Monday, September 5, 2016

2016 North American Road Trip (Part 1)

As we entered the middle of the August we were ready to begin preparations for our ill-advised 2016 North American Road Trip, a reprise to our 2014 North American Road Trip. This time we'd have one more child in tow.

Kindles and Backpacks Ready For Trip

We surprised the boys with their own kindles which were pre-loaded with games, movies, tv shows, and other apps to keep themselves entertained throughout our long car rides.

Still in the Garage

Moments later they were both in their seats while the car was still parked in the garage as we finished packing it up.

Rest Stop Calisthenics

Jen, like last time, was the master of entertainment and kept the kids active during our frequent rest stops including races and calisthenics.

Josie and Daddy at Melt in Cleveland

As we approached Cleveland the boys were astounded by its beauty. "It's so beautiful!" Elliott proclaimed from the backseat as we passed by both of its buildings.

We stopped at a restaurant called Melt that had been recommended for its grilled cheese. I was extremely skeptical but it turned out to be an incredible place.

Melt's Pokemon Notice

Not only was the food good but after a long day in the car Martin and Elliott enjoyed battling in the nearby gym.

Crossing Street in Cleveland

We got to our hotel pretty late and the kids bathed and got in their pajamas as I made numerous runs out to the car and upstairs to the six hundred degree laundry room to wash vomit out of Martin's car seat cover. We learned about an hour in that Martin got carsick from using his Kindle in his lap. Thankfully this did not extend to watching videos with it on the seat back.

Early Morning Departure

I forcefully woke the kids up the next morning around 5:00 AM to begin the longest driving day of the trip. Some children responded better to this wake up call than others.

Excited About Their First Gum

We stopped to get gum for them for the first time to help with Martin's motion sickness. We researched it and it is unanimously held that four-years-old is old enough to be able to start chewing gum.

We quickly learned that four-years-old is not old enough to start chewing gum.

Martin Coloring in the Car

Martin was able to do a lot of coloring in the car which kept him pretty happy as it is one of his favorite pastimes. Unfortunately he also barks at me from the backseat to print him pictures to color, something he is used to doing at home. Unfortunately he doesn't grasp the concept that this is a little harder on the road, despite his repeated use of the word "please."

Martin Ready for Carsickness

Martin was ready for carsickness the next day. He was under the impression that he was sick since he threw up the previous day but astonishingly that was the first and last time it happened during the trip.

Looking Over Upper Manhattan From Fort Tryon Park

In the late afternoon we rolled into upper Manhattan and the kids got a chance to see where we used to live.

Bubses at Fort Tryon Park

We took them by Fort Tryon Park, one of our favorite places to visit near our old apartment, as we waited for our Airbnb to be ready.

Dinner at Kismat

We also took them to one of our favorite dinner places for Indian food which happened to be across the street from our Airbnb.

Sweet Manhattan Parking Spot

The parking gods smiled down on us, something they rarely did when we lived there, with a sweet spot right outside our apartment building. Rekindling old thoughts of living there I was dedicated to not moving our car at all until we were leaving New York for good.

Subway Ride in NYC

The boys were excited for their first subway ride, at least the first subway ride they remember. They were a little disappointed to not see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any rats. They also didn't see any worms, something they thought would clearly be in ample supply as we would be underground.

Bubses at the Hayden Planetarium

We took them to the Natural History Museum starting at the Hayden Planetarium and they could not have loved it more. After a challenging subway ride (it turns out it's a lot harder with two strollers) they were happy to run through the planetarium and learn about black holes.

We spent a lot of time talking about black holes for the remainder of the trip.

"Did He Die?"

I told the boys how all the animals there were dead and stuffed. Elliott then asked, "Did he die?" I informed him that the Scuba diver was not actually a real person that had died and had been stuffed but was merely a mannequin there for scale.

I'm still not entirely sure I was right but I'm too uncomfortable to look up the real answer for fear of being wrong.

Secret Splash Pad Outside Hayden Planetarium

We heard of a secret splash pad outside the planetarium and took the kids there. It was a huge hit. Perhaps even better than running around and getting soaked was the ten-year-olds who were sitting on some of the water jets and letting the jets shoot out from between their legs and yelling, "I'm peeing!"

This was perhaps the funniest thing Martin and Elliott have ever witnessed.

Patti LaBelle Record in Window in Washington Heights

It was good to be in our old neighborhood. It was reassuring to find that the sun-faded Patti LaBelle record is still in the window of the building just around the corner from our old place.

Our Old Apartment Building

Our old place was still looking the same although there were fewer motorcycles parked int he foyer than when we lived there.

Mofongo in The Heights

We could think of no better food to get for dinner than mofongo and it was a huge hit with all the kids. While we complain of a more limited number of specific ethnic cuisines where we live (e.g. Indian, Ethiopian) there is absolutely nowhere to get mofongo near our place now.

Bubses and Fish

The next day we went to Coney Island to meet Paul, Caolan, and Jane at the New York Aquarium.

Best Attraction at the Aquarium

The biggest hit at the aquarium seemed to be the air blower, undoubtedly there to prevent mold growth from some tank leaking somewhere. This entertained the kids endlessly. We stood around taking pictures and videos of the kids having fun until an aquarium employee came by and then we pretended to be good parents who were trying to shepherd their kids away from the drying equipment.

Beach with Mummy

We then had an impromptu walk to the beach. This was ill advised as we didn't have swim gear, it was quite hot, and we were ruining our car with sand earlier in the trip than initially planned.

Josie on Beach with Auntie Caolan

Josie was extremely skeptical of the beach but eventually warmed to it. In Rhode Island she would open up even more.

Grimaldi's

Six or seven years ago, well before any of us had kids, we had a failed attempt to go to Grimaldi's where we decided it was better to go to an inferior pizza place rather than wait in line three hours for Grimaldi's. On this day our wait was about three seconds and the pizza was delicious.

Daddy, Martin, and Caolan

Martin had a fun time talking with Paul and asking him to do silly things, something Paul is generally always willing to do.

Elliott Playing with Uncle Paul

Back at Caolan and Paul's the boys got to engage in one of their favorite activities: playing with other kids' toys. This was something they were able to experience a lot of on this trip. Never were there more castle and knight themed toys than visiting with Jane. This was pretty much the same thing that happened with me and Paul thirty years previously.

New York Aquarium Photo

Overall it was a hot, amazing day in the sun with great friends in a city we love and miss.

Eli and Martin Sword Fighting

Then it was off to New Jersey to visit more friends we miss in a state we don't miss as much. Martin immediately found foam swords and an intense hours long battle ensued.

Ponsit

After a few short days on the road a home cooked meal of ponsit was eagerly welcomed.

Stormtrooper Helmet

The boys got to wake up early the next morning and continue to rifle through the new toys, trying on many new helmets in the process and probably breaking most of their toys at the same time.

The Beaudry and Farmer Kids

Around lunch time it was time to say goodbye and head out to Central Park.

With Heather, Adam, and Declan

We got to see friends Heather and Adam again and meet their son Declan for the first time.

Martin Hugging Carousel Horse

We got to take a ride on the carousel in Central Park and after the ride I turned around to get Martin and found him so moved by the experience that he was warmly embracing his carousel horse.

Learing the Finer Points of Pokemon Go

After a jaunt in the park Jen took to teaching some of our friends the finer points of Pokemon Go at a local hot spot.

Jen, Ryan, Joe, and Nate Outside Central Park

We got to also visit with Joe and Ryan who we haven't seen since the holidays. Overall it was a very quick visit but it was great to see everyone even for a small time.

Packing For Rhode Island

After the day in the park it was time to pack up the car and head to our next stop: Rhode Island.

Our Old Apartment in Rye, NY

On the way we stopped by another old apartment where we lived when the boys were born. Josie and Martin slept and Elliott didn't bother looking up from his Kindle but for Jen and I we were taken back to many happy memories. At least the memories that didn't involve many tens of thousands of dollars of our possessions being destroyed in a flood.

To Be Continued . . .

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Zucchini Days of Summer

With July here Josephine was not going to daycare a few times a week for short days. The initial drop offs, predictably, were not smash hits with her. She calmed quickly as we left but seemed unimpressed with her peers. After all, she is used to mixing it up with three and four-year-olds. What was up with this group of children the same size as her?

Getting Ready for School

Welcome Josie

Nonetheless, she attended school bravely and allowed her mother to have a whopping four hours to get her work done. This was still nowhere near the amount of time she actually required but a vast improvement over no time at all, short naps, or most commonly after everyone is asleep.

Knock Knolls Late Night Pokewalk

Before my parents left we were able to enjoy a few late night pokewalks. We went on a wonderful late night stroll through a nearby park and enjoyed a nice sunset in between catching imaginary creatures with our cell phones.

New Playset

Seeing the joy on my childrens' faces as they play in their newly constructed playset still does not make it worth the hassel of putting it together. If they didn't love it as much as they do I'm pretty sure I would resent them for the rest of their lives.

Zucchini Carbonara

The zucchini harvest has been unbearably large, as normal. We've enjoyed (or at least tolerated) zucchini at every meal. One dish was this zucchini carbonara that turned out pretty great.

Safety First

Josephine has enjoyed Nana's rocking chair. Mostly she's enjoyed standing in it and getting a reaction from her parents.

Martin's Pikachu

Martin has been obsessed with sculpting things out of Play-Doh. One creation was this Pikachu.

Zucchini Cakes with Yogurt Sauce

Jen made zucchini cakes with yogurt sauce one night while I was at work. The children enjoyed them enough so that there were none waiting for me when I got home, a stark departure from most zucchini-based dinners we've made lately.

Timber Ridge Getaway

We surprised the kids with an overnight trip to an indoor/outdoor waterpark which was a huge hit.

Timber Ridge Getaway

Thankfully they had a blast inside, outside, and at the arcade.

Timber Ridge Getaway

It was a ton of fun. The boys are pretty good in the water now but supervising Josephine to make sure she doesn't drown is a fulltime, extremely stressful job.

Snoozin' and Readin'

The boys checked out some books from the library. Elliott picked this seemingly harmless book featuring two children on it dressed like superheroes. We thought nothing of him reading it all the time. One night while I was cleaning up I flipped through the book and discovered it was a graphic novel intended for teens or adults. I learned this by flipping to a part where one of the characters puts on a gas mask and kills his own mother.

Note: pay better attention to what they're checking out of the library.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

The only vegetable just as plentiful as the zucchini has been the tomato crop. Tomatoes are a little easier to use and Jen made a delicious tomato sauce by roasting them in the oven.

Zucchini Fritters

Jen also made zucchini fritters which we served with a summer vegetable boil with ham to use up most of what we were backing up on.

Elliott Shaving in Tub

Elliott has enjoyed Martin's gift perhaps more than Martin and has been regularly shaving in the tub although sometimes he leaves the shaving cream out and Josephine eats it.

Bike Ride at Lake Carleton

Jen was away for a business trip so I took the boys on a bike ride at the park. Martin, who I realize had never really encountered a hill, took off down a steep hill, and went through an underpass as I chased after him. While I ran toward the tunnel he was approaching I had visions of broken limbs but I came to find him startled, but perfectly balanced on his bike having steered clear of any danger. For the rest of the ride he took all hills extremely gingerly.

Last Photo Before Elliott Disappeared

We also went to the Arboretum. I took this photo of the boys before looking around twenty seconds later to find Elliott was missing. It was a long five minutes before I finally found him. My knees are still a little weak just thinking about it. Luckily the Arboretum serves beer and I had, perhaps for only the second time in my life, a beer before 12:00 PM.

Buried at the Beach

When Jen returned we took the kids to the beach where they both requested to be buried and they wore themselves down leaping into the pool at least one hundred times.

Post Beach Movie Time

After swim class and the beach I let them watch a movie on the iPad to wind down. It was perhaps the smoothest bedtime in ages.

Grilled Zucchini with Basil Balsamic Dressing and Feta

More zucchini. Grilled with basil balsamic marinade and feta cheese.

Primate House

We also went to the zoo and I got to see the primate house for the first time which was pretty impressive. Josephine was mesmerized by the monkeys leaping around.

Sandwich Creme

Josie learned a new word, "Cook!" She chants it regularly every night after dinner until I give her a cookie. She then wanders around eating it and leaving surprisingly few crumbs throughout the house.

Medals

The boys got medals for soccer. They were already obsessed with medals from pretty much every book and story ever. They think a mayor's main responsibility is handing out medals. That's silly because everyone knows a mayor's main responsibility is cutting ribbons with comically large scissors.

Goodbye Letters to Teachers

As the summer draws to a close at school they made some nice notes for their teachers and gave them to them at their last day before Pre-K.

Cousins Sleepover

Another milestone was their first cousins sleepover. The nighttime chaos was no greater than normal and, surprisingly, they all went to bed with fairly little incident.

Renaissance Faire (2016)

Renaissance Faire (2016)

We took our second annual trip to the Renaissance Faire. What a difference a year makes. The fact that it was twenty degrees cooler probably also had something to do with it.

Renaissance Faire (2016)

Renaissance Faire (2016)

We got the jousting in time this year and they were so excited. Every night since then they have grabbed anything they can to make knight costumes and lances. They say to do calming things for your children before bed. What could be more calming than a few rounds of jousting?

Playdoh Leonardo

Martin has continue his sculpting by making Ninja Turtles and showing them to me.

Surprise Playdough Michaelangelo in My Bed

He also sometimes sneaks up and leaves them right on the side of my bed and, unfortunately, I roll over onto them.

Daycare Dropoff - Mixed Emotions

Josie's first days of day care are still a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. Mixed in that her brothers love it and she hates it. She does warm up to it fairly quickly but she now is able to determine earlier and earlier that we are taking her. She does not take kindly to this daily betrayal.

"Family Band" Audience

Last night we did "Family Band" which is a common activity before bed where the boys stand on their beds and sing along to Dire Straits songs. First, Elliott arranges the audience on the floor and has us sit down.

"Family Band"

Second, they turn off the lights and sing into their sippy cups while jumping on their beds. Josie got into the action by dancing for the entirety of their show and screaming when it was time for her to stop.

Our summer activity list is nearly complete. I feel we've probably made more progress on it this year than in nearly any other year in the past. Certainly better than before we had kids. It doesn't come without a cost and that cost is in pretty much all of our bodies hurting all of the time and in it taking ten minutes to get out of bed in the morning.

I really thought that was going to start up a lot later than this.