By the river

Last Saturday I had one of my day trip inspirations to go some place that didn't feel like the city, but wasn't too far away. With nearly the whole world going apple picking these days and spending more time car-bound than enjoying nature, I didn't want to suffer the same fate. It had to be within the city, but somehow surrounded by trees. I wanted to get lost. I'd heard good things about Fort Tryon up at the northern tip of Manhattan, but I didn't know exactly what to expect. We arrived after a short detour through Queens (even traffic in our neighborhood was congested with the Queensboro Bridge partially closed) and found a nice spot to park near the playground. It wasn't exactly the wilds of New York City with a subway stop closer than our parking spot, but it would do. Getting the girls out and onto the jungle gym was a nice introduction to the place, and we also snagged free bike helmets thanks to the DOT's bicycle safety program. It was starting off on just the right notes, and I even managed to get Elisa up the huge hill overlooking the Hudson River without too much complaining.  Seeing her sister sitting pretty in the stroller usually annoys her and that day was no exception, but still, she managed to hang in there and walk. Once we snacked a little at the overlook, it was time to decide our next move. The Cloisters, the Met's outpost featuring some lovely medieval art, was located just at the summit of the park, and though I hadn't originally planned to visit, it was too close to pass up. 

And I'm glad we didn't cruise on by. Often with kids, I don't think museums are meant for us. I usually spend more time shushing them and keeping them moving without touching that it's exhausting. But this one wasn't so hard.  Yes, it's definitely a place of quiet, serene chambers with art that begs further reflection.  But because of the chapel-like structure of the buildings, I think it inspires a kind of calm even in the kids. They weren't running around shrieking and I even got Elisa to stop long enough to admire some of the tapestries and child and Madonna carvings. Though to be truthful, the one she liked the most featured the backside of a toddler Jesus. She was giggling enough that a few other couples caught on. Ah, yes, the joys of naked art. Well, we rewarded the girls' patience with a bit of lunch in the cafe before heading on to another park--this time Fort Washington down under the GW Bridge.

In my quick google searching I found out about the little red lighthouse situated there and the fact that it opens to the public on the second Saturday of the month from June-October. It so happened that we were going on the last Saturday it would be open for 2013, which in hindsight I should have realized would draw a crowd. I mean, this is New York City. But I was more hopeful. Only when we started on the 30 minute trek to see it, did we notice the throngs of people going there and back. Half way there, we spotted a NYFD boat practicing its water cannon maneuvers on the river which was really quite breathtaking and probably made the kids' day.  It's always the stuff you can't plan for, right?  Renewed, we kept on trudging.

As we rounded the final corner, I spied a small circus of activity--there were food trucks, tents and a small carnival with face painting and crafts. But I was singularly focused on the lighthouse since it was only open for another hour.  Getting closer I heard the park rangers giving out the bad news: no more tickets today. The lighthouse tours were all spoken for and we would have to watch from outside. But in truth, I was probably the only one in our family who was modestly disappointed. So I snapped a few pics of the gorgeous red pillar, Elisa got her photo op with her stuffed animal, and then we were ready to pack it in. After I posted a few pics online, a friend reminded me of the book inspired by this lighthouse called "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge" by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward which I'd read about during my planning. I checked it out at the library this week and it was a nice companion to our trip. Not exactly a day getting lost in the wilderness, but sometimes there's more fun in the city wilds after all. 

Fall freedom

Now that Elisa has found her groove with school, we are all starting to hit our stride and none more so than Carolina. Without big sister around during the day, she has total freedom and reign over their room and the toys within. Which might explain how well she plays by herself. I swear this kid is about as independent as it gets when it comes to entertaining herself. I know my mom always told me I was good at that and perhaps it's just a second kid thing. But really, it's such an improvement over Elisa's play-with-me-now-why-aren't-you-playing-with-me bullshit that it's almost like I'm alone in the morning. It's bliss.  And it makes being with Carolina such a different experience than raising Elisa at this age.   I remember thinking around 2 1/2 that life was finally getting more manageable with Elisa, but then there were her tantrums both loud and physical that could pummel my moods. With Carolina, there isn't such an emotional pendulum and therefore, my energy isn't constantly being zapped and in need of recharging. Yes, there are the usual battles over things--she wants me to get toys down or feed her "gummies" (aka gummy fruit snacks) at 9 a.m. or draw all over my couch--but it's so much easier to deal with when the biggest rebuke is her folding her arms and pouting for a few minutes.  She is definitely persistent and has a mean snarl when she's trying to get her way, but the crazy stamina Elisa displayed at that age just has not materialized.  I can finally exhale.  So, overall, I fully admit I am amazed and delighted with how things are going right now with only one kid at home all day.  It's as if I've been holding my breath for the past month and a half and it's just hit me that it's all falling into place.  And I'm trying to make the effort to reward all Carolina's patience with some fun outings like the Central Park Zoo or hanging with friends at the park. Yeah, Carolina's life is pretty sweet right now...and truth be told, mine is too.

Pumpkin pickin'

Now that we're firmly settled back into the groove of school and looking forward to a colorful fall, it must be time for Oktoberfest again. Oktoberfest at Sunnyside Gardens Park is truly one of the highlights of the month for me. Even when it's been a little hectic or the girls haven't been able to concentrate long enough to finish painting their pumpkins, it's still a good time. This year I was part of the planning committee for the event which meant I needed to be an extra body on the day of in case they needed me to cover a volunteer shift. And for much of the day I floated between ticket sales, taking photos and the pumpkin patch. It was a busy, but beautiful day and the crowds really turned out. I'm glad Nacho was off this year though, since it would have been too much for me otherwise. Bringing kids to the public events at the park always makes me a little nervous because they are so used to wandering around that place on their own. With the throngs in full force on Saturday, I really hesitated to let them drift off and fortunately Elisa mostly obeyed that. The one time I couldn't find her, she was actually in line for the women's bathroom when a friend spotted her and shouted out to me. I love that she raced over there and got in line without needing me at all. Sometimes, she can really act her age.

The fun this year was really seeing how Carolina took to the pumpkin painting and wanted to do everything her big sister did. When Sponge Bob made an appearance, I thought I might have a serious groupie problem on my hands with Carolina. She was so tickled you can't even imagine. The pure joy on her face was so sweet and I loved seeing how she followed him around before big sis Elisa came along and pushed her to the front of the crowd to get a hand shake. It was all too crowded for a good photo op, but the moment was golden nonetheless.  Afterwards, I ushered Nacho and Carolina home for a rest, while Elisa stayed on to dance to the sounds of Mr. Richard (Younger).  Another idol, another groupie, I'm afraid. Between her and her friend Juliet, there was soon a nice little crowd of dancers and all the kids were having fun. And though I had to cut my free time short to get back to tending the pumpkin patch before the event closed, it was overall one of the better Oktoberfests I've attended at SGP. Hopefully, my bias isn't showing, but I really thought it was a nice day and I think whenever you can wear summer dresses in October, you have to be thankful. 

Back from beyond

Each year we make the trip to NC in September for a little beach time, I have to remind myself that fall will be waiting for us when we get back. It really will. And so again this year, we set off on the last week of the month for  a family vacation to Emerald Isle, NC hoping to eek out just a few more days of summer. Luckily, the weather was beautiful and the temperatures hovered right around 80 degrees most days. It really couldn't have been better for lingering on the beach. With my mom feeling better--or at least more mobile, we were able to really enjoy this time together. Any doubts I might have had about taking Elisa out of school subsided, and I embraced each beautiful sunrise with a cup of coffee on the deck. Somehow those 7 a.m. wake ups are okay when you have this kind of scenery.

By the end of the week, Uncle Kent and Leroy had taken off only to be replaced by Stacey and family. I was glad to wait it out and see them again. It felt like our last visit to the shores in May was a bit hurried and we only had one beach afternoon together that time.  Getting the chance to hang out on Friday night, play our annual Trivial Pursuit game (I lost) and just enjoy a leisurely day on Saturday was great. Elisa and Carolina were both enamored of their cousins and spent a lot of time calling their names or just sitting and staring at them. We hitched a ride home with them to Raleigh on Sunday after packing up the house. It made more sense to fly out of RDU on Monday so that's what we went with and after getting bumped once, it all worked out. I'd like to say I'm coming back completely refreshed, but the truth is I've felt totally wiped out after our mad dash back to school and routines on Monday morning. I suppose this week is a good time to pace myself and plan the month ahead. October is always my favorite time of the year, so I have lots of big travel ideas. We'll see what I'm able to pull off. In the meantime, I'm just grateful we have another year's worth of memories made at the beach house. Now fall can start in earnest.