Easter 2011
Since 2006 I have been joining Mark & Mary and their growing family for a day of church, egg hunts, food, and if we are lucky-booze.
This year was my first with my own little one. And now I know why parents tend to run late! I was all dressed, groomed and ready to go when Fergus pooed all over the living room something the size of 12 Cadbury Eggs (where does he store all of that?) which he then pounced in and ran around the living room. Grand.
So Soumanjoy and I were on knees cleaning, spraying, scrubbing, sweating off all my cologne I put of for Jesus. 10 minutes late it was the first time Mark & Mary beat me there.
But the service at First Presbyterian was lovely and it was so nice to have an hour of thought, prayer and giggles with the kids (I brought them chirping chicks that of course they turned on during prayer time).
Afterward we walked in the glorious weather over to Waverly to dine at Jeffrey's Grocery
where Ian and Barge joined us. We ordered brisket sammiches, Bloody Marys with oysters and pain au chocolat while the kids (and Ian) played with their Easter basket toys.
We made it back to the church in time for the Easter egg hunt where all the kids were dressed to the nines (or daintily as Soumanjoy said), baskets ready and eyes on the prize. It was good fun to help all the kids find their eggs (only four per kid allowed) minus the creepy man in neon sunglasses and Looney Tunes waistcoat who didn't seem to have any kids in the hunt.
Beatrice was tuckered out but mommy Mary needed one more libation so we tossed Mark and Bea in a cab while we headed to Gusto Organics for wine, fruit smoothies and snacks where we gossiped, groaned and guffawed about the lives we lead. I had no idea I'm a wood sign or that Alistair had a Steve McQueen cut on his eyebrow from a tumble down an escalator!
By then it was 3pm, the clouds started creeping into the city and we were all dozy from vino. We trained it back up to Harlem where Soumanjoy passed out and I piddled (with the plants, not as in tinkling-ROD) on the garden terrace. Another great Easter with my New York family and the excitement to come home to the newest addition made the day perfect and precious.
This year was my first with my own little one. And now I know why parents tend to run late! I was all dressed, groomed and ready to go when Fergus pooed all over the living room something the size of 12 Cadbury Eggs (where does he store all of that?) which he then pounced in and ran around the living room. Grand.
So Soumanjoy and I were on knees cleaning, spraying, scrubbing, sweating off all my cologne I put of for Jesus. 10 minutes late it was the first time Mark & Mary beat me there.
But the service at First Presbyterian was lovely and it was so nice to have an hour of thought, prayer and giggles with the kids (I brought them chirping chicks that of course they turned on during prayer time).
Afterward we walked in the glorious weather over to Waverly to dine at Jeffrey's Grocery
where Ian and Barge joined us. We ordered brisket sammiches, Bloody Marys with oysters and pain au chocolat while the kids (and Ian) played with their Easter basket toys.
We made it back to the church in time for the Easter egg hunt where all the kids were dressed to the nines (or daintily as Soumanjoy said), baskets ready and eyes on the prize. It was good fun to help all the kids find their eggs (only four per kid allowed) minus the creepy man in neon sunglasses and Looney Tunes waistcoat who didn't seem to have any kids in the hunt.
Beatrice was tuckered out but mommy Mary needed one more libation so we tossed Mark and Bea in a cab while we headed to Gusto Organics for wine, fruit smoothies and snacks where we gossiped, groaned and guffawed about the lives we lead. I had no idea I'm a wood sign or that Alistair had a Steve McQueen cut on his eyebrow from a tumble down an escalator!
By then it was 3pm, the clouds started creeping into the city and we were all dozy from vino. We trained it back up to Harlem where Soumanjoy passed out and I piddled (with the plants, not as in tinkling-ROD) on the garden terrace. Another great Easter with my New York family and the excitement to come home to the newest addition made the day perfect and precious.