I am New York

Some say you have to live in New York City for at least 10 years before you are considered a real New Yorker.  Some make long lists of telltale signs showing that you've mastered the concrete jungle.  I'm not sure if I will ever consider myself a true New Yorker since I was born and raised playing in acres of green fields.  But it is true, you live here long enough and you will become one with the city.  I do consider my kids New Yorkers; they are so city savvy for being so young.

A few days ago I had a true, honest-to-goodness, I-AM-A-NEW-YORKER experience.  I will spare you the details but it started with a woman offering her unsolicited opinion about my child and ended with me yelling (very loudly), "Mind your own business!" and "Shut your mouth!"


Crazy, right?!  I didn't know I even had that in me.

I am 5% embarrassed. "I hope no one I know saw me!"

I am 30% amazed.  "Did I really say that?!"

I am 65% proud of myself for finally standing up to those people.

I am New York!

Summer Streets 2011: The Trailer

Brian's brother, Spencer, just shared a quick, fun video of our Summer Streets adventure.  Enjoy!

Summer Streets 2011: week three

Week three (yesterday, August 20) was over-the-top!  Brian's brother, sister, two nephews and some friends all joined us for Summer Streets.  We started as early as possible with a group that size.  I, once again, jogged with Simon in the stroller.  (I think he's too young to sit in a trailer or bike seat all day long.  It would have been hard on his little developing body.)  We did the entire part of Summer Streets (7 miles), went over the Brooklyn Bridge, hopped on a ferry to Governor's Island, enjoyed The Roaring 20's party, and then headed home.  After Governor's Island I took my boys home on the subway while the rest of the group biked up the Hudson River.  I'm guessing those that biked did 15-20 miles.  I think I did 10-12 miles walking/jogging with the stroller (for the record: it's not a "jogging" stroller!).

Getting ready to go!

Along the way

Running into (and with) good friends

REI stop in SoHo

Foley Square

Biking Brooklyn Bridge

The Roaring 20's Party

Governor's Island

Summer Streets 2011: week two

For the record: "week two" was last Saturday, August 13 (not yesterday).  I'm just running late in my posts, having too much fun to post anything, and procrastinating cleaning my house at the moment.

For week two we started downtown at Foley Square which was so much fun!  They had tons of stuff for kids and we could have easily spent a few hours there.  Brian rode his bike, I jogged with the stroller.  We stopped and played all along the route.  And before 1pm (when the streets open up to cars) we made it all the way up to Central Park (7 miles).

Here are some fun photos:

Foley Square

SoHo

En Route

"Daddy's Building"

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by my favorite blog: SouleMama

Right Now

At the breakfast table Isabella declared, "Oliver, you look like a Samaritan!"

Completely random.

Maybe Samaritans always had really bad mama haircuts???

Love

Nine years ago (yesterday) I married my best friend, my eternal companion, my adventurer, my techie, my walking encyclopedia, my comic, my perfect opposite, my true love.

Brian, I am so happy we will be together forever!  Life, with you, is so fun, amazing, and exciting.

P.S. I love you more!

2002: married for time and eternity in Oakland Temple

2002: taken with our first digital camera

2003: Paris

2003: first day on a weeklong bike trip

2011: raising three kids in NYC

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by my favorite blog: SouleMama

Plie´

My good friend and talented dance teacher, Maria, asked me to take some photos of her ballet class today.  It was so much fun!  Thanks for asking me, Maria!

Right Now

Getting ready for the free kids flicks at Clearview Cinemas in
Chelsea. Today's movie: MegaMind. Isabella is so excited for the "BIG
movie".

A Magical Childhood

If you hadn't noticed this little blog here has become our official family journal.  It was an intentional decision in January when I wanted to document more of our lives; mostly because I was forgetting so much of it (in my constant state of exhaustion).  I love photographing the kids and then organizing them a bit here to tell our life story.  (Before I was attempting to keep 3-5 different journals!)  But I haven't written as much as I would like about my journey into motherhood.  I often have several ideas floating around my unfocused mind.  And I'd like to focus on some of those that linger for a long time.  (Like what to do about chores.)

One idea is: what should childhood be like and how can I create that for my sweet little ones.  This has been at the forefront of my mind lately.  Especially with Isabella beginning school (in a month!) and going into that whole new world, full of rules and conformity.  While she is in my care, what do I want home life to be like and how can I create that?  It's been a struggle to figure it out and I'm still in the process (which I realize may never end) of understanding what childhood should be like.

A little while ago I heard someone describe their childhood as magical.  It was a complete "A-HA!" moment.  And since then I can't get it out of my head.  I want my children to have a magical childhood!

I feel like I've defined what childhood should be like, but now I've hit the hard part:

How?  

How do I create a magical childhood?  

I've been revisiting the memories of my own childhood and what elements made it magical.  Climbing trees, walking through deep flowing grass, playing cops and robbers while pretending locust leaves were money.  The parts of my childhood that were magical were spent outside, exploring, with very little adult supervision.  I'm not sure if these elements are necessary for a magical childhood, but it's what I know.

Unsupervised, free play in nature is not what is available to my kids' urban lifestyle right now.  But I believe they can still have a magical childhood in the city.  So, yes, I'm researching, thinking, and discovering the HOW!

My dear friends: 

Do you have any ideas how to encourage a magical childhood in the city?  

I consider any reader of my blog a good friend and I would really love to hear your thoughts (even if you don't have kids or live in the city)!  

Right Now

We headed down to the river for the free soccer class we've been
attending for the last month. Only to find out that last week was the last
session (which we missed). But we are loving the free, unstructured
play and the fantastic breeze.
This unplanned "chill" time is exactly what we needed.

Summer Streets 2011: week one

Summer Streets is right up there with blueberry picking and Florida in February.  I love it!  This is it's 4th year.  It occurs the first 3 Saturdays every August (it's only from 7am-1pm).  I think we've gone to it every single time.  And I still love it!

Last Saturday we didn't have our bikes (they are in storage in Connecticut) but we still did a part of it (E 23rd St to Spring St).  Brian rode his Dahon and I jogged pushing the kids in the stroller.  Isabella scooted some of the time and sat on the back of Brian's bike the rest of the time.  We had a great time.  But I am dreaming of biking the whole thing soon!

New Yorkers: even if you don't have bikes you should still got to at least part of it.  It is so fun to see the city from a whole new perspective (bring the camera). Whole Foods sponsors a block party with tons of free, yummy, organic food at E 24th & Park Ave.  (Seriously, you can walk away with a weeks worth of Stonyfield yogurt, Organic Valley cheese, Odwalla juices, etc.)  Other fun places to go: through the tunnel around Grand Central and on Spring St & Lafayette (there is a lot of fun stuff as well).  Here's the route map.

Every year I dream about how I could saddle up all the kids and take them on frequent bike rides.  We came across the Adams Trail-a-bike Tandem (super cool) last Saturday.  And I still love the Zigo that I first saw last year!

Cow milking by Organic Valley.  I got to tell my kids about how when I was little my daddy taught me how to milk a real cow.  (Thanks Dad!)

Free Ciao Bella gelato. 

Say, "gelato"!