We're Home

And I feel sick about it.

Being home means I probably will not have chocolate brioche with sea salt from The Farm ever again.

At least not today.

I've Made a Horrible Mistake

First let me tell you how sorry I am to have inconvenienced you with the previous NY dessert suggestions. I hope the unencumbered of you didn't actually get on an airplane yet to visit some of my suggested places.

I was wrong.

Blue Marble Ice Cream is without exception THE best ice cream I've ever eaten.

The End. Period. End of post.

I can die now and know it will all be okay.

Chelsea (Not Clinton, the Other One)

I'm tired after our full day, but wanted to share three pictures from today.

Goldie and our friend Maia frolicked in the water at the Chelsea Waterside Park.



Clay ran into Sarah Palin at a gallery.



And on the new High Line in Chelsea the following entrepreneur was selling $3 Popsicles in delicious flavors such as grilled peach and watermelon something or other (maybe onion). He was also making hand shaved ice with a ped egg and had a huge line. After my egg sandwich store fails I am going to make homemade Popsicles and sell them for $2.50. and make a fortune.



Good night!

No Thanks, Snoopy

On the way to the "egg sandwich store" there are two great signs, one of which happens to be posted on the store itself. The other is on the fence of the lovely community garden next to our row house.





New Yorkers have such a way with words.

I Think I Can. I Think I Can...

Now that Milo has been walking for nearly a week, he's very determined to show off his skills. He walked from our house to the restaurant at the end of the block yesterday. He fell on his bottom about 18 times, but the little guy did it! And he looked very proud of himself when he reached the end.




We are proud of him also, but we can't help thinking he has developed a bit of an attitude. Maybe it's the way he accepts phone calls during dinner, or the fact that he wears sunglasses at restaurants. I don't know. He just seems different.



And speaking of different, here's Clay with our friend Nate. We met Nate and Laura and their wonderful daughter Eva for dinner on Saturday. They are friends from way back and it was great seeing them again.

Cookies and Lamb

Sorry it's been so long. We've been too busy eating.

First things first. Look who we found in a park a few stops away from our house. Can you say babysitters?

Clay and I had a mid-day date at a Cuban place while all three kiddos got a much-deserved break from us.



Remember when I told you to get on a plane and head to the ice cream shop in DUMBO? Well I was wrong. Very, very wrong. This place is actually better. Can't you tell by Goldie's expression? The moment we get back to Seattle I'm going to walk directly into the kitchen, preheat the oven and attempt to make their pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling. Okay, I'll put the kids to bed first. Then I am going to start making up for lost time.



It is called One Girl Cookies and it is located on Dean Street, just take the F train to the Bergen stop.


If the cookie shop I plan to open goes under I am going to reopen it as an egg sandwich shop. Look at this beauty. This is what $2.50 buys you in NY. Oh egg sandwich, I could never stay mad at you.


Here is my almost-kindergarten boy climbing something cool in one of the fabulous Imagination Playgrounds. I'm pretty sure my cookie shop will have one of these inside. I'll have a good insurance plan.


After our Cuban meal, Clay and I saw this guy pushing a shopping cart of dead lambs down the street. I just want my lamb-loving friend Nancy to think of this the next time she orders in a restaurant. Thank goodness the children were with the Smoosh girls.

Walking the Walk

The kids are sitting on the floor playing some game I don't really understand where they speak in fake Hebrew and call each other mom and dad. Clay's reading the NY Times and Milo is practicing walking in peace. Yes, you read this correctly. Walking. He likes to walk but gets annoyed by the onlookers. Okay, he gets annoyed by Goldie tugging at him and pulling him over.

And me, you ask? I am busy obsessing about the $2.50 egg sandwich I just ate from the corner deli. $2.50 doesn't get me anything this delicious in Seattle.

Yesterday we explored Coney Island and today we'll check out a children's museum or something air conditioned. It is supposed to be hot.

I'll be back later with videos, stay tuned.

Things my Family Says and Does

You should all know I'm hanging out with wackos.

1. Today Milo dropped my sunglasses into a public toilet Goldie had just finished using.

2. After taking a bite of some unbelievably good truffle oil mac and cheese Clay said, "I don't think I've ever had mac and cheese that I really like. Except Kraft is pretty good."

3. And then while he's thinking of a refreshing beverage to have with dinner he says this, "Can you combine orange juice and milk?" Not unless it is 1978 and you work at Orange Julius.

Here is a shot from today, another playground, of course!
George and Goldie are sitting in a foam block space ship they built.

Weaponry Camp and the Brooklyn Bridge

Another fabulous day was had by the Martin clan in NY today. We started with a stroll(er) across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Then George conducted an impromptu weaponry camp at the Brooklyn Bridge playground. He took sticks and flower vines and tied them together to look like swords. He then conducted a seminar for the other boys in the playground so they could make their own swords from flowers.

Where does this come from? We Martins are a peace loving people. Are we not?






After weaponry camp we headed to Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (or DUMBO, as the area is known. Really.) We ate delicious ice cream at Jacques Torres' chocolate shop. If you are without cumber, may I suggest you get on a plane right now and head to NY for a scoop of this goodness.

George and Goldie actually finished their entire cones. See Goldie fighting us off with her spoon as we try to steal some of hers? Hmmm... Again with the improvised weaponry.





We eat and go to a playground. Then eat and hit another playground.

Next stop, New York's newest attraction: Pier 6 park, or "The New Adventure Playground," which was privately funded and cost more than $6 million." It was money well spent. Of all the stellar parks we've visited this week, this one is the most impressive.





Even Milo found something fun.

A Bigger and Better Clay

We've been walking a whole lot here in NY. Miles and miles. And it is kind of hot out, which makes us not want to eat. In my mind this translates to weight loss.

I was yakking on to Clay this afternoon that I didn't like the idea of him losing weight. And if that wasn't enough I told him if he lost weight I'd have to find myself a new husband.

Apparently, George was listening in because he piped in with, "Are you gonna get a bigger and better one?"

Since I'm so worried about Clay losing weight I sent him on another walk to the grocery store tonight to get me a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar. I even let him have a bite of it. See how considerate I am?

Here's some scenes from our day.

Talking the subway into Manhattan:


In the Museum of Natural History in front of a tree that started growing in 550 AD and was chopped down in 1896


We stumbled upon Hippo Park today on the Upper West Side. It's the best of all the great parks we've found so far.










By the end of the day our kids looked tired, dirty and possibly homeless. It was a good day.

Chocolate Babka

Just wanted to let you all know we've arrived safely in Brooklyn.

We are happy as can be stuffing our faces with a delicious chocolate babka that a neighbor brought over.

More about the birthday, NY and delicious food later.

Must. Eat. Babka.