These are a few of my favorite things

Mister T, Miss L and I safely landed in San Francisco yesterday and were greeted by my beaming parents at the airport. We were quite exhausted from the move, all of the emotions and preparations, so we all slept soundly for 12 hours last night, a family record! This morning we took Miss L on a long walk through the new neighborhood and went to the playground. The San Francisco fog rolled in and the air smelled like a mix of ocean and eucalyptus, which brought all the familiarity and pleasant memories of home back.

I decided I needed to give a shout-out to all of my favorite things during my time in New York. So here is my laundry list:

Jack's at the South Street Seaport (a very pleasant way to spend a leisurely morning)

Bouley's roasted chickens, oatmeal cookies and pain aux raisins

Our favorite spot in Wagner Park under the trees

Diana Rilov's yoga classes on the Upper Westside

Thursday playgroup in Fidi

The huge relief when you come over the Manhattan bridge and are back on THE island

The sheer excitement when sidewalk tables debut for the first batch of spring weather

Knowing that nothing will break your plans with friends, not a blizzard, not a subway shutdown, nothing

Picking up summer CSA vegetables at Stonehouse (now provisions)

My favorite restaurant, Chanterelle

Lunch at Cookshop (try the chicken salad and you will return many more times)

Prenatal yoga with Mary Barnes

Summer days in Amagansett

Steven Alan sample sales

The Point, the best knitting cafe that New York had

Adrienne's square pie

Walking as my main mode of transportation

Bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-a-roll

Strolling along the Hudson in Battery Park City

Seeing a movie at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas

The City section in the New York Times that is only delivered to city residents

Having my groceries, and nearly everything else, delivered to my door

Stuffed cupcakes- need I say more

Most of you mamas know about my slight obsession with cupcakes. I often carry a list of cupcakes I would like to to try so that I can pick one up if I happen to be in a different neighborhood. Last year, I even went on a cupcake tour w/the culinary institute. Ahh... so many cupcakes. Red velvet (with cream cheese icing of course) is my favorite - but I usually have to try the bakery specialty as well when trying somewhere new.

On Saturday, after going to one of my fave restaurants for brunch, Zoe in Soho, I realized I would be right around the corner for the new storefront for Baked by Melissa stuffed cupcakes. I had read about her bited size cupcakes for a while and have been looking for an excuse to try them. Initially, it was only mail order, but recently she opened a small window in Soho, the cupcakes are baked off site. The cupcakes really are the size of a quarter- though I tried to get two bites out of each.

Mr. R and I ordered a dozen for $10 and they come in the cutest little carrying box with holes for each cupcake to be placed in, so they travel well. There is quite a variety of flavors, tie-dye, red velvet, cookie dough, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter cup, cookies and cream and s'mores. I couldn't decide, so I ordered one of each (minus the tie-dye). The cupcakes themselves were all extremely moist and tasted very fresh. The icing and toppings all had a nice texture and looked so cute. While they are called stuffed cupcakes, the filling really is on top and in the center a bit. The peanut butter cup was my favorite (though I am very partial to chocolate peanut butter). My other favorites were red velvet and cookies & cream. Least favorite were peanut butter and jelly- just a little off and the cookie dough- there really wasn't much cookie dough on there.

You can order just a few or by the 100. It would be a fun dessert to bring to a dinner party or just enjoy while taking a walk. Each of us ate six of them, and we did not feel stuffed. It was much less than an actual cupcake. Give them a try if you are in the area.

Baked by Melissa, 529 Broadway (though the actual window is around the corner on Spring St). Open 11-8 daily.

My blog on Blossom Mother and Child

Source: Blossom Mother and Child

Just a quick note to let you know that my pregnancy blog is up and running on Blossom Mother and Child. I sat next to the head of marketing for Blossom at a Fashion Business Club event. We chatted for a while about the maternity clothing market and my loathing of in store shopping. A couple of weeks later she contacted me about blogging for them. I was thrilled at the chance to connect with even more mummies so accepted.

My first post is about test driving some jeans. After wearing one pair through the last trimester of pregnancy one it is nice to have a couple more at my disposal - especially now I go through a pair a day with messy Master R's sticky fingers.

Thank you to Blossom for the opportunity to write for you and Mamas, I'll keep you up to date with my posts.

So long, farewell, it's time to say goodbye

Source: http://www.batteryparkcity.org/

How do I say goodbye? While I know it is not a final goodbye and I'll be back to visit, I am saying goodbye to my life as a New Yorker.

When I first landed in New York seven and a half years ago I could not have imagined the life I have come to love here. It was February 2002 and Mister T and I were driving up Central Park West to corporate housing, our temporary home for the first three months. In the darkness of the night the city felt foreboding and strange. I woke up in the middle of that first night sick to my stomach from nerves.

Over these past seven years Mister T and I married, bought our first home and had our daughter Miss L. In ways I feel like I have lived here my entire life. It is the most connected I have felt to a place in my adult life. In other ways I feel like the time has gone by so quickly, especially in these last days when I am holding on to every second, every view, every familiar scent and noise.

Sure I've had those New York moments where the city won and I lost. I've been spit on (randomly by a saliva-spewing midtown worker while I walked by Bryant Park on my way home from work), had a crazed homeless person hit a water bottle above my head for an entire subway ride (I wasn't sure what would happen if I tried to move), narrowly escaped being an innocent victim of a fist brawl that erupted between two men on the 7 train on my way to the US Open, been in a taxi on my way to the airport when it hit another car, and held on desperately to shut a taxi door in the rain when someone else on the street thought they should have the cab and I should get out.

But isn't that what makes us proud to be New Yorkers? We can survive anything. We are hearty and committed to our life here. And along with the struggle comes the huge rewards. The biggest reward for me has been the amazing friends I have come to know here. My friends are what have made my life here so vibrant.

I never imagined I would bond so closely with the mothers I met when Miss L was first born. I remember arriving at my first playgroup in Tribeca when Miss L was just six weeks old and feeling so frantic that I actually was able to get out of the house and up to Tribeca without a catastrophe. And it wasn't until I actually got there that I realized I had to sit in a circle with complete strangers. I felt nervous and a little intimidated. Would they like me? Would they think I was a good mother and a nice person? Would I fit in?

After a few warm smiles and a little conversing I realized that everyone was in the same boat. I started to attend playgroup every week, looking forward to seeing their familiar faces and relating to the newest findings and obstacles to motherhood. Last summer is my fondest memory of my time in New York, spending warm afternoons spread out on blankets with our little babies in Wagner Park.

In less than two years I feel like these mothers are my dearest friends, the same way you would feel about a childhood friend. In a short amount of time, I feel like we have become connected for life. I feel so lucky to have them in my life. Their children mean the world to me.

I'm not so sad about saying goodbye, because I know I will see my friends again. We'll come back to visit, and hopefully we will have a few visitors in San Francisco. What makes me sad is that I am going to miss seeing them often. I like seeing them three or four times a week. I have enjoyed the impromptu get-togethers of living in close proximity. I have been grateful for the support in trying times and with life's challenges. These amazing mothers would drop anything to lend a helpful hand or to simply lend an ear to listen.

I've been so blessed to have Miss L, and the huge bonus is this group of amazing friends. I love dancing like a silly person for music time in Mama LS's playroom, discussing our latest book at book club (even if it is only for a few minutes while chasing our little ones around), being inspired to knit and write and be creative, and knowing that whenever I go out for a walk with Miss L I will see a friend out and have a chat or join them in the park.

When I leave on Friday I will no longer be a New Yorker. And we all know you can't make a claim on this city once you leave. I just hope I will still understand the jokes on 30 Rock and I don't start wearing my workout clothes all day long. I'm sure my mama friends will keep me in check.

How lucky am I to have so many wonderful New York friends to come back and visit!

I know it's hot out there, but I've knit you a nice warm hat

My childhood friend K's birthday is this week and I wanted to knit something for her. I took my original knitting class with her about four years ago on the Upper Westside. I am hoping she will start knitting again now that I have returned to the craft with a renewed passion, thanks to Mama N.

I knew I had to find a quick project that I could knit in a week. I also needed something simple because I have been really distracted with the upcoming move. I found this pattern on Mama N's Ravelry projects. I like that the hat looks detailed, but is simple to knit.

I chose to knit it in a blue teal for a vibrant color to brighten the cold months. Unfortunately I have to give it to my friend K at the start of summer when the last thing you want to think about it is wearing a warm winter hat! Don't they say it is the thought that counts?

One thing I learned while knitting this hat is that it is best to do the ribbing in a slighter smaller needle size so that the hat fits snuggly on your head. I knit the entire hat with #6 needles and should have done the ribbing with #4 or #5. The picture in the pattern looked like such a tight fit that I thought it would be okay using #6 for the ribbing, but it is a little loose at the bottom. I'm still happy with the finished object and enjoyed giving it to my friend K last night to celebrate her birthday!

Squares Skewers Squires in Diner Taste-Off!

Diner Stars Awarded: ****
Regular Restaurant Stars: * and a half

Hope you're hungry, because this second (and final, for now) dispatch in Mama H and Mama V's Diner Adventures is full of tasty food talk.

Squares met Squires, and geometry bested the country gent.

You will see from the photo above that we had to bring Mistress L and Master K along this time. And this was the less-than-promising construction zone site that greeted us. However, having the babies along allowed us to order a blueberry muffin for them to share, and right off the bat Squares delivered. (quick sidebar here - to our dismay, we discovered the real name of the place is "Square Diner" - but we've decided to ignore that inconvenient fact. What's more, the establishment is clearly rectangular in shape.)

Back to that muffin. It was delivered warm, split in two on individual plates, and most importantly for us moms, it came very quickly. Oh, and it was delectable. Chock full of blueberries and moist. We were relieved, because we also had received our milkshakes, and the babies had turned into shake-hogging crazies, so that muffin allowed us a few sips of our own.

Unlike Squires, the Squares shakes came in plastic "glasses" (boo). However, they were a bit tastier. I tasted Mama H's and I must say the vanilla was a bit overwhelming. My chocolate was spot-on.

Our service was pleasant and efficient. The interior of the place is like an adorable '50s diner. The outside, not so much (as you can see). We sat outside because it was a pretty day, and 1950s step-up interiors aren't exactly made for the Stokke and Bugaboo combo. Although this meant we had to order over the sound of a jackhammer, this is the background music for our downtown New York lives!

Our Squires fly returned for a visit as we dug into our blueberry pancakes and egg sandwich. But we forgave the fly, since we were seated in his natural habitat. The pancakes were the highlight of the morning: a generous stack of big, fluffy flappers, festooned with oversize plump blueberries inside and out! We had discovered on the breakfast menu (served only 6-11 am, tsk tsk) that one could procure REAL maple syrup for an extra dollar, and this was the best buck we spent.

Mama H decided we needed a comparator for the french fries we'd had at Squires. It was 9:30 am, so we went for home fries. This was the low point. They were typical, and a tad cold, but the sauteed onion helped a bit with the lack of flavor.

The morning match-up for the Squires grilled cheese was our bacon-egg-and-cheese (you must pronounce this quickly, as a single word) on a roll. When we realized that it was REAL American cheese (with no surcharge) and not that McMuffin mystery cheese from Squires, we were relieved. It was a hit. Mama H declared, "They didn't mess it up."

We rolled our babies home with happy bellies. I only wish we'd been out drinking the night before, to justify all the carb/fat therapy we had. So what did we learn? You both can - and can't! - judge a diner by its cover. Squires was mostly as feared; Squares was an unpolished gem that I will return to again.

I succumbed to the crocs

After berating these ugly things for months I have caved and bought a pair for Master R. We went to the shop today and I let him choose the colour. I was worried he'd select pink but luckily it was the yellow. The sales lady actually asked me 3 times if I was sure I wanted the yellow. But Master R wasn't letting go of the yellow ones. Couldn't even scan them!

I have to justify my purchase - with our garden he is running in and out of the house all day and the other velcro shoes are just too difficult to get on or off. They're also getting ruined on the stone steps. So I took the plunge and paid the £20 (!!!!) for a pair. They do actually look cute on kids. I just don't like the look of them on grown adults.

So Mama V when you come visit I'll be adding another pair of crocs to the list of things to bring. I hope you have an empty suitcase for all the things on my list...

One of the best gifts I've received

I know I'm a bit late to post on this- but better late than never!

I love photos but hate sorting through them all. I try to send out photos to the family and facebook regularly but already haven't developed any for albums since Christmas. My biggest problem is choosing which pictures not to keep. How can I not keep a picture of my baby- especially when he's getting so big so quickly. So I asked (ok begged) Mr. R to create a photo book of Aidan's first year for Mother's Day.

I knew I could never condense it enough for a small group and hated the labor intensive idea of having to label and go through each picture. I did look through the sites and found shutterfly to be the most user friendly, had the most options for layout and nicest backgrounds. Mr. R didn't know what he was in for. He said it took quite a LONG time- but it was really worth it. He decided he wanted me to view it online so I could make any edits or additions. He knows me and my control freak issues so well! In typical Mr. R style, the book had to be ordered by 7 p.m. for delivery for Mother's Day and Mr. R shows it to me at 6 p.m. (though probably for the best w/my current pregnant indecisive state of mind). The book was beautiful- he really did an amazing job. We ordered one for my mom and my MIL- they loved it as well. I highly recommend getting your husband to make you one for your next b-day, holiday, etc. or create one yourself as a gift!

Two delicious adult main courses

I really hope Mr M doesn't get used to this but the past couple of nights I've really outdone myself in the kitchen.

In NYC I was a big FreshDirect.com shopper and here I swear by Ocado.com - very similar as far as quality. What I love most is the recipes section where you can add all the ingredients directly into your shopping bag. Such a time saver! I tend to add a couple every time I shop. Most are just OK but these two were delicious!

Source: Ocado.com

Sunday night was the Beetroot Rosti with Smoked Trout. Normally we're not big fish eaters but I'm really trying to add more to our diets. These seemed like a quick and easy dish for a Sunday night when I don't really feel like cooking. It was really yummy and even Mr M wanted seconds after initially screwing up his nose at the smoked trout. The true test was the next day when Master R picked out all the fish and threw away the rosti. Mr M and I actually discussed it the night before and were 100% certain that he'd eat the rosti and throw the fish. Such a little carnivore.

Source: Ocado.com

Monday night (and leftovers Tuesday - hurrah!) was the Blanquette du Veau. However here in the UK it's really difficult to get veal as people don't think it's PC so I substituted with sirloin. I was running a little behind so I ended up simmering the meat and veg for 1 1/2 hours but I don't think it made much of a difference.

This meal was one of the top 5 I've ever made. I served it with mashed potato and it was truly devine. I just finished my leftovers now and I wish I'd made more. It was well worth the slaving in the kitchen that's required. It would also be a good crockpot/slow cooker recipe (Mama V, I hope you're using mine!). Just throw it all in and set to low and 6 hours later it's done.

Master R also loved it and ate all the veggies and meat! He also watched me peel, steam and mash the potatos continually saying "tato, tato, tato". So sweet!

Tricking kids to eat veggies

Fruit is no problem. Master R devours half a punnet of strawberries on the way home from the supermarket and stands screaming and pointing at the fridge for blueberries. But veggies are another story. He loves meat (really loves meat!), rice, pasta, bread, oats you name it but I do struggle to get him to eat even a cherry tomato. I worry that he's not getting enough vitamins and minerals and constantly think of ways to add veggies to things without him knowing.

For example his favourite meal is penne bolognaise. He scoffs down the mince like he was starving. So last time I made it as well as the onion, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes I normally add I also grated a couple carrots and finely chopped a capsicum/pepper. The carrot was incredible. It just disintegrates down to nothing and you can't taste it. The capsicum/pepper made it a bit sour so I won't add that in the future.

I was thinking of other ideas today when I remembered this old favorite my mother used to make for us kids - corn fritters. We loved them and would smother them in tomato sauce/ketchup and gobble them up. The corn is so nice and sweet that your kiddies will think they're eating sweets. They're rather healthy too if you cook them in just a little oil in a non-stick pan.

Corn Fritters
1 cup unbleached flour (you could also use wholewheat)
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1tsp vegetable oil
1 cup corn kernels (I just cooked some frozen corn)

Mix all ingredients except corn until smooth, add corn. Heat non stick pan with a little oil or butter. Fry in batches.

Yum, yum. I made up a batch this afternoon (shown above) and ate a couple for an afternoon snack.

Now the issue of hiding veggies in your cooking is hotly contested. I discovered this when I nearly bought Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. A few dieticians/nutritionists (can't find the links now) were saying how bad it was to hide vegetables in food because kids don't learn to eat them. Instead you should allow them to see what they're eating and learn to love them. I wonder how many of them were just jealous of Jessica's success? Her book was bound to be a success given who she is! Of course Oprah would endorse it. She's Mrs Jerry Seinfeld afterall.

I can see the point though. If they don't like carrots and don't know they're actually eating them in my bolognaise how will they know they're eating them? So I didn't buy Jessica's book but I think I have my own solution. I'll hide veggies in things half the time and give them to him openly the other half. Eventually he'll learn to love them as much as I do - well that's the plan anyway.

For Mamas Mourning the Loss of The Point

I was gently nudged by Mama N to post on a little piece I found in the Sunday Styles section of this weekend's New York Times mentioning your beloved knitting cafe, The Point. I know many of you ladies love to frequent this place, so in your honor, please enjoy by clicking on the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/fashion/17night.html?emc=eta1

Squires Diner

Zero Stars

You might be wondering why Mama V and I spent a kiddie-free afternoon having lunch together at Squires Diner. And you also might be wondering, where is Squires Diner? Both are very good questions.

First, it all started a couple of months ago at Mama Margarita Night. Mama V was talking about Squares Diner in Tribeca and I thought she was referring to Squires Diner near the Seaport. It took a little longer than usual, thanks to a couple of glasses of wine, to realize we were talking about two different, but very similarly sketchy, diners in our surrounding neighborhood. As we walked home that night and passed by Squares Diner we decided that we would have lunch at both places and write a formal review a la Frank Bruni.

Second, I should be a little more up front about where Squires Diner is located since that is the first place we decided to grace with our presence, and notebook. While it is near the Seaport, it is located in the middle of a project (or "PJ" for those of you in the book club who read Lush Life recently). Actually I can't quite pinpoint if it is a project or an elderly tenement. Most residents look like they were born before the first Great American Depression.

So last Friday afternoon Mama V and I left the kiddies at home and headed to Squires.

We were pleased by two things when we walked through the door. Breakfast is served all-day and it was bustling inside. In fact, we were surprised by the mix of clientele. Sure, there were quite a few blue hairs in the crowd, but there were a few tables of office workers (from Fulton Street, not Wall Street). We sat down at a booth that we found ourselves, opened the plastic menu and swatted the fly out of our face.

We debated a lot about what we should order at both diners for comparison purposes. The original plan was to have bacon cheeseburgers, but after we mentioned the diners to Mama A and saw the horrified look on her face (as well as another mama friend who mentioned at least we wouldn't die from eating there) we started to chicken out a little bit. I should mention that I was the first to chicken out, not Mama V.

We decided that we would have a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato and a stack of blueberry pancakes along with milkshakes. We were going to split a milkshake but I'm a vanilla girl and Mama V is a chocolate girl so we each ordered our own. I thought of Mama N and Mama V when I had my milkshake because I know how much they liked to get milkshakes together last summer.

I'll start with the pleasant surprises first. The pancakes actually had real blueberries rather than blueberry syrup or compote so that was a good sign. And the grilled cheese had more tomato and bacon than cheese (and the accompanying pickles were classic and crisp). The milkshakes were pretty good given that we knew they weren't using premium ice cream made with real vanilla bean and artisanal chocolate.

Unfortunately, I think that is where the bright spots end. The pancakes were the worst. They were tough and chewy. You needed a knife to cut pieces, which required a lot of sawing back and forth. We even think the blueberries were scared of the pancake mix because they were all clustered in the middle of the pancakes as if huddling in mass would help. The maple syrup was fake, which Mama V pointed out was obvious as she watched it pour onto the pancakes. The fries that came with the grilled cheese were dry and tasteless. Even the corn-syrup ridden ketchup couldn't save them.

The most perplexing detail was the cheese used in the grilled cheese. We expected it would be American and it looked to be what they used, but once we bit into it we realized it was the exact taste of Egg McMuffin cheese. Let me make a side comment here that I have not had an Egg McMuffin in my adulthood, but for some reason that highly processed cheese taste from my childhood could not escape me. So back to the Squires grilled cheese. We are stumped for what kind of cheese it was. I have thought about it all weekend, and now I am wondering, did we actually eat Velveeta?! I've never tried it, but then again, as of Friday afternoon, maybe I have!

Our waitress was quite surprised when we asked for the check. Maybe it was the remaining stack of pancakes still sitting on the plate. We payed up front in the traditional diner routine and bid Squires a final farewell.

Mama V and I think Squares Diner is going to fare much better than Squires. Stay tuned to find out...

Men must be born with the competitive gene

Today was Master R's first sports day at nursery. I was told during the nursery tour that the parent race is a bit of a highlight so I'd prewarned Mr M. We were a little late to the sports day as I had an osteopath appointment (my poor back is so sore!). But we arrived just in time for the legendary parent/toddler race.

Mr M was a bit late lining up as Master R didn't want to part with his juice. So the front line were already in formation ready for the "go!". So Mr M didn't even wait for the go and sprinted on the "set" as did the rest of the pack. At the first bend there were three clear leaders (see first picture). There was jostling, pushing into shrubs and even tripping! One father was too intimidated by Mr M’s size and backed off leaving two leaders. Mr M was leading until the other father cut the corner (see second picture). Then Mr M pushed for the finish line and eventually won.

As you’ll note in picture 2 Mr M had very little regard for the wellbeing of Master R and my poor little baby was being thrown around while Mr M, fueled by masculine aggression, fulfilled his ambitions of a 1st place. Mr M was genuinely surprised at the end that Master R was not as thrilled as he was. It was all I could do to stop Mr M doing a Ricky Gervais “The Office” style victory lap singing “We are the champions… no time for loosers…”.

Needless to say Master R only wanted mummy for a couple of hours after that race and was not interested in any kind of celebrations. I meanwhile was mortified and am not sure that I can take Master R to that nursery anymore. Think I’ll have to go on the waiting list for another.

Finished object: self-fringing summer scarf

I knit this self-fringing scarf yesterday. It is a quick knit, about 3 to 4 hours in total. My mother gave me the pattern (she loves these scarves and is on her sixth I think). I thought it would be a nice parting gift for my housekeeper M whose last day with us was today.

It really can be worn as a scarf or a shawl. I learned quickly that you need big needles (US 13 or 15) and very thin yarn to get the right look. I made three attempts, as Mama J knows too well, and finally mastered it on the fourth attempt. I am glad I was persistent because I was happy with how it came out and our housekeeper M loved it.

It was so hard to say goodbye to our housekeeper M today. She has been taking care of our home for over seven years through our various moves and major life events (our wedding and Miss L's birth and first year). She brought me a gorgeous bouquet of heather and lilies today along with heartfelt cards and a teddy bear for Miss L. I think Miss L sensed something was happening because she followed our housekeeper M around the entire morning holding her new teddy bear tightly in her arms.

What I find really touching is how a bond can grow so deeply between two people even if they don't speak the same language. Our housekeeper M only understands a few words in English, yet we find a way to talk with one another and share stories, and often photos.

It's a good thing I don't wear makeup or my face would have mascara running down it right now.

Photo shoot from hell

I'm one of those people who hate getting gift cards or gift certificates as a present. While some people treat them as free money, excited to go out and spend, I find them to be a complete hassle. They are usually for a store I normally don't shop in and if I do, I'll forget to bring them. Some even expire before I get to use them. Don't even get me started on merchandise credits. Currently, I have a large stack of them from everything from department stores, Crate and Barrel, The Children's Place, and probably about $300 left to Babies R Us.

Last May, I received a $100 gift certificate for a portrait sitting at Kiddie Kandids at BRU as a gift and cringed when I received it. This was a gift I knew the friend would ask if I used and how can you lie about having photos done. I have never been interested in going to the department stores to get photos done. I am not one of those mamas who felt that every 3 months Master A needed to be commemorated at one of these studios, or get photos done for every holiday. When Master A was a month old, we had a photographer come to our home to do the shoot. It was scheduled at a good time for him, was done in an hour, and we didn't have to travel. It may have cost a bit more, but the quality and lack of aggravation was worth every penny.

So, of course, I waited until the gift certificate was going to expire this week to take Master A up to the photo studio in Union Square. I scheduled these photos at least three other times but chickened out from going for many excuses (mainly just that I didn't want to deal with it). Unfortunately, it only left mother's day to go and it was as terrible as I thought.

Master A of course decided to delay his nap by two hours on this day so we pushed the appointment back. However, this made the appointment 4:15 pm, which can also be Master A's witching hour. He was already cranky traveling and we had to wait about a half an hour to be called for the photos (though there was no one in the studio). I learned that 15 months is not a good age to do photos. Personally, I would go on hiatus once they start crawling, until they are a few years old and want to pose for pictures. I told the photographer (basically a young kid) that I wanted no silly "spring backgrounds" and no "props". Just simple "contemporary" pictures. Master A had other plans. He would only sit with 7 items on his lap. We had balls, cars, you name it, just to keep him from screaming and trying to climb down. Every two minutes, the photographer had to run away to do something else. We were there OVER 2 HOURS. The pictures really weren't great and by the time it came to choosing the pictures, I couldn't have cared less. Mr R was ready to walk out after five minutes. When I got home, I realized that the photos were just on a sheet, not even cut into the sizes. I now have to go out and buy a paper cutter to cut them.

This "gift" was such a major hassle and not the way I would have liked to have spent Mother's Day. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I give credit to the mamas who do this regularly. You couldn't pay me to do it again. We bought an SLR camera about six months ago and take lots of pictures ourselves and for baby #2, I will probably do another photo shoot at home. How do these places stay in business? I know this all sounds so snotty and ungrateful but a gift shouldn't be work.

Excercise on Demand

Happy Mother's Day mamas! So, its been a while since you've seen Mama L posting, but I've been thinking of you, and admit that I just haven't been able to focus, and find the energy lately with some other things happening in our lives. I hope you all enjoyed your day. I felt so lucky to spend some time with my own lovely mom, and family today.

Speaking of time and engergy mamas, I have 3 little incredible words for you that have me fired up. Excercise on Demand! Yes, it's true! Who knew that finding the time and range of excerise options could be so easily available? You see, after the birth of Master L, I became an obsessive fan of Kula Yoga, and found myself treking to the studio several times a week. But, after more than a year of intense dedication, I confided to Mama H that I was starting to burn out from my Kula practice. Then, to my horror, I had let week after week slip by on what was intended as a little break. Before I knew it, it had been almost 3 months since I attended. Though I substituted my fitness regime with other (somewhat fulfilling routines), I started to really miss my practice. As Mama H knows, once you miss a few weeks at Kula it becomes way too scary to go back. I would never be able to keep up. So, desperate for a quick yoga fix the other night, I decided to cruise through our hundreds of unwatched cable channels with the hope of finding some kind of yoga infomecial I could, at the very least, follow along to. Ready to give up, I stumbled on channel 1025. Yoga (all levels), pilates, cardio sculpt, aerobics, sexy beach bod, post baby bod, hollywoood bod, YOU NAME IT, its offered!! Mamas, I tell you its been a yogathon weekend! While its not my beloved Kula studio, at least I'll be able to keep up once I can set foot back there again. If you're in the big apple, Time Warner has most likely hooked you up too!

After this amazing discovery, I couldn't anticpate more for a weekend, but it was also Mister M and my 5 year wedding anniversary. I hope to share more on this in another post. Now, I am heading to the coach to recuperate from it all.

I dedicate this to all the Wagner Park mamas

Source: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend I want to share a few of my favorite passages from The Light at the End of the Diaper Pail by Geralyn Broder Murray, who happens to be a mother in my hometown of Sacramento, California and who is the neighbor of a very close family friend. I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this book for all new mothers you know. It provides little quips of new motherhood that are touching, funny and insightful. On a side note, this would be a much better choice celebrating motherhood than Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman which was reviewed in this weekend's edition of the New York Times Book Review.

Every day I am inspired and amazed by my mama friends whom I met here in Lower Manhattan when Miss L was just weeks old. These mamas can take on anything (remember the crazy woman in Wagner Park last summer?) and nurture their families and friends with tremendous dedication and thoughtfulness. I will be thinking of them this Mother's Day. When I think of a definition of "good mother" they all come to mind.

Many of us mamas can really beat ourselves up for not being a perfect mother, but really, a perfect mother just doesn't exist. Motherhood is dynamic, challenging and undeniably rewarding.

With this in mind here are a few of Geralyn's insights.

#41 "You are in training. No one expects you to be perfect. There will be no one voting at home on your performance. You are not going to get kicked off the island. You're coming back next week. And the next. Every day, you are learning more and more about this little person of yours. Some days will be hard. Other days will be pretty great. One minute you will have mastered feeding the baby and working the remote simultaneously, and the next you will find yourself slumped over the Diaper Champ in defeat. You will make mistakes. You will have successes. This is excellent preparation for parenthood."

#109 "Love her. Love her. Love her. There are things you will fail at as a mother. Times when you don't have the right answer. Days when you don't want to read another story, play another game or explain one more thing. There are all sorts of ways you will come up short and will disappoint you both. But if you love her truly, madly, deeply, with all of your heart, and you show it, then the most important part of the job has been done."

Motherhood has given me a profound appreciation for my own mother and the sacrifices she made for me. I loved this one from Gerlayn, and Mama J will enjoy one part in particular.

#67 "Call in the grandmas. They may give you unsolicited advice. They may try to dress the baby for winter in the middle of July. They may do every single thing differently than you, but when push comes to shove, they are going to love that baby fiercely. And babies need that kind of fanship. And so do you. So, make your boundaries and move forward into the next phase of this mother/daughter/mother-in-law/daughter-in-law thing together."

And most importantly,

#150 "You are someone's mother. Someone's world. Someone's everything. Isn't that something?"

Is it a boy or a girl? The odds of each gender

Source: Knockedupcelebs.com

Sometime in February before I left NYC I remember walking along the Hudson with Mamas A and V (all of us boy mamas). We somehow got on the subject of what sex we had hoped our first baby would be and what our husbands had hoped for. I can't remember the specifics but something Mama A mentioned that she'd read something that said that the odds of your second child being the same sex as the first child are actually higher - so you're more likely to have a boy for number two if your number one is a boy and same for girls.

If you look around at our group alone Mama LS (welcome our newest blogger!) has recently had her second boy, another friend V is having her second boy any day now and our own Mama J is expecting her second boy in September. All my friends here in London are having two boys! I'm not making this up. All of them! Strange...

We've decided not to find out the sex of our baby. Mr M wants another boy because he "won't know what to do with a girl". He thinks this baby is a girl. I'm fine either way. A little boy would be a nice playmate for Master R as there's only 18mths between them. But a little girl is just beautiful. All the wonderful little dresses I could knit/crochet/sew for her! The ribbons in her hair and the pretty mummy and me outfits - ok, that's a bit crazy... Now I'm thinking maybe we should have found out? The wait is killing me...

So after pondering the odds I stumbled upon this fantastic research by InGender: The straight truth about gender selection. The numbers are all a little off because of the fact that of all births in the US 51% are boys anyway. So this needs to be taken into account when you look at subsequent births.

You'll need to look at the site to get the full gist of the stats. But interestingly the odds of having a girl seem decrease after having each boy, but only very slightly. Even after 3 boys, you are only 6.4% more likely to have a 4th boy than a girl. The odds of having a boy seem to increase after having girls, except after 2 girls, when a 3rd girl is more likely.

"The bottom line: Although we often hear the "statistic" that you are 30% or even 70% more likely to keep having the same gender, this is just an old wives tale. It is NOT a fact. The truth is, your odds stay pretty close to 50% for each child and only vary slightly. If you have had 2 or 3 boys, you are only about 2% to 6% more likely to have another boy. If you have had girls, you are slightly more likely to have a boy next."

Hmm so there's a 2-6% chance I'm having another boy. Mama J do you still think I'm having a boy?

Design on a dime

Mister T, Miss L and I were walking on 18th Street this morning heading to ABC Carpet & Home when we stumbled upon Housing Works Design on a Dime Public Sale.

We entered the Metropolitan Pavilion and walked through a maze of rooms, each styled by a different designer. The showroom is stocked with beautiful furniture, both vintage and modern, as well as artwork and linens.

We found a complete bed linen set, four dining room chairs, a canvas and a bedroom chair.

There are a few more pieces we are mulling over. We have our eyes on a vintage French children's bed for Miss L (not the one pictured above, but one in antique white with lovely carved details). We are headed back tomorrow for the last day.

Yes, this is just a two-day event. There will be further discounts tomorrow, which is hard to imagine given the incredible discounts we found today! Mister T and I were like children in a candy store ripping off the tags to claim our pieces before someone else grabbed them! It was an absolutely wonderful New York shopping experience.

The bonus is that the proceeds go to a wonderful charity. Housing Works is a grassroots AIDS service organization providing much-needed, life-saving services to homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS.

Home (check), playground (check), yarn store (check)

Mister T, Miss L and I had a successful trip to San Francisco to find a home. After six appointments on the first day I was not feeling very excited about any of the places we looked at, just okay. We had only two appointments the next day and when one of them was canceled by the broker I really started to lose hope. We went to the sole appointment that day with absolutely no expectations and as soon as we walked through the door we were blown away. We signed the lease that day. We had found a home that we would love to live in.

Our new home is in Presidio Heights. It is a full-floor flat in a 100-year old home with beautifully restored original Edwardian details. While we won't have a yard or outdoor space we just couldn't pass up the interior space, which is double the size of our current apartment in New York. It will be a home we can grow into. Some of the fun features of our new space is a jack-and-jill bathroom between two of the bedrooms, a working fireplace in the foyer and views of the Golden Gate from the dining room and master bedroom. It doesn't have a built-in ironing board, but I decided to let that pass. I can use Mama N's ironing board that she gave me.

There is a playground a few blocks away in a neighborhood park that borders the Presidio. And I found a lovely yarn store, Atelier, that is about a ten-minute walk. They have gorgeous yarns and offer a number of classes. The bins of yarn contain labels to tell you the needle size and other details, which I thought was a really nice touch.

Now that I have a place to move, something tangible, I am getting excited for life in San Francisco. I just wish all of my mama friends could come with me! It is going to be so hard to say goodbye. It makes my heart feel heavy.

Book review: Lowboy by John Wray

Source: Amazon

Normally if I read a book review I don't read the book. They tend to spoil the plot for me. I prefer to start a book with only a vague idea of what the book is about. Lowboy was different. I read the review in the New Yorker and was intrigued. The after reading the NYMag's review I knew I had to read it.

I can't really add much to the fabulous reviews out there but to say that there is a subtle twist towards the end that it brilliant. The book is simply written and gripping. Apparently Wray wrote the whole book on the subway! I was a touch confused about the ending and had to reread the last couple of pages a few times but after reading this review I now understand.

Highly recommend it for your next book club - it's an easy page turner!