Dream: Mommy and I are pulling up to our suburban house in our car. All I can say about Mommy’s driving: Yikes! We make it home safely (thank goodness) and Mommy takes me out of my car seat. We hardly had to step outside to do our errands today—we just popped in and out of the car. And while I liked listening to my favorite tunes as I lounged in the car seat, I really wanted to be where all the action was outside the car window..or if not that, then at least driving the car! Hmm…being strapped in a seat, unable to unleash my inner explorer to investigate the fascinating world around me on my own two feet? This feels more like a nightmare than a dream!
Reality: It’s always a great day to be a city kid! I was born ready to explore The Big Apple. Today, I put on my cutest walking shoes with a little help from Mommy, grab my purse and check that I have my phone, keys, and credit card (check!), and then ask for Mommy’s hand. I walk her to the elevator and wait for our adventure to begin. Can you believe some kids don’t get to ride an elevator every day?
The doors open just for me and I go inside and start pushing all the buttons I can reach. Especially the red button that Mommy tells me not to push. Mr. Francisco comes over the intercom and talks to us and Mommy assures him all is okay and says something about me not touching the buttons again. Yeah right! We make a couple of stops for my neighbors to join us and we go through the usual courtesies of saying hello and them commenting on how cute I am. An apartment dweller must be highly socialized in order to ride the elevator! It’s an important skill. There is even a whole language devoted to it called elevator speech, and elevator music to go with it as well.
We exit the elevator and I flash my biggest smile to Mr. Francisco and pretend I don’t know I was naughty earlier by pushing the buttons. We keep walking and finally arrive outside. I look up and see all the buildings touching the sky–that’s why they are called skyscrapers (I taught Mommy that). I cannot believe everyone isn’t bumping into each other all the time since there is so much cool stuff to get distracted by. I spot an airplane and then, interestingly, look down and spot a bird. Pigeons, New York’s resident birds, are almost always on the ground since they like to look for discarded people food. Daddy calls them “rats with wings.”
After a few more steps, I already feel a little tired so I pull Mommy to the corner and put my hand out to do my best taxi hail. “Taxi, taxi!” I sing, and sure enough someone pulls over to pick us up. I love riding in taxis. I get to watch everything out the window, imitate the “Beep, beep!” of the car horns and then help pay and thank the taxi driver all while singing my favorite taxi song.
But Mommy politely declines the cab driver I so expertly hailed, so maybe we are going to ride the bus today? Sweet! I always wait patiently at the bus stop, climb on board, and swipe my metro card with Mommy’s help. We usually grab a window seat and, unlike on a taxi, I don’t need a seat belt on the bus. I look out the window and watch all the people, cars, stores, and more pass me by…all while singing “The Wheels On The Bus” repeatedly. It’s Mommy’s favorite song! Really!
It is always fun to pick our mode of transport. How boring it must be in the burbs being strapped in the same car the whole time! I can go in a taxi car, car service car, big bus, or even underground on the subway to get around my city. But my favorite way to get around is always walking. There are always so many adventures when I walk.
One day, I was walking down the street with Mommy and Daddy when I had my first celebrity sighting. I had tunnel vision on this cute dog and was making friends with it when I looked up and saw that the owner was Hoda from The Today Show. I totally kept my cool and continued to give the dog my cutest woof woof and then said hi to Hoda with my sweetest wave. I really loved her dog, Blake, and he loved me. Hoda must have known, because she let us play for a bit while telling Mommy and Daddy how beautiful I was. Then we said bye bye and went our separate ways. I wish I got her email to thank her. Does anyone have it so I can send her a thank you (and arrange a puppy play date)?
Another thing I like about our walks in the city are the loud sirens I hear. The noise and flashing lights totally entertain me and don’t frighten me in the least. I even have a bouncy siren dance I do! Only nature sounds, like crickets chirping, creep me out.
Whenever we go out walking, I make sure to stop in my favorite stores along the way. The sales clerks all know me and the items I like to bring home: milk, books, dog toys, and shoes! Those are every toddler’s favorites, no? Honestly, though, sometimes it is all just too much for these little hands to carry so I get a delivery service. I love hearing Mr. Francisco buzz up to tell me one of my deliveries has arrived. It’s so exciting! Puppy barks every time we hear the buzzer, so I think he likes deliveries, too. I cannot imagine how we would get by without delivery!
I get to see and do so much in the Big Apple–it’s the best city ever for a tiny toddler. Now I just need to dodge this delivery guy on his bike–I don’t think he’s noticed short little me walking along. The excitement never ends!
