Little Prankster

My daughter really enjoys a good joke.  When other people respond to her jokes, she's ecstatic. At the tender age of 2 1/2, my daughter is already channeling her inner Tina Fey.

It started with a random subway ad.  The ad presents a photo of two Hispanic men kissing that's  adorned by a caption that reads something like "Protect Yourself From HIV."  I think this is a local New York City ad placed by an agency that distributes free condoms.  

Eliza pointed to the ad/poster behind my head and said "Grandma Debby."  Grandma Debby is my father's wife of 18 years who I can assure you looks nothing like the two men in this ad.  I can only conclude that Eliza thought of her grandmother because one of the men has a beard like my father.  Perhaps seeing an ad featuring a bearded man reminded her of my father and therefore her Grandma Debby?  

Anyway, due to the content of the ad, I found her insistence that it somehow portrayed her Grandma Debby hilarious.  Other people on the subway car found her funny as well and soon Eliza was grinning and hamming it up for her new found audience.  She giggled and flirted, then pointed to a little old lady reading the newspaper and said "Grandma Debby?"  I laughed and said, "No, that's not Grandma Debby."  Eliza laughed as well, her eyes shining with the joy of a Vaudevillian performer.  

Now, everyone on the subway appears to be some one else, at least in my daughter's eyes.  Two men and a women seated together are suddenly her father and her siblings.  Never mind that they're considerably older, taller and darker than her father and siblings.  The less they look like who she says they are, the funnier.  The more they wave and shake their heads saying "I'm not Poppy," the louder Eliza laughs.  

With the warm weather that has finally made heavy jackets and boots obsolete and a tough job behind me, I'm having a great time with my girl.  On Sunday, we leave for Israel to visit my best friend and her family.  I'm dreading the 12+ hour flight with Eliza, but I'm really looking forward to the break.  Obviously, Israel isn't a place I'm relaxed about visiting so I hope we'll be okay there.  My friends have been there since last July so I tell myself, all will be well.  I live right down the street from the former World Trade Center.  I walk past that big pit on a regular basis and see proof that nowhere is safe.  

I have to think if there is a higher power, he/she will protect Eliza and myself as we make this long voyage for love.