Happy New Year!

Oh, how time flies with two kids in the house...so this will be a LONG post.
Things have been going great here in New York. My parents were here for more than a week over Christmas. The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa visiting. We took in lots of the sights while they were here, including getting to know a bit about our little town. The first day they were here we hung out at home most of the day. My mom and I took a grocery run and drove up north about 40 miles to buy a "city-worthy" double stroller I found on Craigslist. It's a great sit 'n stand type stroller that after two days in the city with both kids, I can say is a life saver! Mzee often wants to walk but then gets tired. He is just too big to sit in the back seat of our traditional double stroller and if he sits in the front you can't even steer as he is really too heavy for it. This new stroller is a breeze and he loves that he can sit or stand, or walk beside us when he has the energy...which is more than we would think!
That night we went to this great little pizza shop right here on main street in our town. The food was great, as was the service. The owner came here from Italy more than 30 years ago and has has had his pizza shop nearly that long. He and my Dad hit it off and were telling each other jokes by the end of the night. We easily could have gone back again before my parents left but found plenty of other places to eat, not to mention eating some great home cooked food compliments of my mom!
The next day we ventured into the city for my dad, Mzee and Milan's first trip to the Big Apple! I actually drove us into the city which is a pretty short drive, and on a very overcast Saturday, early in the day, the traffic wasn't too bad. We then managed to find a parking garage that was somewhat reasonable by New York standards. Our first day in the city we went to Times Square, had lunch at a nice little family style Italian restaurant, and then made our way to the Staten Island Ferry for a free view of the Statue of Liberty. Mzee's only request when asking what he wanted to do in the city was to see the Statue of Liberty. He loved riding the ferry! When we got close to the Statue of Liberty, Don and my Dad took him out on the observation deck of the ferry. It was raining a bit at that point, but we could see the ferry pretty well. It was cold though so after a few pictures they hurried back inside. Once the ferry arrived back in Manhattan we took the subway up to Rockefeller center to see the Christmas tree and the skating rink. It was extremely crowded, as is to be expected, I suppose, given that it was the last weekend before Christmas. Given that it was the end of the day and the kids were tired, it was a bit too chaotic. I've been to Rockefeller Center before, but have never seen it so crowded. You couldn't even get near the skating rink to see the skaters. Somehow, my Dad managed to find his way to an opening and hoisted Mzee up on his shoulders so he could see the ice skaters. He was very happy about that. It was getting late so we started to head for the car after what was an exhausting day of touring the city on the ferry and the subway. The subway is quite a workout with a double stroller as many of the stops do not have elevators. It would be unmanageable alone, and was still a lot of work with four adults! By the end of the day we had a pretty good system. Grandma would hold Mzee's hand and walk with him while Milan would ride in the stroller. Don would hold onto the handle of the stroller and my dad and I would lift the front of the stroller up or down the stairs as needed.
On our way back to the car the rain started and continued to pick up as we got closer to the car. We loaded up and headed out of the city, was in the wrong lane at the toll station and had to make a detour across another bridge and by the time we turned around, we had to pay another toll to get back to the correct route. Don gave me a GPS as an early Christmas present which has come in quite handy here, however, it always seems that at the moment you REALLY need it you get a lovely "Unable to locate satellites..." message, which was the case this night amid the rain. However, we had a general sense of where we needed to go and got turned around and back heading the general direction we needed to be just as "GPS lady" found her satellites and started giving directions again!
The next day was Christmas Eve and I went to work knowing that there is typically an early release on Christmas Eve. I was home from the city by 4:00 and we had a fun dinner of appetizers, chicken wings, chips and cheese dip, potato skins and the like. Then we watched Polar Express, which Mzee really enjoyed...although he had to go to bed before it was over!
Christmas Day was great! Although we haven't really talked up Santa Claus, he was really into it this year. He got a 'real' guitar and walkie talkies and Milan got a ride on Winnie the Pooh choo-choo train and a drum with musical instruments inside....I think they are going to be the Otondi Family band..they both LOVE music! They got several other things that they really loved as well. Great-Grandma sent a GREAT train set for Mzee and an adorable Peppermint Doll for Milan.
Our friend Pat who moved out this way about a year ago, joined us for Christmas dinner, and I know my Mom really enjoyed seeing her! The three of us got in a Scrabble game (the official board game of my Mom's family) after dinner while the kids had their naps. Then we had Don and Mzee's favorite dessert...pumpkin pie! It was a wonderful day!
On Wednesday, we went to the New York Botanical gardens where we are now members. Four adult and one child admission, plus the fee to park was so close to the membership price we went for the membership. It's very close to our house, and has a great children's garden, so it will be worth the money. They had a holiday train show that was spectacular! The trains were running in and around many New York landmarks and famous houses that were all made out of natural materials (tree branches, bark, etc.) It really was amazing! They also had a great Gingerbread exhibit for kids with lots of activities for them to participate in. We'll be back to the Botanical Gardens in January when Thomas the Tank Engine makes a visit.
Thursday, I worked again, and my Mom and Dad took a scenic drive through town and a couple of neighboring towns.
Friday we headed back to the city, this time on the train. Mzee and Grandpa sat together in the back of the car we were riding on and had a great time looking at the sights out the window. Once to the city we went to the UN to show Don, my Dad and the kids where I work.
We didn't spend too much time there and then it was time to find lunch. We couldn't really decide where to go as most places near the UN are not stroller-friendly. My dad had seen a pizza place near Times Square on tv and we had walked past it the last time we were in the city. He suggested that we try it, so after consulting my trusty subway map, decided the bus would be the best way to get there. We had to fold the stroller to board the bus, but in the end it was still easier than going up and down into the subway! I don't think any of us were prepared for what we would find when we got to Times Square...the streets were packed with people! We found our way to the restaurant through terribly crowded streets only to find it was a 40 minute wait. We were already there, although the kids were already hungry...so Don and I headed back to the last street corner we passed to buy them a hot dog to tide them over. While there, my Dad called to say our table was ready, so we hustled back to the restaurant. John's Pizzeria, was a pretty cool place, and in the end, worth the trouble! It is inside a former church and has a stained glass ceiling and a great mural on the wall. There are two levels of balconies, and they cook pizza on each level! The food was really good and it was neat to eat there. After lunch we walked to the Javits convention center as I had purchased tickets for 'the boys' to go to a Motorcycle show that was there. My mom and I sat with Milan who was sleeping and drank coffee and kicked up our feet while the guys took in the motorcycle show. Once it was finished we had to wait what seemed like an eternity for the bus to pick us up at the convention center. The bus is a direct bus to Grand Central where we caught the train to come home after another full day in the city.
Saturday we all went to church in the morning, and after church went to lunch at a Chinese Buffet we found in the next town over. They had an extensive buffet with all kinds of food, but there was a strange smell when you first walked in that tainted Don's impression of the place. In general the food was acceptable, but I'm not sure we'll be back there any time soon, if at all.
After the kids had their naps we went to a shopping center to JCPenney to get my mom some new luggage (our gift to her) since she'll be traveling much more now that we moved. The store was packed with people taking advantage of the after Christmas sales, but we managed to get a great deal as a result of their sale! Then it was off to dinner at the Thru-way Diner. I'd read about it online and heard good things and we were not disappointed! The food was great, their menu has just about any type of food imaginable! The decor is very 50s, lots of mirrors and chrome, but it was very clean for as old as it must be! I think this is another place we may frequent!
Sunday we took my parents to the airport and then spent the rest of the day at home.
This week I worked Monday, but got out early. The weather was so nice that Don took the kids to the awesome playground here in our town. On the way there, they saw a fire, so stopped to watch the firefighters in action...Mzee was in awe! He LOVES firefighters.
We celebrated New Year's Eve at home, watching the ball drop on TV. New Year's Day Don's cousin and her family who live about two hours from here, came for a visit. They have two kids, a boy and a girl and they played so well together! Mzee was very sad when they had to leave. I think he really enjoyed having some other kids to play with as he's been out of daycare now for a month.
That all changed today though as he started daycare at the childcare center here in town. It is right next to the train station, so very convenient for us. He was a bit apprehensive when we got there, but once he found the train table, I'm not sure he much noticed when we said goodbye and left for the day. He did have trouble settling down for a nap, which is nothing new as his teachers from his former daycare can attest to. He did manage to sleep for about 30 minutes more than an hour and a half into nap time. The afternoon was a bit troublesome for him, but when Don picked him up he had lots of great things to tell him about his day! He made a chimney with a fireplace during art time, and got to play outside on the playground. When I called to check on him, his teacher said that they had the same lunch that they had when he was there to visit a couple of weeks ago, and he remembered that and said "didn't we already have this?" Don and I agree that having him back in an all day program will be good for him as he was getting a bit bored with the lack of structure during the last month!
Milan is still home with Daddy while we work to find her a temporary daycare until she is 18 months old and her name comes up on the waiting list where Mzee is.
As for what the kids have been up to, Mzee has been very busy with his new guitar and many of his toys. He got a new game, Cootie, and asks me to play it with him every night! He also got a Word Whammer that sticks to the fridge to make three letter words, and he is amazed by that. I showed him how to make the word DAD the first day we really played with it and he often rearranges the letters to see if he can make a word and then spells dad again when he is finished. He is always saying something that makes us laugh, even when we shouldn't. One of his favorite new phrases is: "Wait a minute!" And it's not just that he says it, but the way he says it that cracks me up! When my parents were here my dad noticed that he doesn't really ask for certain foods at the table, but if he sees someone else eating something he wants he'll say, "I looooove _fill in the blank_". This is his subtle way of asking for some of whatever you are eating.
Milan is doing great too...she is learning new words every day, and was often heard saying "Boo!" to my Mom or Dad to get them to play peek a boo with her when they were here. She has some flash cards with big pictures on them and she loves to look at those and tell them what is on them. There is a ball, dog, tractor, and many others, but those are the ones she knows how to say in a way that we recognize anyway. She is also obsessed with going...she frequently goes to the coat closet and bangs on it saying "ja ja ja" for jacket. If you don't acknowledge her, she'll have a meltdown, but if you get her coat out and give it to her, she gets VERY excited and will say "ga ga ga" for go! I'm no sure if this has something to do with the move or not. I sometimes wonder if she things we'll go back to her house or take her to her former daycare...because she never got this excited about going until she was here in New York. She's still not walking on her own. She can, but just doesn't realize that she can. If I very slowly and sneakily take my hands away when she's walking, she'll keep going for 4 or 5 steps or until she realizes she's on her own, and then she'll just stop and sit down. She's a very fast crawler and also can cruise pretty well too, so she'll walk when she's ready.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Holiday season and a Happy New Year!