Name's Ziggy.  Ziggy Aluicious Rothenstein.  I am 11 years old.

I don't like my name much: it sounds like it should belong to a college professor or a doctor of some kind instead of a little eleven-year-old boy going into sixth grade in a few weeks.

I was named after my father (Zigmund, which is my real name; "Ziggy" just happens to be a nickname) and my grandfather (Aluicious).  I suppose they meant well, but I have been the butt of jokes from bullies or other kids who think it is absolutely hilarious to pick on me.  As if being Jewish isn't bad enough: do I have to get picked on about my name as well?

I tell ya: life sure isn't fair sometimes!

I have two sisters: Rachel and Hannah, who are both younger than me.  Rachel is 9 and Hannah, only four.  I did have a brother, Chaim, but he died of pneumonia when he was a few months old; he had been born early and had very weak lungs.  If he had lived, he would have been one year older than Hannah.  I would have had one brother and two sisters.  Yet because Chaim died, there's only three of us kids instead of four.

My mother is a housewife; as for Pop, he is a plumber; he works for the city.  He works many hours; he's hardly home; when he is, he prefers to sleep, but it's hard with two younger sisters, especially Hannah.  She can be extremely noisy and is something of a little pest.

If I had to choose a name for myself, I would have liked Abraham Noah.  Abraham sounds like such a strong, manly name and Noah was the guy who built the ark and floated on the floodwaters for 40 days and nights.  Yet I was named after my pop and grandfather, so I am stuck with Zigmund Aluicious for life.  That's why I prefer that people call me "Ziggy" for short.

When I am not in school (I will be in the sixth grade in just a few weeks), I like to play with my computer games, play basketball and baseball with my friends, sleep in as late as possible on the weekends, go to temple with my family, draw, write stories, watch sports on tv (or in real life), play hackeysack, and play with my dog, Kosher.  Don't ask me why he got that name; he was already named when we got him.  Kosher is a pomadox (part pomeranian, part maltese, and part weiner dog).  He has the face of a pomeranian, the fur of a maltese (about the same color too; it is a very light creamy red in color), and the body length and short legs of a weiner dog (dachshund).

Kosher is five years old and still thinks that he's part puppy: he is extremely active and very, very smart.  I just love Kosher so much!

Well, I am going to go.  Mom wants me to go with her to the store.  As long as I can get away from Rachel or Hannah for a few hours, I'm game.  I don't want to be stuck inside the house all afternoon with two screaming little sisters! 

Bye for now!

~Ziggy.  :)