Jersey Bliss

Favorite Three Ladies With Manhattan Bridge in Distance

Your two day vacation from Frail Deeds is over! (my abject apologies) Ever since my wife’s return from Panama there’s been one item on the agenda that’s been gnawing away at her – the chance to see our granddaughter again now that she’s a fellow east coaster. Unbeknownst to me, but certainly not surprising, my Favorite Panamanian had used the time between their last meeting to do some serious shopping for her (and that’s a whole ‘nother level of serious considering the participant). First we had to get there though.

Salsa Dancing in Jersey

We had a fabulous First Friday before we rushed home because we had to get Buddy into the dog hotel before they closed. We didn’t have time this week to run him down to his preferred haven – the Great Aunt and Soxfather dog commune and none of the neighbors are up to the task of Winder Pooch sitting. After the dog drop off we had dinner at our favorite restaurant and then barged into the Neighborhood Mafioso’s house for a couple more drinks.

Present opening Starts

There's More?!

Wow Abuela - You Can Shop!

All these festivities made the early Saturday morning arising more of a chore than it should have been but we had the motivation of the destination to push us. The drive down was spectacular and we were knocking on their door a little over three hours after setting out. My granddaughter showed no reticence whatsoever and was soon delivering one of her patented hugs.

The Pink Boot Tour

Just Keeps Coming

In a theme to play out over the weekend she seemed to like being picked up and held more by me than by her grandmother. I think she just likes the height differential and we’ve had a lot more recent time together than with her grandmother. As the photos will attest this wasn’t a serious problem as she loved being with both of us. Shortly after arrival my wife’s first shopping cache was revealed. It is obvious that our granddaughter shares her abuela’s love of shoes. She tried each of the several pairs she was presented with including pink cowboy boots. She wasn’t too crazy about the heels but it was beyond words in the cute department.

More Salsa

It's in the Blood

This was the first time my wife had seen the new abode and we got the cook’s tour after the dust settled from the grandparent/grandchild reunion. Wingman has been doing yeoman work staying ahead of the flooding issue they has in the basement but it is becoming more and more clear that the contractors who did the remodel prior to their purchase cut some severe corners.

More Shoes!!

Saturday afternoon saw us wending our way into New York City for a birthday party for one of the other 2d gen Curbsiders. The drive in through the Holland Tunnel and over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn was every bit as painful as you would imagine. I cannot believe people actually choose to do this every day. The party was in a kids’ activity center literally in the shadow on the Manhattan Bridge and just up the street from where one of the other Curbsiders married a few years ago. Wingman actually parked the car under the bridge.

Party Time

The party was very interesting; its ben a few years since I was at a 2 year old’s birthday party. There was the constant ebb and flow as the kids charged from one play apparatus to another. The First Blog Reader loves the slide and would only accomplish it if I was standing next to her. She would get to the top of the ladder and then ask “Ampa?” to see where I was at. “Ampa” is “Grampa” in her lexicon with “Ablayla” serving for “Abuela”.

The Slide

Curbsiders Holding the 2d Gen

After the party we traveled the torturous track back to New Jersey but this time we used the Brooklyn Bridge which I had never traveled across before, so that was kind of cool; but then there was the whole Manhattan driving experience which dampened any short-lived high. The return home was welcome as we were able to sit around and socialize even after the First Blog Reader knocked off for the night. My daughter was able to help her mother catch up on watching the latest season of Jane the Virgin which was needed because someone (not saying who) semi-accidently deleted them off our DVR.

Coloring with Abuela

Dinner with Abuela

Makeup Application With Abuela

Sunday dawned a glorious spring day with bright sunshine and the warmest temperatures of the year. The deck was beckoning with its siren call and we were soon all out there together. My wife was conducting bubble blowing operations with our granddaughter while Wingman gave me a tour of the contractor travesties on the outside of the house. I’m no handyman but even I knew a lot of the most obvious issues such as blocking off vent holes so birds don’t nest or connecting the AC unit to electrical power. I’ve got to figure out a weekend I can get down there with some tools to help on some of it. I would of course also get to hang out with the terrific trio again while there, so there’s that.

The Terrific Trio Blowing Bubbles

The Sunny Deck

Abuela Wants to Help

The upside was their backyard which is in terrible shape now but shows real promise in terms of possibilities. A couple passes with a rototiller and some grass seed could turn it into a paradise. As the temperatures are warming up they’re also meeting some of their neighbors which is turning out nicely with a whole generation of kids around the same age as my granddaughter. It was time to imagine the same group in a few years all growing up together attending school and becoming friends. Since all the houses are literally just driveway width apart it’s nice they have a good group around them.

On the Hunt with Abuela

Her First Easter Basket

After our outdoor sojourn we returned inside where the First Blog Reader conducted her first ever Easter Egg hunt arranged by her grandmother. She loved the new Easter lamb she pulled out of a huge Easter egg and dutifully retrieved the barely hidden eggs around her living room.  So something else to add to my resume – I was there for the first ever.

All too soon the dreaded return trip beckoned as the responsibilities of the work week mitigated against a longer stay. We waited until her mid-day nap was over (we’re talking about the granddaughter here) before we said our goodbyes. It was difficult to say the very least.

So Much to Do

Why Can't I have all the Treats Now?

The car was a lot less fully loaded than the trip down after unloading all of my wife’s grandaughterly purchases. Serial hugging was involved in our departure ceremony where once again I marveled at the ability of one so small to generate such deep feelings. I shouldn’t be surprised, her mother did and still does the same thing to me. As we left she was walking down the block with the stroller to join yet another Curbside girls get together at one of the Maplewood parks. I watched them move away in the car’s rear view mirror and the road ahead seemed so much longer and certainly less anticipatory than Saturday morning’s had been.

Meeting her Easter lamb

Spying an Egg

That assessment proved predictive as it took a full forty five minutes longer than the trip down to get through the Garden State Parkway and the approach to the Tappen Zee Bridge. In a major upset Connecticut proved to be an absolute breeze, totally out of character. While the trip back was a pain in the ass on a number of levels nothing could dim the bone deep pleasure of the time spent with Wingman, Jersey Daughter, and the First Blog Reader; East Coast rules!

They Seem to Enjoy each Other