This old man...

Atlas and I are riding along through Jersey City, NJ and we pass this epic and seemingly ancient graveyard of massive proportions and Atlas asks while staring out the window as we drive past the grave markers, "Daddy, what are all those rocks?"

I tell him they are grave markers and that each one is where a person is buried in the ground. His next logical question was, "But, why are the people buried in the ground?" I explain that they are dead and that is where some people like to put when they die. His follow-up question, "Why?" I reply by explaining that by being buried there and then putting a grave marker it tells people who they were and serves as a place for those who loved them when they were alive to come and "visit" them.

Silence filled the car as he processed what I was saying. After a minute or so passed he plainly stated that he would bring them all back to life like Dr. Frankenstein so the people who love them wouldn't miss them any more. "So, you want me to call you Frankenstein then?" I asked him. "Yes." He told me. So I have ever since.

But then two days later he had been playing Sonic the Hedgehog and decided he was the "Knuckles" character and wanted to be called "Knuckles". So I questioned him about no longer being called "Frankenstein" anymore and then he couldn't decide between "Frankenstein" or "Knuckles", so I put them together and called him "FrankenKnuckles"...he cracked up and has insisted on that ever since.

Scene: Atlas is on the phone with Alicia telling her about the "bad storm" that just passed. 

Atlas: ...and Momma, the lightening was scary. 

Momma: It was? But you're a big boy, and you were brave right?

Atlas: Uh huh. But Momma, I AM brave. And if that um, thunder, um lightening comes down from the sky, I'll beat it up! 

Momma: You will!? 

Scene: A really bad thunderstorm is passing through with lots of thunder and lightening. 

Me: Atlas, sit down in your chair and eat.

Atlas: (In a robot voice) I am a robot. I am from the four-ture.

Me: The "four-ture"? You mean future?

Atlas: Hey Daddy, what are clouds made of?

Me: Well Atlas, clouds are made of water droplets.

Atlas: Like rain?

Me: Yes, sometimes the water droplets in clouds come down as rain. And sometimes snow or ice.

Atlas: (long pause) Well Daddy, do you only get wet when it is raining if you are under a cloud?

Me: Yes.

Atlas: (another long pause) Then next time it is raining, I want to go above the clouds, Daddy!

Scene: Wit walks across the room from the sofa to the toy box.

Atlas: WHOA!! Wit just walked all the way to the Toy Box!!

Me: Yes. I saw.

As I left for work just now Atlas said the following as part of his good bye to me: 

SCENE: Atlas walks into room where Alicia and I are sitting on the couch together and he is carrying an unopened juice box. He says to us the following: 

Why can't you and Squarespace get along? Why the double posts? Why the missing posts? You two frustrate me.

For those of you followers interested, there are 2 months worth of posts that I've uploaded over at the main URL. http://thisoldman.me/captures-family-life

The recap: Wit is walking pretty good now. He has a total of 8 teeth and says about a dozen words.

Atlas is preparing to start pre-school on 9/9. He has a modeling gig for Steven Alan Kids (http://www.stevenalan.com/) on 9/6 which should be lots of fun.

I started a new gig bartending and managing a new bar in Brooklyn. I was fired (first time I've ever been fired from a job) just 2 months after starting, owner cited "you aren't a good fit here" as his reason. I happen to agree with him, just wasn't ready to be fired over it! The sting of it still hasn't left me. Looking for more work now and re-writing my own business plan for a bar in hopes of woo-ing and investor.

Alicia is already prepping her classroom for this school year and her students. She will be teaching 7th grade math this year.