Winter dreaming

If all goes well, this time next week we'll be warming our feet on the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's one of those planned, yet completely spontaneous little trips we are attempting as a family of four trying to non-rev during high season and a school break in the Northeast. Complete stupidity with a dash of optimism. For those outside the airline industry, it's basically going on standby with no real idea if you'll make it on (or back) until the flight is boarding. It's not the for the faint of heart, but after 10 years of doing this, we've sort of gotten used to the idea that anything can happen. And if you keep an eye on the loads and play the numbers game the day before, making adjustments to which flight you'll take (which can mean waking at 4 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. sometimes), things often work out.  Not always.  But then what fun would that be? We decided on PR since Nacho has a friend from work with a family condo there and they offered it to us for a total steal with no reservations necessary. So I'm really hoping these flights come through, and with 4 direct ones a day from NYC, I'm thinking the chances are good we'll make it. But who knows.  Since there's another winter storm (snow/ice/rain) coming tomorrow and possibly one before Monday, I'm not going to obsess over the cancellations quite yet. No, I'm going to try to enjoy the cozy warmth of our apartment during the next few days while we nurse Elisa back to health (she was the third victim of this tummy bug) and try to celebrate Valentine's Day with a few friends. That's all I can do, and yet I won't stop dreaming of the sand on my toes. Oh, February, won't you let us enjoy a warm, sunny break? 

Anna and Elsa

Lately I've been really trying to stop and drink in the love that I see between these two girls. It's hard in the midst of fighting and screaming and pinching each other to notice it, but when they are loving and kind to one another, it makes me melt. I've said it before and I'll say it again a thousand times over--I was so fortunate to have two of the same for siblings. I don't think I could have imagined how much they would love each other and get along at such an early stage. I really think that because Elisa is an inclusive and protective big sister and Carolina fights hard to keep up, it works out well for both of them. They are really at the point of entertaining each other and once they settle on a scenario (dolls, coloring books, watching Youtube videos of Kinder Eggs, etc.), they can spend long periods of time just hanging out. Carolina is so vocal these days and really asks Elisa to play and tries to mimic everything she does. Seeing how Elisa makes roles for her little sister to play along with her is just what I'd hoped for two years ago.  Now that it's here and it's happening, I guess I'm just tickled it's all really true. They are sisters who love each other and have such a special bond. And that it is all their own is kind of amazing. They play and they fight and they know each other so well.  We woke up to singing and giggling the other morning which we could hear crystal clear through the monitor, and I kept thinking it won't be long before they are really a self-sufficient little duo.  We're not quite at the let-your-parents-stay-in-bed-on-the-weekend stage, but we're getting close.  That's my next vision of the ideal life--Elisa pouring the cereal and milk and Nacho and I sleeping til 9 a.m. It's easy to see how our lives are really at the apex of the hard part of these early years. Every month forward I feel like Elisa eases up a little and Carolina leaps toward maturity. We've already come so far.  I'm just trying to savor it before it's all gone in the blink of an eye.  Carolina turned to me the other say and said dismissively, "whatever." Pure Elisa, I thought, and then I smiled before pinching her bottom. They really are made for each other. 

Still snowing...

Still winter.  Still getting dumped on. And more is expected tomorrow and Saturday. Oh joy. Winter, your snow is pretty and all, but why do you last so long? 

January wrap up

There have been a lot of tea parties lately. Anything to pass the time inside. 

And playing with Barbies in the bath tub. They both LOVE bath night now which is good because Carolina was hating it.

So many snowy days and freezing cold temps. I'm officially over winter. 

My morning playmate has been as easy as ever. Often, I find her playing alone in her room and am amazed that she's so happy to do her own thing. I love this kid. 

Waking up from nap time and going out in the cold to get her sister isn't the highlight of Carolina's day. But she's a good sport. 

Especially because her big sister makes the snow look so fun. I only had to pull her out of this huge pile twice. And she was wearing cotton sweat pants. Yeah, get home fast!

Elisa and Skylar have started passing notes between our apartments and creating lots of little impromptu playdates. Whatever works to keep us all occupied. 

My beautiful butterfly.

Anna fell out of the stroller on the way to the bus. It was another snowy morning and this frozen face made me laugh during an otherwise rushed sprint to the bus stop. Take time and enjoy it, Ann. 

This came home as Elisa's first major art project. I love it. It's a bowl with "fruits and vegetables" in it and they are already breaking.  Glad I took a pic because I'm not sure how much longer it will be around.

Off to the movies on Saturday morning and this was just screaming out for a photo op. Elisa is dying to see the new Lego Movie when it comes out this month. But today was all about the Frozen Sing-Along. I think she just wants to go to the movies every weekend. 

Photo op with friends and then off to lunch at Bareburger. Saturday was starting off so well!

Our post-nap playdate and dinner dance party at Poppy and Charlie's was a first and the girls had a great time.  

Who doesn't love a little technicolor freeze dance action? 

So yeah, take that, January. We're done with you and I'm looking forward to a milder month. Please. 

Dressin' up

On Sunday morning, I promised Elisa a little dress up photo shoot time since she saw the photos of Carolina I took last week and wanted to get in on the action. Nacho was working and I thought it might be fun to have some friends pop by to help us out. Within an hour we had Zara traipsing through the door with wigs and shimmery dresses and boas to boot. Elisa was in heaven, but posing for me wasn't her favorite thing.  She just wanted to parade around in costumes without my art direction. Oh well, once again the two year old proved a more willing subject.  I managed to get only a few photos before Elisa retreated to her room to play. Meanwhile, Zara was very eager to help out, since I think she feels very comfortable in front of the camera. We snapped away and after while I gave up and let them do their own thing. Later, after nap Elisa asked if we could take more pictures. The light was fading but I did take a few more. She was much more pleasant that time around and so I told her we'll try again on another day. My beautiful Elisa. It's always the wrong time and yet, she still lights up before the camera. She knows what she likes and being my little model isn't it. But who knows, maybe on another day. I'll keep trying.

Flushing Fun

Saturday was all about a brisk walk in a great, close neighborhood for just the kind of outing I could tolerate. We settled on Flushing, Queens after deciding that Chinese food sounded good (I'd been craving it since my birthday) and a trip to Chinatown in Manhattan was too far for these soon-to-be-tired girls. In 20 minutes we could be on and off the train in downtown Flushing and in a Chinatown that most agree rivals--if not surpasses--the one in the city. Yes, Queens has it all and sometimes it's best to really enjoy what you have nearby (and stroller-free, I might add!). So that was our goal and Nacho delivered on finding a few options for lunch which I quickly narrowed down as we arrived in the nabe. It began to snow and spit icy slush in our faces which made the decision even easier.  We opted for a place called Spicy & Tasty on Prince Street and it was both--a definite hit and somewhere I'd be tempted to take friends. There was plenty of space and the selection offered lots of dishes with nice flavors and plenty of heat if that's what you wanted. The girls dug into rice bowls and Elisa picked out all the shrimp from our lo mien while Nacho and I tried dan-dan noodles, spicy oil covered dumplings and a spicy beef noodle soup. Lots of food and a total bill of $32--a definite triumph on this lazy day.  Afterwards we wandered a bit past a few other must-try places before going back to the slushy place Elisa begged for. This time I went for the Thai milk tea slushy with bubbles, and it was deliciously creamy and chewy at the same time.  As we headed back to the train, Elisa needed a pit stop so we popped into the library which has such a nice vantage point along the main drag. A few minutes later we were on our way home and ready for a family nap that lasted until almost 5 p.m. For a cold afternoon in January, I'd say we did pretty good. 

Toddlers and tiaras

I swore when I started taking photography more seriously that I was going to keep things simple. Just me and a camera. Now a few months into it, I'm finding out that it's never that easy. Yes, being a photographer means I have a job with very few typical set ups: no office, no work wardrobe, no commute per se. But it doesn't exactly mean that I'm not finding lots of things to stock up on in the hopes that I'll use them for shoots. Case in point, in the past few weeks, I purchased lights and backdrops and started thinking more earnestly about how to shoot indoors. I want to get the kind of portraits I love seeing on Pinterest or other photographers' websites, and in order to do so, I need to dedicate some thought and practice to that. So one day this week, I grabbed some stuff and brought Carolina into the room and within minutes, she was striking a pose. Rapunzel dress and tiara included. Oy vey. What have I done? And before I could stop myself, I was editing and smiling and loving this little face underneath a silver plastic tiara. It might be terribly cliche with the pink paper and pastel haze, but it is lovely. And so is she.  What better combination than that?  Of course, hours later she was sliding into sickness and for the rest of the week, we've been recuperating slowly but surely. How deceptive looks can be. She seems the image of health and (momentary for a toddler) happiness. I guess you need pictures like this to remind you that it's possible for kids to be sweet and beautiful no matter what's really going on behind the scenes. I'll be playing more with these props and trying to get the girls together this weekend for a shoot. Yes, it's all about the (princess) bling. More to come!

Stir Crazy

After a Saturday of near constant rain but milder temps, I was going a little bonkers being indoors.  Truth be told, I think I was having one of those winter funk days where nothing felt right, I just wanted to be somewhere else, and everyone around me was desperately annoying. I even climbed back into bed midmorning and actually got left alone for a change while the girls played and Nacho manned the drink/snack/playdoh-opening stations. It was almost enough to lift the dark cloud.  But still it lingered and the girls being cooped up all day was not helping either.  So by nightfall, I was looking forward to a long sleep and a Sunday full of activity.  But even as we woke and ate breakfast on a clearer day, I wasn't feeling jazzed.  As we slowly got dressed, I could hear the strong winds blowing outside, and for a few minutes thought it might be a nonstarter.  I didn't really know what we were going to do. Elisa asked if we might go to "a park in Manhattan," and I didn't have a reason not to.  Yes, maybe a little visit to the Central Park petting zoo would cheer us up, and we could walk and visit the playground behind it afterwards.  It wasn't city living gold, but what's the saying? "Perfection is the enemy of good." All I needed was good that day. It would do just fine...

We managed to bump into some friends from the neighborhood as we made it to the zoo and that was a nice surprise. But the girls were already showing signs of hunger and crankiness before we'd started, so we hurried through to see the seals and snow monkeys before grabbing a bit of lunch. It wasn't in my plan to sit and get them overpriced hot dogs at the zoo, but it was a necessary evil which bought us more time to enjoy the park afterwards. And really, they did great sitting and eating, and for the first time in a long time, I found myself really relaxing on an outing. Not just surviving it, but finding humor and really engaging them.  Maybe because we never really had a goal for the day, I finally felt at peace. And the weekend that started off so shitty was actually getting better. I suppose we can't always have great days, or even good ones, but sometimes finding a little happiness in the ordinary is all you need. It worked for me on Sunday, and I plan to make it a habit.