NEW OUTINGS

I consider my need to post a little less about all of my New York newbie experiences a positive sign. One that hopefully means I'm getting more used to the big city living.

However, a record of our time here must be kept! So here's what we've been up to the last week or so...

We took another outing with Claire and Norah to Central Park. We like hanging out there. There are lots of things to see, shade, places to eat, bathrooms to, well you know and play areas. This time we checked out the Jackie O Reservoir and saw the Belvedere Castle. Such a fun place to hang out and take some photos. I would have been a bit more creative with my royal renaissance-type poses had I not been clutching Ryder with a death grip in order to avoid any nasty falls over those precarious castle ledges.

On Saturday, I made my second run to Trader Joes, which I'm really starting to enjoy, bye-the-way. A little me time and I get excited thinking of all the yummy frozen dinners we're going to have. I was in a bit of a conundrum, however, because I needed to find some time to get Phil a father's day present. If I waited to long, TJ would have a crazy long line (any place worth going to in NY always has a line) and if I waited until after I would have a suitcase full of frozen dinners to carry around. Do you now see how it was a bit of a conundrum? Anyhow as I'm trying to figure something out, I pop out of the subway to see a Nordstrom Rack (enter choir "Ahhh" here) a mere block away from TJ. Heaven sent. And one of the best I've seen, mind you. Went in, bada-bing-bada-boom, errands done.

After the nap time we walked almost 30 blocks to the Children's Museum of Manhattan. It was wonderful. Four floors of really cool educational play. Plus, a water feature area. To say Ryder loved it is an understatement and it showed when we had to leave. The tantrum only subsided when we promised we'd come back again. Good parenting, eh?

Here, Ryder is wearing a chiton. A common toga dress men would wear in Ancient Greece. See, we learned something.

 He was so excited to play with some blocks!

 Taking things very seriously, as any fireman should

Sunday was casual and nice, as usual. We love our ward and I love going to church in the temple. (The church "building", or floor rather, is sandwiched in-between the Manhattan temple.) The church members here are really great and there is something about NYC, because every week I go to church I will end up running into someone I know. Whether it was from Seattle or college...it's fascinating and pretty fun. Especially when you go through most of the week wandering through hundreds of people, cultures, languages not knowing a soul. So I love Sundays here.

And Monday was a special treat because my Uncle Scott was in town with his wife and daughter, Shawnee, so we met up with them for a little play time at the park. Ryder had a blast running around with my uncle and there may have been something about him that made him miss a certain Pompa... It's always so good to see family.