It is so hard to believe that she has reached her fourteenth year.
This morning I went into Zoe's bedroom at 6:55am to give her a birthday kiss. I stood and looked down at her sleeping comfortably in her bed, surrounded by dolls and Cleo, our Maltese. I remembered doing much the same 13 years ago, on her first birthday. Of course, even then I would slip into her bedroom whenever I heard a suspicious sound, "Is she okay, is she breathing?"
I have made hundreds of early morning wake up visits to Zoe's bedside. But this time I wondered, "How many more?" She is growing up so fast. Soon she will be in high school. In two years she will be eligible to drive (are you kidding me, we don't even own a car!).
I guess the point is, I will enjoy every precious moment I have with her. Happy birthday sweetheart!
Showing posts with label Zoe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zoe. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Slimy
Little girls can be very fickle, especially when it comes to bugs. Our daughter Zoe is a perfect example.
Recently a fly got into our house. It was very large and very, how shall I say it, buzzy? But from the shrill wail emanating from Zoe's room you would have thought that it was a pterodactyl!
Don't bring up the subject of bees when Zoe is around because this young lady is terrified she will be stung. Therefore, we steer wide of all flower gardens. This is one girl who will never smell the roses!
A millipede mistakenly entered Zoe's bathroom a few months ago. Unfortunately, she was right there brushing her teeth. The startled young princess let out a huge scream which drove Cleo, our Maltese, for cover under Zoe's bed. I swear the dog had its paws over its ears. Yours truly removed the intruder, but Zoe remained hesitant to re-enter her lavatory for several hours.
On the contrary, aren't lightening bugs wonderful? Zoe would always love to walk over to Central Park, little more than a block away, with a pickle jar in hand and her parents in tow. We would chase lightening bugs around the reservoir and through the apple trees that lined it. And when the jar was full of occupants, each beaming and blinking out distress signals, we would head back home with our collection to glowing reviews. (After Zoe went to bed I would release the bugs.)
As a younger girl, Zoe had an acute devotion to worms and slugs. Living in a townhouse on the upper east side of New York City we are fortunate to have a small backyard. Even though the yard is covered with paving stones, worms and slugs occasionally pay us a visit. Zoe used to be fascinated by them. She often would crouch down on her haunches and watch them slither across the yard. She would even try to pick them up. Now Cleo has developed an interest for worms. Nose to the ground, she sniffs them out and then, inexplicably, she drives the side of head across the worm rubbing its smell all over the hair on the nape of her neck. "Let's try the eau de worm please."
It turns out that Zoe likes slimy snails too. I first noticed it years ago in Miami, where I had an apartment for the seven years I commuted there to work. Each year I would bring Zoe with me for a few days during her spring break. My apartment was in a building on a small island called Brickle Key, located right downtown. Snails popped up everywhere on the island, especially by the pool. Zoe would catch them and put them in a mason jar with some green leaves. I would have quite a collection of guests by the time we were ready to return home. We once transported a snail to New York, but I later released it into the iron jungle. (Do you suppose those alligators in the New York sewer system got it?)
On my 60th birthday, Zoe, Susan and I traveled to Positano, Italy, on the Amalfi coast. What a spectacular vacation spot. But it wasn't long before Zoe befriended a slug. In fact, adopted might be a better way to describe it. We kept "Slimy" in a drinking glass with plastic wrap covering the top, punctured with small air holes. He, ah, it slept with Zoe and she would take it wherever she went around the hotel grounds.
When it was time for us to head off to Rome for the second leg of our vacation, Zoe insisted on taking Slimy with her. Slimy spent the remainder of the week with us in Rome's Parco dei Principi Hotel, and it got in plenty of time by the pool too. When it was then time to return home, Zoe asked us if she could bring Slimy to New York. Of course, I remembered the form I had filled out in the past when arriving at JFK, the one that asks "are you carrying any exotic plants or animals?" (Or something like that.) Let's see, are slugs exotic? I could only imagine what Zoe's reaction would have been had I been arrested for illegal possession of an Italian slug!
After much discussion, consternation and a few tears, we let Slimy go somewhere in the Villa Borghese park, across from our hotel. But, of course, we were not totally insensitive. We did give Slimy one final piece of advice, "When in Rome do as the Romans do."
Recently a fly got into our house. It was very large and very, how shall I say it, buzzy? But from the shrill wail emanating from Zoe's room you would have thought that it was a pterodactyl!
Don't bring up the subject of bees when Zoe is around because this young lady is terrified she will be stung. Therefore, we steer wide of all flower gardens. This is one girl who will never smell the roses!
A millipede mistakenly entered Zoe's bathroom a few months ago. Unfortunately, she was right there brushing her teeth. The startled young princess let out a huge scream which drove Cleo, our Maltese, for cover under Zoe's bed. I swear the dog had its paws over its ears. Yours truly removed the intruder, but Zoe remained hesitant to re-enter her lavatory for several hours.
On the contrary, aren't lightening bugs wonderful? Zoe would always love to walk over to Central Park, little more than a block away, with a pickle jar in hand and her parents in tow. We would chase lightening bugs around the reservoir and through the apple trees that lined it. And when the jar was full of occupants, each beaming and blinking out distress signals, we would head back home with our collection to glowing reviews. (After Zoe went to bed I would release the bugs.)
As a younger girl, Zoe had an acute devotion to worms and slugs. Living in a townhouse on the upper east side of New York City we are fortunate to have a small backyard. Even though the yard is covered with paving stones, worms and slugs occasionally pay us a visit. Zoe used to be fascinated by them. She often would crouch down on her haunches and watch them slither across the yard. She would even try to pick them up. Now Cleo has developed an interest for worms. Nose to the ground, she sniffs them out and then, inexplicably, she drives the side of head across the worm rubbing its smell all over the hair on the nape of her neck. "Let's try the eau de worm please."
It turns out that Zoe likes slimy snails too. I first noticed it years ago in Miami, where I had an apartment for the seven years I commuted there to work. Each year I would bring Zoe with me for a few days during her spring break. My apartment was in a building on a small island called Brickle Key, located right downtown. Snails popped up everywhere on the island, especially by the pool. Zoe would catch them and put them in a mason jar with some green leaves. I would have quite a collection of guests by the time we were ready to return home. We once transported a snail to New York, but I later released it into the iron jungle. (Do you suppose those alligators in the New York sewer system got it?)
On my 60th birthday, Zoe, Susan and I traveled to Positano, Italy, on the Amalfi coast. What a spectacular vacation spot. But it wasn't long before Zoe befriended a slug. In fact, adopted might be a better way to describe it. We kept "Slimy" in a drinking glass with plastic wrap covering the top, punctured with small air holes. He, ah, it slept with Zoe and she would take it wherever she went around the hotel grounds.When it was time for us to head off to Rome for the second leg of our vacation, Zoe insisted on taking Slimy with her. Slimy spent the remainder of the week with us in Rome's Parco dei Principi Hotel, and it got in plenty of time by the pool too. When it was then time to return home, Zoe asked us if she could bring Slimy to New York. Of course, I remembered the form I had filled out in the past when arriving at JFK, the one that asks "are you carrying any exotic plants or animals?" (Or something like that.) Let's see, are slugs exotic? I could only imagine what Zoe's reaction would have been had I been arrested for illegal possession of an Italian slug!
After much discussion, consternation and a few tears, we let Slimy go somewhere in the Villa Borghese park, across from our hotel. But, of course, we were not totally insensitive. We did give Slimy one final piece of advice, "When in Rome do as the Romans do."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Where's My Goat Cheese Salad?
Zoe and Susan dashed off for Los Angeles early last Sunday morning to attend the Grammy awards, for which Susan had managed to obtain two "all-access" passes. She had produced a Grammy special which aired on CBS the preceding Wednesday; it was anchored by Katie Couric.
Zoe and Susan attended the rehearsal, and sat in the front row next to Sir Paul McCartney, as the musicians went through their numbers. A problem arose when word was received that Chris Brown had beaten his girlfriend Rhianna. Their opening number had to be scrapped and Justin Timberlake was tapped to come up with a substitute. He was able to find Al Green and the two put something together. Timberlake worked hard to produce a stellar number.
Following the rehearsal Susan and Zoe talked with Timberlake for a few minutes, and then Susan was able to get a picture of Zoe and Al Green, which I posted on my Facebook site.
Many of my Telemundo Miami friends commented on how Zoe had grown and referred to an incident involving goat cheese that had taken place years before in a Miami restaurant nearby my apartment on Brickle Key.
Zoe was not even four years old when she and Susan came to Miami for a few days vacation while I worked. One night we went out to dinner with a group from Telemundo. As the waiter took our drink orders Zoe said, "I want misghetti (spaghetti)with tomato sauce and a goat cheese salad." The waiter acknowledged her order and returned a couple minutes later with our drinks.
Impatiently, Zoe spoke up, "where's my goat cheese salad?" The waiter immediately retreated to the kitchen and returned with the salad. Everyone was laughing, but Zoey was earnest in her demand. And she didn't hesitate to begin eating the minute the salad was in front of her.
Sometimes the littlest things can leave a big impression.
Zoe and Susan attended the rehearsal, and sat in the front row next to Sir Paul McCartney, as the musicians went through their numbers. A problem arose when word was received that Chris Brown had beaten his girlfriend Rhianna. Their opening number had to be scrapped and Justin Timberlake was tapped to come up with a substitute. He was able to find Al Green and the two put something together. Timberlake worked hard to produce a stellar number.
Following the rehearsal Susan and Zoe talked with Timberlake for a few minutes, and then Susan was able to get a picture of Zoe and Al Green, which I posted on my Facebook site.
Many of my Telemundo Miami friends commented on how Zoe had grown and referred to an incident involving goat cheese that had taken place years before in a Miami restaurant nearby my apartment on Brickle Key. Zoe was not even four years old when she and Susan came to Miami for a few days vacation while I worked. One night we went out to dinner with a group from Telemundo. As the waiter took our drink orders Zoe said, "I want misghetti (spaghetti)with tomato sauce and a goat cheese salad." The waiter acknowledged her order and returned a couple minutes later with our drinks.
Impatiently, Zoe spoke up, "where's my goat cheese salad?" The waiter immediately retreated to the kitchen and returned with the salad. Everyone was laughing, but Zoey was earnest in her demand. And she didn't hesitate to begin eating the minute the salad was in front of her.
Sometimes the littlest things can leave a big impression.
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