So yesterday amidst the Miami rains of September, Wifey and I left for the Grove, skittish Spaniel Lemon in tow. Lemon is D1's dog, and we've had him here 3 weeks on account of a lot of D1 traveling, and we love him. Wifey tried to guilt D1 into letting us keep him, but she said he was her emotional support Spaniel and wanted him back. Wifey countered that we were Lemon's emotional support humans, and he MUCH prefers the quiet of our house to being bothered by the energetic boys -- but D1 won the debate.
We parked in Cocowalk, newly renovated, and got a table at Mister01, the pizza place. It was filled with Grove families -- many with Ransom Everglades swag, which tells you they're RICH. I think tuition there is now well over $60K per year per kid.
D1 came in -- I had a glass of chianti for myself and a glass of white for her, and we met the new nanny Lucero -- lovely 60 year old Colombiana who speaks zero English. Wifey and I never had nannies, on account of we couldn't afford them, and so avoided the drama. The last nanny, a large and in charge Jamaican woman, was let go after she insulted Baby Man's swim coach, teacher, and finally the Rabbi at the Jewish preschool who had asked her to move her car so he could pull in: "I don't know your JEWISH RULES -- How do I know where to park?" Her son is an NFL lineman -- she doesn't need the money.
Anyway,we ate pizza and salads, and then decamped, as the rain had stopped, to Salty Straw where they had ice cream, and I met a woman with an unusual dog -- she had moved recently from Virginia, and explained her pup was a rescue from Turks and Caicos -- they run around there. Sweet dog -- wanted his pup cup at the ice cream store.
We took Little Man, and he started to talk...and talk...and talk. He is a veritable bundle of energy. He is also hilarious, with expressions like "I have one more answer up my sleeve..."
I FaceTimed with Donna and Barry and they got a kick out of him -- years ago, they had 2 little boys now grown ass men.
Wifey got LM into PJs, and we began the bedtime process. There was some cartoon time. There was trying out the new IPad I bought him and his brother. There was a trip to the kitchen for "Jitter Juice," the idea of his kindergarten teachers (diluted Gatorade) that calms the jitters of new students -- Little Man thinks it works to keep away any fears of the night time.
Finally, around 9, there were yawns, and a quick march across the hall to his bed, a 2 "Night Bird" stories, which are strikingly similar -- little children are in peril -- the heroic night bird leads them to safety. Little Man, like his mother and aunt before him, loves the tales.
He slept until 3 am, and woke me -- magically hoping it was indeed light out. I delivered the disappointing news -- light was 3 hours away, and he went back to bed. At 6, he came back,and I brought him into our bed for pre wake snuggle time. Wifey snored away.
I reminded him of the male game of Dutch oven, which cracked him up, and at 640 we were on the road -- to House of Bagels. The elderly retired professor was outside, and Little Man greeted him with a hearty "Good morning!" Our bagel lady, very white but who speaks totally in Ebonics, greeted him, and we bought our usual bagels, cream cheese, and black and white cookies -- with an extra one for Baby Man for tomorrow.
It's now 930 am and I'm ready for a nap. The energy level of a kindergartner is amazing. There is a clear biological reason why young people are the ones who have kids.
When Wifey emerges, she can take over for awhile. We have a trip planned to the new Barnes and Noble, and maybe lunch at the Ale House, though Little Man prefers Anthony's Coal Fired.
At some point, I'll put on the Canes game and teach him what I can about football -- I suspect his attention span will be limited.
Tomorrow I have to have him home by 9 am for his reading coach, which D1 thinks essential since he only tested 94th percentile in his K testing. Millennials.
On FaceTime last night, we told him that Tio Barry moved in with his grandparents for 2 years of high school -- his family was selling a Queens business and sent Barry ahead -- turned out it took much longer to get the move done. Barry loved it.
Maybe we'll do the same for Little Man -- high school is 9 years from now -- I'll be 73.
Then again -- who has the energy at that age???
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