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Wordless Wednesday: Morning in Midtown

October 26, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

Yesterday I ventured into Midtown Manhattan to go to a fantastic blogging presentation “Activision’s Games For Girls Event” and of course, being an early on time person I had plenty of time to spare. I decided to walk around the Times Square area and check out what was going on, on a Tuesday morning. And of course, the city that never sleeps, never disappoints either 😉 Here are some pics. Have a fabulous day!!

My view for my morning coffee and people watching (Out front of 30 Rock)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... They are putting up the lights in the trees already! Two months to go- YIKES!!

Stumbled up the "Thank You Movement" concert in Times Square to thank our Armed Forces, so I...

Stopped to thank a couple of men in uniform 😉

Always look up!

On my way to the event I stopped and said good morning to this handsome dude and the police officer 🙂

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The Weekend Snapshot

October 24, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

It is hard to believe that October will soon be drawing to an end. The back to school and fall season is turning into a blur. We have had numerous activities, fun adventures, visiting friends and of course the day to day insanity of work, school and life in general.  Oh, and living in Manhattan does not help, there is a constant pull to just keep moving at the frenetic pace of the city. Sometimes I have to remind myself to just pause and take a deep breath. Wooosaaa! This past weekend we had vowed to catch up on a little bit of family time and also to try and find some time to chillax and I think we managed to find a nice balance.

On Friday R and I dropped off A at her band rehearsal and instead of jumping back on the crowded rush hour train we decided that we were going to walk home. It is at times like these when I realize that my little munchkins are becoming true New Yorker’s. She walked 50 blocks and didn’t complain, even once. Although, she did insist that we stop at the Disney store as our walk took us through Times Square 😉 Every time I am able to really walk the city I find myself falling in love with New York all over again. Pounding the pavement and seeing all the sights at street level is where you really feel connected to the energy, people and places of NYC.

R doing "tree" pose in Times Square

Saturday started off with our usual “bagel in pajamas” breakfast followed by an afternoon at Chelsea Piers where the girls take classes. Both Ron and I were able to fit in a morning run in perfect sunny and cool weather. The girls had a blast at their classes, especially A who had the opportunity to skate this week. She did her Canadian roots proud as she glided (fairly gracefully) across the rink.

Skating at Chelsea Piers under the Canadian and American Flag!

Rink Rat 😉

On Saturday night we had a wonderful time re-uniting with cherished friends from the ‘Creek who were visiting NYC. We had many drinks, tons of laughs and one hell of a good time. We started off with drinks at the Whiskey Park Bar and then made our way to Tolani Wine Bar where we shared incredible food and perhaps a bit more wine 😉 It was a great evening and I loved seeing some much loved peeps from Ottawa!!

Nina, Me & Jane =)

Andre, Dennis and Ron... don't ask!!

So, even though we may have been moving a wee bit slow on Sunday morning, after some strong caffeine, all was good. Ron headed off to the Jets game so the girls and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and headed to Central Park. We paused and relaxed in Sheep’s Meadow, strolled through the Central Park Zoo and tried out various East Side playgrounds. The weather was spectacular and we had a great day. Sunday evening was time for snuggles and reading. Absolutely perfect.

A perfect day for handstands in the park!

Sea Lion

Sisters 😉

Beauty at the Zoo

Fall in Central Park

The Boathouse

It was truly both a restful and fun weekend. Working on that whole life balance thing is well, a work in progress. Every once in awhile you just have to stop and take a stroll… Have a great day my friends!!

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Wordless Wednesday: The Leaf

October 19, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

Standing in the empty big yard this morning as the rain gently fell all around, I found myself missing some of my Ottawa friends and had to admit I was feeling a wee bit sad. Then I looked down and saw this and couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes the universe just has impeccable timing. Have a great day as you dodge the gigantic puddles 😉

The Mighty Maple Leaf

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Just Me and My Girls

October 17, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

A & R all dressed up waiting to see "Anything Goes" on Broadway

This past weekend was a mommy and her girls weekend. Ron was back in Ottawa celebrating a good friend’s 40th so the girls and I decided that we would have a fun few days hanging out together without any boys (Bogie and Dopey don’t count). On Friday while the oldest was at her after school activity the youngest and I fuelled up on cupcakes and went gift shopping for a baby shower that three of us would be attending later on in the weekend. R and I had lots of fun exploring the latest trends, gadgets and fashions for society’s tiniest. To be honest, I can’t believe all of the cool things that they have now. The beautiful strollers were on display similar to cars in a dealer’s showroom. Pretty impressive and pretty pricey.  My wallet is very glad those days are behind me 😉  R and I had tons of fun picking out the perfect present for our soon to be little friend.

On Saturday we woke up and as per our weekend tradition, ate bagels while the girls watched cartoons and I read the paper. Now, I have to admit, I am pretty spoiled and much prefer when Ron is home and is the one who takes the dogs out on the weekend and picks up the bagels on the way home. But, the girls insisted on bagels, so, we had bagels =) The rest of the day was spent at Chelsea Piers where the girls did their sporty activities while I sat on my butt and read my book. Ahhh… peace. That evening we did one of our favorite things- we ordered in dinner, snuggled on the couch and watched a movie. Our girlie movie choice was the Disney flick “Prom”. It was a perfectly fluffy movie with a mild love story and a lot of hype about getting ready for a pretty tame prom. All in all a fine choice. I love that R asked “What is so special about Prom anyway”? Not really sure she got the point of the movie. Actually not really sure what the point of the movie was… 😉

Yesterday, Sunday, was a very special day for the girls. We went and saw”Uncle Bobby” Robert Creighton in the Broadway show “Anything Goes”.  He is currently playing the role of “Moonface” Martin and we wanted to make sure that we saw him in this incredible part. The girls were beyond excited as they bounded off the subway and we made our way to the theatre. I was extremely proud of both of them as they behaved perfectly, swept away by the magic of the show. They loved seeing Uncle Bobby and laughed each time he came on stage. R loved all the little bits of funny going on while A stated afterwards that “you have to watch the actors if you want to be an actor”- uh oh, I think that girl really is destined for the stage. After the show we were able to go backstage where the girls toured the wig room, checked out the dressing rooms and were able to see all of the cool props and costumes. Such a wonderful afternoon.

The girls and Uncle Bobby on the steps of the SS American

And I was there too 😉

After the show we headed on over to the baby shower for the soon to be little RJ. It was a fairly grown up affair and everyone was tired (well, Mommy was!!) so we didn’t stay too long. But the girls had a lot of fun making unique onesies and practicing their manners by wandering around and mingling through the people. Best of all, they were able to bring home cookies and blue foil kisses that said “it’s a boy!”.

The girls making onesies for baby RJ

So, together the girls and I had a wonderful weekend. And, as I tucked them in last night, telling them how proud of them I was and how much fun we had together, they agreed that it was a great time. We exchanged kisses and I love yous and just as I was about to close the door I heard this:  “When is daddy coming home?” and from the other one “I miss daddy!”. I shut the door and couldn’t help but smile. I missed their daddy too, especially in the morning when the dogs need to go out!!! 😉

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Wordless Wednesday: Morning Run in Central Park

October 12, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

Today was a perfect day for a 7K run in Central Park. The weather was overcast, slightly windy and a bit of a drizzle. And I believe I even caught the briefest glimpse of Matt Damon at the end of my run, now THAT is motivation 😉 Hope you enjoy the pics!!

Sheep's Meadow- looking a little bare on a gray fall day!

Heading toward Columbus Circle

There is great satisfaction when you are running faster than the cars are moving 🙂

Park views

The Boathouse Restaurant

The rear view of the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

East side of the Reservoir

West side of the Reservoir

This view NEVER gets old!!

Peeking through the trees

Strong Finish!

I made it- still smiling =)

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Fun Upstate And Feasting Like A Good Canuck!

October 10, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

A fall sunset...

It is five o’clock on Columbus Day of a lovely long holiday weekend and I am reminded of the saying “time sure does fly by when you are having fun!”. This weekend in New York City the weather has been incredible, almost summer like with temperatures climbing into the high 80’s. Even though it didn’t feel much like fall we decided to dive right in and participate in some very traditional fall-like activities. And being the proud ex pat Canadian’s that we are, we also had to have some fun celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving in Manhattan =)

On Saturday the girls and I took a drive Upstate to a good friend’s annual Hallowe’en/Harvest party. The amazingly talented Ron stayed back in the City to shop, prep and clean with the equally talented (and patient) Barbara for our Canadian Thanksgiving party the next day. Now, instead of taking a train, I actually drove to the party. This might not seem like a big deal, except I felt like it was, since I had not driven in about three months AND I had not driven in NYC in over a year! Well, you will be happy to know that it is a lot like riding a bike, you don’t really forget the skills 😉 On our way to our host’s house we stopped at a fabulous country market to pick out our pumpkins, sample the pumpkin donuts and of course take home a selection of delicious apples. The girls and I loved breathing in the fresh air, checking out the spectacular fall views and basically just liked the thrill of being on a different adventure together.

In Costume!

The party was a blast! There was an abundance of delicious food and drink. I am still craving Meilan’s Caramel Monkey Bread… worth every single million calorie!! The kids had an incredible time dressing up in costume, carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples, beating up a Piñata and generally running around in the wide open spaces. It was a relaxing and rejuvenating trek especially since the many deer I saw on the side of the road, decided to stay there =)

Bobbing success =)

Show me your teeth!

Jack-O-Lanterns

Yesterday we held our second annual Canadian Thanksgiving in Manhattan. I hope it is a tradition that we will continue in the years to come. It doesn’t quite hold up to the insanity of our “Late But Great” parties back in good old Ottawa but, yesterday we did manage to pack 23 people into our NYC apartment and celebrate in style. As usual, the chefs truly out did themselves and the feast was beyond amazing. And of course the wine was also pouring in abundance 😉 It was a truly magical evening with incredible friends and family. We even had a last minute guest from Montreal and he was FANTASTIQUE!!! I did take a moment to pause and reflect and be thankful for the cherished friends and family in my life.

Happy Turkey!

The Spread!!

Yes, you can cook a turkey for twenty in a NYC apt... with a little borrowed kitchen space from the Neighbors- thanks N & S!!

And today, Columbus Day, with Ron and most of the city back at work, the girls and I felt a bit like explorers as we braved Fairway, foraged for food between grumpy old ladies and then branched out and hit the park 😉 And best of all- tonight for dinner we have LEFTOVERS!!! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, right, ahem, I mean eh??!!!

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Wordless Wednesday: It’s That Time of Year Again…

October 5, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

Okay, who else out there is having a hard time believing that it is already October?? Well, it is getting hard to forget in Manhattan where all of the little pop up Hallowe’en stores are opening up around the city. The weather has that fall crispness in the air, sweater season is here and so is the pumpkin spice latte. I say embrace the ghouls and goblins and I don’t just mean the normal craziness on the streets of NYC 😉 What are you going to be for Hallowe’en this year? Perhaps I will let my hair go wild…

Enter if you dare...

They even stalk you!

Hope everyone has a spectacular day and that you don’t find yourself walking by the dog toy (like I did), saying out loud “I hear ya sister!”:

Sometimes you just have one of those days =)

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Family Fun In Florida

October 3, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

I fully believe in the importance of taking a breather and finding some time to spend with just our family, the four of us. The chaos of our daily lives means that sometimes we are so caught up in our day to day activities that we barely have time to connect with one another. Whether it is just a day trip to a new destination or family movie night with take-out, the time spent as a family is essential for our overall sanity especially in a city like New York where sometimes the pace seems a wee bit speedy =)

This past weekend we were very fortunate to take an extended weekend and enjoy a sunny family retreat to Orlando, Florida. A positive side of Ron’s frequent travel is that every once in a while we are offered rewards from hotels that he has stayed at in the past. The Hilton SeaWorld Resort gave us a ridiculously low price on our one bedroom suite and well, it seemed like an offer that we couldn’t refuse. We hopped on a plane at JFK and 2 1/2 hrs later we arrived in hot and steamy Orlando.

We checked into our hotel and then made our way to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The girls were super excited to be back at Disney and couldn’t wait to go on all of the rides and see the characters.

Mickey showing his Hallowe'en spirit!

The girls with Mary Poppins

We had a fabulous day at the park, topping it off by staying late to see the Magical Parade of Lights and the Fireworks. You know you have lived in NYC for awhile when you happily plunk down on the curb side of Downtown Disney to watch the fireworks thinking that it is the cleanest sidewalk you have ever seen!!

The sun beginning to set behind the castle

The next day we ventured over to SeaWorld, which was just a short five minute walk from our resort. We had a lot of fun taking in the whale and dolphin shows and feeding sharks. We even braved Atlantis and got super soaked careening down the roller coaster’s fast curves into the water at the end. That night we ate poolside at the resort and shared a hot tub under the stars. Perfection.

Waiting for Shamu and being our normal crazy selves 😉

After two action packed days the girls decided and we happily agreed that they would just like to spend the next couple of days hanging out at our resort, swimming in the pool, playing some ping pong, trying their hand at pool and shuffling through shuffle board. It was wonderfully relaxing and best of all we were able to re-connect and have fun goofing around just the four of us.

The view from our balcony

A quiet moment (I didn't even want to take the picture for fear of ruining it!!)

My two little dolphins

I could get very used to this!

And now we are back to reality- Ron is out of town, there will be homework tonight and sisters will fight, dinner has to be made and laundry needs to get done. But, I think we all have a bit of renewed energy to tackle these tasks. Getting out of the city, recharging the battery, talking to the kids without hurrying them out the door and sharing a convo and drink poolside with my man was wonderful. Much needed family time, so incredibly important. Now, just remind me of this by Wednesday when I am trying to escape them all 😉 Have a great day and take some time to hug the ones you love.

And here we are being just as crazy in NYC- for you Chantal 😉

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Wordless Wednesday: And We Are On Our Way!

September 28, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

We are heading on a little mini family vacation to Orlando for a long weekend. We were offered an amazing rate through Hilton Family Vacations and decided to spend a little time away from the city together. We are all super excited to play at Sea World and of course we will have to make a stop at Magic Kingdom to see the princesses 😉
Here are a couple of pics of my little travelers who also happened to get mysteriously upgraded to first class!!! Life is rough 🙂 Enjoy the day!

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Manhattan Mommy Pressure

September 24, 2011 by Sandra Guirguis

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Being a mom in NYC, what’s it really like? I came across this question the other day when skimming the internet for something else and it kind of jumped out at me and stayed with me for the day. Is being a mom in Manhattan really that different than being a mom in any other North American city? Well hello, of course it is, this is NYC and well, isn’t that what my entire blog is about?! But still, it got me thinking. As my regular readers know I have lived in the Bright Lights and Big City for just over a year, having moved from the suburbs of Ottawa, Canada. And of course, our life has changed significantly but I started to reflect on my life as a mother, how had that changed? Was being a mom in Manhattan really any different than being a mom in Ottawa? Were the every day pressures and chaos the same?

The answer is a complicated one. Being a mother is a damn hard job, we all know that. Is it harder in Manhattan? I think the answer is yes and no. This island is one hell of a competitive place. Add to that the accelerated pace, the difficulties of actually getting into an overcrowded public school, the few judgmental mommies on the playground, the desire to want what is best for your child and navigating the city itself and some days can be pretty overwhelming. On the positive side, the plethora of activities, opportunities and learning experiences for children in this city are second to none.

Fundamentally though, the pressures of mommy hood are universal. Instead of carpooling, I take kids back and forth on the subway, play dates are held in local parks instead of backyards, the insanity of making lunches and helping with homework remains the same. Manhattan families are just like any other families, we juggle schedules, argue, strive for balance and look for ways to ease up on the pressures we put on ourselves and our kids. And yes, sometimes this can be a little harder in a city that prides itself on never sleeping.

It is too easy to get caught up in the crazy no matter what city you live in. Surround yourself with supportive people, don’t forget to breathe and always know where the closest Starbucks and Wine Bar in your neighborhood are 😉 Have a great weekend!

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