Museum of Natural History: The Discovery Room, Our Favorite Place

The American Museum of Natural History can be packed during the summer months with camps, tourists, and locals. To escape the crowds, we sneak away to the Discovery Room. Best part for me: They limit the number of kids in the room. Sometimes we have to wait for an hour for the next session, but it's always worth it. Best part for my kids: Putting together a dinosaur skeleton. All the bones are organized in drawers and attached with magnets. It feels and looks so real! The perfect mix of learning and fun. Thanks for helping this time grandpa!

91st Street Garden

We've walked past the 91st Street Garden a trillion times, but I always assumed we weren't aloud to walk inside the gates. Perhaps we're not, but nobody said anything the entire time. If it's prohibited, I'm sure someone would have told me to get those brats out. New Yorkers love to enforce rules in the kindest way.

I heard the garden is at the end of the movie You've Got Mail. I tried watching it this morning.  But then Meg Ryan. The way she squints and hops around like a baby mouse. It's painful. I was happily surprised to see Parker Posey in the second scene. Could watch her all day! But then Posey's scene ended and I turned the movie off minutes later. Right after Meg Ryan's character smells a bouquet of roses for the second time. I feel awful because I'm sure I'm suppose to love this movie, along with Jane Austen and the Bachelor. To salvage it, I googled "Parker Posey You've Got Mail" so I could skip to the good parts. Found it here. Where are my tick tacks? Uhhh.  Whhhhat?!  Love her.

Ella's petal collection. Gardeners fear not: She didn't pick any, these were all on the ground.

More pictures of my favorite flowers from the garden after the jump.

Elizabeth Street Interview

My daughter Ella took this picture! ha

Check out my interview today on Elizabeth Street!

I mention a tip for taking kids on adventures, a favorite tourist trap, and whether I consider myself a "mommy blogger".  Plus a slideshow with two never before seen pictures of ME.

Love love love Elizabeth Street. The layout is clean and the content is rich. I lose myself in it. Thanks for the opportunity!

Two Random Facts: My middle name is Elizabeth. I wear this stripe dress everyday. 

My Parents Are in Town: Mealtime Strategies

Minutes after my parents arrived, Oscar put them through a small experiment. He was sitting on his bed and announced randomly, "McDonald's is not healthy for you."

Grandma and Grandpa shrugged and didn't give much of a reaction.  That's all the data he needed. Hours later I overheard Oscar whispering to Grandpa, "Could you take us to McDonald's?"

It was a brilliant strategy. 

I hate myself for turning into an uptight parent who doesn't take their kids to McDonald's. It's because there's always another fresher or locally owned option next store. It takes zero effort on my part.  The movie Food Inc. is also to blame for turning me into an overly opinionated twit.  That movie had the biggest anti-McDonald's agenda, and I totally fell for it.  I haven't taken my kids to McDonald's in years. 

Oscar has been apparently searching for a way to get himself back to the golden arches and found his way with the grandparents.

I quickly realized that we had to take Oscar to McDonald's fast or else the entire trip would be consumed with, "Yeah Top of the Rock is cool-- but when are we going to McDonald's? Awesome, the Statue of Liberty! Is it lunch time yet? I really want to go to McDonald's, Grandpa! Having a great time on the boat! But let's go to McDonald's soon I'm so hungry. Ok, grandma?!"

We went yesterday to shut him up. Oscar ordered a Hamburger Happy Meal and a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. He savored each bite and hasn't stopped playing with the free toy since.  

For me, going there only crushed my dreams of taking down the man. The place was packed with a wide range of costumers, from perfectly dressed business people to families to blue collar workers. We had to go all the way to the third floor to find a table. McDonald's has obviously been thriving without my dollar.  The screen shot below of McDonald's stock value cracks me up. I don't know what it means exactly, but I can take a good guess.

Regardless, I'll never going back. If nothing else, I'm healthier for it. Plus, I haven't let go of my absurd dream that somehow I am making a difference by voting with my dollar. It's the optimist in me.

Is it also the optimist in me that thought my southern McChicken sandwich and fries tasted delicious? I hope not.

Stoked!!!!

I used to take my babies to McDonald's alllll the time.  For a while it was at least once a week, maybe twice. Proof after the jump. No wonder Oscar misses it!

My Parents Are in Town

My parents are in town. Today they asked me if I liked living in California or New York better. I gave them an obnoxious and long winded answer about my current love for New York. Only my parents and the nosy cab driver could forgive me for sounding so pretentious. I wish I would have seen the above New Yorker cartoon first. It describes my feelings for the city quickly and with the perfect amount of snob.

Fake Grass on Pier 25 in Tribeca

Whenever I see fake grass, I feel like I'm living in the real life version of The Lorax movie. In NYC we manufacture our grass in factories! It's the only way to keep the dog shiz off it! Run around in bare feet without fear! If only Oscar wasn't such a purest. Really bums him out. Jackson and Walker and Ella don't seem to mind.

 Our favorite synthetic field can be found on Pier 25 in Tribeca.
Also noteworthy: It has views of the Statue of Liberty. Very tiny though. 

More pictures after the jump. 

Have a good weekend!

2 Albums Defining My Summer

I have two new-to-me albums that make cleaning the dishes or running six miles or a rained out garden party not so bad. Both albums are very different, can be listened from start to finish, and make me feel cooler than I am. Especially the one with explicit lyrics. It even has a warning label no less. My first!

I'm sure these bands are thrilled to be reaching my demographic: a 30 year-old stay-at-home-mom.  That's when they know they've made it. Success must feel good. Check em out:

Theoplilus London: Timez Are Weird These Days [Explicit]: I first heard him when he opened for Kaskade. Without ever hearing London's music before, I instantly got it. I danced and sang as if I was a lifetime fan. I just might be. This album got my marathon training off to a good start.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Here. Rob and Ella were practicing the song Man On Fire one night and the next day I couldn't get it out of my head. Ella showed me their David Letterman performance and I was hooked. A little hippy dippy and totally stereotypical LA, but fun. I hope they don't take themselves too seriously. From the looks of it, they just are out for a good time. I would love to see them live.

Oh, I keep forgetting that everyone probably already knows Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros from their song Home. For some reason, that song didn't make me want to buy their album or learn more about them. It was a good song and all, but too popular too quickly. I was tired of it before it had a chance.  But now I like it.

Here's Man on Fire. Hope you like.


New girl crush alert in the green pants. Her voice. I suddenly have a greater understanding for Ursala's character in The Little Mermaid. What I want from you is your voice. My voice? You got it, sweetcakes.


That's all I have. Two albums. I need more. Suggestions please!