A love-venture

Mar 29

A love-venture

 

 

 

So I’m in New York City for my adventure with Maren.  It’s just she and I for the week until Brad joins us for the last few days.  Greta is not coming with us because I just don’t think she would enjoy it.  And, to be very honest, hauling a potty-training two-year-old around an unfamiliar city would make things a lot less fun for me.  So this week I have to settle for missing her tremendously and planning a special Mommy-Greta trip where she will get her own special time.

I’m actually not much of a city girl.  Beaches are more my scene, though I’ve clocked a lot of enjoyable lake time as a midwestern girl so perhaps my magical combination is water and warmth.  When trip-planning season popped up in November/December, Dr. Wonderful gently steered me away from the beach/sun idea.  Some of the drugs I’m on make me extra sun-sensitive, which is comical because I’m already a pink-skinned redhead.  I also have lingering toe and nail issues which are incompatible with sand.  Once surf and sand were off the list, it was a head-scratcher for me to decide where to go with Maren; our timing was dictated by her spring break.  I settled on NYC because it’s outside my box, but full of promise and adventure.  I find that whenever I do something risky and even a little uncomfortable, it always ends up being pretty stinking awesome.

In almost every married couple I know, there is a Trip Planner and a Go Along For the Ride-er.  I’m the Go Along Girl in my marriage, and Brad is a masterful planner.  This isn’t even “his trip”, and he still found me the perfect hotel, great ideas of what to do, and streamlined our logistics.  My guy is amazing; I really don’t know what I would do without him.  (I might still be at Newark airport studying maps of transit systems.)

Maren and I had a great day today.  As we were traipsing through the sea of umbrellas in Times Square she looked up at me with wide eyes and said, “This is so different.”   The people, the buildings, the lights, the honking, the smells, and the pace.  All of it is so outside our normal and she was a little awestruck.  My big girl wasn’t scared, and bringing her loud striped umbrella was the best parenting move I made because she was easy to spot as we wove through crowded sidewalks.  Seriously, I’ll never buy a black umbrella again–there were fifty black umbrellas for every colored one on the streets today.

We came back to our hotel late in the evening after a half day of travel and a half day of exploring our neighborhood for the week.  She unpacked her doll’s things with care and colored a picture while I ordered dinner and set our wet stuff up to dry.  We sat on her bed and I taught her how to make friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss and I think she’s hooked.  We listened to an audiobook for a while before her bedtime: Rohl Dahl’s Matilda, read by Kate Winslet.  I absolutely loved Rohl Dahl when I was in elementary school, and one of the Broadway shows we are seeing this week is Matilda.

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I love the scene with our boots side by side.  The rain didn’t dampen our day at all.  I loved watching her hair get curlier and curlier.  I loved taking “puddle cuts”–short cuts through the puddles that everyone else tried to avoid because they didn’t have rain boots on and we did.  I loved listening to her lisp through her missing two front teeth all day long.  I loved the details that Brad thought of that never crossed my radar; he loves me so completely–it is amazing.  I loved uninterrupted Maren time; she’s a marvelous kid.  I just loved her.  All day long.

 

 

18 comments

  1. Lisa Smith /

    LOVE

  2. Janya /

    I don’t know which of you is luckier 😉

  3. This is so awesome. I took My 4 and 7 year olds with me on a work trip around NYC a few years ago. We live in Portland Oregon but my in laws live in NJ. They took the girls for most of the week and then brought them to me for a day of daughter mama fun. We fit in SO MUCH into our one day. In the rain. It was awesome. We left 2 year old brother at home. It was an awesome way of mothering and I totally know what you mean!

    We did a carriage ride in Central Park, we did the Big Piano at FAO, we did Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center Ice Skating, Rode the Subway, and ran in puddles in Times Square (“it looks like DAY at NIGHT, mama!”). They LOVED sleeping in a hotel bed 3-to-a-bed. I am so glad I have that one day of memory. LOVE THAT YOU ARE DOING THIS THIS WEEK! Will be praying for more amazing! Keep sharing!

  4. Marlayne Skeens /

    🙂 Love 🙂

  5. Julie /

    I feel the love indeed… Happy for you two!

  6. Sharon /

    With you two big city gals in spirit, laughter, love, and adventure. Sooooo happy for you two happy wanderers!

  7. What great descriptions of your day. The small tile against the bright boots and umbrella are a great representation of the two of you in NYC. I feel like I am there with you – watching Maren breathing it all in for the first time. Please keep the updates coming if you have time. Tell us what aspects she loves and what stories and explanations you are giving for the mysteries and magic of the city!

  8. Sharon /

    NYC, even with all its lights, is much brighter with the 2 of you blessing it with your presence. What a wonderful mom & daughter vacation.

  9. What a wonderful first day! I’m so happy for you that you two get to enjoy this magical week together!! 🙂

  10. Karen /

    Hoping and knowing you guys will have a great time!

  11. Patty /

    I think you and Brad are so blest to have found one another…

  12. Bonnie J /

    And it’s just the Beginning :’) so much to take in and remember….

  13. Tiffany /

    It sounds like this will be a trip of a lifetime with the best memories! Know you both will enjoy every single second!

  14. Great photo to go with marvelous memories! 🙂

  15. Have a super fun time! 🙂

  16. Sweet memories being made that will last forever. You’ll both still recall it fifty years later. I remember going with the Girl Scouts and my mom went too for a day-amazing.

  17. Aunt annie /

    NYC- I’ve never been there! I have mentioned several times to Uncle G that I’d like to go. I’ll have to ask Maren for advice about favorite places and activities. I love that Brad helped plan! I’d go more places if people would plan for me. Enjoy! Lots of Love!

  18. Shannon /

    One of my favorite posts ever! What a special time for you both! I look forward to these future moments as well with Alyx!