There really are a lot of nice things to do in Manhattan in the summer. We've gone to library storytimes and lots of parks, and this past Thursday ventured to a free kids' concert at Madison Square Park. I also ambitiously decided to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond beforehand. You may already be able to predict how this turns all out in the hot and sticky New York summer.
The day started out well enough, though the kids have been getting up early (usually before their previous 7am - yuck). That gives us plenty of time to eat and get ready to go before the store opens. Since Mila takes 2 naps and Shay takes 1, I would never leave the house if I stayed home for all 3 naps. I have been taking them out in the mornings, so Mila gets a short nap in the stroller, then they take a longer afternoon nap together at home. So we loaded up the stroller (50 lbs in the kids' weight alone), and headed off. It was probably already 90 degrees out and I had to go west at least 8 looonnng blocks and south at least 6 blocks. Takes about 30 minutes. At least I am getting some exercise in, since there is no time for the gym.
I think everything would have been much better if I was wearing the right shoes. I have seen lots of people walking around in flip flops, so I have usually defaulted to mine too. Feet open to the streets of New York, however, get pretty dirty and gross. I decided to try out some Naturalizer flats with a padded footbed for our crosstown trek. Seemed like a brillant idea; too bad they were a little big and narrow, so I got blisters on each of my pinky toes and a cut on the back of one foot. So although Mila slept for most of Bed, Bath, and Beyond, we were all kind of a sweaty mess by the time we got to the park and unloaded in the special stroller parking area.
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| View of the Empire State Building (I think - I heard someone else say it and quickly snapped a picture in the direction he was looking) from Madison Square Park |
Stroller parking is yet another New York accommodation that is necessary due to there just being too many people packed into small spaces. Everywhere is crowded, so you have to wait for things (buses, seats on the bus, long lines at stores); this dynamic definitely takes some getting used to and can be a source of annoyance with two kids on tow.
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| You can see the crowd starting to gather. It got pretty packed. |
Back to the concert. We got a good spot in the shade. Shay was enjoying the art installation by Charles Long, and Mila's mood improved with Cheerios.
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| Apparently, these sculptures made sounds. Shay was disappointed when a park employee said that they would be turned off during the concert. |
The band, Moona Luna, started to play and the kids started grooving. 
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| Mila was a fan |
I really liked the songs, which were in English and Spanish. More on the concert and group on the Madison Square Park website. After about 20 minutes, though, things started going south. Despite snacks and drinks, the kids (and me!) were getting hungry and tired. Shay was getting annoyed with Mila. I was getting annoyed with him. My feet hurt just thinking about walking back. It was time to go.
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| Mila's favorite pass time - sitting on people and bouncing up and down or smacking them. |
We finally made it home for much-needed lunch and nap. We spent the rest of the day close to home, visiting the playgrounds in our complex.
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