…and a first look at Bronxville

It’s official! Angie and family have left the city for greener pastures – or lawns, at least. They are a half hour and a world away from the noise and concrete of the city in the bucolic little town of Bronxville.

Room to move: Thomas with his birthday scooter

Angie and Tiny give the CE the neighborhood tour

Instead of drivers, buses and taxis, the boys will be able to walk to their beautiful new school!

Bronxville school

The boys and Grandpa at the school yard.

We spent an afternoon there to celebrate their move and Thomas’ 7th birthday and we loved everything about it.

Their multi-level townhouse looks out on this beautiful courtyard.

Nana brought presents!

Jamesy!

The boys show off their room to Grandpa

Of course, the real question is: is Tiny happy? Looks like it:

Bobby and Tiny in their new home

Happy New Home, guys! We’ll see you in the fall!

NYC: “A Place Apart”

The quote is from Pearl Buck. (Look her up youngsters…)

She said “As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world.” True dat.

This was one of our best trips yet, with lots of opportunities to explore our new neighborhood and plenty of face time with family members. Highlights included: thin crust pizza and sangria at our neighborhood Italian restaurant; having Daniel stay with us at our apartment;  take-out Thai at Angie’s apartment with Thomas and Jamesy in overdrive;

"We don't understand why Mommy gets so tired"

discovering Our Redeemer services two blocks from our apartment and enjoying incredible classical chamber music performances both times we went; Turkish food on 46th Street with Bobby and then walking back to the apartment on a warm summer night;

exercise class

fun with a new toy

a day in Darien with Tina, Evie and Vivie, then dinner with them and John on the veranda of their country club;  lots of walks through Central Park, including our discovery of The Ramble; brunch at the Central Park Boathouse with Taylor and Victoria and then a visit to the Met; dinner with the boys, Victoria and Easton at Nobu 57; and last but by no means least, mornings perched on our windowseat with the New York Times, the Post and our beloved view of the park.

Daniel, Victoria and Taylor

Central Park

At the Met

Taylor and Easton

Daniel and Victoria at Nobu 57

Taylor and Victoria had fun at the Central Park Zoo, and Daniel (with a raging fever and strep throat – but hey, the show must go on) attended the event of the season: the Lady GaGa concert at Madison Square Garden

Snow Leopard at the Central Park Zoo

T and Victoria's friend, Adrienne, flippering out at Central Park Zoo

Souvenir

Sick, in every sense of the word...

Her Highness, the GaGa

The new material girl

Of course, it’s not all bad being home, either (the bread and water diet after eating our way through the city notwithstanding ) California has its own charms:

We missed Chloe!

Baked Apple.

110 yesterday at Yankee Stadium, they say. The AC is cranked up and we’re hunkered down for the duration.

Late afternoon view from our apartment

All worth it as this will be a four-for-four trip; we saw Angie and family before they fled to the Hamptons to cool down; Tina, John and Evie braved a day in the city to visit us for lunch and we will go out to CT tomorrow; Daniel has moved in with us at our apartment, which suggests we’ve done a better job of decorating here than they have at the Columbia dorms; and Taylor and Victoria (who is visiting him in WDC) are planning to come up and visit for the weekend. Lucky us!

We made breakfast for the Bookster in our tiny kitchen

The city is a bit deserted, and very little going on as far as the cultural scene, although I did see in today’s NYTimes that a few of the Real Housewives are scheduled to make an appearance at a local Barnes & Noble tomorrow, if that counts…

Jamesy!

Disco dancing is so 1980 - apres-bath nudie disc-dancing is the in thing

We’ve had a great time as usual, however. We’ve walked and walked this trip, most memorably on Saturday when we crossed from the west side of the Park to the east and had brunch at the Central Park Boathouse, overlooking the lake where hardier souls rowed rental boats while we sipped our iced tea on the restaurant veranda. The food was MUCH improved over our last visit there a few years back.

Central Park Boathouse

We were also fortunate to hear one of the country’s most eminent pastors, Tim Keller, preach on Sunday at Church of the Redeemer’s west side service – just two blocks from our apartment. Keller’s book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism was a New York Times best-seller.

According to Booklist, Keller's book "just made life harder for preaching atheists"

Last Sunday’s sermon was focused on explaining the nature of the Holy Spirit, which was a big favor for me, since I grew up Roman Catholic hearing about “the Holy Ghost” and was convinced that some terrifying guy in a giant Casper-the-ghost suit was going to pounce at any moment.

Speaking of religious experiences, tonight is the Lady GaGa concert at Madison Square Garden, and Daniel has Row K tickets, thanks to his very generous parents and very connected brother-in-law. Thanks again, Bobby!

Poker Face

Two.

Ask Jamesy how old he is and he grins joyfully, holding up one finger on each hand:” TWO! ” he exclaims. When you are two, you don’t worry about smoldering cars in Times Square, Greek debt or factory-caged chickens. When you are two, life is pretty darned good, and that calls for a celebration. And two turning two doubles the fun: Ang and her friend, Elena, collaborated to give their May birthday boys a fun party last weekend:

The little prince surveys his subjects from a safe distance.

Proud dad!

Grandpa leads the guessing game.

Thomas makes his guess

Savoring the moment

Musical chairs

Organized chaos

Cutting the cake

Jamesy and John: two turning two

Happy family

After the party; story time and a nap!

“Grandpa, do you live in a zoo?”

Hurricane Thomas and Hurricane James spun through last week along with their parents and their dog, Tiny. Thomas tallied up all the animals he saw and seemed to compare it favorably with the Central Park Zoo.

City boy befriends chickens

Thomas was quite the helper in the chicken yard. He tuned into the rhythm of chicken-keeping, dutifully remembering when it was time to let the chickens out in the morning and bring them in at night. And he enjoyed the daily egg hunt, as well.

A two-egg day

That's not a chicken!

We picked oranges and made fresh-squeezed juice

Jamesy!

In the chicken yard

So relaxing with kids, isn't it?

Chloe lifeguards

"We are not water dogs"

Post-swim snuggle

Dueling dictators

Amelia gets a moment of peace

We spent an afternoon going "Sideways"

Victoria makes a new friend

Krista came to visit

Jamesy and Great-Granny

Ah, to be young again!

Dizzy says BTDT

Love the new sign!

The amazing Grandpa!

The family had an early flight on Easter Sunday so they left dark and early. Since we were up and wide-awake, the CE and I decided to go to an Easter sunrise service, which we enjoyed so much it may become a tradition. What a privilege to stand with the sea behind us, the moutains before us and worship our God above us. He is risen indeed!

The moon was setting over the ocean as we arrived

The sky cleared to a beautiful Easter morning

Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

The end of Long Island.

Literally and figuratively. Last day here; we’ll be heading to the West coast tomorrow.  As a fitting final outing, Bobby took the Chicken Emperor and Thomas out to Montauk at the very tip of Long Island to see the lighthouse there.

Map of Montauk.

Thomas and Bobby at Montauk

Montauk lighthouse

After the Montauk field trip, the guys came back for some R & R in the pool.

Bobby and Thomas

Last supper at The Meeting House

Later, we had dinner at our new favorite restaurant in Amagansett. It’s called The Meeting House. Great place for families.

James celebrates Thomas' "real" birthday with cake

We’ve seen a pair of deer in the neighborhood all week; as we returned from dinner tonight, the doe stopped by to bid us farewell. Hope we can return and see her again next summer.