Fun in the Sun

There's something about being here at mom and dad's in the summertime with the yard so lush and green that makes it feel like we're in another world. Being here just a few months ago for Dad's birthday was kind of dreary weatherwise. But not now. There's sunshine aplenty and lots of flora and fauna to appreciate. We've seen lizards, turtles, dragonflies, and even an injured (and now deceased, RIP!) hummingbird. The girls have enjoyed a toy-filled trip to Target, a dip in the pool and a few late nights thanks to my ambivalence about bedtime here. And so far, I've been rewarded with pretty decent overnight sleep. Naps have been fought a little harder here, because it's too much fun to stop playing. But all in all, it's been a great two days...

And tomorrow we're looking forward to seeing Stacey and family arrive and heading to the beach. Hopefully mom feels like joining us since she's had a few bouts of nausea since we've been here. But today was a "grace" day as she calls them.  And we were just glad to be a part of it. 

A last minute trip...

Just when I started to feel like life with two kids wasn't spontaneous enough, I went and proved myself wrong. I'd been feeling a bit lazy lately thinking of all the days we've frittered away hanging out at home or just schlepping to the park when we have such a big, diverse city to explore at our fingertips. I feel like I had more energy a year ago when Carolina could still be strapped into a stroller and off we'd go. Looking at my blog entries lately was just a reminder that life had become very...well, predictable. And then there was the matter of my mom's upcoming birthday. For many of the last several years, we've flown down to North Carolina around Memorial Day weekend to celebrate her birthday on the 30th. This year it didn't fall during the holiday weekend so it gave us an out to stay home and enjoy the fair. But something about the start of warmer weather and the prospect of a beach trip was calling me still. And my mom turning 65 was another perfect reason--we needed to get ourselves on a plane. So we did. 

It wasn't until we were on the way home from dinner in the park Wednesday night, that I decided though.  Suddenly I had that surge of energy and excitement that I would need for the trip, so I packed up the suitcase and put the girls to bed. Nacho has to work three of the next four days which also made the decision easy. If it was going to be in the 90s in New York City and equally hot in NC, I'd rather be where there's central A/C and a beach, right? Oh and family too. Let's not forget. It also helped a lot that there were plenty of open seats on the first flight and it didn't leave until 9:30 a.m.--not too early after a late night. So the stage was set, and honestly, things couldn't have gone better. This was my first time traveling alone with the girls and they really did me a favor. They made it so easy.  I kept Carolina on my lap for takeoff and landing and then she wiggled into the seat between Elisa and me for a bit. We ate Skittles and played with books. By the time Carolina was going a little nuts and bothering the lady behind us with constant games of peek-a-boo, it was time to break out the big guns: Carebears on DVD. That lasted for about 10 minutes and then Carolina was back at her standing and sitting routine. But we tried the Fresh Beats and that seemed a better draw for both girls. By the time I knew it, we were almost landing and I was confident the worst had passed. Except for Elisa's 5 minute tirade about having to pee just before landing (mind you, she had already gone once on the plane). Otherwise, it was smooth sailing and we made it out of the airport and into Grandma's arms just like we'd envisioned. The drive home was punctuated with a quick bite of lunch at Port City Java and a mocha shake for the rest of the way home. The mood was light and we were all enjoying the reunion. The girls waited to nap until we made it back to mom and dad's which worked out well. A cake was made and groceries bought for the rest of the weekend. There might not be presents to unwrap, but I think Grandma got exactly what she wanted. This visit wasn't a done deal 24 hours ago, but it definitely came together in just the right way. We're very happy to be here and now we're just waiting to see Stacey and family on Saturday and celebrate all over again. That will be the best present any of us could give. 

Happy birthday, Mom. We love you. 

Memorial Day Postponed

Hindsight is nearly always 20/20 as they say, and in the case of the rainy forecast for this weekend's fair it was a wise move to postpone to Sunday. One day made all the difference so yesterday we enjoyed bright blue skies and much warmer winds. And windy it was. By the time I got to the park to see if there was anything else needed for set up, the winds were gusting pretty good and the tents seemed to sway in the breeze. The red and white striped bunting and paper streamers were dangerously close to coming undone, but the mood was upbeat. Things might not be ideal, but at least it wasn't raining seemed to be the mantra of the day. And as the gates opened at noon and the stars and stripes was raised, there was definitely a sense that this holiday weekend might just come together. Nacho showed up with the girls and we enjoyed a couple of hours together hitting the bouncy houses and wandering around sampling the goods. Carolina wasn't thrilled by the cotton candy, but she liked the popcorn just fine. And Elisa was all bursts of energy as she raced around--getting her nails done and trying her hand at the ring toss--only pausing to wait in the lines that seemed to form at each bouncy attraction. After a few burgers and dogs, Nacho took Carolina back home to nap while I opted to stay put with Elisa.  She and her friends gathered around the 7 train stage after lunch to enjoy the clown which bought me a half hour of down time to chat with friends and enjoy the fair on my own.  

All in all, the fair probably had a slightly lower turn out than in years past, but it felt much less hectic and way more enjoyable. I suppose there's always a trade off, but hopefully it wasn't a loss for the park.  These kinds of fundraisers are essential for helping cover the ongoing costs of maintaining the park and  I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into them. Seeing how much time and effort our friends Julie and Dawn put into it was an eye opener. This kind of event doesn't happen on its own. And I think it was a real success in that for me at least, the feeling of our close knit community wasn't absent the way it can be sometimes when the public events seem to overwhelm the park. Seeing friends Jenny and Tracie who came back to Sunnyside for a visit with their kids was another treat.  It was exactly the kind of fun we needed to have to kick off this summer. Memorial Day success!

Wash out

The build up to this weekend's Memorial Day festivities was exactly as you'd expect for late May: hot and muggy with occasional bursts of rain. We were hitting the ice cream truck on a daily basis early in the week, and the sprinklers came on for one gloriously summery afternoon at SGP.  Carolina was a bit hesitant to get her feet wet at first, but within the hour I found her scooping (and drinking--ick!) cups full of dirty water from the emerging drainage pool.  Of course, all that heat and sunshine wasn't here to stay and by Thursday, things were heading for a rainy finish to the week. Which is really too bad because our friends Julie and Dawn have been planning the heck out of the Memorial Day Fair at the park which was slated for Saturday. But by the time I was running errands on Friday morning, they decided to go with the rain date on Sunday since the forecasts weren't looking good. And considering how wet, cold and windy today ended up being, they definitely made the right call.

So instead of hitting the fair today, we opted to use our family time for a quick drive to Roosevelt Island where we hoped the sprinkles would hold off for a little longer, but to no avail. It started pouring rain as soon as we drove by the park at the southern end and that sealed our fate--off to brunch in Astoria at Strand Smokehouse.  Nacho has been reading up on a few local places to try and this was our first outing. I'd give it big thumbs up for having plenty of space and a family-friendly vibe, but the brunch menu was extremely limited. I got the Sunnyside Up (a fitting name, I thought) which was two eggs over pulled pork and grits. Unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed with these stiff, bland Yankee grits and the pork was swimming in some kind of oil that didn't really enhance the flavor. The girls got the only things I thought they might eat which included congealed mac-n-cheese and a huge stack of rather tasteless pancakes which came with more pulled pork.  But hey, Carolina tried it at least, so that wasn't a total waste. I hate to sound so negative on the food since Nacho really enjoyed his beef spare ribs and both beers we had (mine a maple porter and Nacho's wheat pale ale) were delicious. But I think it will be a while before I'll go running back. Maybe then they'll have a little more variety and they might even need those ceiling fans running that were whipping cold air down my back. 

It probably also didn't help that Carolina was a beast to get in the high chair today. After two restaurant outings yesterday--Bareburger for lunch followed by Casa Enrique for dinner after LIC Kids--it was probably too much to ask for her to sit through yet another meal. Elisa was going a little nutty too with her overdose on root beer, and I was looking at Nacho wondering why we couldn't be dining alone. We're so close to enjoying these casual adventures, and yet, we're still not there. But if practice makes perfect, then we must be getting close to not just surviving restaurants but enjoying them. At least that's what I'm hoping. And since today was a total wash out weather-wise, our misery had plenty of good company. The restaurant was filled with kids and even a baby's birthday party that got moved indoors from Socrates Sculpture Park. So we weren't alone in searching for some place--any place--to take the kids. And in that respect, we did good.  Hopefully the sun will come out again tomorrow morning so we can finally celebrate our Memorial Day Fair and the rest of this holiday weekend. I know I'm going to be there helping out and remembering that hot, muggy weather of years past that sent me running inside for the A/C after a couple of hours. Maybe tomorrow we'll last a little longer. We'll see.