You Say it's Your Birthday/Birthday Suit

Yesterday, my son’s first grade class had a publishing party, where all the kids in his class shared real-life stories (fully illustrated, too) with their parents. M recounted a visit to Lasker Rink last winter, in amazing detail. The cover of his novella featured yours truly, nude in the shower, with very hairy armpits (that needed a trim), among other anatomically correct renderings of my body. (His logic for including this episode in his story was that I took a shower before we headed off for the park that day – and we all know that a little skin helps move units...) Much hilarity ensued as many of M’s classmates and their parents caught an eyeful of my in-the-buff self. Can’t wait to see what else he reveals about me in upcoming tomes…

November 30th also was my daughter’s second birthday! After opening her presents first thing in the morning, she started asking for the cake, but was placated when we told her it would come after dinner (a cookie-dough ice cream cake). We’re having a party for her on Sunday for family and F’s friends, which will coincide with Brick Church’s caroling and lighting of the Christmas trees on Park Avenue (which began during WWII, in memory of their sons killed in combat). We’re not especially religious, but it’s beautiful and helps remind one that the day is not about lining the pockets of capitalists.