New York Family Weekend: By Day and By Night

We spent the weekend in New York City! There was a moment a few weeks ago when I thought that I should stay home and let Mark and Jane go.  I am a bit swamped at work and thought it would give me a little space and time to work overtime.  I am SOOOOO glad that I went.  It was just the break I needed.  We spent such amazing family time together this weekend.  We certainly experienced the two sides of NYC, the day and the night!!

We had lunch at Pier i Cafe which overlooks the Hudson.  It was the very best lunch spot for a large group that included several kids.  You order at the counter and the foods is ready pretty quickly.  It's easy, but the menu is also fairly sophisticated.  Jane munched on french fries and an all beef hot dog while Mark and I delighted in a lobster roll.  The view was spectacular and there was a wonderful playground just a few feet away where the kids could escape to if they needed a little escape from the table. 

We walked through Washington Square Park and stopped to look at the fountain.  Jane loved feeling the water sprinkle in her hair!  She would shout "rain!!" at the top of her lungs.  The sun was hitting the sprays of the fountain in such a way as to create the most beautiful rainbow.  Jane couldn't get enough of it!

As is our family tradition now, we spend the mornings swinging in Tompkins Square Park.  I think Jane will grow up thinking that NYC is the place where you go to swing everyday!

Mark, Jane, and I had the tastiest lunch at Blue Ribbon Bakery.  I had the egg salad sandwich and Mark had the burger, but the best order of all came by way of Jane.  We ordered her a grilled cheese sandwich and it took all of our restraint not to eat it for her!!

As many fun memories as we made during our days there, we also found time to spend with my brothers and sisters in law.  We had a fabulous meal at Lafayette on Friday night followed the next evening by one at Empellon Cocina.   That was also where I discovered I actually like tequila! I had the pineapple and cilantro margarita and found it to be the tastiest cocktail I have had in a long time!

Oh Hap-pee Day! Jane Pee Pees on the Potty!!!

 

Jane is getting so big so fast!  Just check out her PONYTAIL!!!  I am unable to take her baby mullet any longer, but I am just not ready to cut her hair so the pony is the only solution that works.  But, it makes her look sooooo grown up...

 

Back to the hot topic of the day.  Jane's pee pee.  I recently read an article about the dangers of blogging about our children and how later on in life they may not appreciate us sharing the details of their trials and tribulations on the wild wild world of web.  This is certainly one of those stories, but I just can't help it.  I'm so excited.

 

For several weeks now, Jane has been fascinated with the potty.  I started taking her with me when I went to the potty so that she could understand what the potty does.  She constantly mimics me (makeup application, teeth brushing), so I figured this would be a great way for her to learn.  Sure enough, she was soon telling anyone who would listen, "I poo poo.  I pobby.  Peeeeece."  That translates to "Even though I just pooped my diaper I still really want to sit on the potty like a big girl, please."

 

So, any time Jane would say I poo poo or I pobby, we would take her into the bathroom and let her sit on the commode.  She would get a few squares of tissue and drop it into the toilet and flush and feel very proud.  Until the last couple of weeks, however, this routine was just fun for her and interesting for us to observe.  Recently, it became more and more apparent that she was connecting the sensation of having to potty with telling us she had to.  But, we could never make it in time for her to avoid the use of her diaper.

 

UNTIL...  Last night we were chatting with her, and she suddenly looked up and shouted "I pobby, I pobby!"  She held her diaper in a way that indicated she really did have to go.  So we ran into the bathroom, sat her on the potty, and sure enough, she pee pee'd on the potty!!!!  Ahhh!!  She was not nearly as excited as I was, because she thinks she has been doing that for weeks, but this time it wasn't just pretend. 

 

When we were done flushing and washing hands, she got to run to Mark and tell him, "I deed it. I deed it!"  It was such a huge moment in our house!

 

She is by no means potty trained, but it is so cool to see her brain processing things like this.  Twenty months ago, I had no idea that another person's potty habits could make me this happy!!

 

I don't know what steps to take from here?  I guess we should get her a baby potty??  Suggestions?  What worked for you?

In The Sunday Summer Sun

Today we spent the morning at our club's pool.  It was one of those happy days that makes you long for a never ending summer.  Jane loves the water and fresh squeezed lemonade and sun hats.  How perfect!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday!

Like Father Like Daughter

 

 

 

Mark's Mom recently sent us a box of photos from his childhood.  We spent about an hour last night going through all of them.  It was a hoot!!

 

 

Whenever Mark, Jane, and I are together people like to ask who she looks like.  Until last night, I always thought that she just looked like Jane.  I could never really identify our specific traits to hers.  Then we found some pictures of Mark and his brothers from when they were about her age now, and oh my goodness!!!  There is just so much of a resemblence!!!

 

 Now, if only she had inherited Mark's even temperment!!

It's Not That Kind of Wedding; It's Even Better

  For the many years I have written this blog, I have stayed away from all things political.  But, that's just the thing about love, I've never found it to be defined as such.  In fact, I think the two things are completely unrelated. What I know about love is that it is a feeling and an emotion and when you see it, you know.  It can be seen in a laugh and in a smile.  And when it is the really good kind, it moves everyone who sees it to tears. And when I saw the images (taken by Frances Iacuzzi) from a dear friend's wedding to her partner, all I know is that love has perhaps never been captured as purely or as honestly as it was on the day they were married.

Such a fun alternative to a wishing well!

Can you say yum? I love the specialty cocktails.  They were created by the brides who have a business called MiddleBar.  They make hand crafted cocktails and just recently starting selling their MiddleBar Mary mix HERE to those in the Los Angeles area.

Like I said, it can be seen in a laugh or in a smile.  And sometimes, just seeing two people obviously in love, who choose to commit their lives to one other, it brings a tear to your eye.

No, it wasn't that kind of wedding.  But, that's what is so special about it.  It was you. And it was beautiful.  And there is no way something so beautiful could possibly be as ugly as politics.