Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Year's Eve, Baby!

Out with the old and in with the new. Maybe that's why I love the excitement around New Year's Eve. By this time post-Christmas, I'm feeling a bit sluggish and maudlin, so it helps to have something to perk me up.  And yesterday was the perfect chance to clean up the apartment a little bit, invite friends over for an early New Year's celebration and spend the night really just happy to be with fun people on a cold night. I've never been one to go out on NYE and being a mom has made that much easier. Who wants to track down a babysitter for one expensive night anyway? So we ordered pizza, made giant chocolate chip cookies and stocked the fridge with plenty of Martinelli sparkling cider for the kids.  Even our quick trip out to get some junky NYE stuff at the dollar store was fun. We picked out plastic noise makers, colorful 2014 glasses and two confetti poppers. And boy did they POP! Well, at least mine did. And glittering confetti was up and all over the living room. I have to say it was beautifully festive if a bit of a mess to clean up. Our 7 p.m. toast coincided with the countdown in the Canary Islands, so Nacho, Carmen and company got to down their grapes as the clock struck midnight.  It all came together in a blurry mess of kids and screams and prosecco toasts.  But there you have it, New Year's Eve is supposed to be a bit of a blur anyway, right? Most of our guests headed out by 9 p.m. and we almost let the girls stay up to see the "real" ball drop, but by about 10:45 p.m., they were toast. So off to bed they went and that's when Nacho turned and asked me if we were going to make it til midnight. Of course! I was feeling up to the challenge and so we did. More than excitement, I felt ready to embrace the new year.  Even though 13 has always been lucky for me, I feel like 2014 has a nice ring to it. Looking forward to all it holds...

Monday, December 30, 2013

School pics


Before the new year hits and I forget all about the days leading up to this winter break, here are the school photos we just received. Of course, the shiner Elisa got from hitting the woodwork in the hall is still slightly visible, but other than that, she did an awesome job. That bright smile, those cherubic cheeks. Yes, she's my big girl, but she's still just a kid. It's so deceptive this number five. At times I know I ride her too hard, but I just expect more from her especially as the big sister.  So it was nice to get her first report card the same day school let out and read all about her as a student. She's really thriving, and it's so reassuring to hear that she feels comfortable in her new school and is right where she should be. That's all that matters.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Chuck E Cheese

Before the year gets away from me, I have to post about making it to Chuck E Cheese during winter break. It's been on Elisa's birthday planning radar for a while now, and despite the fact that all suburban parents seem to hate the place, I have to admit it doesn't really bother me. Maybe because we live in such a big city with such population density and tiny apartments we call homes, that this place seems absolutely spacious and welcoming. Only once you've pushed a stroller through the narrow doors of an East Village eatery you used to love pre-kids only to be met with scowls from patrons and staff alike can you fully embrace all the glorious wonder that is Chuck E Cheese. So yeah, we went. And we roped in a few friends as well which made it even better. Birdie and Riley, Leonardo and Kieran and a few other siblings made it a complete party. And boy was I ever surprised to see how well Carolina handled herself. She was working her way up the enclosed stair thing and into the tunnels above my head before I could even figure out where she might come out once she realized she was stuck up there. But within minutes I could tell she would have no such freak out. She chased her bud Kieran around and later found Elisa and Birdie and somehow without any adult supervision found her way back down. I was on standby for most of our visit, but she didn't need me. It was liberating. Yes, Chuck E Cheese might not be the same everywhere, but for this mama and her Queens girls, we found a delightful haven in the wintery wonderland of New York City. Mission accomplished!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Christmas Eve/Christmas Wrap Up

Well, Christmas Eve was a busy day this year with Grandma and Grandpa arriving midday, prepping dinner for Christmas day, sugar cookies to bake and ice, the Lefers dropping by for an impromptu visit and an evening gathering at Carmen's house to toast to the holidays together.  Mom's arrival was almost thwarted by a last minute fall and 22 stitches in her leg on Monday, but even that couldn't stop her from spending Christmas in New York.  Since it worked out with a family in our playgroup who just happens to live on the floor below us, they've been staying close by and the extra bit of room has ensured we're all getting our space and down time in between activities.  By the time we made it back home on Christmas Eve it was already past 9:30 p.m., so getting the kids in bed quickly was a priority. Santa had a lot of work still to do, and none of it started for almost an hour so things ended up pretty late that night. I think I finally crawled into bed around 1 a.m., and slept blissfully until Carolina chimed up around 6:30 a.m. We managed to keep her in bed until 7 a.m. and then it was time to wake Elisa. Yes, we had to wake our big girl who would still be rockin' 12 hour nights if she wasn't having to adjust to little sister's schedule all the time. Oh well. Christmas morning is worth waking up early for, right? 
In keeping with tradition, the girls got to unwrap their sister presents early on Christmas Eve. This year, I opted for an Ariel/Little Mermaid theme with two costumes (Carolina's came with a tea set) and a copy of the movie on dvd. It was a big hit and Elisa didn't want to take off her fishtail gown all night. Carolina preferred the Rapunzel nightgown/dress she got on Christmas day, but all in all, costumes were a definite highlight of the holiday. These girls really love dressing up and Elisa is constantly telling us to come to their room for a show. She loves dancing and jammin' out to my playlists on iTunes, especially when I add songs like "Let it Go" (the Demi Lovato version) from the movie "Frozen." That's our latest jam and I have to say, it's a pretty catchy song. The princess dream castle for their big Christmas present from Santa has been a huge hit since they've actually played with it together on a number of mornings. We're entering that age with Elisa which was the one where I as a kid could sit for hours and imagine scenarios with my dolls that rivaled the Real Housewives of Anywhere. So much storytelling and drama pouring out of my head into the fashions and poses of my dolls. I don't apologize for giving my girls the same kind of toys.  In my mind, Barbies and feminism are not mutually exclusive. Besides, there's such a short time in our lives when play is really just play, devoid of the politics of gender and equality.  I hope they will enjoy it.  Christmas wouldn't be the same if we didn't sometimes indulge in our heart's desire.  This year princesses reign. Long live the princesses!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry

It started at 6:30 a.m. and even with a family nap from 2-4pm, it never really felt like it let up. Lots of toys, playing, singing, dancing and eating. I'm happy my parents made it in and even more happy that our neighbors were able to offer us an empty apartment one floor below for them to stay in. It all worked out. We face timed with my sister and her family and hosted Carmen and Leonardo for a comforting meal of chicken elegant, roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower and mashed potatoes followed by two pies--chocolate-pecan and pumpkin. There was a lot of wine and good conversation. It was all in all, a wonderful day even if we never quite made it out of the house.  So from all of us in NYC, merry Christmas and good night!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Winter walk

Yesterday was our last chance before Christmas to try to take our traditional walk down 5th Avenue to see the store windows all decked out and visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The fact that the temperature would be soaring to a record high 70 degrees was a bonus, but of course that also meant more of a crowd. The slight drizzle and overcast skies might have deterred a few though because it wasn't completely miserable. Most of our walk along 5th Ave was pretty much what you'd expect on any given weekday.  The windows at Bergdorfs were fabulous as always, and I loved their "Holidays on Ice" theme with different year-round holidays imagined as wintery dreamscapes.  As we neared the tree at Rock Center, the crowds definitely thickened.  We couldn't make it into the Lego store because the side we were at was an "Exit Only," but apart from that, we managed to enjoy a quick spin around the plaza without too much chaos.
Afterwards, I was a bit torn about what to do next.  Since Elisa was hoofing it with us while Carolina mostly sat in the stroller, I was trying to keep the pace tolerable. But nearing 45th Street, I was getting the first pangs of "Mom, I'm hungry...mom, I'm tired..." so I opted to take our crew a little off course. And just like that, we diverted to the beautiful Grand Central Terminal to check out the holiday trimmings and grab some lunch at the new Shake Shack in the dining concourse.  Getting there was not a problem at all since we were just a couple of blocks away, but like Nacho said, it was knowing what to expect that made us a little nervous. Neither of us really wanted to beat back the crowds at lunch time and Shake Shack in most places can be a zoo between 12-2pm.  But the throngs weren't rushing in for burgers that day, so we lucked out. I nabbed 4 stools along the back wall and the area proved a quiet oasis in a bustling station.  We were just a few steps away from the famous Whisper Corner in Grand Central which I had never seen up close. So after lunch, we headed out that way and stopped for a minute to listen and whisper sweet nothings across the arched tunnel. It's a pretty neat little spot but before I could say, hold on, the girls were racing up the long ramp towards the subway entrance.  At that point, continuing our walk down 5th Ave was ruled out completely and we were all happy to head home on the subway. A family nap was in order and it didn't disappoint. By nightfall, the rain had picked up though the temperatures continued to soar. We were done with at least one more holiday check list item and it felt like the Christmas break was starting off right.