EJ's Luncheonette

It’s not fancy and it’s not gourmet (I don’t think there is an organic, local or imported item on the menu), and they only accept cash, but it is one of our favorite restaurants in New York City.  We first visited EJ's at the urging of our broker after we signed the lease for our first apartment in the city on 72^nd and 3^rd way back in May 2004 on our whirlwind weekend apartment hunting trip (and my first visit ever to the Big Apple).  We fell in love immediately with this diner.  Have you ever been to a place for the very first time, yet it feels as if you have been going there your entire life?  I had the chicken salad with tarragon on a baguette and Josh had the chicken reuben (still his sandwich of choice) and we were immediately hooked.  The next visit was shortly thereafter, on our first day as official NYC residents when we moved with only our suitcases and cat, Henry, to an empty apartment still waiting for the furniture we ordered to arrive.  We had a leisurely dinner that night, July 4^th, 2004, because it was our only access to a table and chairs at the time and the air conditioned diner felt like a second home to us on what was a truly terrifying, yet exhilarating, day.  From that day forward, we have dined at EJ’s on each and every July 4^th to celebrate surviving another year in the city, with the exception of the most recent three years when we were a) not living in the city at the time or b) in the case of this year, way across town and too lazy to make the trip with little mister.   

But we don’t reserve our visits only for Independence Day.  In fact, we find ourselves in those cornflower blue leather booths throughout the year, and if you have visited us here, we have probably brought you there too.

Two weeks ago was Olin’s turn to learn the wonderfulness that is EJ’s.  He had been there once before, but it was prior to his transition to solid food so he was merely a spectator.  This most recent visit marked his actual participation in an EJ’s meal (scrambled eggs, 7 grain toast and fries to be exact) and thankfully for us, he LOVED it!  We had a great table by the window where he happily waved to all pedestrians, dogs, cars, buses, and, of course, taxis that passed by.  We were a little perplexed by the fact that he forwent dessert… our favorite rice pudding… but we will chock it up to a lack of a sweet tooth that night and we didn’t complain because it meant more for us.

Josh and I have found that one of the highlights of being parents to this little guy is that we get to share with him all of the things that we love and this trip to EJ’s was no exception.  It is just one more special memory we have of this special place. 

(By the way, leave it to the pregnant lady to go on and on about a diner… the irony is not lost on me.)

Olin's first trip to EJ's in May 2011 (6 months old)...

A Health Update

We woke up to a completely different little boy today... our little boy.  You could tell he was feeling about a million times better and was so fun this morning.  Last night and today he even administered his own antibiotic and sat like such a big boy during his breathing treatments.  With the breathing treatment mask up to his face, he smiled this morning showing his little dimples and looked just like Uncle Matt.  This little one continues to amaze us on a daily basis. 

Today's turnaround also meant that he was able to go to school for one last day before his break which he was so excited about and happily named all of his friends and teachers that he was going to see at school.  It also meant that Josh and I were able to keep our plans for our weekly lunch date, which I think we both needed after the last few days!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Daffodils from my boys last Friday that have been cheering us up all week...

For the Love of Taxis

I couldn't let the weekend come without posting some pictures from last weekend.  Which, if you were to ask Olin, was an incredible one because it was all about his beloved taxi.  On Saturday night, we took a taxi to dinner and he was so cute sitting between Josh and me smiling and repeating to himself "taxi, yellow taxi".  It might have been the very first time that I have sat in a cab, while stuck in traffic, and felt completely relaxed.  I told Josh that to entertain our little one we don't need to take him to the circus or some kid oriented show or museum, we just need to give him a ride around town in a taxi!

After dinner, we took another cab home and for the rest of the night and the next day, little mister would run around saying "two taxis!" and hold up both his little index fingers... one for each of those delightful rides. 

And on Sunday, which involved yet another taxi ride to church that he excitedly told the ladies in the nursery about upon arriving, we went to the Met to see one of the latest exhibits and as we were leaving the museum and headed for lunch, in a serendipitous moment I saw an advertisement for the museum cafeteria that showed a picture of a kid's meal served in none other than a cardboard taxi!  Well, our plans were immediately changed and we headed straight to the cafeteria for what might have been Olin's best lunch ever!

The Trifecta

Well, we ended the winter season with one last hurrah on the illness front.  Little mister has had a persistent low grade fever, which spiked yesterday, so we made a visit to the doctor and the poor little guy has a double ear infection and a touch of pneumonia!  He is at home resting with me today - taking antibiotics and receiving a thrice daily breathing treatment.  Luckily, the fever seems to have subsided and the doctor thought that he would probably be fine to go to school tomorrow, but we will see.  Spring break starts this coming Monday and lasts for a week and a half so I do hope he has the opportunity to spend one final day with his friends before they say goodbye for awhile!

Hope everyone is having a better Thursday than our little Olin!

A Day Spent Cuddling

If I had to sum up today in one word... heavenly.  Little mister had the sniffles, a cough and was running a little warm so we decided it was best that he stayed home from school and spent the day with mommy.  We spent nearly the entire morning rocking in his chair while we both drifted in and out of sleep.  And the afternoon was spent cuddling on the couch watching The Sound of Music because he has been learning about Julie Andrews the last couple of weeks in school and he loves the songs.  He probably spent no more than 15 minutes of his waking hours out of my arms (and many of his sleeping hours were spent in my arms too).  As a mommy, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the day.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday!

Shining his shoes with daddy on Sunday night...

Ooh La Laduree

In addition to my insatiable craving for dried mango, I can't get enough rose lately... rose scented lotions and lip balms, rose teas, pastries made with rosewater... if it smells or tastes of rose, I want it.  I have a feeling that I am carrying a very girly girl here!

So to satisfy my rose cravings, my boys took me to the Madison Avenue shop of the famed Parisian Laduree for a rose macaron.  Let me tell you, it was very much worth the wait and hefty price tag for this little cookie - it was pretty incredible and I highly recommend a visit to the adorable store for anyone visiting our city.  Olin tried the orange blossom and Josh the violet, which were also both wonderful, but if you ask me, I'd get the rose...

My Plea On Behalf of Pregnant Ladies

Here's the thing, I loved nearly every moment of my pregnancy with Olin, except for one thing.  Those nonstop comments about my size, either in the form of incredulous looks when I mentioned my due date, the repeating of my due date back to me with a tone of utter amazement or, my personal favorite, the old "are you sure your not having twins?!" question, that all came flooding in at the start of my third trimester.  Even worse, I typically told people just that I was due in "October"... had they known that my due date was October 24th (nearly November) they may have insisted that I rush off to the hospital immediately to ensure that something was not terribly wrong with my pregnancy.  Interestingly enough, my weight gain with Olin was textbook in terms of total gained (31 lbs - my doctor recommended 25-35 lbs at the start of the pregnancy) and in pattern (I consistently gained 0.5 to 1 lb each week just as all doctors and books on the subject advise).  And this pregnancy has been exactly the same in terms of being right on track with my weight gain, I just "popped" earlier because it's my second baby, which means that those comments started even earlier with this pregnancy... in my first trimester!

I know that I should be a big person and ignore the comments and I try, but it is easier said than done particularly when they come so constantly.  At church on Sunday, in a matter of 7 minutes, I had 4 different people make one comment or another eluding to the fact that I appear as if I should be going into labor at any moment when the truth is that I have nearly 14 weeks until my due date!

And I know that I am not the first pregnant lady to be the recipient of such reaction.  If you are petite, like I am, you are just going to appear "more pregnant" than a taller woman that has a longer torso and thus more room for the baby.  I have a very competent doctor that is in no way concerned about my size so I really don't think the stranger on the bus should be concerned either. 

So even though I give a smile in response or maybe even a polite laugh, know that those comments are hurtful.  All I am asking for is that if one does have those thoughts about a pregnant lady, please don't tell them to her or say them behind her back (because we hear a lot of those too and that's worse) or better yet, ask yourself, do I really, truly have any idea what a woman should look like at the various stages of pregnancy.  I don't, and I am pregnant myself!  Every woman and baby is so different that every pregnancy looks so different.  Perhaps if we worried more about ourselves and focused less on others, the world would be a much nicer place to live in.

Okay, I'm done and am climbing down from my soapbox.  Sorry for the rant, blame it on the rainy weather today or maybe just the hormones, but I appreciate you for listening!

 

Oh, and my wonderful husband inadvertently captured this shot of me over the weekend and I am so thankful to him for it, because before seeing it, I felt as if I should be spending the next 14 weeks in bed with the blankets pulled over my head and this picture makes me think that society can endure my appearance for at least a few more weeks...

Fun With Friends

Our family is back at full strength... finally!  And I hope we stay that way for awhile now.  We took advantage of the beautiful weather and our recovered health this weekend and spent time with great friends.

On Saturday, we went out to Long Island to see our friends Jennie, Ross and Millie.  It was an especially fun trip because Jennie is also pregnant with their second baby (her due date is about 3 weeks before mine) so our families our growing together once again and our next little Burgher will also have a little Fox for a friend.

And if you are worried about whether Olin is indeed fully recovered from his cold, Dr. Millie gave him a check-up and the all clear!

On Sunday, we made our way to Brooklyn for brunch with Bridget, Damon and the always adorable Hollan.  Those two were so cute playing together and each time we get the boys together, their interests seem to get a little more similar and their 1 year age gap a little smaller...

Our First Report Card

I say "our" because at this age it feels like Josh and I are being evaluated as much as Olin.  Perhaps it will always feel that way come report card time, but at age 2, we really have no one to blame but ourselves for any deficiencies in little one's development.  Well, we needn't worry because Olin seems to be progressing very well.  As expected, he scored high marks in the social skills and needs to continue to work on his communication skills.  In total, his teachers assessed him on 50 development points!  I didn't know there were even 50 things that you could evaluate a 2 year old on!

I had to share what his teachers wrote in the comments section of the report card (or "progress report" as they call it) because it is very sweet and we are so proud of him!  Thanks for indulging me...

"Olin is a kind, tender and gentle soul always giving hugs and kisses to his friends. He greets parents and peers in the mornings, by giving them hugs and saying "hi" or waving his hand goodbye to the parents. He will copy or mimic his teacher's laugh or physical movements and then grin and/or giggle at his silliness. Once when a teacher was putting a child to sleep he walked over to the child and tenderly patted the child (just like the teacher) on the head and then gave the child a kiss on her forehead. He has recently been observed saying "I did it" after putting on his own jacket or taking off his own sheet. Our goals for Olin are to help him develop the verbal skills for communicating effectively and to start working more independently. We also have been working on his ability to go up and down the stairs by himself. Most recently he has shown interest in the potty and takes a turn sitting on the toilet and says "pee pee." This is a big step towards independence! Olin adds much happiness to the blue room with his silly ways and great laugh! We love having him here!"

By the way, the above was written a couple of weeks ago and he in fact goes the entire school day without diapers or accidents!  Unfortunately, that is not the case at home, but we are working on it!

Also, it's pajama day at school today and tomorrow... here are a couple of photos of Olin at drop-off this morning looking very cozy on this cold, snowy day in NYC...

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

Well, we spent the weekend suffering from yet another cold... all three of us.  This is a new record for our family - Josh hardly ever gets a cold and I usually get only one each winter.  If you are keeping track, this is my third cold while pregnant.  I didn't realize how lucky I was to remain illness free during my entire pregnancy with Olin.  Colds are bad enough anytime, but while pregnant, they are just miserable - the symptoms are worse, they last longer, and you can't take anything for them.  So baby girl and I are suffering through it unmedicated, and not graciously I might add, while my boys have taken it in stride and haven't complained at all.  They have also taken great care of me and the baby, Olin has doled out many hugs and kisses and Josh has been making me tea, cooking dinner, setting me up with the king of humidifiers and has even been sleeping on the couch the last several nights so that his coughing doesn't wake me up.  I know I say it all the time, but I really am a lucky girl.

And, in the spirit of trying to stay positive, I will say that it was nice to have an excuse to stay in and be lazy the last couple days.  I don't think any of us wanted to say goodbye to each other this morning because we had such nice family time this weekend, in spite of the runny noses and coughing.

Hope everyone had a nice and healthy weekend!

 

 

On our Saturday morning walk through Riverside Park.  Olin fell on his knees (twice) and scraped them up a little, so daddy gave him a lift...

 



Friday Morning at the Art Gallery

In Soho, you ask?  Nope.  Perhaps, Chelsea?  No, again.  This particular exhibit was at Olin's school.  The blue room had a family social this morning to show the families all of the artwork created by the children so far this year.  And let me tell you, this is a pretty talented bunch of 2 year olds (and some very creative teachers).  There were mosaics, abstracts, watercolors, print making, a Statue of Liberty made of recycled cans and crepe paper... I can't think of a medium that they haven't explored.

The centerpiece of the "exhibit" was a collection of 12 pieces that represent interpretations of each child's favorite book.  The top piece in the last two photos is their interpretation of one of Olin's favorite books, "My First Day of Nursery School"... I don't think I will look at that book the same again - that is quite an interpretation!  Well, I don't know if we quite have a budding artist on our hands, but we sure are proud of him!