First sleepover...well, almost

Grace stayed with Kellie, Tommy, and Dawson yesterday evening so Kyle and I could go to a wedding. (Thanks, guys!) All afternoon, I kept telling Grace she was going to play with Dawson. On the ride over we asked her, "Where are you going?" to which she enthusiastically replied "Dawson house!" Of course I reminded her to be nice and to share, but I was worried that Kellie was going to get some of Grace's two-year-old attitude at some point during the night.

I was so thrilled that as soon as we walked in, Dawson grabbed Grace's hand and they went off to play with her toys. Oh, to have a picture of that! But Kellie did a great job of taking pictures all evening so I wouldn't miss a thing. If you want to read Kellie's post about the night click here.

Grace and Dawson ate dinner (turkey burgers, corn on the cob, and milk) al fresco, and then went for a ride in the wagon which turned into a walk and a run. From what I hear, Grace didn't want to run as much as Dawson and eventually got back in the wagon - lazy bones!I wonder what they could be talking about here....they are just so cute together and seem to become better friends each time they get an opportunity to play. Kellie and I were just talking aobut how we hope this friendship will last a lifetime. They played on Dawson's swingset and with all of Dawson's toysincluding this big ball which resulted in one of my favorite pictures of Grace - ever!And eventually they went upstairs to bed to read stories and to sleep. Dawson sleeps in a "big girl" bed now but it sounds like she was happy to have Grace for company. Kellie said that Grace was a little afraid and started to cry so she rocked her and put her to sleep in another room.I guess that counts as her first "sleepover" since she slept over at Dawson's house...just not all night. We went to get her around 11:00 after the wedding reception. Can you believe that I have not spent a night without Grace since she came home in March 2008?

Thanks again for letting Grace stay over. We are lucky to have you as friends!

Water, water, everywhere

Sunday, July 12

Considering the fact that Manhattan is an island, water tends to be an important feature of the lifestyle here, especially in the summer. There are pools, sprinklers, boats on the rivers, and many opportunities to sit and enjoy the view of the sun rising or setting over the buildings.

It has been years since I have been to South Street Seaport, but when we went there on Sunday morning, it was pretty much as I remembered it. The old tall ships create an interesting contrast to the modern glass and steel buildings in the background.

Some new features include a beach overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge

and a water taxi that takes you uptown in the Hudson River up to Pier 84 at 44th street right next to the Intrepid. Grace enjoyed her boat ride. She sat by the window looking at all the sailboats and kayaks in the river. Grace noticed the Statue of Liberty in the distance right away and asked "What that?". We told her and even though she tried many times she had a difficult time saying "Statue of Liberty" so I just told her to call her "Lady". She waved to the statue saying, "Bye, Lady" long after we were past it.

We liked the Pier 84 area so much that we took Big Daddy back there for dinner at an outdoor place called O'Hurley's. We were able to sit at cafe tables for dinner and watch Grace play in the dancing waters of a fountain as the sun set in the background. Grace and I ran through and around the fountain a couple of times, timing it so we only got sprinked and not soaking wet! (This evening I left the camera at home so I could just relax and play instead of watching the action!)

It was relaxing, fun way to end a really great trip.

Walking on the High Line

Saturday, July 11

The High Line is a new public park that just opened this week in lower Manhattan. It is the result of a massive movement of businesses and residents in the area who wanted to make use of the elevated train tracks that were built in the 1930s to move freight trains above the busy streets of the city. The train lines have not been in use since the 1980s and a variety of trees, plants, and wildflowers have naturally grown around and between the tracks. The designers used what was there already as the basis for expanding the gardens and creating walkways that mimic the tracks. You can read more about the High Line park here.

We took the bus downtown on Saturday evening to walk along this really interesting city park. Grace loved the bus as much as she did the horses on Thursday. She held on tight, looked out the window, and sang "The Wheels on the Bus" which now has more meaning to her since she has experienced bus rides. When we got off and the bus pulled away Grace said, "Bye bus". Too cute.

The man-made paths were really well done - artistic, geometric, and planned to mirror the lines of the original tracks. They also had built-in lounge chairs to take in the sun and the views of the city on one side and the Hudson River on the other. This is definitely a place for a city stroll on a summer evening. Eventually, the park is going to extend further uptown and will have stores and places to eat. but until then, if you are planning to visit, I highly recommend one of my favorite NYC restaurants called "The Park" right at the corner of 18th Street and 10th Avenue. We stopped there for iced lattes and a cheese platter. Mmmmmm....

Near the end of our walk, Grace got a little case of the "terrible twos" and decided she didn't want to take another step. I had to laugh as people just walked around her!

Moo at the zoo

Saturday, July 11
The Central Park Zoo’s history is one of chance and convenience for New York residents. It began with the city’s residents’ habit of dumping unwanted animals at the arsenal – ranging from swans to bears. In 1864, the city’s legislature gave the go-ahead for the construction of some permanent structures to house the ever-increasing collection of animals and finally by 1934, funds were made available for the construction of a (then) state-of-the-art facility. The location quickly became a major attraction for visitors to and within the city.

Over the decades, as the zoo’s popularity increased, it became clear that the present construction was insufficient for the city’s needs. In the early 1980s, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York’s Parks Department jointly funded the renovation and reconstruction of the zoo’s facilities. In 1985, the improved and modernized zoo was opened focusing on keeping animals in their natural habitat as much as possible, while promoting conservation and animal protection.

They say the Central Park Zoo houses over 130 different species of animals, but on our Saturday morning visit we concentrated on the sea lion feeding and the children's petting zoo area.

The sea lions are a major attraction right in the center of the park. There are two sea lions who perform a variety of tricks a few times per day for their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Grace watched them closely and even mimicked their "barking" sound!

We also had fun feeding the goats, alpacas, and a big black cow in a specially designed area of the zoo that lets kids get close to the animals. Grace was hesitant at first, but Nana and Big Daddy showed her how to hold her hand out so the animals could get the food. Nana, being a city girl said this was the first time she was that close to a cow!

Three grandchildren

Friday, July 10

Grace and I don't live near any family members. Our closest family is 450 miles away in New York and New Jersey. So, we don't get to see them as much as we would like. But this weekend, Grace got to meet her cousins Connor and Ryan and her Uncle John and Aunt Deborah for the first time. They have kept up with her through this blog and Grace has been looking at pictures of them that we have hanging on the refrigerator. It was amazing to me, though, how easily she fit right in with them as if she had known them her entire life. Sometimes Grace is shy at first, but that was not the case with her cousins. She jumped right in and tried to keep up with 5- and 9-year old boys!

Connor was the perfect older cousin, protective and cautious with Grace. He pushed her stroller through the park, held her on his lap at dinner, and helped me to make sure she was eating. If it wasn't for Connor, Grace might have been having too much fun playing at Tavern on the Green to eat anything!Even though Ryan is three years older than Grace, they played together so easily. He showed her how to hop like a bunny and tried to teach her some break dancing moves! They were so cute dancing together every time there was some music playing. Ryan and Grace shared their milk, chicken, and French fries at dinner. Whatever Ryan did, Grace tried to copy!The three grandchildren had an artist sketch their portraits. Connor and Ryan do a little modeling so they are used to posing and sitting still. Grace had a more trouble, but did okay sitting on my lap as Nana, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle John made funny faces behind the artist to keep her attention.Uncle John bought Grace her first New York City hot dog! We also rode the carousel, chased bubbles, said "hello" to the horses again, played on the rocks and in the playground, and made sure to take our turn getting a photo at the "LOVE" sign in midtown.We went straight from playing in the park to end our busy day with dinner in the garden at Tavern on the Green. The garden was a beautiful setting with lanterns hanging from the trees that illuminated just as we were finishing our meal.

Nana took this photo of her three grandchildren in the Tavern on the Green garden.

Yes, we bought the souvenir photo!

Touristy, but it was the only photo of the entire family together!