New York City!

Brad turned the BIG 30 last week, so we thought it would be best to celebrate by visiting the BIG CITY! We were lucky enough to be able to stay with friends in nearby New Jersey - we met them here in Pittsfield before they moved. Having also lived in Manhattan at one point, we were spoiled to have Colleen as our very own tour guide on Friday. She drove us into the city - going over the George Washington bridge and catching that first glimpse of downtown Manhattan really got us excited to explore! Our first glimpse as to just what a high commodity space can be in the city came at the parking lot where they actually stack the cars!

Our first order of business was to find a bathroom, lol. We headed into the mall at Columbus Circle and found a restroom, as well as the HUGEST Whole Foods market ever! Then we relaxed in a corner of central park so I could nurse Owen before our first Subway experience. Heading down underground with the crowds, I was really glad we had Colleen with us to show us the ropes. I would have been so nervous otherwise! We took the subway downtown to the Staten Island Ferry. We scored some DELICIOUS lunch from one of the street vendors that specialized in gyros. YUM YUM! We ate in a little park at Bowling Green - the first "city center" of New York from back in the Dutch Colonial times (1600's maybe?). It was a beautiful little gem surrounded by the upward sprawl of the city.


We all had a treat from the icecream truck, and Eli enjoyed his first cone! Everytime I took it to lick the drips off the sides, he screamed "no mama! E-I's icecream!"


With our tummies full, we made it onto the Staten Island ferry for a glimpse of Lady Liberty, and a look back at the Manhattan skyline. Both sights were breathtaking, though I do wish we'd been able to get a little closer to Liberty. Eli LOVED the boatride, and kept looking for whales the entire time.



After the ferry, we got some more excellently guided sightseeing. We were able to see the historic spot where the ship Brooklyn sailed from NY to California with a full passenger list of early LDS saints. It sailed the same day that the first group of pioneers left Nauvoo on foot headed West. Nearby is old Pearl St. where some historic buildings still stand. The prophet Joseph Smith stayed in a hotel on Pearl St. on a visit to New York - he was impressed with the grandeur of the city at the time - the tallest building then was a mere fraction of the height of the average skyscrapers now!

We took a walk down Wall ST and took a photo op at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as at Trinity Church - the graveyard was especially beautiful with all the trees in bloom.


We were also able stop at "ground zero" where the twin towers stood until they were destroyed by terrorist hi-jaked planes in 2001. They are starting work on the new World Trade Center towers and museum, and are still working on dismantling the huge scraper next to the site that was damaged. They cannot implode it, so have to take it down piece by piece, which I imagine will take a few years.


We caught another train up to Little Italy after that, and met one of my old AZ friends for Pizza. She is attending grad school at NYU.

After some "authentic" pizza, Kim introduced us to Rice to Riches for dessert - a trendy little place that specializes in rice pudding of all things. I never knew that rice pudding could come in so many yummy flavors! We got rocky road and coconut. Then we took an evening walk through SOHO, and finally took a train/walked back to the car and got our exhausted kids home to bed!


On Saturday we got to brave the city ALONE! After a couple of false starts (bank card issue and a POOPY blowout that required turning the car around to get clean clothes) we made it into the city around 2pm. This time we went in via the Lincoln Tunnel - and I DROVE. ALL THE WAY. IN NYC TRAFFIC. I am woman, hear me roar! Lol. We parked at the stacked up place again, and walked into the city to see the LDS Manhattan Temple. It is beautiful in it's own way, but interesting to see it right in the city adjacent to skyscrapers like that. Most Temples are surrounded by manicured grounds.



We had another street vendor lunch - hotdogs and icecream cones this time - and took a walk through Central Park. It was a HOT day and everyone was out to enjoy it. I had that feeling of being in a crowd at some kind of event/concert just as it's getting out... anticipating the moment when it will finally clear.... only it doesn't clear! It's just CROWDED in New York. And hectic. Just check out the bodies scattered across the park! There's a whole different concept of "personal space" out there.

It's really impressive to see the massive scrapers rising up in the background of the beautiful park.

And of course we went to the Central Park Zoo - pretty much Eli's favorite thing besides the train and the boat. We spent the whole time watching the seals and the penguins. Eli did NOT want to leave the seals to go see anything else. Did I mention it was HOT? Probably like 87, which is an INFERNO after the winter we've had - not to mention it was still cold in Pittsfield when we left. So, kind of a shock to the system.



Right out of the park, we strolled down 5th Ave to shop with the rich and famous. We went into FAO Schwartz the toystore, but realized that was only going to lead to tantrums from our tired toddler so we got out of there quickly. I got to take a mommy-only detour into Tiffany's and tryon a $4K diamond ring. That was fun! =) As for the rest of 5th Ave, I guess designer labels don't really light my fire. I wish we would have used our time to go see Times Square, but there's only so much you can do in two days with two babies!



We had Pizza for dinner again, and headed down to Grand Central Station. It was too dark to get a good picture of it, which is sad because it's a BEAUTIFUL building! We could see the Chryssler building all lit up behind it as well - quite a sight! We actually caught the subway right from Grand Central (all by ourselves!!!) and went down to the Brooklyn Bridge. Eli got the hang of riding the train, and someone commented to us that he's a true New Yorker already =). Oh, and we actually saw RATS running down in the subway a few times.


We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge at night - what a SIGHT! I think that besides the ferry ride, this was my favorite part of the trip. I wish my camera could have captured that skyline all lit up. It was stunning to turn around and see everything all lit up - the city, the lights of the neighboring bridges, Lady Liberty's torch - all with the NYC traffic whizzing by below (the walking path is above traffic). Here's a stock photo I found that captures the view we had (minus the Twin Towers).


We got back to our friends' house that night after midnight - we had two toasted boys in the backseat! There is so much more we wish we could have seen, but maybe we'll have to go back one day when the kids are bigger. We're glad we had the New York "experience." Honestly one of the best parts is just walking around the city, amidst all the crowds and noise and smells and just seeing how people live! The whole atmosphere is so foreign to a suburbanite like me that it's like visiting another country. I wish I could have just taken pictures of all of the people - so many interesting and fabulously dressed city folks!


We are so grateful to our friends for hosting us and spoiling us while we were there! Their new home is beautiful - we felt like we were at a high class bed and breakfast the whole time with a great room and bathroom all to ourselves! Breakfast was always laid out perfectly for us - and just check out the view from the dining room window! It is friends like these who have truly made our "back east" experience memorable.

Extended Rear Facing

Somewhere along the way I picked up on the fact that keeping your kids in a rear-facing car seat for longer than the legal minimum of 1 year AND 20 pounds was a good idea. We even purchased a car seat that was approved for rear-facing up to 35 pounds, and kept Eli rear-facing until he was 18 months old. We flipped him forward before we made our 5 day cross country drive to MA, mainly to make it more comfortable for the driver because we have a little car and have a hard time getting the driver's seat back far enough to be comfortable. We never got around to switching it back forward again, afterall he was 26 pounds and almost 2. That is until a couple weeks ago when I ran across a video on youtube (that I found on another blog, I don't usually surf youtube) that had me outside the next day switching him rear-facing again. Eli is 28 months old and 30 pounds.




Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rear facing for as long as possible - up to your seat's maximum capacity. I hear so many people say they can't wait to get their kids forward facing, but after watching this video it might change your mind. As for Eli, it didn't even phase him. In fact, I think he can see better backwards because he has a view straight out the rear window versus just the back of the driver's head. He is also TALL for his age, and his little legs are crossed in order to fit - this doesn't bother him either. In the off chance a leg got broken in a crash, I'll take a broken leg over a broken neck anyday - young children have considerably large heads compared to their necks, and their spinal cords can be stretched to the point of breaking in a crash (essentially internal decapitation) from the force of their heads being thrown forward.

We will probably have to turn Eli forward in the next couple of months simply because he will be too tall for rear-facing limits (the head must be 1 inch below the top of the seat). But, seriously, we need a bigger car. Now Brad can't fit in the front seat without his knees touching the dash... which is a safety concern for him.... WHY did we buy a compact car again???

Anyway, watch the video and let me know what you think! It was good for me to have a visual of what happens in a crash.

For the Love of Footies

This post is in honor of those beloved footie pajamas - because kids in footie pajamas are cute, and cuddling kids in footie pajamas is the BEST.

Eli has been getting in bed with us at some point in the middle of the night for the past little while. He must be having bad dreams because he screams and punches (usually hitting me!) in his sleep. Sometimes I'm grumpy about this arrangement (being sandwiched in between two kids, nursed by one and slugged by the other) and the sleep disturbance it causes, but after a cuddly morning like this one, it's hard to regret a single minute of it.

Spring Frost

Just before Easter we had a lovely little Spring frost. Of course I'm always bummed when yet ANOTHER cold front blows in, but this one actually brought a little beauty with it. I was driving the boys to story time at the library in the next town over, and wound up taking a detour through a nature preserve to get some shots. All the trees looked as if they had been dipped in glitter frosting, and it was melted by the time we finished at the library. It's always amazing to me how striking the beauty of nature can be, and yet so fleeting. So sit back in your nice warm house and enjoy!

Eat a Bunny

Easter with a two year old - what FUN, I tell you! The Easter Bunny visits our house on Saturday, so that we can have our fun and remember to think about Jesus on Sunday. This year, when the Easter Bunny knocked on our door on Saturday afternoon, Eli was so scared about it, that we had to drag him, kicking and screaming to the door to answer it! Alas, we missed the bunny, but there was a basket of goodies for each boy. When Eli finally figured out that the bunny leaves treats, he kept asking for the "Eat a Bunny" over and over again. Lucky for him, the bunny knocked on our door at least three more times and left little candies on the porch =).

Coloring eggs was right up Eli's alley this year as he has really gotten into cooking. Whenever we cook he says "make eggs," so this time we really were making them! His hands are still blue, but we managed not to ruin any clothing. He and Owen each got a Baltic Amber necklace (traditional teething remedy in Europe), and Eli got some monkey toddler plates and Owen got a book. It was WAY TOO COLD to hunt for eggs outside, so the bunny managed to hide them in our house when no one was looking - two different times! Eli had a blast finding them, and has a pretty good eye. Owen mostly liked to play with the Easter grass, and enjoyed touching the eggs for the brief moments Eli allowed him to. And as usual, I took a bazillion pictures to document the occasion! The boys were so cute for church today in their coordinating sweater vests - which are both Eli's (yes, Owen was wearing a 2T vest!) that I snagged off Craigslist last year for a buck! We had pancakes and sausage and hard-boiled eggs for our Easter dinner. We love you and miss you everyone!

Coloring Eggs

The Goods

Our Little Easter Bunnies

Momnesia

My friend and fellow blogger Shelley recently posted about the "Momnesia" phenomenon. You know, the loss of proper brain function that comes as a symptom of motherhood - caused by lack of sleep, hormones, multi-multi-tasking, and being run ragged by kids! Well I had a noteworthy "momnesia" moment today that I thought I'd share.

Brad asked me to go deposit some money into our checking account today. I already had to leave the house with the kids for a Dr.'s appointment, so why not? The bank is right around the corner from our house, and they have a drive through. Should be easy, right? So I pull in the drive through and give the teller my name and SS# to look up the account, because I didn't have the number with me. After a few minutes she tells me she can't find the account. So I give her Brad's name and SS#. After a few more minutes she tells me she can't find it under his name either. I can see my kids in the backseat are getting restless, and I'm hoping I don't have to go inside to figure it out. Then the teller says to me, "You know you are at 'Bank A' right?" Oh crap. Ummm 'Bank A' is not my bank - I'm supposed to be at 'Bank B' just a block down the street! Doh! Embarassing! But in my defense, they practically look the same from the outside, and definitely look the same when you are sitting in the drive through! The teller laughed her head off while I pulled away. At least I made it to 'Bank B' and got everything squared away. =)

Dinner Time!

We've been eating a lot of breakfast foods for dinner lately - namely pancakes and french toast. Why? Because it is one thing that my *selective* toddler will eat with relish. And he likes to help make it too. Heaven forbid that I whisk together the eggs and pumpkin (I make healthy versions) by myself. If he even catches a glimpse of a wire whisk, he's right on top of it. It makes the clean up a little more interesting, but we're cooking up memories along with our dinner. Since I'm usually working on dinner before Brad gets home, and dinnertime happens to be a fussy time for my youngest, he gets strapped on my back for the activity.

1 "worn" baby + 1 whisking toddler + 1 disheveled mommy = good food and fun!

The other night Eli had a major sobbing tantrum just before dinner, and we soon discovered why. He inhaled most of his pancakes, but then just couldn't quite make it to the last bite. He passed out in mid-bite... completely ASLEEP sitting up with the fork halfway to his mouth!!! He sat there with his head-bobbing for a few minutes while we video-taped him. It was hi-la-ri-ous!!!! We started getting worried that he was going to hit his head on the table, so we took him up to bed. Well the stinker woke right up and wouldn't go back to sleep for another three hours... it was worth the laughs though!

YUMO:

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 C whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 C unbleached white flour
1 Tbs baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
2 tsp cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -1/4 tsp allspice - 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 C pureed pumpkin or winter squash
1 tsp vanilla
2 C milk
3 Tbs canola oil

Stir (and sift) together all the dry ingredients in a med. size
bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the pumpkin & vanilla.
Beat in the milk & oil until smooth. Add to flour mixture. Cook as usual! These smelled *wonderful* while cooking....like Christmas! SOURCE: "Beyond the
Moon" cookbook by Ginny Callan **Freezes Well**

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlerbreakfast.htm

This Boy

Apparently Eli is now referring to himself as "this boy." Today it was "help this boy" and "hug this boy." Also today I asked him if he was my boy, and he said "yeah, MINE boy!" Later I was cuddling him and Owen both on my lap, and he said "oh, MINE boys!" Then Eli held Owen's hand - it was so precious! Yep, I love mine boys =). While they were both still cuddled on my lap, Eli said "Love you mama" for the very first time!!!

Really that had to be one of the most tender moments of motherhood that I've had so far... and it got me thinking. Usually when we (I) think about these early and intense parenting years, besides "hard work," the word "sacrifice" often comes to mind. But looking deeper, I can see that all the hours/days/weeks/months/YEARS of cuddling, rocking, holding, singing, reading, playing, nursing and loving are not so much a sacrifice as they are an INVESTMENT in the future. And days like today show me that some of the fruits of those efforts are not so far in coming. So please, next time I vent on this blog about how tired and stressed I am, remind me of this truth! =)

My Seminary Teacher

Dear Brother Howells,

My heart was saddened to learn that you were taken from this earth so unexpectedly. It weighed even heavier knowing that I missed the chance to thank you in this life for the lasting impact you made on mine. I last saw you at my wedding reception 6 ½ years ago, and I should have thanked you then. I can only hope to have the chance one day to tell you, but for now I thank your family for sharing you with so many of us.

I was a sophomore at CDO during your first year of teaching seminary there (1996). I think all of us were a little unsure about getting a new teacher, but you won everyone over pretty quickly. Your enthusiasm for the Gospel was contagious, and your ability to make studying it fun was just what we all needed. It was through studying the Book of Mormon in seminary that year that I first really gained a testimony of the Gospel. Your own personal example of kindness has stayed with me through the years. You had an ability to show genuine interest in each of us as individuals, which for me personally made me feel important during a time when I was struggling and really needed a boost. You were like an extra father figure to me, and to many of us.

Your dedication to and love for your family is also something I will always remember. You couldn’t talk about your wife without completely lighting up, and you kept a framed poem she had written to you in your office. Surely your children have grown up a lot in the past ten years, but I remember your two darling little girls coming to visit you at Seminary, and how you and they both would light up every single time. I knew that I wanted to live my life in such a way that I could have a family like that someday.

All I have left to say is thank you. Thank you for giving of yourself, for living in an exemplary way, for loving those around you, for changing lives. I thank your family for sharing your light with us, and my heart goes out to them as I know they will be sorely missing you along with the rest of us.

Til we meet again,

Jeanine Kramer Benson

Obituary