NEAQ with James

 Today James and I spend a lovely day together in Boston.  I used to do this all the time with the boys, when I wasn't working, or had a less-stressful part time job.  But haven't really been able to carve it in with just James, and now that Joel Andrew is in school.  Part of me wonders - is it because I am selfish?  Want a run day?  Need a day to get the house in order?  Or is it because I am sad we will be missing Joelly?  Because we pay so much for James to go to an awesome pre-school that he loves and it is hard to justify taking him out of an awesome structured environment to end up spending lots of money in Boston?  Either way, I have resigned myself to a nice balance.  James is going to Kindergarten in the Fall; the summer is going to be incredibly busy; we need to get 4 of these days in before it is all gone.  Day one, happened today and it was glorious.

For some reason, these photos are all out of order.  But enjoy anyway.

So, we went into the Aquarium, which is a family trip favorite.  I have to day, first of all, it was 60 degrees, in Boston, on February 1 today.  It was a bit unerving, but we rocked the puffy vests.  The aquarium was DEAD today - hardly a person.  See it in my pictures, it was like we had the place to ourselves.  It was clean, and nicer than I remember - probably due to the lack of people.  It was also expensive.  This was the first time I didn't buy the membership, so for just he and I it was almost $50!  But I guess taking care of all those fishys are expensive!

He had the map, we touched the rays, he loved this.  We saw the penguins.  One thing I notice about the differences between my boys - James can stare at something for hours.  Joel would look at it, want to learn about it, and want to move on.  James wants to watch what they are doing, talk about what they are doing (don't bother him with facts, he knows what is going on and those penguins do not like the water today, it is too cold).We had 90 minutes in the Aquarium, which would have been overload for just my Joelly - for James, I had to usher him out.

He said his favorites were the penguins, seadragons, and touching the rays.  When they were little, if they were good they usually left with a toy - and James seemed to remember this so we are now the proud owners of two new Ray stuffed animals (James thought of his brother, and although I resisted, buy one get one 1/2 off - thanks, NEAQ).

After lots and lots of fun we went to the North End to meet Ama and Grumpy and Suzanne for dessert.  Yes, this kid got dessert before lunch! The boy spend 20 minutes in the bathroom with Grumpy, which Grumpy still can: "never comprehend how your boys enjoy sitting in public restrooms doing their business."  (he is a bit of a germie).  Ama and I had a good laugh at this.  They spent an hour together today and 20 minutes of it was in the potty.

Our meeting with Ama and Grumpy was brief, we decided to get some real food and had sandwiches at Bricco, which was a good choice.  The good weather gave us a place to sit outside in the alley.  James loved watching the birds.  We got lots of delicious food for dinner tonight too.

He ate his sandwich right up and exclaimed a few times: "I LOVE this sandwich!" He loves me too, he said.  We drove home, had a fun car wash experience and he passed out in the last 10 minutes of the ride.  It was a great day with my big guy.

It makes me sad when I see all the moms and their strollers, chasing after their babies and remembering I was one of them.  But then I get happy, because I have my big boys who chat with me and still tell me they love me, and don't require diaper bags, and eat delicious food with me (well, James does), more and more.

Here's to a few more day dates together, James!

Memphis

We enjoyed 5 days with an almost four year old in Memphis.  It was awesome.  I have always wanted to visit Memphis, not sure why.  They other good things about this trip - we went with friends and their almost three year old daughter.  It was great to catch up and see them and they love to eat more than we do - so we knew we were going to get some good meals in.  Finally, we have been so busy with so much going on that we hardly had time to plan.  So, we pulled together a few plans but for the most part winged it.  Sometimes winging it works out well and here it certainly did.

General awesomeness of the city

People are really nice here, like really nice.  And, they genuinely want your children to have a good time.  No matter where we went people were smiling and checking in with my son, and in a good way - not in a creepy way.  Families are welcome, encouraged to have fun - it seems as though the place was built for kids - with all of the delicious food options, the many museums and zoos - even the Music had our little's toe tapping the entire time.  I am proud that my guy went here, and now he will know who Elvis is his entire life. 

Tips

You must rent a car, be prepared for a walk to the rental car place too when you land in the city - but parents can split up - one with bags and the line and the other with kids looking at the awesome fountains in the airport while waiting for your car.  Everywhere in Memphis seems to be 15-20 minutes apart.  Cars are imperative if you want to see most of the sites, and parking is readily available at most of the sites as well (usually for free).  We found that sometimes you drive through areas which are not the nicest, so having purpose in your destination, and being prepared with a phone GPS is a must. 

Food

There is no shortage of good food in Memphis. Of course there is barbecue, there is also catfish, fried chicken, some amazing breakfast places - lots of sausage and biscuits and donuts, and lots of really good things to drink.  Taking the kids to the go-to restaurants here is easy, because all of the go to places are casual joints.  Order alacarte from sides in a BBQ joint no problem.  Screaming child in the burger place? Whatever.  Wiggly child, stop in for some amazing fresh baked donuts - no need to stay too long.  The whole family will eat well and feel like they are Tony Bourdain in Memphis.  Even the fancy places, like the Peabody Hotel, inherently caters to children- so it's 4pm and you are tossing back one of their signature Jack Daniels drinks while your child is 20 feet away running around their lobby fountain? No worries, raise your glass and toast to the parents next to you.  

General food for thought- Memphis restaurants generally did not have milk, chocolate milk or apple juice as options. Get used to drinking water, kids.  I'll have another beer. 

We ate at some of the best places to go to in the city:

Central BBQ - two locations in the city, we ate at one near Central Ave twice.  The chips here are a must do and they were one of the only places we visited the entire time that offered Mac and cheese, a must for our guy.  The ribs were to die for, be sure to know the sides you want when you order as it seems like everything came with two sides.  Paper towels at the table, they call your number when it is ready, only a few beers on tap.  Lots of locals, we knew we were in the right spot!

The Arcade Restaurant - the oldest operating restaurant in the city, in the heart of downtown and once frequented by Elvis also happens to be featured in many films.  Stop here and soak in the atmosphere - 50s diner, and not in a cheesy way either - and eat up some delicious breakfast.  The kids fruit salad was fresh and not slimy.  The parents gorged on southern comfort breakfast food which has made the world over of lists from the travel channel to food TV.  As I am a sucker, I went for the biscuits and gravy with grits, but next time I am going to see what those sweet potato pancakes are all about.  Happy about the chocolate milk here!

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - when you need a break from red meat - how about take a bite out of the white? We made our way to this place, one of a few in the city, in a massive rain storm. We were welcomed with fried green tomatoes, fried pickles and we got the family style chicken dinner which would have fed and army, or us party of four plus two kids.  The service was awesome here and you could tell we were the only tourists in the place.  The locals agree, this is the place to go for the right fried chicken.  Be careful though, that spice on the chicken is intense, so you may want to grab something else for your little one - or ensure they keep cooling off with some bites of beans and cole slaw in between.

The Peabody - we visited the restaurant here for brunch.  It was an epic feast fit for any little king or queen, all the usual fixins and more and our waiter seemed to really like me as he continued to fill up my mimosa glass.  The bar in the Peabody lobby was a treat for our visit and see more info on the ducks in things to do below.  They had a huge menu of signature drinks that over the five days I managed to enjoy most - our favorites were the volunteer (their version of a sidecar) and the signature drink on the Jack Daniels menu which had peach and sour cherries.  Ask for nuts, and you will want to avoid the place between 10:15-11am or between 4-5pm if you are just going for a drink and do not care about ducks.  Don't worry though, at 11:01 or 5:01 it is all set!

Blues City Cafe- on Beale Street "with the prices to match," this place surprisingly had the best ribs! Surprising because we kept hearing to go elsewhere, but let us tell you that the dry rub ones here were tender and delicious. Also surprising on the menu, the tamales, a must try.  Get the big beer here and you will die laughing, 32 ounces. Right on the corner of Beale Street, so you will be starting your trip down Blues lane correctly. Lots of kids here so no worries at all on noise, we were sad to miss the skillet apple pie, but who has the room?

Rendezvous- supposedly the best dry rub ribs, we started with the lamb ribs which had us feeling great and frankly the 1/2 rack left us feeling dry.  But the brisket was a huge plus, as was the Greek salad on the menu - a nod to the owner's heritage.  Enjoy a pitcher of beer - golden ale from Ghost River is a crowd pleaser. To get there, go down the scary alley way, yep.  Then walk into a basement.  But bring some money for the juke box and have a good time.

Places to go

There is so much to see and do, even with getting to 2-3 destinations a day, we still missed a ton! We decided not to go to the Civil Rights Museum as those visiting might not appreciate our rambunctious kiddos - plus it would be way over their heads and hard for us to learn too. I hear the exhibit is amazing and powerful, so it is on the list for next time.  Sadly, we also do not know anything about the Sun City museum as they did not welcome our littles!  But many, many more places welcomed our little guys and were great to visit, check them out:

Memphis Zoo- As my husband said over and over again - probably the best Zoo we have ever been to.  I am not sure what the feed their animals, but all were active and excited to see us!  Giraffes a few feet away, Pandas sliding down slides, snakes with their heads straight up and actually slithering around.  The kids could not get enough, and neither could we.  It is always awesome to start out your adventure with your littles at the Zoo - because it is something they can relate to and it will make them feel comfortable in the whole traveling thing as well.  And, just for you nay-sayers out there - not all zoos are the same.  Maybe it is me, because I am a Museum person and all - but I love to visit the different places, compare them and learn from them.  This place was certainly an A+, and side tip, on the border of a great park, which we did not have time to see because we were off to the Crawfish Festival!

Pink Palace Museum - Quirky "Cabinet of Curiosities" - learn a ton about the history of Memphis by just what is in this collection.  There is an IMAX here and all that other stuff too - but we just had fun looking at all of the collections - from skeletons, to shrunken heads and an awesome handmade replica of a circus - dr.'s implements, paintings and stuffed animals (the real kid) - lots to see and explore.  Be careful of the dinosaur, it roars!

Mud Island - Quite possible the most awesome exhibit I have ever seen is right here on Mud Island.  Take the tram over, and walk back (or vice versa) so you can get both experiences on the way to this unique place in Memphis.  The island was brilliantly designed to attract tourists and entertain locals.  There is an outdoor amphitheater which made me want to come back for a concert, walking trails and an awesome Museum that teaches you all about the Mississippi.  Enjoy the views of Arkansas and Mississippi while standing on Tennessee soil, and then walk the entire length of the Mississippi River, in exhibit form.  This INCREDIBLE exhibit is a replica, down to the depth and including the bends, currents, and cities of the entire length of the Mississippi.  Luckily, James had his duck from The Peabody and so we put him in at the top and walked the whole length of the River down to New Orleans.  Quite an awesome experience.  We just wish they had a place that served a beer - maybe on the weekends?

Stax Museum - I love music museums, and this one was pretty neat.  The intro video is a must and a great way to get you oriented to the different stax sound and understanding of how important Stax was to the music industry, and to Memphis.  Although not as interactive as the Country Music Museum in Nashville, it was a nice exhibit complete with awesome 1970's car.  James got a little antsy but genuinely enjoyed listening to the Music.  We had a larger understanding of this music and era, bought some CDs and enjoyed them in our van the remainder of the trip (and at home too!).

Graceland - Who goes to Memphis and not to Graceland?  Not us!  I was thinking of skipping it, but I am glad I went.  This place is still privately owned people, by Lisa Marie - and who knows how long it will last.  Not to be a nay-sayer, but in an age where museum attendance is declining, and it is expensive to keep them running - I am not sure who her crowd will be when those who truly remember Elvis get too old to walk through the doors. So, go if you can because it is truly awesome.  I hardly know much about Elvis myself, and I continue to be in the dark - because when you get to Graceland they outfit you with an iPad and headphones and send you off on a guided tour with John Stamos as your leader.  Awesome?  Yes!  If you can actually listen to it.  In order to occupy him I let my 4 year old get the set, which means I guess he now knows everything.  They wouldn't give me another, so I let him be fascinated with the words of John Stamos while I was fascinated with Elvis's home.  It is a PERFECT time capsule.  The house is much smaller than you would think, and it smells and looks like your grandparents home.  Trust me.  It is eerie.  Walking down to the basement I had flashbacks of Hicksville, NY.  Scary!  It can get boring for the kiddos - but it is a neat thing to show them how people lived.  Then, take them to the Car Museum and the planes on the property too.  A plane with a big bed in it blew James' mind. Then he was hungry again for lunch.

Beale Street - A visit to Memphis is not complete without a walk down Beale Street.  It is a quick walk, and your senses will be assaulted!  Don't walk down the middle of the street - this is reserved for the acrobats that flip their way down the entire length over and over again for your tips.  This had the kids fascinated.  There are ample places to listen to music, and to get a fish bowl or enormous drink.  During the day, there are even some great shops.  Obviously, the later the less friendly the crowds and music are for the kiddos, but it was 9pm and we weren't the only ones with littles there.  We could have started our own tip jar with our kids bouncing to the music in the streets.  We didn't bring them into the bars though - the dads had a night to do that on their own. Next time, when they are older!

The Peabody Ducks - A must for littles, and littles at heart.  You should get to the Peabody Hotel at 10:15 am (in time to get a good seat for the 11am ceremony arrival of the ducks) or 4:15pm (in time for the 5:00pm departure) to see the Ducks.  The Ducks are huge, and this is the fanciest hotel in the middle of the city.  For nearly 100 years ducks have been swimming in the hotel's gorgeous center lobby, and now to attract tourists and people to buy $16 martinis, the Ducks are ceremoniously led to their fountain at 11am each day, and back in the elevator up to their homes at 5pm at night.  Come early to secure your seat in the lobby - they will not let you stand around for this show.  The Duckmaster will tell you the entire history behind this strange and awesome ritual and you will get to see the little guys waddle their way in and out of the fountain.  The drinks are great (see above) and the historic hotel is something not to miss.  They also have some good non-alcoholic awesome drinks for those who want to avoid the whisky.  While in the hotel, shop at Lansky (Elvis' favorite) and get yourself some duck things in their gift shop too.  Make your way up to the terrace at the top of the building and you can see awesome views of Memphis, and where the ducks live at night.  

Hopefully you will get to visit Memphis sometime soon, and see it through the eyes of a little too.  It is a great and friendly city, and I hope some day I will get back there!

Annual FP Zoo Trip

Each year we meet some of my former colleagues from Historic New England, and their kiddos, for a day at the Franklin Park Zoo.  This year it was a slim but super fun crowd and it was scary to see how big everyone is getting.

I love how my boys only see these kids once a year but they had a great time and went right into playing with the girls.  They all seemed intrigued by the animals, but only for a second - and spent most of the additional time either eating or on the playground, ok fine.

Joel Andrew was his typical polite self and James was well behaved for how he has been acting lately.  James specifically asked for some pictures to be taken and they seemed all in all to have a great time, though the sun was beating down and by 2:30 we were all tired and ready for a rest.  The boys passed out on the ride home and Mommy had 10 minutes of peace and quiet while they took a nap in the driveway, until it was time to go Strawberry picking.

The zoo is far, but necessary.  We remembered what a Capybara was, and Joel Andrew was freaked out by the anaconda.  James was entranced with the anteater.  We will go again next year for sure.  I am starting to really know though that pretty soon this will not be the thing to be doing, and sports will be taking over.  Gasp, sad!

Brothers Fighting Over One Girl

Today we enjoyed the amazing spring day and made it out to the Stone Zoo. It was a great outing - capped by lots of cool photos of my dudes.  The Stone Zoo is a trek from us, but an easy trek.  Parking is easy, we are members so we get right in under our membership, and it is a perfect size for littles to walk around and see some cool sights.  We love this trip and go perhaps three times a year.

We pack a lunch, and shoot for an 11am arrival.  Then, by the time we get to the River Otters we are at the perfect spot to have lunch right in front of the monkeys.  The boys love the trip - and even with the renovations (we were sad to miss the bears and flamingos this time) we had a great day.

The river otters are the best, followed by the Yak, which we talked about a lot - and the wolves - who were all out and running around today.  At the wolf exhibit we met a girl.  I am pretty sure her name was Sydney, but Joel Andrew will argue with me that it is Cindy.  Anyway, the girl loved my boys (how could you not, look how cute they were dressed?) and the next thing you know, Cindy, her mom and her little sister were now going around with us.  It was cute to see the two boys with this girl, who was exactly right in the middle of the ages of my boys.

Joel Andrew immediately gets worried that James might try to steal the spotlight, so he says to Cindy: "Do you know what James did yesterday?  He pooped on the lawn!" Nice, Joel Andrew.  Way to one-up your brother.  There was some good playing on the playground between the three of them, and then we were off just as quickly to home (James still has to nap!).

Joel Andrew asked if we could go to Cindy's house, to which I replied, "Did you ask where she lived?"  So, that is a no.  In the car ride home Joel Andrew literally said: "This is the best day of my life because I met Cindy."  To which I laughed, and he yelled at me to stop laughing.  We have a Romeo on our hands ladies and gentleman.

Boston Day: Boston Duck Tours and New England Aquarium

Yesterday was a whirlwind day for the boys and myself: New England Aquarium, Boston Duck Tours,  out to lunch, and then to the King's house for Declan's 4th birthday party where I got to hold my godson for a while!

 The Aquarium was awesome - the changes since the renovations have been spectacular.  Really, there was not much that could be done with the place, there will always be a smell of fish since the penguins are the centerpiece, it will always be dark and cement-like, but they did a good job making some additions here and there, modernizing the exhibits, making the touch tanks look nicer and brighter, and the top of the big main tank is gorgeous.

The sharks were missing though, and my boys were disappointed.  We were thrilled to be there on a weekend day, as I think the weekdays get overrun with school groups and the weekends are actually better.  I couldn't believe the amount of people piling in, and how much money they must be making.  Not to mention the awesome selection in their gift shop - but that was the museum director in me.  Now back to the day with the boys.

My mom had won a duck tour at an auction we went to last year - and we finally used it.  Both boys loved the trip though there was some fidgeting.  They really pack you on the duck, and it does pay to get there as soon as possible to wait for your seats.  We ended up sitting in the last row, which was a bonus by the way -when they shut the door a whole additional seat comes down and so you can spread out a bit.

We had some snacks on the tour to help keep the fidgets quiet, but driving by the big city with the trucks, cars, people, all sorts of things really kept us occupied.  By the time we hit the water we were super psyched - the boys even got to each drive the boat!  Best part is, since we were at the back James walked up with the big camera, which is larger than him practically, and did a really good job.  So cute.

The Duck Tour handed out a booklet listing all of the color ducks out there, and when we ate lunch, outside on the street in Boston - Joel Andrew and I continued to identify all the colors and check them off as we saw them in the book.  Lunch was also fun because they handed out "iPads" as James calls them - or etch-a-sketches.  Ha!

Some further walking around the greenway and Fanueil Hall was also done, we were able to get a Duck Tour ornament, which sadly I think is the only addition to our Christmas ornament collection this year.  We have hardly gone anywhere or tried anything new lately...  This is all sure to change as I think 2014 will be our year of travel.

Love that dirty water, Boston!

Zoo

We have done this trip before, but it is a no-miss, must be done at least once a year while they are still young trip - and that is to the Stone Zoo and then a visit to Fudruckers/Jordan's Furniture.  Today was awesome, and reminds me how lucky I am to get these days with my boys at least once a week.  We had a blast.  Mommy didn't loose it once.  James didn't loose it until lunch.  Joel Andrew hasn't lost it yet.

The two each need their own map, and they both like to look into the windows at the same time in each exhibit.  So cute.  Joel Andrew has about a 5 second limit per each animal whereas James could stay looking at something for hours.  They both always ask: "What does it eat?" - Did you know that Roadrunners eat lizards?  Wow!

The Jaguar was especially active today which was exciting for all.  Joel Andrew was waving "Hi!" and then immediately ran away when he got really close, I mean really close.

The zoo is the right size for two littles, just the right amount of things.  This is the first time we made it all the way up to the wolves too.  And, to boot - no stroller.  They did great walking the whole morning and even James did not complain once.  The zoo ends in a playground, which the boys had fun at - and Joel Andrew continued to put on a theatrical show.  The way end has some rides, including a little train - which we had time for so I didn't run past screaming, the choo-choo is broken, don't look.  We actually stopped, they went on, and it was going to be great until a mom stuck her screaming 2 year old right next to my boys.  He screamed the entire ride and Joel Andrew and James just sat their stunned not knowing what to do.  The "conductor" asked the mom if she could remove the child and try again when he was calmer and the Mom ignored it.  My poor boys!  $4 wasted, yes - but they were really excited.  Stupid other Mom.

We went to Fudruckers and met with Nana, Pa and Auntie Jennie.  Jordan's is a great place to bring kids too - we say the liquid fireworks, walked around jelly bean town, and the kids loved being pushed in those car strollers.  Seriously, Jordan's has it right.

Annual Trip to Maine Wildlife Park

Joel Husband took the doggies home so we had the day to ourselves to meander back home from Sebago Lake, and we made our annual trip to the Maine Wildlife park.  We had to go see the moose, duh. It was a good time, and I am realizing more and more that the stroller is no longer necessary, and/or is actually a hinderance.  How could we have reached this point so soon?  But alas we have.  For this trip I actually brought the big red wagon, and looking around at all the other smarter parents I noticed that they were making their kids walk through the park.  Seeing as we had a long ride back to Hampton Falls after this outing, and I was hoping we could have some quiet time at home when we returned so I could regroup, I should have thought this through.  Instead I was pulling and carting my two almost 40 pounders around dumbly while they sat like princes.  "Go to the wolf, Mommy!"  "I want to see the bear again, Mommy!"

All in all they were very good boys.  They loved the moose and Joel was enthralled with the constant movement of the coyote.  The smaller animals were in hiding this year, but they have all new bathrooms there which is super exciting. We had a nice snack - I neglected to pack a full lunch, but no worries, fruit, pretzels, cheese sticks did the trick.  And, as we were eating nicely and calmly on the picnic tables I watched around me as swarms of parents struggled with their kids.  The more micromanagement, the more they struggled.  One mom was pretty much forcing a sandwich down her son's throat.  Since I was day 2 after the annual cleanse, I just didn't have the energy in me to micromanage.  And, wouldn't you know it, my kids were angels.  I wonder what comes first?

Please note: sorry for the multiple posts in one day, but for some reason blogger was not letting me post the past two weeks!

New York with James

I must admit, I am a little more infatuated with James now that we spent a whole wonderful weekend just the two of us in NY.  When I was a little girl I dreamed of one day walking through Central Park, holding hands with a boy - having him take me out to a nice dinner, and seeing the site of NY.  Well, my dreams came true this weekend - and everyone on Facebook knows it!

I do think I drove everyone a little nuts with constantly checking into every NY site we saw, complete with a photo update of my guy.  Though it looked like he ate his way through the city, he didn't really.  It just so happened that stopping meant snacking and photo taking.  Most of the day on Saturday Mommy was on the move.  If Mommy lived in NY, she would not have the weight problem she currently has.  I think yesterday I walked 8 miles.

But it all starts with Friday, showing up in the city and having a great time in the car ride down.  He napped for a few hours, then watched a movie for a few hours and then the last hour pointed out the cars, trucks, and bridge and tunnel.  Not a peep came out of this guy except for the 3rd minute in the tunnel - which like the car wash - was the minute he has had enough.  Unfortunately, it was the mid-town tunnel and it took more than 3 minutes to go through.  But, as soon as we were out, no problem.

We got to our hotel and he was the star.  I held him during check in and he rubbed my back and told me he loved me.  Like, seriously?  My little man, I love this guy so much.  After 5 hours in the car, he does this?  I can't believe it.  We checked in, and then immediately went to Grand Central where Mommy got her room wine, and we got some prepared foods to go.  You will never believe it, but I paid $4.80 for three SMALL plums.  But, walking through the market James saw a plum which is his new obsession, and how am I to deprive this sweet little guy of healthy fruit?  So, I get it for him and when she said it cost more than James' dinner, I freaked.  Ahh, NY.  We also of course got a Lindzer Torte and black and white cookie.  It is NY.  We had to.

Walking around the streets of NY the first 10 minutes was epic.  James was awe struck by all that was going on around him.  Every noise, he repeated his normal "What's that noise?" phrase, which I happily answered.  Back in the hotel room we ate dinner and then I put James to bed.  He wanted to stay up and chat, but lucky for me that it only took two stern: "Go NIGHT NIGHT"s before the kid actually did.  He was snoring within 30 seconds of my second scold.

The next morning I was terrified he would wake up at the crack, but he did not.  Finally, when I got up at 7:30, he was actually still snoozing.  When I came out from brushing my teeth He said in a groggy voice: "mommy?" and I said: "Jamesy?" and we repeated this 10 times and cuddled for 10 more minutes.  I love this guy.

We were off!  We walked to Times Square, bought James' first NYC bagel on the way - which for a carb-hating man, he loved.  He really did eat 1/2 of the bagel, munched on it our whole walk and subway ride (I know, ick) - I was thinking that maybe he doesn't hate carbs afterall, and maybe he just only saves it up for the really good carbs.  NY on a Saturday morning, early, is the best.  This was the best start of the day ever.  James and I had the street to ourself, and I was drinking my coffee and he was mesmerized by all there was to look at.

The subway was tough.  I don't know how NY Moms do it, but I was prepared.  I had my bag in one arm, kid in another, stroller folded and whipped through the turnstyle like a pro.  Actually, I ad 6 people - SIX - ask me for directions the whole day!  You can take the girl out of NY but you can't take the NY out of the girl it seems.  I looked like a pro, I guess!

James on the subway was a lot like James in the car wash or James in the Midtown Tunnel.  It was fun for exactly three minutes.  Then it was not fun.  But I kept him calm and we were there in a jiffy no problem.  Actually, it was quite amazing how wonderfully it worked out, almost no waiting for the train whatsoever.  Once on the platform, I was getting my camera out to take a photo of the big boy with the train in the background and he started walking towards the subway ditch.  After complete horror and panic hit me (we are not in Kansas anymore, people - this is not NH....) I swept him and my things up and off we went to visit Leander.

Leander and his parents (my camp friend and bridesmaid Emily and her awesome husband Michio) live in a ridiculously nice apartment on the lower west side.  Emily's words, not mine: "Our neighborhood is way cooler than us" - which is to mean only that their neighborhood is about as cool as you can get.  The Whitney is going up a block from their house, the highline starts around the corner from their house and there are trendy strollers everywhere.  Em and Michio are super cool for sure, and Leander is super stylin too! We got a tour of their pad and then all went off to explore the Highline, which I was really looking forward to.

And, it did not disappoint.  There were some great food stands (we had brisket and awesome homemade popsicles), garden everywhere you looked and lots of cool art installations.  We hung out in one area of the highline for a good 45 minutes, climbed on and off the benches and the boys got their exercise.  Then we went over to where a man was playing the Cello, really, really, well and James was in love.  He was entranced with the Cello and called it a Guitar? - He stood and watched the man and clapped when it was done, and of course tipped him too.  It was really fun to watch, I think he might be a musician yet!

Aunt Lauren joined us for a few minutes which was so nice for her to meet James!  I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the original after college NY trio for a few minutes too which was lovely.  I really miss living here.  I did say on the phone to my mom that I do miss living in NY and wish I could, but then once I need to do the first load of laundry I would remember why I don't...

After we said goodbye to Leander and his awesome parents - James and I walked the remainder of the highline to the end. He fell asleep in about 2 minutes, and I enjoyed the people watching and art watching.  I was struck by all the buildings that go right up to the highline, and only a few years ago were overlooking weeds and mess and now get this awesome thing right out their door.  I wonder how much their rent and costs skyrocketed!

James and I then began our epic walk around manhattan.  At one point it got hot.  Then it got crowded. Then Mommy got cranky.  People do not realize to let the woman with the carriage have the space that is the non-step part of the sidewalk.  This is critical in order to continue with your comfortable city walking stride.  Mark one of a tourist is to stop at every street corner.  Mark two is to not observe the road blocks ahead of you, and make room for them.  NYers saw me and my mostrosity of a carriage and stepped aside like it was no big deal.  Tourists, not so much.  I got really, really cranky at one point and totally ran over a woman's toes.  Whoops.  Though she was the one to blame!

Also to note and watch out for, the creepy people dressed up like fake disney characters.  They are everywhere and I did my best to shield James from them.  Creepy.

It was at this point that we got ourselves some fresh fruit and juices and found a nice place to sit in Central Park.  James also watched the violinist, who then insisted he try out the violin, which was awesome - the smile on his face was huge when he was playing.  James loved the saxophonist and asked to try that but I said no.  Although I was successful in shielding James from most of the creepy characters, at one point in the park he pointed out a big, creepy big bird that had a little, creepy elmo hanging off of him.  For the next ten minutes all I heard was: "Elmo big Bird - where Elmo Big Bird?" - all as I ran as far away from Elmo Big Bird as possible... After much confusion and getting lost, we finally found the zoo - which should have been easy to find but Central Park is not about signs.  I guess it ruins the nature feel?

The Zoo was a blast - and would have been even more exceptional had it not been crowded with 8,000 people.  Maybe I am spoiled or did not fully realize the impact of me going out in NYC, the first Saturday of the summer, after school has let out, and not to mention the most beautiful Saturday ever - maybe it was the police lining Central Park and telling me there had been many instances of theft particularly for people with baby carriages and things stowed below them - but I was on high alert.  The crowds were three people deep for each cage for the animals, and like a fool I let James out so he could squeeze to the window and see the animal.  The little guy would then go to walk to the next display, but I would be stuck a crowd or two away with the bulky stroller.  Some heart attacks were had for sure.  And, more feet were trampled with my stroller.  I haven't had the same issue anywhere else.  It was just nuts there.  We still had fun though.  We were on a hunt for the Polar Bear, when I nearly gave up because of complete frustration with the crowd and utter exhaustion - did I mention it was sunny, and I did not have water with me?  When, we finally saw him and James just sat down in front of the window and kept telling me about the bear.  So worth it.

The penguins are by far the most fun here, James was pressed up against the glass loving the tank until a penguin the size of him swam right by him.  It freaked the poor kid out.  I finally convinced him to go back to the glass, and when the penguin came by again same result.  I laughed at this and then James replied: "Penguin says Waddle Waddle" which I laughed more too - and then he began to scream, in the middle of the exhibit with hundreds of people everywhere, "Waddle Waddle" about 20 people looked at us, or him, and he forgot how scary the penguin was a second before.

The Children's Zoo of the Central Park Zoo was much less crowded but by the time we got to the petting area I realized I was not going to be fighting with the other kids and parents to get James to feed the sheep when James feeds sheep like every other week living in New England.  We seem to do this all the time.  So, it was time to go.

We got James a well-deserved Hot dog - street meat - from a really nice vendor across the park, and Mommy walked up Park Avenue, window shopping as James dosed.  By the time we made it back to the hotel we were both too exhausted, sweaty and sunkissed to even think about going out to eat.  I attempted to find a foodie place close by for take out or delivery, but gave up and room service was had.  It was - phenomenal.  We each had burgers and fries and sat on the bed and watched Madagascar in an effort to relive our visit to the Central Park Zoo.  James was snoring by 7:30, I watched Anthony Bourdain's Layover episode in NY and the next morning we walked to the best bagel place Anthony recommended - 10 blocks from the hotel.

By this point James was no longer phased with the loud noises and other people and was completely loving life in his carriage.  We sadly checked out of the hotel, and got in Mommy's car.  I was so surprised how I got us to Aunt Pat's (Auntie Grandmas) in Queens without needing direction help.  We had a very nice visit - for a 93 year old woman (if you ask her she would say she is basically 94 since she is in her 94th year and is closer to 94 at this point anyway), who had a stroke in April, she looks great.  James showed her some photos of our visit on the iPad, and she was amazed by the iPad in general - and then was amazed when I had him watch The Lorax so we could visit.

We walked to lunch, and I think the 15 minutes in the stroller sent James over the edge.  It was all over, NY had hit him like a ton of bricks and he was ready for a nap.  Little did he know that Aunt Pat is all about the long leisurely lunch.  She saw my struggle to keep him happy - he was generally a good guy but he was clearly exhausted, so we packed it up rather quickly and got in the car for home.

The ride home was not fun.  He maybe fighting a fever, but I think it was all the excitement of the past few days and the limited amount of solid napping.  This kid is used to 3 hours a day, and he barely got 1 hour in each day so I think he is just fried.  He was such a mess on the ride home though that when we hit New Haven I thought about taking him to the hospital.  Finally the kid fell asleep and when he woke up close to the border of Mass, he was a new man talking about the trucks and cars once more.

I loved my weekend with my little guy.  Except for the last incident, which was truly not his fault, he was the perfect travel buddy.  He loved NY and I can't wait to take him back again.  Though, I think Joelly gets to go next.  Saturday was truly one of my top ten all time favs.