Girlie Mom Adventures: Miss. Manhattan...Scratch that, Mrs. Manhattan and Her Mahattanettes!

Four Pearls in a Clam

When the weekend is a rainy wash out...

When plans get cancelled unexpectedly...

When a winter vacation draws to an end...

When I'm getting "antsy"...

Or just because it's time to mix up our routine...

I pack my little trio up and head into Manhattan!

Picking a mode of travel is the first part of the journey.

Will it be Caravan?

Will it be train?

Hmmmmm....

Today we opted for train.

It's been awhile. It was was time to discard the creature comforts that we parents have dubbed necessities.

No DVD.

No radio...aka ipod. (not risking it getting lost)

No seats with built in "butt-warmers.(I love my- butt - warm on a chilly day. Best feature ever!)

Say good bye to those favorite travel blankets kids! (Mommy IS NOT carrying them ALL DAY. ...Sorry.)

How many books do you want to bring? "Baby, Mommy said ONE BOOK....not five hard covers."

...I will never say no to books, ever...simply enforcing the need to lighten the load.

Addi pointed out the difference between a hard cover and soft cover book and we were back on track.

---TIME TO PACK THE RED BAG---

**Please note.This is a skill acquired after much dedicated parenting and kid toting. If you're new to this game you might really want to TAKE NOTES!***

My motto is: PACK LIGHTLY AND EQUALLY.

Each of my girls packed a favorite paperback reader, a sketchbook, an 8 pack of crayons, a good 'ole #2 pencil (Nice and pointy for the best drawing, of course.)...with a "good" eraser (No nasty, pink smudges! According to my girls those are not allowed.) and gloves in case it got chilly.

Now throw in Addi's digital camera, my digital camera, my wallet, a pressed powder and chapstick, clunky key ring and cell phone!

Remember, this is only light packing.

I also load up on snacks. Today, the red bad had quite the variety of goodies.

- 4 cheese sticks - 3 bags of baked cheeses doodles

- 4 gala apples - 3 organic fruit strips

- 3 bags of trail mix - 4 granola bars

- a water bottle

....Last but not least, a handful of my favorite ginger root chews.

There was something for everyone. A baggie with 10 folded baby-wipes to clean that "something" of of my "someones" saves the day!

OH!

...and an extra zip-lock, quart sized, to be used for emergency situations and garbage.

EMERGENCY... You wonder? I've had a child throw up in one before. I thanked God that I had it!

You might wonder...

How does she fit all of this into the single, red bag?!

This is my version of the clown car.

...A FEW YEARS WITH BABY BUNDLE #1 TAUGHT ME WELL.

I go against every grain of my "fly by the seat of my pants" nature in order to achieve that same feeling for my kids. They think that what I do is completely grand!! They think it's super and soooo spontaneous! They say that I'm fun!

I laugh. I applaud myself, ...proud that I can successfully FAKE spontaneity!

My babies will have new experiences as often as I can give them. They will have the chance to be spontaneous themselves.

Whether they can achieve the mastery "of faking it" in parenthood depends on their skill level!

- To think, couples worldwide worry about fake orgasms.

Little do my girlies know that after they go to sleep Mommy stays up for a few more hours...

making lists.

creating equally portioned bags of snacks.

sharpening "perfect" pencils with "good" erasers.

digging through piles and piles and piles of books for their favorite sketchbooks.

tossing in one last load of laundry because it contains the best outfit ever...X3 (or 4 if mine is there too!)

checking the train schedule and writing it all down in a safe place. (on my hand in Sharpie works well)

"Us" just before Jim left for his trip this morning.

MY HUSBAND TEASES ME.

He tells me to stop and go to bed. He knows better, but can't help but try and save me from myself. It never works. Am I OCD? Aren't we all?

The fact that I've become this silly, mommy monster helps my girls. The more "together" I am the more secure they feel, or so I've convinced myself. When I see them having fun I let lose. It's my version of the old saying,"If Mom ain't happy...ain't nobody happy."

Except this version is about happy all around, in the most positive, twisted mommy sense!

I work. I pack. I juggle. I am happy! My kids are happy. They are carefree. I am not?! I am happier?!

...but seriously, I am.

Jim is typically in the office during these excursions. This is the place that eats up roughly 70+ hours of his week. My guy is all about the suburbs during the off hours. Can you blame him?

I love the city! It was wonderful to be living there in my twenties. The city's vibrancy and bustle thrusts itself at you on every corner, park and subway stop. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my and Jim's favorite spots and memories with our girls. We go on girlie adventures and make new ones.

Some of my best puddle jumping moments have been in Central Park. Jim, Addison and I were caught in a summer storm. Rather than run and find shelter we booked into the zoo boutique and purchased waaaay overpriced, but adorable rain boots with a matching coat for Addi. Voila!!

It turned into the best rainy day in history!

We were soaked to the bone, laughing hysterically and splashing through hoards of puddles.

Today wasn't wet. It was cold, windy and dull. After yesterday's rain the Museum of Natural History was a welcomed rainbow.

We shared the day with friends who had never been their before. This transformed my little Long Islanders into Manhattanites. They knew where they were and where we were headed. I had three, anxious tour guides. This helped. The museum was more crowded than I have ever seen it! Even the coat check was full to capacity. We were the lucky, last "checkers" after standing on a twenty minute long line.

...One more thing to add to the lucky day list. (I keep track thanks to Chloe.)

Every day is Chloe's lucky day. She proudly announces this each morning.

Her lucky days add to mine.

We women and our girlies said hello to the manatees and marine life on display. We layed on the large rubber floor, under the giant hanging whale. This we love a lot.

Lay on the matt. Look up at the blue-ish rolling ceiling as is echos waves. Listen to the sounds of the sea and the noises that are sea life. Kids cartwheeled, tumblesaulted and crowd down upon me.

It was pure bliss.

Addi snapped so many photos in the dim surroundings that her battery died. I let her borrow my camera, but it was never for as long as she wanted it for.

Doesn't she remember that Mom likes photography too?

Of course not...She's nine. My Addi resorted to borrowing her friend's iphone. Clever, clever girl.

Grace posed for many, many pictures. She loves hamming it up for the camera.

I have many images of Grace with fish, Grace with sharks, Grace in a giant clam, Grace saying,"Oooh..Look!" while pointing. Grace has a HUGE photo album! I should say that she will ...when I get around to printing all of these.

Chloe missed her Daddy. Jim has only been gone since 9 a.m. but Chlo Chlo is in distress. By 9:10 she was clinging to my hip and crying for her Dad. The "whale matt" took on new meaning when Chloe curled up next to me and said that she "missed her Dad and wanted him."...then cried. Our sensitive girl was breaking my heart. I cuddled and calmed her, not wanting her to freak out tourists, other kids or herself. After a few minutes we checked out more marine life.
Isn't it amazing how quickly a mood can change?

Grace and Chloe came running up to me.

"Mom...Mom! You have to see this! Close your eyes!"was shouted by Grace as she and her sister dragged me away.

To my surprise I was standing in front of a display that wasn't all about large, wet creatures. It was an underwater reef. Multicolored, pastel and neon plants and coral of numerous textures scattered the seascape. Two divers swam downward.

STOP.

TWO DIVERS?

I looked at my daughter's expressions as they stared at the wet looking, beach ready, men.

OK..I GET IT. I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

HERE IT COMES...

Chloe innocently asked,"Are they dead too?"

I hear laughter from an older couple behind us and a crowd of teenagers.

I turn and smile...chuckling. It's time to answer. Here it goes.

"No, Chlo. They were never alive."

-Both look puzzled. I keep going.

"A very lucky artist, was asked to make sculptures of people that looked very real, like they were swimming. The museum would never kill someone."

Chloe's response,"But Mom, isn't everything here killed?"

My response,"Only the animals and that was a hundred years ago."

Grace's response after absorbing content,"So a hundred years ago people always killed?"

I went on to explain the science of it and the history in it to my five and six year old. I hope that I did this glorious place justice.
Then, I wondered where my nine year old had gone?!

I momentarily forgot about the other two people on our journey. I was used to flying solo.

Oh, that's right...she wandered off with the friend who hasn't been to the city in twenty years!

I'm screwed!

-I grab Grace and Chloe and CALMLY and SOFTLY call for Addison.

Addi, her friend and the friend's Mom are found.

I snap into teacher on field trip mode and dictate the rules eloquently.

We decided to stop whale watching and watched out for a lost aunt.

I did not "typo."

I meant AUNT.

We had one more "girlie," toting a seven pound chihuahua, in a service dog bag to add to our adventurous crew.

My sister knew where we were...but unlike my kids, didn't know how to get there.

I was opening sporadic texts that asked,"Do I take the 6 train?"and "Where r u?"

I tried to respond but most of my messages were lost in space, ex-ed out and returned.

We met up with our found and not lost Aunt in the museum cafe.

Here, we spent more $$$$ than we had the entire afternoon. I could have bought a gourmet dinner complete with appetizers for the price of our chicken, drinks, and fries.

As a patron I will say, understandingly," I know that the museum needs to make a profit at the end of the day and be able to keep it's doors open to the public. I get it."

My wallet cried.

My kids barely touched their food.

I took out the "emergency baggie" and dumped the chicken in it.

**Note to Self: Offer to kids on train or lacquer in GOLD POWDER and hang on the kitchen wall in tribute to the most expensive chicken meals NOT EATEN!

Our group travelled to the hall of the dinosaurs. I now have more photos of Grace. She has dinosaurs behind her head.

Chloe liked this area a lot. The budding scientist in her emerged. Now I have some smiling photos of her. Yay!

Addi grabbed my camera every chance that she could. This I love! I don't like it when her battery dies because I miss my chance to take photos of her taking photos. (I know...I'm crazy.

Addi begged us for toys from the gift shop. Her sisters both reminded her that "It's not nice to always ask for stuff." and "that we were there to look at the real, dead animals."

Addi gave up on asking me.

She begged her friend's Mom to go to the gift shop!!!
Who is this strange kid? My daughter?! No way!!!
She was rude. I am not enjoying this age when it comes to the multiple, poor attempts at adult manipulation. She needs to stop. She's not good at it. Please, Addi...please...Go back to being reasonable.

Hurry.

Mommy Loves you.

The friends that came with us insisted on looking for souvineers. Normally I'd say."Cool. Have fun...we can meet up in a few minutes." Today was different. The place was so crowded that tou could barely see from one hall to the next. The lines in the shops were wrapping around corners and I had three kids with me that weren't going home easily if they couldn't get a toy too.

I had a mom-to-mom chat that backfired. "The friend's mom" was now offering to but all of my kids museum toys.

Oh MY Goodness!

She didn't get it.

-I'm not a charity case.

-I've brought my kids to The Museum of natural History dozens of times and like fast food we just don't "do" the gift shop thing.

-Am I strange?!

-This was a can of worms that i didn't want to open.

-Plus I wasn't in the mood to lose friends in the city or miss our train because of the gift shop.

She said that her daughter really wanted "something."The Mom asked,"Why can't we just take a later train?"

Chloe chimed in,"I want to go home. I don't want to go to the store."

Thank you...my sweet, tired voice of reason.

There we stood outside of floor 1's gift shop, blocking the way and being bumped by passersby. I was clinging to my kids hands and Marn was clutching Jerry the chihuahua's tote. We swayed with the tide.

I lost it.

IT went something like this:

"__________________ I'm sorry, but I've really had enough. To be honest...my kids are tired and I'm shot. I don't want to miss the train. I'm cranky. (little smile to lighten things up. Did it work?) There is no way that we can go to a gift shop, see another exhibit, get coats from coat check and get back to Penn Sation in...Let me see...40 minutes."She looked angry, gave a squinty glare, then talked to her daughter and was chipper again.

There was a quick Aunt Marnee intervention. Addi was magically a cool kid again. Then we were off and running to the subway.

The "C" train emerged from the darkness as we walked onto the platform.

Perfect timing!

The kids surfed, rocked and twirled around the train poles. Onlookers smiled and commented on the "age of innocence" and "Oh...to be small again." Addi's friend was unfortunately, not allowed to stand and was forced to remain seated. Mom was a nervous wreck! She hadn't told me until now, on our return trip that she was terrified of riding the subway! I felt horrible. I wished she had mentioned this. We could have walked or "cabbed it."

Back at Penn station we had 15 minutes to spare before boarding the train. Addi's friend's Mom went to Starbuck's and ordered a Grande Iced latte. She also emerged with two very happy, latte sipping nine year olds!

I was pissed.

My kids don't even drink soda.

Was I PMS'ing?

Should this bother me this much?

YES IT SHOULD.

I had been bulldozed by another mother.

Now my oldest was going to be high as a kite,

...with the caffeine rush of the century,

...while seated for an hour,

... on the Long Island rail Road!

This was done out of guilt for not buying a toy at the museum.

When she saw the look on my face she sweetly offered to by my five and six year olds latte's as well!

Holy woman, I love ya but...Get a clue.

I had to remind myself that I liked this chick, had known her for years, that she didn't mean any true harm and is my little girl's best friend's Mom before opening my mouth.

I blurted,"No thank you,_______________ I don't want you to buy my little ones lattes. They are far too young and I think that Addi is far too young as well. Next time please ask me first, because I would have said..No thank you."

Her response," It's no big deal. I got decaf."

My response," Decaf just has a lower quantity of caffeine. There is still caffeine in it. Just please, don't buy these for any of my kids in the future. Oh look! time for the train!"

TIME WAS NOW ON MY SIDE...or so I hoped.

That depended on the lattes.

We ended up having a lovely train ride. The kids played nicely. They took cat naps. Addi spun in her seat a bunch of times. I had to ask her repeatedly to stop putting her feet in the air, while turning up-side-down.

...But that was the worst of it.

We walked onto the platform of our stop. The kids jumped for joy! It was snowing. IT truly felt magical. What a peaceful, dreamy way to end such a surreal day.

Will we make this journey again? Yes, with out a doubt. will I be on the look out for non-subway going, latte giving mom's? Yes, with out a doubt!