I am no longer a crap mother. Thank you for your kind words and declarations to the contrary. You gave me a much-needed boost.
I am, however, a crap blogger because when I was spending all that quality time with my kids, I wasn't blogging or even thinking about blogging. I didn't even do the twitter, which is like my new secret obsession. Obviously, I must love the little rugrats.
I know this because I was in a Vulcan mind melt with my children, where we shared a single brain and frolicked with abandon in meadows inhabited by butterflies and bunnies, and I was completely focused on their every need. If they wanted juice, I knew it three seconds before they could open their mouths to scream it at me. I confounded them with my attentiveness. 
And this was all good until this morning when Lucy begged me to go back to the Internet and my writing and leave her the hell alone. Apparently, they missed barking out orders until I looked up bleary-eyed from my laptop and paid attention to them.
The period of rainbows and unicorns is officially over. 
But we had a blast - one of the places we went this weekend was up to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. If you live in NYC, the surrounding area or are visiting, you'll want to take a little day trip there.
I describe it this way: A gigantic playground with a clean and serviceable restroom, surrounded by Italy with some of the best food, markets and specialty produce I've seen. And it's a 15 minute drive from our house - far enough away to make it feel like a treat, close enough to prevent episodes of high-pitched screaming in the car seat torture device invented by members of the Taliban.
We ate chocolate cannoli on the playground and bought freshy-baked bread. 
And Lucy and Edie picked out their seeds to plant vegetables and zinnias this spring. 
And we ate pizza at Zero Otto Nove and the kids learned to dip their bread in olive oil and we tried different meats and brought home sopressata, home-made mozarella and proscuitto. 
And, much to our dismay, we realized that when left to her own devices, Lucy dresses like a sister wife in a polygamist cult. 
David suggested we remove any clothes in her closet that she could use to look like a Mennonite.
And we played on the playground until Mr. Softee came around with his seductive music calling us to the truck like the Pied Piper's children and got ice cream cones and ate them on the drive home.
It was all pretty great.
xxoo YM
6 comments:
that sounds lovely! that is the best kind of mommy time.
Well at least we have you back.
If she can produce food the way they can, let her dress that way.
I'm so glad you had the time with the girls. I bet it was great. And I'm giggling at your assessment of Lucy's clothes hahaha.
Glad you came to term with your mothering skills. As usual, I loved the pictures. Your girls are growing so fast. OMG Kim, Arthur Ave. A couple of years ago, friends of our, who used to live in Brooklyn took us there. You're right - incredible fun, incredible food. We loved it - had dinner there & bought pastry at Egidio's. Much to my delight, it's only blocks away from the St. where I lived as a child (LaFontaine Ave) - it was very nostalgic to go there even tho the house I lived in no longer exists.
I went to the city with Mary, Mike & Susan last Sat. just for the day. Thought of calling you, but figured you'd be busy with family on the weekend & time was pretty tight. It was a last minute thing with us - we actually went to buy tickets for Billy Elliott for next month. (BTW, what did David think of that show??) Anyway we got the tickets & also went to see Chicago which I had seen years ago, but enjoyed it again, walked up to Central park, had a bite to eat and came home. The theatre district was packed - you'd never know there was a recession!! Thanks for telling your readers about Arthur Ave. It brought back pleasant memories.
Rita -
I was thinking of you when I wrote this post. I knew that must have been near your old stomping ground. I think Arthur Avenue is definitely your kind of place. Very old New York in all the best ways!
You are going to LOVE Billy Elliott! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! David and I saw it and you are going to laugh, cry, be amazed by the kid that plays Billy, the whole thing. It is really a great night of Broadway theatre...And I'm a cynical theatre snob who likes nothing on Broadway. So, that's sayin' something.
Give a call when you're in town!
Kim
"the car seat torture device invented by members of the Taliban" Oh, you have one too? I thought I had the only model based on my 6 month old's reaction to it...hates the high chair too. WTF?? He hasn't associated the chair with food yet but some day he will. Oh yes...he will.
I laughed outloud at your comments on Lucy's attire. The term "sister wife" slays me every time I hear it. That's wrong, I'm sure.
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