The very sense of irony

Once a year Jeff and I will take the day off from work and spend the day together while the kids are at school.  It's awesome to feel like we are playing hooky and enjoy going out when the rest of the world is busy at school or work.   If you haven't done this with your significant other, I highly recommend it!

This past Monday was our day date.  We made plans to go to the movies and see "The Long Shot".  It's a funny movie and the perfect choice for Jeff and me.  I am truly a middle school boy at heart and really appreciate Seth Rogen's sense of humor.  It's not for everyone, but I don't get easily offended and laughed through the whole thing.  Jeff did too so it's good I've got a partner in crime.

Imagine our surprise as we take our seats and watch the 11:00am show fill up with moms and babies.  Lots of moms and babies!!  Jeff and I managed to stumble upon the baby friendly showing at the movie theatre.  I am all too familiar with this special kind of showing.  I used to take Ian and Sam to the movies all the time when they were infants at a different nearby theatre.  It's pretty awesome and a great way to get out of the house and still watch the latest movies.  The theatre does not turn the lights all the way down, there are strollers everywhere when you walk right in, and more moms than you can count feeding their babies and getting them to fall asleep during the movie.  I do think they even shorten the amount of time of previews before the film starts.  Normally, the standard has been 20 minutes worth and this showing had about 10 minutes.

I remember one showing I was at (years and years ago) when they stopped the film temporarily and the manager made an announcement that the local public schools have called for a Winter weather advisory and they are letting school out early due to the impending storm.  The manager wanted us to know in case anyone had school-age children they needed to go get.  It is really awesome how accommodating they are for this particular demographic, who I'm sure at some point never thought they'd be in a movie theatre again after just having had a baby.

Anyway, I digress.  Jeff and I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of all this.  We intentionally went out while our kids were at school and here we are surrounded by at least 30 moms and their infants.  For the most part, they were all good.  The few that couldn't settle down left and came back once they were quiet.

But the best thing about being surrounded by these babies?  They weren't ours and we could leave the movie theatre and go back to having our 2 kids who are in 5th and 8th grade.  I think Jeff agrees with me that we are so happy to be beyond the baby stage.  :)

A magical mother's day

This Mother's Day was pretty amazing.  Jeff made me a breakfast that blew me away.  He made cinnamon roll pancakes and OMG!, they were out this world. I took a bite and looked at him and said, I’ve known you for 16 years and you’ve been capable of making this, this whole time!?!  I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me. I was in food heaven and clearly proclaimed these pancakes are better than the ones we get at Miss Shirley’s and Uncle Bill’s; two restaurants that for me has set the bar very high for gluten-free pancakes. But yes, these pancakes were better than those.

I’ve been trying to follow the WW plan and put the ingredients in the app after I ate them. 47 points are what I consumed.  To put this in context, I get 23 points a day.  Yikes!   I will say, they were worth every point and I have no regrets.  While the kids were at religious school, I hopped on the treadmill and walked 6.5 miles, burning 650 calories.  Definitely made me feel better after doing what I could to counter that delicious ridiculousness of a point heavy breakfast.

The kids this year put a lot of thought into the gifts they got me.  Ian got me a selection of the softest, fluffiest socks.  It’s like wrapping my feet in little cocoons of pillows.

Samantha went all out and got me 2 hats. She picked out and paid for with her own money. Think very big and fancy.  You know those crazy beautiful hats that they showed the women wearing at Kate Middleton’s wedding.  Yep, we are talking that style.  Jeff tried to talk her down from it and said mom will only be able to wear it once or twice a year.  Say what?!!?   I am bewildered where Jeff thinks I go and can wear this hat even ONCE!, let alone once or twice a year!!  Are you up for the Kentucky Derby next year?   I am ready!!  It was very sweet of her to do this.  And I am going to do my best to come up with a reason to wear it.  Do you know of any fancy garden weddings I can crash?

This is the other hat and one that fortunately is appropriate for the beach. 

Sam also made her own card and reading it brought tears to my eyes.

We ended the day meeting Jeff’s parents and sister and her family at a restaurant for dinner.  It’s always nice when we can get together.  And we were able to not only celebrate Mother’s Day, but Elaine’s birthday too, which was the day before.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and two kids.  The thought, effort and time that went into making my mother’s day special were lovely and very touching.

Well, that's one way to learn about it.

One of the funniest conversations we've had as a family took place the day after we got back from NYC.  We were driving home from Baltimore, after having a wonderful Passover Sedar at Jeff's parent's house and was listening to the soundtrack to "The Prom", the Broadway musical we had seen 2 days earlier, on the car ride home.  There were so many funny lines in the show that you miss them from laughing at the line before it.  By playing the soundtrack in the car, we could truly hear all the lyrics to the songs and laugh all over again.  We were all enjoying this and having a good time on the 1 hr, 20 minute drive home.

Just a bit of background before I tell the conversation we had in the car.  11 years ago, when Samantha was born, Jeff started calling her his 'little baby girl'.  At some point, he just shortened this term of affection to LBG.  11 years later and he still uses these initials from time to time to refer to Sam.

The Broadway musical "The Prom" is about a high school girl in Indiana, who is a lesbian and wants to bring another girl to the prom as her date.  The school won't allow this to happen and decides to cancel the prom and quickly Emma becomes an outcast.  Meanwhile, there are 4 aging Broadway stars who get wind of this news and decide it will help their career if they help this girl and make the news with their altruistic efforts.

Ok, now on to the conversation in the car on the ride home from Baltimore:

As we are listening to the music, there are certain lines that Sam hears and asks us what they mean.

Music:  "...stealing the rights of a girl who is an LGBQ-Teen"
Sam:  What does LGBQ mean?
Jeff/Me:  L is for lesbian, G is for gay, B is for bisexual, and Q is for queer.
Sam: So when you call me your LBG....?
OH MY GOSH!!  Jeff had no idea 11 years ago those letters he was using was going to have any other kind of meaning.   We all got a good laugh and unpaused the music to keep listening.

Music:  "...but if it comes to be, you've lost your virginity..."
Sam:  What does virginity mean?
At this point, Jeff is dying and ready for this car ride to be over.
Jeff/Me:  You know what sex is?
Sam:  Yes, sadly I do.
Jeff/Me:  Being a virgin means you haven't had sex yet.
Sam:  So I am a virgin?
Jeff:  Yes, and you will be until I'm dead.

Music:  "....Let's hope you don't masturbate, 'cause the scripture says we'll have to cut off your hands..."
Jeff and I are holding our breath when this line comes and goes.  We successfully make it 2 lines past this one in the song and give a sigh of relief.  Looks like we made it thru and Sam didn't pick up on this word and ask what it is.  I even do the motion of wiping the sweat off my brow as a gesture we are safe.  Meanwhile, Ian is giggling because he knows exactly what is going on.
Sam:  What does masturbate mean?
OMG!  We all thought we were safe and out of the woods on this one.
Jeff:  I'm getting out of the car, you don't even need to stop.  I'll just jump out here.
Me:  I'll tell you Sam what masturbate means.  (And I do what I think is an awesome job of explaining it.  Fortunately, Sam doesn't ask any follow-up questions.)

Jeff:  We have just used Broadway musicals to explain Sex Ed to Sam.  This is not normal.

Ian and I are laughing hysterically.  In all the years we've been doing the drive to and from Jeff's parent's house, this has to be our most memorable yet.

New York State of Mind

Spring break is that wonderful time of the school year when you are very ready for a break and just want to bust out of town and do something.  Do something fun, do something very different than going to school, and do something that will make you happy to have a few days off and can face the rest of the school year with a renewed sense of energy.

This Spring Break we went to NYC as a family.  Ian, Samantha, and I love NYC.  Jeff had vacation time he needed to use or lose, and while he doesn't love NYC, he does love us and together we designed a few days that would appeal to everyone.

WEDNESDAY:
Took the train into the city early in the morning.  We went to a restaurant for lunch called "The Melt" and it specialized in all kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches.  They even had gluten free bread and I was able to order like a normal person. ;)   So cheesy yummy!

The M&M store is where we ended up next.  Oy!  This place is nuts and is 3 floors of everything M&M candy, merchandise and whatever else they can think of to sell you.

"The Prom":  All four of us went to the matinee show.  We weren't entirely sure what to expect as this show is brand new and I knew only one other person who had seen it.  And that person was my friend Adam who has seen everything.  Really.  He averages 255 shows a year.  He's seen "Hamilton" with the original cast 8 times!!  He saw their 5th ever show when it was first off-Broadway.  Yes, he's seen it all.   Adam said we would like it.  He was right, Team Toppall enjoyed the show very much.  It's hilarious and the music is awesome. We downloaded the soundtrack right away and have been singing along ever since.  "The Prom" got nominated for 7 Tony's and we got to see 3 of the nominated leads in action.  That's always a very cool thing.

We had a bit of downtime after seeing "The Prom" and went back to the hotel to chill.

Dinner was at our favorite Italian restaurant, Trattoria Trecolori.  We discovered this place a few years ago and it's our number 1 choice for going to dinner when seeing a Broadway show.  By New York standards, it's reasonably priced, awesome food and the service is excellent.  It's a sure-fire winner.  As long as you have a reservation, you will get in and out as fast as needed.  And the place is ALWAYS packed.

After dinner, we split up and Jeff/Sam went to see "Wicked" and Ian/me went to see "Be More Chill".  We wanted Sam to see a show we know she would love.  And what girl does not love Wicked?  Jeff hadn't seen it before and was happy to take her.  Both of them enjoyed the show and it was a solid choice.  I had heard about this new show called "Be More Chill", again from my friend Adam.  Ian and I had been listening to the soundtrack since November and couldn't wait to see the show.  It wasn't appropriate for anyone under the age of 12, but in reality "The Prom" was edgier and more of an education than "Be More Chill" will ever be.   Ian and I liked the show very much, but we agree we liked "The Prom" even more.

Ian and I's show started an hour later than Jeff/Sam's.  So what else is there to do but go get a slice of cheesecake from Juniors.  Yum!


THURSDAY:
Jeff was able to meet a friend from college for breakfast, while the kids and I slept in for an extra hour.

10:00am: We had tickets to National Geographic Encounter.  This place was a re-creation of what it was like to be in the Pacific Ocean.  It was cool and educational and so well done.  This was a great way to spend a couple of hours in the morning.

Lunch became somewhat of a mess.  The Mexican restaurant I had scoped out earlier was not at all a place we'd want to go to.  We ended up eating at a food court in Grand Central Station.  It was the best option at the time.  We were all tired of walking, hungry, and starting to melt down.  Every restaurant we passed by the time we got to this food court, for some reason or another, each one of us vetoed.  It wasn't a pretty sight by the time we finally descended on this food court, but it did the trick.  We got our 2nd wind and was ready to tackle our next destination.

AKC, Museum of the Dog was next up.  They had just moved this museum from St. Louis to a new location in NY.  Every one of us loves dogs and was up the adventure to check out the museum.  However, it was so disappointing.  Beyond disappointing.  One of the cool things we had read about was that the museum had a machine that will match what breed of dog comes closest to what you look like.  However, every time we did it, it came up with a different match.  The rest of the museum was not much better than that.  I think there is the potential to do a lot with this idea of having a dog museum, but it certainly fell short.

At this point in our day, the kids and I were up for continuing on and Jeff was ready to head back to the hotel and rest.  We walked to Dylan's Candy Bar and was pleased once again with our day in the city.  This place is a feast for the eyes and taste buds.  With a bounce in our step and bags of candy in our hands, we walked back towards the hotel.  However, on the way, we stopped at the M&M store AGAIN and bought Sam a t-shirt she had seen and wanted.  We had told the kids they could each get one t-shirt and Sam had seen this one the day before, but we thought it was a good idea for her to wait a day and see if she still really wanted it.  While we were there, Ian picked out a t-shirt he wanted too.  We made it back to the hotel and had about an hour before our itinerary picked up speed again.

This evening we split up and I had Samantha with me and Jeff had Ian with him.  Jeff and Ian have a bucket list of visiting various baseball stadiums and the Yankees were high on their list.  They went to an evening game and saw the Yankees play the Padres.  It was fantastic spring weather and they very much enjoyed watching the game. And as a bonus, they took the subway to and from Yankees Stadium.

Samantha and I had a very different idea of how to spend the evening.  Most of it was spent standing in line at Ellen's Stardust Diner.  It took us 1 hr, 50 minutes to make our way indoors.  I was determined that we'd spend just as much time inside as we did waiting outside to get in.  Samantha and I love Ellen's Stardust Diner, but Jeff does not, so it was the best way to visit without subjecting Jeff to it.


FRIDAY:
We started the day at NBC for the NBC Studios Tour.  We were all delighted at how great this tour was.  We saw the sets of Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Show, and Seth Meyers, plus got an understanding of how the editing works with visuals, sound, and cameras.  The tour ended with our group doing a pseudo talk show with all of us participating in the production.  Sam was the guest, Ian and I were in the band, and Jeff was part of the studio audience.  So much fun!

After the studio tour, we walked to Serendipity for lunch and their awesome desserts.  At this point, it was time to grab our luggage at the hotel and make our way to Penn Station.  Of course, we had to make one more stop at the M&M store.  Ian decided he'd rather have a t-shirt from the NBC store than the shirt he got at the M&M store.  So, we went back to return the shirt we got from the day before.  Yes, so that makes 3 trips to the M&M store in 3 days.  And let me tell you, this store was a zoo at each and every visit.  You'd think no one saw M&M's before.

The train ride was uneventful (which is the way it should be) and we made it back home by 7:30pm in the evening.

We had 3 very long, fun-filled days.  We walked everywhere and didn't take one cab around town.  We averaged 20,000 steps a day and accomplished all we set out to do.  Another trip to NYC in the books.

OUR NBC STUDIOS TOUR VIDEO:

Jeff and Ian at Yankees Stadium

The Prom

Be More Chill

Wicked

National Geographic Encounter

Sam and I waiting in line at Ellen's Stardust Diner

Serendipity's Frozen Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Yes, we are surprised big-time!

Sam announced the other day that she would like to play softball.  What!?!?  Mind you, she has never shown any interest in a team sport before. Like ever!  Sam loves horseback riding and we are all for her doing that weekly.  But when your daughter, who normally used to have major social anxiety about being with kids she didn't know and would rather go unnoticed, says she is interested in playing softball, then you find a softball team STAT!  And you can tell this is something she really wants to do, when not once has she asked if any friends could join her or speak nervously about not knowing anyone.

Done!  Sam is now signed up to play softball.  She has joined a local league and fortunately, it is geared towards girls who are still learning the fundamentals of the game.  Her practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays each week from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.  We dodged a big bullet by avoiding a practice day on Tuesday when religious school meets.  Whew!  Because you don't know what the schedule is going to be until the season is just about to start.   We still don't know when the games will be, but again, I am hoping it is early enough on Saturdays to avoid overlapping with her acting program.  All of a sudden, Sam became a very busy girl!

Monday:  Softball, 6-7:30pm
Tuesday:  Religious school, 4:45-6:30pm
Wednesday:  Tutoring, 4-4:30pm
Wednesday:  Softball, 6-7:30pm
Saturday:  Acting, 1:30-5:00pm
Sunday:  Religious school, 9:00-12:00pm
Sunday:  Horseback riding, 2:00-3:00pm

And we still need to add in a weekly softball game once that scheduled is released.  I don't think Sam will have any problems falling asleep with all this activity.

I am excited for Sam and truly happy that she expressed in an interest in something without us having to convince her to give it a try.    Jeff has been practicing with her in the backyard on catching and throwing.  And I have to say, she is not that bad.

Streaming live: Food Network in our kitchen

Several years ago I made an announcement that I was taking a break from cooking dinner on Saturday nights. 6 nights a week was plenty for me to put a healthy, well-balanced meal on the table.  I didn't care if we went out to a restaurant, did take-out, got food delivered, or if someone else in the family wanted to cook, it was not going to come from me.  Jeff and the kids took the news well and up until several months ago, we mostly went out for a quick bite on a Saturday night or Jeff picked up a rotisserie chicken and some sides from the grocery store.  Easy-peezy.

Somewhere along the way, Jeff decided to find some new recipes and start cooking.  Followed by finding new desserts to be baked by him as well.  Since Summer 2018 it has now become 'his thing'. The joy Jeff takes in cooking and baking is a bit on the scary side. Jeff truly loves being in the kitchen and cooking us dinner, complete with a mouth-watering dessert. The smile on his face is a mile wide when he is done and presents it to us.  Who is this guy I married?!?!?  I promise you, I have 13 years of evidence in the other direction on Jeff wanting to cook.

I blame the Food Network.  There the ones that have given Jeff the inspiration to take all his knowledge from watching Chopped, Worst Cooks in America, Great Food Truck Race, Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, Man vs Food, Guy's Grocery Games, Food Network Stars, and Great Brittish Baking Show (this last one is on Netflix) and put these techniques to practice.

We've recently hit new heights of Jeff wanting to do it all when he decided to get a pasta machine to make fresh pasta.  Really.  I am not making this up.  Three times now we've been watching a show and the very same pasta maker Jeff purchased is the one they are using on tv.  What a thrill it is to know you picked the right model.  :)   Jeff has gotten really good at making pasta and the kids can't get enough of it.

Proscuitto wrapped scallops and homemade fettuccine

Gnocchi from scratch!

Veggie Paella

Chocolate Mousse

Ian's not so fun Friday

There was a lot of feedback on Ian's braces predicament.  No movement in Ian's overbite after 2 years of wearing braces got people talking and offering their opinions.  And everyone had one!  Apparently, it is very common to pull perfectly good teeth and help move things along.  Once I got comfortable with the idea, we proceeded with two teeth getting extracted.  

The appointment last Friday was a pretty yucky one.  Ian had to first visit the orthrodontist and get the wire taken out on his top teeth.  Then he went across the room to where the dentist was and had the teeth pulled. Followed with a seat back on the orthodontist part of the office to get a new wire put in.  I know this was the best thing for Ian, but I felt like the worst mother in the world watching my son go through this.  

The dental technician gave me Ian's teeth.  OMG!  They are huge!!! It sort of makes sense now why his teeth weren't moving.  The roots on these teeth were too massive to shift.

YOWZER!  That's some serious root action.

Once we were able to leave (with plenty of back-up gauzes ready to use), I took Ian to get a milkshake.  We attempted to have it at Cheesecake Factory (only 2 miles from the orthodontist), but Ian was clearly miserable and we changed the plan to have it to-go.  As we were leaving we made sure to get 2 pieces of cheesecake to take with us because only soft foods can be eaten for the rest of the day.  Um, can you say mom guilt?  

The orthodontist told us within a year's time everything will do what it needs to do and Ian's braces can come off. Knowing Ian he has started the countdown and will not wear them one day longer than he needs to.

Before the teeth came out.

After the teeth came out.