Bye, bye crib

After a month of climbing out of various pack 'n plays and cribs,
Kelsey has graduated to a toddler bed. She loves it! I'm hoping the
hard part of the transition is behind us, left in various cities
during our August travels!

Thankfully ...

Ken and I were able to have an evening out, just what I needed, on our
last evening in NYC.

Our dear friend Sharilyn kept the hotel room quiet while we had a
couple of light beers at McSorley's, a NYC establishment for 150
years. (They have the dust to prove it and a review from 1914.)

Afterward we visited Grand Central Station. It was almost 11 years ago
that we did the same. Ken then proposed to me in Grand Central. We
celebrate 10 years of marriage next week, and this was a perfect
celebration.

By the end of Thursday ...

I was ready to be someplace like this, with adult conversation and
someone serving me.

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Today we hit the Brooklyn Children's Museum for the afternoon with
cousins Allison and Kaitlyn. The kids loved the Jump exhibit -- a
place where the kids could climb, hang, push and jump. It should be
mandatory warm-up for all boys before school each day. All of the kids
loved playing in the water, and none wanted to leave. Neither did I,
since I was dreading the long walk back to the subway and more steps
to climb while carrying a very heavy double stroller. Somehow we made
it and took a quick spin through Times Square before calling it a night.

Empire State Building

Ken finished training early enough on Tuesday for us to walk from
Madison Park up to the Empire State Building. Brendan loved it, just
as he has loved every other stop on this trip. Ryan enjoyed looking,
but only briefly. Kelsey was most interested in the bird on the ledge,
but did say "Wow" when we first walked out. (This Lego structure in
the gift shop was also cool!)

City park

Tuesday afternoon we ventured off to Madison Park at 5th Ave. and
25th. The quaint little park was packed with kids (and what appeared
to be a whole bunch of nannies). My three were thrilled to run wild
and just play!

Museum of Natural History

This morning we visited the American Museum of Natural History, with
help from my friend and former co-worker Sharilyn Hufford. The kids
loved it! We saw dinosaurs, mammals, sea creatures and more. Their
favorite was the Discovery Room, where Brendan helped assemble
dinosaur bones while Ryan and Kelsey dug for bones.

Lady Liberty

We finally made it into Manhattan today. First stop: Statue of
Liberty. A must. Brendan, in particular, loved it. We made it up into
the pedestal. So cool!

One reason we heart Texas

... Because you never find TCU gear at the grocery store.

Happy 4th birthday, Ryan!

My sweet Ryan is 4. Happy birthday!

Ryan, at 4:

• He's 42.5 inches, which is about a half-inch taller than Brendan at the same age and is three inches taller than he was on his third birthday. He weighs 38-39 pounds. Several people in the past few days have commented on how tall he is (saying he looks closer to 5).


• Ryan has an incredible heart. He is always thinking and doing things for his brother, sister and dad. And expects nothing in return.


• Ryan can swim a full 25. He completed his first one a week before he turned 4! He was also the first 3-year-old to graduate from Level 3 at the Colony's swim lessons program. He's a natural fish in the water and feels comfortable swimming around the diving well.


• Ryan is going through a picky-eater phase. While he was 3, he decided he no longer liked noodles with sauce, BBQ and chicken. He even went through a phase (gasp!) when he declared he didn't eat pizza. He still loves, thankfully, eating most fruits. And he'll polish off a bowl of carrots on his own.


• He knows his ABCs, can recognize letters and can count to 30. He's also good with his colors and shapes. He can spell and write his name!


• Ryan loves sports in general, and seems to have a knack for them. He's good with the soccer ball and loves playing t-ball. He also likes to be run fast while being chased!


• Ryan is riding a bike with training wheels, and he loves it. He's able to keep up fairly well and even rides from our house to the pool with Dad and Brendan.


• Ryan knows more about Star Wars than I am sure is acceptable for a child of his age. But he often reads the same books as his brother, and we have quite the Star Wars collection!


• Ryan doesn't nap anymore. He gave it up entirely when he stopped attending preschool in June. (Even then, he only napped once or twice a week.) He still needs downtime, though.


• He sleeps with many stuffed animals, including Marty (a blue and red puppy), and his prized blue-and-white stripe blankies.


• Ryan's bedtime is generally between 8-8:30. I'd love for him to be asleep at 8, but his brother isn't. Since they share a room, it's not easy getting one to bed without the other.


• He plays well with his brother and sister, though he forgets to use his words when he's frustrated.


• Ryan is very protective of his little sister. Mess with her on the playground and you'll have to deal with him!


• In September, Ryan will begin Pre-K. It's hard to believe he only has one year remaining until kindergarten! He'll be attending a new school, where he'll be with a few friends he already knows.


• Ryan loves superheroes and Cars. He still plays with his Cars cars nonstop.