The art of winterizing...

has been somewhat of a challenge this winter.

"I'm toooooooo hot!", M whines as we go down the front steps.
I look at him and realize that once again, I've piled on one layer too many on this kid.
And on myself as well.
Which would make sense if we were going out for a brisk walk to run some errands.

Not today, my friends.
We are heading to the car to drive to the super supermarket.
Surely, we don't need to be wearing three layers along with a scarf, gloves, and hat to walk from the house to the driveway and then from the car to Stop-n-Shop.
All ridiculously short distances.

Rewind to January 2011:
Snowstorms galore. Not yet driving.
So we walked.
In the stores, I noticed that no other shoppers were really bundled up.
No scarves, hats, and gloves?
I was perplexed but didn't give it much more thought.
Until now.

Fast forward to January 2012.
Chillier winter temperatures have arrived.
Now that I am one of them suburbanites who drive ~
I get it.
Winterizing with less layers makes PERFECT sense.

Although now and again, I slip up and we both end up over insulated ~
this is the part where M breaks a sweat and becomes bearish.
Oh boy. How to avoid such heated meltdowns?

As L is driving us to Target one day, I spot the most OBVIOUS solution ~
just leave the coat and outer things in the car.
Happier days are on the horizon for M.

As for me, I guess it's a nod to my urban roots to wear it all out the door.

Too lazy to drive???

...Me. That's who.

Last night, I was actually going to bail on a yoga class because I didn't feel like driving.
From my place to the yoga place is a t-e-n minute drive within town. And there's easy parking.

So, what the heck is the problem?

Driving is not mindless Me Time.
For me, driving at night requires too much concentration on the curvaceous dimly lit roads.
I would much rather walk. Or even walk to take the subway to get where I needed to go.

However...
We no longer live in a bustling urban area, populated with pedestrians.

A thirty minute walk on a wintry night in this burb is an eerily lonesome trek.
Hardly another soul on foot.
Cars and more cars whizzing along the roadway.
A thousand wattage of headlights beaming towards me.

Nope. Not the ideal setting for a mindless Me Time stroll.
Key in the ignition is the way to go. For now.

At least until the summer months.

People people everywhere!!!

...shouted M happily and incredulously as we entered the busy playground at 84th St and Fifth Ave.

The sun was shining brilliantly.
It was one of the many wacky warm gorgeous November days we've had so far.
Kids were zipping about while parents, grandparents, and nannies chit chatted on the sidelines.
Cold weather jackets were piled up on benches.
Everyone was totally invigorated, soaking up vitamin D.

We railroaded into the Big Apple for the day.
Met up with our Brooklyn pals for some playground fun in Central Park and art history culture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

M and his buddy S take a free "start with art" class for kids at the Met.
Trekking through the Greek and Roman galleries, the boys learned about carving sculptures from marble using a hammer and chisel. How to distinguish Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian columns.
Read a story about Romulus and Remus. Made a collage.
Enjoyable stuff for the kids.
Interesting for the adults.
After class, the boys really wanted to visit the magnificent Temple of Dendur. No problem.
Nothing more charming than seeing 4 year olds get super excited about checking out an ancient monument.

People people everywhere indeed!  Throughout every step of our journey. On the railroad, on the subway, on the crosstown bus, at the playground, in the museum, on the street.

M and I don't get this much face time with crowds of people anymore.
It just doesn't happen in the burbs.

It's cooler by the shore...

but still somewhat warm enough this past week to have playdates at the beach park.

We've had a three day run of gorgeous indian summer days - a welcome relief from the wintry cold spell of the past two weeks.

To maximize outside play time after school, we drive to the beach park these days. Even though it's a short distance from home.
Me walking & M biking means it's a 25 minute trek home.  Easily accomplished during daylight savings time.
Al fresco playdates during standard time pretty much ends at 4.45pm before darkness falls.

So begins the countdown til March 11, 2012 when we spring forward to daylight savings time.

Where to go to kill some time...

if it's too cold to sit outside?

I have sixty minutes of Me time while M is in a nature science class on Fridays.
On the warmer days, I would hang out on the lawn and bask in the sun to catch up on some reading.
Maybe squeeze in a few minutes of shut eye.

On a chilly windy October afternoon, sitting outside proved to be quite a challenge.
I thought I was dressed appropriately. Isn't October sweater weather after all???

No indoor waiting area for parents so instead of wasting twenty minutes driving to and from Starbucks...
I ended up sitting in my car. Reading. With the windows half way down of course.

Didn't think I would ever resort to hanging out in the car to pass the time away -

Cross it off my "Things I Can't Picture Myself Doing" list, which seems to be getting shorter and shorter.

Going a bit greener...

by leasing a smaller and more fuel efficient car.

Driving the Civic is actually quite fun - it's a zippy little vehicle.
Though I can't help but feel dwarfed by the mega rides out there.

It's the burbs after all ~ most everything is jumbo sized except the sidewalks.

Where is everybody...

on this gorgeous sunny day? The playground is practically empty!
I didn't get it together to make a playdate.
So once again, it's me and M.

Such is the way of the burbs it seems. Nearly deserted well equipped playgrounds.
Maybe a handful of people - this low number includes kids and parents/caregivers.

Even if we did have a jungle gym and swing set in our yard,
I would still need to get the f*&*k out of the house for a change of scenery.
M feels the same way. He's all for going to a playground for a few hours.
With or without pals.

Unlike me, he's not jonesing for same sized playmates...he's happy to do his own thing.
Ride his bike. Climb a jungle gym or two. Run around in circles.
Lucky me. A totally self-sufficient kid.

On days that I don't have some adult company, I've taken to doing New York magazine's crossword puzzle.
Easy to keep an eye on junior while thinking of the four letter word for "velvety greenery".

Speaking of greenery...
I figure we may as well enjoy this fall weather as much as possible.
Winter will come forth soon enough.
Then we will undoubtedly be the only ones out there in the very deserted playground.