Tucker's Night Out

DAY 18: Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The sniffles caught up with Henry today, and he slept in until 10:00 AM. Just after he woke up, the HVAC maintenance folks came in and discovered that the compressor in our living room unit is no longer working...AT ALL. So, that's why it smelled like a car running hot when we turned on the heat or AC. Yes, I am the granddaughter of two mechanics, and my husband used to run nuclear reactors, but neither of us suspected the compressor. We just thought it smelled funny. Wow. We must be geniuses. Anyway, by the time the maintenance work was over, the boys were hungry, so we raided the goodies from Fresh Direct and had a smorgasbord of delectable eats for lunch. While I attempted to get things together for our adventure of the day, Tucker climbed up on the counters, grabbed a few forbidden objects, handed one to Henry, and commenced to carve the cardboard boxes, which were the cars of his train on Monday. I turned around, screamed when I saw knives in the hands of my babies, and promptly disciplined the elder son. Henry cried, and I put him to bed. Tucker cried, and I put him in timeout. Again. For the afternoon. Then, we ate dinner before Wes made it home, and when he knocked on the door, we were ready to head out, yummy pumpkin ravioli in our tummies and an adventure to make returns and purchase goods on our agenda. We walked, Henry rode, and Tucker ran (he's in training for the 2010 NYC marathon apparently) to Buy Buy Baby, returned the footmuff that Tucker refused to wear (I have a feeling he'll change his mind as the mercury drops), and found the value size box of diapers for a sweet $40.99 (pretty sure the same box in Atlanta costs $28). Our adventure was a practical one, but Tucker thought it was great--he saw the city lights, heard the subway trains, and announced to anyone within earshot that the miniature schnauzer in front of us had just used the bathroom on the sidewalk. Lovely. Goodnight, New York. Congrats Mayor Bloomberg. Way to go Yankees. See you in the morning.

Celebrating Life

Fountains outside Osteria del Circo

DAY 17: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Today was a long day after three long nights. On Saturday, at the end of trick-or-treating, I took a phone call from home and learned about the tragic death of a family friend. Abbey Tsumas was 16, full of life, a beautiful soul, killed in a one-car accident on a rainy Friday night. Today, thousands of people in my hometown gathered at our church for her funeral, and thousands more, like me, watched online. Statesville High School broadcast the service into Mac Gray Auditorium so Abbey's classmates who couldn't attend could watch; Statesville Christian School did the same. It was an incredible tribute and made me so grateful to be a child of God, to have the opportunity to live this life, and to be in a position to help my children live their lives for God like Abbey did. My heart breaks for Abbey's parents and her two older sisters, both of whom I have adored since birth. Abbey was a source of joy for many, even if you only saw her smile once, and she will be deeply missed.

Abbey, in red, with friends

Funerals usually create somber days, but Abbey's funeral was a true celebration of life, and it gave us a reason to celebrate. I pulled out cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, and the boys and I had a happy celebration of life, Abbey's and ours.

Tucker gingerly removes a pumpkin from the icing, demonstrating his ability to savor treats for a very, very, very long time.

Magnolia Bakery...still the cupcake capital of NYC

Tucker is reluctant to share, as Henry begs for a bite of his brother's cupcake. Tucker tends to savor treats, while Henry likes to work quickly, freeing up his hands for more.

With our celebration complete, we headed outside. For nearly two hours, we walked along Fifth and Sixth Avenues before meeting Wes after work. It was a relaxing stroll, and we ran into an old friend, reminding me just how small this world is and how interconnected we all are. When Wes joined us by the fountains outside Osteria del Circo, I let him take the boys back to our apartment while I trekked up to the Time Warner Center for an event with the cast of Glee. Unfortunately, a few thousand teenagers arrived before I did, so I left without a signed CD for my friend in NC, but at least I have a picture of the attempt!

Glee fans fight for a glimpse of cast members signing CDs

Fresh Direct and Fun Indoors

DAY 16: Monday, November 2, 2009

Since the weekend felt like a marathon for us, we spent the day inside, primarily because we were waiting on our first, gigantic order from Fresh Direct but also because I was exhausted! Tucker and Henry still had a massive amount of energy as most toddlers do, so we played inside, turning Henry's bed into a hideout and making a series of tunnels and trains out of the seven boxes that arrived from Fresh Direct. (Our doorman had to bring the groceries up on a luggage cart!) The day was a reminder of just how much fun you can have, as long as you have each other!

Tucker plays in the hideout.

Laughs at the intruders--Henry and me.

Henry spies a new toy--my camera.

Cries when I take it away. Sorry pal!

The boys, at long last, work together to build their train.

NYC Marathon

DAY 15: Sunday, November 1, 2009

The 42,000 runners who competed in this year's ING Marathon couldn't have asked for better conditions. The weather was perfect, just sunny enough to keep the temperature in the low 60s, and the crowd was incredible, with bands playing along the route. Tucker loved it so much, I think he's ready to train for next year's race, especially since the winner was from San Diego and the runner-up was from Big Bear. If you ask him, he loves to tell you that he was born in California! Regardless, it was an extraordinary race to watch with only the second American winner since 1982.

Tucker cheers on the runners.

And uses the cow bell in an attempt to make Wes deaf.

He finds himself in a mirrored building...and laughs.

And plays with his brother at the finish line. Shortly after, we raced to lunch at Comfort Diner, only to race home for a potty break!