Heating up!

Just when I thought it was safe to assume summer was going easy on us, it got hot. Like REAL hot. The Summer Social at SGP was spared the hot weather this year, thankfully. We had a really nice turn out with lots of people and delicious cocktails, and made some cash for the park which made me feel like all my efforts had not been in vain.  But sure enough, just days later, the index rose and kept going up. We managed to see the Minions movie and run around Central Park with ice cream to keep cool.  Samarra even came for a late afternoon visit to the park to say howdy. It was great seeing her again and our conversations about where we'll all be in a few years time left a lot to ponder.  But by the time Nacho finished his training in Atlanta and flew home, we were cranking up the oven we call New York City. Since we knew we had Bix and Riley's party in the afternoon, our first order of business was to hit House of Inasal in Woodside for a Filipino lunch. Several Sunnymom friends have been recommending it and the bright color of the ube ice cream sandwich was a definite point of interest. So we gave it a shot and I'm glad we did. Elisa tried almost everything including the fried pork rolls called lumpia, the chicken empanadas, the sweet pork sausage served with rice, as well as my marinated chicken breast which she kept going back for. It all tasted great. Nacho asked for a really authentic pork dish and the waiter didn't hesitate. So he got the pork belly, ears and liver with chopped onion and peppers. Um, yeah...smelled okay, but I didn't try it. The next day we felt equally adventurous and thought it would be fun to hit Astoria Pool on the hottest day of the year so far. Why exactly? Well, I suppose it was a good idea, but everyone else in Western Queens had the same thought. It took over an hour just to get to admitted to the locker rooms! Yes, we were the fools that stayed in line. But hey, by that time we had committed ourselves and the girls to swimming and so it felt like we couldn't turn back. I'll even say it was worth it for the 2 hours we managed to relax and cool off. Because when it's hot as Hades, all that matters is that you dip your body in liquid that's cooler than the air. And it was. It might have smelled vaguely like a port-o-potty in places, but who cares, right? We are urban dwellers after all and we do what we have to in order to survive. Speaking of, I think we might need a new A/C unit...

Summer bucket list

Today we managed to cross off another item from my Summer 2014 Bucket List. We made it to Astoria Pool for the first time ever and it was worth the wait. Going on an overcast day at the end of summer probably explained the lack of crowds but seriously, it wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. The prison-like atmosphere some people describe wasn't apparent and the locker room attendants were nice and helpful. We had our lock and most of the no-go items already stashed in the car, so it was fine. Really. I wish I'd gone sooner. The girls managed to enjoy the slightly chilly waters for a bit and even I made it in to swim. Of course, the sun didn't come out until we were dried off and heading over to the party on the park grounds. But that was okay. The kids played and ate, colored their gift bags and watched a nearby Aztec ritual dance. It was a beautiful day to be out in the summer and I was happy to spend time drinking it all in. We decided post-party to return to the second session of the pool (from 3-4 p.m. they shut down for cleaning). That time around, the sun was out and the dark clouds that had formed to the East kept on moving. It was all going to work out, and indeed it did. The summer has a few more surprises in store for us, I can feel it. Tomorrow we're planning our season's first visit to Coney Island--another bucket list item. Better late than never, I suppose. Off we go!

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. 

Socrates Sculpture Park

Yesterday we joined in with a group of our playgroup moms and kids to hang out at Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria, Queens for a picnic and some running around. The weather has really perked up these past two weeks with temps closer to 70 and now even 80 degrees most days. Ah yes, summer is fast approaching. So with plenty of snacks and sunscreen, we set out for a little drive to the park which borders the East River. It's a great open area with lots of big sculptural pieces to frolic around and there was no stopping these kids once we turned them loose.

Of course, it's easier now to sit still and watch Elisa do circles around me, but at times, I still wonder what trouble she's getting into. The whole concept of hovering is one we moms openly discuss and there's really no right answer. Depending on the park or the day, I can be following her every move or sitting back and waiting for her to come and find me. Add to that, the reality that each kid can be so different with his or her risk taking and adventuring that there is no hard and fast rule about how much space/freedom to give them. Elisa has definitely gained confidence and a pretty independent attitude about playing away from me lately, but I think she's also pretty tame when it comes to real dangers or testing physical boundaries. I might be getting overly lax, but seeing her run and play with the kids yesterday really made me appreciate this age in a new way. She needs me less. And that's a welcome relief...

The night before this adventure, we had been at SGP having a relaxed barbecue when Elisa's friend Bix got a little over-eager with his tackling moves. Elisa was upset and by the next morning, she told me that she didn't want to see Bix when I mentioned he'd be at the picnic. Of course, nothing like toddler to forget all about that stuff when the fun begins. These two were nearly inseparable for a good part of the afternoon. Something about their mutual spunkiness assures me that the hurt has been forgiven.

I mean, really? Is this my daughter? Where did this bright light come from? I have to say that the butt wiggle and sassiness has only increased tenfold over the past few months. She has such a glimmer in her eye most days that when it's not completely ill-timed and frustrating me to no end, it's absolutely adorable. Yep, that's parenthood for you--if I'm not crying and/or screaming, I'm laughing. It's a delicate balance.

As we trudged out of the park and over to a nearby playground, the kids all seemed to be having fun and there were no tantrums (epic success!). The group play aspect was going better than I expected and the waterworks only added to their enjoyment. Elisa was hesitant at first to join in, preferring the swings, but once she caught on to the splashing, she didn't want to leave. The cool thing about this particular park is that the sprinklers are on a timer so every few minutes it shuts off and the kids got to take turns running over to hit the button to turn the water back on. There were a few moments of pushing to have this honor, but once they agreed to push the button together, peace was restored. And then they were off to the slide...All in all, it was a great afternoon and almost made me feel like I'd been playing too. It was so easy to watch them wear themselves out. By the time we were ready to head home, Elisa had completely soaked her hair (a first!) and clothes, and was acting like she'd never leave. Having a quick change of clothes was a bonus--must remember that from now on--and so off we went home with a dry set and just in time for a nap. High five!