I Love New York!

I was looking back in my blog archives to see if I could post links to my previous NYC trips and realized that I don't actually HAVE any posts about my previous trips - at least not that I could find in a brief search of keywords or based on dates. How did that happen? Beats me.

Anyone who knows me or has read this blog for a while probably knows of my love for Broadway musicals. I've loved them since I was very young but did not actually see my first show ON Broadway until I was 32 years old...and nearly eight months pregnant with A. That first experience in August of 2002 - which was also my first time in NYC - was unforgettable. I went with my wonderful mother-in-law and a friend from NJ met us in the city that day and served as our tour guide. We saw 42nd Street - can you say 'quintessential Broadway show'? - and I soaked in a fair bit of the city on that visit. I should have signed up for one of the Duck Tours on that visit. My waddle would've fit right in. On foot we actually managed to cover quite a bit of ground in that day-long visit due to my insatiable appetite for the sights of the city. However, my feet were very happy for the 2.5 hour reprieve once we actually got to the show. And the show itself was a feast for the eyes, ears, heart and soul. It was everything I had hoped it would be...and more!

After that first taste of NYC I vowed that I would be back - as often as possible. In the intervening years I've managed to co-opt my mother-in-law into the role of travel partner and co-adventurer into the city to see more Broadway shows. We've been joined by a small cast of other characters who also enjoy the city in general and musicals in particular and we've managed to see some other great shows:

2004

2005












2007













This year I was joined in my NYC adventure by my mother-in-law J, next door neighbor L, and J's friend E. Another friend who has joined us from NJ in the past (but not the NJ friend who joined us in 2002!) was going to try to come this year but other financial obligations took precedence. (Note to S: we missed you!)

Here's the whole gang in NYC:



As you can see we had a cool and cloudy day in the city. Thankfully the skies stayed dry for the day.

When we arrived we headed straight for the TXTS booth and got in line for tickets. I have not been to NYC all that often but I have never seen the line quite as long as they were yesterday.
However, you would be amazed at the expertise with crowd control and the way they keep the line moving swiftly. We expected to be waiting quite a while but I think our total time in line and getting tickets was not more than 25 minutes. Not too shabby. We had checked the large screens that give you the list of available shows and while we were in line we discussed which shows we could all agree on. Our first choice, based on some recommendations we had gotten from friends (and from an employee who was helping to direct the throngs of theater-goers) was the show Curtains. The only thing I knew about the show was that it stars David Hyde Pierce (who won a 2007 Tony for his role as Detective Cioffee) and Debra Monk (who I later found out has played the role of George's mom on Grey's Anatomy - which is why she seemed so very familiar to me). I also knew that it was a murder-mystery-comedy which sounded entertaining enough for me. Not knowing if tickets would still be available once we reached the front of the line we had to have a back-up plan. They really like to keep things moving in those lines so you can stand there gawking and making up your mind or people get a bit testy. And lucky us! There were still tickets available once we got to the window so we did not need our to go to Plan B or C.

Lunch was the next order of business. L had not even eaten breakfast that morning and I knew I was hungry! L had been handed a flyer for a new French restaurant right in the theater district that was advertising matinee specials. We took a walk around the block and found the place and decided to give it a try. The food was delicious and although the service was slow it gave us time to chat and just 'be' in New York amid the noise, crowds (it was a small little place with close seating), and the excitement of the city. So, we enjoyed that experience even though it provided us with little time to actually explore the city - we decided later that the next trip will have to include more sight-seeing. With lunch over it was nearly time for the show to start so we left the restaurant, got our bearings and headed for the Al Hirschfeld Theater.

This lighted sign showed us the way to the theater from a couple of blocks away.

A very common sight in NYC - limos and taxi cabs...


...and tour buses, of course!


Once we got close the theater we saw a huge clot of people. Another amazing line.
It stretched from the theater entrance down the sidewalk, around a corner and ended about a third of the way down the block. Once again, the theater employees are masters of moving large groups of people in a short amount of time. And they opened the doors promptly at 1:45PM for a 2:00PM show.


If you work for that theater just ignore the next picture, please. I am being completely honest when I say that I had NO idea that photography in the theater was forbidden at ALL times. I understand no videos or photos of the show but I didn't think anyone would mind if I took a picture of the empty stage - with no flash even! Oh well - live and learn. Here's the one picture I took of the stage before hearing "NO PHOTOGRAPHY, PLEASE!" from an usher. At least she was polite about it.



Isn't it purrrrdy?

Due to photography restrictions mentioned above I obviously have no fun pictures to share of the big event but I will say that it is probably my second favorite show that I've seen in NYC so far. (Gypsy and 42nd Street currently tie for first place). What a great show! I am so glad that we picked that one to see and I think we were all equally entertained and delighted by it. The comedy was perfect, the music was fun and the costumes and scenery were fabulous!

Coming out of the theater there was a clot of people waiting on the sidewalk and we realized they were stationed around the Stage Entrance in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the cast and maybe get an autograph or two.




After waiting about 15 minutes - and seeing any number of people come out from orchestra members to lessen known members of the cast - we were rewarded with a glimpse of a few of the well-known, leading cast members.

Debra Monk (Hey look! It's George's Mom!!)



David Hyde Pierce


I could not get close enough when Debra Monk came out to get an autograph but I had managed to squeeze a bit closer when David Hyde Pierce made his appearance and so I handed him my playbill for an autograph and let him know that I enjoyed the show. He seemed so very small in person compared to how he looked on stage. He was gracious about having his photo taken and signing autographs even though he did look a bit tired. I was hoping he had time to rest before the 8PM show that night. It must be a completely grueling schedule and I just looked in the Playbill and noticed that the show has been running for over a year already.




By now it was getting late and we needed to get on the road soon but we decided on one last stop at the M&M store in Times Square.


I wanted to find a treat to bring home for the girls - and good thing I did because the first thing A asked me this morning was "Did you bring something home for us from New York?" ;-) I told them to go look on the dining room table which they did and they were delighted to find little plastic boxes filled with M&Ms - R got blue and white ones in a butterfly-shaped box, A got pink and white ones in a flower-shaped box and E got a rainbow of colors in an appropriately shaped rainbow box.

The drive home at the end of the day is the least exciting part of the day so I'll spare you the details but just suffice it to say it was uneventful and we all got home tired, but in one piece, and very happy for our day in NYC. And of course we have already discussed plans for our next visit which will hopefully be sooner rather than later!

Museum Day

Monday was Park Day here in Elastic Waistland.

Monday night into Tuesday A had her first ever overnight playdate with a friend. It went surprisingly well and we were all very proud of her accomplishment! Tuesday morning R had her 8-year check-up and was deemed hale and hearty - aside from a pesky sinus infection that doesn't seem to want to go away and for which she is now on her second round of antibiotics. After the appointment we picked up A from her friend's house, ran a couple of errands and then came home and enjoyed another beautiful afternoon outside.

Yesterday, we decided to venture a bit farther afield and drive into Boston to visit the Children's Museum. Rick took the day off from work and we got on the road at about 9am. We planned to arrive in the city in time for lunch and then hit the museum in the afternoon. It turned out to be a great day and the girls had a lot of fun. The museum was pretty packed and so it was an exhausting day from the perspective of two parents trying to keep tabs on three kids - in particular the 2-year-old who thought of the museum as her own personal playground in which she could wander at will. At the end of the day Rick commented on how hard it is being outnumbered in that kind of situation.

Before our departure I had researched possible eateries. The museum is kind enough to list a few choices on their website and an overview map showing locations. Once we got the car parked at one of the recommended parking lots we were able to quickly find a restaurant that sounded like it would be fun and offer food that would be amenable to the younger set as well as the parents.




A view of Boston with the yellow and red striped tent of the Barking Crab restaurant at the bottom.

Rick and I thoroughly enjoyed our crab cakes (he got the sandwich with fries and I ordered the appetizer version and a salad). The girls each got a cheeseburger and fries and although they thought the fries were awesome (they were!), they were less than impressed by the burgers - I think because they had that charcoal/blackened flavor to them. Sitting outside under that big tent with a view of the harbor and the city in the background was a great way to start the day in the city! And it was great that the museum was located just a short walk down the street along a pedestrian walkway.

Inside the museum the girls had fun doing all sorts of activities: rock-wall climbing, construction play zone, guided tour of a real Japanese house, playing with bubbles, water play with rubber duckies, slides, dancing on a lighted dance floor, and much more. At the end of the day A reported liking the dance floor and the water play, R liked "everything", and E just repeated whatever her big sisters said.

Here are a few choice photos of the day:

Construction zone

Rock Wall and Dance Floor (both located in the "kid power" area that encourages an active lifestyle and healthy eating)







Water Play



All told we spent about 3 hours in the museum and at that point E was feeling a bit of sleep-deprivation psychosis. She had not napped the previous day and this was a long day of fun and exploration. She managed to make it back to the car without falling asleep but as soon as she was comfy in her car seat being lulled by the sounds of the engine she settled in for a bit of a much needed and well-deserved nap. The girls watched a movie to pass the time (they had watched a Barbie movie on the way out - A's choice - and "A Bug's Life" on the way home - R's choice) and we arrived home in time to pick-up a pizza to eat at home for dinner.

It was a great way to spend the vacation "hump day" - hard to believe that it's already Thursday. The week is just flying by!

This morning we had a play date with one of A's preschool buddies who has a sister who is the same age as E (and whose name is very similar - one letter difference!). The girls - all five of them - played beautifully together and the mom and I chatted about this and that and talked some shop (we are both Speech-Language Pathologists). Right now, E is napping and the girls are keeping themselves entertained. Not sure what's on the docket for tomorrow but it is supposed to be another beautiful 75 degree day so I know we can figure out something to keep us busy!

At The Park

Seeing as we had such GORGEOUS weather today I could not resist a picnic at the park with the girls.

We arrived at the park not long before lunch so the girls were ready and very excited to set up our picnic right away!



Lunch was happily consumed by all.







And then the girls decided that a walk along the riverbank was in order.



And they spent much time playing by the river --



poking sticks in the mud...



...and throwing leaf-boats in to watch them sail.



And, of course they played hard on the playground, too.





They played so hard that it became impossible for the youngest to stay awake past 3PM.


(E curled up on the entry rug by the back door. Poor tired little bean!)

A good first day of spring break. :-)

Spring!

We aren't going anywhere special this spring break but I think we'll have a great time anyway. Who wouldn't enjoy such lovely weather? It's been a long winter but spring is finally here!



We are hoping to go into the city on Wednesday to go to the Children's Museum if Rick can take the day off.

Aside from that I think we are just going to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the warm sunshine and fresh air.

Flowers

Lauri and I went on our walk this morning. It is still chilly in the mornings but yesterday the temperature in the afternoon got to over 70 degrees and today it is supposed to get near 80! Summer is coming, folks!

When I got home I noticed that some daffodils in our front garden were blooming and the Star Magnolia tree (bush?) was looking quite pretty with it's white blooms. I ran inside and grabbed my camera to get a few shots. I'm not an amazing photographer and I don't think I captured the true beauty of the flowers in the morning light but I still felt like sharing a few of the pictures I took (click on any of the photos to view them larger at flickr.com):













And completely unrelated, but cute...A in the tub this morning with a bubble beard!




Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday!

It's All Good

Yesterday afternoon we had R's parent-teacher conference and today we went to A's school to talk to her teachers. I must say that I feel so blessed to have healthy and happy kids who do well in school. It makes the conferences something to look forward to and enjoy!

Last year at this time I was angsty and twitchy about R' s conference because the classroom she was in was just not a right fit and the year was a difficult one for her socially and emotionally. She was not happy and not challenged in the right ways. Additionally, the teacher was having her own personal issues that impacted the class as a whole due to her stress and her frequent absences. This year was a huge improvement. Her teacher has been fabulous. She was aware of R's social needs and worked on helping R build relationships with other kids. It wasn't always smooth-going but R made some great strides this year and was with a group of really great kids which helped make the process that much easier for her. I think she is developing a few friendships that will hopefully carry over into 3rd grade. Her teacher let us know that she is going to try to place R with kids that she works well with (and she is going to specifically ask R who she might want to be with in 3rd grade) so that the friendships can continue to grow next year. The teacher also had to work on encouraging R to talk more in small and large group discussions. It was something that she was very resistant to in the first half of the year and her teacher told us that it is something that will be expected of her a lot more in 3rd grade. We talked with her and explained that it was not really optional and that it was her "job" at school to share what she knows...particularly when she is asked a question by the teacher (her response was usually to drop her head and refuse to look at the teacher or answer the question). She is a very "rule driven" kind of kid so once we laid the groundwork and told her what was expected she really rose to the occasion and started working harder on those skills. Academically, R is doing really well - her teacher showed us some of her writing (and we all had a good laugh over the "how to" pages) and she told us that she has really developed some great writing skills over the course of this year. Her math skills are right on target (or even advanced in some areas...which must be Rick's genes at work in her because she doesn't get that from me!) and she is decoding above grade level with comprehension skills at least at grade level (she had inconsistent test results because of R's reluctance to talk/answer certain questions on that day). It's always nice to hear that your kid is doing well academically but I was even happier to hear that the social piece is starting to fall into place for her to a certain degree. I don't expect her to ever be the 'social butterfly' kind of kid, but I also don't want her to feel out of the loop and alone in those instances where she might want to be part of the action but just isn't quite sure how to go about it.

And speaking of 'social butterflies' - today was our conference with A's preschool teachers. It was another great meeting that reinforced our notion that A is more than ready for Kindergarten and is doing well both academically and socially. Her teachers have been so happy to have in her the class and she is a good friend to all the kids at school. She shows none of the sassy 5-year-old attitude that we experience here at home and her teachers were surprised to hear she was even capable of such behavior. Boy, she's got them fooled all right. But, in some ways it is nice to know that she is able to self monitor enough to realize what is and is not acceptable behavior depending on the setting. Not that I find it acceptable for her to sass me or Rick - or that I let her get away with it (far from it!) - but at least she knows that home is a safe place to test those limits and she knows better than to test them in school with her teachers. The teachers also told us that she is taking on more of a 'helper' role in the classroom when it comes to her interactions with her classmates. She likes to explain things to the other kids - like how to play a game - and she does so in a very nice way. And she is getting better at speaking out for herself when she encounters issues or problems of her own - last year she often sought out a teacher to fix the problem but now she is having fewer tears and using her language more to resolve an issue with peers all on her own. She has had a wonderful (almost) two years of preschool and we are all looking forward to her transition to kindergarten next year. We are hoping that she has the same great teacher that R had for kindergarten and there is a good chance that she will know at least a few other kids in her class - one from preschool this year and a couple of others from the neighborhood. However, we feel fairly confident that she will make plenty of new friends next year and will have a great time!

Phun with Photoshop!

I recently figured out (mostly by upgrading to the new widget-based version of blogger) how to put pictures in the header of my blog. So, of course I had to play with the formatting and style of the blog. I spent much too long searching for photos and browsing the various fonts to find just the right one and then I put it all together using Photoshop. Geeky, but fun. :-)

Just be forewarned that you might be seeing changes around here more frequently now that I can quickly change my template, add pictures to the header and other cool stuff like that. :-)

In the Pink!

Feeling like a little change here at Elastic Waistland. I wanted something brighter and "spring"-ier now that we have finally left winter behind! I lost all my links and formatting when I changed my background so I need to update that. Of course, did I write down the blogs I had listed? Nope. So, I will need to try to recreate that list from scratch. Oh well - it was probably time to clean house around here anyway! And there have been some links that I've been meaning to add so this will be a good opportunity to do that.

But, the updates will have to wait a while. R just got off the bus and now it is snack time!

This the first Monday in many months that we are not rushing out the door for swim class. I had been signing the girls up for consecutive 8-week sessions of swim class since last fall, but this time when I went to sign them up for the next 8-week session A's class was already full. I figured it was a sign that it was time for a break. Lately, R has been particularly whiny about having to go to swim class - I think she was needing a break. A is disappointed, but I'm with R...it is time for a bit of a break.

Rick and I will be meeting with R's teacher tomorrow for a spring conference. Hard to believe that it's that time of year already. I'll post and update on that tomorrow night - hopefully a good one! As far as I can tell she is having a good year and the social piece is getting better for her. The other day her teacher told me via email that R is talking and sharing more in class and in small groups which is great to hear.

And in a few short weeks I'll be signing A up for kindergarten!!! Egads.

OK, time to get snack for the girls.

April 12 of 12

The usual props go out to Chad Darnell for his nifty idea. Check his site for an explanation and to see the list of more bloggers who have done "12 of 12" this month (and many previous months!).



9:24am - at home
My new phone! I wanted to be sure that I remembered to do my '12 of 12' this month so I set a reminder on my phone and there is my new phone being all shiny and helpful.


10:30am - at home
Making the morning pot of tea. Believe it or not it's a tea called 'java' - click here and search for java if you don't believe me. (You could also click there if you want to be a tea snob like us and order some awesome loose-leaf tea).


10:34am - at home
Here's A fresh from her tub and looking all shiny and happy - and about to get attacked by the monster claw hand. The hand brings back memories of The Addams Family...
They’re creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They’re all together ooky,
The Addams Family.

...but I digress (and I apologize if you now have that song stuck in your head).


10:35am - at home
My current read. This was a book I bought for R for her birthday and it looked fun so I decided to read it once she was done with it.


12:47am - backyard
Our fledgling planties in the cold frame garden that Rick built. Among the plants growing there right now are lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions, and tomatoes! It's so nice to be able to get started early in the season - but we have to be vigilant about opening the frame in the mornings after the temperature rises and closing it back up at night otherwise they will either fry or freeze!


1:16pm - regional middle school parking lot
R had a birthday party to go to today at the middle school pool. I had just dropped her off and even though it wasn't my birthday I received the delightful gift of one and a half hours of freedom!


2:13am - downtown
The view from my park bench where I was enjoying a little treat from the bakery and an iced coffee while reading my book on an unseasonably warm day (although at this point a few clouds were moving in and there was a slight nip in the air). The large building on the left is Town Hall.



3:30pm - front yard
A crocus growing in our front garden. The sun is back out. It's a gorgeous day - too nice to be spent indoors. For a while it felt like spring would never come but it finally decided to grace us with it's warmth and beauty. Ahhhhh......


3:34pm - backyard (again)
Rick was busy resetting a stone wall that wasn't quite level. E was enjoying the weather and wandering around the backyard in her new rain boots (guess she didn't get the memo on the beautiful weather) - which were on the wrong feet. She didn't seem to notice or mind.



3:39pm - backyard...still
R saw that I was taking pictures and decided to run in and get her camera. She has quite the eye for artistic photography. I haven't downloaded her pictures onto the computer yet but I'm quite often amazed by what she sees and decides to photograph.


3:55pm - backyard
R was trying to take a picture of her own eye and that seemed like a worthy challenge so I decided to try it myself. It's really not easy. And when did I get that hideous crease on the bridge of my nose? Seriously. Botox, anyone?


9:45pm - at home
Rick and I ended the day with a game of Scrabble (And some decaf tea...can't forget the evening tea. This time it was Decaf English Breakfast. We may be snobs about our loose leaf tea, but we don't discriminate when it comes to 'breakfast' teas which we obviously think can be enjoyed at any time of day). I forget the exact final scores but it was a close game with less than a 20 point spread and both scores were over 300.

Hope you enjoyed the April 12 of 12! I'm so glad I remembered again this month!

Recent Conversations...

Just some funny stuff that fits under the label of "Kids Say the Darndest Things!"

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One morning we had a tough time getting out the door to get to church. I was cranky and feeling like drill sergeant barking orders to get them moving. "Shoes! Jacket! Now!" On our way home A was acting like a back seat driver questioning why I was going a certain way and here's the rest of the conversation:

Me: (still feeling a bit annoyed) "Don't worry. I've lived in Amherst for almost 20 years - I know where I'm going!"

R: "You've lived here almost 20 years? And you are what...37 now?"

Me: "Yup."

R: "I bet sometimes you wish you were 27!"

Me: (thinking, 'Hell yeah!' but not saying that out loud) "Well, not really...when I was 27 I didn't have any of you girls yet so I'd miss you if I were 27 again."

A: "Oh yeah? Well I bet when you get mad at us like you did this morning you wish you were 27 again!"

Touché

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I was headed off to work one day and dad was staying home with the girls. Sometimes A needs a little bit of encouragement to do outdoorsy things (even though once you get her outside she usually has a ball) so I mentioned that she should take dad out on a nature walk to look for signs of spring. She balked at that idea and I said "But you need to make sure dad gets out and gets some exercise today!" E (acting as peanut gallery) pipes up and says to Rick, "You borrow mom's tweadmill?!"

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R had a writing assignment in school recently that involved writing out the steps in a given activity. Each child chose his/her own activity to explain in a multi-step format. They were given papers with lines on which to write their step-by-step directions and boxes in which to make associated illustrations. The newsletter that came home from the teacher at the end of the week listed a few of the activities that the children had picked to write about. The titles were things like, "How to Buy a Metro Card in NYC" and "How to Make a Rice Roll-up." I asked R what she had chosen to write about. She proudly announced, "I wrote directions for making an origami box," then added, with a gleam in her eye, "and directions for sneaking out of bed when your parents are still up!"

Of course, I just have to share the rough draft that came home the next day. You know, just in case there are any kids out there who might benefit from my daughter's expertise in this area.

I'm loving the last picture on this page. - the eyeball peeking out of the slightly opened doorway.


And the first picture on this page, I am told, is of a parental units legs walking by the room - in which case you are supposed to stay put! The second picture is of the child's legs as they are leaving the room.


I noticed that there is no contingency plan - like a list of valid excuses just in case one is caught in the act. Surprising really, since she's been quite creative with her various excuses for being out of bed.

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Just a few tidbits from the Elastic Waistland. These kids are a constant source of amusement. I just wish I took the time to write down more of this priceless stuff!

Too Tired to Think of a Clever Title

This week has been a bit off-kilter.

Monday I was supposed to go on some AAC consults with the P from work. I had lined up my childcare for the day (thank you, Grandma and Grandad!) and arranged for Rick to do the morning preschool drop-off so I could get on the road early. I had my travel mug of tea, my lunch and my work bag packed and I was able to get out the door by 7:55am. Since I had a few minutes to spare I stopped to get gas. As I climbed back into the car my cell phone was ringing - the cell phone that I left in the car overnight after returning from the overnight visit to my home town. It was P calling to let me know that her son was up sick all night long and, as luck would have it, the student we were supposed to see was not in school that day either. She told me that she'd been calling since 6:50am to let me know and had left me multiple messages. Oops. I had only given her my cell phone number and then I stupidly left the phone where I couldn't hear it! We made mental notes to be sure to get each others' home phone numbers and I told her that I hoped her son felt better and that she didn't catch whatever he had. So, that was the Monday work day that wasn't.

Today I went into work for the afternoon for the staff meeting that kind of wasn't. Two of the five staff were not able to make it - one SLP was leaving for the west coast for some kind of job interview (yep - we might be losing her to another job! eek!) and P, whose son was sick earlier in the week, caught whatever he had and was home sick herself! So, it was difficult to do any kind of planning without their input. We have a tentative evaluation scheduled for Monday which will be one of those writing evaluations I mentioned in a previous post (I know nothing about them but hope to gain some level of training so I can help in that area as well) and we have an AAC evaluation scheduled for Thursday and I will be working with that team for sure. Since I couldn't talk to P about going with her to any on-site consults I sent her an email to find out what her schedule looks like next week so I can make the necessary child care arrangements.

I'm really enjoying the work, but the scheduling aspect of this job is frustrating at times.

In other news, I'm either a seasonal allergy sufferer or I have yet another early spring cold. This afternoon, shortly before I left for my meeting, my throat started to feel sore. I seem to always have some kind of respiratory thing whenever spring finally arrives. It may be that I'm just unlucky and get a spring cold every year but since it seems to happen every year at this time it does makes me wonder if I have some kind of seasonal allergy. The sore throat is still going strong this evening. I've taken some zinc lozenges to help nip it in the bud if it is a cold. I've tried antihistamines in the past but it doesn't seem to do diddly-squat for me so that is one reason that I question the allergy theory. I've been getting this "spring cold" thing ever since R was born. They say that your immune system can be affected by pregnancy and I've noticed this spring cold pattern since the year she was born. I'm usually fine most of the winter with no serious illnesses and then as soon as the weather turns for the better I go downhill for at least a couple of weeks. So, right now I am not a happy camper. And since it's now past my bedtime I think I'll say good night and get myself to bed.