Grandma Kathy's 65th Birthday 2018

Today is Grandma Kathy's 65th birthday. She was here this weekend visiting so we took her to Paumanok Vineyards for a birthday wine-tasting and then we bought her the bottle of her choice. She's back on the Cape today but she went to lunch with her mother, sisters, and brother. Happy birthday! Hope it was a favorite one.

Paumanok Vineyards with her minions

Inside the tasting room

 

Miranda has to be in all the pictures.

Kathy, Mary, Nesie, Dick, and Great-grandma Ruth at the Beacon Room in Orleans

Jaime Visits- August 2017

Jaime visited on her way to Massachusetts and back. We took the kids to the beach, ate sushi for dinner twice, and visited Mattituck for a wine bar and delicious dinner on Love Lane. We even got Italian Ice, which I'm clearly obsessed with this summer.

Miranda showing her art on August 12

 

Jaime swimming with James

Me, playing in the water with Miranda

Drying off

Roanoke Vineyard's Wine Bar in Mattituck

Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck

Shinn Estate Vineyard 2017

We did a quick stop at the Shinn Estate Vineyard in North Fork on Saturday.

Our favorite was white was Coalescence

James and Miranda's favorite red was Wild Boar Doe (for winter)

Miranda with the hydrangeas outside

Ten Years Since We Met 2016

Ten years ago, Kevin and I met for the first time in the outdoor seating area of Mudhouse coffeeshop in Charlottesville.

To celebrate our ten-year anniversary of meeting, we went about 20 minutes east to North Fork to a vineyard we'd heard good things about, the Paumanok Vineyards. We did a white wine tasting and I liked all the wines we tried, the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Chenin Blanc, 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, and 2012 Riesling. My favorite was the 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, so we bought a bottle of that and sat outside with cheese and crackers.

Sitting outside by the vineyard

Yum.

 Paumanok Vineyards

The closed a little early and practically had to push us out the gate. Even the rain didn't hamper my enjoyment of the wine and the setting. But no matter, Kevin had a plan B, which that there was a relatively new whiskey and bourbon distillery with tastings. On the way there though, I saw a chocolate shop and Kevin turned around. The North Fork Chocolate Company had tasting too! Some of the chocolates are good, but don't ask for recommendations unless you want to know what not to eat, as that's how they unload the unwanted chocolate.

Here comes their next victim

In clockwise order fromt he top left: Salty Dog, Ice Cream Sundae, Bourbon, 75 Dark Organic

I loved the 75 Dark, get that.

The Salty Dog tasted like licking an actual wet dog

I also made Kevin stop so I could hug a huge tomato on the side of the road.

 Finally, we got to Long Island Spirits, which had more of Suffolk County vibe. It is perhaps sometimes a dance club? Kevin did the bourbon tasting and I alternatively sniffed or licked a little liquid from his glass because it all resembled nail polish to me.

Long Island Spirits

Bourbon tasting

State of the union: Crazy in love.

Girls' Weekend in Warwick 2012

So then I went back to Warwick last weekend. Yes, really. Some of my college friends and I had decided to go visit Ash months before Superstorm Sandy and the Nor'easter had caused me to live in Ash's place and my mom's for an extended time. So back I went!

Actually, I was pretty excited because I wanted to see my friends and Warwick had just given me a little taste when I'd stayed there the week before because a lot of places were still missing power. Warwick is very charming.

I was supposed to take the bus up with Christina, but sadly the storm set her family back too much this week with work and no daycare for their little one. She was very missed.  I braved the bus on my own and discovered parts of New Jersey I'd never seen before. Megan drove up with Laurie and Janice from the Virginia-DC-Maryland area (one lady from each state). Shortly after everyone arrived on Saturday afternoon we had cheese and crackers for lunch.  The wine came minutes later when we went to the Warwick winery for a tasting. I especially liked the Harvest Moon wine we tried, a white with a strong grapefruit flavor that led me to dub it "a breakfast wine." The time has come! Afterwards, we bought a bottle of their famous cider and sat to enjoy it and listen to live music.

Janice, me, Laurie, Ash, and Megan doing the wine tasting at Warwick Winery

Enjoying live music at the Winery

So we were already having a lot of fun, after our first stop, and then Ash suggested dinner at a Cuban-Latin restaurant called Coquito. I was a little dubious because I'm kind of a Cuban food expert, but it was delicioso. Especially the maduros and yuca fries. And the Coquito mojito was coconuty and amazing.

Janice and Megan at Coquito restaurant

After dinner we went to Eddie's Roadhouse for drinks. We had so much fun on Saturday night. More fun than we little old ladies are used to perhaps. We ended the night on the couch trying to regain energy by watching some truly awful CIS episodes (but only because Laurie refused to watch some truly awful SVU).

It worked! The next morning we were so energized that after Megan and Ash went hiking (the rest of us slept in) we went to brunch and then walked around the Warwick shops all day. We also went to the cute little Farmers Market.

Walking Main Street in Warwick

Walking to brunch at Le Petite Cuisine

At the Warwick Farmer's Market

Then we had a total food binge on Laurie's homemade cookies, Ash's homemade pie, and a million snacks Janice brought. I am still recovering from the horror of my weigh-in.

Ash showing us the brussel sprouts in her garden. Why weren't we eating these instead?

At Ash's place, missing Christina

I had such a wonderful time and I love these women so much that I am already dreaming about our next girls' weekend!

My 33rd Birthday in NYC 2012

This was my first birthday as a mom! Which means, that it was a little easier to face 3-3 knowing that no matter what, my boys have my back.  It also means that Kevin watched James so that I could go out and party like I wasn't a mom. But before I left, Kevin and James prepared a super-chocolaty brownie with 3 candles for the big double-3.

James and Kevin give me a birthday treat

Having a little free time, my first temptation was to go visit Hudson again, and since it's my birthday I indulged the temptation.  Michele met me there and had a little baby-bonding-time too.  Hudson is a little bigger and full of inquisitiveness, but he's still smaller than James was when he was born.  More importantly, Hudson has a much better attitude than James has ever had. (Sorry, James.)

Christina, Hudson, Michele, and me 

Then Michele and I were off to Brooklyn for a wine tasting and sushi dinner.  The wine tasting was so good that between the two of us, we bought all the wines.  We went to one of Michele's favorite sushi places, Ozu, and I have to say it was really outstanding.  It was much better than average sushi.  I did however question my wisdom in choosing to drink a Lychee martini and sake after I had just come from a wine tasting, but oh well, that's how birthdays are done, right?

Me and Michele at the wine tasting in Brooklyn

Back in 2006, on my 27th birthday, my friend Sarah taught me the "Fun Things" birthday game, wherein you try to do as many fun things as the age you're turning.  My favorite part of this game is that there is actually a benefit to turning older, and it encourages you to do strange things in order to accumulate the points.  I hadn't played in a few years, but I did this year, and here are my 33 fun things:

1. I was woken up by my cute husband and baby. James immediately started playing peekaboo with the sheets. I cannot overemphasize the cuteness of this. Happy birthday me! 
2. I wore my gift from Janice-- pajama jeans. Make fun of them if you want, but I have never worn more comfortable pants. 
3. I had 2 or 3 coffees with sugar today. No Splenda for the birthday girl! 
4. And while I was at it... I had some dark chocolate before noon. Yum! 
5. I used the new camera lens Kevin got me to take photos of James. 
6. I had to take a shower while I had no help with James which resulted in James busting in and getting drenched. Pretty funny. 





7. I watched a Jersey Shore marathon while I chased James. Specifically, I watched the episodes where Snooki is pregnant, doesn't know, and keeps drinking more and more alcohol. Oh my god, it's like watching a terrible terrible crime being committed on television. I had to stop. 
8. I cleaned that house which always makes me feel great. And I left things all nice for when Kevin came home and took James. (I know this one is a little boring, but not for me.) 
9. Kevin was home by 2 pm to take James!
10. Kevin and James gave me  birthday brownie with 3 candles.
11. I tried to paint my nails on the LIRR, all LI-trashy-like, and it was a disaster.
12. I helped Christina build her play-and-pack.  I felt handy and accomplished. 
13. Time with baby Hudson!
14. Michele and I went to 61 Local a place in my old neighborhood that didn't exist when I lived there. It's a cute wine and beer bar.  I tried Brooklyn Brusco wine for the first time (from Red Hook). Very tasty.
15. I finally got Michele to explain her family tree to me so that I didn't need to keep figuring it out piecemeal. Now I know all about her older sister and three younger brothers.
16. Michele and I went to a wine tasting for local Finger Lakes wines at the Brooklyn Wine Exchange. Fun and fancy.
17. The wines were so good that we bought all of them.
18. In fact, the Riesling was my favorite Riesling I have ever tried.
19. While taking notes on the wines, I wrote under the red, "Tastes like happiness."
20. They might have let us have a few extra "samples" at the tasting which might have been directly related to our subsequent purchases.
21. Also related to the above, I started a quote list for the evening. It's quite entertaining, but a bit much to share on the blog.
22. Michele and I went to a delicious sushi restaurant where I had the best New York roll ever.
23. I also had the best tempura I've had. It was light and tasty. Not typical fried food.
24. I sipped sake while telling my Thanksgiving sake story of 1998.  I don't think I've ever told it before, and I'm probably never telling it again. Sorry!  I guess next time you'll know not to miss my birthday. ;)
25. I enjoyed a Lychee martini and ate the lychee at the bottom- my first lychee!
26. We had mochi for dessert and if you're keeping track that was my third dessert treat of the day. 3-3!
27. Michele treated me. So nice of her!
28. We took the subway home and ended up taking "gangsta" photos on the subway.





29. Michele and I had a nightcap at her place. Like I needed that!
30. Kevin said I didn't have to go home since he had the morning shift with James, so I slept over at Michele's.Yay for not having to catch the last train to Long Island!
31. I forgot to bring a toothbrush, but Michele just happened to have a brand new one from the dentist.  So lucky!
32. She also lent me her comfy pink yoga pants.  I might have to get a pair myself now.
33. I could easily count a 33rd thing that night, but the mocha I drank on the train back home next day, and the warm greeting I received from Kevin and James when I came in the door would beat the other thing I was going to list.

Thank you to everyone that made this birthday so special especially to Michele, the one-woman party! Love you all!

North Fork with Jon and Becky 2011

Perhaps in an effort to convince me that Long Island is not a developing country Kevin whisked me off to North Fork on Thursday, where our good friends Jon and Becky had rented a vacation house for the week. Kevin has been visiting them there for the last two years, but this was the first year I didn't have to work so I could join them. The plan was to relax and make lobsters for dinner and enjoy the beach the next day.  The first plan was a success. We enjoyed some wine and beer in the backyard while Jon grilled up some corn, and then went inside while Becky boiled the lobsters. It's only the third time I've ever had lobster right out of the shell, and the first time was when I was a kid, so I struggled quite a bit with my attack strategy. The delicious reward was well worth it though.

Enjoying a walk along the bay

Jon watching Kevin and James enjoy the hammock

Wine, check, pacifier, check

Sorry, lobster buddy, we have special plates for you and everything

The next day it rained so we had to rethink our beachy plans. We decided on a two vineyard, one brewery tour. I haven't gotten out of the house s much as I used to so I was super excited. We were a little concerned about taking James to adult places even though Becky assured us they were family-friendly, but James was surprisingly well-behaved, for James. Kevin did kindly take him outside for a little while at Lenz Winery while I hit the wine tasting, but he did get to try most of the wines first. I really liked the wine there and enjoyed my time chatting with Becky while Kevin and Jon fed and bounced the baby outside.

James then had a total meltdown in the car, but since it was in private, we were pretty psyched. He rallied for the Greenpoint Brewery, possibly because he was so stimulated by all the new sights and sounds. (Stimulated = freaked out.) By the time we got to Paumanok Winery, James fell asleep for his big afternoon nap so we were able to relax, enjoy the view of the vineyard, and ask Jon and Becky about their trip to Paris from a few years ago.

Three Clous at Lenz Winery

Becky and Jon at Lenz Winery

Greenport Harbor Company

The boys at Greenport Harbor Company

Becks and Jon at Paumanok Winery

Us at Paumanok Winery

What other baby can say he celebrated his 100-day mark with a winery-brewery "crawl?" Not very many, I'm sure. He had a semi-traumatic doctor's appointment the previous day before we left for North Fork, so we know he's now 15 pounds 7 ounces, and measuring 25.5 inches long. Though when I measure him, I get 26 inches... but somewhere around there.  Our mothers insisted we ask the pediatrician about introducing cereal or other solids to get James to sleep through the night. The pediatrician said that he shouldn't have any, and that it definitely wouldn't get him to sleep through the night. In fact, he suggested NOT feeding the baby at night, but just going in to comfort him. I'm not too confident about that idea just yet. I feel like James is stubborn and strong enough to cry for hours in protest. But we will eventually try if his sleep doesn't keep getting longer on its own. Right now he's up to four hours at a time, and some nights he only gets up once.

At the pediatrician's with his super intense finger bandage for his anemia test