My man has rhythm!!!

I miss New York. As I sit in our UES rental apartment and I can just imagine my fantasy life. I want to be a lunching lady! I want to meet my friends, from RCDS, MHC, and beyond and have lunch with our small children followed by a playdate at our gorgeous apartments. Of course in my fantasy we own this posh apartment, we don't work, and our children are always well-behaved. :)

I don't even really care that our vacation is being rained out. I love feeling like I live here again. We even ordered in from Falafel House - this tiny hole-in-the-wall by our old 91st street apartment. Our aparment, by the way, is rocking. It's on the 17th floor of a great doorman building. It has huge beautiful windows and a balcony. Perfect. Oh, and every little boy deserves a huge bathtub.

I had a great day. Here's proof.

And we're off...

Bright lights, Big city.

I am mom - hear me roar!

Easter day - let me set the scene. My parent's house, usual relatives are there - meme, aunts, cousins, cousin's cute, lovable, but crazy children. Before brunch. Theo dressed to the nines.

Everyone enjoying each other's company, as it has been a long time. 

I go talk to my cousin and cousin-in-law who are holding Theo and they keep turning away from me. Finally, I get around and I see what they are hiding from me. They are FEEDING MY SON A FUCKING COOKIE. Yes, an anise cookie with frosting and sprinkles. My son who gets carefully chosen, organic, homemade babyfood. Is eating a cookie. The mom came out in me. It was fucking ferocious. I yell, in front of everyone (me - who usually pushes just about everything under the rug until it boils up inside of me and spills out on C.), "I am beyond pissed - give me him!" and run to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I was literally shaking with fury as I cleaned him up. 

It pissed me off on so many levels. It's beyond the cookie-eating. For five years, I have watched her be a mother as she gives her kids candy (1 1/2 year old ate jellybeans like there was no tomorrow), cookies, and junk from morning to night. Smokes through pregnancy and around them. Spanks them when she's fed up. And judge, yes I did. But I never said or did anything because what I think doesn't really matter. I respected her as the mother. Not a good one..but the mother. And she couldn't pay that same respect back. She KNEW I wouldn't give him a cookie but thought she knew better??? wtf?

After her apology when I told her that if she was confused about why we eat and feed Theo organically I would explain it to her, she called me weird. Ignorant.

The sprinkles? All down his brand new Easter outfit. I know...lame reason to be mad, but goddamnit I like my kid to look neat. No boogey faces, wild hair and stained dresses here.

And how about possible egg allergies? Refined sugar before one year of age? 

And you know what? It should have been us who gave him his first cookie. It should have been us who enjoyed that big smile, eager eyes and wild tongue that couldn't get enough of the sweetness. 

Here he is Easter morning with the bunny from his basket!

-S.

p.s. We found a place in NYC (on the UES, our old neigborhood)! Yippee! Coming Sunday, leaving Thursday if anyone's up for a playdate!

Know any New Yorkers leaving the city any time between April 19-25? Know any cheapish hotels? Anyone wanting to see the Northampton area/foothills of the Berkshires? We're coming into town with a very good family friend to do some college tours and our usually home sweet city home is a little crowded for us now with friend and baby. Just 2 or 3 days we are looking for. Let me know if you can help us out. 

On another note. I want to emphatically state what everyone already knows. Being a working mom is so hard. I thought I was going to lose it last week and ended up taking a "mental health" day on Friday. Between school work (report cards go home on Thursday), housework (book club meets here on Wednesday), meal planning (for us, Theo and the book club), errands (out of disposables, wipes, and organic cheerios), yardwork (raking, deadheading, planting peas) and not sleeping (4am wake-ups thanks to a tooth), I was highly stressed and couldn't see when it would all get done. I'm definitely feeling better now that the weekend is over. When I have so many things on my plate I don't know what to concentrate on. I get overwhelmed too easily I think. Between the two of us, we were able to get just about everything done - and even enjoyed Sushi out last night. Breath deep... here comes another week.

 

I leave you with the doodlebug and his doggy who he has come to know and love.

wham bam whoo yah!

Those would be my words for Iowa on this very lovely, historic day. Let us hope and wish and pray (if you are inclined to do so) we don't see a Prop 8-style repeat. Brick by brick, my friends..

In other news, Theo's first tooth officially broke on through last Thursday. Then he got sick. Madness and poor sleeping habits swiftly followed. It's not been a fun week. But, it's over. That's about as much as I can say about it. Good thoughts for the next week, until the next tooth (or cold) may come.