great, but take me back to 192nd
Street." </div>
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This is the master bedroom which has an en suite bathroom, so Nilda can better hear me drop things into the sink. The bathroom has a skylight which is surprisingly nice in the mornings. </div>
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People ask me how we like the suburbs and how we're adjusting. The short of it is that I love it, and I'm pretty sure that Nilda and Charlie feel the same. Here's why: </div>
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<ul>
<li>I can finally walk as loudly as I want to. One night, I started jumping up and down with Charlie, just because I could. </li>
<li>The first time it rained, I heard a strange noise, only to realize that it was the rain hitting the skylight. </li>
<li>New Rochelle is closer to nature than I expected. I was
shocked at how loud the insects were. Our neighbors say they're used to
it, but those crickets are loud! And there's a ton of spiders here.
Nilda says it's my job to empty out all the bugs she catches with the
dustbuster. </li>
<li>MetroNorth is way more civilized than the
subway. Plus, you get internet on your phone. I like driving to and
from the train station. I'm always excited when I see the car in the
garage, saying (mostly) to myself, "There it is!"</li>
<li>Everyone
told me that I'd have to get used to driving everywhere and how
convenient it is to have everything so close in the city. But they
don't realize how convenient it is to have to drive everywhere. You have
so many more options, since you aren't limited to the places you can
walk to, and you're also not limited in what you can get because you can
stick it all in the trunk. </li>
<li>Speaking of cars, we got a second car. I am now in the two-cars suburban part of my life. I now have a dad car. </li>
<li>I
freaking love the grill. I used it twice in one day. I knew I'd like to barbecue, but I use it all the time. It's way easier
than an oven, it tastes better, and there's less clean up. There is nothing as satisfying as watching a ball of fire reach up from
the grill and engulf your chicken thigh. </li>
<li>It's a different way of life. One night I heard a
noise and assumed it was the
neighbors, but then realized I don't have any neighbors. I now have to
check out sounds, like I'm in a scary movie or something. </li>
<li>Dealing with garbage is easy. I get to be
the porter and go around collecting all the trash, that I put in big,
outdoor trash cans that I put at the end of the drive. Then - get this -
people come and take it away twice a week. For free!! </li>
<li>Having our own washer and dryer is fantastic.
Doing laundry is still a pain, but it's not as big a big deal as it was
in the apartment.
There's no concern that there won't be an empty machine or that
somebody's going to take my stuff out of the
dryer or that I'm doing laundry after the co-op's laundry room hours
have ended. I don't even have to put my shoes on to switch clothes from
the washer to the dryer.</li>
<li>On a side note, I am making a concerted effort here to avoid the potty mouth. My awesome niece Francesca now reads the blog and I don't want to be called "Uncle Bad Words" anymore. I said "freaking" in front of her and she said I used the f-word, and I didn't feel it was appropriate to explain to her what the f-word really is. </li>
<li>Verizon Fios is everything they said it would be.</li>
<li>It has not all been easy, though. I thought that
everything would be easier after we got all our stuff into the house,
but I waited a while for that easy part to kick in. I had envisioned
walking into a perfect house, but all I saw was the things that needed
repair. Then I
thought, wait a minute, we have to worry about the
outside, too?</li>
<li>The first night we moved in, a pipe on the master
bathroom toilet broke off and starting shooting water everywhere. Water
was coming through the light fixtures in the family room below. All I
could think was that there's no one here to help us if we can't get this
water to stop. It was my nightmare scenario, and it happened within 5
hours of moving in. I rushed to the basement to shut off the water to
the house, like I was Edgar on Deadliest Catch, only I didn't actually shut off the water, but turned ON the water to
the outside faucet that had been left open, creating a river going out
to the street, because I'm AWESOME. Luckily, Nilda's handy and had
already turned off the water at the toilet until my dad could come and
fix it the next day. </li>
<li>Nilda's definitely the handy one. My parents got
her a fancy tool and drill set for her birthday and she was very
excited. Nerd.</li>
<li>Charlie loves it here. We moved so that Charlie could run,
and that seems to be working out. He pushes his toys all over the
place and runs around. He goes outside whenever he wants and there's a
playground right nearby. He's even discovered sidewalk chalk. Nilda has been taking him to The Little Gym,
where he gets to run around and play with this other little boy (the
instructors call him and Charlie "besties"). He has a tantrum every
time he has to leave, so we know he likes it. </li>
<li>He's getting so big. I can't believe he'll be 2 in December. </li>
<li>Charlie has gotten way into trains. "Choo choo," as he
calls them. It started with Thomas and he's added on Chuggington
(thanks, Aunt Harley). He still watches Sesame Street like it's the
news. </li>
<li>I have been meeting a bunch of other dads at
the playground. We all seem to have a lot in common, we work in the
city, talk about the train station we use, only go to the playground on
nights and weekends, and keep asking each other's names because we can't
remember names to save our lives. </li>
</ul>
Life is good in New Rochelle. More to come. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1K9Tmjy_rqFt8Xrau_iNKIdy8FBBOk8jquFwpu6NrR-UA7gZEyupmqOtEhdZuAzk9Di_Ji7sBo5OcJ6KteQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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P.S. - You can see both Nilda and Charlie in that top picture. </div>
Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-64766704000321439392013-08-15T22:04:00.000-04:002013-08-15T22:04:09.356-04:00Almost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We moved all of our stuff out of the apartment on Saturday, August 3, and have been living at Stella's ever since. The move out of the apartment wasn't too bad. We were able to store all of our stuff in the vacant apartment next door, so I was able to move most things over the week before and had Andrew and Matt over to help with the big things. They hated when I said thank you, so really, thank you guys, so much. You guys are the best. Charlie liked it because we placated him with Cheetos. </div>
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We got a bunch of stuff over to Stella's and finally settled in. Things weren't as tight as I thought they would be and I was feeling pretty good about it. Charlie was happy that he still got to watch The Chica Show. The thing to realize about this picture is that no one put him under the covers, he realized how awesome that is all by himself. </div>
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Stella's has been good. Charlie loves her cooking and especially loves eating dinner in front of the tv, Nilda and Stella have even managed not to kill each other and Stella has shown me how having Corona in a glass with ice cubes can make sense. Seriously, Andrew, try it. And try putting a closed Corona bottle in the freezer and then putting it in a glass. It's like a beer slushy. Living here reminds me a lot of when we vacationed in Florida last year. The only thing is that you have to be like MacGuyver to open or close Stella's door, so I've pretty much stayed away from that. One of the best decisions we made was to bring Charlie's crib and high
chair to Stella's, because god forbid this kid not eat or sleep on
schedule. </div>
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We also had a long weekend with my family in Philadelphia, where Charlie was introduced to Uncle Forest's pancakes. Like Lacey says, they're not as good without the chocolate chips. </div>
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Francesca told me this weekend that I was in "the bad words club" because I said a bad word. I considered explaining that "friggin" was not a bad word, but thought better of it. Charlie and Serena are getting along great and it's fun watching them play together. By "playing," I mean Charlie pretty much follows her around. </div>
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Stella babysat for us one night this we while we went to look at getting a second car. She put him to sleep at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1564790987" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">7:30 pm</span></span>, when he normally goes to sleep at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1564790988" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">9:00</span></span> pm. All was fine until he woke up at 10:15 pm. And 10:50. And 11:15. Until finally he went into the living room at 12:15 and lay down on the floor. <br />
<br />
Through all this, we managed to close on the house. It was still crazy
right up until the end. Without getting into details, let's just say
that I left to attend the closing without knowing if it would actually
take place. But all seems well and Nilda did a walkthrough of the house tonight. She came home saying we had a lot of work to make the house "pretty," which is terrifying to me. We move into our house tomorrow and, luckily, Stella is coming with us, because Charlie luuuvs his YaYa. </div>
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Making things better is that my parents are coming on Saturday. Happy birthday, Dad! I'm looking forward to having you and Mom come in on Saturday. Mom can clean things we already cleaned and unpack things we don't want her to unpack, while you can point out all the things in the house that I won't understand. </div>
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PS - The best part of all of this is that I don't need to hoard quarters for laundry anymore. Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-46909701902956224322013-07-21T14:26:00.000-04:002013-07-21T14:26:00.841-04:00So How Are Things Going With The House?<div style="text-align: justify;">
The quick version is that things are <a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120324224649/mlpfanart/images/a/ab/3879_-_animated_gif_chuck_norris_dodgeball_thumbs_up.gif" target="_blank">going well</a>. The long version is that this has been an epic ordeal. We've had three inspections, two contracts, four offers and too many open houses to count. We saw the market go from being quiet and simple to absolutely crazy, with houses that had been sitting on the market for weeks suddenly get multiple offers. Things got so hectic that in one day, we saw three houses and had to decide on which we wanted to make an offer. It was like living an episode of House Hunters. We made an offer on a house for $22,000 over asking price and we <i>still</i> didn't get it, and we weren't even surprised. </div>
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The process showed us what we actually want in a house and want we don't want. For example, we saw one house that we really liked and almost had a deal, until we learned how much of a pain oil heat is, as opposed to gas. We learned all about the school districts in Westchester and why, to Nilda's dismay, the beautiful old Victorian in Park Hill was not going to work for us. We learned that we might actually be very happy in an early 1960s split level.</div>
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Where we are now is that we have a contract and are on the verge of closing on the house that was far and away my first choice. We actually came very close to this house once before, after we cut bait with the first house with oil heat, only to lose it to someone offering 50% cash. I didn't understand why this was a big deal six months ago, but now I realize that putting down 50% cash means the buyer getting the mortgage is not as important or difficult and makes life much easier for the seller. We found another house around the corner that was not as nice and were hours away from signing the contract on that house when we learned that my first choice came back on the market. </div>
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Days later, we were ready to sign the contract on the house when the sale of our apartment became an issue. We needed to make sure that our apartment would actually sell, since the contract on the house was not contingent on the sale of our apartment (NY is weird). We had a very tense weekend, but the
sellers gave us a week and our buyers were approved by the coop Board. Everything worked out well, but man that was rough. Whatever else happens, I have learned that getting and having a house is not as easy as it looks when you're a kid. </div>
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The new issue, because there always is one, is that we don't know when we'll be able to move into the house. We were supposed to close on August 1, but that's not working for the sellers now and we can't get a date from them. We closed on the apartment in late June and are able to stay in the apartment until very early August pursuant to a post-occupancy agreement, but we'll be homeless after that. We have some plans, but the lack of a definite plan is <strike>killing Nilda</strike> annoying. </div>
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We've been packing and thank God we started early because this is going to take forever. You just don't realize how much stuff you accumulate. Here's most, but not
all of the boxes we've packed so far, and how knows how many more we'll need. </div>
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I'll
try to keep blogging through this, but you can already see how much of a
toll Charlie switching his bedtime from 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm has taken on
the blog, so don't hold your breath. In the meantime, Charlie has been doing great. </div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>He is getting bigger and bigger and smarter and smarter. He has already learned how to give attitude. </li>
<li>Charlie luuvs his naps. He may fight going to sleep, but he loves lying
down in the middle of the day. And what's not to love? Enjoy it while
you can, Charlie. </li>
<li>I've started reading Charlie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Caps-Sale-Peddler-Monkeys-Business/dp/0064431436" target="_blank">"Caps For Sale,"</a> which is a book I remember reading when I was a kid. The book
says that there are gray, red, blue and brown caps. I don't see a brown
cap, but I'm pretty sure there are plenty of orange caps.</li>
<li>Charlie
is very sensitive with his feet. He does not like to walk outside
barefoot and hates dirt. Nilda said that he started limping the
other day and wouldn't put his foot down. When she looked at it, the
problem was that he had a sesame seed on his foot. A sesame seed.</li>
</ul>
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Like his father and uncle before him, Charlie has wild time after dinner. Thank God we're moving to a home without downstairs neighbors. </div>
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He's starting to use more words. Nilda told me that one day, he said to
her, "Outshide? Mommy? Peash? Outshide?" And when it's hot, you KNOW
Nilda wants to go outside! And check him out saying "pizza." </div>
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Nilda loves to play with his hair. Here is a blurry picture of Charlie with a Steven Segal ponytail. We have just learned that using conditioner is way easier than spraying
on detangler and combing his hair. I never realized that my 19-month old
needing conditioner was a consequence of marrying Nilda. She said today that maybe he needs a haircut, but we both know she'll never do it. She, along with everyone else, just loves those little blond curls too much. </div>
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Charlie still likes to have things his way. Here he is chilling at a party. He stopped wanting to leave when everyone started paying attention to him. </div>
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Charlie's new thing is to find a cute girl the playground, smile and
stare at her until she plays with him. Charlie's got game. And then he runs like a track star, with that one arm flopping around just like Lilah used to run. Until he falls down. Which is quite often. <br />
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He can even go down the slide by himself now.</div>
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Here's hoping Charlie likes the suburbs. He'll miss the street and the park and the Saturday morning chocolate croissants, but he'll have multiple rooms, a back yard and the ability to run as much as he wants. Plus, there's a playground right near the house and a ton of kids. I think this will work out well. I mean, no one's ever made any movies, tv shows or books about people being unhappy living in the suburbs, right?</div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-2758427693240256322013-06-27T22:15:00.002-04:002013-06-27T22:15:15.895-04:00Lauren Alexa<div style="text-align: justify;">
Meet our beautiful new niece, Lauren Alexa, 7 lbs 2.6 oz, born to my amazing sister Julie on June 27, 2013, at 7:34 pm. Baby and Babymama are doing great. Julie, you did an amazing job and I'm incredibly proud of you. Can't wait to meet Lauren this weekend!! </div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-8097374844213221052013-06-09T18:21:00.001-04:002013-06-09T18:29:56.109-04:00Memorial Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Philadelphia with my family. Nilda and Charlie went in on Thursday and I followed on Friday. It had been a few months since Charlie was there and he had some trouble adjusting at first. Mommy left him for a few minutes and he did NOT like that. Cousin Lacey got picked up and he wanted to go too. Here is a video my Dad took documenting how easily Charlie and Serena took it. </div>
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I'm glad my Dad took this video, so he could finally see what we are talking about. "Such an easy baby!" they would say. Dad recognized that he's tough, but nothing phases my mother. Not even 6:15 am the next morning when Charlie was demanding to go downstairs and sit in the car. </div>
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Things started to get better, however. We discovered that we like playing the piano. </div>
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We got to hang out in the car with our cousins. </div>
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Yet another grandchild discovered the wonder that is Poppop's chair. <br />
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The best part was that we left with an awesome new ride that Mommom and Poppop got for him. Now, when Charlie cruises up to the playground in this thing, there is no question that he is the coolest 17.5-month-old in the neighborhood. My father says he was impressed that I was able to put this thing together. I'd be offended that it takes so little to impress him, but the truth is this is very close to my limits on being handy. </div>
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It's not Memorial Day Weekend without a barbecue at Aunt Sheila and Uncle Alan's. I was trying to make a little cousin laugh by making funny faces at her. She was fooled but I look over at Charlie and he was cracking up. Excuse me, I'm going to have to take this. </div>
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Notice how in that video Charlie shows that he knows how to turn on the phone and that he has to hold it up to hear ear to talk. Yes, Julie, it's a video. Yes, you can't see it on your ipad. Yes, I know it's annoying. No, I don't know how to fix that. Hey, has my niece or nephew been born yet? Anyway, here's what else Charlie has learned:</div>
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<li>Charlie has started blowing on his food when it's hot. He blows through his nostrils, but it's a start. </li>
<li>Charlie knows how to access all of his favorite shows. For example, he brings me the remote if he wants to watch The Chica Show, and he stands by the DVD player and grunts if he wants to watch Little Pim. If you don't know what either of these shows are, you have been spared. </li>
<li>Charlie's vocabulary is expanding. He says "mommy" and "dada" pretty clearly now, and says a pretty mean "socks." </li>
<li>We went to a baby dedication for Nilda's cousin, which was very nice, with a lunch afterwards. I wore a suit and Charlie sat on my lap for much of the lunch. I now have to get that suit dry cleaned. </li>
<li>His new favorite food is raisins. Nilda now appreciates how raisins can impact poop. He's starting to get music class. He knows the songs, claps along and raises his arms when everyone else does. The teacher says he's "Charlie Unleashed." </li>
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Here Charlie is with Mommy at the Thai restaurant chomping down a chicken curry puff...</div>
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...and flirting with the waitress.</div>
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We are ready for summer. </div>
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But sometimes the desire to go outside overwhelms the need to get out of your pajamas.</div>
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Btw, this is the face we make when we get hurt. </div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-6072585450018384342013-06-05T20:48:00.002-04:002013-06-05T20:50:31.861-04:00My Night With Charlie<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nilda was out tonight. Here's the play-by-play:</div>
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1. Arrive home late because of "an earlier incident on the A." Looking forward to no longer having to take the subway, especially when there's a Yankee game.<br />
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2. Immediately abandon Nilda's plan for a vegetarian pasta dinner. Order in chicken francese from pizza place instead. <br />
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3. Give Charlie a pacifier when he falls and cries, even though I'm pretty sure he fell on purpose just to get the pacifier.<br />
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4. Play guitar with Charlie trying to emulate <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cYCubol7a0&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">the video of the guy with his son</a>. Realize that the smell of shit is, in fact, coming from my son. Change diaper.<br />
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5. Eat dinner when it arrives, but unlike plan, do not watch in front of TV. Talk to Charlie about how great living in a house, the house we're hoping to get, is going to be. Charlie goes off topic and winds up
doing most of the talking.</div>
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6. Take Charlie to bath. See that his diaper may not be dirty. Hating to waste a clean diaper, I try to see if it is actually wet and, since my hands are already wet, rub it on the only dry spot I can find, which is my face. Realize that diaper is in fact wet, and
that I just rubbed Charlie's dirty diaper on my face. <br />
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7. Put Charlie into pajamas and, in a highly unorthodox move, take him outside in the stroller with the intent to get a milkshake. Find myself unable to buy said milkshake because of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Sugar-Fat-Giants-Hooked/dp/1400069807" target="_blank">this book</a> I'm reading talking about how we've all been tricked into being sugar addicts. Walk around the neighborhood with Charlie thinking about how great
Inwood is and how I'll miss it.<br />
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8. Try to get a picture (see below) but Charlie is already losing it and not having it. <br />
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9. Get Charlie home and in bed by bedtime at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1984107717" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">8:30, prepare to watch Deadliest Catch</span></span>. Don't tell mommy, but a great night.<br />
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-58463928444767034282013-05-01T21:53:00.001-04:002013-05-01T21:53:42.626-04:00Hanami<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In Japanese, Hanami means "<span style="font-weight: normal;">flower viewing," and refers to </span>the custom of "enjoying flowers." I admit it; I like the fucking flowers. Nilda and I took Charlie to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx and, overall, it was a success. We picked a good time because many of the trees were flowering. </div>
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Breaking away from his past as being a photogenic photography subject, Charlie has decided to graciously extend his middle finger to all photo opportunities. Here I am desperately trying to stop him from jumping to the ground so I can get a god damn picture. No luck. </div>
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The best thing we saw were the magnolia trees, which were in full bloom.</div>
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We tried to get good pictures with Charlie with the trees, but he was more interested in going up and down, up and down, the 2-inch step from the road to the grass. <br />
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I did, however, get Nilda's new facebook profile picture. Because I'm awesome. Isn't Mommy pretty, Charlie?</div>
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We saw a baby owl, too. Yay?</div>
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Then we were off to the cherry trees, which were also blooming. </div>
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There was a road there, too, which Charlie had to go up and down, up and down. </div>
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Charlie did a ton of running. I told Charlie he had to hold my hand, so he didn't (1) run in front of a tram, (2) run in front of people or (3) trample the flowers. Except holding Charlie's hand is really grabbing his wrist to try to stop him. At one point, I just grabbed his hoodie and finally understood why people use the monkey backpack. </div>
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By the time we went to the orchid show, Charlie was done. He ran around some more, but that was it. We had to give him a pacifier just to get him to make the trip out of the greenhouse.</div>
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I got a ton of steps in. The goal is 10,000 steps per day and I usually average around 12,000, but this day I got over 24,600. I'm winning Fitbit. </div>
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<br />Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-86161338918439522832013-04-20T12:00:00.003-04:002013-04-20T12:01:33.941-04:00I Was Told There Would Be Milkshakes<br />
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Charlie has discovered the playground. He gets a clue that we might be headed in the direction of a playground, he gets excited, and don't even think about going the other way. It's gotten to the point that since there is a McDonald's near one playground, he thinks every McDonald's is a playground. First, we start with the swings. </div>
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Then, we like to run around, climbing steps and just missing getting knocked over by the bigger kids. </div>
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Sometimes, we have to wear Mommy's sunglasses. </div>
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Although my picture taking and cataloging has significantly declined since Charlie's first birthday, here he is at his 16 month birthday. First five quarters completed!</div>
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Nilda still refuses to cut his hair, though it's getting a little crazy. She finds support in people at the playground who say "DON'T YOU DARE CUT HIS HAIR!!" You can almost comb it, though his curls make that tough. It's probably more timely to compare him to Don Draper, but I would rather say he looks like Gordon Gecco. Always on the phone. </div>
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Charlie had a good time at the local beer garden. </div>
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But then he had to sleep it off. </div>
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This kid gets most active when he's tired, right before bed time. Here he is working on his moon crawling. </div>
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I tried to get a video of him dancing to Sesame Street, but he's become very camera shy. Here he is eating breakfast and realizing that I was supposed to eat that particular waffle.</div>
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On the house front, we are closing on our apartment in early June and will need to be out. We found a house we like in New Rochelle where we want to be, but things are getting a little rocky with the sellers, so we're looking at other houses this weekend just to be safe. We'll keep you updated. </div>
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P.S. - Charlie enforces a strict "no one poops alone" policy, so don't even think about closing the bathroom door on him. </div>
Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-90377621671189143642013-04-05T21:59:00.002-04:002013-04-05T22:00:40.978-04:00The Word Of The Day Is: "No (Shaking Head)"It's the usually-almost-annual Passover / Easter episode! We went to Philly for the long weekend and Charlie saw all of his cousins, including his 3-month older cousin, Serena. They were both so excited that they woke up early. Here's a picture of them being really pissed off about that.<br />
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The best part of going to Philly for Passover is getting the slow leak in your tire fixed for under $15 at Costco using your mom's membership. Charlie's favorite part was the chocolate covered acai berries.</div>
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The first seder was with my dad's side, the second seder was with my mom's side. This is one of the times where Nilda not being Jewish is very convenient. </div>
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Charlie doesn't know the four questions yet, but his main question this year was "Why am I not allowed to throw this matzah on the floor?" I tried to explain that if He hadn't smoted our ancestors, it would have been enough, but he wasn't having it. </div>
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Charlie liked the clapping. Apparently, having ancestors escape from bondage means you do a lot of clapping. </div>
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Btw, you see that sheet/place setting right there? That means I made it. Charlie had a great time. He got to run around a house the first night and a large hall the second night with his cousins all around him. The only problem is that he falls after every three steps he takes. He's like Maggie Simpson. Finally, Charlie decided to make his own Exodus from Mommy changing him into pajamas and made a show for everyone. </div>
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On Easter, back in New York, Nilda and I took Charlie to <a href="http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=24" target="_blank">the Little Red Lighthouse</a> under the George Washington Bridge, which is the only remaining lighthouse on Manhattan that you can only get to on foot.</div>
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Charlie liked it because he got to walk around on a picnic table and man, you should have seen the tears when it was time to go. Just to put all of this in perspective, here is what Charlie looked like a year ago: </div>
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We spent that Friday night at Kate and Houdin's in Connecticut, where Matt and Mary were staying as part of their Passover travels. Jeremy and Irene tagged along because what the hell. It was a quorum-reunion of the whole law school group, with a key few unfortunately missing. It's amazing to think how far we've come, from the mouse-infested hell hole in the projects that even the drug dealer wouldn't go to, to a diaspora of Connecticut, Min-eh-so-dah and shortly Westchester. </div>
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It's amazing how when we're all together, it's like no time has passed. Kate didn't go to law school, but she remembers being in 3A once and one of us catching a mouse on the kitchen counter using a cup, so she's in. None of us met Nilda until well after law school, but she's got enough law school debt from Fordham to be one of us. Besides, I think we all recognize that I'm happier married than I ever was single, so that makes me easier to tolerate. We had the eight-year old serve as the photographer and made sure to get a picture of what he claims is my butt. </div>
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Great shot, Noah. Make sure they put you in the gifted class. Speaking of the diaspora, it looks like we've settled on a house in New Rochelle. We're in talks now on a particular place and more to come. We may have a backyard sooner than I had thought. I want a place Charlie can grow into
and think of as his home. I sometimes look at him and remember about my own
childhood, how I felt and wondering how my parents must have felt watching me grow up, like I'm watching Charlie. Then
I look at Charlie and realize he's thinking, "I'm pretty sure there's more
banana that they're not giving me."<br />
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In the meantime, check out this video, which proves why 90210 was not as cool as you thought it was at the time and why high school would have been so much better if everyone listened to Phish.</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SEc5m9VuxGU" width="420"></iframe>Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-56080005528103219682013-03-23T07:12:00.002-04:002013-03-23T07:26:47.909-04:00Offer Accepted<br />
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Our apartment
was on the market less than two weeks and we already have an accepted
and wonderful offer. It's been a whirlwind and even the broker says she's never
seen anything like it. Which means god damn, Nilda did a good job designing this apartment. One person apparently said, "I can't buy an apartment just because I love the kitchen." I remember how much work renovating this apartment was, but now I'm hoping to do the same with a house. Who wants to pay for someone
else's renovations? </div>
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Showing the apartment has meant a ton of cleaning. Here's Charlie participating in the rouse of hiding a large portion of his toys in the basement. </div>
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Other than selling this apartment and spending most of our waking moments looking for a house, things are good. Here's Charlie at his 15-month check up exploring the doctor's office. Just like pop-pop! People
tell me looks big, but he's median percentile for height and
weight. He looks happy in this video, but after two shots and having blood taken he was pissed off as a motherfucker.</div>
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This is Charlie minutes after he woke up, watching Sesame Street and pissed off that pictures are being taken. Nilda has finally conceded that "maybe" it's time for a haircut. You think?</div>
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Here's Charlie's happy face when he gets what he wants. In this case, he NEEDED that particular bottle of wine from the store. Really, Charlie? A white? It's your sippy cup...</div>
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And now a word about the future of blogging. All of the blogs that I follow - both of them - both stopped recently, citing
changing life circumstances and a desire for privacy. I respect that decision, but feel that the power of this site is just too important to stop. Where else can you learn that I wanted to name Charlie "Captain." When you think about it, it would be selfish of me to stop blogging. Charlie's says he's in agreement, but he can be pretty indecisive. </div>
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<span id="goog_1258129954"></span><span id="goog_1258129955"></span>Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-52469396371225182562013-03-12T21:22:00.003-04:002013-03-12T21:22:43.129-04:00The Part Where We Move To Westchester<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been almost four years since we bought this apartment in Inwood and I absolutely love it. It's like living in a little town that's still in Manhattan. It's right near a great park with playgrounds, Broadway is like a little main street, there are a ton of kids and the people are really nice. It's still on the subway, but it's easy to access the big box stores of the suburbs. I wake up with Charlie on Saturday mornings, go outside, get a coffee, go to the farmer's market and take a walk through the park. I love it and I don't think I'll ever be as happy living anywhere else. </div>
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Naturally, it's time to leave. I blame myself, really. Back in November, our neighbor in 1C next door had an open house for her apartment. I jokingly said to Nilda that we should check it out to see if we should combine the two apartments. Nilda took this joke waaaaay too far and the next thing I knew we were talking to an architect and a designer about how to combine them. I never thought it was a real possibility until I talked to my mom. She told me how I may not realize it now, but we would soon outgrow 1B and this was a one time opportunity to grow the apartment we love into a place where we could stay. It was in an area that we love near Stella/Abuela and she said I should really consider it. She was absolutely right. So I guess really, it's Mom's fault. </div>
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The abridged version is that we made an offer and it was accepted and 1BC was going to be glorious. It was going to be a sprawling 3 bedroom, two bath complex with plenty of space for Charlie, a dining area, a butler's pantry with a stand alone freezer for a shit load of BJ's purchases and - my dream - a study. 1BC was going to be awesome. </div>
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Then, the appraisal for the combined apartment came back $40,000 below what we needed it to be. That means we would have to come up with an additional $40,000 that the appraiser said was not worth it. Reluctant to dip into our vast resources of pirate booty, 1BC was over. We bought a new mattress as therapy and moved on with our lives. </div>
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The problem was that we had convinced ourselves that our current apartment was not big enough for us anymore, at least not in the long term. Nilda and Charlie run out of places to go on a cold winter day and we can't do anything in the kitchen after he goes to sleep because it's right next to his room. We lost the guest bedroom, pantry and (single tear) office that I suddenly felt I needed. </div>
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We, therefore, including me, have decided to look for a house in Westchester. It would give us outdoor space, private laundry, a separate freezer, space to store a shitload of wine, a kegerator, a driveway for the two cars we'll need, a room for Stella, space for another kid if that happens, and no neighbors banging because Charlie drops his milk bottle at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning. I was against it at first, not wanting to leave Inwood, but the market seems to be turning and it makes sense to buy a house now, rather than wait a few years when prices might go up. We put our apartment on the market a few days ago and are seeing a bunch of houses (the market seems to be heating up now, since people tend to move in the spring, so their kids can be at new schools in the fall). We're looking primarily in New Rochelle and Yonkers, making it a short commute to the city. Plus, it's not like we go downtown much anymore and we spend most of our weekends in Westchester as it is. </div>
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This is where things are now. Best case scenario, we find a great house and we're barbecuing by the end of the summer. Worst case scenario, we're still living in temporary housing in August and we can't find a place to live. It's like jumping off a cliff and hoping you find a safe landing before you hit the ground. It'd be nice to give Charlie space to run around, because God knows he needs it. </div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-52033467611829910842013-02-18T14:35:00.001-05:002013-02-18T14:35:52.400-05:00How Big Is Charlie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's getting harder to get time at the computer. Charlie has started going to sleep later (after 8:00 pm!) and Charlie does not allow Nilda and I to use the computer around him. To Charlie, the computer must look like this magical device that plays Elmo all the time, because any time we use it, he walks over to us and demands to use it, which generally means banging it, pulling off the space bar and pushing the lit-up, irresistible power button. Here's what else has been going on:</div>
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<li>Charlie has been changing and becoming more aware, so it's harder and harder to distract him. The remote isn't the draw that it used to be, but my belt is still fascinating.</li>
<li>Charlie stacks his blocks now, instead of just knocking over the towers I would make.</li>
<li>He claps and does "so big," but you already knew that. </li>
<li>Charlie now luuuves his Elmo and Big Bird dolls. He gives them hugs when he sees them, something he didn't do before, and it's disgustingly adorable. </li>
<li>Nilda and Stella were convinced that Charlie said "Gracias," and since he babbled two syllables, who's to say they're wrong. </li>
<li>Charlie, who generally eats healthy and often organic foods, had his first chicken mcnugget yesterday and I don't think I've ever seen him happier. </li>
<li>Charlie has learned how to pout, and it's quite effective. </li>
<li>Nilda picked a boogie from Charlie's nose that was so remarkable, she's going to put it in his scrap book.</li>
<li>When I put Charlie in the bath, I (1) run the water, (2) take off his clothes and diaper in front of the tub and then (3) put him in the bath. As Charlie started peeing on the floor in front of the tub, I realized that the time between steps 2 and 3 has shortened dramatically.</li>
<li>The other night, I saw Charlie starting to play with a cord plugged into the wall near the dining room table. I sternly told him "No!" and then looked away without smiling, so he would know I was serious. I looked back at him to make sure he wasn't going for the plug again and he smiled, but I didn't respond because I wanted him to know this was serious. When I looked back again, he looked at me, smiled and then hid his face behind a chair. My efforts to reprimand Charlie had turned into a game of peek-a-boo. </li>
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Then there was the snow storm! There was more snow than Charlie had ever seen and we were able to use the inflatable pull sled that Charlie got for his birthday. We took him out the night before, when it just started snowing, and the day after, when it was covered and all the neighborhood kids were sledding in the park. He loved it, until he fell over and his face went right into the snow. But then he was ok again. (Julie - video alert):</div>
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Charlie is still a professional-caliber sleeper, which is all his mother. Here he is in the car, with me desperately trying to keep him awake until he gets home, otherwise he'll sleep for 5 minutes in the car, be unable to nap at home and be crabby. Just like Mommy. The little guy can't do it:</div>
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And will you check out that hair? Nilda still refuses to let me get his hair cut even though he's starting to resemble more than a passing similarity to Lion-O of the Thundercats. My mom found the pictures Andrew and I had from our first haircuts, which was when we were about 18 months. This picture is of Andrew, but really, can you tell the difference? I didn't think so. </div>
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And did I mention the walking? This kid is now a full-blown walker. Here are two videos that my sister Julie took last time we were in Philly, even though Julie reminds me every time I post that she can't see the vidoes on the emails she gets when I post. </div>
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On the pizza front, we went to Roberta's and, to our utter surprise, did not have to wait. It was excellent and the top pie was a mashed potato pie, which I said I wouldn't have but which was great, with crispy speck and an egg on it. </div>
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Did I show you the pictures from Frank Pepe's in New Haven? Clam pie and a half-peperoni half-broccoli pie. Different style pizza (they call it "apizza"), but still great. Wow, aren't you glad you read all the way down here?</div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-45326254219055903612013-01-31T20:59:00.003-05:002013-01-31T20:59:45.087-05:00$1.2 Million<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was away last week on a trial in New Haven, Connecticut. It was a case about a surgical technologist who complained about sexual harassment and was retaliated against after she complained. Matt and I were the two young guys going up against two senior attorneys (one reminded us <i>five times</i> that he had 40 years of experience) who were very confident they would appropriately handle two pipsqueaks like us. Right up until the jury awarded our client $200,000 in emotional distress and<i> $1 million in punitive damages</i>. Booyah. </div>
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I have to be careful not to spend too much time away from Charlie, otherwise this happens.</div>
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At least Charlie was able to get in touch with his Russian heritage.</div>
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Charlie has started walking like crazy. It's his new hobby, even though he often times ends up face planting on the ground. </div>
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It was a good week.Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-1640944755314921012013-01-21T21:37:00.002-05:002013-01-21T21:56:45.616-05:00First Steps<div style="text-align: justify;">
January has been as crazy as expected. I had one trial out in Central Islip earlier this month and am starting another one in New Haven tomorrow. One thing I did not miss as an absentee father were Charlie's first steps! Here he was walking last week, completely out of the blue and a total surprise to us. </div>
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He's taken steps here and since, but hasn't improved much. The funny thing is that Charlie only walks when it's easier than sitting down and crawling only to have to stand back up again. Charlie's desire to walk comes from laziness. That's how I know he's my son. That, and how he loves spicy pickles. </div>
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Speaking of food, Charlie has learned that he's not supposed to drop food on the floor when
he's in his high chair. Therefore, he will keep the food in his
closed fist, hang it over the open air, look at you and time it so that
he releases the food the moment you say, "Don't you drop that!" It's harder than expected to stay mad at a one year old.</div>
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We're starting some bad habits with Charlie. For example, he reaches when he wants something and keeps reaching until he gets what he wants. He twists his hand when he really means it. The bad part of this is that I need him to keep doing this so I know what he wants. Sometimes I actually tell him to point, so that I can be led by the 13-month old. </div>
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Here's another example of Charlie being in complete control over my life. He pushes the truck Mommom and Poppop gave him for his birthday into a wall, then turns to me, saying, "Fix it." And I do. That is my shame. </div>
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On two separate occasions, Charlie blew kisses, which is some kind of milestone or something. In a valiant effort to get him to repeat this amazing feat, we kept blowing kisses at him. He never did it again, but he did mimic the sound, going "mmm-AHH!" This was adorable, so I tried to get it on video, except Charlie gets so engrossed by the phone that he stops. Here is an example of one of my many failures in getting this on video:</div>
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Charlie also started putting his hand up to his ear when he hears the phone ring, but he refuses to do this on command. </div>
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It's both surprising and completely expected that a 1-year-old would
like Skittles. It was probably not the best idea to introduce him to
candy, but it works like magic to get him to stop crying when he
inevitably hurts himself. We have even started a dental hygiene program
for him. Mommom, this is all you. </div>
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P.S. - To get Charlie to sit still during a diaper change these days, we have to distract him with something. Today, it was the camera, which we did not know was recording a movie. I present to you Charlie's view of getting his diaper changed and put into his pajamas.<br />
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-42359340747984982182012-12-31T15:39:00.003-05:002012-12-31T15:41:28.559-05:00Christmas 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a busy and fun holiday season, with lots of toys and peanut butter sandwiches on the floor. Charlie had his 12 month doctor's appointment and he's doing great. And thanks to three big shots and Charlie's growing self-awareness, he now hates the doctor. Thanks, modern medicine!</div>
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Charlie is still opening birthday gifts. I thought he'd enjoy ripping open the gifts, but since it's not newspaper or toilet paper, he's not interested. Must not taste as good. Here he is showing off his new extra-loud music toy that Matt & Lynn gave him. Thanks, Matt & Lynn. </div>
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Here he is playing with the truck that Mommom and Poppop got for him (video alert, Julie). </div>
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He doesn't exactly get Legos at this point, but he knows they're
awesome. He especially likes the big truck Mommom and Poppop got him,
so he can push it until he hits a wall, then point to me to come fix it. </div>
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And then it's Christmas. Soon after Nilda and I started dating, we made a deal about how religion would work. Kids would be Jewish, but they'd have Christmas and there would be Santa Claus. Please witness, therefore, the first Heller grandchild to have a picture taken with Santa. </div>
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Santa's not what I expected him to be. Granted, all I know about Santa comes from "A Christmas Story," but aren't you supposed to tell Santa what you want? This guy just sits there as a never-ending parade of parents shove their kids at him for a 30-second photo opp, then watches as those same people go to pay for overpriced pictures. Charlie seemed intrigued. </div>
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One holiday thing that I recommended we do is take Charlie downtown to show him the tree at Rockefeller Center. This way, we could finally take advantage of living in the city, which we never do. Except I forgot about the <strike>zombies</strike> tourists. We live in a world where you can be walking in a straight line on a busy sidewalk, then someone will walk right in front of you and just stop with no consideration for anyone else, and then when you inevitably bump into them, you are expected to say you're sorry. And then I'm the rude one. I feel the same way about Christmas time in Rockefeller Center as I do about cheap garbage bags: never again.</div>
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The one good thing about tourists is that you can ask a random stranger to take a picture of the three of you and he'll do it. Merry Christmas, sucker. <br />
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Christmas is always a special time of year for the Jews. We never
had a tree or lights, and that was always my favorite
part. I have a strong memory of going to a packed showing of "Yentil"
with my family as a kid on Christmas. When I was in high school, my dad decided to make Christmas dinner, since there was nothing else to do. Now we have a big kosher Christmas dinner on Christmas day. Nilda's family does Christmas Eve and also has a lot of food, but it's a bit different. My favorite
part is the roast pig. Thank you, Cubans!</div>
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Nilda's family seemed surprised when I offered to help take it out of the outdoor cooker they have for this. I said, "There's a 40-pound pig out there. Do you think I'm going to miss out on that?" Charlie was trying out his game on a cute little 10-month old at Christmas Eve dinner. She's not like the waitresses and random women at checkout counters that he usually puts the moves on. </div>
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Here is the elegant ladies' man feeding himself oatmeal that very same morning, like a boss.</div>
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We then went to my parent's house for Christmas dinner. Charlie loves Uncle Dumbass. Like I've said before, the best part about being an identical twin is your twin's kids.<br />
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This is Charlie and his 3-month older cousin Serena. They're so close in age that it'll be fun to see them grow up together. But she'll always be in charge, since (a) she's older, (b) she's a girl and (c) she walked before 12 months and Charlie's not looking like he's interested any time soon. </div>
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Happy New Year, everyone! Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-79568053006534974762012-12-18T21:35:00.000-05:002012-12-18T21:35:19.508-05:00Happy Birthday!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Charlie turned one year old on Saturday and I still can't get over it. Here are the obligatory pictures outlining his progression, from the first moments after his birth to the 20 minutes that we desperately spent trying to get a goddamn picture of him with the 12 month sticker on. </div>
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Nilda had a baby shower on the Saturday of his actual birthday, so Charlie and I got to hang out,
just us guys. I learned that Charlie likes salami and eggs just as much
as I do, which is further proof that he's a Heller. I spent most of
the day trying to get a good picture of him to post on facebook.
Unfortunately, my little perfect picture taker has been replaced by a
little shit that wants to take the phone. I did manage to get a good
video of Charlie crawling all over the library like he owns the place.
(Note to Julie: there's a video here). </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dySyoBO_p0HIyxTbyTwEOzgKeWt3ik8tMXrbTdxFhC-sONPG1fjdzadyspnVIyiZVgex8mVTcKw5ko4gRJXTA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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On Sunday, we had Charlie's first birthday party at a school auditorium near our house. It was the big Hispanic first birthday party that Nilda had always promised me, with lots of home cooked food, booze and a DJ. Nilda did a wonderful job putting together a great Sesame Street themed birthday party. I'd post the pictures I took of the place, but my camera got milk in it on the way over there (long story) and was useless. Here are some pictures that people were good enough to send to me. </div>
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Charlie had a ball, though he had no clue what the fuss was about. He was crawling all over the place and seeing everyone, until he crashed. <br />
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Charlie says he's old enough to drive now, but I'm still not sure. </div>
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Happy birthday, baby boy. I love you more than I ever thought possible. </div>
Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-31631514922777476832012-12-11T20:23:00.000-05:002012-12-11T20:23:25.930-05:00Almost One Year<br />
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It's been a while and a lot's happened, so let's get to it. Charlie went through the I'm adorable stage, the "I'm sick and need mommy stage," the "I'm a little shit stage," and finally back to another "I'm adorable" stage. He also desperately needs a haircut, but Nilda says it's "cute" and
we'll wait until after his first birthday. In the meantime, he'll keep
looking more and more like Doc from Back to the Future.</div>
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Speaking of Back to the Future, check out McFly in his life preserver. </div>
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That picture was taken at the BJ's in Pelham while we were getting supplies for Charlie's way-too-big-Hispanic birthday party. BJ's is amazing and going there makes me want to stock up for the apocalypse. The only person who likes it more than me is Stella, who goes freaking nuts. Yes, of course you need that much mayonanise. Charlie loved it, too. I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as he was standing up in the shopping cart. </div>
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"Onward, to savings!" </div>
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We had gone to the beer distributor the day before and Charlie went berserk. All he wanted to do was get on the dirty, dusty floor and crawl around, and he was desperately willing to squirm his way out of your arms to do so. We finally had to let him crawl around on top of the boxes, which is obviously the safer option. <br />
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I can't believe Charlie is going to be one year old. It feels like both a
full lifetime and the blink of an eye at the same time. Here's the latest updates:</div>
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<li>Charlie's starting to go to sleep later. He will let you know when he's
ready by literally laying down on the floor. </li>
<li>He's getting a temper,
too. When he doesn't get what get wants, he storms away crying, stomping
his hands as he crawls.</li>
<li>Charlie will gladly help you remove your toilet paper off that cumbersome roll into an elegant and convinient pile on the floor. </li>
<li>Charlie's not walking yet, which Nilda says is a good thing. Since
Andrew and I didn't walk until about 22 months, this is how I know he's
my son.</li>
<li>Charlie loves to splash in the bath and now conscripts me to do it for him. He takes my hand and puts it in the water and grunts until I splash for him.</li>
<li>Charlie says "Mama," "Dada" and "yum yum," and sometimes he even says them in the appropriate context. </li>
</ul>
All he wants is Mommy. I may be fun, but Mommy is where shit gets real. Even tonight, I did a great job of giving him his bottle to get him ready to go to sleep, but all he wants to do is get on the floor and keeps crying while staring at the door. I think this means he wants to stay up, but then Mommy walks in and he collapses on her shoulder to go to sleep. Like Forrest says, "Mommy is magic." Oh, and spit bubbles are hilarious.<br />
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Note to both readers who get notifications of this blog by email (especially you, Julie): you cannot see the videos through the email. You actually have to go to a computer and (sigh) go to boywonderesq.blogspot.com to see them, but not on an ipad. I know, it's like the blog isn't even worth it. But hey, it's Hannukah! Charlie doesn't know what that is, but it involves fire and presents so he likes it. </div>
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Check out how he different he looks from one year ago. </div>
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PS - We went to cousin Lilah's awesome birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Here is Charlie's grainy mug shot to prove it.</div>
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<br />Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-86549534061582673812012-11-20T21:42:00.002-05:002012-11-20T21:42:21.606-05:00Min-Eh-So-Dah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In law school, 5 of us survived two years in a cramped, expensive
two-bedroom-converted-to-three, mice-infested apartment in the projects
near school. It's amazing how an experience like that means you will
forever be friends with those people. For my birthday, I told Nilda
that I wanted to go visit Matt and Mary, two survivors, who moved to
Minneapolis. I got what I wanted and we had a great time. Here's what I learned:</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Minnesota has a street called "Minnehaha." This will never stop being funny. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">There's water everyfreakingwhere you look. The license plates say
"10,000 Lakes," but there are actually more than 11,000. This is a
great source of pride to Minnesotans for some reason. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Matt told me that Prince is from Minneapolis and I haven't been able to get the soundtrack to "Purple Rain" out my head ever since.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Matt and Mary have a wonderful house and we were incredibly comfortable there. Matt knows about all the neighborhoods in the twin cities and can tell you which ones have nice houses.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">It's amazing how you can go for months without talking to someone and then hang out like no time has passed at all. </li>
<li>Mary is looking HOT these days!</li>
</ul>
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Matt and Mary have two dogs
and Charlie was fascinated by them. We learned that Charlie cannot try to eat the dog food or drink the dog's water if he has a pacifier in his mouth. Here he is crossed between wanting
to explore the dog and trying to not get licked in the face. </div>
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We finally got to meet Gracie! She's the adorable little girl that Matt and Mary adopted from China, as documented on Mary's incredible blog, <a href="http://growingournest.blogspot.com/">growingournest.blogspot.com</a>. I knew she was adorable, but I didn't expect this sweet little voice to come out of her. </div>
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Gracie
loves the iPad. I put some animal puzzles, princess coloring games and
Dora apps on there and she was at it for hours. Every time she
completed a puzzle, she went, "I dittit!" She woke up the next morning
saying, "I want to play the game."</div>
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We spent most of the weekend either singing or watching "Gangnam Style" or "Share It Maybe." I highly recommend you stay away from both of these. Here is Gracie showing off doing Gangnam Style. </div>
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I had a great time playing with their two boys, Noah (8) and Luke (6). I
told Noah that I was a black belt in "Jew-Jitsu" and he and his brother
went to their room and came out wearing their yellow belts, ready to
go. It's a miracle I didn't get punched in the balls. </div>
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<br />
As the readers of Mary's awesome blog already know, Noah has
diabetes and we got to see first-hand how they deal with it. There's a
lot of testing and a lot of math, but they have found a way to manage
it that is remarkably impressive. I wouldn't say they made it look
easy, but everything would be much more difficult if Noah wasn't as
capable and mature as he is. <br />
</div>
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I went with Matt and the kids to Target. They boys were looking at Wii games and I took a picture of Gracie going right for a princess game. </div>
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She looked at me and said, "Cheeeese!!"</div>
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I asked her to stand still for a picture please and got this. Man, she's adorable!</div>
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Gracie has a clever strategy for when she is reprimanded. She
started screaming out of the blue in the car and Matt and Mary (I thought
nicely) asked her to stopping screaming, since Charlie was sleeping.
This led to Gracie immediately tearing up and crying uncontrollably. I
had to show her Gangnam Style on my phone to calm her down, all with her
lower lip quivering. Well played, Gracie, well played. </div>
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Here is the picture of Gracie and Charlie that we will use to make fun of them when they're older. </div>
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<br />
Here we are by Lake Minnetonka. There are some really nice houses by there. Ask Matt, he'll tell you. <br />
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<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>We ate incredibly well. We got a
babysitter Saturday night and went out for a fantastic dinner that
would rival any place in New York (except for price). We got the
9-course tasting menu because, as Nilda aptly pointed out, a 7-course
menu just isn't enough. </li>
<li>From what we saw, most casual restaurants are set up where you wait in line,
order your food, and then they bring it to you.</li>
<li>Mary had suggested a cozy little local seafood place known for its
biscuits that I was really curious to try, but when we got there, no one
wanted to go except for me. Check it out for yourself
(www.redlobster.com).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">One things Minnesotans do not understand is pizza. They take these thick
crusts that are straight out the Papa John's/Domino's style and fill
them with all kinds of crap liked potato salad. Paulie Gee would not be
impressed. </li>
</ul>
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We finally had to go home. The lesson is that flying with Charlie in the evening, when he's tired, is easier than flying in the morning, when he's wiiiide awake and looking to explore everything on the airplane.</div>
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Charlie had a great time, but he was ready to go home to his own bed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHujAXHhK8pxlN1V6EC0cnwo5fDrGL7Dr9EUGQ16d8LmZngTghQfXJGQ3BatznKbfMCqp6Yaj85nPlUARlXpK_gDQJLvnq3UJvkljlaHOcKexwBEMlLHMtLMSJs3VtUEFmazs3c1VHxiw/s1600/IMG_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHujAXHhK8pxlN1V6EC0cnwo5fDrGL7Dr9EUGQ16d8LmZngTghQfXJGQ3BatznKbfMCqp6Yaj85nPlUARlXpK_gDQJLvnq3UJvkljlaHOcKexwBEMlLHMtLMSJs3VtUEFmazs3c1VHxiw/s400/IMG_0223.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Not only was it my 37th birthday on November 19, but Charlie turned 11
months old, meaning he'll almost be one year old! It feels like only
yesterday I was changing his poopy diaper. Oh wait, that was
yesterday. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLa3NfuaapOIwtrz3GpbkdSZrwIaNg0HN1LIhTAjbyOR4cLJDhyrgFEh1ZTwI2N4jm9r5Z-02cYlEJV2W7nw_SXueWUV5wXxGnKNMZSutXVfmM5bynPp1q5q0mfiCSc-L0GQutHqT9hQ/s1600/IMG_0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLa3NfuaapOIwtrz3GpbkdSZrwIaNg0HN1LIhTAjbyOR4cLJDhyrgFEh1ZTwI2N4jm9r5Z-02cYlEJV2W7nw_SXueWUV5wXxGnKNMZSutXVfmM5bynPp1q5q0mfiCSc-L0GQutHqT9hQ/s400/IMG_0433.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC6LF9q_cMNo0tyoxmDk5s71MT1KtyBkZhQn0EAvObtKUowDMTdKUJwiEs8R8n4t8HDcQu05_4nR4X7782gBWutnvuHQBZv0lYq_DrIcCQfxEytNLxCNlBr35zNVyaqUGyBL-PNmhpWY/s1600/IMG_0422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC6LF9q_cMNo0tyoxmDk5s71MT1KtyBkZhQn0EAvObtKUowDMTdKUJwiEs8R8n4t8HDcQu05_4nR4X7782gBWutnvuHQBZv0lYq_DrIcCQfxEytNLxCNlBr35zNVyaqUGyBL-PNmhpWY/s400/IMG_0422.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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P.S. - Dear Santa, please ignore Mary and get Matt and Mary a microwave for Christmas. Seriously, it's just weird.</div>
Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-33154276524983062372012-11-04T19:54:00.003-05:002012-11-04T19:54:39.958-05:00Halloween Hurricane<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My last post was right before Hurricane Sandy hit. Here's what the Hudson looked like at Dyckman Street (200th St) on Monday the storm hit, before it got really bad. Of course, I had Charlie in the stroller with me, because he needs to see everything. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyh1f_-YCPVzWqkUo0-EQlA9zp7PFXeay8SmfKgPi9wJoWakli3RVhOod04zd4OYROs15i5FNRmLM8fkOdhZw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here's me using the fancy panorama feature on my new iphone for an indecipherable picture. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fQWt0RaWyxLFCnT88xF33VyWoyfSgqH3MkcCEqOvd4fMGiY2-vsWzqUXpK_VIRtSL0PSS72aX_upG1EWUAZ0WBbJ1-wCAZunaO8AaOjBdzNKRGd9e3qlupS4Oi8J_iRvALwI4WSQkFI/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fQWt0RaWyxLFCnT88xF33VyWoyfSgqH3MkcCEqOvd4fMGiY2-vsWzqUXpK_VIRtSL0PSS72aX_upG1EWUAZ0WBbJ1-wCAZunaO8AaOjBdzNKRGd9e3qlupS4Oi8J_iRvALwI4WSQkFI/s400/IMG_0137.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We got through the storm without a problem. The lights briefly flickered a few times, but that was it. We were very lucky and grateful. I tried to work from home on Monday and Tuesday, but that's much harder with a 10-month old. Bloomberg's a business guy, so he was focused on getting business moving again. This meant me sitting on an "express" bus for 2 hours on Wednesday waiting to get through midtown, only to get off 45 blocks from where I needed to be out of frustration. Thursday and Friday were better, but it was still a crazy week. The only thing I could compare it to was 9/11, but without all the horror. I went to the park with Charlie on Saturday after the storm, when it finally opened, and here are some of the trees that fell down. </div>
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Wednesday was Halloween and the annual gathering in the park was moved indoors to a nearby school because the parks were closed. We had never been to this before, but knew that it was where families go to do Halloween, since trick or treating doesn't really work in the city. It was incredible and I had never seen anything like it before. There were tons of people and most everyone was dressed up. There was a family of four dressed like the Ghostbusters, a dad and son both dressed like Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and more Star Wars characters than I could identify. (That last part was a lie.)</div>
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Charlie was Billy Fucking Idol. Nilda went as a groupie and I went as a roadie, since it seems parents need to also have costumes at these things. I had been pushing for something different, but Nilda wasn't going for it. I'm not sure why, since Lithuanian Porn Star is a perfectly appropriate costume for a 10-month old. He was a big hit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmHnz0a6O1HJJe1Bzgj7A7VWBguXsSUGSjNHz_a3zuaUOjGg1xMkoZ1NWGKA2tmRFMe6F14J0EwrclMsp6fcUy5jiqBu6HT3Kd0qofhJ3_WJV1RIwyQXnR1acwtG1Z9hmkLhk08En2dk/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsd04yYH2ZL066fvzhgaHrfngOGJkmsUTj1LCf91CraG-OX8LbjbvP2hQyrc3U96YSfP6CZeEN-vgutZjEXxZQUmCFy_CBbem1mMb4q1lLPFAH1ITGOKmAZg_XT1e8HaLayf05TnFVWw/s1600/IMG_0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsd04yYH2ZL066fvzhgaHrfngOGJkmsUTj1LCf91CraG-OX8LbjbvP2hQyrc3U96YSfP6CZeEN-vgutZjEXxZQUmCFy_CBbem1mMb4q1lLPFAH1ITGOKmAZg_XT1e8HaLayf05TnFVWw/s320/IMG_0388.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Just so everyone knows, Charlie is no longer our sweet, good natured little baby anymore. That's been replaced by this complaining shit who's just like his parents and needs to be taken into consideration. By the way, The Heller Theory is making its triumphant return to the Sidewalk Cafe this Thursday, November 8, at 9:00 pm. Come out and party like it's still 1999. </div>
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Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-88805559364996877542012-10-28T22:37:00.000-04:002012-10-29T14:42:10.424-04:00Hunkering Down<div style="text-align: justify;">
Excuse
me while I hastily post this before Frankenstorm hits NYC and turns
this area into The Walking Dead, which we finally caught up on and is
awesome. We went to my parents' in Philadelphia last weekend and, as
usual, had a great time. Charlie is starting to get more daring with
walking. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxL7vEGcK2hipF__jbGx1ZdDiFSj3iPbgF8L5YR05oiuLtloMIgDKsc8eWnJlnTnB6zepBc_6KLvX02Uc_q1A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We learned a new skill for which we're very proud of ourselves.<br />
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Here's Charlie joining the long list of Heller grandchildren walking with the Winnie the Pooh walker. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Walking by him is Charlie's cousin, Serena, whose hobbies are pulling Charlie's
hair, taking toys and pacifiers out of his hands, and taunting Charlie
by offering him a sippy cup and then taking them away. She's only three
months older, but Serena has made it clear that she is very much in
charge. Serena has also taught us that Charlie is a
complainer. When he's hungry, when he's tired, when he wants something,
he complains. And why does he complain? Because it works. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My
dad took out the old photo books and you can see how he used to look
like me. Charlie's features are like Mommy, but he overall looks like
me at his age. This is Andrew and I with Mommom. You can tell which
one is me because I'm the cute one. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzsww37uJqYiGvZnR5SE2ggSfuEYbXGdy8tueLvPGV-tISgYQrsvRua6D4kbxpixaMpeNHw3cHYifGFvcSc8PK-GFWENHXjZqn-VTN1OM6dciWEWMlK_7R8ulgc_Ow27R9AX1xgfvk5M/s1600/image_1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzsww37uJqYiGvZnR5SE2ggSfuEYbXGdy8tueLvPGV-tISgYQrsvRua6D4kbxpixaMpeNHw3cHYifGFvcSc8PK-GFWENHXjZqn-VTN1OM6dciWEWMlK_7R8ulgc_Ow27R9AX1xgfvk5M/s400/image_1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
next picture with the vests over the plaid shirts shows you the risks
associated with growing up in the 70s. It's a dark period that no one
talks about anymore. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBhDPdrd1GlMNx-P1EtivupgNYyJrm8rNX3YXbcA13Hlakyb6wO7m23C4Rm76o6reP0zTsxNIA_xUHwx0xcIOVSUyVCn7ExoK2aaygMuLi_YvG3JpZCzj2Ba68HnJNhYs8DnYyYh-quE/s1600/image_2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBhDPdrd1GlMNx-P1EtivupgNYyJrm8rNX3YXbcA13Hlakyb6wO7m23C4Rm76o6reP0zTsxNIA_xUHwx0xcIOVSUyVCn7ExoK2aaygMuLi_YvG3JpZCzj2Ba68HnJNhYs8DnYyYh-quE/s400/image_2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This one is of Andrew doing what my dad says was Andrew's favorite activity, stripping the bed every morning. </div>
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I
found my old Bigfoot toy in the basement and cleaned it off for
Charlie. I have a very strong memory of buying it. Andrew
and I went with Mom and Aunt Sylvia to the toy store to buy one for each
of us. Mom thought that my saying that Bigfoot had a setting that
didn't need batteries meant that we didn't need batteries at all, so
Andrew and I had to wait all night for the rechargeable batteries to
charge before we could play with them and we watched Mel Brooks' History
of the World Part I. All so that Charlie can roll it under
the table and cry until someone gets it for him. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We
got Charlie a baby loveseat so that he can sit and feed his bottle to
himself. Thank God for Charlie being able to hold his own bottle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGITl0U8eDchdOGGtEtqPHHoolTpOrGuklj1cVX3w4BBgWYmOtm1J9i-ZyDCxH-xu_gnuUxIRqoXG_8beP43gy0hyphenhyphen5384hvhKnIvlp0Q9FcskEcN-J_po72U8IblIlCmjwyY9NWuiOdc/s1600/bottle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGITl0U8eDchdOGGtEtqPHHoolTpOrGuklj1cVX3w4BBgWYmOtm1J9i-ZyDCxH-xu_gnuUxIRqoXG_8beP43gy0hyphenhyphen5384hvhKnIvlp0Q9FcskEcN-J_po72U8IblIlCmjwyY9NWuiOdc/s400/bottle.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Charlie still sleeps like an adorable muthafucka. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxB3v9ImMVrk0jqcn08ABSnaDIllRhmhS8KkajnIndq_JNUvjQ8rluP6JMPI7GdVS3G7OuOUrLwFH8qg0LbzrAWbN7470_XiS28ABbPGaezu-aKDeu8LZsLd4cCjxTqPnwXweUcJeaDUM/s1600/sleeping.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxB3v9ImMVrk0jqcn08ABSnaDIllRhmhS8KkajnIndq_JNUvjQ8rluP6JMPI7GdVS3G7OuOUrLwFH8qg0LbzrAWbN7470_XiS28ABbPGaezu-aKDeu8LZsLd4cCjxTqPnwXweUcJeaDUM/s400/sleeping.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We
took a trip to our friend Michelle and Ian's in NJ and saw that Charlie
appreciates the suburbs for dogs, in addition to stairs. Charlie
apparently thinks that the dog sneezing is the funniest thing he's ever
seen. Ever. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc9OEgXW3h6LYP7BuVxe0IIawfYEDHl6h0HqzoQ6hYMzQ2YK_Tql_bQ58yKX8Yn-zQU70IjuApkF6FpEcXc98owzFVsPdO_YgDAwhUATece-DcGetGnhedew-OINgDzuUzh6H1gbzWzQ/s1600/doggie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhc9OEgXW3h6LYP7BuVxe0IIawfYEDHl6h0HqzoQ6hYMzQ2YK_Tql_bQ58yKX8Yn-zQU70IjuApkF6FpEcXc98owzFVsPdO_YgDAwhUATece-DcGetGnhedew-OINgDzuUzh6H1gbzWzQ/s400/doggie.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is the part of the blog where we dance. </div>
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Good
luck to everyone weathering the storm tomorrow. Hopefully we have
enough candy and I won't have to go to the deli to get more.
Hopefully. Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841965749138047131.post-56350886079111973932012-10-17T21:58:00.000-04:002012-10-17T21:59:48.427-04:00Le Petit Monstre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bBgwyf1VcjnZaUQBu-_PL7TsLCas9YrR8vl4Jn_xE-EZltUb0fsmFJSc1rdrtGKg02ttqXsZYHwBWnLhWBEzlut9M_hS1M-3Y_0V_UDPzgBbwlIg-KMQbEbMgMJ4LL1sN2umIzPAQy8/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bBgwyf1VcjnZaUQBu-_PL7TsLCas9YrR8vl4Jn_xE-EZltUb0fsmFJSc1rdrtGKg02ttqXsZYHwBWnLhWBEzlut9M_hS1M-3Y_0V_UDPzgBbwlIg-KMQbEbMgMJ4LL1sN2umIzPAQy8/s320/IMG_0374.JPG" width="292" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have a monster. Charlie must go go go, all the time, and it's driving Nilda crazy. Charlie's new hobbies are: </div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Pulling and playing with electrical cords, especially if they are connected to a lamp. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Banging on any ipad he manages to get his grubby hands on and throwing it on the floor.</li>
<li>Defying gravity by diving off the bed to get whatever the hell is on the nightstand that's so damn interesting.</li>
<li>Going into whatever room has a closed door, especially the bathroom. </li>
<li>Grabbing whatever is in the refrigerator.</li>
<li>Eating whatever you're eating. </li>
<li>Crawling into the dishwasher, which is so exciting that he crawls like a maniac to it when he hears the dishwasher opening.</li>
<li>Eating shoes. </li>
<li>Going into my closet, which is where the <i>real</i> dirty shoes are.</li>
<li>Crawling to your feet, sitting down and lifting his arms up ever so slightly, as in, "Pick me up, sucka." </li>
<li>Jumping out of your arms two minutes later to get whatever the hell he sees on the floor.</li>
<li>Standing up in the bathtub basin we have and diving for the drain. </li>
<li>Pushing the buttons on the phone you're using.</li>
<li>Looking under the dresser and crib for pacifiers that he threw there to save for later, putting them in his mouth.</li>
<li>Refusing to lie still when you're trying to change his diaper, kicking whatever is on the changing table onto the floor in protest. </li>
<li>Taking the food you're trying to feed him off the spoon, getting it all mushed up in his hand and between his fingers, sticking his whole hand in his mouth</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In short, he's just like Daddy. And we both have the same attitude towards the bath, which is, "Fuck you, water." </div>
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<br />Boywonderesqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823634320963354988noreply@blogger.com3