Hi, my name is Kelly and I write about being a dad. Let me tell you 
Do you know a literary agent?
twitter
facebook
flickr
youtubeSunday, October 4th, 2009
Teddy Bear
For Alleke Amsterdam will forever be the city where anything goes. Not because she noticed the skunky smell of marijuana as we left Centraal Station or the coffee shops with their chalkboard menus listing Moroccan hash for five euros a pop, but because when we arrived at our friends’ house in the quiet suburb of Amstelveen, we discovered that they had converted their guest bedroom into a magical place.
A crowd of stuffed animals, including a teddy bear from Las Vegas that was taller than Alleke herself, welcomed Alleke into her new room with a tea party already underway. She ran over and pointed at the Care Bears on her bed spread, and by the time she had brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas, she had been convinced that the night light at the end of her bed, which was nothing more than an orange bulb, was in fact her very own kid-sized full moon watching over her as she slept.
I kissed Alleke goodnight and walked over to the turn off the lights.
“Daddy, I don’t want you to leave,” Alleke said on cue.
I looked around the room and spotted the giant slouching teddy bear at the end of the bed. “I’m sleeping in the room next door,” I said, “but guess who’s going to be with you while you fall asleep tonight?”
Alleke stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
“God,” she said.
I grinned. “Well, actually, I was thinking of the giant teddy bear at the end of your bed, but yeah, God too,” I said.
MORE ON: alleke, amsterdam, God, holland, sleep, toddler
2 COMMENTS
I am a first time mother. My son is now 8 months old and he is the joy of my life. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to find time to spend with him. My husband and I both work at Narconon drug rehab and he goes to a nanny five days a week. We are at work more than we are with him. How do first time mothers get to where they feel like they are spending enough time with their baby? I feel like he is going to know the nanny better than his own mother. Is this how it is supposed to be?
October 6, 2009 at 9:39 pmLEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Débora. said...
Perfect shoot! I ♥ Alleke's phrases.
October 5, 2009 at 1:12 am