Deep Thoughts at Ikea

Sleep deprivation and a lousy dietary schedule have conspired to keep me in a haze through what has been a pretty good experience so far. So it was with great relish that I found myself with a few minutes of “me time” while returning a few items to Ikea from our kitchen that didn’t fit properly. With a plate of Swedish Meatballs and a cup of coffee, I sat in the cafeteria and noticed a family at the next table. The parents were ecstatic over their toddler daughter’s use of a new word: she would utter “wow….huge!” every time a plane took off from the adjacent Newark Liberty Airport.
I can’t wait until my little guy is at that stage. I think the thing I most look forward to is introducing Teddy to the world. I can’t wait to teach him new words (probably some that he shouldn’t know), and I can’t wait to experience learning through his eyes. I want to tell him stories of my travels and my own tales of derring-do; part braggadocio and part warning. I want to prepare him for his future in ways that my dad prepared me as a little guy, and my grandfather did when I was in my teens. I want to show him the world in a way neither of them could as well. Literally, if all goes according to plan, I want him to see more countries before his 18th birthday than most Americans see in a lifetime. I long to teach him about his ancestry and the customs of his cultures , the history of the two countries he can claim as his own and the deeds of those with whom he shares his names.
But for now, it’s burping and changing duty, followed by tummy time, silly songs, reading and music.