The heat begins...

In New York City, you can tell when summer really begins because the number of A/C units popping into windows doubles, then triples overnight. Usually, we mark Memorial Day at the end of the month with our own A/C installation ceremony, but this year the heat wave started a bit early. I guess that's what prompted us to play in the sprinklers at this park in Jackson Heights on Monday. We were on our way back from an Indian buffet lunch (Elisa's first) and it was just too tempting not to dive in. Elisa had no fear.

Of course, splashing around in the puddle was her favorite part.
By the time she realized her head was getting wet, she wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

And yes, swim classes at the local Y start on Saturday. Hopefully this will be a good way to kick off her love of water. Or at least help us cope as the summer heats up!

The perfect Sunday

We took advantage of Nacho's late show (a 7 p.m. flight) to enjoy the most of our Sunday together. Picking a neighborhood to explore is usually the starting point and we had narrowed that down to Long Island City which is practically overlooked on all my trips into Manhattan. It's just too easy to forget that what's closest is sometimes the perfect daytrip. So after a bit of googling for "best brunch LIC," I found a place called Cafe Henri on 50th Ave. It looked simple and had good reviews so off we went for a 5 minute car ride and snagged a dream spot just down from the cafe. The day was heating up and the humidity was on the rise so I was a little dismayed to discover no A/C on inside the cafe. The rustic charm of the place aside, the ceiling fans were doing me no favors. But we settled in and started ordering--first up, an iced coffee to cool me down. Elisa loved the pub-style bench seating and we let her roam around on it until the food arrived. My french toast with bacon, potatoes and a huge fruit salad was the perfect combo of sweet and salty. I love it when a place doesn't make me choose between those two for brunch. Nacho had the eggs benedict with salmon (another winner) and Elisa made good use of her fork stabbing bits of fruit, toast and bacon. Overall, it was a good meal and by the time they finally gave up and kicked on the A/C (about 10 minutes before we left), I was just cooling off. Poor Elisa was drenched in sweat, but we took her outside for a walk around the neighborhood to cool down.

The area around the waterfront in LIC is a bizarre contrast of industrial buildings, charming strips of stores along Vernon Jackson Blvd, and the overbearing luxury highrise buildings taking over the skyline. We walked around for a bit and it felt like Midtown during a Saturday--everything was vacant and kind of sad. But the refurbished parks along the river made up for the otherwise ho hum walk. Elisa was off and running around the place and Nacho tried to keep up with her while chatting away with his brother about soccer scores. By the time we were ready to head back, it was 3:45 p.m. Another car ride and Elisa was in bed and napping by 4:05 p.m. Not bad for a little wandering close to home.

Enjoying the gardens

A pretty well known fact about our beloved Sunnyside is that it is home to one of only two remaining private parks in New York City (the other being Gramercy Park). Created in 1926 as part of the planned community, Sunnyside Gardens Park is a 3-acre spread of land with all kinds of amusements and activities for families in the neighborhood. We were first introduced to this hidden gem last summer when some of the moms in our playgroup joined and invited us to different functions there. Although Elisa wasn't quite ready for it last year, we kept it in mind for this coming summer and I figured we'd check out the recent renovations before making up our minds. The great thing about the park is that it's a huge open space where the kids can really roam around and the people are nice and seem to keep a pretty good eye on their kids. I love our local public playground at Lou Lodati Park, but it can quickly devolve into a free-for-all when the older kids hit the place. So yesterday we went to the official re-opening of the Sunnyside Gardens Park which has been updated with a level ballfield and cleaned up picnic area, as well as some adjustments to the equipment and a soon-to-be redone blacktop for basketball and cruising around on the tricycles and bikes. The park is a treasure trove of donated toys and Elisa quickly found the one she wanted--a covered car, Flintstones-style which meant she ended up dragging her feet if you pushed her around in it.

Jessie and Oliver who couldn't wait to get down and hit the grass.

The neighborhood is so beautiful right now with lots of flowers and the trees are really greening up.

On the ride home, Elisa finally kept her sunhat on for more than 2 seconds.

Membership isn't cheap and I'm not sure I would have thought it was worth it before the renovations they've made to the park over the fall and winter. But seeing the potential and knowing how much we'll need a space like this to be outside and yet close to home, was reason enough to join. So we paid up and now I have to start thinking of ways to complete the 12 hours of volunteer work per family. I know we'll be seeing lots of familiar faces there this summer and part of me feels like this is yet another way to be more in tune with our community and for Elisa to socialize and have some of the summertime fun I used to have in the suburbs. With a wading pool and swingset and all the grass she can stand, I'm hopeful it will be her favorite part of growing up in Sunnyside. A backyard to share with all her friends. Sounds like kid heaven, if you ask me.

Here is a peek at Elisa getting her groove on with a tricycle thanks to a very patient Papa. Bring on the summer!

Warming up

After what felt like a very long week without Papa home, we had him back on Friday morning. So once Elisa woke from her morning nap, we were ready to hit the town and enjoy the warmer weather with a walk around Manhattan. Living in New York City has so many perks, but most of all I think I enjoy the ability to have an afternoon wandering without a plan and just letting things unfold. We got off the train at Fifth Avenue near Central Park and made our way to the southwest corner of the park where there is a great playground near the ballfields. I always feel like I should know more about the park, but it's really a world unto itself and I just try to remember the little spots I enjoy and hope I can find them again when the time comes to go back. Elisa loved the swings and climbing around the castlelike concrete sculpture. Later we got an ice cream bar and let her have a hand at destroying it. She did okay with us taking bites, but towards the end, she was dripping it everywhere and got upset with me trying to help. So down it went to the pavement and that was the end of that. I know at some point she will realize it's better to have help keeping it on the stick, but yesterday, she learned the hard way what happens when you throw it away. Life isn't fair and sometimes ice cream isn't either.

We made our way up to Sheep Meadow and turned Elisa out of the stroller for some free range walking. We plopped down and let her meander among the blankets and people within a certain area. She loves leaving us and charging ahead into the crowds. One time she wandered far enough that she couldn't remember where we were and started to look around for us. A few people watching her were wondering the same (where are this girl's parents??), but we were waving and managed to get her attention which prompted a big smile and lots of "momma, momma, mommas" as she came running back. Everyone who interacted with her was laughing and Elisa loves that. She wandered right back over to a young woman who was surprised to see Elisa waving and saying hi again and again. Leaving the park, we hit Magnolia Bakery's outpost on the west side and got some cupcakes for later. We strolled around and around the neighborhood just enjoying the freedom of the afternoon and the glorious sunshine. By 6 p.m. we had decided to stick it out in the city and opted for an early dinner at Shake Shack. Their burgers are quite possibly my favorite sunny day food (and the beer's not bad either). Elisa chomped away dipping her fries in ketchup and making faces at the other people in the dining room. We managed to get home, dump her in the tub and get her to bed by around 7:45 p.m. And in a way, it felt like the day was structured more around our wants and needs than hers which is so much more fun and relaxing. She, of course, played along and had plenty of time to enjoy the city as well, but it reminded me that walking in the city is a past time I miss. Hopefully this summer will bring plenty of opportunities for more of that.

Playdate

Living in Sunnyside, we have been fortunate to meet so many families with kids in the same age group as Elisa. In fact, many from our playgroup are August babies and we have been able to really grow with them and experience all of the same ups and downs which just makes life so much better. There's nothing like seeing another kid do the same thing yours is doing to know it's all a phase and they will all move on eventually. Lately, as I watch the kids interact more and more with each playdate, I realize how all the personalities and egos are forming and maturing. And I use the word "maturing" here lightly. Though it's gotten easier to chat and enjoy my time with the other moms, it's become more challenging to know when to step in and manage Elisa's struggles and tantrums. Granted, there are times things go smoothly, but more often there is a power play for a cool toy, or a grab at the same snacks, or just a bit of strong-arming that goes into toddler playtime. It's not quite Lord of the Flies, but you wouldn't want to leave them alone for too long. You just never know.

During our playdate with Juliet and Kristin yesterday, there was a bit of pushing and some sobbing over toys (all Elisa, mind you). But there was also giggling and jumping and lots of hugging and kissing when we left. The girls really know when to turn on the charm and the multiple kisses--on the mouth!--were too adorable. It just makes you wish they could chat and talk about life like they clearly want to, instead of shriek and cry when they don't get their way. Oh, girls.

Breaking the bottle

So the time has come. It's time to ditch the bottle. If ever there was something I was lax about with Elisa, it's been the urge to move her off the bottle in favor of the sippy cup. Part of it was superstition that the only reason she slept those 12 glorious hours overnight was because she drank gallons of milk a day. Okay, not gallons, but you get the idea. She drinks a lot and it usually comforts me when she isn't eating much that at least she has her milk. But when I started giving her milk in a sippy months ago, she didn't take the bait. Milk in a sippy gets maybe two chugs and then thrown back at me in disgust. After several attempts, I would cave and just pour the milk in a bottle which delighted her to no end. She chugged it. Every time. So needless to say, the sippy cups have remained the bastion of watered down juice.

Over the last six months or so, I have promised myself that soon, very soon we would go cold turkey and pack up the bottles. But then there were trips or teething, colds or just not enough stamina to make good on my word. I needed something more. I bought more sippy cups to try in the hopes that one of them would be the holy grail of sippies. The ONE. But so far, Elisa still wants her milk in her "baba" and now that she clearly points and enunciates the word when she wants it, I have a feeling I'm in for a fight. Just this afternoon I tried to run some errands after her second nap and I purposefully did not bring a bottle. Just a sippy with juice. On the way home, I offered it to her and she waved it off. She asked repeatedly for her baba which I tried to explain was at home. That didn't bring on a full out tantrum, but she wasn't happy. Once in the door, she ran around asking for it.

So I've made a decision that we will be baba-free by the end of May. That's my goal and I'm committing to it here so I have to do it. And just for giggles, I bought another sippy today when I saw a Dora cup. She loves it. With juice.

Puddle jumping

After two and a half days of rain, we finally caught a break and hit the park this afternoon. Elisa had the whole place to herself for almost 20 minutes and was loving every minute of it. Before I could stop her, she was jumping and splashing and making a mess in the pools of water everywhere. The shallow ones I didn't mind, but when she landed her entire foot in water, well, it wasn't pretty. Squeak, squeak, squeak all over the playground. I was worried she might slip on the metal stairs, but she did fine. Easy to forget how resilient kids are when they are having fun.

Across Two Aprils

Last Year - End of April:

This Year - End of April:

Sometimes my favorite game to play by myself is Then and Now. It's easy enough. I sit and daydream and think "What was I doing a year ago? And how much has life changed since then?" Last year when I did this I was mostly remembering my pregnancy and thinking how easy everything was when I could carry Elisa around inside of me and she couldn't complain if I worked late or had curry for dinner. And then last fall, I was remembering how it felt to hold this tiny little newborn baby and wonder how I could keep up with all of her changes. I was so overwhelmed by motherhood. And now I sit and think about the renewal of last spring and how it felt like I was starting to get the hang of this baby stuff. I was venturing out more and more on my own with Elisa (when Nacho was working) and I was beginning to really connect with some of the other moms in my neighborhood. Since then, I have lost a job and gained everything else--greater peace of mind, more quality time with my family and the feeling that I am part of my community. We just joined the local organic produce co-op and I am excited about the summer ahead. Our kids are all growing up and some are already having their second babies and it makes me feel like this is what these years are about. Yes, it's different from my pre-baby existence and sometimes harder in ways I couldn't have anticipated, but there is a sense of progress. Life is moving forward. If I ever doubted it, all I have to do is look back at that little girl just sprouting a tooth last April and see how wide her toothy grin is now.

Just lovely

As sometimes happens on the weekends when Nacho is home, I was searching for something fun to do outdoors yesterday. The sun was out and the weather looked good for the afternoon, so I wanted to get out and enjoy it. We're still dealing with two naps a day which means that there is a great window of time each day (usually midday) where Elisa is up and fed and rarin' to go. It's key to planning that I have most of my getting ready done while she naps and have packed up some snacks and maybe a few items (blanket, ball, bubbles) if we are going to be at a park. Yes, these are the all-consuming concerns I have now. Ah, motherhood...

Sometimes I like to question Nacho about where to go and what to do, but he is almost always too complacent and lets me decide. So I like to have a few ideas stored and ready at my disposal. If he likes one, then it makes the day that much easier. And yesterday I had an idea about an event at a local sculpture park in Astoria. So off we went in the car for a brief 5 minute drive to Socrates Park, at the edge of the East River overlooking Roosevelt Island. The park was budding with springtime blooms and petals blanketed the ground. It was a crisp, sunny day.

What I soon realized however, was that the event--a kite flying seminar and exhibition--was not on Saturday. Oops. We were there a day early but with the sun shining, the dogs running around and Elisa happy to play in the grass, we hardly cared. So after a little bit of wandering around the park, we ventured out to see where else we could go and luckily, there was another park just a few blocks south. This one had a huge mounded playground with really cool slides and Elisa's favorite bucket swings. We were set.

Later I asked Nacho to chat up the ice cream vendor and get us a treat. He chose a little snow cone with crazy blue and red coloring and that bomb pop flavor I remember so well from my own childhood. Mmmm. Elisa tried it and seemed a bit indifferent. After a few icy bites, she seemed more interested in the spoon which was fine be me. It wasn't THAT big anyway.

Afterwards I asked Nacho to snap a photo of us and didn't think it would work since Elisa seemed fidgety and ready to go play on the slide some more. But Papa worked his charms and Elisa sat and even smiled. And now I have a great memory of that fleeting day at the park. Because it all seems fleeting to me now. Twenty months down already and we are marching ever onward to two years. Years. Plural. I say that and it feels like just yesterday she was coming home with us for the first time. I think of that wonderful parenting mantra--the days are long, but the years are short. True indeed.

Intensity

It hasn't been a sudden realization by any means, but lately I find Elisa to be so intense. Everything she does is full of passionate giggles or alternating with screams and hysterical crying. There is not a lot of in between. If she loves something, she will want to do it again and again in that way that toddlers do. It's one track living. If it's the ipod, she will wake up pointing at it waving and trying to turn it on. If it's blowing bubbles, she will stop, pivot and start repeating "bubbles, bubbles" over and over again until we find where I have stashed them. It's always something and usually when we are able to satisfy this craving, she is happy and smiling and perfectly at peace in the world. But when she's not--watch out. When she wants another sip from your straw and you are trying to eat a meal out in peace, or she wants to gather all the ice cubes out of your drink or wants to sip a beer IN PUBLIC (sorry, yes, she loves beer) it just can't be done. And then the wailing and flailing and sometimes biting (again, yes, she loves to relieve her anguish through her teeth) begins. If I can think fast and find something to distract her or move the temper tantrum from full blown to moderate, I try. Have you seen my phone? Oooh, look at Papa's iTouch. Wait, are those keys you can dangle and smack on the floor? It sometimes works, but more often lately, it's futile. She wants to wail. She LOVES the attention. And if there is a mirror around, she will watch herself cry in it. Did we mention Leos are drama queens??