Conservatory Garden

Somehow between Halloween and Thanksgiving things managed to get really busy. I was hitting my stride with the family portrait sessions and Nacho had a few days here and there of work while on reserve. And weekends were starting to blur together. The fall always has a way of doing this--of passing so quickly that I can barely do all of the outdoorsy stuff I long to do while it's still nice enough weather. So when the girls had Veterans Day off during the middle of the week, we decided to hit Central Park at the northeast corner of the park. It's an area called the Harlem Meer and I'd never actually been there before so it was a special treat. What attracted me to the area was a spot called the Conservatory Garden near 105th Street and Fifth Avenue. It's a beautiful oasis of flowers, trees and fountains intertwined with walking paths and lovely benches for reflection--a photo shoot waiting to happen. So off we went that balmy November day to discover its beauty. And I have to say it was worth the wait. The leaves were just a touch past peak, but still all kinds of fiery orange, yellow and red. And the flowers were still plenty bright and lovely. The garden has an air of tranquility that probably would be best enjoyed without running children, but hey, it was nearly empty so I didn't try to shush them too much. I did, however, ask two young girls who were smoking up to move out of the way. They had planted themselves right near the main fountain at the entrance of the garden and their plumes of pot smoke were annoying to say the least. They looked a bit embarrassed by my mom rant and then stopped smoking. Never underestimate my ability to tell perfect strangers how I really feel. 

Other than that (and Elisa's 8 million requests to go to a playground which we eventually found just south of the garden), it was a pretty wonderful outing.  Oh, and let's not forget Carolina crapping her pants on her first big city trip with underwear. Yeah, that was a lot of fun to change amidst the gorgeous fall scenery. Thank goodness there was a bathroom (with functioning sink and soap!!) nearby for me to disinfect afterwards.  I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this area in all its blooming glory in the spring too.  That amazing green lawn is just begging to have a kite flying adventure with friends.  So I have a feeling it won't take me another 9 years to visit again.  It was the kind of day that I could imagine all families in the city need to have once and awhile. Sometimes you need to see that there is still more to discover in places not that far off the beaten path. I even made a request to a passing bicyclist to take our family photo which might be the only one we have of us this fall.  And while we could have easily taken the train up north, it was nice having the car parked nearby. The ride home wasn't more than 30 minutes and the girls were able to chill out and relax in the backseat with their snacks. I think I look for these kinds of day trips within the city because I realize our good fortune to be so close to so many wonderful attractions in New York City. We try to make the most of them but still it's always good to try a little harder. 

Weekend wrap up

The past week has definitely felt more like December with some bitterly cold days and lots of indoor activities to keep us all busy. First there was a little baking to catch up on....a gingerbread woman (Elisa's request) was our first effort. And I must say, a tasty one at that. 

There have also been some beautiful skies at sunrise and sunset. This was a sunrise the other morning that left me breathless. Truly beautiful and inspiring. There's something so unique about living several stories above the street and seeing the skyline from this angle. I never get tired of it.

By week's end, we were ready to enjoy a half day of school and a playdate with Birdie. First up, pizza lunch at Skillman's Famous and then a cold trek home to do some ornament crafting (maybe, kinda for about 5 minutes) and lots of playing. Silly girlies.

We also managed to follow through on my goal of making the sister present exchange on Christmas Eve more of a self-directed activity. So on Friday, the girls emptied their piggy banks and took their coinage to the local TD Bank where they counted it all up. Elisa clocked in at a whopping $30 and Carolina wasn't far behind with $24.  I was amazed at how much they had since I've steadily robbed them of quarters for years now. But I suppose the fact that these haven't really been emptied before, combined with the fact that we routinely put spare bits of change in them meant it would be a nice little lump sum for our shopping trip. 

Saturday started off with Girl Scouts and then a birthday party for Poppy who celebrated like a true Ice Queen in her Frozen wonderland. Elisa and Carolina had lots of fun dancing and jumping around the party and wolfed down a couple of cupcakes with no complaints.  We made it home in time to take a well deserved family nap and then hung out with Carmen at her house later that evening. And on Sunday we made good on the promise to go shopping at Toys R Us where both girls went wild running around begging for new toys. I let them shop together for a little while and point out things they liked. It was a lot of fun to watch until....the pleading and begging to open things that day began. Carolina was somewhat consoled by the fact that she would be getting the two toys she desperately wanted *there was a Buy One, Get One 50% off sale which meant Elisa could afford it with her share of the piggy loot. But Elisa wanted everything that was on her Christmas list, much of which was too expensive for her sister to get and already purchased by her mom and Santa. Der. But she couldn't figure it out that she didn't have one shot at getting this stuff. It just blew her little mind. So there was a lot of whining and later crying and running away from Nacho in the store while I was paying. I think we settled on a gift that Carolina could afford (thankfully another sale!) and one that I think Elisa will truly love. So we'll see. We all needed to calm down and having a little lunch at De Mole did just the trick. Elisa photobombed us with her nose, but I was enjoying my chips and guacamole too much to care. And so the weekend passed. Crazy and busy but good. Can't believe Christmas is only 10 days away....the best and hardest days of the year to be a kid. 

Where there's smoke...

So the Winter Concert concluded, we drove home and then 30 minutes later I caught a glimpse of this outside the girls' bedroom window. Nothing like seeing your street blocked off by multiple firetrucks, people gathering on the sidewalk below to gawk and take pictures, and a ladder extending six stories high right outside your window to make your heart pound a little faster. I quickly ran out the door to see what the heck was going on. The firemen on the roof were able to tell me that there was a large plume of smoke coming out of the trash chute (they originally mentioned the boiler in error) and someone had phoned it in. Then for the next 30-40 minutes there was a lot of waiting and wondering if things were under control or we should start packing up to vacate. Fortunately, I'm not an anxious person because I still had girls to get in bed and dinner to make. So I did. And in the meanwhile, I also took a few photos because, well, that's what I do.

Later, my doorbell rang and it was my corner neighbor letting me know that water was now pouring through the hallway ceiling and wondering if I was affected (I wasn't, thank goodness). But again, seeing it rain in the building and hearing the firemen coming back down from above made me think things could be getting a whole lot worse. But in fact, everything was under control. The water had been used to hose down the trash chute since the compactor was where a small fire originated. We found out today that someone had tossed a cigarette butt in the chute which started the whole thing. Fucking smokers. Ugh. As if I needed another reason to be mad at them. When the girls saw all the water, they were actually a little freaked out, but I assured them that the fire was out and it was REALLY time for bed. And by the time we called lights out, the ladder had rescinded and the trucks were gone.  If I hadn't been so close, I would have thought the lights on this December evening were actually quite festive. But hopefully we won't see them again any time soon.

Winter Concert 2014

The Winter Concert at AOC was last night and it was another beautiful moment for the school to come together and enjoy what these kids are learning. The set was amazing as always, and the kids did a great job of delivering their songs with gusto. Elisa seemed to enjoy her place in the back row (sorry, tall kid) and was animated and boisterous with her singing. Her friend Beckett was even more hilarious to watch wiggling and imitating the motions of our fab music teacher Mr. Alan. And I suppose it was a bonus that the whole thing started on time and finished way early since they cut all the grades down to two songs. My only disappointment was that the concert really didn't allow for the kids to shine. Each grade was on and off so fast I didn't really get to savor the performances. And they didn't do any solos or highlight any of the kids instrument playing which I suppose I understand but it definitely took away from the overall feeling of the night. The fact that Mr. Noel was not involved was probably part of it. He has such a great way of amping the kids up and getting great performances. So I suppose it was a decent concert considering all of the changes, but I couldn't help but leave with a sense that I was lucky to see the concerts from last year. So without further ado...enjoy the video of the first graders' second song. The first one I botched while recording.

December dreams

The holiday lights are up along the Boulevard, the chill is in the air and it's really starting to feel like December. Yay! One of my favorite months of the year because it always seems like there's so much to do and so many chances to be with friends or just staying cozy inside at home. Earlier in the week, Nacho and I took our coffee date idea out into Midtown at Fika and then strolled down Fifth Avenue checking out the window displays. It was a drizzly morning but that didn't deter us. In fact, it feels like the month has been wetter than usual so it's just part of the season that you need a hat and possibly an umbrella too. This weekend was packed with lots of photo shoots for me and a first ever event for Elisa--a girl scout sleepover! Her first sleepover EVER. And even though I was a bit nervous for her (but not dumb enough to join her on the wooden floor), it went great! She came home exhausted, but elated and full of songs and stories about her evening. Whew! Yes, December is full of hopes and excitement and I'm already counting down the days with our Playmobil advent calendar. Can't wait til we have it all opened up. I guess that makes me a kid at heart too.

Walking it off

By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, I usually feel like a veal getting fattened for slaughter. This year was no different. So being home and able to go for a long walk in the city was just what my mind and body needed. I couldn't have planned our impromptu day any better. We knew we wanted to hit the High Line and get to the newest part at the end of the route in the 30s. What I didn't quite know was that we would start with a quick pitstop at one of my favorite donut shops in the city, Donut Pub, on 14th Street at 7th Ave. It was one of those things that Nacho and I both spotted as we climbed out of the subway and knowing that lunch was a few hours away, we decided to go for it. It was still technically morning. And that was how the day unfolded--just a loose agenda and lots of wiggle room. The girls enjoyed climbing and jumping all over the High Line and we took our time getting to the new section which rewarded us with a cool playground at the 30th Street lookout. The weather was also a highlight because the temps stayed nice and mild in the mid-50s and I never really felt chilled.  As we left the river views and turned back towards Koreatown, our eventual destination for lunch, the girls begged to get McDonald's. Why not? I needed to pee and they would devour their meals this way and leave us in peace to eat our dumplings and bibimbap. It was a win-win.  Finishing the day at Pinkberry for a spot of fro-yo before catching the Q32 bus all the way home was a delightful end to the holiday weekend. My pedometer cashed in at over 10,900 steps and I was feeling lighter already. Well, except for that donut.