Friends (Cont.)

Countdown

Friday - I came home from work at 12:30 am.

Saturday - I came home from work at 3:00 pm.

Sunday - I came home from work at 3:00. AM. Monday morning.

Monday night - M came home from work at 10:00 pm.

Tuesday - M came home from work at 8:30 pm. I came home at 10:00 pm.

Tonight - M will be home around 10 pm.

Tomorrow - M will be home around 8 pm.

Friday - Rehoboth!

Alice

Alice and I had SUCH a fun afternoon together!! I picked her up early, and we walked home through the park. We took our time, just letting Alice walk wherever she wanted to go. It took us 2 and a half hours to get from daycare home -- all of 20 blocks. But it was heavenly. Alice ran all over the place, playing in the grass and mud and uneven sidewalks. She pointed at every dog that walked by, and cheered when we reached the swings. It was just such a pleasant, relaxing afternoon - no pressure, just fun. Heaven.



I love the arms in the air on this picture - a carefree and happy Alice:


And this video is worth it for the last 5 seconds:



Finally, in the midst of the hurricane on Sunday morning, desperate for an activity to amuse Alice (as well as ourselves), we let Alice "finger paint" with died yogurt (THANK YOU Sarah for this great idea). We stupidly let Alice see us mixing the paints, so she just chowed down. Adorable!

Placeholder

Lots to say, but for now, I've been listening to this song on repeat since about midnight last night:



The romance of this story is overwhelming and beautiful.

Excited!

Just booked my ticket to visit this sweet lady...

On a Mission

Grocery list all ready to roll!

Alice Sleeps...

... So Mommy reads under the covers with a cup of tea. Heavenly.

Ideal

Lately I've been talking with other working mommy friends about the struggle to keep our families fed/clean/happy, our work life on track and ourselves sane - forget about living by some principals we value (i.e. eating home-cooked food, visiting farmers markets, getting out of the City every once in a while).

So of course we all come to one basic conclusion: can't we work 3 days a week? This is a silly idea to waste too much time on, since most of us can't afford that option. But it does sound lovely - having a few days out of the house to be engaged in the outside world, but also having enough time to get groceries purchased and apartments cleaned and errands run so that we aren't spending family time dealing with chores.

Ahhhh dreams...

(PS Are you sick of the same post over and over?)

Bag o' Books

Break

Sometimes

Sometimes I really miss the old neighborhood. I miss the way our apartment was put together, the feeling of being settled. We've lived in this apartment for a year and a half, and I still feel like we haven't fully moved in.

Of course, then I remind myself of the kitchen and the bathroom and the lack of doors, and I realize that living in our studio at this stage in life would be an insane challenge. But it was great while it lasted.

Bath with Friends

We did it!

Today is August 12th. Five years ago, Michael & I got married! Congratulations, my love!

It's been a thrilling five years - graduate schools; a law degree & a public health degree; about 200 jobs; two apartments; five countries; multitiudes of trips to Virginia and discussions about where to live and debates about politics and life in the City and having a family; and - of course - Alice.

I can't quite shake the feeling that I got better end of the deal. I married a man who is brilliant, romantic, fun, interesting, engaged in the world and his role in it. He wants to do good for people. He wants a life that prioritizes family above all else. He is exceptional.

Happy anniversary, my love!

Morning (Take 2)

I had an insanely productive morning. Before leaving for work, I:

• Did laundry
• Made lunches
• Made breakfast for Alice (forgot to make anything for myself, or for the hubs)
  
• Did all the prep work for dinner
  
• Unloaded the dishwasher
• Dressed Alice
• Hugged, kissed and loved on my family

It felt pretty great, I have to tell you. I've started preparing for dinner in the mornings, which has helped ease the stress of the evening and increased the frequency of us eating at home. We've been doing very well with family dinners, eating together at least 5 times a week. It's been a priority, and we've been sticking with it. I'm pretty proud, I have to say.

And can I ask for some input? I would LOVE book recommendations & good summer-time recipes (i.e. those that don't require the oven or stove for any longer than 20 minutes). Please share!!

Work, cont.

Last night, we continued to promote the "Make NYC Your Gym" campaign with a night at the Brooklyn Cyclones, one of our local minor league baseball teams. Their stadium is out in Coney Island, on the boardwalk by the beach.


We had a lovely time, my colleagues and me, watching inflatable characters promote fitness and seeing the stadium erupt in cheer when mascots started tossing out our "Make NYC Your Gym" T-Shirts.


You can't really tell, but this is a picture of our logo on the jumbo tron! And here is one of our fun colleagues wearing their shirts and showing their support for the campaign:

The New Normal

Our office moved out to Long Island City in April. Our new lunchtime walks take us here:


So insanely random.