Up high like a kite...

H randomly had a Friday off and the weather was amazing. Since the weather was nice, we decided to pick the kids up from school and go to dinner. In a small plane.

Also amazingly, H flies a 75-99 seat aircraft, a jet,  regularly, but he has to be checked out and have so many hours in a small plane, to fly his family around. So he has been doing that. He rejoined the club he used to teach at and has been practicing with a Diamond. After getting signed off, we needed a nice day and an open evening.

 It seems so little and guess what-- it totally is...

 Trust me, you have to like the people you are flying with.

 We flew to Urbana, Grimes Field. It is a short hop and they have a great little greasy spoon at the airport. Back in the day, when H was training, this was a regular outing for us. Fly somewhere, eat, fly home, log hours. It used to be that many air fields in the area, had decent little lunch and breakfast places. Sadly, as gas prices have increased, pilots have hung up their headsets and the little restaurants have all but disappeared.

Our approach into the unmanned airfield always makes me hold my breath. There is no one organizing the traffic and it is the pilot honor system. (No kidding.)

We ate and had to be quick about it, because even though H can land that big jet at night, in the rain and blah, blah, blah, he was not current to land the little Diamond at night, so we have to get back to Columbus before dusk. (Wanna hear something really funny. Ask H how the FAA defines dusk. I dare you.)

 This is a large quarry near Plain City apparently.

 Chasing the setting sun...

Tuttle Mall area on Friday night.

 Lining up with lights and runway seem so easy when H does it. I know it isn't and he used to sweat it more than he does now. He made it seem as simple as driving a car. Behind the controls H is cool as a cucumber.

This was a great shot. We glided down like a feather. And we clapped after we got on the ground and might I just add that he cranked that little plane right around and onto the taxi way, when ground control said he could exit the runway at his discretion.

The kids had a blast.  (And seriously, they have great greasy spoon food and pie. The pie is the highlight, I am told.)

It was an awesome evening. One of my favorite things in the world is being in a small plane with H. It is awesome to see him doing something that he loves so much!

Music Monday: Roll Out the Barrel

The Beer Barrel Polka... a variety of renditions...

So a little known fact, H and I can polka and pretty well actually. We took the kids to the Oktoberfest this weekend. I have to say the Oktoberfest here is as about as authentic as the Irish Fest. It is an American version of why a Oktoberfest might actually be.

And that isn't all that fair. H and I have been to some festivals in Germany and they are similar to ours-- food, beer, wine, and fun. I do recall the food being better...

When L was young and we went to Germany, before this blog existed and before E was on the scene, we went to a Spring Festival. There was music and dancing, kids activities and plenty of drinks. Drinks served in real glasses.

Germans have a tradition of beer halls, beer gardens and Stammtisches. Time to gather and drink and socialize.

I have to say the bands at the Oktoberfest were very good and the kids danced and H and I did too...

The children are over half German. H is 100% and I have a quarter or so in me. It is their heritage, even if we do no belong to a German-American society like H's parents did. We don't use real candles on the Christmas tree and while I make a mean schnitzel, I can't make a strudel to save my life.

I remember when all things German were treated with suspicion. When I was a child there were whispers of Nazis and Walls and responsibility. East Germany was a scary place. (And honestly, it was... and I have some toilet paper from East Germany, from my time studying aboard and that stuff was like sandpaper...)

I remember one of my first non-academic run ins with East Berlin and the realities of a totalitarian regime was the movie Gotcha. We would get it from the library. I know I watched it more than once before my trip and after.

So while we polkaed away and the kids ate American food and wrinkled their noises at H's goulash, I wondered, what will they remember of their Oma and her country? Is that the reality of the melting pot, does it all fade away to a facsimile of what is real?

Stitched with love... a drawstring bag

When S and I were texting this summer about the wedding, I said I wished I lived closer, so I could help with the wedding. Without missing a beat, she took me up on my offer. She wanted me to use my mad sewing skills...

As a point of clarification, I do not have mad sewing skills. I have, however, over a period of time taught myself to sew. I have a long ways to go. What I would like to be able to do and what I actually can do vary greatly. I also really need to make friends with my mother's sewing machine, which is a much spiffier model than the one I am using.

I digress. So S needed a cute, modern drawstring bag for the breaking of the glass. In case you didn't know and slept through Yentl, at a Jewish wedding, the couple break a glass at the end. The glass is in a bag and the bag gets stepped on.

There are a variety of symbols associated with this custom, but in this case J and S choose to temper the joy of their day, by noting that not every couple who wishes to marry, can legally marry and while they celebrate their marriage, they take a moment to pause and reflect that not everyone is so blessed. (I cried as the Rabbi read the explanation...)

I was so incredibly honored to sew this bag for them. What a wonderful gift they gave me. A chance to participate and create something beautiful for them.

S also gave me alot to work with. She sent me links to bags she had looked at, her pinterest wedding page, and dimensions.

Had I been more together, I might have shopped before the trip to Sarasota, but I wasn't that together, so I ended up shopping right after the kiddos went back to school. I was looking for grey fabric, with accents of teal and orange.

As I texted S, grey was SO LAST YEAR!

I will admit the fabric proved challenging. I spent a long time in JoAnn's searching and searching. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have searched online. In any event, I decided on a remnant of one and a good solid choice for the other. I ended up making two bags, so that they could choose  which one worked the best. One was more romantic and the other more tailored.

The tailored bag, was nearly technically perfect. The more romantic one was really a stretch for my skill set and the fabric was a challenge to work with.

They ended up using the tailored bag.

I have to say I was pleased with both of them... It was a project of love and I would do it again in a minute...

So-- what I know you all want to see, pictures and my process.

For bag number 1-- the tailored bag, I used some high quality quilting cotton and some fusible interfacing. Ideally I would have been able to find a coordinating cotton and lined the bag that way, but sadly... nada... I struck out, so I simply used the same fabric for both the lining and the outside.

I watched this video as a refresher to making a draw string bag, which honestly is a very basic sewing skill, that I think all aspiring seamstresses should have in their bag of tricks. It is a handy little skill.

Before cutting my fabric, I fired up the iron and created a doubled sided piece of cloth.

 Step 1: Cut two pieces of cloth and place the fusible interfacing in between, wrong sides of the fabric together.

 Step 2: Once you have double sided fabric, measure and cut the fabric to your specifications using whichever method/pattern you have chosen.

Step 3: I decided to add some bias tape to the upper hem, for a nice look and to make the bag a bit stronger.

 Step 4: I threaded the cord thru and then decorated with orange and teal beads, to make the bag match the colors I knew S and J were using for their wedding.

A peak inside the bag!

I love how this one turned out!! It was technically near perfect. I agreed with S that cotton would be less likely to be slippery, I don't think the utility of the fabric took away from the elegance of the bag. (I also disclaim the breaking of the shoe... seriously, the bag was solid but not that solid.)

Version two was clever and pretty. I found a remnant and decided while it wasn't a perfect color match, it was in the right family of colors. I also had some silk at home, which coordinated with it well. Searching You Tube, I found this video that walked me through the creation of a fancy bag.

Warning: the music is annoying, but the tutorial is worth it. I will be the first to admit, that had I had more time, I think my bag would have had less technical errors. This wedding pouch was a stretch for my "mad sewing skills." Darts and hidden drawstring channels. Also my button whole presser foots was MIA and then once found, the machine and the tension was wonky.

In any event, the bag was cute and while it wasn't technically perfect, it was lovely and made with love.

 Inside the bag: I have to say I was super pleased, I managed to make a lined bag... it isn't as easy as it looks and I sort of surprised myself.

The finished bag. I will say the drawstring on this one did not work exactly as I had hopped and I did add some fun beads as well.

The blue fabric is lovely and I have enough left over, that I plan to make a pillow for the newly redone living room.

Having been to the wedding and seen the crisp tailored linens, my first bag fit in perfectly. The second one was romantic and whimsical, but not a match.

Music Monday: A love song

I hinted on Twitter I was making something very special. I meant to have a post up and ready to go for Saturday, but I was too busy having a great time in Brooklyn, NY. I was too busy making friends, celebrating with friends and basking in the affirmation of that great love, the desire to build a family is not exclusive to a select group of people. New York wisely and correctly recognizes the rights of all citizens to declare their intentions to each other. (Can I have a hell yeah?)

Marriage means so many things. Many people enter into marriage as an extension of their religious beliefs.  Other do it, in order for the state to legitimize their relationship. Marriage in modern American culture and civics affords couples certain legal rights, prescribe the passage of real property, children, hospital visitation and taxation. Even medical insurance is offered to married couples differently than cohabiting couples.

In many cultures, when a couple marries, either the man or woman, leave his or her family of origin and join the household of the other. We see this still strongly upheld in Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern families. In many cases, the new couple reside with the parents or in some cases the parents move in with the new couple.

Modern marriages may be a mix of all of these practices. Take H and I, we had a very traditional Catholic wedding, but had privately made our own very personal and private agreements. We had no control over our vows, they were totally prescribed by the church as was the music and flow of the service. (While I had very good reasons for following that path then, I wouldn't do it that way today... I would today hold out to do it our way!)

H and I have, as a married couple, revisited and adjusted our agreements as we as individuals and a couple grown.

Marriage is a journey. It is a building of a family of choice. It is creating and bonding and making something bigger than the individuals coming together. In many cases this describes any relationship. Marriage is special, because as a culture we have woven it together with so much. Our culture has developed around the idea of couples as a key building block of families and communities.

To deny the right to marry, to all Americans, is to say that some couples/people, their building blocks are inferior. I reject that. When individuals come together, state an intention to build something, which is bigger than themselves, to take on the name family, to form a unit, which is stable, affirming, loving and a credit to their community(-ies,) then that is a marriage.

No two marriages look the same. How could they be. We are individuals first. No joining of individuals will every produce the same result. That is what makes the process so empowering, fulfilling and joyful.

I promise to unveil what I made, but today, today I raise my glass once again to J and S. Two of the most loving, generous, and fiercely fantastic ladies I know.  It is not just the fiercely loving gazes they shared under the Chuppah but the gathering of people, who stood by them, who celebrated with them and who came together to say, we support your love, we have always supported who you are as individuals and who you are together, because together you are a power forged in love, acceptance and understanding.

So today I leave you with two of the first songs played at the reception... which I think define who J and S are in their love... and who we, the gathered friends and family are to them, love. In all its forms and in all its facets. Love is a power, which will not be denied. No matter how hard some people fight to deny it-- love will conquer...Love will never be denied. The joining of those in love-- it is a human right, which cannot be denied in a democracy which prizes individuals and liberty.

Edward Sharpe-- Home.

This made me cry, listening to the lyrics, I thought-- yes... home. Home is where love grows. Homes are so different. What is inside and outside... just like a marriage... each one is different...

This is Pink's Song Raise Your Glass-- but this video is awesome, so I am featuring the cover. We were loud on Saturday night. Loud in our celebration and loud in our love. Not everyone lives in a State where they can choose marriage. We loudly rejected that, we spoke out against it. We committed to continue to speak out against it. I will continue to speak out against it. No one at the wedding of S and J can deny that the service was about their love for each other, their love for their friends, the love we felt for them. It was friends and family and the room wept with love.

No one should be denied that, ever...

So today-- S and J! I raise my glass again, to you, to your love and the celebration of love.

I am also committed to keep raising my voice... I will not stop-- until all celebrations of love are recognized in this country!

Music Monday: Beach Boys & Black Keys

I do not really like the Beach Boys, but my mother did. In the next ten days I am going be very busy. A trip with the kids to visit my sister in FLA, while H stays home. Then a weekend away for some last of summer R & R. Then school starts. Whew a whirlwind!

What I want to know is why are their pants so tight? And seriously, how much did they pay those girls to scream like that... so weird.

Those shirts are scary in black and white...

Now I have to say-- the Black Keys, those guys I like... perhaps it is generational. I seriously doubt my mother would like the Black Keys... in any event as I write this the night before I leave town, after battling through a week full of ear infections (E), fever, headache and chills (L & I), and general mayhem-- I am very much looking forward to seeing my sister, relaxing on the beach and getting some real time with her. It has been too long! I need ocean, sand, sun, and my sister!

And to be fair-- these guys aren't wining any groovy dresser awards either...

Happy Birthday to my Little Diva

Today is L's 10th birthday. She is a decade old. I will never forget the Tuesday she came into our lives. She came into this world on her terms... the only way she knows how to do anything-- her way. I was overdue, it had been a long hot summer. My water broke at 5 am and naturally I cleaned up the mess, made myself breakfast, changed clothes, rechecked my hospital bag for the 50th time and then, when it was really later than it should it have been, we went to hospital.

 So much has happened in the last decade. We moved to the house we are in now, shortly after she was born. Her Omi died in 2006, when she was 4. My mother died, her Grammie died in 2011, when she was 9. My Dad and stepmother divorced a few years ago, as have some of good family friends.

She has experienced the big D's-- divorce and death in her first decade. She takes it in stride.

 My baby is fierce. She is tenacious. She takes on a challenge and beats the hell out of it. She has struggled with reading--> but no one tried harder to get better and read more challenging books than L. She reads to whoever will listen, the rabbit, the cat, the gerbils, the wall, me.

My baby has passion.

She wasn't always the most graceful girl or the most talented in her dance classes and gymnastic classes, but I will tell you what, she sometimes was the one working the hardest. She is an amazing dancer and she has achieved her goal, to be in the gym class she is today. It has meant extra practice, private lessons, home work and determination. All of that said-- she is there, per-placement gym and exhibition before middle school.

 Lately her passion is cupcakes and Cupcake Wars. Seriously, she is a tome of cupcake trivia.

L has wrought great change in my life. When I had her I was at a crossroads, a professional one, a personal one and an emotional one. I think had I not let H talk me into having a baby, I would not be where I am today... L has always inspired me, challenged me and shown me that being the best of who you are born be depends directly on your willingness to live the life you were born to live. So as I tell her every night, you know I love you and no one loves you more.

Happy 10th Birthday L... You light up my life and there is NOTHING you can't conquer. You have already proven that...

Music Monday: Otis Redding-- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

This last week has been busy and meaningful, full of love. I celebrated my birthday in style with my loves and I most especially took some time out for me. I have been needing quiet time for me.

We are now turning the corner into the last weeks of summer vacation. E heads to camp in a week, L is preparing to celebrate her birthday and my little people and I are taking a short trip to the beach to visit my sister right before school starts.

As I thought about what to write about today, I pondered the past week and the next few weeks and I had a lazy summer vibe wash over me.

Kinda like this song...

A long overdue introduction...

We have some new members of our furry brood. Allow me to introduce Tizzy and Bizzy. They are gerbils and they are awesome pets for the little guy.

This is Tizzy. He was the first gerbil to join us.

Tizzy is in the back and Bizzy is up front.

E was set on a Siberian Hamster, but they are pricey and do not live very long. H and I actually did some small animal recon and in speaking with the woman at the pet store, we learned that gerbils sleep at night and are basically fairly happy to live with little fellows and all their quirks.

We got Tizzy first. E had wanted to name his hamster Lizzie but the gerbil was a boy, so we had to get creative. We brought Tizzy home on a Thursday evening. On the way home Tizzy nearly ate his way out of the transport box. I felt him nibbling at my lap as we pulled in the driveway.

After we got him settled, I began to feel really guilty leaving his brother behind. Gerbils prefer to live with a partner or a buddy.

We set up a gerbil habitat in our aquarium. Some fluff and the tunnel E picked out, a water bottle and a food bowl. The old hamster wheel rounded out the package.

While Tizzy seemed happy enough, on Saturday morning, because we might have finally lost our minds, we took a trip back to the pet store to pick up Tizzy's bro. We took along a plastic carrying case, so that there would be no lap nibbling on the return trip.

After some sniffing and some strange dancing, the gerbil brothers were cozy and happy to be cohabiting again. They spend most of their days destroying paper and chewing on boxes. They like fluffy fluff and spend alot of time redecorating their home, daily.

One afternoon I went into E's room, where the gerbils reside, and they had wedged enough fluff and a partially destroyed box, to keep the wheel from moving and were climbing on top of the wheel and taking turns jumping or diving into a pile of fluffed fluff.

Neither gerbil is too excited to be held for too long. They aren't cuddlers, but they will let E handle them long enough to put them in the ball or to visit. We have had a few nips, but it isn't horrible.

They really are fun to visit and keep E company. He is thrilled.

What do you do with those veggies...

Everyone asks me this, when I tell them about my CSA with Wayward Seed. So I am going to try a new blog series-- my wayward seedlings!

So in week one this is what I got---

Vegetables
Allium, Tokyo Long Scallions   (1 bunch)	1
Beets, Chioggia   (1 bunch)	1
Cabbage, Napa   (1 head)	1
Greens, Broccoli Raab   (1 bag)	1
Lettuce   (1 head)	2
Peas, Sugar Snap   (1 lb)	1
Radishes, Pink Beauty   (1 bunch)	1
Turnips, Hakurei   (1 bunch)	1
Fruits
Strawberries   (1 quart)	5
Herbs
Herbs, Oregano   (1 bag)	1

When I got home I cut the greens off my root veggies like a good farmer's wife! Seriously, the roots will keep in the crisper in a target bag for weeks, if you remove the greens right away.

I was already making some soup, so I chopped the beet greens and the radish greens and mixed them into the soup. I had planned to use some leftover kale, but used my fresh Ohio organic greens instead. The turnip greens I wrapped in paper towel and put in a ziploc. I thinly sliced half the radishes and half the turnips and we ate them for dinner. After dinner, I gave one quart of berries to a friend and picked through the remaining four, discarding any rotten or smooshie berries. I prepped two quarts for the freezer and froze them in ziploc bags. H ate 1/4 of a quart of berries as he watched me prepping. The remaining berries are in containers in the refrigerator. They won't see Saturday, with all the berry lovers in this house. I bought L some black raspberries and we ate most of them for dinner on Wednesday night. The remainder, I split with L for breakfast on Thursday morning. I dumped my portion of the berries into the VitaMix and added in the following: 1c. of apple cider, 5 baby carrots, 1 small Chioggia beet, 1 small orange peeled, and 1 c of ice. It was so good. So beautiful to look at too! I ate two radishes and a turnip for lunch on Thursday. So delish. E really wanted pancakes. So I made gluten free pancakes and served them with some of the awesome strawberries. Really, these are some of the best strawberries ever. The kids devoured the pancakes and since I am drastically limiting any and all grain, I had two silver dollar pancakes and a huge pile of berries. I also had a boiled egg. I started to feel guilty about the lack of veggies, until I remembered my smoothie from breakfast and decided I was probably ok for the day. I shelled the peas as I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and Truffles gets the pea shells and I will cook the peas for dinner Friday night. Friday was a busy day. I was glad I had prepped the peas ahead. After a busy day of errands and lunch out and a trip to the water park, I was hungry. The kids nibbled left over pizza, peas and yummy Ohio strawberries! I made myself a stir fry. I cut up very thinly an organic carrot. I grated some ginger (about 3 tsp.) and chopped half an onion. Heated up the large skillet and stir fried the carrot wheels and onion for about 5 minutes. I then added some chopped Tokyo Long Scallions and a hand full of the uncooked peas, stirred madly for about a minute and then I added the chopped radish greens and some of the firm red lettuce I got in this week's share. I stirred until the greens were mostly wilted and then I poured over the skillet my sauce. The sauce is some soy sauce (the gluten free kind), some fruits of the forest jam, the grated ginger, and some sweet chili sauce. Cook another minute and serve. I fried and egg and put it on top, but that is optional. You could serve this with rice, to soak up the extra sauce or some bread. Being nearly grain free-- I just ate it with my egg. So easy and so fresh. Saturday was a long day away and I made a shake using one of the beets, but nothing else from our share got consumed. And Sunday was a lazy day. I drank the remainder of my veggie fruit shake and nibbled on fresh lettuce and berries. We met friends out for dinner, so no veggies from the share prepped for dinner. Monday H was home, so it was work on those veggies time. I made a wonderful salad with the romaine -- which the kids loved just plain! For our salad, I used some of my chive vinegar (which I made from chive flowers from my yarden), oil, fresh ground pepper and some left over goat cheese. Chopped some radish and turnips and apricots and tossed it all together. We enjoyed the salad and crispy baked chicken wings. Monday night was a post pool free for all. I had some of the left over soup, which had the lovely greens in it. Monday afternoon before the pool, I made a small gluten cookie crust, using what pretend to be gluten free vanilla graham crackers. I crushed them in a baggie using my rolling pin and mixed them with about 5 TBS of butter (organic) and baked it at 350 for about 10 minutes. I used my small tart shell pan, which I think is 8 inches. Tuesday we hit the fruit and veggies again. The strawberries I carefully picked through and put in a container are still holding their own. I removed the tops and sliced them lengthwise, until I had about 2 cups of berries. Setting them aside, I whipped the tiny bit of whipping cream I had left with 2 tsp of powdered sugar. I stirred in the 1/3 cup of sour cream and about 2 more tsps of powdered sugar. I grated in the zest of 1/2 of a lemon. Stirred gently to combine and then spread this over my tart shell. I spread the berries over the cream very carefully and then I drizzled over the berries a tbs of mixed berry jam that I had mixed with the juice of half a lemon. (You can heat it gently in the microwave to make it easier to drizzle.) The kids loved the tart.  As a veggie with our lunch we knocked out the romaine and the radishes and turnips. This time I used some basil flower vinegar, oil, fresh cracked pepper and some feta crumbs.  The kids feasted on the super crispy tiny inside leaves from the lettuce. E, my non veggie lover, announced that that was his kind of lettuce. For dinner, I fixed the broccoli raab, by sauteing it gently and finishing it off with a bit of lemon juice, the remaining scallions and butter. So fresh and so tasty. I have to say while I really like broccoli raab-- I am in the minority. So by Tuesday evening, I am left with one beet, half a head of lettuce,  maybe a pint of strawberries and the napa cabbage. Oh and the oregano. I am going to dry it. My family doesn't love fresh oregano, so drying it for the winter makes sense. Had we not been totally consumed with dance on Saturday and exhausted on Sunday, I think we would have knocked it all out. It is also is hard when H isn't home, he can be counted on to help me work through those greens. While I am not sure I will be able to keep up this long list of what we are eating from our CSA weekly, I am going to try. I think it is important for everyone to see, that it can be done, it looks beautiful on the plate and it is so good for you and the community.  I think you will also notice-- that I hardly work from a cookbook. I am often a fly by the seat of my pants cook... so please remember, if I give you a quantity or an amount-- more or less to suit is probably ok.

Music Monday: Jack White -- Love is Blindness

So what is Love? That is the question isn't it. It seems to me that for as long as there has been humanity, we as humans, as emotional beings have spent an amazing amount of time trying to figure it out.

Who do we love? How do we love? What is the correct way to love? The Greeks spent a long time trying to define the types of love.  Right now in the US, we are spending loads of time arguing about who gets their union of love recognized for tax purposes. Who has the right to legalize their love. (Honestly, when you think about it-- that is exactly what we are arguing about. Whose love reigns supreme.)

The great poets and writers have always spent time on the subject of love. Pop songs give us candy versions of love.

The other day, my friend tweeted: "If you say you love them both, then you love neither of them." -what moron came up with that one? 

Yeah that is a good question. It seems to me that we as humans just don't have a handle on this love business at all. We have scores and scores of rules about love (which very few people seem to actually understand and even fewer seem to actually be able to follow.) We seem to all think we have it figured out and yet when pressed, we can't for the life of us define it or accurately categorize LOVE.

So yeah-- maybe love is blindness... I have no idea, and I am all done trying to figure it out. Love just is, let's enjoy it and stop trying to figure it out. Let's stop judging it and just enjoy it.

*** special thanks to Steve VC -- a writer I met when I was actively trying to make it as a freelancer-- for posting this video on Facebook. I was racking my brain trying to find a video for today's post and there it was and a thought provoking one to boot.

June

School is out and summer is in full swing. We started with a rainy day and then an incredibly busy Saturday. Today we are committed to hanging out quietly and enjoying a peaceful day at home.

This month my goal is to get caught up and show you all the stuff that has been happening around the house and with me. I cannot believe how busy May was. I felt like I moved into the kids school some days and we had L's dance show and E's weekly soccer practices and games.

I am ready for summer and the slower pace, the great food and the quiet nights. It is also hard to believe that I made our first summer favorite dessert, before it was even June.

We had gluten free strawberry shortcakes for dessert. I used local berries from the farmers market and I modified a savory biscuit recipe using 1, 2, 3 Gluten Free's biscuit mix. I made drop biscuits, because I was not in the mood to roll out biscuits and honestly, once you smoother them in berries, is there really a reason to have perfect, round biscuits?

E isn't much into shortcake, but he loved eating the left over biscuits with jam.

The Big Apple, with a curious 7 year old, Part 2

Saturday.
We were up early again. Breakfast was a hit. When an older British gentleman sat with us at the breakfast table, he asked E if we were going to the natural history museum. E told him, "I like my animals live, which is a zoo and bugs on sticks and pins is just weird."

Saturday was the Intrepid. Something I knew nothing about until my friend DC mentioned it at lunch the day before we left. Located on the West Side, near Hell's Kitchen - it should have been an easy commute. This is the one and only time my directions and transit knowledge failed me. HopStop had me exiting the Time Square station in at a nonexistent exit point.

We eventually got turn around and got on the bus and then on 12th Ave we see this:

The admission includes access to the Intrepid and the Growler sub. We arrived two minutes after the museum opened and left about 2.5 hours later. E loved this. The planes, the access to the sub and the aircraft carrier. Hands on air, space and sea exhibits. I found the staff to be super helpful and friendly. It wasn't crowded until we were about to leave. Just perfect. Well worth the price of admission.

My plan had been to do the Central Park Zoo, but E was tired, I was hungry and there was no good way to get from the Intrepid to the Zoo. We could however, take the tour bus, do the Uptown Loop and end at the zoo. Even still it was a walk to the Uptown Loop stop.

So we began the trek thru Hell's Kitchen to the bus stop. Half way through, E announces he is hungry again and needs to go to the bathroom again. I am beyond hungry at this point, so we duck into Ocha, a little sushi place.

Best decision ever. Very clean. We were after the lunch rush and the only ones in the place. I think I had the best peanut avocado roll of my life. It was exactly the refueling stop we needed, before continuing our trek.

E wasn't thrilled about the bus trip, but I needed to rest and it was a much nicer day. I have never done the Uptown Loop and it sounded like a nice trip. E feel asleep as we neared Harlem and slept until it was almost time to exit the tour, so it was perfect for him too.

Highway near Riverside Park

The famous Apollo! I would have liked to check this out, but E was asleep and it wasn't the time.

A mosque - - in Harlem. It is being repaired. There was a great Halal market just down the street.

Prolly my favorite Museum in NYC. It was physically difficult to not drag E thru there...

We jumped off at the Zoo, but we were both tired and the Zoo would close before we could finish our tour. So I suggested we just walk in the park and enjoy the sunny afternoon.

We hit pay dirt. You can see into the zoo and just as we got there-- the seal show began. We had a great view and E loved the show.

After the show we had some ice cream and decided it was time to head back to the hotel for a rest. I had no trouble guiding us back to the hotel despite my mornings series of miscues.

One of the strange things about the block we were staying on is the abundance of Kosher Vegetarian Indian Restaurants. So after some rest time, E and I headed out to dinner. He loves Naan, so the vegetarian places aren't the best option as their isn't likely to be a clay oven.

E liked the look of Anjappar, which was literally around the corner from the hotel.

What a good call E! It was amazing. The decor was amazing, the staff super helpful and attentive. We settled on trying a Ghee Dosa to begin with and it was the most amazing things. A huge thin pancake, wrapped into a cone shape, served with chutneys.

E was amazed and ate an amazing amount of it.

Then we had some Chicken Bryanini, which was possibly the best Bryanini dish I have had anywhere. E doesn't really like rice, but he loved the boiled egg and the chicken from this dish.

As we ate two older women, obviously native New Yorkers came in and were sat next to us. They looked over the menu, commented that nothing looked familiar and got up and walked out. The next morning at breakfast, E said: you know, they should have tried something new like we did. I found out I like Ghee Dosa and gunpowder chutney. They missed out mom."

And that was the entire point of this trip. Trying something new. Going somewhere were things are different and having the courage to try new things. I was so proud of him. E is my introvert, my thoughtful homebody child. He would just as much prefer to stay home than go anywhere. But he is embracing new things. Normally he doesn't try new foods easily, but in NYC he ate a variety of new foods.

When people ask me why I travel with my kids or look sympathetically at me or disbelieving at me, that I am traveling with my kids, I think, you know what, if you don't start them young, it is so much harder for them. I was 16 when I left this country for Germany. My first ever plane flight, my first experience with a different culture and a big city for that matter. My first experience with different food.

We live in a global world now. I want my kids to always feel willing and able to say: I tried X and found out, I liked it.

On Sunday we ate breakfast, finished up E's homework, took the train to Grand Central, which underwhelmed E and then took the Airporter Shuttle to the airport. We caught our desired flight without a bit of nail biting and then ate dinner with H and L at the North Market.

It was a great weekend in the Big Apple, which I think will leave an impression and taught E and I both lots about NYC and ourselves!

The Big Apple, with a curious 7 year old

When L was 6 1/2 and my mom was 60, I took them to NYC. My mom had just gotten the cancer re-diagnosis and her super endo suggested she not put anything off. So a bit earlier than I had anticipated, I was packing L off to NYC. It was Christmas time and we did the Rockettes, China town, the Holiday Market in Bryant Park and naturally the tree at Rockefeller Plaza.

I was surprised last spring when E announced -- "hey, I am six now and L got to go to NYC when she was 6!" Large crowds and noise are just not E's thing, but he was right, it was only fair. E however did not want to go when it was cold and last fall, well there was no going anywhere. ( I ended up taking him out of school for two days, but I think hands down he learned so much in NYC that it was totally worth it.)

This past weekend, E and I set off for NYC. It was a trip like nothing I have ever planned before. E wanted to ride the subway, a bus, a taxi and "look around." He vetoed shopping, China town, the art museum, the natural history museum and the Statue of Liberty. He also was not totally on board with the idea of the Empire State building either. I mentioned seeing a show and he just shook his head solemnly.

One of the few bonuses of H's job is he and his immediate family can fly for free -- on a space available basis. This is a nice perk that isn't that easy to take advantage of. We can only go if there are unsold seats available. One of the few places that we seldom have trouble getting to is NYC. I have never not made it to NYC. Getting home on the flight of my choice has been an issue, but getting there has never been a problem.

This time around was no exception. E and I cruised in style last Thursday, in first class.

We took the city bus from LGA to Flushing/Jackson Heights and then caught the subway into Manhattan. From Grand Central we took the 6 two stops downtown to 28th Street.

I cannot say enough good things about our hotel. It was right by the subway station, between Lexington and 28th Street on Park Avenue South. The staff was amazing and the room just right. Was everything brand new, no, but it was clean and neat and served a continental breakfast that was wonderful and just perfect for us. Included were breakfast, newspapers and WiFi, in the day and age that many hotels are going out of their way to charge you for even opening the door was refreshing.

The best thing? The view. Well maybe not for the average person, but for my 7 year old transportation junkie, the view could not be beat.

E sat and looked out the window and watched the car stacker every chance he got. That made this view priceless.

If you are going to NYC and do not need to be right on top of the action and want comfortable, cozy and reasonable, I think the Park Avenue South is a great bet. I certainly plan to go back.

After checking in, we decided to head to Peanut Butter & Co. We love their peanut butter and we were not disappointed. Our peanut butter, banana smoothie was yumm-o. I loved my ant's on a log and E tried a fluffernutter and decided that it was just ok. Getting there was easy and we might have spent a bit of time exploring the neighborhood, but alas it was raining and we were tired, so we headed straight back to the hotel and went to bed.

(I must confess that I really wanted to check out The Fat Black Pussycat. However, even in NYC, 7 year olds in bars just won't fly.)

Friday we were up and at the breakfast buffet the minute it opened. This is what happens when you go to bed at 8 pm.

We took the train to Brooklyn and checked out The New York Transit Museum. Located in an old subway station, the transit museum is hands on and is part history, part science and is totally hands on for little tranport junkies and older history buffs. My favorite part was the history of the building of the subways and the over 18 historic train cars.

Circa 1930 train car

Really? This kind of sign was needed?

I loved looking at the old advertisements. It was great fun.

There were also bus mock ups and a turnstile maze as well as an electricity conductivity experiment station. Well worth the price of admission and a great way to learn about something that really is integral to the fabric of New York life.

From the Transit Museum we walked a few blocks to the Dekalb Market. I learned about the market from my friends SS and JC via facebook. They live in Brooklyn. The market is new and still in the growing stages, but that said I love the idea and the concept. It is a urban garden plot and a market made up on food stands and arts and craft boutiques and artisans hosting small store fronts. The super neat thing, the entire market is comprised of these little businesses having their operations or stores in scavenged shipping containers. Think adult sized legos!

One of the many water towers. This was my view from our lunch table. E insisted I take a photo!

Some art and some more shipping containers.

I had the stir fry with a fried egg. So good. It was fantastic.

This is @Hi_Im_Chrissy. She made me the amazing fried egg stir fry and agreed to let me take her photo.

I did some shopping at the market and scored some great made in NYC by residents' of NYC souvenirs.  E had a burger form a gourmet burger and sandwich shop and then he ate a lovely brownie from a bakery at the market. The market is only a few weeks old and is still growing. I think this will be a must revisit, next time I am in NYC.

The subway station was right next to the market, making our return trip Manhattan, super easy.

And our next stop... the Lego store at Rockefeller Plaza!

E was excited to check out the flagship store. It did not disappoint and even though it was Friday afternoon, the crowd was manageable! 

Rockefeller Plaza, lego style

He looped around the store

The tallest pick a brick wall in the world.

I am glad we checked this out. By this point, E and I were tired but not ready to be done. It was decision time. As I studied my notes and the map, I spied out of the corner of my eye, the Grey Line tour bus! I had considered this double decker bus option, as E had seemed very excited about the prospect of a double decker bus ride. You can buy tickets at the Rockefeller stop and I decided to purchase the 48 hour option. It isn't cheap, but E and I were able to get two tours in and it was worth it. For one, it made getting around and seeing a good chunk of the city possible and it was something I had never done before. Did I mention it was a double decker bus?

There are three loop options. The downtown, the uptown and the Brooklyn loop. The Uptown and Downtown are hop on and hop off tours, which means you can get on and off with your ticket either for a day or for the weekend, depending on which option you purchase. Sometimes there is a tour guide and sometimes there is a per-recorded message.  My advice, hold out for the tour guide, the recording is annoying.

Had traffic not been totally insane, I think E would have enjoyed this more, but when it takes 5 minutes to move two blocks... well the Downtown loop can last forever. It was also about 7 degrees too cool to be truly comfortable on the upper deck. After a major traffic jam around the Southside Sea port, E was all done with that bus tour and I decided I could get us safely to the hotel from the East Village stop, so we bailed in the East Village.

The best view of the Empire State Building I have ever had!

The famous "BALL"

Time Square

More Time Square

Hard Rock and a glimpse of the guy who sat next to us and behaved worse than E. He and his wife argued nearly the entire tour.

The view from the upper deck was amazing.

So it is 6 pm and E and I are standing in the East Village and with the help of my GPS on my iPhone, I plot our walking course. It will be a bit over 1.6 miles. Totally doable. Totally doable until E starts to panic and informs me he has to go to the bathroom, immediately.

Ugh. Ugh and double Ugh!

Finding a bathroom in NYC isn't as easy as one would think.

So as we are moving quickly up the street and the level of panic is increasing and I am beginning to really worry, when I see a sign and think, ok this place will do.

It turns out to be one of the best choices I could have made. Bite has amazing food, had a bathroom and they were wonderful to E and I! We hit the bathroom and stayed for a great dinner. E tried and LOVED a turkey and mozzarella panini with sun dried tomato mayo. (I would have sworn he would never eat that, but eat it he did, with gusto!) My tuna salad was huge and yummy. I had a great glass of wine also.

After our meal we strolled the rest of the way to the hotel, stopping off in a bakery for some cookies for E. As we walked, I remembered being in this neighborhood with my friend SS, when she had an apartment in Gramercy Park, back before E was even on the scene.

All in all an amazing Friday in the Big Apple. Stay tuned for our Saturday adventure!