I wish all the Dads out there a Happy Father’s Day!
To honor my own Dad…here’s the song we danced to at my wedding. “Daddy’s Little Girl” just didn’t fit our relationship….this one came closer.
And to honor my partner, my darlings’ Daddy…the song we danced to at our wedding.
(Little did I know sixteen years ago when we danced to that song, what a wonderful journey we were starting. What an honor it is to parent with you. I love you!)
So, this is the last week of school in these here parts. Big Girl has three mornings of exams, and Little Girl has four half days and then it’s OVER!! I look forward to the company, but I don’t look forward to the daily bickering that is sure to start within the first hour of the morning on Friday. With a thought to keep them both a bit busy and focused (hopefully limiting the amount of bickering that will take place) both girls sat with their Dad tonight and set their summer goals. Not to worry…(lest you think we are meanies) along with reading goals and the “new experience” thing or two, there are goals such as “camping in the backyard” and “day trip to NYC with Daddy.” 🙂 The list is great because it helps us avoid that intolerable “I’m boooooored” comment. “Pull out your list” is all we need to say when they are looking for something to do, or when I need them separated. Magic!
I am most excited for Big Girl. She needs a break from all the social drama that has been sixth grade. This first year of Middle School has been as challenging as I worried it would be, but she survived (and so did we!) Little Girl’s transition won’t be quite so easy. She loves school and always has a hard time saying goodbye to her teacher and her friends. To make matters worse, her best little friend is leaving for Japan on Thursday to visit family and won’t return until the third week in August. She’s feeling a bit sad.
Personally, I’m finding it a bit difficult not having a summer vacation destination to look forward to, but we will be attempting a couple of camping excursions-the first one since Mister was born. Boy, have I missed eating Hobo Pies!!!! Yummmmmm!
So, the days of freedom begin…slower mornings, lazy afternoons, days spent at the beach, visiting friends, playing outside until after dark. I think the whole world should shut down for summer vacation. It would be a much happier place. (Okay, and I know that isn’t practical…just humor me for a bit.)
So, my son, my darling Mister Baby Boy, the one who loves cars, spotted the girls’ old Barbie Jeep in the garage a few weeks ago. The air was rent with the music of a thousand harps, and rainbows and butterflies ascended at once from the depths of the garage where the abandoned Jeep sat, powerless and unused. My darling boy was in love…his very first crush. (Well, maybe his second…he was pretty turned on by Magdalena the Mermaid when he was just six months old.)
So anyway, for the past couple of weeks Mister has been driving around in his pink and purple Barbie car, much to the amusement of Dear Neighbor Man. Zan hasn’t been quite so amused. I didn’t have a photo of Barbie Jeep, but I found this one on the internet as an example:
Having his son drive around in a pink and purple Barbie Jeep got to be a bit too much for Zan’s sense of masculinity, so one trip to Lowe’s and a few cans of spray paint later….TA-DA!!!
A Jeep fit for a “REAL MAN!” Man-liness saved!
So, we went to the Bronx Zoo over the weekend with my parents and my sister’s family. I was impressed with the size of the place! I was there when I was a young girl, and all I remember from that trip was the monkey house. I will remember the SMELL of the monkey house from this trip! *gag*
Anyway, the kids were great, including the two two-year olds, and the favorites of the day must’ve been the little alligators, the prairie dogs, the seals, and the gorillas (very cool!) My personal favorites were the peacocks.
And if you’re ever in the area, I HIGHLY recommend this Marriott hotel. My Dad is a “frequent stayer” and we were treated like royalty. Very comfortable, very clean, and the most friendly people outside of Disney I have ever come across. And dinner at this restaurant (attached to the hotel) was unbelievable! I will dream of that filet I had for months.
The only negative of the whole trip (besides Mister not sleeping well which was totally expected) was Little Girl waking up hallucinating with a 104 degree fever at midnight. She didn’t know where she was or who we were, and we could’ve cooked an egg on her skin. Luckily, I am one of those “pack everything just in case” Mommies, so I had Motrin AND Tylenol with me…it took both to bring the fever down to a manageable level. She is headed to the Dr. this morning, so we’ll see what’s up. This is the second time this month she has had these symptoms, missed a whole week of school, and has already been through one antibiotic. So wish us luck.
And here are a couple of favorites from the trip…
First, let me say a Happy Belated Memorial Day to all of you…and a very sincere thank you to all our Veterans who have, and continue to keep us free and safe.
Our weekend was delightfully busy. Our dear friends (The Mokturtles) came for a weekend visit and we had a great time catching up on all the news. My parents came to watch our kids, and the four adults got out for a FABULOUS dinner—the best one I’ve had in a very, very long time. If you ever happen to go to this restaurant, be sure to order the Sliced Tenderloin Bordelaise. It is TO DIE FOR!!
I was also introduced to loose leaf tea! I will never buy a teabag from a grocery store again. Mrs. Mokturtle brought me to an adorable little tea shop that happens to be local to me. She’s been mail-ordering tea from this shop for years, and I had no idea it even existed…go figure! I was KICK-ing myself for not bringing my camera. It is in an old warehouse so the building is quite unique, and the tea wall with it’s hundreds of paintcans filled with tea screamed to be photographed. No worries…I will go back, and next time I will bring my camera! (If you are interested in a brochure, let me know and I will e-mail you the info.)
The ladies managed to sneak out to Barnes and Noble to buy $260 worth of books for Mrs. Mok to use for her work with preschoolers. Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney is a must-have! And the guys managed to sneak out with Big Girl and Little Girl to go see Star Trek at the theatre. They all gave it a thumbs up!
And of course, no Memorial Day weekend would be complete without attending the parade. Here are a few photos from this year’s event.
Fabulous friends, fabulous weekend, and now a busy week ahead. Back to business.
A Half Hour a Day 