Boston: Richardson's Dairy

When I thought about heading back to my home town, I knew that I would stop at Richardson's.

Richardson's Dairy is how ice cream should be done.
The cows are on site.
The milking sheds are on site.
The processing plant is on site.
The ice cream is on site.
It is farm fresh and absolutely delicious.

Richardson's is an institution...300 years and counting.
It has become a part of many family's lives...my family included.
Summers meant staring up at the board of flavours, trying to decide which one to choose.
My father taught some of the Richardson boys and at Christmas time would receive tubs of ice cream as a gift.
My senior year at boarding school I was allowed to have a car.  It was a huge honour and was ostensibly so I could get to and from lifeguarding classes in a nearby town.  I abused the privilege by driving to Richardson's with one of my best friends for coffee heath bar extra thick frappes.  Yes, if I got in trouble in high school it wasn't going to be for smoking or drinking but because of ice cream!  Nerd alert!
Now I have taken my son to Richardson's.
We saw the cows, fed the goats, made gobble sounds at the turkey and of course ate some ice cream.
My coffee heath bar extra thick frappe was as good as I remembered it.

For those of you in and around the Boston area, I am sure that you know and love Richardson's.
For those of you who live further away, I would highly recommend adding Richardson's to your list of must dos when visiting Boston.  It is located in Middleton, about thirty minutes outside of Boston and although it is worth going way out of your way for their ice cream, it can very easily be made to be on your way to the beaches of the North Shore, New Hampshire or Maine.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
As he said goodbye to the cows, Toddler C thanked them for the ice cream.
And yes, he now asks for chocolate ice cream at every meal!

Pregnancy and back cracking? Stafford Chiropractic and Wellbeing Centre

Sometimes I think the best way to go into something is with zero expectations.

Just before I left for the States, I got an email from the Stafford Chiropractic and Wellbeing Centre asking if I would like come in to interview Alan the owner and to get a free treatment.
Even though I was hopping on a plane to the States the next day and had one million things to do before I left, I have a strict personal policy of never refusing a free massage.
Plus, as is well known around these parts, I am a fan of a natural approach to health and wellbeing and so I was interested in talking to Alan and the rest of his team.
Like I said, I wasn't really expecting much...as it was about an hour from when I got the email to when I was on the massage table, I didn't really have to time to even think about it!  But even if I had gone into the appointment with high expectations, they would have been met.
I was incredibly impressed.

I first met Anita.
She specialises in massage, Reiki and aromatic medicine.
She is absolutely the type of person whose happiness is infectious.
We spoke about her passion for natural remedies.  She is extremely knowledgeable and willing to share all that she has learned and believes in.  
We both come to natural medicine from science backgrounds and it was wonderful to hear her speak about her treatments in a concrete, evidence based manner.
I honestly could have picked her brain for hours but I am glad that I stopped asking her questions and accepted the massage that she offered...her treatment was both healing and insightful and afterwards I felt full of a positive, calm energy.

I then met Matthew.
He is a very experienced chiropractor.
Knowledgeable and confident, he is one of those practitioners that you can't help but like and trust.
As I have just started Hypnobirthing Brisbane, I am interested primarily how chiropractic treatments can aid pregnant women and those who are recently postpartum and so I asked him to describe how he might be able to help that population.
He too has a science background and so his explanations of how realigning a pelvis may lead to an easier labour and how adjusting the spine relatively soon after giving birth while the ligaments are still soft and pliable were logical and were illustrated with examples of how pregnancy hormones act on the body.
I was sorry that I wasn't armed with this information after I had Toddler C as I feel that breastfeeding and playing on the floor has left my spine hunched and twisted.

I didn't have the opportunity to meet her, but a naturopath also works at the centre.
Rachel's main focus is allergies including babies suffering from colic and those who have chronic skin conditions.
Part of her holistic model includes live blood screening to investigate health at a cellular level.

The centre is brand new and purpose built.
There is a children's treatment room.
And the waiting room is full of toys for kids.
They also have a seminar room which hopefully will be used for things like natural health education classes.

I went in to the centre without a specific issue...I just wanted to leave feeling relaxed and energised.
And that I did.
I also left feeling completely inspired.
I cannot wait to continue to work with the Stafford Chiropractic and Wellbeing Centre team...especially in the realm of pregnant women, post partum mothers and infants.

I am compiling a list of questions to send to Alan so if you have any queries about natural health treatments and how they may benefit your health and wellbeing, please leave them in the comments and I will forward them along!

And now for some full blogging disclosure...I was offered a free massage as part of this opportunity but honestly I would have been interested in interviewing these practitioners even without that incentive!

The Portrait Series: 24/52

Hanging on the High Line.

This photo was taken on one of the few nice days we have had since coming to NYC.

We took full advantage of the sun, hitting up the High Line, the water playground in the Hudson River Park and then our local swings on Bleecker Street.

On rainy days we have been going to museums...yesterday we went to the Children's Museum of Manhattan and this morning we saw the dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History.

Even though he has been to some amazing places and seen some wonderful things, Toddler C's favourite thing so far has been to run his Thomas train along the varied New York surfaces...wooden benches, wrought iron gates, low stone walls.

I can totally relate to Laura's photo from last week!

And I still have yet to shop anywhere except Duane Reade!

As always I am linking up with Jodi at Che and Fidel.

And as always, I hope that you have a lovely weekend!

NYC: Wide Open Spaces

When I lived in Manhattan, I did recognise that it was a privilege.
There were moments however, say on a humid August day when I was on an unairconditioned 4 5 train in rush hour going from Midtown to the East Village and it suddenly went from express service to local, that it was hard to remember that I was one of the lucky ones.
And most days, I took the city's charms for granted...I used to walk through Central Park on a daily basis and hardly glance around me.
At the time I suppose I thought I would always be in NYC with its layers of urban beauty surrounding me so absorbing the details was not a matter of urgency.

Last time I came back to Manhattan, I loved that I still felt comfortable in the city but I was glad that I was no longer living in it.
Toddler C was three months old and I think I didn't have enough confidence in myself as a mother to tackle both him and the city.  I certainly did everything I wanted to do...caught up with friends, ate at all my favourite restaurants, browsed at all my favourite shops, found a local cafe that was pram friendly and full of interesting people to watch.  But I didn't step too far outside the old and familiar.

This time I am really appreciating the city, experiencing things that are new not just to Toddler C but to me too, and in doing so I am noticing elements that I perhaps didn't notice before.
Like the amazing parks and playgrounds.

For a city that crams about 2 million people into about 30 square miles, Manhattan does wide open spaces really well.

We have been spending a part of every day walking to a park or playground...Bleecker Street, Washington Square Park, the Hudson River Park, and of course Central Park.

The parks and playgrounds aren't the only wide open spaces that we have been admiring.
Toddler C loves looking up, up, up to the tops of the building...he finds scaffolding, water towers, glass reflecting other buildings.
And as your eye travels upwards you are treated to a host of other visual pleasures...unexpected flowers, interesting architectural details, beautiful designs carved into buildings.
Somehow the enormously tall buildings in Manhattan don't crowd you.  They encourage you to look up and to search the sky.

Jet Lag

So.
Very.
Tired.

The last time I did this trip, Toddler C was only three months old.  My days and nights were both a
haze of lots of breastfeeding and not much sleeping and as the trip to NYC didn't alter this pattern, I didn't notice the jet lag.
This time I have been trying to get myself on New York time...but my efforts keep being thwarted by a certain toddler!

I thought that we were doing so well.
I have been trying to give him his normal foods at the appropriate New York times.
His nap times and bed times have been similar to what they would be in Brisbane.
We have been getting plenty of fresh air and exercise.
But we have been up half the night!

After not sleeping much on the plane, Toddler C needed a few tickles to keep him awake during the car ride from JFK to my sister's apartment.  Once we arrived it was a quick slice of pizza for dinner and then straight to bed.  We both woke up around three in the morning but a snack of sultanas while watching an episode of Peppa Pig was all it took to placate Toddler C.  He quickly fell back asleep and slept until six.

The next day he took an early nap and I woke him after three hours.
When he went straight to bed that night at seven I thought we were going to escape the jet lag.
But he woke up at nine screaming in pain from an earache.
A crazed rush through a rainy city to find an emergency clinic and a 24 hour pharmacy was enough to distract him from his pain and to stimulate him...he didn't go to sleep until almost one in the morning.

I woke him up around eight and we set about our morning...some people watching at a local coffee shop, a manicure, and then stomping in puddles on the walk home.
After lunch he had a nap and he woke of his own accord after about two hours.
Last night he went to bed easily at seven.
Again, I thought we were winning.
But at nine thirty...right when it was becoming impossible for me to keep my eyes open...he woke up.
And he was up again until well after midnight.
Part of the problem is, as we are sharing a bed, I have no where to contain him.  If he woke up at home, I would just put some books and toys in his crib so he could entertain himself and I would go back to bed knowing that he was safe and secure and would eventually fall asleep.  My sister's dog's cage is looking pretty good as a crib substitute for tonight!
Another issue is that because I am so exhausted and am so ready for sleep, when he shows signs of waking up all I have the energy to do is bring the iPad into bed and doze while he watches Peppa Pig next to me.  I probably should get him up, offer him some more food and then restart the entire bed time routine...but last night I just didn't have the energy so we watched TV and read books until he was finally ready to close his eyes again.

After his late bed time I was expecting to have to wake him again this morning but he was up and ready to go at five!
And since it is difficult to find a flat white in NYC, I am having to subsist on weaker coffees...and they are just not doing the trick!

Despite the weariness, we are having a great time.
This morning we went for a wander around the West Village.  We ended up in Washington Square Park where we found a playground with superior swings, a fascinating water fountain and some scurrying squirrels that needed to be chased!

Have you had to deal with toddler jet lag?

The Portrait Series: 23/52

Telling his friends about the BIG airplane!

The BIG airplane with the kangaroo!

While Toddler C was excited about going on an airplane, I was dreading the flight a bit.

I was stressed thinking about how I was going to keep him occupied for the twenty six hours that it takes to get from Brisbane to New York.

But I shouldn't have worried.

The novelty of the airport and the airplane kept him entertained for about twenty hours...a combination of Thomas the Tank Engine and playing a game where we looked for numbers kept him entertained for about four hours and he slept for about two hours.

Now we are in New York and adjusting to life in the big city...subways, taxis and pizza!

Last week I loved Bron's photos of her gorgeous girl.  Those eyes, those cheeks and that hat!

As always I am linking up with Jodi at Che and Fidel.

And as always, I hope that you have a lovely weekend!

We Made It!

Just a quick post today to let you all know what we made it!

Toddler C was so unbelievably well behaved on the flights.
He didn't sleep much but he didn't fuss much either.
He loved watching Mickey Mouse on the inflight entertainment system and drinking the juice boxes that were brought to him basically every hour on the hour...and he loved remarking that he was flying on a BIG plane!

And now we are in New York!
So far I can report that New York cafes don't do babycinos...we will have to introduce the city to that toddler treat, the playgrounds are wonderful and full of communal toys...and nannies, and Toddler C loves pizza!

I am looking forward to sharing our New York adventures with you!

Reunion

Three month old C having tummy time in Central Park.

Airport arrival gates are amongst my favourite things...the sense of adventure, the sweet homecoming.
The emotion of it all brings tears to my eyes.
And I have have no doubt that when I see my sister waiting for us at JFK there will be tears.
Tears of sisterhood.
Tears of reunion.
And tears of relief that Toddler C and I have finally reached our destination!

Last time I saw my family, Toddler C was only three months old.
He was an adorable baby but like all infants he did a lot of sleeping and eating and since he was still very dependant on me, he didn't do that much interacting with my loved ones.
This time he is twenty-five months old.
He is a walking, talking little boy with his own opinions, ideas and personality.
I cannot wait for my family to get to know him and for him to get to know my family.

I also cannot wait to see what aspects of American life Toddler C finds fascinating.
I want to see his reaction to the scale of New York City.
I want to experience the wonderment when he goes around and around on the Central Park carousel...and then goes to the food cart for a pretzel...only to have it stolen by a squirrel.
I know walking the streets of New York will be a completely different experience with him walking next to me.

I hope to continue to update the bog while we are on holiday...I am sure there will be at least a few moments when jet lag hits and I find myself up at three in the morning with nothing to do but write...so please check back in and join me in witnessing Toddler C take on America!

The Portrait Series: 22/52

Do moose eat broccoli?

This one does.

Well, he nibbles it and then feeds the rest to the chickens.

Winter has arrived.

In Brisbane that means jumpers and shoes must be worn...at least in the early morning and late evening.  And you might even need to don a hat.

Toddler C has not one but two moose hats.

He looks so different without his halo of blond curls.  

I almost don't recognise him.

As always I am linking up with Jodi at Che and Fidel.

And as always, I hope that you have a lovely weekend!

Please

Please.
One little word.
One little word that Toddler C refuses to say.
He knows all about manners and how manners make the people you interact with feel respected and special.
He says ta and thank you.
But he will not say please.

He says, "Yogurt?
And I say, "Yogurt please."
And he says "Yogurt. Ta."
And I explain that when you are asking for something you say please and when you receive something you say thank you.
And I say again, "Yogurt please"
And he says again "Yogurt.  Ta."
I know he knows that he should be saying please.
I can tell that he understands.
But he just won't do it.

Do your children say the magic word?

Leaving On A Jet Plane

I should be packing my bags.
I should be ready to go.

Generally a week out from international travel, I am making lists.  And checking them twice.
Usually by this point I have declared the guest room to be my personal packing space and I have started pulling items from closets and putting them in piles.
Normally I have done load upon load of laundry, actually reaching the bottom of the hamper, to ensure that my entire wardrobe is clean and available for the trip.
Ordinarily I have been to the grocery store to stock up on healthy plane snacks...and on Tim Tams to bring friends and family back home.

But this time around I have done nothing.

I feel like Private Santiago in A Few Good Men...not packed and unprepared for the assault of traveling for twenty four hours with a two year old.

Did you order the code red?

You're goddamn right I did!

Thoughts do drift through my mind...I must remember to pack Puppy Bunny version 2.0 just in case the original as Toddler C says, "goes bush," I must call Qantas about our seats, I must figure out what I am going to do in terms of a phone...but I have yet to act on any of these musings.

Last time I travelled with Toddler C he was a three month old baby...and whilst at the time it felt like a big deal to fly half way around the world with him, in reality all he did was eat, protest sleeping and occasionally actually close his eyes.  Oh and poo.  He didn't do any of those things on a set schedule.  He didn't care where in the world he did them.  And he didn't need to be entertained.
So the trip was fairly easy.
I learned a lot, but only some of that will be applicable this time around.

What do I need to know about long haul travel with a toddler?
We have about a fourteen hour flight to LA, a two hour lay over, and then a five hour flight to NYC.
It is just me and Toddler C...and the iPad.

Lay it on me.
Where should we sit on the plane?
What apps do I need?
How else can I entertain a busy two year old in a confined space?
Do you have any suggestions for good airplane snacks?

The Portrait Series: 21/52

A boy and his trains.

"Phomas, Charlie, Luke, Henry and coal car"

He tries to carry all five of his trains with him everywhere he goes.

His little hands aren't quite big enough yet to manage to clutch all five at once.

So there is much stopping to pick up a dropped train, rearranging of the trains in his arms, trying to stuff one in underneath his chin, and dropping another train in the process.

It is easier...but not as much fun...when the trains are at home on their track.

And I know they aren't technically part of this series but last week I just loved the photos of little Eve coated in sugar...insert sweet pun here.

As always I am linking up with Jodi at Che and Fidel.

And as always, I hope that you have a lovely weekend!