FUN IN THE CITY

It was so great to be back in the city! You could just feel the energy everywhere. I was really excited to introduce Kielle to my friends and family. We had something planned for every day of the week. I was all set to hit the streets running - until we realized that there was a cold front coming in... Now a Georgia cold front is 50's maybe 40's - a New York cold front... 20's. We were not prepared! I had only brought my jean jacket and Khyri's fall coat. I figured we would layer if it got nippy... not so much. Danielle snapped into action and was able to call a friend to borrow a heavy winter coat for Khyri and I was able to use her bubble coat. I don't even remember the last time I had a bubble coat! hahahahah but I was warm!! So with Danielle's umbrella stroller and my maya wrap, we set out into the city.

Don't let the sun fool you - its freezing

GOTTA EAT!
We had a lot lined up. First up: an early dinner at BBQs with a bunch of friends. This was our first venture into the city. I forgot about the whole NYC parking thing. You could be going to a restaurant on 23rd street and might find a parking spot on 28th... yeah hoofing it. We luckily found parking 3 blocks away - but one of those blocks was an avenue block (If you know anything about NYC avenue blocks are like 2 long regular blocks arrrggh) Good Lord.

Look mom! I'm a New Yorker

 
Arhima had Khyri holding her hand and I lugged Kielle in her carseat. Now my Kielle is a chunker... I swear my arm was almost numb by the time we made it to the restaurant and I had worked up a serious sweat. But we made it and I was extremely happy to see my folks!

Shout out to Arhima, Tarah, Jamila, Reggie, Scharon and Stephanie! Its always good to hang out with the crew and joke around. Reggie is not comfortable around babies... and I think Kielle can tell!

SIGHTSEEING
One of our anticipated outings was to the American Museum of Natural History! It was a horrible rainy day but Jamila and Arhima braved the weather and met us. I remember going to this museum every year in elementary and middle school. The exhibits are still the same hahahah. I totally remember the Native American wigwam and tee-pee section!

I'm listening Auntie Jamma... teach me everything you know.

The museum suggests that adults pay 16 bucks and children 9. That suggestion was too much for me bwuahaha so I donated 10 bucks. We had an awesome time. Besides having to battle with people to get on and off the elevator, it was great to see the different exhibits and learn some interesting facts. Khyri enjoyed seeing the animals. I think that museums might be better than zoos for toddlers because the animals are stuffed so they are easily spotted ahahaha. There is nothing worse than going to the zoo and the wildebeest is hiding behind a bush or the meerkat is burrowed deep and won't come out. Everything was in plain site at the museum hahaha. Definitely worth the 10 bucks.... maybe even 16 :-)

Khyri's hands down favorite part of the museum was the new high tech glass elevators. *sigh* so simple... ahhahahaha

We had a little bit of a scare when we were leaving the museum... I thought I had lost the car. I couldn't remember where I parked - which by the way was 4 blocks from the museum. I was soooo nervous that I had gotten the car towed. How do you make that call??? Good thing it didn't happen. After 15 minutes of walking up and down a few blocks I found the car and all was good.

PAPA DOT

Kielle finally got to meet my dad - Papa Dot ;-) She looked so tiny in his arms. Papa Dot and Khyri had a good time catching up. I think my dad was really excited to see how much Khyri has developed a personality! It was really nice to see my dad smiling and enjoying Khyri - it almost made me want to move back home - almost.

Ahhhhh Riverside Park! Memories.

My guinea pig Aisha is buried in this park.

STATEN ISLAND
One afternoon we journeyed out to Staten Island to meet Great Grandma Ruth, Aunt Deloris, and Cousin Stuart. Khyri had a great time running around in the backyard, watching the Yankee game, and playing with Great Grandma's fruit magnets!

 

Khyri fell in LOVE with the fruit magnets

MEET THE TWINS
After visiting with the family, we went to check on my friend from undergrad Chinedu. She and her husband Maks had fraternal twins in February. I had seen plenty of pictures and video of the twins but meeting Little Miss Veronica and Master Victor in person absolutely fabulous!!!

When I say these are the two yummiest children!! Its amazing to see double of everything hahahaha. Poor Chin was nursing around the clock - I can't even imagine. She's a trooper. I know Maks and Chin are gonna have tons of stories in the future with these two. They already have started to show their personalities. Amazing. Who would've thought that the Director/Writer and the Producer of Black Theater Company's Spring 1999 masterpiece DAX - The Black version of GREASE - would have four children between the two of them! Times sure have changed :-) I guess we're all grown up now huh!??!

CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
We capped off the visit by driving to Philadelphia on Friday and coming back Monday. The ride down was ok. Kielle slept most of the way - but not that Khyri... nope he was WIDE awake the whole time. This was after we spent an hour in at the playground. Khyri is like me and my Grandma... We will ride and stay awake the whole time - and yet I still get lost everywhere I go! hahahahha I guess I'm looking out the window but not really paying attention. The ride was only an hour and a half. I did have to stop once to nurse Kielle and change her. But all in all, not a bad ride.

The little people got to hang out with Aunt Pat, Cousin Kimiyo and Cousin Kenya. It was so much fun to see them lounging in the house and being really comfortable. Aunt Pat calls Khyri Fluffer Nutter and when she finally got to see Kielle in person, she named her Stuffer Nutter!!

Kielle's kinda cool right Aunt Pat?

Aunt Pat got to give Khyri his first bath in a big tub (Yes I still fold him into the infant tub - there's no need to waste all that water! haahaha - don't judge me) and also help him with brushing his teeth. Kenya just loved playing with Kielle in her outfits! hahahahha

 

I'm pretty - even when I'm sleeping!

Danielle let me borrow her doubler stroller for this leg of the trip and that was a lifesaver! The first night we struck out walking to the corner store to get our mega millions ticket hahahaha. We didn't hit the jackpot *sigh* but I did win 2 bucks. Hey its a start!

The highlight of the trip was witnessing Khyri Mosley get out of the pack n play numerous times. I thought this was a fluke, but its now come to light that -yup- he is an escape artist. I don't have video of him in Philly, but I've got this video of him escaping from his crib at home (courtesy of Auntie Netta).

DELTA FLIGHT 235
On Monday we headed back to Jersey. Our flight was at 7pm so we had enough time to go back and hang out with Cadence and Aria before flying out. I must admit I was PETRIFIED of traveling with two kiddos on the plane by myself, but Danielle was THE BEST! She walked me all the way through security to the gate. We checked our one big bag and the two carseats at the ticket counter so the only thing I was carrying was the diaper bag and two munchkins. When Danielle left, we had about 45 minutes to burn so I tried to tire Khyri out by walking up and down... and up and down... the terminal. I had Kielle in the maya wrap and I held Khyri's hand. We looked out the windows at some of the planes taking off, and I bought a banana for the flight.

They always allow people with infants to board the planes first, but I decided to board the plane dead last. I know that Khyri does not like sitting still. I figured its better for us to be the last ones on the plane so by the time we sit down and buckle up its time for the cabin doors to close and we can get to moving. My plan worked!

The flight was only about half full - plenty of open seats. For this flight, I had to buy Khyri his own seat since I could only carry one child in my lap, and Kielle had that prime location on lock. So here we are sitting in a row of three - Khyri at the window, I'm in the middle and a man in the aisle seat. Let me go back... the plane was half full. Why is this man still sitting here?!?!?! The row in front of us was empty, the row on the other side of the aisle was empty and the row behind us was empty - but we're squeezed up in this one row like sardines. Seriously!?!?!  Stay cool... Kahlillah Stay cool... The flight attendant announces that the passengers are free to move around and change seats since there clearly are open seats before we taxi away from the gate. I turn to my left and look the man straight in the eye and say "It won't hurt my feelings if you move" I added a smirk and maybe a little chuckle on the end to make him feel at ease. He promptly got his butt up and switched to an empty window seat in another aisle. I mean really!??! who prefers to sit crowded up next to two children for 2.5 hours?!?!? Man - GET UP! ahahhah.

Once we were all settled, the next 2.5 hours were filled with me singing 'The Wheels on the Bus', "If You're Happy and You Know It', and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider' over and over and over again. I cycled in some books, changed some diapers, and Khyri was captivated by the snack tray coming through the aisle. The last 20 minutes was the hardest part of the flight. For most of the flight Khyri was able to roam around in our row and stand in his seat and look out the window. But when the plane started its descent, everyone had to buckle up and sit down. not.a.good.look. Khyri pitched a fit moaning and groaning, etc. I simply tightened the lap belt and made Khyri sit down - of course by this time he had wedged himself face first into the seat of the chair. His ears started popping so I wedged his sippy cup down there to help with the pressure, while I nursed Kielle.

Next thing we knew... we landed - and I had survived!!!