Perfection, From the Coffee to the Yellow Brick Wall

The best laid plans...

This Mother's Day, I had two conflicting desires: to sleep all day, relinquishing all motherly duties and/or enjoy an action-packed family Sunday funday adventure.

The "funday" I had in mind involved a Staycation Mama-inspired outing to Russian Brighton Beach and Coney Island, but when my husband scoffed at how long it would take to get there (an hour and a half!!! ugh the subway is slow...) I decided to abandon my expectations and just go with the flow. 3 hours of traveling wasn't high on my list of things to do. And that relaxed mentality plus uninterrupted quality time with my perfect little family made the day so special.

We all slept a bit late. I could've stayed in bed as late as I wanted but I wanted to make the most of the day. I opened my gift - a Clarisonic gift set from Sephora and a beautifully worded card from my husband about how I raised "a sweet and adorable little girl with an exuberant spirit and playful curiosity about the world around her" and actually included the line "thank you for producing such wonderful offspring". I love him! Classic Rob card.

While I played with Savvy, Rob made omelets for breakfast and immediately cleaned the dishes and the whole kitchen - something I always procrastinate about. I brewed coffee using my new French Press - a gift from my mother-in-law - and all the rumors are true. The coffee was smooth and tastier than drip. And Rob cleaned it. We make a great team on co-parenting days.

Then Savvy painted me pictures and we experimented with bubble wrap printing a la every-parenting-blog-on-the-planet.

After our shower and naps (and after Rob took a brief trip to the urgent care center for an infected bug bite -- good times), I got dressed in my springy Mother's Day ensemble and we headed to Carl Schurz Park followed by dinner at Cafe D'Alsace. 

Savvy likes to push her baby doll, while I push an empty stroller. I guess that makes me look a little nuts.

My Mother's Day Outfit: Dress - H&M | Necklace - faux J.Crew (It's from Ebay. Shaaaaaame on me.)

Baby doll had a lady bug visitor. Savvy reacted with extreme anxiety. See next photo...

Lots of tears no matter how much I told her lady bugs were good luck.

All better. She always poses so nicely with her daddy. Every picture of them is frame-able.

Cafe D'Alsace - my go-to restaurant for brunch, family lunches, and the occasional date with myself.

An after-diner pitstop to climb stairs and practice balance.

We found a backdrop that matched my dress!!! Just like last year's red door Mother's Day photo.

My shoes are Mia from Francesca's Collections and Savvy's are Mooshu Trainers.

Another shot inspired by last year's photos.

More balancing :) Time to register for gymnastics class!

A good day with the loves of my life.

When Savvy was a newborn, I told her each day that she made my life better (often with tears in my eyes). My life was great before her, but with her in it, each minute is amplified. We have more to talk about now, but this Mother's Day I made sure to go back to the origins of our conversations by telling her over and over again that she made my life better. It's true.

Rainy Days and Mondays Never Get Me Down

Today is one of those days I used to dread. Rainy and chilly. The perfect recipe for an annoying commute to work complete with inevitable lunch at my desk and a gray mood to match the gray skies.

Since changing careers (har har) to being a mom, these rainy days can be magical. This is the first drizzly day I can recall in many weeks. In anticipation of wet springtime days, I bought Savannah adorable red rain boots on clearance at Target for $6.99 and an iPlay rain coat with pictures of umbrellas on it. She squeals with delight every time she sees an umbrella (who knows why), so I thought that was the best print for her until she has an umbrella of her own to hold.

When we woke to a rainy day, I was so excited for Savvy to walk through puddles wearing her first pair of rain boots. I hurried her through breakfast and kept her in her fleece pajamas in fear that the rain would stop.

Once dressed, we headed to Carl Schurz Park. Poor kiddo thought we were going to the swings ("WEEEEng") but I told her the playground was too wet - we were just going walking instead.  We had the whole place to ourselves. Even the dogs stayed away.

It was a magical stroll with my best friend, even though (as you can see from the photos below) she basically tried to get as far away from me as possible.

Cold nose. Time to go.

Pause to look at beautiful berries adorned with a drop of water each.

Hurried morning breakfast = hearty brunch at 10:45a. Savvy and I enjoyed a lingering mommy/daughter meal at the Mansion diner where Savvy dazzled the staff with her manners and friendliness and received a lesson in Spanish.

Tomorrow my companion, my joy, my motivation, my love turns a year and a half old. This beautiful time is so fleeting. Must soak it all in and never wring it out.

Signs of Spring in Carl Schurz Park

Savvy running around "our tree"

Daffodil leaves pushed through the soil throughout the city weeks ago thanks to such a mild winter, but today is the first time we've noticed true signs of early spring. The flowering trees in our "secret spot" in Carl Schurz Park have their buds ready to blossom. I wonder how long it will be now until all the magnolias and cherry blossoms show their colors. I can't wait!

Couldn't get my iPhone camera to focus on these tiny buds for the life of me.

Our tree is sporting hundreds of buds. Wheee!

We even spotted roses blooming and dozens of rose buds soaking up the sun, getting ready to make their appearance.

I just looked through old photos from last year, an especially long, cold winter. The first time we came across flowering magnolias was March 25th. I bet we'll find some a month earlier this year. We'll be on the hunt over the next 4 days for the first buds to open up.

Smelling Flowers in Our Backyard

Carl Schurz Park is our backyard. We go there every day. To take walks along the John Finley Walk promenade which has the perfect stonework for stroller-nap-inducing bumpiness. To swing on the swings back and forth, so high, up and down. To have our morning Starbucks coffee/yogurt and greet the rising sun. To set up shop on our blanket for lunchtime picnics. To chase pigeons. To watch dogs play in the small dog park. To teach Savannah the important terminology of our neighborhood: river, doggie, pigeon, flowers, trees, leaves, gray skies, blue skies, neighbors, nannies, babies, big kids...

There are always heaps of people in the park and at the playground. It really is the hub of the neighborhood and somewhat akin to what I imagine a British square or promenade would have been like in the 1800s. But we've found one hidden-away spot that is almost always secluded (you need to do a bit of off-roading with the stroller to get there) with a sizeable grassy area, a few trees and a flower garden that seems to change every month. I like to take Savannah here to explore the grass and see the changing seasons. I call it our backyard and the cherry tree, "our tree".

We enjoyed the last afternoon of summer there yesterday. Savvy celebrated by smelling a flower. Apparently, getting your nose tickled by teeny tiny purple petals is the most hilarious thing ever: