Holidays Part II

This Christmas we opted to stay put at home which was nice if a bit quiet. But for the rest of the holidays, we traveled to North Carolina to visit my sister and her family who have just settled in Raleigh. My brother-in-law recently retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years, 4 moves and multiple deployments.  To say they are elated would be an understatement, and yet this is a somewhat hectic time with lots of transitions.  They promised they had the space in their new house and so we were game to see them again after many months.  My parents also drove up from the coast so it was a complete family affair and a good time to celebrate Nacho's birthday again. The last time we were all together was in June at Disneyland and the changes in Carolina since then are almost unbelievable. She's not our quiet little baby anymore and will definitely let you know when she wants something. It's quite a shock to those who haven't seen her and to be honest, it's sometimes frustrating too. We're in the midst of the toddler tantrum stage, which if I remember right begins about now and ends in, oh....never. So while I love bringing Carolina to visit everyone, it does take a special understanding and energy to deal with her when the shrieks and cries have replaced coos and smiles. Add to that the change in scenery upheaval with stairs separating the bedrooms and living room and we are in a near constant state of neediness. Ahhh yes, now I remember why staying home with a toddler is so. much. easier. But then there are times of playing with her cousins and the chance to explore the local parks together. So it's not all crazytown--it just feels like it sometimes. 

I wouldn't say I know the Raleigh area well at all, but from this trip and my previous visits there seems to be enough to do. Most of the time when I travel in the U.S., I try to imagine living in that place. Could I do it? Would there be enough to see and do? Would I get bored? The real answer is probably yes, I could do it but I wouldn't want to. Except for the living space issue, there is really nothing about NYC that I don't like.  And there's plenty that I love.  Not that it isn't tempting to imagine our family in my sister's 2200 sq ft. condo that boasts 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, an enormous open-concept kitchen/living room, screened-in porch and extra loft space for much less than we're paying for half the space. I envy them that it's more than enough house for them and still comfortable enough to squeeze us all in for a few days. I think in my head I've always believed I would be a grown up when I had a house with a guest room. That day has yet to arrive. And yet, the world keeps on spinning. Another year passes us by and we have no plans to change a thing.  Truth be told, I am probably more used to our living conditions than I would have thought possible. But little trips like this set off all those what-if scenarios that are fun to indulge--if only for a long weekend.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a long day since Carolina woke at 5:45 a.m. But we managed to tear through the mountain of presents Santa brought, play and eat and play some more. It was definitely a lot louder and crazier than Carolina's first Christmas which she practically slept through. And there were a few tears today when she couldn't play with one of Elisa's prized new toys. But they managed to share their new dollhouse and play quietly for a little while--shades of Christmases to come, I hope. And now tonight we have two very sleepy girls down for the count while we nosh on leftovers and wine and lots of pie. A very small celebration staying put in New York City, but a great day to be home and with each other. And if the weather cooperates and flights allow, we'll be on our way to NC to see my family in a couple of days. Til then, Merry Christmas to all who follow our family, and to all a good night!

Best night of the year

A quick walk through the neighborhood, a few minutes at the window to watch the snow fall and it's bedtime. Looks like Santa has made it to Sunnyside already and we're excited to see what the girls think of everything. Merry Christmas and hope we all get some rest before dawn.

Preschool Party

On Friday Elisa's UPK class held a little holiday party in the morning. Nacho was off work and stayed with Carolina at home so I could go and enjoy a few minutes of crazy, preschool fun. I made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing which were universally overlooked for the store bought mini cupcakes another mom brought. God, I love kids. They always know how to knock you down a few pegs, right? But who could care when you're having this much fun. There was shape/color Bingo and I volunteered to read a book about Santa Claus losing his ho-ho-ho. The kids were great, and Elisa was so pleased to have me visiting her class. She asked me, "Mom, do you love my school?" And I knew from her face that she loved it. And when one of the teacher's aides started telling me about how much she enjoys Elisa in the classroom, she started to tear up. She's a first year teacher and I could see how much she loves being with the kids.  Hearing her comments about how Elisa greets her so cheerfully every morning and always asks how she's doing was terrific. It made me see Elisa in another light and yes, brought a few tears to my eyes.  I asked Elisa to tell me about each of her teachers when we made their Christmas cards and they were all universally "beautiful" and much loved. We also made some cranberry pistachio biscotti and packaged it for delivery at the party. It was a great morning and a perfect end to her first semester at the new school. Hoping the second half of the year goes as smoothly and we can celebrate again in 2013.

Under the Big Top

After Friday's horrible news, it was easy to forget what a magical evening we had the night before at the Big Apple Circus.  But since I need some cheering up this weekend, here are some photos from our second annual playgroup outing.  A few of us made it into the city around 5 p.m. to meet up at the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle where we grabbed a light bite before the show. The kids enjoyed running around a huge tree just there on the outskirts of Central Park, while we noshed and sipped warm cider.  It was a pretty comfortable evening for mid-December and I was happy to be out enjoying the city's festive mood again.  Once we were ready to walk over, the kids could barely contain their excitement.  We snapped a few quick pics outside by the Lincoln Center fountain before heading in to grab our seats.  Of course at the circus you have to get some popcorn and nearly every kid had a cotton candy spool to himself.  Our friend Monica did an awesome job once again wrangling us discounted tickets and a whole section to ourselves close to the ring.  As for the show itself, I think it was every bit as much fun as our first time.  The theme of this year's circus was probably even more suited to our target audience. It was less of a contrived storyline and more about the history of the circus. The animals came out first along with a trapeze artist and the kids were transfixed.      

Elisa had taken a good nap that afternoon in preparation so the evening went pretty smoothly.  She started to get tired about midway through the second act and ended up on my lap for the last 5 minutes.  Unlike last year when some of the kids were way too exhausted or overwhelmed to enjoy the whole show, I think everyone stuck it out this time.  It's so fun to see how the kids relate to one another and how much they love sharing these activities with friends.  Having our playgroup peeps to celebrate the holidays like this is very special and I hope it's a tradition we'll have for many years to come.  Hopefully next year we can bring Carolina along for the thrills since this year would have meant chasing her around and missing half the show.  All in all, the circus was a great night out on the town and a chance to see the brilliance of these performers in their element. We laughed and clapped and gasped together. And just thinking about the spectacle of it all brings a smile back to my face. Elisa shouting, "Oh my God! I never seen those before!" about the white ponies circling the ring.  It doesn't take much to impress these kids and they delight in all of it.  Childhood at its best.