Jam Packed

For much of the winter our social lives take a hit, or at least the spontaneous meet ups aren't as plentiful.  So it's nice that spring has finally arrived and with it some fun invitations to get out and enjoy our friends as the weather warms up.  While I wouldn't normally call a school fundraiser a social event, it does happen to include a few of our local playgroup families.  So Chuck E Cheese on a Thursday night for pizza and games wasn't too crazy. I mostly sat back and enjoyed the chaos from the safety of our booth.  The girls ran ragged and by bedtime (Nacho was working overnight in Buffalo), I was feeling pretty wiped out myself. It didn't help that Elisa woke up a few hours later puking all over her bed. Pizza plus red Jello before bedtime didn't make for easy clean up, but I digress....it was a long night and Friday meant a day off of school to recuperate. She felt good enough to accompany us to Carolina's classroom potluck at AMB that evening. Another night, another school event. See what I mean? Things are starting to pick up.

Saturday was another chance to hang out with some preschool families at a birthday party for one of Carolina's "best friends." I put that in quotes because every other day, the best friend has changed and Carolina is telling me that so-and-so is her new best friend. It's amazing to see how these early friendships are forming and how a kid as outgoing and happy as Carolina can navigate it all so clearly. She definitely knows who she likes, and that's just about everybody! So it was her BFF Alegria's fourth birthday that afternoon and the kids enjoyed running around the park as much as singing and eating cake. It's pretty simple at that age. The face painting was also a hit, with most opting for a kitty cat theme. Seeing them act it out with their crazy clawing later was pretty entertaining. Oh, to be that age again. 

By Saturday night, however, Elisa was back to feeling not so good. She hasn't run a high fever with any of this so it's been kind of hard to gauge what exactly we're dealing with. Sore throat and two episodes of puking.  Otherwise, just very tired and probably her allergies flaring up as well.  So we're taking it day by day and hoping that a Sunday full of rest will push her back to the brink of wellness. They both enjoyed a leisurely morning of bacon and disco ball dancing. Then Nacho and I headed over to Anable Basin Sailing, a cool place in LIC, for an adult-only birthday party that Tania threw together at the last minute for her husband Chris. The day was sunny and breezy and the grilled lunch offerings with cold beer really hit the spot. This was shaping up to be the perfect end to a busy weekend of hanging out. 

I definitely see us going back there in the summertime with kids in tow. It's not probably as easy to snag a table, but with great views of the city skyline and East River, I'd say it's worth the effort. Plus, you're just a stone's throw from Gantry and the fields at Hunters Point South. Nacho and I both ordered the cevapi and it was pretty tasty, I have to admit. I've been craving that dish for some reason lately and have been bugging my friend Marija about where to go to get some good Balkan food. So this hit the spot. Spending time relaxing with friends talking and not having kids interrupt us every five seconds was even better. Hope we'll be doing this kind of thing again soon. Summer is almost here...and our social lives are ready to bloom too.