New York City trip

Wow. There are almost no words to describe New York City- it really is a city that never sleeps, and I am almost certain you could see or find anything you could ever think of within its limits. I consider myself to be reasonably well traveled, and I have been to lots of major U.S. cities, but nothing I have experienced has even come close to the Big Apple. It is, without a doubt, king of the hill, A number one.

Arrival:We arrived at La Guardia after a 4 hour delay to our quick, non stop flight up from Virginia. We stayed with our friend, Marne, who is working at a firm in the city for the summer. Her apartment was incredible- a spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath that made me forget everything I'd ever heard about tiny NY apartments ( I think this was the exception!). She was so gracious to host us, and the location in the heart of Midtown, just blocks from Times Square, made our trip even more amazing. The girls were thrown off by our late arrival, so neither of them (and neither of us) slept that well the first night.

Day 1: Staten Island Ferry, Financial District, Little Italy and Chinatown

On our first morning, we set off for a full day of sightseeing with a bit of trepidation at navigating such an intense city. We easily got to the subway and quickly realized that all subway stations are not equipped for strollers or wheelchairs. No big deal- we just carried the girls (25 pounds of Caitlyn, 15 pounds of Lorelei, 25 pounds of stroller and all of our junk!) down the stairs, where Caitlyn promptly began to cry at the sights and sounds of the subway. She was fine after a minute and no longer afraid of the trains. Our first destination was the Staten Island ferry for a free cruise through NY harbor. It was a glorious day, and the skyline and Statue of Liberty were breathtaking. Caitlyn loved the sights, and she made a few friends on the boat.

After that, we hiked up to Wall Street and to Ground Zero. The observation area for the World Trade Center site is temporarily closed, but it was gut wrenching to see the wide open expanse of sky and turf right in the middle of so many buildings, and it took both Jason and I back to Sept. 11. I can't believe that was nearly 8 years ago.

We continued walking, just taking in the city and the sights, as we made our way to Little Italy. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe for the most delicious lunch of the trip. I am kind of a foodie, and my meal was perfect- penne, with lots of garlic, chicken, spinach and olive oil. YUM! We also had a giant cannoli for dessert, and then topped that off with amaretto gelato. I could have gone back every single day.

We did a quick run through Chinatown- I was happy to see it, and I was happy to leave it. The markets were interesting, but the smell was . . . pungent, to say the least, and the giant frogs, skinned ducks, finless sharks, flopping fish, and ensnared turtles were a bit much for me.

We took the subway back to Midtown, had a quick dinner at home and fell into bed!

Day 2: Times Square, Garment District, 5th Avenue

Today was our shopping day. We hit Times Square around 10

am, and shopped most of the day. We picked up some candy for the boys at the M&Ms store, explored every Barbie on the market at Toys R Us, and then I got to shop a bit at H&M, a store I loved when I was in Germany back in high school. We were overwhelmed by Macy's- an entire city block with 8 floors of STUFF. After that, we ambled up 5th Avenue and browsed in some of the famous label stores, stopping to look at the watches in Cartier (holy hell!) and jewelry at Tiffany and Co. I really wanted to find a small piece of jewelry, but the girls were restless and didn't give me much time to look around, which is probably a good thing!

The biggest hit of the day for stores was, surprise, surprise, The Disney Store. If you haven't noticed, we are Disney freaks, and the store was magical- true Disney pixie dust and GIANT like the other NYC stores. Caitlyn had already fallen in love with the Statue of Liberty, and she almost went ballistic at the sight of Minnie as the statue. We bought her a pin in the same theme to add to her Disney pin trading lanyard, and the cast member was so tickled at Caitlyn's reactions that she brought her a special Mickey pin, too. It was very sweet. Lorelei was taken in by the giant Eeyore, and she giggled her way through the stuffed animal section.

Our last store of the day was FAO Schwartz, the famous toy store. It was neat, but the highlight was when Caitlyn stood in the window, waving and blowing kisses to everyone who passed by. By this point in the trip, we'd noticed that New Yorkers rarely smile while they are walking, but Caitlyn thawed them out- they smiled, waved, blew kisses, etc. One grumpy business man, glaring at the world, softened when he saw her sweet greeting and pretended to catch her kiss before he blew one back. It was precious.

For dinner, we met our friend, Liza and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. It was great to introduce her to the girls and catch up on life. I met Liza in Oklahoma back in 2004, but we lost touch for a short time. For the last couple of years, we have just kept in touch by phone and email, so it was nice to visit in person!

And so ended another fabulous day!

Day 3: Museum of Natural History, Central Park

By this point, we'd discovered that sometimes it is easier to walk 15 blocks, rather than haul the stroller down to the subway, so we hadn't gone near the subway since Day 1. On this morning, we returned to the noisy depths of the city and rode up to the Upper West Side to go to the museum.

Our family loves museums, and we visit one on nearly every trip we take. We even have memberships to 2 or 3 different places, so of course, we had to see this! First, like everything else in the city, it's huge! There was no way to see everything in one day. Caitlyn loves the movie Night at the Museum, so her big requests were the Easter Island statue, Rexy the dinosaur and, of course, sharks. We saw all of those, explored the Hall of Human Origins (very well done and a big hit for Jason), toured the other big halls, and then we moved on to Central Park.

Central Park is gorgeous. There are tons of rocky outcroppings, lush lawns, gorgeous flower beds and tons of trees. It was an exceptionally nice spring day, and we meandered through the park, just trying to take it all in. We stopped to watch an amazing pair of performers- they tumbled, flipped over people, and had amazing strength and control.

Caitlyn and I rode the carousel, and I think it is the best ride I've ever had on one. It was dizzingly fast, almost with a feeling of flight. While Caitlyn and I shrieked our way through the ride, Jason and Lorelei played in the grass nearby.

Finally, we ended up at the zoo with just an hour before closing. It turned out that was plenty of time to see all of the animals (there really aren't many exhibits). The girls both liked the penguin area, despite the smell, and they fell asleep on the long walk back home. Just to give you an idea of the amount of walking we did- we walked 3 blocks over and 3 blocks up to get to the subway. We walked 7 blocks to get to the museum (at 79th). After wandering through Central Park to get to the zoo, we walked from 60th down to 45th to eat dinner, then 2 blocks up and 3 blocks over to get home . . . and this was not even our busiest day!

For dinner, Jason, Lorelei, and I stopped at a great little cafe while Caitlyn slept in the stroller. We had the best pizza, delicious drinks and a hefty piece of Heath toffee cheesecake.

Day 4: Ess A Bagel, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Toys R Us, Airport :(

Our last day was an early one since the girls got up at 6:15 after a full night of sleep! We treked over to Ess a Bagel since Marne told us they were worth the walk. Oh, were they ever! The bagels were perfect, and the selection of cream cheeses was enormous, made fresh right there. Since there were so many options, we ended up ordering 4 combinations (salt bagel with cheddar cream cheese, wheat bagel with blueberry cream cheese, cinnamon raisin bagel with chocolate chip cream cheese, and a plain bagel with plain cream cheese for Jason). They were very tasty, but I think all of us especially loved the raisin with chocolate chip cream cheese.

After breakfast, we hit the subway to the Upper East Side for the Met. We'd been apprehensive about taking the girls there, but we needn't have worried. Lorelei slept, and Caitlyn was entranced by the art. For a little girl who is not even 3, she has an incredible attention span and she is interested in almost everything. She liked looking at all of the paintings and sculptures, and she asked a lot of questions. One painting in particular, Massacre of the Innocents, caught her eye with its bright colors and realistic details. She and I must have looked at it for 5 minutes, and one of the docents even commented on her mature observations and focus. Part of our conversation went something like this:

C: "That's not a painting. It's a picture."

Me: "No, it looks like a picture, but it is a painting. Look at the brushstrokes- like when you paint. See the little lines?"

C: "Oh. But I love it. It is very beautiful."

Me: "Yep, it is pretty. Who do you think the people are?"

C: "There's a little girl like me, and her mama, and that's her friend, and there's a baby like Lorelei. But Daddy's not there. But who are those other people back there?"

Me: "Those people are not very nice, and they are hurting the nice people."

C: "Oh. That makes me sad. Is that why they are crying? That IS why they are crying. I don't want them to do that. I want to look keep looking at this one. This one is my best favorite."

And so it went, throughout the museum.

After the museum, we took the subway to Grand Central Terminal to see the ceiling and eat lunch. The constellations on the ceiling are magnificent, and the terminal certainly is grand and beautiful. While Caitlyn and I went to the restroom (yay big potty trained girl who did the whole city with no accidents!!!), Jason and Lorelei entertained the people seated next to us. Lorelei showed off "Touchdown!", her newest trick, and the girls lavished her with attention.

As we walked back to Marne's to wait for the car service, I asked Caitlyn one more time to ride the ferris wheel inside Toys R Us. Previously, she'd been afraid of it, but on our last day, she finally agreed. The ferris wheel really is something- 4 stories tall with each gondola decorated with a different toy. She ended up riding 2 times, once with each of us, and she beamed for both rides. She never was scared once she got on it, not even when we stopped at the very top. It was the perfect end to one of our best trips.

Whew, what a nice, long weekend (and a nice long recitation of what we did!). We had so many great experiences, and that is one more city we can cross off of our list of places to visit!

A tylenol lovie

Neither of the girls has ever had an attachment to a blankie or stuffed animal. I bought both of them these really soft, funky blankets made out of minkee fabric with lots of ribbon tags and their names embroidered. Caitlyn rarely even played with hers, and Lorelei's stays in her crib where she sometimes snuggles it and mostly ignores it. 

Each of the boys has a lovie animal- Chris has Bear (an off-color, somewhat smelly stuffed bear that has been through the ringer of love), and Josh has a stuffed puppy, in similar well-worn fashion, named . . . wait for it . . . Puppy.  The attachment that the boys have to these animals is sweet, although if you ever happen to forget to take it on a vacation or their mom forgets to send it with them, then there is major hell to pay.  Experiencing that sort of dependence with the boys to the tune of sleepless nights and fussy naps has made me appreciate the fact that the girls have no such attachments.

Until now. 

Lorelei has imprinted, or whatever it is kids do, on the infant tylenol bottle. I think this love affair began as her first two teeth were coming in, since Jason and I would give her a 1/2 dose of tylenol to ease her pain while she fell asleep. Well, now when it is time for bed, we have to lay her down, turn on the music and then hand her the empty tylenol bottle. She clutches it tightly in her fist and hugs it to her chest, and then drops right off to sleep. The nights that we have deviated from this routine, we are back in her room within 5 minutes searching frantically for the dumb bottle to settle her back down- once she has it, peace is restored.

I feel a bit silly giving my child an empty medicine bottle to snuggle at night, but it works. I'm glad this is not the sort of attachment that she carries around with her or takes in the car. I'm REALLY glad that if this one should be lost (or thrown up on as has happened to Bear), then it will be easily replaced or rinsed off with no fear of the washing process destroying it. 

Other kids have their special "snuggies" or "chewies." They can keep their furry friends with oh-so-creative names. My little girl has a tylenol bottle- I wonder what she will name it when she starts talking?

Leavin' on a jet plane

Right now, I really should be packing. We are leaving on Friday to go to NYC for 4 days, and I'm still not sure what I'm going to take with us, but right now I am just not motivated to get moving!

We travel so much with the girls that I kind of have a routine down. I usually make sure all of the laundry is done a couple of days before we leave so that there is no chance that the shirt or dress I really want to take is dirty. Then, I lay out all of the outfits, socks, shoes, hairbows, etc. I usually pack everything except toiletries a couple days beforehand, and then I pack that stuff the night before we leave. I also pack a carry on bag for the girls a couple days ahead of time, which means that any toys I pack have not been seen for 2 days, making them exciting and new.

Honestly, I don't take much on the plane. Caitlyn is happy looking at the Sky Mall catalog, so I try not to pack more than a doll and a couple of books. Lorelei gets one or two small toys, and they each get a sippy cup. For a long time, I packed snacks, but the flight attendants always give any kids on the flight a ton of treats, so now I save the space. We tend to travel light, and so far *knock on wood* it has worked well.

One thing I always have to pack is my planning folder or binder, the thickness of which depends on the length and type of vacation. For our laid back trip to LA in March, the planning folder was no more than a dozen pieces of paper with hotel, rental car and ticket information with a rough itinerary written on the front of the folder. For our Disney World trip coming up in 2 weeks, the folder has all of the usual information, plus pages of touring plans, hidden Mickey info, tips and secrets about each park, dining reservations, transportation schedules, and lists of menus and snacks that qualify under the dining plan. Our NYC folder is somewhere in the middle.

I'm a little OCD about planning, and my family gives me a hard time about it. However, no one is laughing when it is dinner time, and Ashley has already made reservations that taken into consideration preferences and allergies! And no one is laughing when we have a short wait into an attraction because I've pre-purchased our tickets (at a discount rate) AND we encounter no crowds because I've looked up so many tips and tricks!

The truth is that I love to plan trips. I like the research angle, I like to organize the information, I like to pack and get ready to leave, and then I really love to be out in the world, seeing something new.

A Busy Week

The girls and I have been busy this week, as summer begins to ramp up and more activities are available to us each day! We had gorgeous weather this week, for the most part, and we took advantage of it with a picnic down in the colonial area.

The Cheese Shop is one of our local favorites, and it is a great place to pick up all the makings of a fabulous, outdoor feast. We bought whole wheat and french bread- really great, homemade bread with a chewy texture and perfect crust- as well as some of our favorite cheeses. Caitlyn is somewhat of a cheese monger, and she selected an herb Havarti, a nice blue cheese, and an English Colby. We also got some honey sticks for dessert- none for Lorelei, though since she is still too young.

We lounged in the sun, snacked on our picnic fare, and chased some squirrels. Moments like that remind me why I love being at home with my girls. (Of course, moments like Lorelei pooping on the dressing room floor in Target, while Caitlyn throws a fit remind me how much I miss working anywhere BUT at home!)

Yesterday, I took the girls to Busch Gardens for the afternoon. Caitlyn has changed so much in the last year. On our last visit, the only ride she would ride by herself was the kiddie swings, and even then, Jason or I had to help her get on and off. This year, she didn't even want me to wait in line with her for the swings. She told me, "You stay with Lorelei. I'm a big girl." And off she pranced to wait in the very short line, alone. Of course, I was no more than 20 feet away, in full sight of her, and there were only 2 other children waiting, but she really didn't need me. She smiled and waved from the line and the ride, and I was proud of her.

She also rode the airplane ride solo, something we've never been able to get her to try before. She even made it fly high in the sky, all by herself. And she loved it so much, she rode it again! I guess she is discovering that her inner daredevil can have one heck of a time at the amusement park!

I am so glad she is brave. As a kid, I was a total wimp and HATED rollercoasters with a passion. They terrified me, and I really, really wanted to love them. Can you imagine how UNfun it is to go to a theme park with all of your friends and be the kid who sits and watches while all of your friends ride the thrill rides? Not much fun, I promise. I recall two instances vividly- one was at Astroworld on the Batman roller coaster and the other was in Germany on a ride called the Euromir. At Astroworld, my friends literally made me ride, and I screamed the entire time. No, I did not think it was fun afterward- I hated it! In Germany, I rode the Euromir because I was trying to be as cool as they thought I was. I hated that one, too.

As an adult, I've kept trying various roller coasters. Some I love (Space Mountain, Big Bad Wolf), and some I never want to step foot on again (California Screamin', Tower of Terror). This summer I have plans to try Expedition Everest and Rockin' Rollercoaster while we are at Disney World. 

I'll brave them and smile, but only because I want Caitlyn to grow up loving that stuff, not sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is riding!

Toys- the new security threat

Yesterday, we had an early birthday party for Caitlyn at the local jumping gym. All of the kids enjoyed the bounce houses and mazes, and everyone liked the princess crowns and necklaces that Caitlyn chose to give her guests. Nine little preschoolers have A LOT of energy, and seeing them storm the place made me happy that someone else would be cleaning up after the party. Jason and I had so much fun watching our little girl play with her friends, and we were reminded once again of how quickly she is growing up!

Caitlyn received lots of wonderful presents from everyone who came. Once we got home, she and I set out to free the gifts from their excessive packaging- and this I just don't get. 

Every Christmas and birthday, Jason and I wage war on toy packaging. Plastic platforms, ties, cardboard, shrink wrap, braces and even screws fight us every step of the way, as we struggle to free Elmo, Barbie and Little People from their plastic prisons. 

What possible reason could there be to lock toys into their boxes so tightly? Is there some sort of Barbie theft ring hitting Target and Toys R Us, details of which have failed to hit CNN? Are terrorists using toys to smuggle WMD, prompting toy retailers to go to extreme measures to secure dolls and play sets? 

One of the gifts Caitlyn got yesterday was a PJ Sparkles doll. Caitlyn was fascinated by this toy and just couldn't wait to play with her, but alas, she had to wait 20 minutes for me to get the 3 inch tall doll out of the box. PJ had a wire around her neck, her waist, and feet. (And these are no ordinary wires- they are the super, industrial wires meant to hold together the space shuttle or substitute as an emergency lock for a safe deposit box.) Not only was PJ practically cemented to the box, her stage was held in by 3 wires and each accessory was wired, too. Her poor teddy bear was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey- wire encircling each leg and arm, as well as his poor, pink neck.

We eventually freed the toys, staged a small celebration rally, and then gathered up the giant pile of discarded wrapping. Caitlyn happily spent the next hour playing her new toys, while Lorelei and I played with a box.

So, beware everyone. We've got a fresh batch of new toys on the loose at our house!

Yes, I made that.

Last year, I decided that I wanted to start a new tradition for the kids. On their birthdays, rather than just go to the bakery and buy some generic, cartoony creation with plastic figures, I decided to take requests and make the cakes myself.  The kids get to decide everything- cake flavor, filling, frosting flavor, colors, decorations, even shape! They have a blast, and they love to help make their very own birthday cake.

My nostalgic dream is that one day they will remember fondly the love and care that went into each cake and smile when they recall how much hard work went into each cake creation. Reality being what it is, they will probably just whine about how I never bought them a cake from the store!

Last year's cakes were a bit hit. Josh wanted a "real" basketball, Caitlyn wanted a beach cake with a mermaid, crab, and dolphins (she is quite particular), and Chris wanted a pink and purple Hannah Montana cake. Hey, I said the kids get to decide everything, didn't I?

This year, Caitlyn informed me that she wanted a pink princess castle cake with all of the princesses on it. She also wanted sparkles, and she requested pink cake with strawberry frosting.  

I might have actually broken a small sweat listening to her litany of specific requests, and I am quite sure that I began to rethink the whole cake tradition. But, how do you tell your preschooler, who thinks Mama can do ANYTHING, that you can't? So, I hit the internet. I mean, I've watched Ace of Cakes- surely, it can't be that difficult, right?

There are hundreds of cake websites with pictures, directions, tips and discussion forums. I spent a couple of hours (yeah right- I spent a couple of WEEKS!) figuring out how to build this castle cake. I learned the ins and outs of fondant (good base, strong arms, great roller). I learned the tricks to stacking cakes (freeze them). I learned how to support tiers (straws embedded in the cake), how to make a cake board (foam core), and how to temper chocolate for dipping (practice!).

Finally, I felt ready to try the cake. On Day 1, Jason took the girls to the aquarium, while I attempted my first batch of marshmallow fondant. It was much easier than I thought, and I quickly covered the square block I planned to use for the top of the cake. Ummm, yeah.  Watching Ace of Cakes does not an expert make. Fondant is tricky, and I had to do some patchwork on the back of the block, but overall, it worked out well. 

Day 2 was chocolate day, and I spent naptime in the kitchen melting chocolate and dipping ice cream cones to use for turrets and towers. I don't think I will ever get all of the pink sparkle sugar off the floor. I also baked the cakes, so that I could freeze them overnight.

Day 3 was assembly day. I managed to keep the girls happy in the kitchen while I made another batch of fondant, rolled it out, and draped the cakes, which I leveled and stacked during their naps. Jason took the girls to pick up dinner, and I worked on the cake for a couple of hours before it was done. And it was precious! I was honestly tickled with myself at how great the cake looked. Disney princesses peeked out of piped windows, there was a drawbridge, towers, sparkles, and tiny flags proclaiming, "Happy 3rd birthday, Princess Caitlyn!"

Caitlyn loved it, too, and she would sit and gaze at it for minutes on end. She declared it beautiful and her very best favorite cake- a compliment of the highest order. Her little friends also loved the cake.

The best part? The cake was really yummy! My biggest fear the night before we had her party was that the cake would look pretty, but taste awful!

**Caitlyn's actual birthday is June 18. We had her party early this year so that all of her friends from Mother's Day Out would be able to join us!