Boo! Happy Halloween from the City

Our day started off with daycare drop off, and let me tell you the surprise I got when Spider Man opened the door for us. Mason was sans-costume at this point. Instead, wearing a shirt that said "I love my mummy" and jeans. That didn't last long. After he found Nemo in the kitchen and saw Madeline eating breakfast, there was no denying Mason's inner-cow anymore. The Devil was the next to arrive.

I left Mason with the wild bunch and went back home to work from there for the day so that I could partake in festivities with him later on. Our brave friend, and daycare provider extraordinaire, Melissa, had them all herded up and out on the sidewalk in front of our apartment a couple of hours later, ready for their daily walk. I joined them, and we brought our neighbor, Chris, and his son, Emilio (a.k.a. the Giraffe) along for the fun. It's an adventure making the 10-block round with a double stroller, single stroller and four loose toddlers souped up on holiday fun. See:

Alas, we all survived to tell about it, and had many smiles and laughs along the way.

After a few more hours of work for me, some lunch and a nap for the kids, we met up with all the parents and headed down to the American Museum of Natural History for their Halloween party. Daddo found us amid the sea of party goers and we all headed inside. You have to get a little creative when a) your kids are too young to trick-or-treat and b) you live in New York City. So off we went. The dinosaurs were a big hit, as were the treat stations along the way. Mason is no dummy. At the first treat station, he had the system figured out and he was working it. He got a candy bar from each of the three people handing them out at that station. He'd get one, drop it in his bag; get another one, drop it in his bag; and then on to get a third one. It was pretty funny.

After the Dinosaur Hall, we checked out the whale in the Great Hall and then witnessed simultaneous toddler meltdowns fueled by lots of sugar and lack of dinner and decided to call it a night. We headed back up town and hung out with the neighbors for a bit before we took our little cow home and laid him in his stall...I mean crib, for the night. Halloween bag (sans candy) included.

One last question: Is that what Mad Cow disease looks like?

The Zoo Crew

So Aimee, Rob, Nick, Maddy, Mom, Dad-do, special-guest Kellyn and I all headed to the Central Park Zoo. I know by now you are probably saying to yourself "Central Park Zoo... that sounds familiar" Well, if you've ever seen the movie Madagascar, then it is. You know Madagascar, the animated movie about the Lion, Zebra, Hippo and Elephant that breakout out of the... Central Park Zoo and find themselves off the coast of Africa; THAT'S the zoo we went to. Surprisingly the zoo was identical to the movie - well minus any Lions, Zebras, Hippos and Elephants. But, a great time was had by all. Kellyn spent the night at our apartment and early in the morning we headed to the Central Park. We took the "A" Train to Columbus Circle and walked along Central Park South. There we got to see horse after horse after horse and a couple of dogs. Kellyn and I had a great time saying "horse!" After getting to the park we met up with Aimee, Rob, Nick and Maddy. It was only my second time meeting Maddy, and boy is she cute. Every time I see her; I scream, "baby!" When we actually got into the zoo, the first thing we did was go to the seal lion pool. It was feeding time and they put on quite a show. They climbed on the rocks, dove into the water and ate lots and lots of fish. They were happy and made lots of sounds. Afterwards, it was on the polar bear pool. It was fantastic. The bear was exercising and swimming back and forth in the pool. Wow, that is bear big! He would come to the side of the wall and push off the glass and we got to see him from underwater going back and forth. Next, were the penguins; they were small and cute. They would dive in the water and swim very fast. After the penguins, we went to the petting zoo. There were cows and llamas and sheep. I got to feed the sheep. They were hungry! And they drooled a lot! But I got to pet them and they were friendly. After feeding the animals, it was about time to feed ourselves, so we traveled over to the East Side planned on going to Burger Heaven, but... a day at the zoo can take a lot out of a kid and I was pooped. So, I went to sleep, but I heard everyone liked the food. The zoo was fun and a good time was had by all and I can wait to go again.

Accessories: The Spice of Life

So, everyone insists toddler's need choices and Mason is asserting that himself lately.

The kid has discovered his shoe basket, and been insistent on picking out his shoes each morning this week. Yesterday was a gem. Nice little play-clothes outfit and his black leather penny loafers (see photo at right...different day, but same insistence on the shoes). He waltzed into daycare, where jazz music was playing, and commenced a little dance. I guess he knew he'd need the loafers...er, dancing shoes!

Today, it's 60 degrees outside. It's gray. It's hazy. It's overcast. It's rainy. Mason is wearing sunglasses. No less than five people giggled at him as he splashed through puddles in the half-block between our door and Melissa's, where, I might add, he continued to wear them inside.

Another gem: After coming home from daycare on Thursday night and trying on Mom's shoes. He was pretty successful walking down the hall in them, despite their humongous size compared to his feet!

Of Fall Festivals and Fire Trucks

We hit Elephant Playground for its first Fall Family Festival with all the youngins (no, really, ALL of them, and their parents, caregivers, etc, etc. It was a zoo!) on the Upper West Side on Sunday. They had bouncy castles. They had carnival games. They had face painting and crafts. But, the real draw for us was this: A REAL FDNY Fire Truck (complete with firemen) for the kids to climb on. The NYPD also brought a police car for the same purpose, but it was merely dwarfed in the shadow of the truck.



Mason even got to drive for a bit.

He wasn't too happy when the fireman informed him it was someone else's turn (you should have seen the line!!!) But, luckily, we entertained ourselves on the outside.



And then moved on to the police car.

After that, we staked out our spot on the basketball courts and waited for the Little Maestros concert. Mason LOVED that. Photos and videos of that to come later.

We capped off our time at the festival by standing in another line, this time to meet and have Mason's photo taken with Elmo. In classic toddler fashion, he kept pleading to see Elmo while I pleaded with him for patience, and then, we get to the front of the line, and he's scared.

For the $5 we paid, I figured we better get a picture out of it...so, here WE are.

Catching up

OK, so it's been more than two weeks since we last updated. But, hopefully the novel before makes up for it. We spent a week in Colorado, doing everything from fishing to football, watching zoo animals and walking down aisles. At the end of the day, there just wasn't enough time to keep up with the blog, so now we present the story of our trip...

Day 7, Part II: CU-FSU

Sooo...Rob and I met at a Colorado football game. We both hold degrees from the University of Colorado. When we heard that there was a Colorado football game at 8 p.m. Saturday night, we jumped at the opportunity to go and mostly to bring Mason to his first football game at our Alma Mater.

Thanks to Mom's old boss in the Sports Information Department, we had two tickets, two press passes and an evening of fun.

Grammy, Papa, and Uncle Clint (and his Ash-House-Buddies) all also made the trek up to Boulder for the game and some pregame festivities. Mason got to take part in his first tailgate with Uncle Clint and Co. He ate some pretzels. He played some football. He got a little coaching from Clint, who had him running lines on the nearby field before we left.

Mason got settled in well before kickoff and took in the scene.

Then he waited for Ralphie's Run.


We had a great time. Mace lasted until the end of the third quarter, with a slight interruption just before half. Mommy took him up to the fieldhouse to get away from the crowds and noise for a bit, but he grabbed my hand and led me back. "I want fuuuball," he says. I guess he has it in his genes! He got a second wind dancing to the marching band's music during halftime and watching Ralphie's second run. I think he liked that even better than the first one.

A random aside (speaking of genes): Deb, a Colorado State grad (though not a rabid fan like her girlfriend) bought Mason a stuffed buffalo as a gift for being in her wedding. He carried it around with him all day after the wedding. He was playing with it in his high chair as the photographer caught him in action. He kept throwing it down on the floor and Tim, the photog, says to him: "The way you're treating that, I'd think you're a Huskers' fan." Mason looked back and him, and exclaimed in no uncertain terms: "NOOOOOOOO!"

What can I say. That's our boy!

Day 7, Part I: The wedding

Alas, the reason for the trip finally arrived. Deborah and David tied the knot at the Trading Post at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It was a BEAUTIFUL location and a wonderful day for the wedding.

Mason killed in his tux. Never looked better -- looked like a million bucks, according to Dad-O -- and luckily we only paid $20 for the thing. Can you believe it? Grammy and Uncle Kirty helped the little one clean himself up before we headed out the door.


We were able to snap a few pictures before the ceremony, although Mason was far more interested in seeing the tractor in the parking lot and throwing rocks into the pond than sitting still for very long.

When the big moment arrived, Mason RACED up the aisle, quite literally. I guess he really wanted the car that I promised Dad-O was holding. He went so fast, in fact, that I didn't get my camera turned on in time to take a picture. He didn't exactly wait for the flower girl, who had a slight melt down at the back of the aisle, before toddling up halfway, dumping her whole basket of flowers in one spot and then finishing the length. All-in-all, though, I think they did pretty good for being three-months short of 2-years-old.

After the wedding, there was some waiting around for pictures and Mace did his best to look like the cool dude that he is.

Next up was the reception at The Fort restaurant. The food was delicious. The location was beautiful and it was just a good time kicking back with friends.

Mason and Ava were especially fond of the tee-pee in the courtyard (and the pea gravel on the ground...that $20 tux is pretty dirty...but, kids will be kids. That's why it's not worth spending more than $20 on a tux for a 1-year-old, right?)
And, from the looks of this picture, I think Ava was pretty fond of Mason...