It was sunny and less cold today, so Theo and I took the ferry to Kadıköy to obtain turkish coffee from Fazil Bey.
The coffee and ferry were both great, but the transitions between places were challenging. I’m still trying to figure out how to navigate a city whose streets and public transport aren’t particularly stroller-friendly with a toddler who likes to declare himself exhausted every 20 meters or so (unless he’s not being asked to walk to a particular destination, in which case he doesn’t really ever stop moving.)
I’m not sure if it’s his age, blond hair, or spiffy jacket, but Theo seems to be a minor celebrity here in Turkey. People frequently ask (and sometimes don’t ask) if they can take his picture, hold him, throw him in the air, and give him gifts (mostly food, but today a keychain as well.) When we’re walking down the street and he’s not wearing his hat, his hair is tousled by strangers at a rate of about twice per minute.
This is generally pretty cute, and I love that having a child with me leads to so many more interactions and conversations than when I’m on my own. However, Theo’s status also means that when he melts down in public, as he did several times today, it’s easy to imagine that all those eyes are still on us, and that the sympathy is with the cute, sad child, not the mother who is muttering about how carrying him hurts her back.
Anyway, as I try to remind myself in these moments: parenting a toddler is hard, regardless of where you are. If I’m going to be the bad guy, it might as well be here. 😉