nyc 2015

Our family had such a great time in New York City a few weeks ago. It was packed full - fun, exciting, and absolutely thrilling for Hannah and Joseph. In addition to the marathon, New York was also hosting the World Series. There was a lot going on!

The last time we were in NYC was for my 30th birthday, December five years ago. Joe wore Hannah in the Bjorn the whole time and I carried Joseph in my tummy. That was a great time, too. As we like to say in our family, New York is a trip, not a vacation. Both trips were exhausting. You go, go, go. There is so much to see and do and we manage to pack in as much as possible.

This time we were there for four nights. We flew in on Saturday early afternoon, checked into the hotel and went to the NYC marathon expo. While it wasn't their first, the plane ride was a highlight for sure. When we got to Laguardia, Hannah and Joseph changed into Pocahontas and Captain America. It was Halloween after all.

...Captain America was flat out exhausted and fell asleep at the expo. It was a long day, coming right after an emotional day with Chloe. Joe's mom and sister met up with us at the hotel, and we found a classic New York pizza place for dinner not far from our hotel, near Madison Square Garden, and then hit the sack.

Sunday was the marathon. Joe was up and out super early (5:30!), taking the Subway to the ferry to get to the start of the race. We had a much more leisurely morning, having breakfast and then taking the Subway and finding a spot along the race route. It was crazy crowded and I questioned our slower pace, but we ended up not only getting to see Joe as he ran down the Queensboro Bridge ramp, but he saw us!!

I loved having the race app on my phone; we knew exactly where Joe was along the route, his pace, projected finish, etc. Very convenient for a large city and a huge race. The NYC marathon is the largest in the world with about 60,000 runners. Imagine that plus all the spectators and police, and you've got quite a crowd to maneuver around.

As is the case with all of the big races, there is a lot of waiting. We wait and wait and then, if we're lucky, we get to see Daddy for a few seconds. It's still exciting and we make the best of the waiting part. Here we are in Central Park, with the Plaza Hotel in the background:

We made our way inside the park, found a great place around mile 25 to watch him pass. We then followed on the app as he crossed the finish line.

Then came the difficult (and frustrating!) part: finding him after the race. There is usually a family reunion spot which is great, but getting to this one was almost impossible. It took us an hour and a half to get to Joe after we saw him run by. There were so many people, barricades, and detours. But we made it and got our family pictures!

Joe finished the race with a time of 3:15:03. He would have liked to go a little faster, but still he did great. He said it was the hardest of all the races he's done. There are five bridges (they go into all five boroughs), numerous ups and downs, and the pavement is very uneven. There are potholes, repairs, and all the road issues you'd expect in a big, northern city. Runners like to settle into a rhythm and put their focus forward, but in this race you have to watch where you step most of the way. We were amazed at how many runners we saw stop with cramps. It's a tough one! We were proud of #5067 and now he has another major under his belt.

After a little relaxation (and a bloody mary) at the hotel, we dressed and headed to Little Italy, always one of our favorite stops in NYC. Again, the Subway and escalators were exciting enough on their own for these two littles:

After the yummiest dinner at Angelo's on Mulberry Street, we walked to Ferrara's for dessert!

Day two down. On Monday morning, we toured the September 11th memorial and museum. It was incredible and such an awesome experience, a must-do if you are planning a trip to New York.

We walked down to Battery Park and along the Harbor, catching views of the Statue of Liberty.

Hannah jumped along the rocks and Joseph tested out his new FDNY fire truck. It was quite a bit of walking, so we are glad (as we were several times on this trip) that we brought the convenience stroller. The kids took turns riding, I gave piggy-back rides, and we also made a pit stop at Starbucks.

As afternoon turned into evening, we walked/ran to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. The skyline was beautiful as the sun set behind it. I didn't want to miss the view from the top of the bridge, so I ran while pushing Joseph in the stroller. When I got to the top, out of breath and sweating, I realized he fell asleep. Classic. The others hurried too, not far behind me. We stayed for a bit, and even got to witness some unplanned excitement. The President flew in on an Osprey, landing not too far from us, and traveled right underneath the bridge in his motorcade. Very cool.

The day ended with a visit to Grand Central Station, where we ate dinner in the dining concourse and Hannah twirled around the terminal.

Tuesday was another gorgeous day. Seriously, we had incredible weather the whole time. Only needed a jacket at times, and not a heavy one at that. It was perfect New York fall weather and playing around Central Park was the perfect start to the day.

We went to the Museum of Natural History right at opening and toured all four floors. That place is so neat, halls designated for mammals, ocean life, ancient peoples, and space science exhibits to name a few. The kids loved it (as did the grown-ups)!

Next up was The Empire State Building. Joseph was very impressed with all the buttons on the elevator. The adults were impressed at how short (non-existent) the line was to get to the top. We walked around the observation deck for a while and tried to locate things down below. {I even got a kiss from my little boy.}

Tuesday night we went to Times Square, had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, and visited the Hershey store. Joe was in chocolate heaven.

The day ended with Aladdin. The Genie stole the show; he was hilarious. We all loved it!!

Wednesday was our last day. Before heading to the airport, we said hello to Patience and Fortitude, the stone lions outside the NY Public Library, stopped by Rockefeller Center (and gawked in the window of the Lego store - it wasn't open yet), and strolled down 5th Avenue, posing in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Oh yeah, we also had to stop and pick up a few things from the American Girl store. Joseph was thrilled to pick out something of his own: an AG Dalmatian puppy he named Chloe. Happy ending. :)

When the captain on the airplane let him check out the cockpit, Joseph was beside himself.

It was a really good trip, filled with memories we will not soon forget. So thankful for the opportunity to go, for Joe getting to race in the NYC Marathon, for the kids loving every minute, and for Meme and Gran Gran (and for a part, Aunt Sarah) being there with us.

chloe

In the midst of that fun Halloween week was deep sadness for our family. Our sweet Chloe, my college dog, died.

Her little body was just getting sicker and her organs failing. She developed a cough a couple of years ago, and was initially diagnosed with congestive heart failure, but recently we found her kidneys were failing, too. She's been on medicine for her heart/cough for a long time and the vet (our good friend, Stephen) kept having to increase the dosage.

She coughed all the time. Incessantly. Her cough had become a background noise in our home. It was annoying to us, but most certainly more annoying to her. At first it was just inconvenient, a nuisance. But overtime it worsened. Her heart was enlarged, pressing her trachea against her spine, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to breathe.

Joe and I ended up having to make the decision. I so didn't want this to be the case! We were preparing for our trip to New York. Chloe was not eating, losing strength, and having issues due to her kidneys. I was really worried that something would happen to her while we were gone. I did not want that. I wanted her to be at home when she breathed her last. Or at least for me to be with her.

Hannah and Joseph have been so sweet. They were very aware of how sick she was and we had talked a lot recently about her not living much longer. When I picked them up from school that Friday, they asked how she was doing, and when I said she was not good, Hannah asked if she had died while they were at school. Sad!

Joe really wanted the kids to see her and hold her one more time. They had grown very attached to her the last few months and he didn't think it was fair for her to just be gone. (That morning was rushed and Chloe didn't leave her crate.) Since the timing was up to us, I understood.

So after school, we were in the backyard and I captured this:

And just like that one I took of Joseph (above) with her earlier in the month, I know those are pictures they will cherish.

The decision was very difficult, as you know if you've had to go through this with a beloved pet (my family has before, twice). I hated the idea of cutting her life shorter than it would be if she passed on her own, but I also was well aware that she wasn't going to get any better. In fact, she was going to get worse. We did not want her to suffer any more. So, Joe and I took her to "Dr. Stephen" that Friday afternoon before our New York trip, October 30th. We asked our babysitter to come over while we went to the vet. We told the kids we were taking Chloe to Dr. Stephen;  We did not tell them that we were making the decision.

Joe and I both cried as the exam room went quiet - from the sound of her coughing, to nothing at all. But peace.

Finally, peace for her. Heavy hearts for us.

We brought her home. Joe let our babysitter go while I sat holding her, wrapped in her polka dot name blanket, on the back porch. Then the kids came outside. It was very simple: they asked if she had died, and we said yes. They asked what happened, and we told them her heart stopped beating. They were ok with that answer, and since it was the truth, I was ok with it, too.

It was also interesting how things unfolded with the kids. They did not cry at first, even when they saw Momma and Daddy cry. But a little while later, Hannah disappeared. Joe found her in the driveway and when he got to her, she was crying. So sweet and so sad.

Her little heart was broken.

Joseph helped Daddy dig a deep hole in the backyard. He was very "helpful" as always. Meme had just arrived in town and took Hannah to the store to buy some flowers for Chloe's grave. It wasn't until Joe took Chloe from my arms and wrapping her in the blanket, laid her down in the ground, that Joseph lost it.

His little heart was broken.

It was so sad. There were a lot of tears. The boys arranged bricks over the dirt and Hannah put flowers in the bricks' holes. We said a prayer and later that night went out again to the tree line where she was buried and said goodnight.

It was very disappointing (and infuriating!) the next morning to find the deer had eaten all the flowers. There were more tears.

Chloe had a great life, a long life. My mom gave her to me for Christmas in 2001. As a puppy, she lived in an apartment with me while I was at Georgia Tech. She moved around Atlanta with me, eventually ending up in Savannah while I was in graduate school. She was my "package deal" when I married Joe. She gained a sister, Mollie, and became Chloe Brooks-Buck.

She moved from Savannah, to Jesup, then to Sandersville. She welcomed two babies into the family - babies that loved her...and drove her crazy. She went to live with Meme for a couple of years in Savannah. She's flown in several airplanes and sat on my lap for countless car rides. She's worn many cute outfits...and Halloween costumes.

Yes, she was slightly spoiled as a pup. She didn't get the same level of attention once children were in the picture, or even Joe for that matter. (She slept in my bed with me through her early years.) But, she was our Chlo-bo, our little moaning furbaby. For fourteen years. {The moaning was her trademark sound whenever she heard anything that made her nervous...even a strong wind outside. It only got better as she started to lose her hearing.}

We loved her and miss her. We will see her again this side of the Rainbow Bridge. I love that idea. That has brought comfort, especially to two precious children.

Rest in peace sweet girl.

halloween

The week of Halloween was busy as it always is. We kicked off the fun with the fall festival at church on Sunday, the 25th. Pocahontas and Captain America were very excited!

Their costumes were so much fun this year. Joseph was super pumped to be Captain America. Those little kid muscle costumes are hysterical. I had to buy the shield separately, but I mean, come on. How could I not?!

As for the little Indian girl... She really wanted to be Pocahontas and I could not find a single costume online that actually looked like Pocahontas - lots of Indian/Native American ones, but none exactly like Pocahontas. All the cute ones we saw were homemade. So what did I do? Make one myself? Of course not. But I did go to Hobby Lobby and pick up some material while over in Milledgeville while Joe was swimming one day. And then I got home and sent a message to a Facebook friend who embroiders. Turns out her mom can sew and she'd be glad to make little Hannah a Pocahontas costume. She was also very inexpensive. Score! Hannah and I were both thrilled how it turned out!

Hannah informed me that her hair did not look like Pochanotas', so I remedied that by ordering a black wig off Amazon. Throw in a turquoise necklace of mine and her turquoise Minnetonka booties (couldn't go barefoot!) and she was good to go.

Joseph's best friend, Weston, was also Captain America. They didn't know the other was. Can you believe it?!

Love those two. Captain cuteness is more like it...

Joe signed us up to take part in the trunk-or-treat again this year. We've volunteered our "trunk" four out of the last five years and we have always done something elaborate, me letting my creative mind have fun with themes (spooky candlelit ghost trunk, race day, under the sea...). This year there was too much going on, but we still needed to participate.

Enter the teepee from our playroom. Stick Pocahontas in there with her basket of corn (er, candy corn), and set some pumpkins outside.

It worked out just fine. And minimal clean up!

That Tuesday was "School Rocks with Mom" for the pre-K. I enjoyed every minute of being with my little guy, completely in his element at school. We made an adorable little owl, too.

If there wasn't enough going on, it was also Red Ribbon Week and each day had a theme. Thursday was jersey day as the kids "teamed up against drugs". We proudly supported Georgia Tech and Auburn. With all the Bulldog shirts, my kids definitely stood out!

That day was also Hannah's first performance in the Oratorical Club. Joe and I met her at a local nursing home and watched her recite her part of the grandparents program. Look at her in this outfit. I mean, really. Off to prep school...or Hogwarts.

Then we had class Halloween parties at school. Joseph's was Thursday afternoon, Hannah's was Friday. They both ate plenty of sugar.

Joseph also went on a field trip to trick-or-treat around the square downtown, as Hannah did last year. It is so cute watching all the kids in costume parade around the town square, filling up their treat bags. The businesses all take part and even dress up, too. The morning is grand fun for the little ones.

Joseph pulled off that little mum in my hand from a plant as he passed. He loves to pick me flowers - even those he is not supposed to!