TheMommyBlog

Saturday, September 20, 2003

Just had to jot this down before I forgot--I was racing through the living room, looking for Daphne’s blankie so she could go to sleep, and I caught sight of Logan sprawled on my favorite loungy chair, watching a program.

“Do you know how much I love you, Logie? Too much!”

He smiled and paused a moment, recognizing that this is something he usually says to me, challenging me to make my hands wider than his, which are stretched so wide that they touch behind his back.

After a quick calculation, he beamed, “I think it’s a hundred and sixty hearts!”

Saturday, September 20, 2003

In case you were beginning to suspect that our trip was totally devoid of any redeeming social value, let me list the other sights we saw and things we did:

Saw Bernadette Peters in “Gypsy” on Broadway--utterly fantastic--based on the life of Broadway Gypsy Rose

Visited Ground Zero and experienced the most profound silence I have ever experienced within the confines of Manhattan

Walked from our hotel in Times Square to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park and spent an afternoon being amazed at the other folks who have shared this planet with us and painted it in ways I’ve never considered

Took pictures of ourselves in from of the Cup-of-Noodles sign with the steam wafting to the sky in Times Square

Took pictures of ourselves with New York’s Finest

Debated taking pictures of ourselves with the Naked Cowboy, but couldn’t quite bring ourselves to do it

Shopped at the carnival that is Century 21--fantastic deals, but a highly stressed shopping environment. Actually rescued a British woman from a cash register line misunderstanding that may have resulted in a beating from the sales associate if I hadn’t leaped in and provided translation assistance.

Saturday, September 20, 2003 Travel Fun

Before I get too entrenched again in mac-n-cheese, cereal, scrambled eggs, bologna, and PB&J cuisine, I’d better make a quick list of all the wonderful food I was able to scarf while in NY, sans children, on an expense account, with good friends and all the time in the world to enjoy ourselves…

boulliabaise
foie gras and duck confit on toast
filet mignon with medly of tips (we called it “beef with a side of beef"--no idea what was up with that)
bagels & cream cheese every morning
Peruvian-mystery-fish-that-tasted-like-seabass
lobster potstickers with braised garlic cloves
fresh sushi-grade tuna with pickled cucumbers with greens and crispy tortillas
mango-and-foie gras empanadas
pork loin that fell apart as you served yourself, with bok choy and mushrooms--in some kind of amazing reduction
pan-seared duck with bok choy (again--why do I never prepare this myself??)
wok-sauteed fresh veggies
wine galore
...and…
...to top it off…
...a delectable dessert at Cuba de China called “The Bay of Pigs”...composed of two scoops of vanilla, two scoops of chocolate, caramel sauce and macadamia nuts on one side and chocolate sauce on the other, flanked by bananas, embedded with some unusual and incredibly delicious coconut roll slices, all on top of a walnut brownie, smothered in whipped cream. If you think I was in a hurry to get home to my own kitchen, you are sorely mistaken. We all wore our stretchiest clothes the next day, and couldn’t stop raving.

We were all loving it, but by the fourth day we were desperately homesick, and the urge to be with our families overrode the gluttony at last. I think Matt and I knew we had hit the wall when we were casually sitting outside of a meeting room, absently picking at several pistachio, mocha, raspberry and mango petit fours plucked from the dessert buffet and wondering whether to finish them or go check our email. All good things must come to an end.

Saturday, September 20, 2003 Familybits

While I was gone, I called every day to talk to the kids. Despite their launching themselves at my ankles to keep me from leaving in the first place, they seemed to have lost all interest in further contact once I’d pulled away from the curb. Dylan and Daphne refused to come to the phone, and Logan, after several entreaties, held the phone in the vicinity of his face and said, “Mommy, I’m starting to forget about you.”

“Forget about me? Why?”

“I’m just doing too much stuff.”

Fortunately, that all changed when I walked in the door last night at 9 pm. They all came tumbling down the hall in various stages between jammies and nudity and tackled me in the foyer. Dylan patted my disheveled strands flopping more out than in my hairband and said, “Mommy, your hair looks good!” We hugged and kissed on the floor and then moved the party to the beds. Daphne was out like a light as soon as I lay down with her, and the boys insisted on coming to our bed, where they went slack-jawed and drooly about five minutes later. My heart was creaking, I was so happy.

I made a little mental collection of all the things they couldn’t wait to tell me once I was home:

“I missed you so much.”

“Your clothes look really nice.”

“Don’t forget to put on your jammies.”

“I love you because you’re home.”

“Mommy, will you read my book with me in my bed?”

“Mommy, will you read it again?”

“I love you because you’re happy.”

“Please don’t go away again.”

“I hope you don’t go away again and never come back.”

“I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.” (It was Saturday anyway.)

“I want mama.”

“Mommy, do you have mama? And do I have owies?”

“Did you have a good time on the airplane?”

Me: “I’m so glad to be home, because home is great.” Dylan: ”Yeah.”

Monday, September 15, 2003 Travel Fun

I’m heading to NY in the morning for a software conference. Yay! I get to sleep alone! And eat whatever I want! And not have to share! My good friend Bitty is coming too, to see the sights while I’m at the conference. (And sleep alone, and eat whatever she wants, and not share.)

This is the first time I’ve ever been away from Daphne, and months since I’ve been away from the boys. Logan is already rehearsing melodramatic goodbyes and telling me how much he’ll miss me, then covering me with prolonged hugs and many kisses, ending by turning away sadly, eyes on the ground: “I’ll miss you too, too much.”

Dylan just responds by saying, “Can you get on the plane now?”

“Not yet, hon. In three days.”

“Can you get on the plane now?”

“No. On Tuesday.”

“"NOW?"

“Let’s go play Leggos.”

“OK.”