Texas Gala

Two weekends ago we flew to San Antonio, where Grandma and Grandpa Lyons were being honored by their synagogue, Agudas Achim. Here you in the parking lot with your cousin Cassie.

At the gala, an a cappella group performed, and then people talked, and there was a presentation and slide show about Grandma and Grandpa Lyons. All in all, it was about 2 hours of sitting still. You have this impeccable sense of timing - just when the music would cease, or a speaker would pause to take a breath, you would yell out some fact about Percy, or ask me a question about your transformer car at the top of your lungs. As family of the honorees, we were in the very front row, so it was pretty hard for us to pretend we weren't your parents.

I told you to be quiet, and so did your cousins Julia and Cassie. You looked all around the room, and seemed to be confused. "Is somebody sleeping in here?" you asked.

The next night, Uncle Beau taught you some classic bad boy moves.

And of course, we went swimming.

Mommy, Go Away!

A few years back, before I became a mom, I sold Korean rights to a picture book called Mommy, Go Away! Every year, the book sells about 15,000 copies. In South Korea. Here in the states it's out of print.

I remember thinking: what is it with those Korean moms? Couldn't they just leave their kids alone? Such impressive sales of Mommy, Go Away! suggested they couldn't.

Now Roan is 2 and a half. His favorite thing is to shout, "Mommy, go away!"

I've tried everything. I've explained the impossibility of leaving him home alone. I've scolded him. I've actually gone away. I've ignored him. I've calmly told him, over and over, that I will not go away. I've started reciting The Cat in the Hat. Nothing works. He loves to say it. His friends all say it to each other and make each other cry.

One day I tried something new. Every time he told me to go away, which was approximately once every 2 minutes, I explained to him that it hurt my feelings and made me feel sad. I made a sad face. I told him to be more polite.

He thought this over. Then he yelled, "Mommy please go away!"

I really wish I read Korean.

Sunny Day at the Gardens

Rainy Day at the Gardens