Speakerphone

When Grandpa is away Uta loves to call him up and talk about things that it seems only Grandpa has the patience for (or maybe genuine interest in?), like Star Wars and Uta's Lego wish list. Uta likes to walk and talk, and generally paces up and down our railway apartment chatting about this and that. But after a time he switches to speakerphone and gets cozy for a story. Grandpa knows the format, Uta is the hero, always, and goes about rectifying one disaster after another. Grandpa never veers far from this agreed upon story line and thus these speakerphone moments are some of the most contented of any for Uta. He never wants the calls to end.

For Little Grandma

Happy 86th Birthday!

We can't wait to see you when you get back north.

Lots of love.

First Concert

We took Uta to see David Byrne at Radio City, thanks to some free tickets that landed in our lap (courtesy of Grandpa T's friend Teresa). I was reluctant, expecting Uta to be a little less than interested. But I was wrong. Radio City itself knocked him over, literally. We stepped foot into the lobby and he fell on his back in amazement, he could have lay there all night admiring the grandeur of it all. The concert itself was riveting for the boy. David Byrne all decked out in white, hair to match, and a group of dancers that were playful and robotic had Uta spell bound. His favorite part was when DB and the dancers came out on swivel chairs and did a semi synchronized lazy office worker dance. Uta is now a confirmed fan and says he likes David Byrne just as much as Michael Jackson. No longer does he complain when I play his music. Instead he has rather diplomatically requested that I please not sing along anymore, he prefers to hear David Byrne on his own. Fair enough.

Come fall...

Come fall, we hope to welcome a new baby into the family. Uta will finally realize his long held dream of being a big brother. He is already busy with his new role. Every night he whispers to my belly things that I can't hear. He told me he wishes he could stay home from school and talk to the baby all day long. A lucky baby indeed, to be so dearly loved already. On the day I first heard the heartbeat it snowed so much that they actually cancelled NYC public schools. Uta got to come with me to see the midwife. It was such a precious moment shared with Uta, I could never have planned it more perfectly. He got to hold the heartbeat monitor and said the baby sounded like a squirrel. Uta has chosen a name for the little one that he is certain will be just perfect. Cucumber.

Spring Cut!

I just cut about three pounds of hair off of Uta's head. It's nice to see his eyebrows again. Uta can't wait to go to school tomorrow to see if anyone recognizes him. He is certain that nobody but Willa will know who he is.

Oh, by the way...

We moved. It was sudden, but not unexpected. We regretted and despised our old place every day of the year that we were in it. The new place, still crowded with boxes and functioning only just, already feels like home. Uta adores it. For a boy that hates change, the transition was suspiciously easy. He only voiced one sentimental protest, that he would miss the decorative archway of the old place. But that quickly shifted into a yearning for stone lions in front of our building, which neither place (old or new) has ever had. He was pacified with the promise of having some form of lion in our new apartment, maybe not the statue of his dreams, but hopefully a happy compromise. Any suggestions?