The Merciers

Self-feeding

2010-09-02T15:46:00.001-07:00

Piper's first time weilding her own spoon. Notice the spoon is in her right hand and her left hand is doing the feeding. Cue messy kitchen, messier baby.

M-I-C-K-E-Y

2010-08-31T18:17:00.001-07:00

Mouse ears, that is. This was $10 Disney didn't get from us. I popped them on to take a picture, knowing that was about as long as a hat would last on her head.

Teacups

2010-08-31T17:25:00.001-07:00

Disney World, Aug. 31, 2010. Mason's second trip, though first that he remembers.

Birthday girl

2010-08-27T18:33:00.001-07:00

Like the cake face? Live, from Spring Hill, Fla., home of Grandpa Robert and Grandma Julie

Mutton Bustin'

2010-08-21T18:49:00.001-07:00

From Fraser, Colorado at the High Country Stampede Rodeo. Video to come...

Greetings from Grand Lake!

2010-08-16T15:35:00.001-07:00

Mason's Big Catch

2010-08-16T15:30:00.001-07:00

One of them anyway. By my count, he caught seven that day. By Papa's many more. Mason's got to work on the big-fish-stories told skill, though. I overheard him describing the fish he caught as "shrimp" and "so small you couldn't even see them," when he was re-telling his adventure to Dad-O on the phone.

Piper shelf?

2010-07-29T13:44:00.001-07:00

Um, troublemaker? This is what happened after I moved the stuff I didn't want her to play with off the shelf. She showed me...

Queens Zoo

2010-07-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

The Visuals

2010-07-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

Because I can't be bothered to re-post pictures to go with the letter I just wrote you, here's the best I can do:

Late winter/spring photos.

Summer photos.

Mason's Spring Concert

Christmas in July

2010-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

All right, all right, I know I've been away WAY too long from this poor blog. Six months to be exact. Today, Sweet P is 11 -- ELEVEN!?!?! -- months old. Hard to believe, no?

So, like I said, I've been away too long. Many times I've thought, "Hey, I should update that blog..." and then I haven't. So, today, I offer you a present in the form of one of those corny Christmas letters my siblings and I love to hate. Without further ado, Christmas (letter) in July:

Dearest Friends and Family,

I write to you from New York City on the sixteenth day of 90-plus degree weather in this month of July. Our last correspondence seems so long ago. Since we've been in touch, much has happened in the world of the Mercier family.

February brought with cold and snow. A pair of snow days for Mason let Mommy re-live the fun that they could be. During Mason's mid-winter break, we made a trip to the Bronx Zoo, Piper's first, and visited the another old-reliable spot, the Dinosaur Museum. Ice-skating season continued at school and the end of the month brought Mason's stint as Star of the Week in PreK. Piper and I were regulars at school that week. We schlepped in with his "collection" of puzzles one day and his favorite food, mac n' cheese (with broccoli, natch!) another day.

In March, we made like tourists and took the kids to visit the Statue of Liberty. It was lots of fun, though Mason was more impressed by the wide-open space at her feet than the Statue itself. He and Dad-O played "pretend" baseball in the shadow. We didn't make it off the island in time to go to Ellis Island, and have vowed to go again -- this time with tickets to the crown in hand. March also found Piper and I jetting off to Colorado sans boys to visit my Grandpa Seeley. He passed away on March 15, but we were there for his final few days. I had a visit I'll never forget during that time and Piper learned to wave -- at the Colorado Spring Hospital, through the glass of the ICU doors. She wasn't able to go in and see him, but the first time they locked eyes, he sat up in bed and waved to her. She waved back. It was a tough trip, but so important to be there to say my goodbyes and to be with family after he had passed. He is in a much better place. Piper and I returned from that trip at month's end to spend another school break with Mason. Spring break meant another Bronx Zoo trip, an outing at The Met -- where Piper almost got us booted because she was laughing and squealing too loud -- and heading out to Coney Island for the aquarium and amusement park with some good friends. Easter came and went. There was much candy and many eggs to hunt in Central Park.

April brought more sad news from Colorado. My Grandma Woodman died on April 16 and so I packed up both kids and headed home again with my second "eu-google-ly" in as many months in hand. Again, it was so tough, but as a family we got through the weekend, shared some tears and most important, some laughs. In kid news, Piper went from scooting to downward-dog poses to crawling. She developed a super-speedy move for whenever the gate blocking her in the living room was opened. Mason cruised through the end of skating season and into beach season.

In May, I joined Mason on one of those beach trips, to Orchard Beach in the Bronx. It was so much fun to see him and all his classmates splashing in the water. It was a big month in karate class, too. At the dojo's annual gala, Mason was given a special award for his development in karate. He was so proud when they called his name to receive the plaque. As he told everyone who would listen, "Everyone got a trophy, but not everyone got a plaque." We celebrated with dinner at IHOP. He ate mac n' cheese and a pancake and now thinks this is the greatest place on earth. Piper went from crawling to pulling herself up and tried to do away with the gate problem by ripping it from its hinge a few times. We closed out the month with our first family trip to the beach -- this time the Rockaways -- and celebrating Dad-O's birthday.

June brought the end of the school year. There were Spring Concerts to attend and field days to take in. In mid-June, we joined our friends for a day trip to the country and went to their daughter's school function at her school farm. Seriously. And seriously fun ... even when you consider the six hours we spent in the car that day. Nothing beats some farm-fresh cooking and some fresh country air. Mason and Rob made a whirlwind trip to Colorado to enjoy the birthday festivities of our nephews. It was less than 24 hours that they were away, but even a microburst couldn't prevent them from attending. From what I hear, it was quite the shin-dig, complete with a bouncy firetruck slide and appearances by Spider Man and Sponge Bob. We continued our tourist run with a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. Mason said NYC looked like it was made of legos from up there. It did. Piper thought she was Marilyn Monroe when she stood on top of an AC on the 102nd floor and let her dress blow in the air. She wasn't, but she was much prettier.

July has been all about Camp Mom. That's what I'm calling the summer. I am working freelance from home and spending every waking moment with the kiddos. Piper is jabbering up a storm and cruising all over the place. She is even -- ever so tentatively -- standing on her own. We gave up on the old gate and got a new, more expensive one in its place. She has yet to take it off the wall. We are at the pool at least three times a week for swimming lessons. Mason is fearless and nearly swimming on his own. We have been to the Bronx Zoo (again) where Mason and his friend, Kellyn, rode a camel. We have been to the Prospect Park Zoo, where they milked (fake) cows. We have been to the Queens Zoo, where we took in some really exotic animals, like elk and antelope! We have been to Jersey to visit friends. We have flown kites on Governor's Island. We went to Orchard Beach and had a great day. Found out Piper loves to crawl in the surf, and that it's a big pain to get home from there! Mason's graduated to a Yellow Belt in karate. He tells everyone he's almost a Master.

All in all, we're blessed. It was a tough spring, but the kiddos have given us plenty to smile at. As Grammy says, our hearts are beginning to be happy again.

From our family to yours, a very happy August. Hoping for a little more time to blog in this "new year."

Love from The Merciers

Five Months

2010-01-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Sweet P,

You are now five months old. The clock on your first half-year of life is tick, tick, ticking away and this month has been a big one!

It started off with the whirlwind of your first airplane trip -- we went to Colorado so you could meet all our family there. You are a champion flier (so far!). On the ride out, you slept peacefully for four of the four-and-a-half hour flight snugly on my chest. On the way home, you were up a bit more, but content to watch Mason or nurse.

You can roll over easily both ways now, and regularly do. You don't like to play on your tummy, but you sure like to sleep on it, with your little tushie sticking straight up in the air. If you're not on your back, then you're on your side doing this adorable little pose that makes it look like you're running across your crib. (Note to mommy: capture this on photo!) You are a wiggle worm, in perpetual motion. Your hands or feet are always kicking or flailing. You love your toes. You eat them with regularity.

You are full of coos and babbles. You've giggled twice. You put EVERYTHING in your mouth. This makes me very nervous because big brother has approximately 4,000 little Lego pieces, 265 army guys and a selection of plastic-bagged toys.

You now eat solid food. We started with oatmeal (no rice cereal for you, my once-a-week-pooper, says the doctor.) You still poop about one day a week. Lately it's been Wednesdays. And it looks like guacamole. Must be your second food, the avocado, doing that to you. You're up to sweet potatoes, pears and bananas now. You make funny faces when you eat. Especially the first few bites of something new. I laugh.

Your hair is long enough that it gets in your eyes. I've started pony-tailing it. You have two looks. Straight-up and Alfalfa-like, or a little curl depending on whether it's wet when I put it up.

Your smiles and squeals are infectious. Right now, you're chilling on the bed behind me. Screaming in delight. Daring me to stare at the computer and now your cute self. We are buddies. We spend lots of time together while Mason is at school. We are inseparable. When we are not in our apartment, we are on the road -- you strapped snugly into the sling and perched on my chest. I love the way this feels, and think you do, too!

You love your Dad-O and your brother. You light up when Mason walks into the room. Sometimes you blink and flinch when he comes running toward you to smother you in kisses or 'zerbert' your tummy, but you love it -- and not so secretly. When Dad-O is around, you do this funny, very intent stare at him. As soon as he looks at you and smiles, you get coy, smirk and turn away. I love that, too.

I love you dear child!

Mamamamamamamama (that's how you say it ... I'm sure you know exactly who you're talking to when you babble that, right?)

The Big Four

2009-12-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Mason's fourth birthday has come and gone. Hard to believe he's already that old -- and believe me, four sounds SO much older to me than three!

We had quite the week of birthday celebrations, beginning with a chocolate explosion at preschool. Mason shares a birthday with Alexandra, one of his classmates, so her mother and I teamed up to bring chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting (me) and chocolate Klondike Bars with chocolate coating -- which we fed to the kids at afternoon snack and then sent them on their merry, sugar-filled way home. Sorry other mommies and daddies!

There was an impromptu dance party preceding the snack (see!) so maybe that helped?!?

After school, Dad-O and I whisked Mason away to Radio City for our second-annual birthday viewing of the Christmas Spectacular. Mason was well-prepared before the show started with his 3D glasses. After fulfilling his request for an "Old" McDonald's birthday dinner before returning home to open a pile of presents!

The birthday fun continued on Saturday with his ballpark-themed party. We had lots of fun with all his friends and their families. There was a bunk-bed to climb on, many toys to play with and a pinata to bash ... all before devouring a Dallas Cowboys cake and ice cream.

Monkeying Around

2009-12-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to accompany Mason on his first field trip -- ferrying 20 preschoolers to the Bronx Zoo.

The morning started off with a first ride on the school bus. We literally stopped traffic on Madison Avenue trying to get all 20 kids onto the bus. First, it was just the parents blocking off the lane, but then some passing police officers offered an assist.

After our very bumpy (Mason and I were in the WAAAAAAAY back ... I seem to remember that's where all the cool kids sat in my bus-riding days) ride, we arrived. We didn't see the usual array of animals that Mason is used to seeing when he goes with Mommy and Dad-O, but we had a great time. I have a new appreciation for lisa, his teacher, and her assistants. It's no small feat to keep track of that many kiddos!

The highlight of the day -- for me, at least -- came after lunch, when the kids decided to show-off their "Grizzly Bear" song. We had just seen the grizzly bear sleeping in his cave, so the song was perfect.

"Tree" months

2009-11-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

Piper hit the three-month mark today. As you can see, she's a growing girl -- and now bigger than her bear!

We celebrated the day by decorating the Christmas tree ... well, we would have done that whether we had a three-month birthday to celebrate or not, as we always do it the day after Thanksgiving.

Mason LOVED breaking out all the ornaments this year and asked about each one -- who it belonged to and where it came from. He did a great job finding a special spot on the tree for each and every one of them.

Dad-O (with Piper propped on his other shoulder, no less) gave him an assist for the finishing touch.

Mommy had to pose them in front of the tree ... and under the tree! Too bad we already had the Christmas cards printed, because this one is a winner.

Breaking out the baby monitor

2009-11-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last night was Piper's first in her own room -- and by own room, I mean of course the one she shares with Mason.

She looked so tiny in her big ol' crib, but she was getting way too big for her little ol' bassinet!

Mason, as you can see, was pleased to have a roommate!

Piper's Baptism

2009-11-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

We had Piper baptized today at our church, St. Catherine of Genoa, here in NYC. We started attending church there when we moved into the neighborhood before Mason was born and since then it's become more of our home. Rob was baptized there, too, when he joined the church, so it seemed only fitting to have Piper baptized there.

Her baptismal gown was a gift from Grammy T, and will be returned to her for future grandbabies.

Kevin and Melissa were her godparents, and Kellyn, who tells everyone that she has a baby sister is now telling everyone that Piper is her godsister. It's too cute! We're so lucky to have friends like them among our New York family!

Rob's sister, Auntie Nay, was able to come for the ceremony, too.

Here's a slideshow of some of the moments from the big day. Afterwards, we had some friends over for brunch, which was great fun for me -- as we finally have a space large enough to entertain in!

Community Meeting

2009-11-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday morning, Mason's school has a community meeting where each class is expected to participate by sharing something with the group. I have yet to attend one -- as Rob is the usual dropper-offer, but here are some scenes from yesterday's meeting courtesy of another mother and the Pre-K teacher, lisa. They sang "We Went to the Animal Fair." Mason is on the left side in the front.

And the video:

Halloween

2009-11-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

Running low on time, but here's the album I threw up on Facebook. I'll try to post more later...

A Sweet Pea and a Tiger

Goin' to the Series

2009-11-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, Mason is quite the Yankees fan. So, naturally, Rob and him walked over to The Stadium to drink in the scene for Game 1 of the World Series.

You know, just to walk around and see the sights (while Mommy stayed home with fussy, just vaccinated Piper.) Here's what they saw:

The outside of the stadium

The blimp hovering overhead

People standing in line to get in

A World-Series car

And, oh, yeah ... the inside of the stadium! Turns out they crossed paths with a woman who worked at ESPN and just happened to ask them if they were going to the game. When they said no, she immediately asked if they wanted to. Who wouldn't, I ask?!!?! So, she tells them to follow her, and gives, yes, GIVES them two tickets. They end up watching from Section 208!

Mason enjoyed some popcorn-y. His favorite...

And also made an appearance on the JumboTron late in the game (that, in case you're wondering, is not him!)

Needless to say, I was J-E-A-L-O-U-S, but oh-so-happy for them. Especially Mason. I keep telling everyone I was happy for him, but just jealous of Rob! Now, I'm off to hang up his World Series pennant. Here's hoping we will be able to post a World Series Champs one next to it...

Piper at 2 months

2009-10-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Here's our growing girl and her bear...

Showing off her Barbie band-aids after her trip to the doctor and first round of vaccinations...

And just a cute shot of her sticking out her tongue, because she's found that she has one and uses it for more than just showing Mommy how hungry she is!

We went to the doctor today and she checked in at 23.5 inches long and 11 pounds, 5 ounces. For those keeping track of the numbers, she's in the 90th percentile for height and 60th for weight. Either way, she's growing well! Remember last month's prediction of blue eyes? Well...this month the doctor says "dark" eyes. Different doctor, though, so I guess we'll keep waiting and see what develops over the next few months.

In general Piper news, like I said, she's found her tongue and likes to play with it by sticking it out. It's pretty hilarious when she sticks it out while trying to "talk." I'll try to come up with a video of that sometime soon. She also loves her bouncy seat and seemingly has figured out that by batting the monkey, she can make it sing to her. The baby gym is also a popular attraction and every time Mommy and Grammy are chatting on the phone (which is A LOT) she wants to join in, though always looks a little confused to hear the voice, but not see my mouth moving when I put the phone to her ears!

Happy Birthday, Grammy T

2009-10-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

Grammy turned the "Big 5-Ohhhh!" today and since we couldn't be there to celebrate in person, the kiddos recorded this little diddy for her:

Piper at 1 month

2009-09-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

In my pre-blogging days, I sent out e-mail blasts to "Mason's list" on each of his "monthly" birthdays. Once he hit one year, we graduated to the blog ... so here we are. I'll try to post all Piper's pertinent info here each month so all interested parties can follow her growing progress!

Here she is with her special teddy bear that Mason built for her with the help of some Great Aunties back on our trip to Colorado. Great Aunt Patty took the cap home with her and had it embroidered with her name and a little rose (Piper Rose, get it?!) and sent it once she was born. So, expect the teddy to be a mainstay in these pics so we can see how she overtakes it in size, eventually!

At her one-month checkup, she was 9 pounds, 15.7 ounces. Had she not left a present in her diaper just before hopping on the scales, she would have tipped it at 10 pounds to be sure! Everything checked out a-OK. The doctor was happy with her growth and predicted a blue-eyed baby. Time will tell...

Dad-O's home team

2009-09-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

As a new-baby gift for Dad-O, I outfitted him and the kiddos in new Cowboys attire. It hurt a bit to do so, but they are a good-looking crew, no?

Happy to report...

2009-09-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet P had her two-week checkup today (never mind that it was actually more like a two-and-a-half-week checkup) and all is looking well. She tipped the scales at nine pounds and is ahead of the curve, gaining 18 ounces in 14 days. So all is well ... and hopefully Mommy will quit worrying about whether her little grazer is eating enough!

She was a good sport at the doctor -- both hers and Mommy's -- and in the sling all day as we ran errands and picked up her big brother from school. Once we got home, she spent some time stretching out on the floor. Here are some shots of her looking oh-so-cute in her little green dress...

Siblings

2009-09-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the real world

2009-09-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for Mason -- and all of us really -- as he had his first day of preschool! He's attending Central Park East II on the Upper East Side, where we're oh-so-glad to have landed a spot. Turns out even public Pre-K spots (at good schools!) are difficult to come by in this city!

So, bright and early we headed off this morning -- the whole family -- to his first day. Mason was rockin' his new New York Yankees' backpack, which is almost as big as he is. He got a little lift from Dad-O on the way there.

Piper rocked her apple shirt/skirt combo, if only because it seemed fitting for a first-day-of-school sort of thing!

When we arrived at the school, we found Mason's class lined up in the big school yard and waited (nervously, for Mommy) for the big moment when we'd head inside to the classroom. We also managed to squeeze in a family picture.

We headed upstairs to his classroom and helped him find his name on his cubby and unload his backpack, then it was time to say goodbye. Mason handled it the best of all of us, I think. He looked at me and said "See ya later, Mom!" I practically had to beg for a hug and a kiss ... then leave before I started tearing up! Rob gave him one big squeeze and then we reluctantly headed out and hit up the new-parent breakfast down the hall.

Three hours later, Piper and I were back to pick him up and take him out for a special lunch at McDonald's. The first thing he said to me was "I loved school, Mommy! Thanks for telling me about it!"

Oh, kid, if you only knew. I'll have to remind him of that in a few years and often after that, to be sure!

Pretty in Pink

2009-09-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Before Grammy left, we snuck out to do a little "girlie" shopping. Thank goodness for gypsy cabs and the new Target/Babies R Us/BJs trifecta of stores across the river. We got plenty of girlie stuff for our new girlfriend.

So far, she's looking like one well-dressed little princess...

Pretty in pink (notice she still has a thing for the dramatic hand across the forehead look):

Her first outing (to Mason's preschool picnic) outfit:

Her first dress:

Rockin' a headband:

And maybe my favorite look of all, hanging with her very loving big brother:

Guess Who?

2009-09-06T14:42:00.001-07:00

So, I've got some picture labeling to do. Mason and Piper look nearly identical in their hospital pictures. Care to guess who's who?

It's a girl!

2009-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to welcome our new little one, Piper Rose Mercier, born at 1:27 and weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

Catching Up

2009-08-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

So, we've hit the due date and I haven't had a whole lot of time to post lately. That might have to do with a little something called nesting, but I digress.

Here's what the Mercier clan has been up to in our last few weeks of only-child life...

Heading out to Staten Island to take in a (Staten Island) Yankees game with the CU Alumni group:

Pal-ing around Central Park and taking in the scenes and kiddie rides at Victorian Gardens:

Mommy and Mason took one last big "adventure" as a duo -- heading out to Prospect Park to take in the zoo:

Then heading over to the carousel for a quick spin ... and some ice cream!:

A different kind of adventure -- heading to N.J. and Ikea to get a new big-boy bed for our soon-to-be big brother:

Our first visit to the *new* Yankee Stadium:

Never underestimate the power of the rally cap. Yankees are down, Mason dons his (again) and voila ... back-to-back eighth-inning homers propel the Bombers to victory:

And last but not least ... welcoming Grammy to the city and spending a fun day with her in Central Park (while Mommy was at her zillionth doctor's appointment!)

Hopefully the next time we check in, we'll have some big news about a new little one!

Surprise!

2009-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends teamed up to throw me -- and the Bean -- a surprise shower last Sunday. We had a great time visiting, eating, drinking and eating some more at Jess' and Becca's place, but the highlight was the goodies I got to take home.

Here you can see the girls hard at work designing custom-made onsies for the Bean. I supervised from the couch while sipping on Courtney's delicious watermelon-mint punch concoction. Mmmm.

And here are the finished products all lined up and waiting for a little person to model them. Too cute!

Ready For A Close-Up

2009-07-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

We got a good look at our Baby Bean yesterday -- 36 weeks and 2 days into the pregnancy. Bean is looking pretty good, and measuring right on schedule, though Mommy did have a slight panic when she noticed the measurement for the noggin was about a week ahead of schedule! They estimated Bean's weight to be 6-pounds, 6-ounces at this point.

Beantown

2009-07-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

We loaded up the family on the ol' Amtrak train last weekend and headed north for some Fourth of July fun and a little belated birthday celebration for the Dad-O Man. We had been wanting to go to Boston ever since we moved east ... five years ago ... and finally made it! Here's Dad-O and Mason man checking out the view from the train as we left NYC in the rear-view mirror.

Once we got to Boston, we made a bee-line for Boston Common and took a tour of the Freedom Trail from this lady. Mason, as you can see, was totally enamored with the city's historical sites.

(As an aside, the sleeping was a much better reaction than we got when we took him to see the Liberty Bell. There, he just cried. Alas, both times he was woken up way too early to hit the road!)

Here are some of the Freedom Trail sites. Rob would later go to the pub across the street from the Granary Burying Grounds to "sip a cold Sam Adams while looking at a cold Sam Adams" grave as our tour guide suggested. Since the under 21 set wasn't welcomed, Mason and Mommy went for ice cream instead!

After our tour, we headed for the harbor where we took in the sites and enjoyed some delicious seafood at Legal Sea Foods. I'm still dreaming of Rob's jumbo stuffed shrimp!

Feeling re-energized, we took a walk through the financial district and back to Boston Common so Mason could get in a little playtime. He loved the sprinklers there and we all had a blast wading in the Frog Pond. Mommy's tired feet were especially appreciative!

After a brief respite at the hotel, we hit the road again and headed to Cambridge to watch the fireworks over the Charles River. Based on some faulty intelligence from our waitress, we arrived WAY too early for the show, but landed a good viewing spot. It ended up not mattering too much, though, as we had one terrified toddler on our hands and left shortly after the fireworks started going off! At least we squeezed in a family picture first!

Sunday started off with a trip to Fenway Park. The Sox were in town, but we didn't have tickets to the game. Instead, we just took in the pregame sites and our intrepid little Yankees fan braved the hostile environment to pose for a picture with his Yankees hat in front of the field. He and Dad-O gave the hated Red Sox and thumbs down. Fearing backlash, I turned his hat around once he hopped back in the stroller, but he was fearless and turned it right back around. Luckily, no one hurled any insults at him, though a dirty look or two were directed at Dad-O and I!

After a walk down Newbury Street, we headed to the Public Garden. We had promised Mason a boat ride, so to the Swan Boats we went.

For the final leg of our trip, we returned to Cambridge and took a quick walk through the Harvard campus.

From there, it was back to South Station and all aboard the train that would take our exhausted selves home. All in all, it was a great way to spent a holiday weekend and a great mini-trip for the three of us. We're already looking forward to returning and not waiting five years to do so!

Wedding Extravaganza, Part Deux

2009-06-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Uncle Kirty and Auntie Julie tied the knot last Friday. Once again, Mommy and Macey played the parts of bridesmaid and ring bearer, respectively.

Thursday night marked the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner -- and also the only time the WHOLE family was together. Dr. Auntie Meg's residency graduation coincided with Kirt and Julie's big day, so we took time to take a family picture (the Bean is even prominently visible!)

Friday was wedding day. After a relaxing morning of family time -- we took Mason to see Up! at the movie theater Mommy frequented as a teenager (weird!) -- followed by a nap, it was time to head to the church.

Mason was utterly mesmerized when he saw his Auntie Julie before the wedding. As Grammy said, he looked like one of those cartoon characters with stars in their eyes and just said "She's so beautiful." And who could argue!!?!?!

After refueling with some chocolate milk behind the scenes, it was time for the big game ... er, moment.

Mason showed off his professional ring-bearing skills, by practically dragging his counterpart, Evan, down the aisle. He was pretty anxious to get to Uncle Kirty, who had a surprise waiting at the alter -- a new car, which he then used to drive over Mommy's tummy as Julie came marching down the aisle.

After the I-Dos were said and the licensed was signed, it was time to party and party Mason did ...

With his uncles...

With Aunt Patty, who he drug onto the dance floor...

And of course, with his Auntie Julie...

And Uncle Kirty...

Congrats to them both! All of our pictures are here, and here's the photographer's official pics.

The Great Outdoors

2009-06-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

There was a time not so long ago when our little Mason man was afraid of the grass...poor little city kid! Not so anymore. We made sure to take advantage of Grammy and Papa's yard when we were in Colorado!

Running in the sprinklers...

Bouncing around the backyard...

Catching bugs... (though, he initially called this little ol' earthworm a snake!)

Enjoying the waterfall...

Playing with his guys at the picnic table, where we also spent many a lunch, dinner and breakfast time...

The Cool Pool

2009-06-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Mason is undoubtedly a water lover, so we spent a couple of afternoons at the recreation center near Grammy and Papa's house chilling in the pool and this was no ordinary pool.

For starters, the water was warm and it started at a depth of 0 feet, 0 inches, and reached a grand total of 3 feet, 6 inches. It had three separate play areas -- one with geysers, one with a little spouts flowing through some pipes and the piece de resistance: a jungle gym/slide right smack in the middle of the action. Mason LOVED climbing the stairs and going down the slide right into the water. Mommy loved relaxing comfortably nearby and watching his joy without worrying about him getting in over his head.

There was also a BIG slide and on our second trip, Grammy came along for the ride so she could take him down said slide. While they both enjoyed their one trip down, Grammy was a little freaked out! Mason was all ready to go again, but Grammy was scared to death she would lose her grip on the little guy and decided not to tempt fate!

Mason kept asking why we didn't have a "cool pool" like this at our house and it will definitely be in our rotation of things to do next time we head home!

A Rockies VIP

2009-06-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

Uncle Clint and Auntie Meg treated Mommy and Mason to our second Rockies game of this trip last Saturday night and boy did we have a great time.

After indulging in a little pre-game buffet in the "Coors Clubhouse" (Mason had a bite of hot dog and two brownies, Mommy and the Bean ate considerably more!) we headed out to find our seats. Not a bad view from the front-row, eh?

We snapped a few shots before the game began and then settled in for the action.

Mason was very happy to make a new friend -- with Dinger, the Rockies' mascot, who we'd been reading about since our arrival in Colorado. His first encounter was a high-five through the netting separating us from the field.

His second a picture perfect pose.

His third, the highlight of the evening -- though we were all pretty happy with the win in the bottom of the ninth inning, you don't see this every day.

Mason, as you can see, was sporting his rally cap throughout much of the game and he was certain that it was the reason for the come-from-behind victory. In fact, it's now Monday, and he's still sporting the rally cap. He won't let us turn it right-side out for nothin'!

Did I mention that this is a great age to take a kid to the ballgame? Mason was so into the game and what was going on, as well as parroting whatever we told him to say to the batters. He shouted plenty of "Let's go, Tu-Lo!" and "Swing, batta batta, swing!" It was pretty cute -- as was he, apparently, cute enough to make an appearance on the JumboTron and to be seen by Papa on the local broadcast of the game.

All in all, Mason got all he wanted out of the game: a meeting with Dinger, witnessing a Rockies home run and especially, a Rockies win!

Great Grandparents

2009-05-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

Mason got to chill with Great Grandma and Grandpa Woodman at over dinner at Grammy and Papa's house tonight. I always treasure the time he's able to spend with them!

Hanging out

2009-05-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here's what Mason's been up to this week in Colorado...

Literally hanging from the doorknob while playing with his Uncle Clint -- but, Clint should have tried this trick a little bit sooner. He's a smidge too tall.

Entertaining himself in the backyard while Mommy works. We were outside all morning on Friday and he had a blast playing with his cars, running around in the grass and playing in his pool.

Playing a little ball with Papa.

Catching another rolly-poly bug for his bug box.

A quick snuggle with Auntie Meg.

Meeting the blue bear at the Denver Convention Center.

When in Rome...

2009-05-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Since we've been in the Mile High City for the entirety of the Western Conference finals (shown here at a more toddler-friendly hour of 7 p.m.!), Mason has gotten quite into the Nuggets run. Naturally, he had to gear up for last night's (disappointing) Game 5 with a new T-shirt and hat...

Here's hoping for better luck tomorrow.

Playtime

2009-05-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

One of Mason's favorite haunts is Chuck E. Cheese. Mommy and Dad-O can only take a visit there oh-so-often, but had promised him a visit to a "Colorado" Chuck E. Cheese for a long time. We trekked there today to meet Grandma Alize, and cousins Eli and Asani.

Much fun ensued...

In Mason's words, the Colorado Chuck E. Cheese was "more awesome than the one at home because it had like a million more games." In Mommy's, it was "more awesome because it was bigger and less crowded!"

Check Me Out

2009-05-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Murdoch's today to properly outfit the Mason-man in western attire. It actually started out as a trip for new cowboy boots, as his are getting too small, but turned into a whole new outfit...and a toy to boot!

Grammy, Uncle Kenneth, Aunt Patty and Mommy had way too much fun outfitting Mason in the middle of the store.

Then, we just set him right up on the counter and let the sales clerk scan him from head to toe.

May Flowers

2009-05-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Grammy's favorite day of the year is the day she gets to plant all her annuals, and luckily Mason and I were there to partake in the activity this year.

We got up early Saturday morning to prep the soil.

Then, it was off to the garden center, where Macey helped Grammy pick out all the flowers she needed to fill her deck boxes and planters as well as finding a couple of nice hanging baskets. He was particularly fond of the deer-resistant varieties of plants, despite the fact that Grammy and Papa don't have a deer problem in their backyard.

After we had all our flowers back at Grammy's house, Mason helped Grammy cart all the plants into the backyard with his wagon.

Then we got to work. Mommy and Grammy filled up the planters, and Mason watered them in.

When we were all done...we watered Mason down. He was particularly dirty, but it was lots of fun and here are the smiles to prove it.

Ouch!

2009-05-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

A rite of passage, I suppose, here's Mason's first fat lip, picked up while playing with his uncles last night. Not quite sure what happened, except that Mason got in a fight with a metal trash can and the trash can won...

It didn't look too bad when he went to bed, but it swelled up overnight!

Wedding Extravaganza, Pt. I

2009-05-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Macey and Mommy have been in Colorado for a full week now, and between the wedding-weekend madness, the jet lag, getting adjusted to life in the 'burbs and the remote home office, Mommy hasn't a lot of time to post!

Uncle Clint and Auntie Meg got hitched last Saturday and are off enjoying their Mexican honeymoon now.

The wedding weekend began with a trip to see the Rockies play the Astros at Coors Field. Despite Mason's best efforts -- and rally cap -- the home team did not pick up the win. We did, however, have lots of fun and Mommy got some cool sun burn lines in the four inches between the bottom of her shorts and the top of her knees.

Friday night was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner before the big day rolled around Saturday. Mason looked pretty dapper in his tux upon arriving at the church, which was in downtown Denver. There was only one slight problem, though: He arrived with one shoe missing! Papa trekked back toward the car and found it lying in the middle of the street. It was rescued and the show went on without a hitch, as Mason escorted one of Clint and Meg's nieces, Caroline, down the aisle.

Once Clint and Meg sealed the deal with a kiss, we all got ready to party. In my humble, and totally unbiased opinion, Mason stole the show (as much as he could with a beautiful, happy couple taking center stage!). Check out his dance moves:

Sweet Caroline was in honor of, well, sweet Caroline, who was pretty sure Clint was really her boyfriend and not Meg's! All the nieces and nephews had a great time dancing. We could barely get Mason off the dance floor. He didn't want dinner. He didn't want cake. Finally, it was a Capri Sun that did the trick, but then he was back out there again.

As the night wore on, he got a little tuckered out.

Then, he finally crashed on an antique sofa in the room just over from where the party was a roarin'.

As a finale, here are the official Mercier family portraits from the evening, the before and after, if you will...

For anyone interested in the entirety of the weekend's action, check out our Snapfish Album.

Colorado, Week 1

2009-05-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Aside from the wedding excitement, here's what we've been up to since arriving in Colorado last week ...

Helping Papa plant a tree (after all, the yard had to look nice for the rehearsal dinner, no?)

Reading lots of stories, especially with Great Grandma, who should have a Ph.D. in reading to children by now, because she loves it so much! This particular book was one that belonged to Mommy and her brother's and sister when we were little, and I can distinctly remember her reading the exact same book to me on many occasions.

And finally, getting in some time with Mason's cousins, Asani and Eli. Dad-O was pretty much in heaven hanging out with his three favorite little men.

Mason also got to spend some time with his Grandma Alize, who lives near Asani and Eli, and with his Grandpa Robert, who had flown in for a day to see Asani's last football game.

Happy Birthday, Kellyn!

2009-05-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Mason's best friend turned 4 today! We celebrated last weekend with a trip to GustOrganics on 14th and 6th (still thinking about that strawberry-pear-pine nut-spinach salad I devoured!) and a trip to see a play called Rumple Who? nearby.

Here's the birthday girl, our favorite little man, Mason, and another friend, Sophia posing with Kellyn's grandma.

Movin' On Up

2009-05-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mason and his buddies have been heading to karate every Tuesday night since the fall, and we hit a big milestone today! They got their first belt promotion, from white to orange.

As Kushinda, the master, explained it, they are not fully accepted into the community until they hit this mark, so it was kind of a big deal. While they're still working a lot on the basics, they have mastered the art of following directions. Here's Mason performing the technique to move on:

Officially receiving his belt:

The new crop of orange belts:

And, the entire class -- as you can see -- there's a big range of skills and age levels, but all in all they have fun each week when they meet!

Lastly, striking a proud pose with Dad-O after the festivities:

Animal adventures

2009-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend filled with friends furry, feathered and frisky. Mommy and Mason spent Saturday at one of our favorite spots, the Bronx Zoo, and then we followed that up with a Sunday at a National Geographic Family Day at Chelsea Piers.

At the zoo, we got our first peek at Moxie, the lion cub. He's the smallish one lying in the back.

And played at the new park put up near the giraffe exhibit by Tiki Barber -- who was in attendance, though Mason couldn't have cared less (like the good Cowboys fan his Dad-O is raising him to be).

We also got a look at some of Macey's other favorites, including the zebras. This trip, the kiddo was WAY into hearing all the info that the signs at each exhibit provided. It was really cute.

After an ice cream break, we headed to the children's zoo to feed the sheep, goats and all their friends and to climb the spider web. Mason climbed way above Mommy's head, but got blocked in, so I had to give him a hand getting down!

Sunday, we hit Chelsea Piers for the Nat Geo day. First, Mason was obsessed with playing in the airplane, but he perked up and got a bit more adventurous after lunch, working with Dad-O to unearth some dinosaur bones in a plaster cast.

Then, he got REALLY up close and personal with some exotic animal friends. He got to touch a boa constrictor, another snake, and a chinchilla.

We also saw a tree frog, iguana and alligator, but didn't get to touch those.

I thought it was cool when the handler demonstrated the tree frog's sticking ability by placing him on a nearby window.

All in all, we had a great time and left with a bag full of freebies, including some cool, new blocks.

Opening Day

2009-04-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

With (the new and old!) Yankee Stadium nearly in the shadow of our apartment building, it seems we're raising a budding Yankees' fan. Here's the view we see coming down the hill on 155th Street from the subway, and looking directly across the river into the Bronx.

On the left is the new Yankee Stadium. On the right, the House that Ruth Built. In the middle of the foreground is one of the Polo Grounds Towers -- a housing project built on the site where the old Giants' digs once stood.

And here is the budding Yankees' fan as he headed off to daycare the day the new stadium was christened, thanks to Mommy's friend and Yankees' fan extraordinare, Nicki, who outfitted him with a CC Sabathia jersey for the occasion. He thrilled subway riders in the evening (many of whom were coming home from the Yankees-Indians' game) by telling them he PLAYED for the Yankees and referring to the Indians as the "girls" team. Too funny...

Easter fun

2009-04-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a nice, relaxing Easter weekend beginning with Thursday night's big egg-coloring extravaganza. We had our buddies Kellyn, Nasira and Fatima over to help Mason do the honors.

Take a look at all those colors!

All told, the kiddos dyed 36 eggs for us and eight hands! Now I understand why we always had to dye eggs well in advance of Easter Sunday -- so the dye would be gone in time for photos!

Rob and Mason spent Good Friday together, though Mommy had to work. I'll post more about their adventure later.

Easter Sunday doubled as Mommy's birthday this year, and we had a great time. First, Mason awoke to find his wares from the "Christmas" Bunny -- as he kept referring to the Easter Bunny all day long, especially when he was excited. Like Mason said, he got toys, some clothes and LOTS of candy from that Christmas Bunny.

After mass, we headed to brunch at one of our favorite Upper Westside spots, Arte Cafe, and then to Central Park for an egg hunt of our own. The Christmas Bunny was kind enough to leave Mason 25 stuffed eggs to find.

After last year's incident, Mason was worried about other kids swiping his eggs, so we picked a sunny, uninhabited hillside to hide them on. Or so we thought ...

It wasn't other kids who got to them this year, it was a squirrel. Check out the chewed-through egg and the empty candy wrapper.

Mason still had plenty of fun, though we only came home with 22 eggs. The squirrel got a few!

Note to Christmas Bunny: Stop bringing shorts! Two years in a row, we've egg-hunted in our winter jackets!

Bean In 3D

2009-04-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Had a follow-up to our last ultrasound today. Here's how the little one is growing. Stats are all right on for this point. Baby Bean is checking in at a full pound now. It was pretty funny as he/she was not into cooperating with us, at one point even putting its hands and feet up to block where the technician was poking around with the probe. Again you can see the preferred spot for that little hand is right in front of the face! The top one is my favorite.

New wheels

2009-04-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Check out the daycare kiddos rockin' their new ride. It's like a stroller bus!

An Egg-cellent Adventure

2009-04-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

We trekked up to Ft. Tryon Park on Sunday for Mason's first official Easter Egg hunt. The little man came away with quite a load of eggs and we all enjoyed the beautiful weather and beautiful surroundings in the process.

Here are some scenes from the park:

And a video of the action -- apologies for the quality...the camera kind of loses focus as I chase after the little egg hunter!

Mason Being Mason

2009-04-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Silly that is ... undies on the head ... all him and he knew it was hilarious! It's funny to see his little sense of humor developing.

Party Time

2009-03-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

We caught up with Mason's buddy Matthias last weekend for his third birthday party. Mattias and his family are friends of ours from Nursery North. It was great to see him and his parents, meet his new baby sister, Olympe, and catch up with all of our old friends.

Mason sported a cream cheese moustache:

Thanks in part to his multi-tasking -- Thomas toys in one hand, breakfast in the other:

The birthday boy:

Making like a clown, while playing with the spit balls ... seriously:

Cute little Peony poses for the camera:

The Proud Graduate

2009-03-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a big day for the Mason man. As you can see, he graduated the latest round of swimming lessons.

This round, we took them at Riverbank State Park, where we've been schlepping every Saturday morning since early January. There were some days where it was particularly frigid, but it was worth the effort.

Here's Mommy and Mason on our last day of class.

The little guy in action:

And, of course, videos. Maybe I'll get creative with them later and make one highlight film, but for now enjoy this trifecta!

It's a...

2009-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Boy? A girl? We don't know -- and don't plan to find out, so for now, we're referring to the little one affectionately as Baby Bean. Here are our favorite pics of the little one in action from our 18-week ultrasound yesterday.

Dad-O's Favorite

Mommy's Favorite

I'm feeling pretty good, though very tired! Like I said, I'm 18 weeks along, now. The baby is growing right on schedule and due to arrive in mid-August (August 15 is the official date, for those keeping score at home.)

Mason's pretty excited to be a big brother. He's sure it's a little sister (Papa agrees based on the second pic, where you can faintly see Bean's hand draped across his/her forehead in dramatic fashion.) Though, when we told the Doctor this yesterday, and she immediately asked Mason what Mommy had in her tummy, he said a baby brother -- go figure.

Daycare Kiddos

2009-03-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

Melissa and her brave staff took eight of the kiddos to the Children's Museum last Friday night. All us mommies and daddies picked them up from there and spent a little time playing. Here are some shots from the action:

Mason, as you can see, refused to take part in the group shot. It might have had something to do with this group lining up by the door, awaiting their parents' arrival and eventual dismissal. As I was already there, he wanted to keep playing. To wit, here he is running all over the museum, wearing the fire fighter's hat he picked up sometime before I got there. Also, note the stickers on his cheeks? Well, when I took those off later that night, they left little sticker-shaped rashes that lasted all weekend. Oops!

Zachary and Lilly...

Kellyn and Zion

One more shot, though not from CMOM. This one is from our usual Tuesday night trek to karate class. They're getting pretty good! I thought they looked pretty cute all bundled up and waiting on the stairs while the stroller was parked.

Snowball Fight!

2009-03-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, the tri-state area was blanketed in snow, forcing NYC public schools to close for the first time in five years. Mason spent the day at daycare, but when Mommy came home we headed out of a little frigid fun. It wasn't great snowball weather, but as you can see, Mason managed to find a few hunks of white stuff to hurl at his Mommy!

Here's the extra-blurry Mom-scrambling-out-of-the-way-in-feigned-fear shot:

I exacted revenge by hurling him into a snowbank. He attempted to make a snow angel.

And here are the rosy cheeks (and runny nose) that proved it was time to head back inside for a cup of hot chocolate, a little cuddling time and a story. Not a bad gig to come home to!

Catching up with...

2009-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

Mason's secret twin, Malka, who we've known since they were about six months old and partners in crime in the baby room at Nursery North. We stopped by to visit Malka and her Eemah on Saturday so the toddlers could get some playtime in, and us mommies could stare at Malka's new baby brother.

Here they are giving each other a big ol' hug, while Mason tells Malka that she's his "bestest buddy."

It's so cool that even though we don't get together as often as we'd like, whenever we do, they're "bestest buddies" all over again!

Storytime!

2009-02-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

Mason's been regaling us with his favorite story for some time now. We thought it was time to share:

Well Bundled

2009-02-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

It's been frigid here in the Northeast -- though the temperature was 41 degrees when I woke up this morning, so for one day I can't complain. Anyway, the dipping temps did necessitate a crafty weekend, as a made the Macey Man a scarf to bundle himself in. Here he is after our early morning Saturday swimming lessons looking oh-so-cute.

Gymnastics Gala

2009-01-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

Mason wrapped up his session with the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation last week with a gymnastics gala at Riverbank State Park. Dad-O and I were pretty excited to see the show, as the gymnastics class was of the drop-off variety, so we didn't know exactly what the Macey man had been learning behind closed doors for the past few months.

We watched the show front and center with Kellyn's family -- her mom, dad, grandma, aunt and cousin were all on hand to take in the scene.

Here are some shots and a little video for you to enjoy!

Mason and Kellyn are the third and second in line, respectively.

Getting ready for a somersault!

The landing

Waving goodbye to their adoring fans

And, still waving. Kellyn took center stage until one of the coaches came to pluck her off the center of the mat. We got a HUGE kick out of it!

The YouTube clip:

Picture Perfect

2009-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Here's Mason's official 3-year-old photo shoot. He was quite the little charmer and seemed to love the attention showered on him by the ladies at Kiddie Kandids.

Christmas In New York

2008-12-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

A couple days late, but here's what we've been up to this holiday...

Mason and Mommy baked cookies on Christmas Eve morning, while Dad-O had to head off to work. Mason, as you can see, is a good helper and always willing to test the batter.

In the evening, we headed to 5 p.m. mass and took some time afterwards to take in the beautiful nativity scene and all the decorations set up at church.

Next, we headed downtown and grabbed some dinner before our traditional stop at Rockefeller Center to see the tree in all it's glory. Here are some of our favorite shots.

On Christmas morning, we awoke to find a pile of presents from Santa on top of the pile of presents that had already found it's way to our tree thanks to all Mason's generous aunts and uncles and his Grammy and Papa.

Mason opened.

And opened.

And opened presents.

Then, we got to take our turn. Dad-O, as you can see, was very pleased with his new video game.

We enjoyed a low-key day. We spent a little time out in the lobby of the apartment visiting with the neighbors and watching Mason and their little guy play with some new toys. Later, we closed out the night with a trip to visit Melissa and Kellyn next door.

Mommy was wearing her comfy sweats all day and decided that's just about the best way to spend Christmas!

The Big Three

2008-12-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Mason's official birthday yesterday with a day full of family fun. Both Dad-O and I were lucky enough to have the day off so we could devote the whole day to doting on the birthday boy.

We started off with a very nutritious birthday breakfast of donuts and followed that up with opening more presents. Mason had plenty of time to play with all of them: he and Dad-O built a Lego tower taller than Mason, Mason had a ball with his new Diego Mobile Rescue Unit and then we all headed into the lobby so he could go wild with his remote-control car from Grammy and Papa.

After recharging at naptime, we headed downtown for the much-anticipated Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Mason posed for some quick pictures before we set out to find our seats.

The show did not disappoint. Afterwards, Mason said his favorite part was the arrival of the three wisemen, presumably because they were accompanied by real-live donkeys and camels (seriously, I work right across the street from the place. I want to know where they hide those animals when they're not on stage!). Of course, later, he was overheard telling his Uncle Kirty that it was the Rockettes who really stole the show. My how fast he's growing up...

After the show, we grabbed some cupcakes at Magnolia and headed uptown for one last surprise: Pizza, soda and games at Chuck E. Cheese. Mason always points it out when we pass it by, but we rarely go there. It's a special treat. Dad-O, with Mason on his shoulder walked by the door initially, only to turn around and go back, and plop Mason in front of the door -- where we were treated to a big ol' birthday smile. He was so excited.

We closed the place down and headed home, only to find our door all decorated by Mason's daycare buddies. It was so cute -- two collages, plus a card from each of his friends and a portrait of the birthday boy. Mason remarked: "This is beautiful work!"

It was that, and a pretty awesome end to his third-birthday extravaganza. We all had a great day...and will have to work real hard to top it next year!

First Snow!

2008-12-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

Winter (and by that I mean snow, we've already had our share of cold!) arrived in New York today. There were snow flurries off and on all day, but by the time karate class was dismissed at 7, it was coming down pretty good!

The kiddos were all bundled up and snuggled down in the four-seater.

Mason tried to catch some flakes on his tongue.

Kellyn was so comfy and unaffected, she fell right asleep. Maybe I need to get me one of those snowsuits!

Mason's Wild Third Birthday Party

2008-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

We spent the better part of Saturday with a big ol' group of friends -- both ours and Mason's -- celebrating Mason's third birthday with a Diego-themed bash.

We were lucky enough, again, to borrow Melissa's place for the shin-dig and everyone had a great time. The kids wore animal masks instead of party hats. There was plenty of food and random fun. They colored. They danced. They fought over the big ol' bowl of Pirate's Booty, which I've learned must be a children's-party staple.

Here's the big moment when Mason blew out his cake:

All of the photos from the day can be found here.

It will be hard to top the fun of the party, but Dad-O, Mason and I are gearing up for a trip to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular come Wednesday -- his actual birthday -- not to mention more presents to open.

We'll check back in after that adventure!

Tis The Season

2008-12-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

We took Macey Man to Macy's last night to visit the big guy, a.k.a. Santa. Mason was eager to see his old friend, who almost didn't recognize our little man because he's gotten so tall (or so he said.)

Mason asked Santa for toys. Nothing specific, just toys. Santa suggested some trains to the delight of Mason. Then, Santa asked Mason to leave some milk and cookies for him and some carrots for the reindeer. I have a feeling both will be happy to oblige come Christmas Eve.

After the big moment, we enjoyed the decorations in Santaland -- especially the trains...

Then took in the window displays...

Our last stop of the night was Columbus Circle, where we were treated to this light show:

Random Cuteness

2008-12-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, Mason and his daycare buddies started going to karate class. On Tuesday nights, I meet up with them to make the trek down to 135th Street for the class. They all look SO cute in their uniforms with their little white belts. Here's a couple of videos from last week's class. They're getting the hang of it a little more each week.

And, last but not least, Mason helped me get a jump on Christmas baking. We made M&M cookies last weekend. Here he is helping out -- or sampling the brown sugar that Mommy spilled.

Balloons, Balloons, Everywhere Balloons

2008-11-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

One week, two cities, two big balloon parades.

First stop, Sunday, Stamford, Conn., for the UBS Parade Spectacular, which we attended with our friends Claire and Mike, who are Stamford residents.

The big hit of the day -- you'll never guess, no really, you won't. Gumby! Mason loved the little green clap of clay.

Thomas, predictably, was also a big hit.

Come Wednesday night, we headed to the Natural History Museum to check out the big balloon inflation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with, oh, about a million of our closest friends.

On Thursday, we joined that million, plus about 2.5 million more to watch the parade life in midtown Manhattan. This year, we watched from 48th and Broadway. Mason's favorite part (before Santa, that is) just may have been watching the antics of the cartoon M&Ms on the big screen across the street, in front of the M&M store.

There were plenty of other cool sites to see, though.

And, as a grand finale here's the kiddo's reaction to Santa's arrival on the scene.

Mason and Dad-O posed for a little Thanksgiving portrait in the middle of Seventh Avenue, which was still shut down as the parade marched further downtown toward Macy's.

We closed out our Thanksgiving outing with some delicious turkey and all the fixin's at a restaurant and then headed home for a family nap!

Road Trippin'

2008-11-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

With a full tank of gas and a cooler full of snacks, we loaded up in our ZipCar and hit the road last weekend. Our destination? A surprise visit to see Uncle Clint and Auntie Meg, who had trekked from Colorado to Baltimore to take in a little football game.

Since they weren't available until after game time, and since we don't usually have a car, we took the long route and stopped in Philadelphia for a little tourist action on our way there.

First, we hopped on a horse and carriage and took a little ride through town.

Next, we did a little sight seeing on foot. Taking in the Liberty Bell (don't ask Mason how he liked it. He didn't.)

The U.S. Mint.

And a Quaker Meeting Hall (Mason really liked the loft!)

Before seeing what our mugs would look like on a $5 bill.

Back on the road, we met up with a very surprised Uncle Clint and Auntie Meg (who was in on the surprise) in Baltimore and had some crab cakes, before heading back to the car. On our way, we found this curious sign above a gutter, which made us all giggle.

After a hotel-room football game of our own, and a little pillow fight, we all crashed for the night. Sunday started out with church and then after much indecision by all of us adults, Mason picked out the aquarium for our activity.

We -- mostly Uncle Clint -- teased him mercilessly on the way there, saying we were instead going to the Museum of Dentistry, but in the end, we stuck with the original plan and Mason saw eye-to-eye with a sea turtle, checked out some rays and sharks and had Clint and Meg to lean on the whole time.

Our last stop at the aquarium was the dolphin show, which wasn't quite Sea World, but wasn't too shabby either!

After lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, it was time to take Auntie Meg and Uncle Clint to the airport and head for home ourselves. We did make one final detour, to Philly as the cheesesteak lines were a little too long Saturday. Mommy and Dad-O indulged in the sandwiches, while Mason opted for fries and we both decided Geno's won out.

Live from New York, it's ... Election Day

2008-11-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Dad-O was at the polls when they opened. I waited a bit longer, mostly because I wanted to take the Mason Man with me. So, here we are, at 7:30 a.m. standing in line at the polling place, waiting for our turn.

Mason pulled the lever. Hard to believe that the last time we did this, he wasn't even a twinkle in our eyes. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to share the voting booth with him.

When Mommy and Dad-O get off work, we're all three going to go to Election Plaza and await the results there. We'll see how long we last, but I'll post updates later.

*** UPDATES ***

Here's the three of us at Election Plaza last night:

A gallery of the rest of the shots can be found here.

Overall, it was an awesome experience to be there as some of the states started to turn, and the scaffolding's rose up the side of the GE Building. We didn't last too long. We were tired, and had a tired toddler on our (mostly Dad-O's) shoulders, so we were home well before they called the race for Obama.

From that vantage point, there was much rejoicing and gleeful cheers to be heard on the streets of Harlem.

No matter which way you voted, I don't know how you can deny the significance of what just happened. It gave me a chill, and brought tears to my eyes. After all, Mason has someone who looks an awful lot like him to look up to in the Oval Office.

Hair Cut

2008-11-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

No. 7 or 8? We can't quite remember, but the kiddo is looking very clean cut and like one dapper little dude, don't ya think?

The Morning After Halloween

2008-11-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Halloween with our little firefighter all day long yesterday. First on the agenda was the second-annual Small Idea Daycare trick-or-treating parade extravaganza.

Mommy was greeted with a "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..." song when Mason, Kellyn and their crew showed up at the home office to collect their goodies.

After that, we took a walk around the block, and attempted to take a shot of the whole crew before Mommy had to duck back inside to do some work, and the kiddies had a little party and a nap to get ready for the evening's festivities.

In the afternoon, we took all the kids to Hippo Playground on the UWS to participate in the Hippo Playground Halloween Parade and play in the playground a little bit. There, we met up with our neighbor Emilio, who Mommy didn't recognize because his "pumpkin head" costume was such a good disguise.

Once the crowd thinned, and we met up with Dad-O, we headed out on our own to do a little trick-or-treating. We went up and down 86th Street, which was decked out by all it's residents. In addition to the usual candy, they also handed out pizza and hot dogs. Not bad!

We even had a celebrity siting, as Elizabeth Hasselbeck was hitting up the street with her kids. By we, of course, I mean Dad-O. He told me who she was after she left us. I guess I need to watch the view more!

After wandering up Broadway, and picking up a few more treats, we headed for the subway. We had planned to trick-or-treat on 95th Street on our way home, but by that point, the little fireman was all tuckered out and just wanted a ride home!

Heading South for the Winter ... or a Weekend

2008-10-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a big Florida adventure, where we visited Grandpa, Grandma Julie, Auntie Ro and Uncle Reggie in the Tampa area. It was a short trip, but we made the most of it!

We flew out last Saturday, and Auntie Ro picked us up at the airport. When we got to Spring Hill, Grandma Julie, fresh off a trip to clown graduation, answered the door with her clown nose still painted on! Once Grandpa arrived, we headed to the park to play, where Mason herded us all aboard his bus.

Then, he took a long ride on the swing.

Back home, we played a bit in Grandma and Grandpa's pool. We started out throwing a grapefruit in (they float!) but by the end of our adventure, Mason was stripped down to his skivvies, and the rest of his clothes had to be tossed in the drier!

Later that evening, we went to a little Halloween fare where Grandma was volunteering on the Haunted Nature Trail. Grandpa watched the Mace man while we big kids took part in that, but there was plenty of fun for him. Our first stop was a pony ride.

Later, we took a haunted hay ride. Grandma picked us out in the crowded line from her post on the nature trail. She recognized Mason's hair as he sat on Dad-O's shoulders. So, she joined us and got to sit right up front with the driver. This was my favorite part of the night, even though I was the only one of us who got scared on the ride! Seriously...

Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa took us up to Crystal River and the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This was REALLY cool. For starters, we rode a little pontoon boat on the Homosassa River from the visitor's center to the wildlife park. While on board, we saw a real live -- wild -- alligator!

Once we arrived back in the park, our first stop was to see the manatees. Mason was so excited when he spotted the first one, Amanda, coming in to feed on some carrots that had been left there.

After all of us posed as manatees...

We got an underwater look at some schools of fish. They were so thick that you couldn't see beyond them.

Our next stop was to visit Lu, the 48-year-old hippopotamus. You see, the park used to be privately run, and Lu was one of a bunch of *exotic* animals housed there. When the state of Florida took over the park, it was decreed that only animals native to the state could be housed there. After failing to find a suitable home for Lu, he was granted honorary citizenship and allowed to stay on.

Lu treated us to a little show. Turns out hippos like to eat watermelon. Our melon-loving Mason thought this was pretty cool. I liked the way Lu opened so wide to get his juicy treat tossed into his mouth.

Living right next to Lu are the Florida gators. This one swam right up to us.

We also got to see a ton of birds, some black bears and Katie, the possum before we headed home.

Monday we went to Orlando and took in Sea World -- something we had done on our last visit, when Mason was a mere 14-months-old. He loved it so much then, that we really wanted to get back!

We weren't disappointed, either.

We petted some rays...

Fed some dolphins...

Then watched them swim underwater...

Took in the dolphin show...

Saw some penguins -- I'm not sure who is more penguin crazy, Mason or Grandma Julie. We let the two of them get a head start on the Penguin Encounter, because we all knew they'd be in there for a while!

And, of course, what's a trip to Sea World without visiting Shamu!

We were in the splash zone, as you can see. But, Mason loved it, which made our soaking wet selves as happy as could be. That was truly worth the price of admission!

Later, we visited the sharks, sea lions and a few more fish. We even found time to pose for a family shot before we all headed home exhausted at closing time.

Tuesday was our last day in town, so Grandpa took us out to MacDill Air Force Base, which was a first trip on-base for both Mason and I. We got up close and personal with some retired airplanes and Grandpa took great joy in explaining each one's function to Mason, as well as how he had worked with them during his time in the service. It was pretty special to see. We also drove out the the base's private beach, which was beautiful. And, we got to see some planes that had just taken off overhead.

After meeting up with Auntie Ro, and grabbing a little lunch, it was back to the airport for us, and alas, back to reality.

Moving on up

2008-09-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

After witnessing a little early morning acrobatics on Sunday where Mason climbed into, then out of his crib we came to the conclusion it was time to convert -- to a toddler bed.

Trips to three kiddie stores ensued as we searched high-and-low for some cool big-boy duds (bye, bye teddy bears, hello fire-engine dogs) to deck out the bed.

After much fanfare, here's what the little man looked like Monday night when we tucked him into his new-and-improved big-boy bed:

And here's what he looked like when I went in to wake him up Tuesday morning:

Mind you, all the pillows, blankets and stuffed animals I lovingly placed on the floor to break any possible fall had all be placed in the bed sometime during the night by him. Despite leaving himself very little room, he managed to sleep through the night without sustaining any bodily harm.

Finally, just for giggles, here's what he looked like mere minutes ago, when he was standing upside down -- his words, not mine -- while we were playing trains.

Back In The Real World

2008-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Mason and I had a great trip to Colorado over the past few weeks, though we missed having Dad-O along for the ride. Hopefully I'll have some time to post more later, but until then this will have to do.

For all the highlights, check out my album here.

Ready For Some Football

2008-08-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sports have been the rule in the Mercier House lately (always, really) and here's some proof that our little Mason Man is ready for the start of football season:

That, my friends, is Mason's YouTube debut, and here's what it looked like today on SI.com, where Mommy's friend Mallory included it in her daily Campus Clicks.

Go Buffs! Beat the Rams. We'll be watching on TV for now...but Mommy, for one, is looking forward to the West Virginia game in a couple of weeks.

Tennis, Anyone?

2008-08-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

A few years ago -- four to be exact -- Dad-O and Mommy stumbled upon the U.S. Open grounds on Arthur Ashe Kids Day, and had a great time just walking around the facility, despite not having a kid. So, we've had this day marked on our calendar for quite a while, as we looked forward to taking Mason out to Queens to participate in the fun.

Our first stop was the Nike SPARQ training court, where Mason was given a GIANT T-shirt (we're talking only feet visible if it wasn't tucked in!) and the chance to run through some drills.

Here's the highlight, hitting balls with a real, live tennis pro!

Later, we met up with our friends Aimee, Rob, Nick and Maddy. We mommies are already plotting to mold a doubles team out of this duo. Pretty cute, don't ya think?

This lady was Mason's biggest fan. He gave her a huge hug at the end of the drill.

This was Mommy's favorite drill to watch, and in case you're wondering why they're all shoeless, they're a little prickly about dark-colored soles on the nice Billie Jean King National Tennis Center courts!

After fighting (almost literally) for a table and the crowded food court, and refueling with some lunch we went to hunt for some big-name pros, and found none other than the two biggest.

First, we watched Rafael Nadal through the bushes. He's not one for the crowds, and was practicing on the very end practice court.

Later, we moved to the stands of an adjoining court and peered over the top of the fence.

As we were leaving, who did we see conducting interviews? None other than Rafa's chief competitor newly dethroned top player, Roger Federer.

Overall, not bad for a (free) day at the courts!

Firefighters Rule (Yet Again!)

2008-08-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning, Mason and I were on one of our usual adventures -- as he likes to call any jaunt into the city. After all, you're never sure what you'll encounter in this great city, and this particular morning was a perfect example.

We were heading back uptown after one of our early morning treks to Trader Joes (So worth the trek, and the best time to be out 'n about!) when we saw a firetruck parked on a curb at Union Square Park.

I pushed Macey over to it, and was explaining that it was the No. 14 engine, and a hose car, as opposed the the hook 'n ladder truck that's been a (unfortunately) frequent visitor to our 'hood lately. Our bold little Mason waited patiently until he saw the firemen, and then yelled "Hello Firemen!" to them.

Besides a friendly hello, you know what else they offered? To let him sit in the truck.

Then to push the horn! He did this three times. The first time with a big, scared jump. The second time a little less of a startle, and by the third time, he was an old pro.

Alas, after about 15 minutes (seriously, they let him sit there that long and he got lots of passersby cooing about how cool he was!), he had to climb back down to reality and let the brave firemen go on their way, but he was beaming all day about his latest adventure.

He even regaled the old church lady who sat next to us on the bus with his tale. She asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up ... he answered "A garbage-truck man!" We were both expecting him to say fireman, but, you know garbage truck men do have some pretty cool rides themselves!

(Editor's note: Inspired by this, a few too many hours of Olympic coverage in our house and his swimming lessons, Mason has declared a new career goal: "I want to be a swimmer," he tells me this morning.)

Harlem Day and More

2008-08-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday marked the highlight of Harlem Week (which is really actually a month, but who's counting?) -- at least for our family as Mason and Mommy took a stroll down to 135th Street for the Harlem Children's Festival.

There we found a pony to ride, an obstacle course to conquer and plenty of free food, gadgets, fliers, coupons and other street fair staples. Not to mention, we were able to spend some quality time with our pals Kya, Fiona and their Mommy, Sandra!

After the street fair, and a futile attempt at getting Mason to nap in his stroller, we met up with Dad-O to head to the Bronx for our friend Dionna's birthday party.

There, we met this clown:

Who later morphed into Dora:

Aside from his decidedly interesting taste in costumes, the clown could do it all. Paint faces; a pirate-boy, matey!

Mold balloon creations ...

Not to mention an array of *magic tricks.*

Cousins and Friends

2008-08-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Auntie Nay and the boys came to visit us last week! Here are some of our adventures with the boys: Visiting our favorite playground for a run through the sprinklers ... or an hour of running through the sprinklers!

Mason and Asani

Eli

The video evidence ... yep, the screams belong to Mason!

After that, we met up with Dad-O and trekked through Times Square (with two strollers, and three toddlers, this should be an Olympic event!) to have dinner at Bubba Gump. Mmmmm!

The next day was filled with a photo shoot for the trio.

A ride on the Staten Island Ferry.

And a trip to Toys R Us to ride on the Ferris wheel.

We washed all the fun down with a trip to Koronets, our favorite pizza place!

Kodak Moment

2008-08-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

I love this photo, snapped last Thursday on a ride on the Staten Island Ferry -- which Mason, by the way, hadn't ridden since he was a mere two months old. We were on board to give Auntie Nay and cousins Asani and Eli a unique view of the city (more catching up and stories of their trip to come, I promise!)

It was at the very moment I snapped this picture that Mason recognized the Statue of Liberty out in the distance. I just LOVE the pure joy reflected in his eyes, not to mention the way his hair is perfectly disheveled by the breeze in the harbor.

We've read a lot about the Statue of Liberty in our books (like this one and that one), but it wasn't until this second that he actually saw it in person.

Pretty cool, me thinks...

Jersey Day

2008-08-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

We took a jaunt across the river last weekend to attend our friend Nick's birthday party at the Little Gym in Jersey City (Mom and Dad-O's old stomping grounds!)

Boy, did we have fun.

As you can see, Mason LOVED the gym. All that wide-open space was almost too much to handle. Unfortunately, most of Mommy's pictures turned out like this (we call him the streak!)

So, you'll have to settle for the video highlights instead:

After the party, we headed back to the Crawford-Peterson residence for some more pizza and cake, as well as present opening and perhaps most important, a dip in their swimming pool.

Here are Nick and Mason showing off their matching swimming costumes (as Nick would say!) Aimee's got good taste...she bought them both. We love our hand-me-downs.

The two boys got along famously. It was soooooo cool watching Mason follow Nick around and learn all the wise 4-year-old tricks he had to teach!

Pedal, Pedal, Pedaling

2008-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mason got this tricycle for Christmas from Grammy and Papa (and the cool helmet from Auntie Jen, but she won't admit it!) and until this week, we'd been pushing him up and down the block with the handy dandy push bar. Well, no more. The kiddo can cruise under his own power now and here's the proof.

And some more:

Let's Go Rockies

2008-07-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Made the trek out to Shea on Sunday night to catch the Rockies take on the Mets. Unfortunately for *our* home team, things didn't work out for the Rockies. We still had a great time, and posed for this family photo to prove we've been to both NYC stadiums in their final season's of competition.

Out 'n About

2008-07-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend brought some beautiful, humidity-free weather to our area. A few things we've been up to:

River Flicks at the Hudson River Park. It was a beautiful night and the classic Wizard of Oz was playing on the big screen. Mason was very excited for the free "popcorny." We'll go back, but we need to invest in a more-padded picnic blanket and arrive a bit earlier so we don't get stuck behind the one family who brought chairs again!

Saturday found us at Highbridge Recreation center, and my friends with small children, if you haven't been...go! Olympic-size wading pool with a maximum depth of 2-foot-2-inches. We had SO much fun splashing around in there and watching Mason be able to run and jump (like a frog) and play in the water. It was some quality, free fun!

Today, Mason and I were headed to the playground. It was locked for some reason unbeknownst to us. Instead we found a blimp (or bimp, or pimp...as he called one last weekend with Dad-O) hovering overhead.

That was cool, but not as cool as the firetruck across the street, which stopped us in our tracks when we were heading to a different playground. Seems it was fire-drill time for the firemen, so there they were, practicing window rescues in the vacant building across the street. We stayed out there for a good half hour watching them run up the ladder, repel from the top and, of course, wave at the Macey man. The fun ended abruptly, though, when there was an actual fire they had to head off to! Hooray for the brave firemen, Mason yelled as they sped off, siren blaring.

The kiddo is off to nap now, preparing for our next big adventure: Watching our Rockies take on the Mets at Shea tonight!

Spontaneous Fun!

2008-07-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

A dance party broke out following bathtime tonight. Too cute not to share...

As is this photo. He later topped his ensemble (or lack there of) off with his circus hat. Too funny...

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Friday brought the Fourth of July, and with it a trek downtown for us, to take in the annual Macy's Fourth of July fireworks. It was our first trek with Macey in tow.

On the way down south we ran into this:

It's a 'Statue of Liberty on Parade." They're stationed all over the city, but of course, none is more near and dear to our hearts than the Rockies. Unfortunately, she was inside the police tape, so we couldn't get any closer to take a photo with her. Nonetheless, here's proof we tracked down our hometown representative.

After picking up some food at an overpriced deli ... and more at a street fair, not to mention a new library for Mason (we love those cheap, yet good, street fair books!) we headed onto the FDR Drive with our neighbors, Chris, Asa and Emilio to stake out our spot. Luckily for us, the rain scared some revelers inside, so we had space to picnic, and for the boys to run around while we waited for the big show to start. The weather held out pretty well too, at least until showtime, when the drizzle started.

To say that Mason was excited to see the fireworks is an understatement. To say that he was scared when they started falls in the same category. The poor kid was glued to Dad-O and I for the duration of the half-hour show. As in years past, it didn't disappoint.

You can see from this later clip , Mason eventually got into the action -- at least for a time. He was almost more interested in the display going on up the East River than the one going on off *his* (read: Macy's) barge right in front of us. I guess we underestimated the boom factor.

Nonetheless, the real proof he enjoyed himself came this morning: When I asked him what he wanted, he excitedly replied "Can we go see the fireworks again?" Alas ... we'll all have to wait 'til next year...

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, How Do You Stay Cool ...

2008-06-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

When the temperature is 90+ degrees and the humidity makes your skin practically boil? For the polar bears at the Central Park Zoo, the answer was easy. Hover near-fully immersed in the water in the shadiest corner of your pen, watching everyone watch you, like so:

Penguins, Penguins, how do you stay cool? Um...that one's easy. They're of the arctic variety, and their water and enclosure is very cold. It was also very crowded as everyone lingered in the cool room for a little longer than normal. Mason, per usual, got up close and personal with one of his feathered friends, and even wowed him with his Happy Feet dance.

Mason Man, Mason Man, how do you stay cool? Why, at the Heckscher Playground, of course! We kind of discovered this playground late last year, but it quickly became a favorite. It's got this really cool series of walkways that are filled with water and connect to various places to climb up or down and a couple of slides -- which Mason learned today shoot you to the bottom at bullet-like speed once they (and he) are a little wet! In addition, there's not one, not two, but three separate sprinkler areas.

He was a little timid to start, but once he poured water over his head it was over. He LOVED it. He was running all over. Mommy ran through once with him, but a poor wardrobe choice (read: too much white) limited her to the sidelines, despite the fact that the misting sprinkler, especially, felt oh-so-good.

Once the little man was thoroughly soaked, we packed up, but, you know ... it was hot, so a little ice cream was in order to finish our day off right.

Afterward, Mommy dragged Mason to a few stores in Columbus Circle. As we were waiting in line at our last stop, he announced he had to poop. By the time we made it through the line, he was quite literally, too pooped to poop and had passed out in the stroller (where he still is, which is why I have time to write on the blog!) Success all around.

It Happened Again...

2008-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, I've let it slide. Again.

Apologies for the month-long absence from the blog. I wish I could make a triumphant return with tales of a recent trip abroad, or somesuch, but I have nothing of the like to report.

Instead, here's what we have been up to as summer has engulfed the city, bringing with it sunshine, but also humidity and heat...

Without further ado, here are some long overdue adventures with our urban toddler:

Hanging out in beautiful Central Park and enjoying our new favorite activity: duck feeding.

So far, we've discovered they like stale bread the best (actually, doesn't everyone know that?). The turtles at Morningside Park went crazy for some Veggie Booty, while stale pretzels are a little too hard to handle. Stale bread is also the least preferred food by Mason, while he has a hard time sharing the Booty!

We also checked out NY's annual Fleet Week, we got to go aboard the U.S.S. Kerasage. And. It. Was. Big.

Aboard the ship, we got to climb on everything: Looking over the edge of the boat.

Popping out of a tank (with another Dallas Cowboys fan/marine, who wanted a picture with our little Cowboy-clad cutie).

On a hover craft, which some kids had unknowingly started inflating earlier in the day, because they literally let the kids climb and play everywhere, cockpit included.

On the deck of the boat.

Climbing in and out of helicopters.

And finally watching a Canadian ship docked just upstream from us head out to sea, police escort included.

We spent Memorial Day out at Coney Island in Brooklyn (home of the hot-dog eating contest where we will NOT be next week).

We broke in our new WCS membership with a trip to the aquarium where Mason was reacquainted with the walrus.

We also saw the sharks and sea turtles. Mason even got to handle a starfish at the touch pool.

Also a highlight: Watching the sea lion show at the Aquatheatre.

After that, we headed for the boardwalk where Mason got to spend some time on the rides at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park.

Mommy was a little nervous that it was too much for her little man, but as you can see, he had a blast!

We met up with some friends, and he and Sophia loved riding the rides together.

After a brief break from the park -- to refuel with some cotton candy and Italian ices -- the whole family braved the Wonder Wheel. So fun ... and a bit terrifying, since the Ferris Wheel cars swing around as you're sailing through the air.

Some more of the views...

Thanks for checking in. I'll try not to be so tardy with the posting. It can be my July resolution...

Birthdays, Birthdays Everywhere!

2008-05-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

So, three weeks ago, we had our friend CC's party. Followed by Kellyn's pony-ride inspired party a week ago as well as her daycare party the following day, where all the kiddos got to wear these colorful headbands, which did their best to tame the Mason-man's hair.

The latest addition to the birthday club was 2-year-old Roger, who welcomed us to his family's East Village store for a little celebration on Sunday.

The original plan called for an outdoor party at Roger's favorite playground, but rain put a damper on the celebration. The boys didn't seem to mind as they put on their party hats and danced on the sidewalk.

After posing for a picture with Roger's mom, Jojo...

The boys headed inside to share some snacks and a delicious chocolate-raspberry cake.

By then, the rain had let up enough that we made our way to the park for a bit of fun.

We're looking forward to a repeat visit somewhere down the line!

Showing Off Our City

2008-05-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Mommy's college friend Dorothy flew in for a weekend graduation and Mommy and Mason were lucky enough to steal a whole day to spend with her. Her only request: We show her some of our favorite spots in the city. Oh...that, and she wanted to go to FAO Schwarz.

Our first stop was the Carousel at Central Park.

After that, Mason pulled Dorothy all over FAO, while I chased them with the stroller and the camera.

First, the train set.

Next, the Harry Potter section.

Later, the dinosaurs (that is his *cheese* face).

After wearing ourselves out, we decided to grab some good old-fashioned NYC hot dogs and sat in the corner of the park watching the carriages and the cabs pass by. Of course, no warm-weather lunch is complete without a Mr. Frostee ... or two!

We finshed off our journey with a walk through Times Square before heading home for a little R&R. Of course, there's no rest for the wicked. We had a date with some steamy NYC pizza and finished our day in the most perfect of ways: A Magnolia Bakery Cupcake.

Pony Ride Videos

2008-05-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

As promised ...

And one more ...

A Really Big Day

2008-05-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday marked Mother's Day, Auntie Jenn's birthday and the day before our best friend Kellyn's birthday, which could only mean that we headed out to Brooklyn for a party in her honor.

First on the agenda: pony rides!

Birthday girl Kellyn got first dibs...

... but it wasn't long before Mason got his turn upon Chip, the little black pony. A video post will come later (trust me, Mommy was a little paparazzi-esque in capturing his first ride.)

As you can see, the helmet kept falling down over Mason's eyes. It didn't seem to bother him, as he was smiling from ear to ear for his whole ride.

Sisters Kaya and Fiona got a chance, too...

As did Hope -- aboard S'mores, who Mason comically was chiding to "cover your mouth" when the horse started coughing.

After lunch, we headed over to nearby Prospect Park and spread out a blanket for a picnic...

Followed by some playtime...

And some cake. The kids took some swipes at it, and turns frosting each other's noses. It was pretty funny!

After that, it was time to make the long trek back into Manhattan.

Only In New York

2008-05-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night, just as we dared to think about getting our little Mason man wound down and ready for bed, something happened that had the exact opposite effect. We wound him up, thanks to this scene on our street:

Why is there a seemingly endless supply of firetrucks and firemen on our block, you ask? There was a fire in the building next door to us. I've still yet to quite get the details on the whole affair, but it seems the top floor of the building was wiped out in the ordeal.

While we'd never wish this on anyone -- and it's worth nothing that everyone was OK, it was only material things that were lost -- you can imagine how excited our fireman/truck crazed son was at the site.

His excitement, however, maybe have been eclipsed the next day, when I snapped this photo with my phone. The firemen, back on the scene to inspect the damage (I think) were nice enough to invite a mesmerized Mason to sit in the front seat of the firetruck. He was beaming, and couldn't stop talking about it.

I love how these guys are SO friendly to Mason. I can't tell you how many times we've passed a truck on the street and they've waved at him or how many times there's been one parked in a station or elsewhere when they've taken a few minutes to say hi and comment on how the little boys are always their biggest fans.

Bilingual Babies

2008-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today marked the final chapter in our 10-week Spanish playgroup. With Melissa's help, Mason and his buddies from daycare would make a weekly Wednesday-morning trek down to Chelsea to spend an hour making new friends and learning Spanish as part of their Hola Playgroup.

Here are some shots from the action:

Classes always started out with a song welcoming everyone to the group and each of the kids got to pick out an instrument to rock out with. Mommy was lucky enough to be able to hop on the train and meet up with the group to take part in the classes.

A great way to spend my lunch hour, no doubt.

Here, Mason and his friends point out vegetables. Each week, the class would focus on a different theme and included an introduction to that theme, a song about the topic, some sort of group activity, a puppet or slide show and an art project before some open group play.

Mason waits for the art supplies to make their way down the table to him -- but mostly, he would participate in the art only until the toys came out. We have more than one half-finished project from this class. He was pretty obsessed with playing with the trains, or the pop-up bus/tent ... not the paint, glue and markers (after all, we don't have a pop-up bust/tent at our house.)

Class is ending, and Hope, Mason and one of the other little girls pile on Veronica's (or 'Nica, according to Hope) lap to give her a hug and say "gracias" before we head back to the train.

With the session over, we're trying to work out something for the summer and convince our new friend Veronica to move her class uptown for the fall. For now, the Spanish CD we bought from the class is on constant rotation!