ice hockey

Kyle Poll, Ice Hockey Legend. 

Well, maybe not exactly, but he did started playing in an ice hockey league. Shocked? I was too when he first pitched the idea. Guess there's a first time for everything, right? Turns out they conveniently play right across the street in Central Park & Hudson has been dying see him in action. After much begging and pleading by me, Kyle finally relented. 

So, we bundled up & went to cheer on daddy. Hudson loved getting to stay up late, see the bright lights, and hear the sound of the skaters on the ice. And our #6 was amazing. He didn't fall even once and had a couple of decent hits-on the puck, not the other players. I even managed to snap a few photos just in case no one ever believes us. We've got proof. 

But the moment that really took our breath away was just minutes before the game ended, when a puck flew right past us, narrowly missing both Hudson and myself. That was scary. Needless to say, we watched the rest of the game behind the high high fence just to be safe. 

Look at that adorable face & those eyes. So alert and intent on the every little move on the ice. 

 

traces of christmas

The end of the Christmas season is always a little bittersweet. 

I love the fresh start of a new year, but I hate knowing the holidays are over.  

With all the craziness of December, we finally got around to snapping a family photo by the tree--

just in time to un-decorate and toss 'er out on the street. 

And that is that. 

The holidays were magical, but now it's on to the New Year!

goodbye 2012

if you look closely, you can see we are making a "2013." pretty cool, right?

a run down of our new year's eve 2012:

1 early morning 5:30 wake-up call

2 pushes of the snooze button

3 of us & our 5 pieces of luggage crammed in our tiny rental car

1 bittersweet goodbye after an amazing holiday visit

hundreds of delicate snowflakes falling slowly during our drive to the airport

1 first class seat (for huds & me), 1 coach seat (for kyle)

3 squeezie pouches of baby food, 1 wardrobe change for huds, 1 in-flight movie, 3 subway transfers, & a strong kyle carrying our 120+ lbs of luggage simultaneously up the subway stairs with his bare hands (it was an impressive sight) & we were back.

home in nyc.

we spend hudson's first new year's dressing up in our holiday best & dining at dean's with our good friends. then, we boycotted hudson's bedtime & rang in the new year with a spectacular firework show in central park over the lake. well, truthfully we rang in the new year on our way to central park with our cabbie, dalgeet. yes, we were in a cab when the clock struck midnight. our timing was a little bit off. but, that didn't keep us from loving the moment. we were stopped at a red light (dalgeet was a very slow and cautious cabbie) and we all yelled out excitedly. even dalgeet joined in the fun. oh dalgeet. i will never forget the big smile on his face as he screamed along with us and oohed and ahhed at the fireworks we could see peeking at us from the night sky. good times.  we were only a few minutes late to the celebration as thousands of new yorkers gathered to say hello to 2013. we bundled hudson up, threw on some reindeer antlers and jumped in the midnight run yelling out "happy new year" all through the park. we passed people dressed in santa suits, santa hats, charlie brown + friends attire, capes, jean cut-offs and suspenders, and even a homemade brooklyn bridge costume. everyone was festive and happy & so excited for the new year. and even hudson loved it. his bright eyes gazed at the fireworks and he smiled from his stroller throne as we jogged along. what a trooper. we didn't make it home until nearly 2am. 

2012 was wonderful. a new job for kyle & our new baby's arrival & plenty of memories we will always cherish.

but here's to 2013. a fresh new start for the 3 of us. 

happy new year!

Winter's Eve

I love the magic of NYC at Christmas time. There is nothing quite like it. Each year, the UWS hosts a Winter's Eve celebration with a tree lighting, performers and bands, ice sculptures, activities for children, delicious food from local restaurants, and Santa. From Columbus Circle clear up to Lincoln Square, the streets are packed with holiday cheer. Even the hotdog stand man decorated his cart with cheery lights! 

In the past, I never made it home from work in time to catch anything but the tail end. This year was different. Huds and I bundled up & went down with some friends. We sipped hot cocoa & listened to performers & then feasted on juicy sliders and rich, chocolately brownies. NYC festivals aren't complete without delicious food, that is for sure! The highlight of the night was Hudson meeting Santa for the first time. He was squirmy, but didn't let out a single scream. Success, I tell you! Kyle (complete with his Movember 'stache) was even able to meet up with us at the end of the night. It's officially Christmastime in the city! 

belgian waffles & mr. columbus himself

We love our little outings in the city. This time, us moms and babes were off to meet Christopher Columbus himself. Though this statue has stood in the prominent Columbus Circle since 1892, it is often overlooked and visible only as a silhouette against the sky. 

So, it was fun to "meet" Mr. Columbus in his new setting- a modern New York living room built 75 feet up in the sky, complete with a sofa, chairs, bookshelves, a TV, and even wallpaper inspired by memories of American pop culture. The iconic images on the wallpaper included Mickey Mouse, Elvis, the Empire State Building, coca-cola, McDonald's, and even hot dogs! The views of the park were so beautiful from way up high--capturing the changing fall leaves and the tall buildings that peek out above the foliage. 

We finished off our adventure with a stop to the infamous Wafels & Dinges truck, where Hudson became oh-so-jealous of my strawberries and belgian chocolate topped waffle. Don't worry, he devoured his own gourmet treat of Gerber star-shaped sweet potato puffs while we sat inside Whole Foods to stay warm. Randomly, we found ourselves segregated by gender...all four little boy babes at one table with their moms and the four little girls at another! Guess we don't want any of those boys making a move too soon...

Whit & Scott, Laura & Lily, Emily & Hudson, Mel & Lexi
Amanda & Hugo, Breanne & Kenna, Tiff & Henry

the Great Hill Pumpkin Carving

Our awesome friend Dawn planned a pumpkin playgroup this year to carve and decorate pumpkins on the Great Hill in Central Park. Unfortunately, I didn't capture a photo of all the little ones and their finished masterpieces, but I did snap this one of little Huds. He was definitely more interested in playing with the leaves and the pumpkin in its own natural form. He did look adorable with the paintbrush in hand, but we'll wait until next year for him to become our real pumpkin artist. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our Little Owl!

Quite possibly our best Halloween. Ever. 

Kyle ran over 50 blocks home from work (still no subway service due to Hurricane Sandy) to meet up with us while it was still daylight & Huds was all smiles to see dad getting home so early. He loved flapping his wings & smiling & scored lots of candy for dad while trick-or-treating on the streets of NYC. This city is oh so friendly to all the little kiddies dressed in their cute little costumes. Funny how that made even walking along Broadway feel so "home-townish." But my favorite was probably strolling along 78th street between Columbus & Amsterdam to the cute & festively decorated brownstone buildings, where owners would sit out on the stoops, ooh and aah over the costumes & hand out candy. We saw everything from a baby snowboarder to the Empire State Building, & call us biased parents, but we think our little owl was pretty darn cute.  And brave too...he made it through his first haunted house at our friends' apartment before the night was over. Now, we've tucked away his costume & our little "night owl" has decided that as fun as owl life is, he'd rather just be a little guy and go to sleep.  And you know what? We are okay with that.  Happy Halloween!