First Day in NYC 2012

Thursday, November 8 found me, my mom, Tate and Lindsey winging our way to NYC via Newark Airport.  My dad dropped us off at the airport.  We breezed through security as Tate in his stroller gets us to the front of the line!  (so grateful to have a child who loves his stroller at 3 years old+)  We grabbed pretzels from Auntie Annie's pretzels for us adults who skipped breakfast.  Tate had noshed on his oatmeal, cheerios and plain yogurt earlier at home!

The plane ride was relatively uneventful. I had packed some crayons, a new coloring book, a train (read AWESOME) sticker book and a couple of new books to be pulled out whenever tears threatened.  I hooked Tate up with his CARES harness and we were golden!  I handed over his new coloring book and I dozed off for at least 45 minutes while he colored and bothered NOONE.  AMAZING!  I then gave him his new train sticker book and he was beside himself with glee.  I pulled out the new Curious George about 15 minutes later.  Then it was time to give him some Benadryl.  No, not to make him sleep but to help prevent him from getting airsick on descent.  He has thrown up twice upon descent and my ped recommended Benadryl about 90 minutes before landing for subsequent flights.  We've flown numerous times since the flights when he got sick, but I'm not interested in finding out if he can tolerate descent yet, so I've always given him the Benadryl.  I know I should let him try, but gah...who wants to throw up?  And who wants to be thrown up on?  It is seriously not fun.  So any event, he gets sleepy and with the promise of an Oma cookie (Regina, his other grandmother, sends him these eggless, sugarless, wheatless, tasteless cookies from Germany that he fell in love with while we were there quite often) if he napped, off to sleep he went for over an hour.  We landed, got our luggage and went to wait for our car service.

Never, ever use Carmel Car Service in NYC.  We waited over 30 minutes for them to pick us up.  And the driver was horrific.  I had not requested a carseat, but had mentioned I had a 3 year old in my reservation.  Car services and cabs do not require carseats in NYC, but good grief...does one really need to drive 91 miles an hour?  I am serious.  It was ridiculous.  Never again.

We arrived safely (very surprisingly) at my girlfriend's house in Manhattan.  Silke and I had gone to college together, yet were mere acquaintances all those years ago.  In 2007 we became 'friends' on MySpace and when FB exploded we became 'friends' on there as well.  At some point in early 2009 I noticed pregnant pictures of her, yet saw no mention of a man, boyfriend etc so I sent her a message asking if she was having a baby on her own, that I was, and she certainly didn't have to respond.

From there, a new friendship was born.  She hooked me up with the national SMC group and we began talking weekly about pregnancy, childbirth, children and our lives since 1989.  Tate and I have stayed with her once before in June of 2010 and saw her when we were in the city again in 2011.  So of course we needed to see her and her sweet girl A, who is 2 1/2 months older than Tate this visit.  We were crashing with her for 2 nights in her new apartment.

We got our (mine, Lindsey and Tate's) stuff situated and opted to go pick her daughter A up from school and then take the kiddos to an area where there was still some snow after the snowfall the day before.  My cousin, Marcus, was due to pick my mom up at 4:30 to take her on back to the Bronx to visit with his family and his mother who lives in the downstairs apartment of their house for the duration of the trip.  We walked to A's daycare, stopping to grab a slice of NYC pizza for the starved 3 adults on the way. Once at A's school, Tate was enthralled immediately as her classroom had TRAINS!!!

Yes, he's wearing A's boots!  

My mom and Lindsey had to head back to Silke's as my cousin had arrived.  Silke and I took the kids to play in the snow together!!

We returned to Silke's with 2 happy kids...let me say Tate loved the snow!  Silke and I got dinner together for the kiddos while they entertained themselves...

And look what Tate found in A's room...

It's like he can smell trains from miles away :)

Meanwhile, Lindsey headed out to hang out with one of her myriad of friends.  Silke and I got the kids bathed...there are pics, but I'm not inclined to post naked pics of my child and/or someone else's child these days.

Then it was time for all 3 year olds to go to bed.  Silke generously gave Tate and me use of her bedroom while she slept on an air mattress in another room (the laundry room no less!) and Lindsey was on the couch in the living room.  I laid down with Tate after stories in Silke's bed to arise almost an hour later in a daze at 9:30  I stumbled out and found Silke in the living room.  We had dined earlier on delivered burgers and fries while the kiddos played.  We drank some more wine and chatted about our lives, our kids, our jobs, her boyfriend, my lack thereof.  It was a nice, warm evening.  We finally turned in around 11pm and I fell asleep almost immediately, my little boy snoozing beside me (Oh and poor little guy fell off the bed at some point while I was hanging out with Silke.  We immediately put up a bed rail on the side he fell off on;  Needless to say this first night's sleep was a bit restless for me as I was up every couple of hours unconsciously checking on sweet Tate).

It was just a lovely start to our little vacation!

The 'T' Years

Yes, the 'T' years.  

And I know what you're thinking...T must stand for teenager.  Yeah, right.

Nope. Not. Nyet. NO.

It stands for Two and Three!

Yes, Two and Three.  Because O.M.G. I am going to lose my mind.

And actually the terrible twos only wished they could be as terrible as the Terrible, ill-Tempered, irriTable, wreTched, unforTunaTe, roTTen THREES.

The defiance.  The absolute refusal to do anything he's asked or told to do.  The looking at me and swatting me on the arm, leg or any body part he can find completely unprovoked most times (ie I haven't told him he can't do something or asked him to stop doing something or tried to punish him for something).  And then he tries to 'play off' the swatting (AKA HITTING) as a long rub!  Ummm no sir...I know hitting when I see and feel it!  

I tell him "It's time to go potty" (because I know I should not ask if he has to go).  He tells me "No thank you".  Geez...now what do I do.  It's been 1329 hours since he last peed, so I know he needs to go, but he chooses now to have manners!!  WTH????

Tonight at pick-up he was in a fabulous mood.  He has just gotten a sticker from the teacher for being the only kid out of more than 10 to pay attention and do as she asked (sing a song).  He proudly showed it off to me!  We walked towards the door.  He proceeded to run for the door and I have to tell him to not open the door.  He stopped and pouted, but didn't open the door.  He played a bit on the mats while I talked to another mom.  Then out of the blue he walks over to me and starts swiping at my legs.  Now maybe he was ready to go home, but this child can speak in paragraphs; he has memorized the entire book "The Cat in the Hat" including adding at the end the words "All rights reserved", so he could just tell me he was ready to go.  I told him to stop, grabbed him and put him against the wall and finished my conversation quickly. As we were leaving I noticed his sticker on the floor.  I told him to pick it up.  He shouted "NO!, I don't want it!"  I said pick it up and throw it away then.  "NO!"  I grabbed him, half dragged him over, made him pick it up, half dragged him to the trashcan and threw it away with him. He then pitched a fit about putting on his coat.  I wrestled him into it because I am NOT letting him not wear a jacket because he wants to be a pain in the ass.  He left with me crying and spitting mad.  He then refused to get in the car even after I got in and drove the car through the parking lot where he was crying and stomping around (he was safe...one of the teachers was right there watching for him for me...these ladies are amazing).  I loaded him into the car and he cried all the way home.  He stomped up the stairs and yelled that he wanted yogurt raisins.  Nope little boy.  More crying and mayhem.  I started preparing his dinner.  He then got up off the floor and calmly started playing in his kitchen.  Then he didn't want what I had made.  More tears and squawking.  I promised him an Oma and Opa cookie if he ate his dinner.  He acquiesced, but wanted me to sit beside him and hold his hand.  I was more than happy to do so.  He held my hand, laid against me every now and then and ate his dinner.  I let him sit and color while I cleaned up.  Like I always do, I told him I was going upstairs to get his bath ready and for him to color for one more minute then come upstairs.  He always complies.  I should have known that was too good to last more than 4 months!!!  Oh and I put his new favorite item, my pink travel pillow on the table with him and told him to bring it upstairs with him.  I got the water in the tub, cleaned up a bit and called for him surprised he wasn't already upstairs.  He started wailing!!!!  And shouting "I don't want the pillow!"

FORGET THE DAMN PILLOW (I said to myself).  To him I said 'Then leave it downstairs!!!!!'

He came up just boo-hooing!  What on earth?  Cried while I held him.  Cried while I peeled his clothes off.  Cried while I wrestled him into the tub.  Cried while I bathed him.  Cried while I took him out of the tub.  Cried while I lotioned him up and made him lie down to put on his pjs and overnight diaper.  Then laid on me and cried for a few minutes.

Then stood up, sniffed and said...

"I want the pillow."

O.M.G.

"Go get it then."

"Ok"

And off he went.

Back upstairs, grabbed a book off his bookshelf, sat down on the bed with his beloved pillow and read 'Green Eggs and Ham' to the pillow.  (complete with ending with "By Dr. Seuss, all rights reserved"  I swear that just cracks me up every single time!)  

I said it was time to brush his teeth.  He happily put too much toothpaste on his brush.  Then when it was my turn according to him I didn't put enough paste on the brush.  Chaos and crying and squiggling.  We did it the hard way and he cried and cried.

(on an aside...my cat just jumped on my table, grabbed a piece of fried shrimp off my plate and is now chowing down.)

After brushing and flossing he was still crying, but wanted me to hold him, so I did.  He curled up in my arms and moaned/cried for about 10-15 minutes while I sang him lullabies.  Eventually I laid him down on the bed with me and he was asleep within minutes.

His 4th birthday is 249 days away.   

Catching Up on Thanks

Today, November 13, 2012 I'm incredibly grateful that my little guy is such a great little traveler, thus far.  On our flights both ways he was so amazingly good.  He played, colored, read books to himself and then napped for a little over an hour on each flight.  I even spent the majority of both flights with my eyes closed dozing, only opening them to hand him a new item to entertain himself with.  Now, we did have a meltdown on each flight, but only lasting 1-2 minutes.  Once I figured out what he wanted he was golden.  So in 3 hours and 30 minutes we had 3 hours and 28 minutes of calm....I will take that.



Yesterday, November 12, 2012 I was ever so thankful for my cousin Marcus.  He is a quiet man, introspective and beyond thoughtful.  As we were driving to the Bronx Zoo on Sunday he was initially just going to drop us off and return home to watch some football and enjoy the quiet. (He had driven my mom, Tate, me and my Aunt Lynette upstate about 30 minutes away to see the mausoleum where my uncle's ashes are buried.  My mother had never been, nor had I and we wanted to go and pay our respects.  His wife had stayed home with their twins and was meeting us at the zoo.)  But as we drove into the parking lot of the zoo he decided to go with us...4 women with strong opinions and 3 3 year olds because as he put it "You don't know how much time you have on this earth, and family is important.  Uncle Jimmy's death taught me that."  Then yesterday he drove my mom, Tate, Lindsey and me into the city so we could spend some time there...about a 30 minute drive each way  He then returned in the late afternoon to pick us up in rush hour, turning a 30 minute drive home into a 2 hour fiasco.  And he never once complained, groused or yelled at the other drivers.  In addition he drove all the way into the city on Saturday to pick Tate and me up from my friend S's house and take us to the Bronx.  I had planned on hiring a car to take us; he insisted.  This man is amazing.  I wish Tate could spend more time with him.

Our Family!

Sunday, November 11, 2012 Marcus drove my mom, me, Tate and my Aunt Lynette upstate to see my uncle in his final resting place.  I was unable to go to his funeral, and my mother was unable to make it back for his initial placement in the mausoleum.  I am so very grateful that we had this chance to go visit my uncle Jimmy and say our final good-byes.

Saturday, November 10, 2012 I was grateful to live in this gorgeous state of Texas where getting around is so very easy.  Easy for me that is.  I just hop in my car and go.  Trying to finagle two 3 year olds into coats and strollers to go to the zoo was a feat for two single mamas by choice.    Then the cab ride which takes twice as long as it should in NYC traffic.  All. The. Time.  And the honking.  And the weaving in and out of cars.  The cursing.  The angry people on the streets.  I'm not saying there aren't angry people here in Texas, but it's just blatant and constant in NYC.  I'm spoiled by the convenience of my life here in Texas and very grateful I live here in Texas.

Friday, November 9, 2012 my mom, Lindsey, Aunt Lynette, Marcus, Tate and I went to the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial.  They have also memorialized those who perished the Trade Center bombing in 1993.  In 1993, my uncle Jimmy was supposed to go down to the Social Security office housed in the trade center there.  For some reason he was running late.  That saved his life most likely as it was in the very building bombed.  I'm grateful he was slow that morning.  

Thursday, November 8, 2012 I was grateful for a safe trip to NYC with my mom, sister and son.  I was ever so thankful that Silke and I have reconnected after all these years in college where we were mere acquaintances and that our single mamahood has brought us together.  And that our sweet babies have so much fun together.  

30 Years Ago - So Thankful

30 years ago, an amazing daughter was born.  Not my daughter, but my sister.

Lindsey came into this world breathing new life in my family of four.

Oh I didn't want a new baby in the house.  I was mortified.  How on earth did my parents get pregnant?  Better yet, I knew how;  I just couldn't fathom how since I knew how that they didn't know how to prevent it.  I mean, I was in health class...did they need to start attending with me?

Ugh...I was just so very embarrassed.  

For I was 15.  And no 15 year old wants vivid, real life proof that her parents are having sex.  Blech!

I moped.  I pouted.  I acted a fool.  I ignored.  I behaved like a teen-ager.

And then she was here.  

Instant love.

And 30 years later that love is just as intense and present.

Though I went on to college out of town when she was 2 1/2 years old our bond was and is still so very solid.  I didn't know what I was missing until I had it in front of me.

When I got pregnant with Tate and found out he was a boy I was beside myself wondering how I was going to raise a little boy.  I had always seen myself as the mom of a girl.

And then I realized I had already been present and part of the raising of a girl... 

Lindsey.

Isn't God amazing?

Happy 30th Birthday Little Sister!

These are just a few of the many pics of Lindsey since Tate was a baby. 

Tate and I are so very thankful to have her in our lives.