Headwinds

Last year I made it back to watch the marathon after a couple of years off.  Elisa got into it and I fell back in love with the race I'll never run. It's such a rush to watch people running through this great city--some for the very first (and perhaps last) time--and to be a part of the tremendous energy they will feel. You just hope to help propel them further down the road.  And so on Sunday we bundled up the whole family and made our way over to Queensboro Plaza to meet up with Irene and Jose and family for a little marathon viewing. It was another blustery cold day and the winds made it almost impossible to imagine running in short sleeves and shorts. I was a little slow to jump in with my camera at first thinking that I couldn't possibly get really good shots of all these people shuttling past me. But within a few minutes, I had found a good spot near the police tape keeping us back and was starting to see some great images amidst the blur of runners.  I happened to know two people running the marathon this year, but we were too slow to catch the first one and I was afraid we might not stick around long enough in the frigid air to see the second. But no matter, we shouted and waved, hooped and hollered for all who passed by. 

And in the end, we decided to head out for lunch just after 1:30 p.m. which meant I would miss seeing a friend by about 20 minutes. As we neared the 14th mile, I thought perhaps I should stick around just a little longer. How could I miss a photo op for someone I actually know and like after taking all these pics of strangers? But of course, staying there another 15 minutes didn't guarantee me the perfect pic. In fact, I missed seeing her all together. How I'm not sure. But there were so many clusters of runners around the time I was expecting her so maybe that's what happened. All I know is that the wind gusts near Court House Square were almost knocking me over occasionally. And it was C-O-L-D. My hands were frozen and immobile as I tried to maneuver my camera. It was nothing compared to what the runners must have been feeling, but still, I was done. I scanned my friend's progress only to see that she had already passed. Well, thank goodness for technology. But really? Again I missed someone I was hoping to see. I suppose the marathon isn't the best time to catch up, and my consolation was being able to play photographer for so many friends and families that were there for their runners. These pics make me happy. That's all I needed. 

Congrats again to all the runners and for more pics of this year's race check out:

http://www.annpricephoto.com/tcsnycmarathon2014

Queens Botanical Garden

Elisa had her first field trip of 1st grade last week on Tuesday.  It was a beautifully warm fall day and I was excited to make the cut as a chaperone. Last year I attempted a field trip on a bitterly cold day in November to the Queens County Farm and swore I wouldn't do that again anytime soon. Elisa was a clingy, whiny beast and I was pretty sure field trip chaperoning was a punishment for some parenting sin I didn't know I'd committed. Fast forward to this year, and I was ready to try again. So there we were on that bright sunny morning heading over on the bus to the Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing. There were only two classes going on the trip (one per bus) which made it feel a little less hectic from the start. And once we arrived our tour guide met us and wasted no time before he began droning on and on about seeds and plants and all kinds of things I could barely hear in his incredibly thick New Yawk accent. The kids weren't exactly captivated, but they did pretty good sticking together and finding things in the gardens around them to marvel at.  We watched bees flutter past a hive, smelled roses and rubbed our fingers on wonderfully scented herbs. It was a lot for all the senses to take in but the kids were loving it. And then we were whisked into one of the classrooms to mix up our own sachets of potpourri using the ingredients found around their gardens. They had ginger root, cinnamon sticks, rose petals, lavender, cedar chips, and marigolds to name just a few of the scents. A few of the boys were starting to get restless sitting around with their potpourri mixes and hit them or otherwise blew on them to send little particles flying. But mostly the class was a good mix of kids and I think they enjoyed having a break from their normal routines. It was almost noon by the time we left the gardens and I could tell the kids were ready for lunch. But there wasn't a lot of whining. They did great (and Elisa even snuck my phone to look at photos on the way back). I especially enjoyed hearing Ms. Dorothy interact with the kids in her blunt, yet invigorating way.  She really gets them interested in the natural world, and I'm impressed by the way she handles the little crazies.  And considering how much better Elisa did having me around on this first outing, I might just volunteer again. 

Halloweenies

THIS is what almost derailed us. Seriously, Elisa?

Halloween 2014. Not our best effort, but somehow we pulled it off once again. Learning from last year, I didn't force the issue of costumes-I-thought-we'd-decided-on (Draculaura and Clawdeen from Monster High). Nope. I went along with whatever last minute decisions the girls made (Ariel and Sofia the First) and we mostly got ready without issues. It didn't help that Elisa came home from school already grumpy and picking fights with Nacho. It was Friday afternoon, after all, and the week has been a long one filled with Carolina's head trauma and lots of other little bumps in the road. But shouldn't Halloween and the thought of trick-or-treating perk up a 6 year old? I would think so. But then, I'd be wrong. 

So we plowed through Elisa's bad mood and made it to to the Gardens around 5:00 p.m. The first few mews along 44th Street were pretty quiet and not many folks home. But that didn't deter the girls from trudging up and down them checking every door. When we finally crossed the street and spotted some friends, things should have picked up, but instead Elisa continued to do her own thing. Oh well. I knew we weren't going to last long, so I tried to finish strong with a new street cutting over to 45th and making a bathroom pit stop at Carmen's.  By then Nacho had rejoined us after going back to get Elisa a heavier coat (which she never even needed) and we were almost ready to pack it in and go to Jessie's for our pizza party. Bumping into the Lefers was a nice surprise though and so Elisa and Birdie and Carolina and Jasper all got to make the rounds for a few minutes before we called it a night. 

And after that, things almost mellowed. The kids had their candy loot and started digging in at the Andersons' house. We had pizza and chili and lots of spiked cider to keep the night fun. So while the kids went absolutely ape with swinging swords and toys and too much sugar, we grown ups had our own little party. It was a nice way for Elisa to get some chill out space which actually helped. At least I didn't hear about her being a pain in the ass to anyone else.  And Carolina was mostly good all night except for pooping in her pull up (after two days of consistent peeing AND pooping on the potty) which quickly spread up her pants and onto her Sofia dress. Yuck. So one more costume change and we were about to head home by 9 p.m.  Yes, another Halloween down, and just in time. I'm wiped out.  So glad we got to spend it with friends and in a place we love. That's all that matters. Oh, and maybe tons of chocolate.

Halloween Prep