when theo was about three, an old friend of my first husband came to visit us in amsterdam. he was and is quite a character - a serious new yorker who looks like a rockstar but with a sweetie heart. he was hilarious with theo because he talked to him like an adult and by the end of his visit theo was tweaking his outfits and looked like he could be a drummer for guns n’ roses. on the last morning, after watching us dance around theo while serving him breakfast, first’s friend said, “WOW! that kid is front and center…FRONT AND CENTER!” and he was right.

(theo and his cool new friend)

theo was front and center for a LONG time… even after lucy was born. somehow our second baby adapted to theo’s schedule just the way we had. she napped on the go, her diaper bag was half the size (i was also schlepping around theo’s stuff), she sat on the sidelines of a million soccer practices and never had the full spa routine that theo enjoyed before going to bed.

(from the minute he was born, theo’s life was WELL documented… getting ready to go on his first walk…)

(said first walk with his parents)

(we were like paparazzi… photographing every moment from the most mundane like napping in his buggy…)

(to bath time…)

(more bath time… yes - that’s his dad in the corner!)

(his artistic endeavors)

(sitting in grandma’s chair)

(talking to his goldfish)

(and just about everything he ate… a drumstick… LOOK how kid centric our apartment was!)

(to sushi rolls with the giant eggs)

(to chocolate birthday cake)

(lucy, on the other hand, spent a lot of time on the sidelines of theo’s activities… a midieval birthday party he attended…)

(knight theo)

(in a poolside tent - she’s all zipped up in there - it WAS ventilated, i swear…i can’t imagine we left her there TOO long…)

(she doesn’t look best pleased)

(while theo and i enjoyed the pool)

(laying in the grass waiting for theo’s halloween parade to finish)

(on the sidelines of a bazillion soccer practices and games - don’t ask me why i am wearing a hat and she isn’t…)

(THERE’S the hat!)

(in the audience of a play he was in)

(some of her activities were more practical than theo’s… like folding laundry… he IS there with her…)

(or relaxing in her “box” … can you tell which is the real lu?)

(sometimes theo joined her in the box)

or laying on the floor… WHOOPS - forgot to give her a top!)

(lucy learned to grab her naps where she could… at theo’s music class … HE doesn’t look best pleased now)

(in the corner of the sofa)

(that was a favorite place…)

(on the bench seat at pica’s)

(that happened more than once!)

(or in the car)

and then came hank. from the minute he entered our lives he has been the absolute center of our (especially MY) universe. the kids don’t even vie for favorite child… they argue about who is the SECOND favorite. or they compete to be hank’s second favorite (everyone knows i am FIRST favorite.)

(hank’s first day at home… with lu…)

(with theo… isn’t he RIDICULOUS cute?)

(you can tell he loves me BEST… look at his GIANT smile!)

(snuggles with lu)

(cuddles with T)

i love this dog so much that i never really get mad at him… EVEN when he gets sick on the rug (and leaves something so disgusting and unidentifiable that i am not sure which end it came out of), EVEN when he cleans his feet at night and gets my sheets muddy (i actually admire how he gives himself such a meticulous pedicure), EVEN when he whines so loudly that i cannot talk on the phone (he is always perfectly quiet until i need to make a call - i have to go into the playroom and sit at lucy’s desk to call a vendor or my mom or a girlfriend), EVEN when he sheds his blonde hair all over my dark floors or my black sweaters or the interior of my car (i think he knows that vacuuming is calming for me), EVEN when he chewed up my new agenda or my eames rocker or several remotes or my glasses (he really doesn’t do that anymore.)

(as with theo, we paparazzi everything hank does… napping on the sofa…)

(napping on the bed…)

(napping with his lamby… which used to be mine…)

(going to the doctor)

(hotel visits… the broadmoor is his favorite!)

(his playdates… this is LOUIE, his best pal from next door)

(bath time)

(playing dress up - this is lucy’s baby jacket)

(going skiing)

(and of course celebrating the holidays… his first rosh)

(halloween hotdog)

(halloween banana split)

(halloween unicorn)

(christmas!)

(valentine’s day)

(and easter)

and now, for the THIRD summer in a row we are driving all the way to california so that we can bring hank. (the first summer we also did this because of the corona.) hank used to fly all over with us but the airlines have changed the rules and will not allow him on the plane as my “emotional support” dog anymore. he may not have gotten any special training, but he IS an integral part of my mental health team (along with my proper therapist, my superstar colorist and my incredible acupuncturist.) his snoring sounds like white noise and helps me sleep, his sausage body cuddled up next to me keeps me warm and calm and all of his silly antics just make my heart lighter.

(this was his “emotional support” jacket back in the good old days when he could fly…)

we really tried to find a travel carrier that we could get him into so he could go on the plane. the southwest one (the airline i fly most) was so small that only half of him fit in there. the united one was much bigger but even sedated AND with cheese and meat snacks he did NOT voluntarily go in… poor popper was like a bucking bronco - i’ve rarely seen him exert so much energy. i am sure that if i tried to shove him into the carrier in the airport people would start filming us and call peta. so we have booked dog friendly hotels from here to berkeley and are reprising our annual road trip with our most beloved hank.

(hank on our road trip last year)

to read more about our previous road trips click here or here or here