Proud to be 43

Thank you, thank you for the birthday wishes.  I had a lovely birthday which revolved mostly around good friends and good food.

I got to see and eat with three of my best NYC gal pals over three different meals.  Friday night we had Maeve's family over for dinner.  We only have a few weeks left of entertaining in our tiny apartment before the weather makes our backyard unusable. 

 

Then, on Saturday morning we met up with my friend Mimi and her two adorable little guys Arlo and Ansel for lunch on the High Line - one of my very favorite places in New York City. It's about a mile long stretch of railway above street level that had been abandoned for years and almost demolished before a forward thinking group of people decided to make it into a park and art space.  It's really just so unique and beautiful and so nice to be just above the fray.

Recites Shakespeare for donations

Can you see the screaming face?  Think big.

Earlier in the week we met up with Ella's new best buddy Clara (from Make-A-Musical camp) and her mom Kelly (my new friend) at the New York Historical Society for free cross-stitch classes.  Holden insisted he would have nothing to do with it before we arrived but once the instructor started passing out the colorful threads, Holden was hooked.

 
And of course our weekend was filled with sports - well, until one or two games were rained out.

Walking to Central Park through the Brownstones

Ella's new soccer team - the Pink Panthers

Holden vs. Holden

Ella cross-stitching while watching Holden's baseball game

Walking home along the Hudson River

Before the weekend the kids and I finished up our work early on Friday so that we could attend a "Not-Back-to-School Picnic" in Central Park.  It was posted on a homeschool Yahoo group that I subscribe to and I thought it might be a good way for us to build up our community.  We were shocked to walk up and see at least a couple hundred people there!  We met a really nice family (with their own Ella) who normally live in Abu Dhabi but are here for six months for their dad's work.  Ella taught the sisters how to cross-stitch.

Kevin and the kids spoiled me on my birthday.  They took me to a delicious restaurant we've been wanting to try on Saturday night and we all got dressed up (even Holden!).

 

And then on my birthday morning I was served breakfast in bed and showered with gifts and love.  That night we met my friend Alina and her family for a fun Mexican dinner, complete with giant margaritas. 


Good food + good friends + my three favorite people in the world = a perfect birthday.