Week 45

Dear Zayde,


This week I learned that you and Bubbi are not, in fact, everywhere. I also learned the meaning of a "whirlwind vacation."

Just five days after returning from our visit to New Jersey, my parents and I (this time with Grandma!) were back at the airport. (During those five days, I learned that Mommy is a master packer and a feverish laundress. I also learned that it's possible to travel without getting sick, thanks to Mommy's obsessive use of baby wipes and hand sanitizer.) We headed back to the Mid-Atlantic, but this time we visited the historic city of Philadelphia.

I learned that Philadelphia also has many smoke stacks, as well as a bunch of bridges and something called "WaWa," which must be a watering hole for toddlers. The city is full of tall buildings and one way streets and sirens and people wearing much more clothing than they do in Florida.

That first day in Philadelphia, I learned that Andrea and her family live in a beautiful home that would be perfect if only it had a basement. I learned that my cousins have busy lives that require my aunt and uncle to drive them to fields and tracks during the weekends and after school. I also learned that their dog, Charlie, loves to eat crackers right out of my hand. Once she (yes, Charlie is a girl) figured out that I prefer to toss my unwanted food onto the ground, I had a permanent friend.

The next day, I learned that Mommy has "old" friends that live in Philadelphia. I noticed that they ride bikes and eat at sidewalk cafes and tell funny stories about Mommy. We met some of her friends at a magical place called The Please Touch Museum. As its name indicates, the building is full of things that I was allowed to touch. We spent a few hours there with Mommy's friends and their daughter, Kara. Some day I'll be big like Kara and will be able to ride my very own horse on the carousel while wearing a t-shirt that sports the image of a cat drawn with mathematical equations.

Back in West Philly, we let Grandma take a nap while Mommy, Daddy, and I visited Mommy's alma mater. I hear that you attended the same school. I must admit that I was impressed with the ivy covered edifices and the academic atmosphere, but I'm a baby, and I'm impressed by lights turning on and off. Mommy and I posed for pictures in front of the spots on campus that made her feel nostalgic. Then she and Daddy took me up to the top of one of the buildings. We rode a rickety elevator to the third floor of College Hall and then climbed a steep staircase before entering what she called "The Philo Halls." There were people milling around up there, chatting and smiling and even hugging. Mommy seemed truly happy to be there, and she got a far off look in her eyes, as though she were seeing something that happened long ago. I met more of her friends, and everyone commented that I look just like my Mommy. Up there in the Philomathean library, I learned that many buildings outside Florida do not have air conditioning, which I consider a barbaric state of being. Luckily, my parents agreed, and we soon returned to the hotel.

That night I learned that Mommy and Daddy can get dressed up two weekends in a row. I wonder when I will be invited along for one of these fancy evenings and whether I will be required to wear high heels, which Mommy swears are torture devices meant to keep women subservient.

On Sunday, I learned that I have the Greatest Aunt. After packing up all my toys and clothes, as well as the things the grown-ups brought on the trip, we drove across Philadelphia to have brunch with some of your extended family. I saw Uncle Mike and Aunt Helen again, and this time Mike let me honk his nose and grab his beard. We were joined by our cousins, Jackie and Howard, who were kind and shared stories of their grandchildren. The best part of the brunch, however, was meeting my Greatest Aunt. Her name is Esther, and she is Mommy's Great Aunt, which makes her my Greatest Aunt. (That's how Esther explained it to me, and I shall defer to her well-earned wisdom.) Esther has blond hair, just like Mommy and I, and when I tilted my head to get a better look at her, she tilted her head, too. She was so happy that she made me smile and giggle. Then we all ate bagels. It was wonderful!

After brunch, I learned that my parents like to cram as much fun into a vacation as they possibly can. Before heading to the airport, we drove to the oldest part of the city and walked on cobblestone streets amid Colonial row houses. That's where I learned that there are places much older than my neighborhood. I learned that the leaves on not-palm-trees can be colors other than green. As we strolled through the historic district, I saw a lot of people taking pictures of the buildings and foliage. The strange thing is that we didn't go inside any of the museums or historical sites. I saw guards in front of a big brick building called Independence Hall, and Grandma pointed to the signs on the fences and gates that kept us from walking past the sidewalks. There was a sense of missing out on something that clearly annoyed the grown-ups, but then we visited a big red building called the Bourse, and they ate some cheesesteaks (while I munched a cookie and had some milk), and everyone felt much better. Then it was time to head home, where Mommy once again tackled a mountain of laundry.

Now you know how I learned the meaning of "whirlwind vacation." I can't wait to see where Mommy and Daddy are taking me next weekend!


Six states down; forty-four to go,
Zelda