Heaven Hill Farm, New Jersey

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I once dated a guy from Australia. I won’t go into the details, but if you’d like to read more about that ill-fated situation, you can always check out this post where I discuss things like his fire-fighting skills and clinical amnesia.

This guy, let’s just call him D– once claimed that everything Americans do is done on a big scale. Every movie theater is a Megaplex, every stadium screen is a Jumbotron, every soft drink is a 64-oz Big Gulp.

I acknowledged his point, responding that while yes, this is sometimes the case, America can also be quaint and lovely and not at all grandiose.

Take for instance the Fall Festival that we attended last weekend. The event organizers could have made it over-the-top and glittered with gold. But really, who needs to be the best Fall Festival in town? Not these guys. Modesty was the name of the game.

We were welcomed by some ghostly goblins.

And became acquainted with seasonal farm equipment.

Next we found a carousel…

A Ferris Wheel…

Carnival-moving vans with all kinds of amusements and curiosities …

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Family

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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NYC

The Met

Monday, May 26, 2014

Living in New York has its sacrifices, namely indoor space and a backyard. Yes, I know, the world’s tiniest violin is playing for me right now…the horror, such noble sacrifice. But we do get a whole lot in return – including two of my favorite pastimes, food and art.

The Museum of Natural History and The MOMA are the museums we visit the most, but the Met is also great for kids. It’s across town from us, which is why we don’t visit as often. But when we do, we try to spend at least a few hours exploring. Here are a few pictures from our visit last month:

We always hit the Egyptian gallery first so that the kids have a chance to walk through ancient tombs. On the way out of the gallery, Sam thew me his best sourpuss face. There is nothing that strikes fear into the hearts of parents more than seeing sourpuss in the early stages of a museum visit. Thankfully he was making it because he wanted to hold the map, not because I was about to drag him through a collection of ancient artifacts. And at least the kids could both agree on one thing: our next stop would be the knights.

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NYC

To the top of the Empire State

Monday, March 31, 2014

My kids’ elementary school recently had a half day of classes, which begged the question: “what to do?”

Usually when I ask my guys for their input, they suggest dinosaurs or The MOMA. But this time Lauren mentioned that she’d like to go to the top of the Empire State Building. Which is fine by me because when it comes to being a tourist in this city, I’m first in line. I’m not above gawking in Times Square and hopping on the red bus tours. Maybe it’s because I’m not from New York, but I’ve always kept a sense of wonder about the city.

This wasn’t our first trip to the Empire State building, but it had been years since our last visit. Plus, it was a beautiful day, making the view that much more promising. With a warning to the kids about long lines and no complaints, we headed up to 36th Street and Fifth Avenue.

When we arrived, I was roped into taking them on the Skyride, a bumpy simulated flight through Manhattan. If you’re easily nauseated, this might not be your finest hour. But my guys loved it and were asking for round 2.

With promises of another visit, and hot chocolates in their future, I was finally able to pry the kids away from the Skyride and head upstairs for the main event: the view.

The Empire State building has two viewing floors – the first is on the 86th floor: