Fireworks!

This year, we added another notch to our our annual family tradition of a picnic lunch in Central Park. We brought a soccer ball, a frisbee, and some slingshot-type toys John bought for a few euros when we  were in Spain in May. I let John take the kids out to run around in the sun while I "set up lunch" and mostly just lounged around on the picnic blanket in the shade.

At the last minute, we decided not to pick up fast food, and I was pretty impressed with what I could assemble on short notice out of my cupboard: dried fruit, strawberries, potato chips, peanut butter sandwiches, and some festive cookies I had the foresight to buy the day before. 

A couple of weeks ago, I found a relatively inexpensive Living Social deal for our entire family to see the fireworks from reserved seats at a pier along the Hudson. I was a little nervous, since the evening came with a lot of "extras." In my opinion, "extras" are rarely all they're cracked up to be, and in fact, sometimes indicate that the main event isn't all it's cracked up to be either. True to form, the promised buffet dinner was a total bust. We waited in line for an hour only to bail when we realized we were still at least 30 minutes from getting food (as well as a 25 minute walk from the fireworks, plus time to get through security and find our seats, with less than an hour and a half left until showtime). Evelyn got a balloon butterfly, though, so it wasn't a total waste. And the kids were FANTASTIC! Evelyn didn't complain at all while we were waiting. Hyrum was so quiet in the stroller, I forgot he was with us a few times.

When we got to the pier, the sun was just finishing its descent, and it was still hot, hot, hot. But not as hot as it would have been a couple hours earlier. Our pointless standing in line at the buffet served us well here, because by the time we found our seats, we only had 30 or 40 minutes left to wait before the fireworks started.

The children were absolutely entranced. I couldn't pull myself away from the "fire flowers," and their reaction to them, long enough to want to take a picture. But those moments are ones I will not soon forget.

Out my bedroom window

The audio goes something like this:

Simultaneously:


JOHN: No, don't do that. Stop, please. Wait. No.
HYRUM: Help you! That's Hyrum help you!

Happy Memorial Day!

At the last minute, I decided I wanted to sleep in instead of join friends at the beach today. So, we went strawberry picking instead. In a holiday miracle of sorts, we ran into virtually no traffic at any point during our jaunt out to Sussex County Strawberry Farm. When we presented ourselves at the field, the guy in charge was a little worried about our pale, pale children out in that hot, hot sun. We got little baskets instead of big ones, and I set my timer for 30 minutes. We were got back into the car right as it rang, I think. In spite of the short amount of time we spent actually picking (because of it?), we had a fantastic time.

Evelyn proved a champion a determining which berries were ripe enough.  Hyrum proved a champion at eating berries in various stages of ripeness, and I fear, rottenness. Since strawberries are possibly his favorite food, he was in hog heaven. I think he probably picked about as much as Evelyn did; he just stored them all in his belly instead of a basket. We have no pictures of any of this because my phone ate them.

After that 20 or 25 minutes of backbreaking manual labor, we thought it was only fair that we treat ourselves to Chick-fil-A.

Then, it was back home. We tried to stop at to stop at Costco on the way, but it was closed! Tragedy. The fact that traffic back in was just as lovely and easy as it had been on the way out more than made up for it, though.

The farm where we picked also had a gardening center, so we bought some herbs, a few vegetables, and a couple token flowers for this summer's terrace garden. When we moved into our apartment, I thought I would really enjoy growing things on the terrace. As it turns out, I sort of don't. Luckily, as it turns out, John and Evelyn really do. Once we got home, they made a quick trip to Home Depot, and then it was planting time.

While everyone else did the heavy lifting, I made Pioneer Woman's beef and snow pea stir fry for dinner. I highly recommend it, along with strawberry picking, Chick-fil-A, and letting the rest of your family get filthy gardening while you chill inside with the A/C on.

Party people

Because we aren't ones to turn down an opportunity for more cake and ice cream, we celebrated Hyrum's birthday again today with a joint party for Hyrum and Jack. In a way, I felt like we were celebrating Melissa's return to NYC almost as much as the boys' milestone. We had hoped for an outdoor fete but finally moved it indoors when it started sprinkling at T minus 30 minutes to go. Luckily, as it turned out, since at one point during the party it poured hard for about 15 or 20 minutes.

In any case, Jack successfully blew out both boys' candles, Hyrum ate 3 pieces of cake, and all our guests were too polite to complain about how hot it got at peak party time, so I think we'll call this one a success.

Happy birthday, Hyrum!

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we made sure to start things off right with donuts. I have to say, I don't think I've ever had a truly terrible day that started with a donut.

An hour later, we hit a low point when I decided to make a quick trip to Trader Joe's in what basically amounted to a monsoon (which I loosely define as any rainstorm bad enough to force me to stop multiple times to empty water out of my rain boots).

But we bounced back in the PM with a few early presents,

dinner at Shake Shack,

What are you thinking?!? I don't want to take a picture. Give me those french fries. Now!

In furtherance of another Prete family tradition, we picked up an incredibly flattering photo of me. Monsoon hair? Check. No makeup? Check. 

First solo finish of a cheeseburger

more presents, and cake.

Happy birthday, Hyrum! We can't imagine our family without you. Now that you're a mature two years old, we look forward to seeing you take on new skills and responsibilities. For starters, maybe you could agree to show all our future children how to sleep 8-10 hour stretches at night by the time they're two months old, especially the little girl? (probably; inconclusive ultrasound last week) scheduled to join us on or about October 31.

Spring Break Fun

This year, we took two mini spring breaks. In March, we joined Nonna, Poppa, and Meara during their spring break for St. Patrick's Day weekend in New Hampshire.

The time share they rented was quite close to a small ski resort, which allowed John to snowboard and me to ski for the first time since well before we got married and Evelyn to "ski" (if we can call it that) for the first time ever.

Apparently the all-day ski school my friends rave about sending their kids to didn't exist at this resort; our only option for instruction was a 1-hour lesson, during which Evelyn did not accumulate any significant ski skills, although she apparently did enjoy throwing snowballs at pictures of animals. John took her down the bunny slope several times after the lesson was over. (Bless him). Myself, I couldn't even get her over to the magic carpet.

It was definitely the warmest skiing I've ever done. The temperature was in the low 60s, and at some points, it got dangerously close to to water skiing, but we all had fun.

By the time April and Evelyn's spring break rolled around, I was sufficiently recovered from the drive to New Hampshire to brave a flight to Nashville. This flight, although short (2.5 hours) and therefore only a sample of what we'll experience in our trip back west this summer, went fabulously well. Evelyn sat across the aisle from me and Hyrum and played on her ipod the whole time. Hyrum sat beside me and watched Toy Story the whole time. Now, that's what they call a win/win.

Since my parents left there only a year after I did (14 years ago; ouch), I don't make it back very often. Every time, I wish I could come more frequently. It really is such a lovely part of the country, and with such wonderful friends to boot.

Plus, I think we may have had more space in Beth's guest quarters than we do at home. When we drove up to her house, Evelyn asked, "Which one is it?"

"This is it. It's this one."

"No, but which ONE is it?"

"Evelyn, this is it. The whole building is her house."

The kids were in heaven with space to run around, swings and a trampoline in the backyard, unlimited strawberries and blueberries, and lots of older kids and adults who mostly thought they were adorable.

Between the two trips, visits from Laurel and Charles, amazing weather at home, experimenting with new hairstyles,

and--oh yeah--Easter!,

we spent March and April in relatively good spirits. Here's to May!