Bronx Zoo

Today our adventure was to the Bronx Zoo.  The weather was perfect, warm in the mid 70s and not humid, perfect.  I was a little nervous for our travels, this was the first time I would be taking the girls on the subway since being back in the city.  I get nervous because it is high energy for me with pushing, carrying and watching out for their and my safety, so much to do when traveling :)

The Bronx Zoo is actually pretty easy to get to from our apartment although travel time is about an hour and 15 minutes but the majority of that is sitting/standing on the subway.  Typically in our van the girls do great entertaining themselves, they listen to music and "read" books.  But on the subway we had neither.  Luckily Luna sat next to a women who enjoyed talking with her, I love those type of New Yorkers!  Rachel did well with singing songs to herself.  Seriously what do people do on long subway rides with kids?

When we got to the Bronx station it was not stroller friendly. So both kiddos had to walk down about 3 flights of stairs and I had to carry the stroller.   It is quite the sight, the whole time I am carrying the stroller and encouraging Rachel "good job, keep going, keep going, keep going, good job Rachel."  But the whole time I am thinking "good job Allison, keep it up you can do it, only 5 more stairs, your arm won't break off don't worry." It is hard work no way around it :)  The zoo is only a couple of blocks from the station so it was an easy walk after the stairs.

The Bronx Zoo is huge in comparison to the Central Park Zoo.  My only real complaint is that you pay a fee to get into the zoo about $16 a person but they have about 10 special exhibits that cost extra. So you can pay for each special exhibit individually (around $4 a person) or do a total experience upgrade which is $30 a person!  The zoo can be expensive for a family of 4!

 There are a number of animals to see with just the regular admission.  I did buy one individual upgrade to the Children's Zoo.  Which was fun but really crowded with strollers :)

Here is a photo of the girls in the Children's Zoo.  They had a ground hog exhibit which the girls loved.  They got to crawl into these tubes that would pop up at different places around the ground hogs, it was pretty cool. Unfortunately in the photo you can't see any ground hogs but they were running all around.

Luna's favorite animal was the lion and Rachel's was the sea lions.  I loved the brown bears, two of them were wrestling in the water.  We left for home around 2:30pm.  Back to the subway station and up all those stairs with me carrying the stroller and encouraging Rachel/Me.  New York is not for the weak :)

Both girls fell sleep on the subway on the way home, I wish I could have joined them :)  I have to say people were very nice to us on the subway both going there and back. Each time someone got up and offered us their seats, which is so nice.  This does not always happen and Luna has a hard time holding on and standing when the train is going. So it made the travel just a bit easier for us all.

After a 5:30am boot camp workout and a day at the zoo this is one tired Momma.  Pizza has been ordered and relaxing is on the schedule for the rest of the evening and seriously bedtime might happen before 8pm!  Oh how sad it is on Friday night!

PS Whenever I take photos of the girls at the different NYC sights (i.e. in front of the Bronx Zoo sign) I always think to myself that it will be proof for them in the future that they were actually there.  Since it is unlikely they will remember much of New York!

Fall???

Today and tomorrow are holidays so no school.  That means me and the girls get to go out on adventures :)  We are still adjusting to afternoon preschool and no naps so I wanted to take it easy.  My plan was to spend the morning walking up the promenade.  There are piers all along the promenade into the Hudson River and on some of them are playgrounds.  It is a beautiful walk along the river with fun stops along the way.

Since we have been back in the city from Washington it has been warm and muggy.  Not super hot just warm, high 70s.   With the humidity you still get very sweaty on even short outings. Most of the parks in our area the water has been turned off but we found one today where it was still on.  The kids had a blast and got soaking wet.  I can't believe it is almost October and it was hot enough to run around in the water.  Before I blink it will be winter and freezing!

Rachel practically laying down in the water, trying to get a drink.

We returned home just before a major thunderstorm passed through.  I was glad that we were safely home by the time the downpour hit :)  Tomorrow we are off to the Bronx Zoo!

Tuesday/Thursday

Tuesday and Thursday are the days that both girls are in school during the afternoon.  In my world these are my hours off :).  So far I have only had 4 of them but man do I love them. Monday nights as I cuddle into bed I just smile knowing I will have 3 whole hours to myself the next day.

So far I have kept it simple.  I have used my time doing three basic activities.

1. Running - My boot camp is M/W/F.  So it works out perfectly for me to do my jogging days when the girls are in school on Tuesday and Thursday.  So far the longest I have gone is 4 miles and then up the 20+ flights of stairs to our apartment.  It is a great workout.  I don't think I will be attempting any marathons this year, just enjoying my workouts.

2. Reading - I am taking a seminary class (old testament survey) from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. There is a ton of reading to do and then I watch the lectures online.  So far I am enjoying it.  I am not taking the class for credit so it is at my leisure which takes all the pressure off.

3. Napping - Of course :)  With boot camp at 5:30am some times I can't wait for a little afternoon nap.  I am a cat napper so all I need is 15 minutes and I am good to go which is great, leaves plenty of time to do #1 or #2.

The girls are continuing to love school and the afternoons are working out wonderfully.  Most mornings we go to the parks and almost always run into someone from their classes.   Today we got to the swings and as Rachel is crawling out of her stroller she said "look Mommy my friend."  A little girl from her class was there as well.  Luna quickly introduced herself and the three had the best time swinging together.   We love running into their friends!  I just keep wondering what we will do in the winter (we spend so much time outside at the parks!).

Rachel is doing great with the whole potty training thing.  At the apartment she is a rock star but she has yet to use a public potty :)

Thunder Storms

This is a conversation Brian and I had tonight:

Brian "Do you hear that noise."
Allison "Yes, I think it is thunder, there must be a storm."
long pause
Brian "I feel like we have had this conversation before and we both thought it was thunder but it was actually fireworks."
Both of us head to the window to look out and sure enough there is a fireworks show going on over the Hudson river.

I am amazed by how many fireworks shows there are here in the city.  We hear them frequently but we can't always see them.  Sometimes all we can see is the reflection in the windows of the building around us.  Other times we get a clear view of the show.  They are beautiful!

A quote from Luna today:

Luna asks "why does New York have so many problems?"  Mommy says "what do you mean by so many problems, what are the problems?" Luna says "the buildings."  Mommy says "yes if the problems are the buildings then New York sure does have a lot of them!"


PS Rachel stayed dry all day while at the apartment!  Yipee!  Now just have to stay dry while at preschool :)

Random Thoughts

1. I am so glad we went with our preschool just 2 blocks away rather than the public preschool a 30 minute walk away.  I feel as though I am constantly going back and forth, although in reality it is just twice a day but still we do it 5 days a week, so a total of 10 trips during the week.  If we had gone with the other one it would have been a lot of walking, not especially fun in the rain and wind.

2. Doormen continue to be a blessing to me.  Today I locked myself out of the apartment on my way to take Luna to preschool.   When I got back I asked them what I should do, they said not to worry and got a key!  Wonderful.

3.  Never Ever sit on a curb in NYC.  There are so many dogs in this city and they are not suppose to pee on any plants or green grass.  So that leaves the curbs, steps and sides of buildings.  It is gross, gross, gross!  If you have to sit on the ground choose a place in the middle, dogs prefer the corners and edges.

4. Rachel is in the process of being potty trained!  I am so happy about this.  I am dreading the whole I have to find a bathroom right now thing to come in the next couple of weeks.  But I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.  Right now no diapers in the apartment only underwear and when we go out we wear diapers over our underwear.  Only day two but we have only had accidents in the apartment.

5.  This weekend I get to go away!  I am heading up to New Hampshire for a women's retreat at Camp Berea.  Friday morning I fly up to Boston and am meeting up with some old girl friends of mine then we drive together up to New Hampshire.  I have been to this retreat a number of times over the past 8 years and love it each time.  Can't wait!

6.  I have completed week 2 of my Boot Camp.  I am going to miss friday's workout because I will be on my way to the airport.  Tomorrow I will just have to work out extra hard to make up for it.

7. Today I got asked by an 8 year old if my children were mine.  It would not have bother me so much had it not been the third time I was asked today.  Oh so many thoughts on this!  But really my question is why so many people feel they have a right to ask this question when they don't even know me.  Why is it so important they know, what does that change/mean in their mind if they are mine or if they are not?

8.  Luna's class only has 6 kids, 3 boys and 3 girls.  It represents such a beautiful picture of the diversity of the city.  I have to say almost every race is represented in that room.  I love looking in and seeing all the "color."  Rachel's class has much less diversity and is predominately caucasian.

9. Tonight we (Luna, Rachel and myself) are going on a play date.  One of the boys, Cooper, in Luna's class invited us over.  I am both nervous and excited.  Since we have been adjusting to preschool my girls are no longer napping.  So from about 4:30 until 7pm (bedtime) it can get a little rough around here.  Although yesterday they were great and no TV was involved :)

10.  I tried out a new grocery store this week.  The check out lanes where so narrow I could not push my stroller down them, my stroller is only 17 inches wide!  The grocery carts the store provides are too wide to fit down them.  When I realized this I was shocked but no one around me seemed phased.  No more complaining about Whole Foods from me.

Governor's Island

Sunday after church we headed out to Governor's Island.  Which is a small island off of the southern tip of Manhattan.  For many years it was used by both the British and American military forces.  The US Army built Fort Jay and Castle Williams on the Island and is was used for military purposes in many wars.  Then in 1966 the US Coastguard took over and it became a self contained residential community with an on island population of 3,500.  The island had it's own school, apartment style buildings, grocery store, movie theater and medical care.

In 1995, the Coast Guard closed it's facilities and relocated all the residents.  Today,  the majority of the Island is owned by the people of New York and the remaining portion was declared a National Monument and is managed the National Park Service.

The Island is open to the public during the summer months.  You can rent bikes and families can bike around the entire island.  There are lots of open places to relax and play.  The majority of the buildings are abandoned but a few are open for the public to explore.  The girls loved to go in each open house and wanted to pretend they lived there.  

The northern tip of Governor's Island offers amazing views of Manhattan.  Here are Brian and Luna with Manhattan behind them.  Such a stunning view.

The southern tip of Governor's Island offers amazing views of the Statue of Liberty with the Staten Island Ferry going back and forth.

This photo shows the bike/walking path along the island.  Also the big building on the right side is an abandoned apartment building.

Here is one of the large grassy areas.  People are relaxing, flying  kites and playing with their kids.

We all had a great time it was fun to get out of the city a little and enjoy the grassy open spaces.  Here are the girls looking back at Manhattan.

Battery Park City Block Party

This weekend was the 10th annual Battery Park City block party.  The party began in 2002 to celebrate the city's recovery from 9/11.  It is hosted right on the marina with a beautiful view of New Jersey.  This is the sight we see most frequently in Battery Park, looking across the Hudson River to New Jersey.  

This of course was our first time attending and we had a fun time.  There were lots of booths representing all the local businesses and activities.  As well as a number of different food samples to try from local restaurants.    There was also a children's area with bouncy houses,  a ride and face painting.  

What is a block party without a local fire engine?

Rachel LOVED the ride! 

Luna had fun trying to give high fives to the other kids on the ride.

Boot Camp

I have successfully finished the first week of Boot camp.  I LOVED it!  This is my type of working out.  It meets from 5:30-6:30am Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Crazy I know, but that is just one of the many reasons I love it.

In a previous post I mentioned how I have been feeling off this week and I think part of it has been because of this boot camp.  It is kicking my butt and I am exhausted, both from the workout and from the early morning.  The City requires a lot of energy and I have not had it this week.  Just going to and from preschool has been wearing me out.  I am hoping by next week my body adjusts a bit and I get some of my energy back.

The boot camp is only women, another reason I love it and there are about 15 of us in the morning.   We meet only two blocks from our apartment at a park right on the water.  It meets for 4 weeks and then has a week off, so you pay in 5 week sessions.  The group of women are quite friendly considering both the time of day and how hard we are working.  Some of the women have been doing it for the past 3 years!  They are hardcore!  By 6:30 we all feel like we have conquered the world!

Today I had the privilege of watching the sun come up as it lit up the buildings on the New Jersey side of the Hudson river.   It was breath taking to see the sunlight reflecting off the building windows, such a stunning sight.

The view made me reflect on a verse:
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.   Lamentations 3:22-23.

Three more weeks to go! LOVE IT!

Back To School Night(s)

This week was the start of preschool for both girls but also back to school nights for both girls.  The way this school works is they do it by classroom so each class has a back to school night on a different day.  So we were Wednesday and Thursday this week from 5-5:30 and they were short.

For the Wednesday night one we hired a babysitter and then went out to dinner afterwards.  For the Thursday night one I just went alone.  I have so many things to say about preschool in New York City but instead I am going to tell you what I found hysterical about back to school night.  I hope I can describe it well and you can get a chuckle out of just picturing it :)

Since being back this time I have felt like a fish out of water, which I really am.  This is not my scene nor do I totally want to fit in here.  Typically most parents work and have nannies in our neighborhood.  I have met the occasional stay at home mom like myself but it is by far not the norm.  So when I am dropping the kids off or picking them up from school I am seeing/meeting/talking with the nannies.  

If a parent is there, dropping off their kid, they are dressed up and ready for work.  Also because the nannies are working, they typically are dressed quite well.  No casual pull your hair in a pony tail and wear your sweat pants to drop your kiddo off.  Everyone looks good.  Again I am not fitting in, I love my casual Washington State and by casual I mean CASUAL.  

I need to describe the location of the preschool so you can get a better feel for it.  Space is at a premium in Manhattan, so the school is small.  It is two stories, the ground floor and then the basement.  There are three classrooms, two in the basement and one upstairs.  When you get to the preschool you walk in from a busy sidewalk, walk down a ramp and you are in the upstairs classroom. There is no hallway.  This upstairs classroom has a few very large windows that are level with the sidewalk.  The upstairs classroom is by far the largest so this is where they host the back to school nights.  

So at 5pm all the parents start meeting in this room.  Most of these parents will only be in the actual school building three times during the school year, this night and then for the two parent conferences.  They are in their business clothes, high heels and I must say look great.  So guess where they have all these parents sit?  Well of course in those little plastic toddler chairs.  

Then the chairs have been set up facing the big/huge window that looks out to the very busy sidewalk.    So the whole time the teachers are giving the presentation people are walking by looking in.  Can you just imagine looking into this preschool classroom and see all these fancy pants parents sitting in these toddler chairs in straight lines looking at a teacher!  The people walking by were all laughing hysterically at us, it must have been a sight.  Oh I so wish I could have had a photo of that but alas I was one of those parents, and yes I dressed up to for back to school night in an attempt to fit in more :)

Happy Birthday Brian

Monday was Brian's Birthday.  We had a celebration for him in Washington just before we left but we could not let the day pass without a little family celebration.    He opened most of his gifts in Washington but there were a few things that needed to be wrapped in the apartment.  So I needed to buy some wrapping paper and a candle for his brownie.

After we picked Luna up from preschool we were on a mission to find wrapping paper and a candle.  I decided to brave Whole Foods, that store is always so busy and it is tough to navigate with a stroller and a preschooler on a scooter :)  No luck there.   Then I decided to try Duane Read, a drug store.  Again no luck.  Finally I decided to try the little convenience store in our building.  We live a block away from a high school and school had just let out.  All the teenagers were in the convenience buying after school treats, it was insane and may have been a fire hazard with out many people were in that little tiny store.  I really wanted at least a candle so I braved it and tried to make a quick trip in and out.  Again no luck!

I had no idea where to go next.  So we went home and I improvised.  We took brown paper grocery bags and wrapped the gifts.  Then the girls had a blast decorating them with stamps.  Then I dug through all my kitchen supplies and found an old #3 candle (used for Luna's 3rd Birthday), I was going to go with it, it is his 33rd Birthday so I thought I could get away with it.  But then I found a box of candles so we were good to go!

Here are the girls decorating away

Happy Birthday Daddy, love your girls!

Rachel's First Day of Preschool

Today was Rachel's first day of preschool.  I am not sure if she was excited or not but I think she was.  We had been talking about her teacher for a few days now and that soon she would go to school.  When she woke up today she knew today was the day.  When we got to the school a number of adults walked up to her to greet her and she got really clingy, I in turn started to get a little nervous for her.  But when we got to her classroom her teacher was the only one in there and greeted her very calmly, which is perfect for little Rachel.

I picked her up a couple hours later and she did great.  Ready to go home but also excited about her day.  Luna on the other hand was introducing herself to all of Rachel's teachers and friends.  Now we will just have to see how Rachel does on these days without her naps :)

First Day of Preschool

Here is a photo of Luna getting ready to head out the door to her first day of preschool.  She was so excited.  She is in the afternoon session and had a hard time waiting for 1pm to come.  I told her she would go to school after lunch and so all morning she kept asking for lunch.  Then when it was finally lunchtime she ate about 2 bites and wanted to go to school :)

She did great transitioning to preschool.  She walked right into her classroom, gave her teacher a big hug and started playing.  I said goodbye and she turned waved and that was it!  When I came to pick her up she gave her teacher a big hug goodbye and then headed off with me.  It was great!  I was so proud of her.

Tomorrow Rachel goes for her first day!

Remembering 9/11

Today was a quiet day around our apartment.  By quiet I mean no traffic noise.  I did not wake up until almost 9am, we are still on west coast time and was shocked to have slept so long.  I thought that all the traffic noise would have woken me up.  Last night it took me a long time to fall sleep because of the time change and traffic noise. But then I remembered that today was September 11th and there was a very important ceremony going on only a few blocks away and all the roads were closed.

This morning I spent some time watching the ceremony live online.  Then in the afternoon, I went for a run.  There were so many people out walking on the promenade.  So many people wearing shirts with the name of the person they lost.  So many people in uniform.  It was really an amazing site to see.

Tomorrow is a big day around here.  I have signed up for a boot camp and will be waking up at 5:30am to get my butt kicked!  That is 2:30 in the morning west coast time! Then in the afternoon, Luna goes to her first day of preschool tomorrow!  Big day!

And we are BACK!

Today we flew back to NYC, back to our little noisy apartment :)

We, or really I should just speak for myself, had the best summer in Washington.  We were really really really busy but I loved very minute.  It is so hard to sum it up in one post and I don't really want to try as I will not be able to do it justice.  But I truly loved it, we spent a lot of time with family and I was constantly reminded of how grateful I am for my family.  They are an amazing, quirky at times and so very caring family.  Thank You God for my family!

Today we flew back and I have to say last night I was a little nervous.  We live only a few blocks from the World Trade Center Site.  Tomorrow is a big deal all over our country but especially in our neighborhood.  They are shutting down most of the streets in our area and if you are out and about you have to carry ID and proof that you live in the area.  They have already picked up security and we were not sure how easy it would be to get to our apartment.  We had a ton of luggage (4 big bags), 4 carry ons, 2 kiddos and no stroller.  My main worry was that the car service was going to have to drop us off a few blocks away and we would have to walk, that would have been a sight to see.  Luckily for us it was just the opposite, when we left the Newark airport we hit almost no traffic and drove right up to the building.  We had a great day of travel.  Everything was on time, all the luggage made it in one piece and the girls were wonderful on the plane (I was a proud Mommy).

We got into our apartment and in a matter of minutes the kids had every single toy off every shelf and out of every drawer.  It was a total mess but they loved finding all the toys then had not seen for the last 2 months.  It is nice to be back.  I love Washington but I love the city as well.

As you can tell I took a little break from blogging but my plan is to be back at it while we are in the city.  It just may not be every day. :)