Today, our daughter has been in this world for exactly half a year. It's amazing how fast time flies.
We celebrated her birthday weekend by taking her on a short little trip to Costco. What little girl doesn't want to go to Costco on her birthday? The most exciting part about this trip - this weekend was the first time that Katie has taken the subway.
When we climbed down the stairs of the subway station we were really unsure how Katie would react to all the sounds. Katie really doesn't like the blender, so I was unsure how she would respond to loud subway cars racing by her. Long story short - she was just fine on the subway. She acted like a seasoned pro. She even made a friend.
When we climbed onto the subway car, a young family got on along with us. Mom, dad and little 14 month old Sebastian are currently visiting the Big Apple from Norway. Within just a minute or two on the subway, Katie noticed Sebastian - and Sebastian noticed Katie. Both of the little tykes stared at each other across the aisle for a few minutes before Sebastian's mom decided to come a bit closer so the two could properly meet. Once they got within a few feet of each other, their staring became even more intense. About three subway stops later, Katie's new friend got off the subway to venture over to Ground Zero. I don't remember how old I was before I made my first international friend, but I think I was much older than Katie.
On our way back, a young twenty-something woman got on our subway car. She slowly and deliberately moved herself so that she was standing in the very middle of the car (right in front of us). The woman's clothes were dirty and tattered. I don't generally take too much notice to people standing on the subway, but there was something about this woman that caught my attention. Maybe it was the combination of fear and pride that I sensed in her eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she was standing in the middle of the subway car when there were seats that she could have sat down in. As the car started to me, she took off her hat and she began to sing. The young woman was a trained opera singer who came to New York to catch her big break - but the Big Apple treated has treated her harshly thus far. The woman belted out Ave Maria with as much passion as she could muster. Wife said that the woman was actually pretty good. If you're not familiar with Wife and music, it is extremely difficult to get sincere praise from Wife for one's singing ability (she generally thinks Simon Cowell is too nice). I have no doubt that the woman has the talent (at least the voice) to make it on Broadway - but there are scores of talented men and woman here struggling to find their big break.
As the woman sang, Katie just starred at her. I'm pretty sure I could tell what was going through Katie's mind. I'm sure she was thinking, "You're not my mommy. Why are you singing to me?" Katie may have even been thinking, "You're kind of boring. Don't you know how singing works? You start with some opera, then you transition to some country, then you glide into some church music. Finally, you end your performance with some rock and hip-hop. Of course, all of this needs well-choreographed dance moves and facial expressions so that I can bounce along." In any event, I'm calling this Katie's first concert.
