Triangle Trip 2016

A burgeoning annual tradition I have with the kids is to take them on a road trip that I refer to myself as the Triangle Trip. The order of the stops changes, but the destinations are Long Island, New York City and southern New Jersey. I have friends and family in all three places, and it's nice to get out and see them during the summer. Summer vacation can get pretty repetitive, so taking this trip helps break up the monotony.

Last year, the trip spanned four or five days. The main attraction we saw in New York City was the Statue of Liberty, which was cool once we got there, but a total pain to get to, thanks to TSA's very elaborate security theater, which we had to endure three times just to get into the statue itself. Not a trip I'll be making a second time.

This year, the trip was book-ended by a family party on a Sunday and the trip to south Jersey the following weekend that was the only time my two friends and I could make that part of the trip work. So instead of four or five days, the trip turned into a week! By the end, I was properly worn out, and so were Xander and Jasmine, but it was worth it.

We start on Long Island, in a bouncy house. Bouncy houses seem to appeal to two types of people -- children, and myself. Some would say just one type of person, and lump me into the children category, which is fine. On some days, like for instance Xander's third birthday party when it was nearly 100 degrees with incredibly high humidity, bouncy houses can feel a bit stifling. This party day was not one of them. It was warm but not hot, and definitely not humid, and there was a nice breeze as well. The perfect weather, in other words, and as a result, the kids and their cousins spent most of the day in the bouncy house.

The following day, the weather was the same, and since the bouncy house was still there, well you can figure out how the kids spent the entire day. There was a brief respite for those old standbys sidewalk chalk and bubbles, but they pretty much bounced til they dropped.

Tuesday found us on a different part of Long Island, and a friend and I took the kids to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. There weren't a lot of people there, but it was their loss, as this museum -- housed in an old military aircraft hangar -- was pretty cool. The kids got to sit in the cockpit of several old planes, from military to commercial, and there were all sorts of great exhibits detailing the planes of the past century and a half. I also saw this awesome logo:

The night ended with a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, and of course, ice cream. Xander ate a lot of ice cream on this trip, to the point where Jasmine even started to eat some. This was great progress, as Jazzy is quite the picky eater.

Wednesday, we took the LIRR into Penn Station for two days of New York City fun. We started at the Empire State Building. I had never been, but I had been told to get there early because the line gets out of control, and I could see why. We didn't wait that long to get to the 86th floor -- maybe 20, 30 minutes -- but it was enough to make the kids antsy, and probably affected their enjoyment of the entire experience overall. By the time we got to the top, Jazzy was demanding a snack, and didn't really want to check out the views.

Speaking of the views, they were spectacular, so much so that it seemed a bit surreal. I'd love to go back on a day when there isn't a big crowd, but figuring out when that would be is probably a bit of a chore. You sort of had to elbow for your own space, which is tough when you're also trying to show said views to two kids. But we managed, and got some cool selfies with the city in the background. My cousin had made an appeal for us to go to the Top of the Rock instead, and I could see his point, as from there you get a much better view of Central Park. We almost did that this year, but the timing didn't work out. Next year.

Speaking of Central Park, that was where we headed next, after we met up with some friends who were visiting the City. We met them at their hotel nearby, where I saw one of those "only in New York" things -- a graffiti tag on a bathroom changing table.

We headed into the Park through Columbus Circle, where the kids really wanted to jump into the fountain but were told they couldn't. Luckily though, they would have another chance to get wet, as the Columbus Circle entrance to the Park is where the giant playground/giant rock is, and there part of the playground (apparently is one of 22 playgrounds in the Park) has a water feature, and so we took off the kids' shoes and they tromped along for an hour or so. The views from the giant rock are great:

From there, we went to Victorian Gardens, which is a little kids amusement park inside of Central Park. On the way, Jazzy spotted a violinist, and he showed her how to play his violin, which was super adorable. The amusement park was a good diversion for an hour, and the kids loved it. From there we walked up through the Park to the train, stopping for ice cream on the way.

After dinner with some friends, we camped out for the night at a friends' apartment. By the time I got the kids bathed and into bed, it was nearly 10 pm. No strict bed times when you're adventuring.

As a result of our late bed time, Thursday started a little slower. We went to H&H Bagels for breakfast, and while the bagels were typically awesome, we didn't see Elaine Benes yet again.

Lunch was back down in Penn Station with a friend, and then we headed up to Xander's favorite part of the trip -- the New York Historical Society. No, Xander isn't some history buff -- the museum is hosting an exhibit by his favorite author, Mo Willems.

Not every part of our trip was a smashing success, but this visit definitely was. Mo Willems' books helped Xander clear the final hurdle on the path to reading, and one of his Elephant and Piggie books was the first book that Xander ever read to us. He is borderline obsessed with these books, and was able to accurately match the illustrations displayed in the exhibits to the book they belonged to on sight.

There is also a children's history museum of NYC in the basement of the Historical Society, so we stopped down there before heading across the street to the Museum of Natural History, pausing for ice cream before we went in. We got to the Natural History Museum a little late in the day, so we had time for only a few exhibits. While I had taken Xan there before (and he remembered going, even though he was only three at the time) Jazzy had never been, so I wanted to make sure we saw the big blue whale and the dinosaurs. And we had just enough time for both, with a healthy dose of African Mammals to boot.

We were pretty tired after all of this Museuming, so we took a pedicab through Central Park to cap the day. From there, we were off to see some cousins who live in the city for dinner and bedtime. The next morning, the kids dined on delicious homemade blueberry pancakes (the third time they got pancakes on the trip, second time homemade, there are no diets imposed when adventuring) and we headed on down to Jersey. Our time in Jersey was low key -- just three friends and their five kids hanging out together -- and that was the perfect respite after the two hectic days in the city.

All told, we visited with more than 30 friends/family members, rode on five different NYC train lines (123, 456, ACE, NQR and LIRR), experienced four museums and one skyscraper of a landmark and had countless ice creams. Perhaps most importantly, the kids continue to learn how to adapt when outside of their comfort zone. Sleeping at five different places in seven nights is a tall order for two small children, but for the most part they handled it wonderfully, and I feel like these are the sorts of experiences that will serve them well in adulthood. Or, at least that's what I tell myself. And even if it doesn't, that's OK. It was still one hell of a trip.

Briefly on "The Force Awakens"

When he was about four, I started letting Xander watch "A New Hope." We gradually moved to "Empire," and then a couple of weeks ago I finally let him watch "Jedi." This was all leading up to the premiere of "The Force Awakens," which luckily was announced so far in advance that I was able to slowly build Xan's Star Wars library. Along the way, we read fun Star Wars books, and we watched Star Wars Rebels as well. Oh, and we listened to my Star Wars soundtrack in the car. When he started insisting on listening to "The Imperial March," I knew he was hooked for good.

Today, "The Force Awakens" opened in theaters, and I knew I had to take him on Opening Day. Well, I knew I needed to go on Opening Day, and that he needed to see it too, and, well, you get the idea. Was he too young? Maybe. He was the youngest kid I saw in line, but then, he was supposed to be in school, so that made perfect sense. Also, I remember my first movie theater experience came when I was five. My mom took me to a night showing of "Jedi," and let me skip school the next day. When I asked her about this recently, she had no memory of it, but I still remember, and I have a bad memory.

I didn't want to mess with a nighttime crowd, or with Xan being tired for the weekend, as it's going to be a typically busy holiday weekend. So I thought the next-best thing would be to break him out of school. We hadn't yet done that (though he knew exactly what the yellow dismissal slip was, ha) so that made it extra special, I think. He was initially apprehensive when I told him we were going to go see Star Wars. "But I haven't seen the trailer yet," he said. (I usually show him the trailers of movies I'm taking him to, but not this one. I went the whole year without seeing the full-length trailer. Pretty proud of myself for that.) "Who's in it? Is Luke Skywalker in it?" I assured him that Luke, and Han, and Leia would be in the movie. "What about Chewbacca?" Yup, Chewbacca too. After that, he was ready to roll.

We had to wait over an hour in line to get a good seat, but it was worth it. He only grabbed my arm once, and wasn't scared in parts I expected him to be scared in. Afterward, we both agreed it was a good movie. I was more excited than he was -- he's only been waiting three weeks to see what happened after Jedi, not 30+ years -- but that's OK. We had a great time, and hopefully it's a memory that he holds for the rest of his life. I know I will.

Xander's First Game at Fenway Park

I still remember my first baseball game. Not the exact details, mind you, but the circumstances. It was a night game, in 1985, and my dad took me -- just the two of us, as it were. I got to miss school the next day. When it came time for Xander to go, I wanted to have similar circumstances. And so it was, last night. I had originally planned on waiting until next season, but with the weather nice, and the team stinking this year, it seemed like the right night for a low-key introduction to Fenway Park.

We got downtown early, in time to see Aunt Laila, who walked around the ballpark with us. We were there before gates were opened, and stood in line on the Boylston side of Yawkey Way for about a half hour, while we watched some stooges roll out a portable metal detector that was probably no more effective than wanding people. 

When we got in, we went to the Souvenir Store and got Xan a new t-shirt (a green shirt that says Green Monster on it, get it?) and a pack of assorted baseball cards (he played with them for about an hour this morning - he got a 1990 Wade Boggs Fleer card). We then walked into the ballpark - he was very excited to finally go inside, as we've been on Yawkey Way outside of the ballpark a few times before. We ventured down the walkway behind home plate, and as we started down the concourse to right field while the Orioles were taking batting practice, I pointed out a few things -- the bases, where the Green Monster starts and ends, where our seats were, etc.

Our seats are out near the triangle in center field. They provide a great view of the entire ballpark, though you do have to stand up to see the big jumbotron, which is less of a big deal than you would imagine it being. Before we walked up to our seats, we got dinner -- Fenway Franks for each of us, and fries and a pretzel to split, and a large Poland Spring water. We settled into our seats and devoured our Fenway Franks, and then consumed the fries and pretzel. A meal heavy on carbohydrates, it was.

We still had just under an hour until game time, so we walked the underneath concourse some more. I went and showed him all the different logos the team has had over their century-plus of baseball -- his favorite was the block Red Sox, because it was one of the first words he learned how to spell. Then, we went and got a program, with a paper scorecard. I told the gentleman who sold them to us that it was my son's first game, and he instructed us to go to the information table, where they would give Xander some "first game" goodies. And they did -- a button, a sticker and a Red Sox Nation wristband. I didn't care much for the wristband, but the sticker, and especially the button, were great.

As we settled into our seats, we still had half an hour until first pitch. Xander busied himself with writing the names of his favorite players -- Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz -- on his scorecard. We also received our customary visit from my colleague, David Laurila.

After the national anthem, David headed back up to the press box, and the game began. In truth, Xander didn't pay a great deal of attention to things that weren't Pedroia, Ortiz or Bogaerts' plate appearances, and unfortunately, none of them obliged with a hit. Bogaerts produced a looping fly ball to the warning track in left, but otherwise this was another forgettable performance in what has been a forgettable season for the Sox.

After the third inning, we went and got ice cream. Xander got his first helmet ice cream -- vanilla -- and he finished it in the bottom of the fifth. Up to that point, the game was moving briskly, but in the sixth inning, Joe Kelly remembered that he was Joe Kelly, and the Orioles' promptly put a lengthy rally together. It more or less tuckered Xander out, who at that point became keen on heading home to see his mother. We stayed through the bottom of the sixth -- Pedroia and Ortiz were hitting one more time, and I had the faintest hope that one of them would do something memorable. Pedroia did, sort of -- he grounded into his second double play of the game (at least he hit the ball hard this time). After Ortiz struck out to end the frame, we got the folks behind us to take one more picture of us, and then we headed down the tunnel.

Underneath, we took pictures with a ceramic Wally -- Xander was a little bit of afraid of him, and had to be coaxed into sitting next to him, even though he loves Wally -- and with his favorite logo, and then we headed out to Gate A, through the parking lot on Brookline, and then up to Beacon Street towards the car.

At this juncture, Xander loves everything about baseball, the Red Sox and Fenway Park, except for the actual baseball itself. That will change in the coming years, and it will be fun to watch him grow, and grow with the game. But last night, it didn't matter. I got to take my son to Fenway Park.

Toothbrush Dance Party

Lately, brushing teeth has become quite the event for Xander. Normally a mundane event, the inclusion of both mom and dad in the nighttime teeth brushing routine has made it more exciting. And tonight, the fun kicked up a couple of notches with an impromptu dance party.

Every once in awhile, Xander will bust out some dance moves at times when you would not expect him to dance. One night, while being changed into his nighttime pull-ups -- or "big boy pants," as Xan likes to call them -- he randomly started grooving, and even started mock-spanking himself, giggling the whole time. It doesn't sound that funny perhaps, but the look on his face helped make it fall on the floor funny for mom and dad.

It was likely with these memories in mind that mom started dancing during family toothbrush time this evening. Dad tossed in a little mealy-mouthed beatboxing, and all of a sudden it was a dance party. As he is wont to do, Xander initially stood there surveying mom and dad, as he decided whether or not he should participate. Eventually he got into the act, but since toothbrush time doesn't take up a ton of time, the dance party was over just as soon as it started.

Xander is doing a lot of things for himself these days, with brushing his teeth being one of many things that he no longer needs any help doing. But just because he can do something doesn't mean he enjoys it. While only mom or dad does bath time, having both mom and dad there for toothbrush time makes it more enjoyable, especially when an impromptu dance party breaks out.

Uh Oh

Xander is a very expressive little boy. He points, he laughs, he dances, he cries, he yells, he yells louder and then he yells even louder. But talking is not yet his thing. For whatever reason, whether it's because boys talk later or mom and dad have made it too easy for him to communicate what he wants, Xander has been slow to talk. Or so it would seem. But in early January, he started to say "Uh oh."

To be sure, this wasn't Xander's first attempt at a word. He had slurred "truck" and "dog" in the past, and had been pointing and talking gibberish (to adult ears, anyway) for a while before saying "uh oh." But while he said other words before, he would never repeat them when asked to do so. But soon after he started saying "uh oh," mom and/or dad were trading double-digit volleys of "uh oh" before breaking up into laughter.

Soon after "uh oh" came "ma" and "da," which very clearly are his "mom" and "dad," as he usually yells them whenever mom or dad leaves a room for a few minutes. Initially, he would also frequently whine "ma ma ma ma," even when she wasn't home, which was a pretty clear sign that mom had definitively become the good cop.

Xander still isn't speaking a great deal, but mom and dad know that he understands just about everything. He readily identifies most anything he is asked to point out, be it his feet, where the lamps are in a room, or which Toy Story character is Buzz Lightyear. In fact, he is quite adept at his Toy Story 3 Memory! game, for which the recommended age is three+ (Xander is not yet two). While he isn't saying much now, it's only a matter of time before he is talking up a storm. And when he does...uh oh!

Climber Monkey

Xander climbs on everything. Even before he could walk, he was climbing. He climbed out of his bouncer, then he moved on to the stairs, and he hasn't stopped now that he is getting older.

Once he learned to walk, he put ladders on his to-do list. At first, he was too small to actually use the slide when he climbed to the top of the ladder, but that didn't mean he wasn't enjoying the process of climbing the ladder. Now that he is old enough to slide down on his own, a slide can be a standing source of entertainment for blocks of time. Even when there isn't a ladder, the process of getting up to and down a slide is an enjoyable one. At one particular playground, Xan is able to walk up a slanted ramp, then shimmy across a shaky bridge and then once he's across, careen down the slide, and start all over again.

Furniture is another popular target. On Xander's first trip to the Museum of Science in Boston, he ascended a two-foot stool on more than one occasion, delighting in the interactive computer screens that awaited once standing on the stool. Household furniture is no different. While he has his own little couch and chair from which he can watch TV, he will frequently forgo them in order to climb onto the couch. Upstairs, the rocking chair in his bedroom is no longer the sole domain of mom and dad. Xander can now climb into it and rock himself, laughing uproariously each time the chair tips backwards.

When Xander climbs into the fridge, or scurries close to the edge of the couch he has just conquered, his climbing isn't so cute, but most of the time he's ok. Xander has a good grip, and he knows what he wants. He hasn't tried to climb out of his crib yet, but it's only a matter of time. He has half-heartedly tried to hook his leg over the side, and when he realizes that he can stack his pillows and blankets in the corner...watch out. But whether it's his crib, a ladder or the couch, one thing is for sure -- Xander isn't about to stop being a climber monkey anytime soon.

Bedtime Bookworm

At one point, Xander was quite resistant to bedtime. He always liked it when mom and dad read him stories after bath and changing into PJ's, but when he started to get his molars, he didn't want to be put down. Babies don't like being horizontal when they're teething apparently, and since sleeping invariably involves lying horizontally, Xan wasn't having it.

Mom and dad, once willing to sit through half-hour to hour-long stretches of bed time, eventually decided that Xander needed to be a big boy, and would let Xander fall asleep on his own. At the tail end of the teething process however, this was still proving to be quite time consuming. But an accidental flip of a book into the crib proved a turning point. Ever the bookworm, Xander grabbed the book, plopped down on the bed, and read quietly. From that point on, bedtime became a breeze.

That's not to say there weren't missteps along the way. On the morning when mom and dad awoke to find a page from Xander's Toy Story Little Golden Book torn to shreds, they came to the realization that perhaps it would be best if only board books went into the crib. And while sometimes not even the board books survive the long haul, as his battered copy of Jamberry can testify, they certainly have much better odds. From Sandra Boynton, to Baby Einsteins, to Runaway Bunny, Xander has a bevy of board books, but Goodnight Gorilla and Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed the leaders in the clubhouse.

Now that Xander has his first (and almost his second) set of molars, bedtime (and nap time) is a lot more peaceful, and if mom and dad don't pick a board book for bedtime reading, he still goes to sleep fairly quickly, but if one comes out, you can bet that the bedtime bookworm is going to reach for it, roll up under his covers with it and fall asleep with a big smile on his face.