Where Tuesday is Friday

Monday, August 25, 2014

“I wish it were Summer every day” Lauren told me last week. “That way our Summer would never come to an end.”

And that, my dear girl, is exactly why Summer should come to an end. Nothing is special unless it’s sacred. A weekend isn’t indulgent unless it’s well-earned. And so, too, with this perfect string of weeks that separates Memorial Day and Labor Day. Days that bleed into each other, leading me to ask on repeat – “is today Friday?”

Rodney was traveling last week, so we did what we do on most days, which is make things up as we go. It was our last full week at the lake.

Last visit to the Ringwood Farmer’s Market (at least for a few weeks) to pick up some really big shoe-matching carrots…

Last time to make a mess of my closet and try on our bridesmaid and flower girl dresses for an upcoming wedding one…more….time…

Last time to crash our friends’ houses for frozen treats. Those red treats, dangerous….Unless you intend to look like Batman’s archenemy, in which case, perfection….

Last few hangouts on the dock with aging furry friends…

Last time to walk the patio with the intention of…

….making shoes; that’s right, that was the day when they piled Rainbow Loom bands on the ground and made some desperately-needed footwear…

…and a pair for me…

…a pair for all of us….

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NYC

The wheels on the bus

Monday, August 18, 2014

Can it be that our endless summer is actually coming to an end? Time to get my head back in a New York frame of mind. Although we’re leaving so much stillness and beauty in Greenwood Lake, there is culture and excitement, chaos and adventure that lies ahead. In some ways I can’t wait…

Before school ended, the kids had a half day at school and I wanted to share a few pictures from our day since the weather was perfect for a Red Bus tour. If you’re ever in NYC for the day, do not miss this activity– I could ride the bus a dozen more times and still be content.

I’ve mentioned it before on the blog, so it should come as no surprise that I love to be a tourist in New York City. There’s so much to see, and the best thing about a Red Bus tour is that you can see so much of it at once.

I’ve taken Lauren on the tour before, but this was Sam’s first time. Lauren fell asleep 10 minutes into the last tour, so I was hoping that Sam wouldn’t do the same since it ain’t cheap to ride the Gray Line, but fortunately they were well-rested and up for some fun.

Starting with lunch at Westville, or “West Village” as Lauren likes to call it, not realizing that there’s an actual West Village and that this isn’t it.

(I felt the need to include a ketchup action shot since that’s how we roll there…they have my kids’ favorite fries in the city, lightly breaded to make them extra crispy.)

We started our tour on 8^th Ave with some frustrating non-kid-sized headphones, but once we squashed and pinched the ear buds enough, we finally got them wedged into position.

And we were off….cruising first through Times Square past the Neil Simon theater…

…then on to Columbus Circle where Lauren stole my old lady hat.

Finally, we rode up along Central Park West and through the Upper West Side to Harlem.

We weren’t long into our trip when we passed 110th Street and our guide pointed out the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Although I’ve taken the bus tour a few times, I must have always tuned out at this point because I didn’t realize that it’s the biggest cathedral in North America.

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Family

All in a day’s work

Monday, August 11, 2014

“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.”

Dorothy Parker

“Mom, can we borrow something from your closet?”

“That was fun. Hey you guys, what do you want to do next?”

“I’m bored, can we go to the park?”

“Higher!”

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Travel

Lake Martin, Alabama

Monday, August 4, 2014

I hinted last week that I’d come with lots of fun pics from our trip to Alabama, and I stuck to my word. Please forgive me for making this a long post, sometimes it’s hard to restrain myself.

Lake Martin in Alabama is one of our favorite annual trips – there is so much to do, to see, to drink, and to laugh about together as a family. When you marry someone, you marry their family, and I’m so fortunate that I found a group of people who are so incredibly fun-loving and warm-spirited.

It’s trains, planes and automobiles to get to Alabama every year….

….but to fend of the relentless “are we there yet” questions, I just remind the kids that their favorite long-haired cats are waiting for them.

For them, Alabama is about cat love. For me, it’s everything else…

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Family

The beauty of solitude

Monday, July 21, 2014

We’ve had so many guests in recent weeks that it feels empty at the lake when they leave.

But when I think about why we left the city for the summer, it’s for these moments. The quiet moments. The days that actually let you unwind.

The days when you get to explore new places…

…stroll with the dog…

And watch the sunset from a new vantage point…

I love the solitude that comes with these quiet moments. Life becomes less frenzied, giving us time to pause and appreciate the little things; puddles…