jerseyhousewife

I am a Tebow Hater

2012-01-17T11:04:00.001-08:00

I am a Tebow hater. I was given that label during a Facebook interaction on the topic of the Christ-following football player. I said nothing negative about the guy, I just admitted that I don't have a school-girl crush on him. He doesn't capture my heart...or my attention span. Apparently, I'm not a good Christian...because the new rule is that people who love Jesus should also love Tim Tebow.

Personally, I don't know the guy. I've never met him. I've heard great things about him. I've heard he builds orphanages. I've heard he feeds hungry people and visits the sick. I've heard he respects women. I've heard he can throw a football. What's not to like about the guy?

I've heard some jabs about him in the media. Songs have been written about him. Poses have been named after him. His virginity is questioned.

Here's what I see happening. Christians see Tebow run. They see Tebow pray. They see Tebow ridiculed. They feel they need to compensate and defend, because they take it personally. They elevate Tebow.

I have no problem with Tebow. I don't dislike him. I actually feel sorry for the guy. He's probably one of the most misunderstood men on the planet right now.

But enough about Tebow. What really bothers me is the height we've elevated the poor guy. Yes...I said "we". We...as in the Christian community. I have to associate my name with that group because I call myself a Christ follower. Even though Christians have a bad rep in the media...I'm one of "them". As a Christ follower, I believe that Jesus loves his bride. And his bride is The Church. And The Church is all of us that believe in him, together as one group. So...when Christians behave badly...they represent The Church...they represent me...and more importantly they represent Jesus.

So, what's my problem? I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed every time somebody claims that God helps Tebow win games. Can God help somebody win a game? Sure. However, the belief that a god is pleased with a person's actions and grants him favors is a voodoo belief...not a Christian one. If we use that line of thinking, then what is God trying to prove when Tebow's team loses? Does God love Tom Brady more than Tim Tebow? And what about Christian players on opposing teams? If two Christ followers play against each other, who does God side with? It's faulty logic and I can't seem to find scripture to back it up.

I'm embarrassed every time I hear somebody talk about Tebow's 316 yards. Coincidence? Probably. However, the belief in numbers is numerology...not Christianity. Can God use numbers to make a point? Of course.

As a mom, I understand the frustration of having a child idolize a superstar who has questionable character. I am trying to raise my children to have morals and standards...which gets harder and harder to do as time passes and superstars become edgier and edgier. It's easy to become famous if you're naughty. Believe me...I know. I live in New Jersey, the land of misbehaving reality stars.

Yes...it's refreshing to see somebody with character in the spotlight. It's proof you don't have to compromise your beliefs to be somebody.

However, where in the Bible does it say it's ok to idolize superstars? I'm not being legalistic...I just don't see how elevating people does anybody any good. I'm guilty of it, too. I have Christ-following idols. I deeply admire Mother Teresa. I adore Katie Davis. I have tremendous respect for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I'm in awe of all the unnamed people who risk their lives to save children from slavery and who are persecuted for their faith...outside of the spotlight. I want to live my life with the courage and compassion that these people live(d) with...finding strength in Jesus. I don't have Katie's poster hanging on my wall. I don't own a Mother Teresa football jersey. I don't pose like Dr. King in public places for photo ops to post on Facebook.

Here's a suggestion...instead of buying yourself a football jersey and posters of Tebow, find out what his favorite charity is and donate the money to that instead.

In the meantime...I'll keep my crushes for my husband. I'll let Tim Tebow be Tim Tebow..and I won't make him out to be anything more than a child of God.

Growing Our Family

2011-11-18T06:31:00.001-08:00

The King of the Castle and I have talked about adopting a child (or children) since before Miss Mini Boss was born. But, we didn't think the timing was right until recently. I've been talking with other adoptive parents, doing internet research and last night we went to our first informational meeting. My head is spinning with so many questions. International or domestic? Are we open to special needs? Do we want a baby, or are we ok with older children? It feels really strange to look at a list of special needs and say yes to some and reject others...knowing that there are children who need homes. They need their basic needs met. This is going to take a lot of wisdom and prayer. But, I believe there is a child (or children) out there who belong in our home.

Our castle isn't huge, but we have an empty bedroom. We have three empty seats in the mini-van. We have access to medical care, education, food and clothing. We even have instant siblings and a puppy who loves to cuddle. We have love to give. We are far blessed beyond what we deserve...so why not give it away to a child (or children) who have nothing?

Before we mentioned this to the kids, Mr. Smarty Pants came to me to talk to me about a dream he had. He said, "I had a dream that everybody in my family died and I had to go across the sea to go live with another family. They were really nice and took good care of me. But, when I got older I wanted to go back to my country. So I went back across the sea and a wild animal attacked and killed me."Woah. My first thought was where did this fear come from? Is he afraid of losing us? Then it dawned on me. Maybe he's empathizing with children who've lost everything. It's really an unfathomable thought...especially for those of us in America who have running water, supermarkets full of food and closets full of clothes. What's it like to lose EVERYTHING?

Mother Teresa said, "I have come to realize more and more that the greatest disease and the greatest suffering is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody (to no one)." I may not be a perfect parent. Let me rephrase that...I am NOT a perfect parent. However, I can want, love, care and accept a child (or children).

So, we begin this journey. The questions will be answered in time. This will be a long process, but I'm excited (and a bit nervous) about the possibilities.


My 3 crazies

^"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:26, 27 (NIV)

Food Trucks!

2011-09-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

So, I jumped the food truck craze...and I'm so glad I did. It's like a crazy addiction. I'll try food from one truck, and then I find I'm consumed with others I haven't tried, yet. I get most of my research done at New York Street Food. You want info about food trucks around the tri-state region? Go to the website first. If you're left insatiated after reading the latest food truck news on the blog then follow them on twitter, download their app and stalk the trucks yourself.

My first food truck culinary experience was with the Gorilla Cheese. I smartly ordered the Triple Cream Brie with Prosciutto di Parma & Strawberry Preserves. The flavor combo was to die for. All my favorites together. I found the bread to be a bit soggy, but that's my only complaint. I'll order a thicker bread next time.

Hint: Long lines = good food worth waiting for

Food Truck Experience #2) Kelvin Slush. I found this truck on a hot day near Union Square. How perfect...it was destiny. On this particular day, they had an Arnold Palmer special. I said, "Yes, please...with chopped basil on top!" One layer of tea slush, followed by one layer of raspberry slush, topped with citrus slush. The basil was my add-on...and I have no regrets. All natural. All delicious. I lost track of time sipping this concoction while watching people meander around Union Square. This is my new happy place in my mind when life gets stressful.

Food Truck Experience #3) Wafels & Dinges. I've actually been drooling over this trucks tweets for weeks. They taunt me with pictures and promises to satisfy both my sweet tooth and my savory tooth. I was in the City a few weeks ago and I got a tweet from them saying they were in SoHo and closing shop within 30 minutes. I ran 2 blocks, jumped on the subway, jumped off the subway and ran 3 more blocks. I found a long line in front of the truck with 6.5 minutes to spare. I hoped the experience would be worth it. I doubt there are words to express what I discovered. I looked over the menu, and then angels sang sweet songs around me when I saw the words, "de bacon-syrup wafel". Oh, yes...I did. They had me at bacon. There is something sooooo wrong about bacon cooked into a waffle...but, then again...there's something soooooo right about it, too. They call it scandalous...and as I seek to find the right word for it...I'd have to agree. There are no other words to describe it.

Food Truck Experience #4) Mexicue! I found this truck parked at 5th & 59th yesterday. I just ran the 5th Avenue Mile (Fastest mile I EVER ran...8:15!!!) and felt like celebrating. Imagine my excitement to see food trucks at the finish line. Had I known food trucks were waiting...I would've run a 7:15. Could this day be more perfect? I waited until King of the Castle ran his fastest mile (5:16!) and I dragged him over to the truck. I ordered two Berkshire Pulled Pork Sliders (with pickled red onions & avocado smash) and King ordered two chicken tacos. Mexicue's secret is the sauce. I slathered it on my sandwiches and fell into a BBQ coma as we sat on a planter on 5th Avenue and watched inspirational runners of all ages finish their races. A perfect day. The pickled onions were so delicious I could've eaten them by themselves. And avocado smash? C'mon! I live for guacamole. It's the perfect food. King of the Castle said his tacos were good. I regret not stealing a bite from him.

Wafels & Dinges also had a truck at the finish line. I thought I could finish my sliders and go back for waffles. I REALLY want to try their "de throwdown wafel". Since I have a HUGE crush on Bobby Flay, I cannot die without trying one. But...regrettably, I didn't go back. I'll continue to stalk them on Twitter and the next time I'm in the city I'll hunt them down. I WILL eat the waffle that beat Bobby's waffle.

Speaking of good food...we walked past Macaron Cafe. And by walked past, I mean walked past, turned around, entered the store, drooled at the counter and paid too much for "cookies" before walking out. And by paid too much...I mean I would've paid more for these little bites of heaven. And by cookies...I mean no words describe this decadent dessert. O.K. So Macaron Cafe isn't a food truck. However, since I'm on the topic of food I had to mention them. I ordered a grapefruit macaron and a raspberry macaron. King of the Castle ordered a dark chocolate macaron. All three were amazing. The raspberry macaron didn't have the traditional ganache inside. It had more of a jelly filling. Brilliant. If you haven't had a French macaron...go find one. Now! And savor every expensive bit. Macarons are the new cupcake. People will know you're cutting edge when they see you walking down 5th Avenue with a macaron in hand. Bill Cunningham will take your picture and you will find yourself in the NY Times. I promise. (And if anybody knows of a macaron food truck...please inform me ASAP!)

So many food trucks, so little time. When you see a food truck with a long line, make that your #1 priority. You won't be disappointed.

Fitness Magazine Mind Body & Spirit Games

2011-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

King of the Castle ran the NYC Marathon in '09 with his brother. Up until that point, I thought that running was the most ridiculous sport ever. Three months later, I bought some running shoes and hit the streets. I enjoyed it, surprisingly enough. I felt free. I felt like I could run from anything bothering me...if only for 30 minutes, or so. King of the Castle talked me into signing up for a NYRR (New York Road Runners) membership and I ran my first race on April 3, 2010. It was the Scotland Run, a 10k in Central Park. Yes...THE Central Park. The one in New York City. I did OK. I ran it in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 2 seconds. I was hooked. I loved running with the crowd. I loved the excitement and energy. I signed up for another 10k and ran that a month later, knocking 4 minutes off my time.

Since then, I've run 12 races. Two of those races were half marathons. I ran the NYC Half in March of this year, with some good friends of mine. I also ran the Queens Half-Marathon in July. My favorite race is the Fitness Magazine Mind, Body & Spirit Games in Central Park. It's a fun health festival for the entire family. The men run a 4 mile race first, followed by the women running the same distance. Then the kids get to run their races. This was the second year we ran this race as a family and we'll continue with the tradition.

I was excited about my race. Since I've been running a lot more (and since the weather was PERFECT for running...55 degrees), I could feel a PR on the horizon. I found my way to the pink bin...the second to last bin. I determined this was the last time I run in the pink bin. I deserve to run in the light blue bin. Motivation #1. I immediately spotted a redhead girl in the light blue bin wearing a University of Oregon T-shirt. Those who know me well, know that I am a huge fan of Oregon football. Redhead Duck Fan became my new imaginary BFF. I was determined to catch her by the end of the race so I could say Hi. Motivation #2.

I won't bore you with the details of the race. But...I did PR with a time of 40 minutes and 53 seconds. This was about 100 seconds faster than my last race. I came in 1,761st place...out of 2,570. Nothing to blog about...except that I ran my personal best. Yay! And, I did pass Redhead Duck Fan and said "Hi" to her at the end of the race. I'd better be in the light blue bin at the next race.

The festival was done well. Lots of free goodies and live music. A Pilates instructor lead us in warm-ups before the races. Some Biggest Loser people were rumored to be there. I personally didn't see any of them, not that I'd recognize them if I did. Some NFL players were around to pass out medals to the kids. The kids got really fantastic swag bags filled with jump ropes, Nerf footballs, water bottles, T-shirts and even a Rubik's cube. I haven't seen one of those since the 80's.

The kids had a terrific time during their races. Miss Personality and her daddy lined up with the other 3-year-old girls. After talking about this race for weeks, she suddenly changed her mind and didn't want to run. That attitude lasted until the other girls took off and she quickly changed her mind...again. She does that often.

Miss Personality, #370

Miss Personality LOVES her medal!

Mr. Smarty Pants was in a more serious group of athletes...the 7-9 year old boys. They were so excited about running they took off before the official "Go" signal was given. He ran his heart out and still had a smile on his face as he crossed the finish line.

Still Smiling!

Miss Mini Boss was the tiniest girl in her 10-12 year old division. But, she's bleeds determination. She isn't intimidated by anybody. She's #1051.

It was a great day. Miss Mini Boss said, "I don't care that I didn't get first place. I tried my hardest and I got a medal. I also got to spend a fun day in New York City with my family." That about sums it up!

September

2011-09-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Its been two years since I've blogged. Enough is enough. I'm jumping back on the blogwagon. I do participate in a food blog set up by my mom. You can check out what's cooking over there at familyseasonings.net.

I'll start this blog thing off with a photo post. Last Monday I grabbed my camera and went into the city. I needed some time to reflect and think about some upcoming decisions. Sometimes the best way to figure out what's important is to get out of your current situation and view life through the eyes of others. I found myself in the Financial District at the site of the World Trade Center. Here's what I saw:

Where has September gone?

2009-09-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

September is always a crazy month and I’m shocked it’s almost over. Where has the time gone?

People have been asking me about the sauces course I took at The Institute of Culinary Education, so I thought it was time to blog about it. I spent three days in the city mixing and tasting and chopping and whisking and bleeding. Yep…I cut my finger and I’m going to have a scar to show for it. I sliced my finger while cutting an onion. King of the Castle told me he’s sending me to a knife course next so I can learn to use those things without hurting myself.

Other than the pain, I had a really fantastic time in class. We flew through the sauces. First day was all about classic sauces: veloute, espagnole, béchamel, glace de viande, demi-glace and classic tomato. Second day was emulsion sauces: hollandaise, béarnaise, beurre blanc and mayonnaise. The last day we covered contemporary sauces: coulis, salsas, chutneys, relishes, infused oils and citrus juices.

I now have the culinary school bug and desperately want to attend full-time. The sauce course was fun, but I want more of a challenge. I want to be tested and graded. I want to learn the “hows” and “whys” of cooking. Maybe someday…but the sauces course definitely helped change my outlook of cooking.

Meanwhile, I decided to join the Food52 project. It’s basically a website that holds online cooking contests, and those who win the challenges get their recipe published in their cookbook, plus other prizes. I wanted to challenge my culinary skills and if I can come up with a new recipe each week (and maybe win one or two contests) then I’ll feel like I’ve gotten an at-home education.

So, I submitted my first recipe yesterday. The challenge was apple cake. My mom used to make an apple cake with a cream cheese icing. I thought, what if I made an apple Bundt cake with a cream cheese filling? And, what if I made the flavors subtle enough to top it with a caramel glaze? So, I spent a couple days experimenting, and here’s the recipe I submitted. (My sister-in-law helped me with the photo…isn’t it pretty? It helps to live with professional photographers!) :)

Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Caramel Pecan Glaze

Next week's contest is a paprika challenge. My mind is already spinning...and yes...this recipe will include some of the things I picked up during my sauces course.

9.11.2009

2009-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

The historical significance of this day is not lost on me. As I was riding the train into NYC this morning, I tried not to cry at the thought of the many people who did this exact same thing 8 years ago. Only they didn’t come back.

Today is cold and rainy…unlike that fateful day. But, the weather seems to fit the mood of the city today. I’m more aware of the sights and sounds today. I’m more aware of the people around me. Was that morning just like this…with everybody moving around the city to their jobs, walking their dogs, grabbing a cup of coffee before work? Were people frustrated at delayed trains? Were they happy to see the sun that morning? Were they making plans to meet friends for lunch before their worlds turned upside down?

So many questions filled my mind this morning as I walked to school. At one point, I crossed 6th Ave and looked towards the Financial District and saw the empty space where the towers once stood. I had to hold back the tears again.

I’ve had a queasy feeling in my stomach all day. My heart and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones on this day 8 years ago. This day can’t be easy for them.

Marathon Training…Foodie Style, part two

2009-08-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share my menu plan for the week. I mentioned in my previous post that I’m training for a Foodie Marathon. This is the basic idea of what my weekly menus will look like.

Sunday:

Take-out (Pizza)

Monday:

Chicken Fajita Salad with Poblano-Buttermilk Dressing
Cheese Wedge Biscuits
Homemade Lavender Ice Cream with Honeyed Pine Nuts

Tuesday:

Burgers with grilled Vidalia Onions
Sweet Potato Fries
Corn on the cob

Wednesday:

Barbeque Beef Subs
Red Potato Salad

Thursday:

Leftovers

Friday:

Bow Ties with Pesto, Feta & Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Spinach Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Garlic Vinaigrette
Watercress-Fruit Salad
Roasted Salmon with Roasted Plum Tomatoes & Caramelized Lemons
Blueberry-Pecan Crumble

Saturday:

????? Surprise….

So who wants to come over for dinner on Friday?

Bon Appetit!

2009-08-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello, My name is JerseyHousewife…and I’m a FoodNetworkAholic.

Food Network’s Chefography week was last week. I was able to DVR most of the episodes I wanted to see. The kids and I have been slowly making our way through each show…with a twist. I thought it would be fun to watch a Chefography episode and then try a recipe created by the chef or cook featured.

Here’s how it went down:

Chefography: Rachael Ray
Food: Summer Shrimp Rolls (Yum!)

Chefography: Giada de Laurentiis
Food: Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce (Double YUM!)

Chefography: Bobby Flay
Food: Napa Valley Burger with Sweet Potato Fries (Gotta have more!)
(O.K. I’ll admit it…I cheated on this one. We actually went to Bobby’s Burger Palace for lunch. I didn’t actually cook.)

Chefography: Paula Deen
Food: ??
I’m undecided on the Paula Deen thing. I’m not a big fan of southern style cooking. We just watched the Chefography today and I have a newfound respect for Paula. I do have a recipe for her Top Secret Chocolate Cookies that I may try for dessert tonight. I really don’t know what the top secret is besides maybe the butter? But, anybody who is familiar with Paula Deen’s cooking knows that butter goes into EVERYTHING.

What’s next? I still have Chefography episodes on the DVR for the Neely’s, Guy Fieri and Ina Garten.

Grand Finale? Julia Child. I loved the movie and have never tried any of her recipes. What shall I try? Boeuf Bourguignon? Pissaladiere? Coq au Vin? Poulet Poele a l'Estragon?

Obviously…most people don’t cook like this anymore. But, I want to challenge myself…so we’ll see how it goes. I promise this will not turn into a 524 recipes in 365 days project.

But, I do have a cooking project up my sleeves. I’ll share that another time.

The Next Food Network Star, Episode 7 Review

2009-07-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

My kids are big fans of The Food Network. I’m quite sure I’ve mentioned this before. I get a reminder from Miss Mini Boss every Sunday night to DVR The Next Food Network Star.

This morning, the kids woke up early. When I got out of bed and came downstairs, I found them watching the end of last night's episode of The Next Food Network Star. Here’s their review of the show (Warning: Spoilers ahead):

Miss Mini Boss: Jeffrey won the challenge and he gets to cook for Red Lobster!

Mr. Smarty Pants: Debbie lied to Bobby Flay. She told him that she put capers in the dressing and she really didn’t. She really forgot to use the capers.

Miss Mini Boss: Yes, she did. I think she should’ve been disqualified for that.

Mr. Smarty Pants: But, Debbie didn’t go home. Jamika lost because she yelled at the judges. She doesn’t really have a smiley face when she works. I think Jeffrey should win because he’s a really good cook.

Miss Mini Boss: Yeah. And he’s himself when he’s on the show and he’s himself when he’s off the show. The judges like his food.

There you have it. The Next Food Network Star, episode 7…as reviewed by my 8-year-old and 6-year-old.

Where's Waldo...er...I mean Mr. Smarty Pants?

2009-07-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Mr. Smarty Pants is a big fan of Rascal Flatts. So, when I saw they were one of the bands performing for The Today Show’s Free Concert Series I knew I had to take him. I tried to get a fan pass to get a better view, but didn’t win them. But, that didn't deter me from still showing up.

We had to be at the plaza by 6:00 AM. Anybody who knows me knows that I don’t do 6:00 AM. I couldn’t sleep the night before. It didn’t help that I went to bed past midnight and kept waking up to make sure I didn’t miss my alarm. I even dreamt that I over-slept and missed the concert and that Mr. Smarty Pants was terribly disappointed. Well…that didn’t happen.

We woke up at an ungodly hour and got to the train station on time. We arrived at the plaza around 6:15ish. The place was packed. If you don’t have a fan pass you have to stand around the corner or across the street and behind the stage. Mr. Smarty Pants is only 3’ 9” short, so we found a spot near a planter and I helped him climb up the planter. He still couldn’t see a thing. This was unacceptable to us. If he didn’t see Rascal Flatts…the whole trip would’ve been a complete failure.

I decided to take him into Dean and Deluca to see if we could find a window seat. Jackpot! We found a lone table, right up next to the window with an empty chair. I ordered a coffee for me and a hot cocoa for Mr. Smarty Pants and we got cozy. We could see and hear the band warming up. They sang a few songs for the waiting crowd before the show even began. Then we sat and waited…and waited…and waited. The crowd inside the store grew. We made some friends, drank some more hot cocoa and coffee. One lady kept trying to sit on me. She had her foot on the seat of my chair at one point trying to lean in for a better view. Ugh! Am I invisible?

Finally, the band came back to the stage. We rocked out to three songs and then the show was over. Short and sweet. One our way back to the train I got a text from my husband. He saw Mr. Smarty Pants on TV and took a picture. That was the highlight of the day. Not only did my son get to see his favorite band, but he also got to be on TV! (Can you spot him in the picture above? I strategically had him wear his bright green shirt...just in case.) :)

So, was it worth getting up at an ungodly hour, being pushed around by crowds, seeing the band perform a few short songs? Absolutely! If I don’t create fun memories for my children, I will feel like a failed my kids. Sure, we could’ve stayed home and watched the concert on TV…but, it’s a lot more fun to say we were there.

The Little Mermaid Adventure

2009-07-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I got an email from Disney on Broadway announcing that The Little Mermaid on Broadway will only be playing through August…and then they’re shutting their doors. Mr. Smarty Pants heard the announcement on the radio and said, “Hey, Mom! They’re shutting down The Little Mermaid!” He then proudly pronounced that it’s all his doing…he’s taking full responsibility for shutting it down.

Why? I’ll share a post from my previous blog and let you be the judge:

Monday, February 9, 2009

I love New York City. There’s always something going on. It truly is the city that never sleeps.

My mom was in town last week. We had a really great visit with her and wish she could’ve stayed longer.

While she was here, we took advantage of Kids’ Night on Broadway and took Miss Mini Boss & Mr. Smarty Pants to see The Little Mermaid. It was snowing, so I wanted to start our little trip early to give room for delays. I pulled the kids out of school 40 minutes early and drove to the train station. Found a parking spot (Wahoo!). I know…it’s probably nutso to get excited over a parking spot, but I already had parking tokens and didn’t want to pay double to park in a private lot. The spot was on my left and I was getting ready to pull into it when a driver behind me decided they didn’t want to wait for me. He wanted to pass me. Problem was that there was no room to pass me on the right, so he decided to pass me on the LEFT as I was pulling LEFT into an empty parking spot. No collision happened…thank God! But, it was a close call.

I was later telling King of the Castle about it and had to explain it to him several times. He didn’t believe that somebody would pass somebody else…on the left…as the first somebody was pulling into a parking spot...on the left. (How long has he lived in Jersey…and why he was surprised is beyond me.) He asked, “What did you do?”

“I honked my horn.” (Of course…what else would I do?)

“Did you beep-beep honk, or did you lay on the horn?”

“I lay on the horn. I don’t beep-beep anymore…I’m a Jersey girl now.” He laughed.

What? Am I supposed to be courteous and polite to the guy who almost hit me???

In spite of our near collision, we made it to the train station in time to catch the earlier train. We arrived in the city 40 minutes earlier than planned. I was pretty excited about this because now we could change our plans. I originally planned to eat dinner in the theater district so we would be close to the theater, but we now had time to head down to the kids’ favorite restaurant near Union Square. The problem was that I made a big mistake. I relied on my flawed memory to get us there. The N, Q, R, W, 4, 5 & 6 trains go to Union Square. We walked over to Herald Square and grabbed the train downtown. However, we grabbed the D train. I was thinking the B, D & F trains also stopped at Union Square. Of course, I didn’t figure out that we were on the wrong train until we were crossing the East River and could see the Brooklyn Bridge out the window. Ugh! I felt so stupid. We got off the train in Brooklyn and grabbed the 4 train back to Manhattan and Union Square.

We entered the magical world of Max Brenner Chocolate. Willy Wonka truly does exist. The hostess greeted us by saying, “Oh look! Kids!” I laughed out loud. She asked me if they were allergic to nuts. I told her they weren’t so she took us to the candy bar and passed out caramelized chocolate-covered pecans. Yum! Dinner was great…dessert was fantastic. The kids shared half of a Chocolate Pizza. Mom had the Chocolate Chai Tea and I had the Vanilla Profiterole Fondue Skewers. Need I say more?

After dinner we took the correct train to the theater district. It was a slow train, but it got us to our destination. I’m not sure why it was slow, but do you ever notice that people talk on the train to strangers only when there are problems on the train? While the train is going, everybody pretends they are the only passengers on board. When the train stops for no reason…people start talking. It’s kinda strange, if you ask me. Mr. Smarty Pants was talking to me about who knows what and the guy next to me starts laughing. He looks at Mr. Smarty Pants and says, “You’re one funny little guy, you know that?” Mr. Smarty Pants nodded his head. Of course he knows he’s funny. I just wish I now remembered what he was telling me. I have no idea what tickled this stranger’s funny bone. Most of our conversations on the train have to do with the advertising posters. We had an earlier conversation about bed bugs…but that was on the Brooklyn bound train.

Anyways…the show started at 7:00. It was fantastic…of course. Most Broadway shows are. The first half went by without incident. We even had a great view because nobody was sitting in the row in front of us. The second half was a little bit more adventurous. It started with some not-so-tiny seat hoppers deciding to take advantage of the empty row in front of us. Halfway through the 2nd act, they regretted their decision and quickly went back to their original seats. Why? Because Mr. Smarty Pants decided his chocolate pizza didn’t agree with his tummy.

That’s right…my 6-year-old son vomited in the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in Manhattan. He puked all over the floor and on the people sitting in the row in front of us in the middle of “If Only.” I grabbed him and walked as fast as I could to the lobby, ripped off his clothes and did laundry using the bathroom sink and hand dryer while he shivered and fussed about having to be in the women’s bathroom…as if puking in a public place wasn’t humiliating enough…

When the actors took their final bow, I made my way back to our seats to assess the damage. The people behind us were kind enough to give us an entire package of baby wipes, but there’s only so much you can do. I was grateful for their sympathy. They told me their youngest was a puker, so they understood.
I was bummed I didn't get to watch the end of the show...but, I'm told that Eric and Ariel got together and lived happily ever after. (I hope I didn't ruin the ending for anybody...Sorry if I did!)
I hope that we don’t single handedly discourage Broadway from doing Kids Night on Broadway from this point on. If the program shuts down…you can blame the kid who puked during The Little Mermaid…my kid.

We left the theater and made our way back to the train station. We got to Penn Station just in time for Mr. Smarty Pants to mention he had to throw up again. Mom took him over to a trash can and held him over it while he tried to empty his stomach again. It’s amazing how much space you can get in a crowded train terminal when you have a puking child. Our gate was called and we walked to the platform and somehow managed to get an entire train car to ourselves. I should take Mr. Smarty Pants with me to NYC more often. I’m sure I can train him to fake puke in order to get some personal space.

The Cake Boss

2009-07-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Miss Mini Boss and Mr. Smarty Pants are big fans of The Food Network. Their favorite shows are Ace of Cakes, Food Network Challenge, The Next Food Network Star and Unwrapped. When TLC picked up The Cake Boss, we started watching it out of curiosity. It was an instant hit in our household. Lilly recognized Buddy Valastro (The Boss) from the Food Network Challenge. When the kids figured out that Carlo’s Bakery was in Jersey their first question was, “When can we go there?” (Notice it wasn’t a “can we…” question. It was a “when…” question.)

Last week, we hopped in the car and drove to Jersey City for a day trip to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. I decided to surprise them with a stop at Carlo’s Bake Shop in nearby Hoboken. They were giddy with excitement when they realized where they were. “Can we see Buddy?”

We walked into the bakery heaven and were drooling over the seemingly endless row of pastries. A loud, Jersey-girl type in front of us asked, “So…is ‘The Boss’ here?” The woman behind the counter mumbled something about him being unavailable, so I disappointed the kids by telling them Buddy wasn’t there. They were cool with that because cupcakes were in their near future.

We ordered some cupcakes when three Italian blue-hairs walk in. They were loud, too. One of them shared a birthday with Sinatra and all were big fans and they wanted an elaborate Frank Sinatra cake for an upcoming party. They wanted to meet Buddy and they wanted to be on TV. Buddy’s sister was talking to the ladies and I overheard her say, “Buddy isn’t the ONLY star of the show, you know. It’s a show about the family.” I had to laugh…it was adorable. Buddy’s sister left the room and the women started complaining about how they’re not being taken seriously enough and about how the people in the bakery didn’t realize how much money they wanted to spend and how elaborate this cake should be, etc…

Meanwhile, a mom and her three attractive, curly-haired daughters walk in the store. One of them looks at the girl behind her counter and says in a tone that couldn’t be refused, “Can we meet Buddy?” Wouldn’t you know it…not two minutes later my kiddoss see Buddy walking down the stairs in the back. “Buddy’s here!!!” They forgot about their cupcakes and ran to the back of the store to meet him. Miss Mini Boss said, “Congratulations on your Food Network Challenge win.” Buddy said, “Oh! Did you see that? Thank you very much!” He agreed to pose for a picture with Miss Mini Boss and Mr. Smarty Pants. You could tell he was kind of embarrassed by people asking for pictures and autographs. The kids were thrilled with how nice he was.

Three days later, Miss Mini Boss still can’t stop talking about meeting him…so far this was the highlight of her summer.

We did make it to Liberty Science Center. It was fun…but, not the climax of the day. If I would’ve known that, I would’ve just taken them to the Bake Shop and called it a day.

New Blog!

2009-07-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Starting over. A fresh start is always nice, right? I gave up blogging a few months ago, but I really need to get back at it...so here it goes. This is a blog about my life. My life as a mom of three kids...Miss Mini Boss is 8 and getting ready to enter the 3rd grade. Mr. Smarty Pants is 6 and about to tear up the 1st grade. Miss Personality is 14-months and is sitting next to me looking cute...even as she shoves pancakes into her ear.

The King of the Castle and I have been married for over 13 years and I'd marry him all over again...if given the chance. We live in the Garden State...probably one of the craziest places to live in the U.S. I'll tell you more about my husband later. I will tell you this...King of the Castle grew up in the Midwest and I'm a California girl. We met and married in the Pacific Northwest and moved out here to the East Coast almost three years ago. A lot of people I talk to say they can't wait to leave New Jersey. I don't blame them at times...especially with the dense population and the highest taxes in the nation. But, we love it here. Jersey is messy, colorful and complicated...just like my life.