baby in hand
one hand devoted to elsa holding – kickin’ it old school hunt and peck style. i’ve got two great daughters – both part night owl, but still great. as is customary lydia got a gift when elsa was born – note this is not our custom, or if it is it’s just begun, but the custom is that when a new kid shows up the other kid(s) get material posessions to be reminded of the parents unfailing love for them as well. not unlike buying your wife a diamond after forgetting her birthday. (march 1st, i’m too cheap too forget) any how (and yes i’ve set elsa down and am using all my digits) lydia got a scooter – something she’s been wanting forever and now that the ice is off the roads she can actually use it. it’s pink and has an extra wheel for balancing, not a family trait as we are of a klutzy lineage. i looked at getting myself one of those razor scooters but the ones at target aren’t recommended for 150+ lbs. and since i’m at 151 i didn’t think it prudent to tempt fate and/or prove gravity. so i bought a skate board. it’s been about 15 years since i’ve been on one, but it’s kind of like riding a bike, except it doesn’t really come back to you as fast. so lydia and i are starting a gang. we cruise around on our seven wheels and intimidate kids for spare change and twinkies. she does the talking and i just stand behind her looking tough, not a hard thing for a brute like me to pull off. we’re pretty rad i guess you could say. in fact yesterday lydia even got off her scooter walked over to me on my skateboard and started gently clapping her hands while reassuring me in a gentle voice, “you’re doing much better today on your skateboard dad.” that’s right, improvements so vast even a 3 year old noticed. I attribute my skating to a mini pre mid life crisis of sorts. Lydia has been attributing any sort of accomplishment as evidence of her big sisterness. “I can buckle my helmet all by myself, i must be a big sister!” (yeah, even in a gang you still where helmets. my favorite is when we wear them to the park and forget to take them off. people let us cut in line for the slide. just joking, there are no other people at our park.) and lydia is a good sister and we’re proud of her, and elsa is a good little sister and we’re proud of her too.