Suessical

Hi Sidra,

Last night you and I had a date. We went to a musical called "Suessical" that is based on a few Dr. Suess stories. We had a great time. It was staged by a local high school and they did a pretty good job with it. The costumes were very colorful and well done. The acting, singing and dancing was all quite good. Our seats were terrific. You clapped after every number and would have joined in the standing ovation at the final curtain if you knew what that meant. I had to pick you up so you could see past the forest of adults who were standing and applauding.

I have to give credit to your mom for suggesting this date. She noticed a review of the show in the local paper and we planned it right away. I bought the tickets online and we picked them up at the Will Call table. When we got there I assumed that it was festival seating. Who would have thought that a high school theater would have reserved seating? So I had chosen what I thought was a pretty good spot on the aisle because I thought it would be easier for you to see past the adults that way. I was bummed when someone came and told us we were in there seats. But it was good news! Our seats were in the sixth row, dead center. You sat on my lap for most of the show so you could be a little higher.

Afterward we stopped at Cold Stone for ice cream. There we found the evenings only flaw: they were out of chocolate! You settled for peppermint chocolate and I had cheesecake.

We had a little conflict while we were getting dressed and it resolved in a way that pleased and surprised me. You and your mom had already picked out the dress you were going to wear. When we went upstairs I my task was only to help you pick some tights to go with it. Now everyone knows I'm no fashionista but I was pretty sure I was right on this choice. You wanted to wear pink tights. You had two pairs of pink ones in the drawer but they didn't look right. I wanted you to wear the black ones. You really wanted pink. I said look, neither of these is the same pink as the pink in the dress but the black does match the dress. I went into my room to change my clothes and you came in a moment later and asked me to help you put on the black tights.

I did not expect that at all. You are strong willed like your mother and I and I thought we would really butt heads over that. Apparently you saw the logic in my argument and were willing to act on it over the emotional attachment you had to the pink. I'm hoping that this portends some other future grounded decisions in your future. But I'm not holding my breath!

Love, Aba

Happy Halloween!

Hi Sidra,

It is actually a few weeks since Halloween. I've been pretty busy with our Homecoming/Spirit week at school and volunteering for a couple of local candidates in the recent election. We did have fun on Halloween, though.
You were dressed as Dorothy of Kansas (Wizard of Oz character) and I dressed as the Tin Man. Your mom dressed as Glenda the good witch for a costume party the week before Halloween. We got your costume several weeks before Halloween but had to hide it from you after a couple of days because you kept putting it on and taking it off. The sequins were all falling off, too. You chose the costume after seeing it in a Target catalog that came in the Sunday paper. We even had ruby slippers for you. You and I went Trick or Treating around the neighborhood for and hour or so. You started like you'd just been given a shot of adrenaline and then eventually slowed down and even said you were ready to go home.
I was a little disappointed with your etiquette. You weren't that good about saying thank you and weren't that patient in letting your companion from next door, Jo-Jo, ring the doorbell or knock his share of the time. I will have to remember to have a little training session with you about what I expect from you in that regard.
In the video you and I sing a line from "Over the Rainbow" and I do little bit of the Tin Man's song. The camera person can be heard laughing over my song. I know I'm not a good singer but I did it for you, not for my own ego.
There's also a picture of you here with your friend Logan at the pumpkin patch. We had a good time there, too. The two of you went with me through the hay bale maze (basically a twisty dark tunnel with a low ceiling). Both of you were ready to turn back as soon as we got in far enough that no light from the entrance could be seen. I said we were in too deep and had to keep going and you guys held hands and boosted each others courage until we got out. It was a little more challenging than last year because I forgot to bring a headlamp and we only had the light of a cell phone to go on.
There's also a picture of you picking apples with Grandpa. You know, he is always willing to play with you and even gets down on his knees to get in the game. On this trip he even let you ride him like a horse!
The last picture is from our last family bike ride. We went this way: I pulled Shira in the trailer, mom rode her bike and you rode behind her on the trail a bike. Anyway, I thought it was cool how your hair is standing up as you go down the slide.

Channuka is coming.........

Love, aba