"We're JEWISH!"

Every day on our walk to and from school, the boys and I walk past some bearded dudes selling Christmas trees on Columbus street. These bearded dudes are totally the type that I like to fantasize about fixing my leaking drain and then singing me folk songs by a fire all night long, so as we walk past, I always try to make it clear that I am just the boys' nanny, not their mom. I say things like, "We will have to ask your mom and dad about that when you get to your house" or "My apartment where I live alone without a boyfriend is uptown" or "I'm not your mom, and I have a leaky drain and I love folk music." I'm not sure if the bearded tree-sellers are paying attention, but man, am I persistent.

So one day last week we were walking home from school, and the guys started talking to K, JJ, and JT. They had a reindeer that they had carved out of a tree scraps and were trying to get JT (2) to say "Merry Christmas." None of the kids really acknowledged the guy with the reindeer, and then suddenly K turned around and shouted, "We're JEWISH!"

Everyone laughed, including me, because it was really hilarious and such a New York moment. The next day when we walked past, instead of making it clear that I'm not the kids' mother, I made it clear that I wasn't Jewish.

"That's a really interesting fact about fighter jets, JJ, but did you know that I'm Christian?"