Hurricane Irene (and other news)

It's been a big weekend here in NYC.  Hurricane Irene made an unwelcome visit, prompting us to clear and stow every last bit of our rooftop "garden," batten down the hatches and stock up on essentials in preparation for her arrival (including bottled water, flashlights, and... diapers).

But perhaps the most exciting event of the weekend was Lulu's first ever pee pee in the big girl potty.  (And yes, we ARE crazy enough in this house to think this warrants a post.)  Maybe she was inspired by the hours of rain, rain, and more rain Irene brought.  But whatever the reason we're proud of this milestone (and looking forward to the increase in disposable income that will result from no longer needing disposable diapers).

Go Lulu!

The Ninth Inning

My baby turned nine last week.  NINE!  Next year we'll be in the double digits.  But for now we'll enjoy this ninth inning with our little league Yankee who celebrated his birthday with a bike ride and SURPRISE a new bike!

We rode down to the Yankee store at the South Street Seaport where he got a "real" NY Yankees baseball cap ("no adjustable strap on the back Mom!") and a jersey with his fave player Derek Jeter's number on the back.

Then we celebrated with a special shrimp and steak dinner requested by the birthday boy and prepared by Greggie which was, of course, fabulous!  We actually put the cart before the horse so to speak and had cake before dinner so that Lulu could partake in the festivities.

It took our birthday boy some time to ponder his wish but we're confident it was a good one and that all this kid's dreams will come true.

In fact, one dream already did come true.  The day after his birthday mom and dad took the day off of work and took him and his best bud Henry to Dorney Park, an amusement park in Pennsylvania with amazing rides!  It was a great day and will be a fantastic memory for the kid we're all so very, very proud of.

Happy Ninth Cavan Shane!

Fashion Visionary or Fashion Victim?

I'm on the fence.  But you gotta give the girl credit for one thing: she's creative.  Not many people would have the guts to pair a swimsuit with their brother's boxers and a winter hat. You go girl!

Cavan and His Mates

Sure three of these guys are in an amazing band that sells out upwards of 10,000 seats per venue and another is a branding/graphic design prodigy...but did that stop these cool kids from indulging an almost-nine-year-old in a friendly game of Scrabble on a Friday night?  Heck no!  And that's just one (of the many) reasons why we love these guys. 

Danilo, Andrew, Cavan, Jack and Nate

Fawn-Doe-Rosa

No, I'm not grossly misspelling Ponderosa.  I'm talking about an amazing sanctuary in Wisconsin that Grandpa Wright took us to during our summer visit.  It is home to all manner of amazing creatures including deer, goats, bunnies, elk, porcupines, miniature horses, llamas, bears, pigs, chickens, and, I'm told...wolves.

Cavan + Friends

Many of these animals have been injured and given a safe place to live and interact with animals and humans in a safe, clean and nurturing environment.   Upon entering, guests are given a bag of feed including dry food, carrots and corn (well, ok, the food DOES cost $1.50...but still...think of the animals!). Once in the sanctuary you freely interact with amazingly sweet deer, super snuggly goats and cows that, oddly, remind you of your dog back home (Peanut, I'm talking about you!).

What's not to smile about?  Food without fear of shotguns!

Cavan and I agreed that if there was one thing we could smuggle back on the flight back to the Big Apple it would definitely be this miniature goat.  We think he'd fit right in here!  Picture our morning walks: Shiba Inu, Brooklyn pit bull/boxer mutt, and....mini goat!  Only in New York folks!

Future East Village resident?

Is farming in his future?  Cavan is, after descended from farmers!  He may be born and bred in NYC but don't discount this kid's love of nature! 

Farmer Cavan

All in all it was a great day.  It's hard to say who enjoyed Fawn-Doe-Rose more, Mommy or Cavan.  But none of us regretted the layer of deer/goat/cow/llama saliva we had to scrub off of our hands and we have great memories of amazing close encounters with our furry Fawn-Doe-Rosa friends.

Cavan and Grandpa call it a day.

xx

Fishing 101: Lessons from Grandpa

Mommy and Cavan took a trip to Minnesota this summer to visit Grandpa Wright on beautiful Forest Lake.  Cavan got a crash course in fishing and (beginner's luck!) caught 17 fish in one day!  As it turns out it was lucky day for the fish too (all were thrown back, though at least 2 would've been good for dinner!).

Grandpa Wright + Cavan

Cavan soon learned that Grandpa has more than one trick up his sleeve when it comes to catching fish.  

Grandpa shared wisdom and tips on everything from casting and baiting, to reeling and trouble shooting when your line gets "all gnarled up." Watch.  Listen.  Learn.  

And voila!  Catch fish!!!  A good visit with Grandpa Wright and a great lesson in the art of fishing.

BBFFAA

For those of you who didn't come of age in the 80's that means "best best friends forever and always."

Cavan + Henry.  Long Island, Summer 2011.

Cousin Convention: Summer 2011!

If you're anything like me, you're wondering why my husband somehow forgot his shirt.  But let me explain....it was a beautiful summer weekend and we were at Auntie Lanie's dad's house meeting Baby Ellie for the first time.  We'd just walked in from a very enjoyable day by the pool and when you're lucky enough to have two beautiful girls sitting still at the same time you just smile for the camera no matter your attire!

Lulu, Uncle Greg and Baby Ellie

Ellie was charming, good natured, beautiful and sweet but when it was time to wind down only Mama knew just what to do.  

Mama + Ellie

And then, that evening we realized too late we hadn't gotten a shot of the cousins together.  Poor Ellie!  She was a trooper but decidedly non-plussed with the photo op.

Ellie, Cavan and Lulu

We look forward to watching these kids grow.  The mischief we imagine they'll get into together...not so much.

xx

The McHale's