WILL THE REAL "CITY THAT READS" PLEASE STAND UP?

Over 2 years ago, I moved from Baltimore to Portland, OR. I came here both to escape but also for a great quality of life and for a great work opportunity. I had been in Baltimore for 4.5 years for medical training, and while I made some great friends there and worked at a famous hospital, the grit and urbanity of it all was beginning to wear on me (see "The Wire"). The birth of our son Nicholas only exacerbated what frustrations we had about "Charm City," aka the "City that Reads" (although that moniker seemed dated after Baltimore city residents voted down funding for libraries in lieu of a new football stadium). Sirens (invariably police cars), beer bottles on the sidewalk, drunks walking home by our closed or open windows noisily nightly- city living!

Our new home is in the middle of the city, too, but I never think about crime or our safety. We live on a tree-lined street populated mainly by families within walking distance to a beautiful park, in which one may find a great elementary school and high school, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, and a public library. About that library, there are more books checked out per capita here than any other US city I am told. Thus, it seems that the "Rose City" (for the Rose test garden here) may, in fact, be the true "City that Reads."

Truth be told, this post was borne out of a conversation with Nicholas yesterday. We heard a siren last night as I was telling him stories and getting him ready for bed. I asked him what he thought that was. He replied, "A firetruck... maybe an ambulance." The thought of a police car never crossed his mind, and that is a very, very good thing.

SHADES OF PINK?

Nicholas and I read a Sesame Street story last night about blue and red monsters. We talked about how people come in all colors and that we should celebrate what is common about us. I asked him what color I am, and he said brown. I asked him about mommy, and he said pink. I asked him about himself and little Cate, and he said pink. Now, perhaps he does not understand "beige," but it was interesting to see how he views himself. I do think that the "mutt"inization of America will be a good thing. Perhaps Nicholas' kids, when asked what color they are, will not even understand the question.

THE BAND

Nicholas loves music almost as much as he likes animals. He has a dozen instruments, and we are thinking about lessons of some sort. I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree... as evidenced by little Cate. Check out her recovery with the rattle mid-video. She's got skills!

A LATE VALENTINE

Nicholas spontaneously said he wanted to wish "his favorite person" a Happy Valentine's Day a few weeks ago. My mom was in India at the time, so we could not reach her, but he wanted to welcome her back with this little message, which is pre-recorded.

NATURE VERSUS NURTURE

Little Cate is now 4.5 months old. Hard to believe that time has passed this quickly. While she and big brother Nicholas have very similar genomes, she is quite different. There are obvious physical dissimilarities. Her hair is lighter. His eyes are bigger, and his eyelashes are eat your heart out longer. Yet, despite very similar styles of upbringing (save the variable of having a big brother), she is clearly her own person. Cate is incredibly verbal and has a smile which can turn even this old heart of stone to mere pebbles. Nicholas, on the other hand, was quiet and not very expressive at the same age.

I often wonder what kind of woman she will be when she grows up. I hope that I raise her to believe in herself, to value her own self-worth, and to not let obstacles stand in her way. They say that one does not appreciate "glass ceilings" until one has a daughter of one's own, but I hope those ceilings are much higher or non-existent by the time Cate becomes a woman. Regardless of their height, I know that this one, who is a pistol in the true sense of the world, will not let anyone hold her back! This much I can say at the age of 4.5 months. Nature and nurture be damned. She will become the person whom she will become.