Yankee Playground

Just 3 blocks south of Yankee Stadium lies a gem of a playground with a historical graffiti mural dedicated to Yankees old-timers. Thanks to our adventures with cousin Ethan's Flat Stanley, we found this amazing playground. To anyone that knows my father and our history with the Yankees, these pictures will bring tears of joy to his eyes. Knowing that his grandchildren are being taught correct principles (haha!) and within steps of what we consider the "Mecca" of baseball.
It was also the first time Brannick took the steps alone without a railing or a hand!
In the summertime, where Kajsia is running there is sprinklers.
Brannick is looking at the subway going by and if you look really closely underneath the subway line, next to the mural is the hallowed ground of Yankee Stadium.


Running with the Yankee greats!

This is where Yankees in training play!

The smiles of true Yankee fans! (Tage hasn't read this yet!)

Brannick's 1st Birthday

Are you kidding me?


The tradition continues for Birthday Cake Eating in a Diaper... ultra-fashionable and easy clean-up!






I'll be the first to admit, I'm no Martha Stewart. At least I thought the cake was a cute idea with what we had in Nana's pantry. Still have to laugh that Grandma Frances was dead serious when she said, "Celeste, I'd never pay you to do a birthday cake for me." or "Good thing you aren't getting paid by the hour!" or my fav "What in the world is it?" Nothing like a nice pat on the back from GF to make you feel good about your cake making skills that your 1 year old doesn't care about anyways. Aren't Grandma's supposed to be supportive compliment givers? $1 for anyone who can figure out what this actually was, since apparently my cake decorating skills suck!







mmmmmmm, red robot frosting!
Is Mommy for Real? I can really touch this? You're not saying no!
He was in awe that this whole party was for him.

He is so meticulous that this is as dirty as he got!

Happy Birthday, DUDE! You are such a ham! Your gigantic smile and belly laugh is contagious. You were walking before you turned one (actually on Christmas day) and you say "all done" when your finished with your meal. You have the sweetest voice when you say "mama, dada or please and thank you." We especially love the boy you have become. We didn't have to teach you how to steal your sister's toys and run or make noises like a car when you're driving your matchbox cars. You can hang on dad's pull up bar like a real stud, can body slam like a professional wrestler and have some mad dance skills (must have got it from your mama). Love you bug!

Sharing love through Sugar

I love family traditions. I especially love finding new ones to share with my own family.


Screaming because he has his own cookie and frosting and nobody is taking it away!
Kajsia is explaining that she needs another frosted cookie to put candy on!

A few years back, in the Harlem Cookbook, Jamie Wride shared a sugar cookie recipe. At the end she wrote how she remembered spending hours eating red hots and frosting them with her mom and sisters for hours. With a batch of Jamie's amazing cookies, I set out to start our own Valentine traditions. With more frosting on their faces and in their tummies than on the cookies, it still was a wonderful afternoon. The best part was giving them away to our neighbors and friends. One even said, "this is better than cards and flowers!" It's the Wright's way of sharing our love through sugar.

Dad even got in on the decorating.

Plum tuckered out

My sweetest Kajsia,
Today was a rough day. You woke up before the crack of dawn and with all your stubborn effort (you get that from me) you fought through the sleepiness and made yourself stay awake to bid your father farewell. You shed a few tears when he left and didn't find solace in my rocking arms. You were extremely upset about the sparkly belt you were wearing and did all you could do pull it off on our walk in the 14 degree weather to music class. Your favorite plush pink blanket was lost along the hurried way!

I know you are pushing your boundaries, figuring out when "No" means "NO!" My patience has worn thin! It has seemed like the time out corner has become more of a respite for you. After a gentle reminder about patience from mom's quiet class today, I resolved to be better for the remainder of the afternoon (at the very least). I did pretty good considering Brannick didn't take a nap, we had a lunch guest and you only slept for 45 minutes. Dad was going to be my Savior and he answered the call about 4:50. It was an answer to prayer until I heard his phone needed reconfiguring because it died today and the cable box he picked up still needed to be installed...all before 8pm. He had a boys night planned! I'm sorry that it wasn't the evening we had originally planned. I'm sorry you were left to your own coloring books, books and ipod for a good part of the evening so I could tend to your exhausted brother. I put him down at 7. I tried to feed you, but mac and cheese (your favorite Ariel shell's) didn't beckon to you. Neither did baked ziti, peanut butter and jelly or quesadillas. The kitchen looked like I had fed an army, but you didn't have one bite. All you wanted to do was watch Peter Pan with daddy's headphones. I lifted up one of your headphones to ask if you were hungry and you said, "no." I asked if your tummy was owie, you said "no." Then you said, "I just want to leave my headphones on mommy."

By 7:53, I made myself on omelet so I could eat before 8pm. I took a bite and came to check on you. All wrapped up in your pink and chocolate striped ribbons, camel back still in hand, propped up on your backyardigan chair with daddy's skullcandy headphones still affixed to your ears with "You Can Fly" playing in the background. Kajsia, you were passed out cold.I didn't get to tell you I love you, sing you a song or even say goodnight. Maybe you fell asleep hoping you could fly away from this home for a few days. I promise tomorrow I will be better. I love you more than anything in this world, sweet dreams my love muffin!

Hibernators Ball

Beasts and birds have been known to do fancy dancing, especially when wooing. But no one has seen them actually waltz.

Until last weekend, that is. At Wave Hill, the public garden in the Bronx, small creatures glided across the dance floor. Granted, the animals were the two-legged kind, but they looked the part, with masks representing bears, bats, toads, hedgehogs and other forest denizens. The occasion? The first Hibernators Ball.

The dress code was pj’s, which made for an easy morning to get out the door. We made hibernator masks using paper and materials like felt, crayons, feathers, yarn, cotton balls, embossed paper and raffia.

All the Wrights hard at work using their imaginations... look at the determination on their faces
Kajsia's first time using scissors, with lots of supervision!

Brannick looking on has his sister proudly puts on her frog mask.

Brannick being held for a picture with his snake crown. A mask wouldn't have stayed on his face more than 2 seconds, so Tage opted for the crown. He still wouldn't keep it on for longer than 10 seconds.

Kajsia leans in for a frog kiss! This was not initiated by the parental units either, strictly a
big sister being so tender. I love that I captured this moment.

The band Jody Kruskal and Friends lead the waltz lessons and the crowd favorite... animal hibernators. So much fun!

SNOW DAY

The snow car that Kajsia requested! Good thing dad was home today. The only request he couldn't fulfill is that she wanted it to be red. Not to shabby, dad.


Today we woke up with a hefty blanket of 15 inches of soft, fluffy snow. It was a special treat for the kids to walk in and see dad sleeping! It's only the 7th time since 1974 that NYC public schools were closed. Thank you Mayor Bloomberg for getting it right this time. It took us about 45 minutes to get bundled with our snowsuits and walked out to the street (we couldn't get to the back patio b/c there was so much snow).


Brannick takes his first bite of snow
Kajsia grabs her large snowball to taste! Then throws it!
In awe of all the piles of snow and mom's not saying NO!

After a face plant to eat more snow, he came up with snow in his nose!
Attempts at his first snow angel!

Watching as her dad digs out her snow car by hand.

The top view of the car, with two rows carved out.
I pimped my ride!
The ice cave of 117th!

Getting cold and ready for lunch. Sad it has to end!

We have the greatest, most creative and hard working dad! Some kids get a measly snowman, but we got an ice cave and a snow car. How lucky are we? Every person that walked by was amazed at your skills. I think even a bit jealous that we were having so much fun! We love you and we're so glad you got to stay home with us today.




With the new year, a new computer and a renewed promise of keeping a log for my family I decided it's time to re-commit to the blog. Here's to hoping I'll be better than I have been in the past!

Whimsical Wednesday's

Today I woke up and decided to venture outside of Harlem. Like a packhorse, I got us out the door with a picnic, diaper bag built for 2, water toys, sand pile toys, sunscreen, towels and had such a great day! A day with wonderfully insightful friends, perfect sunlight and the sweetest kids even a metrocard can't buy!



Oh really, nothing but a smile on his face again! BTW, promise I washed his outfit!

New found friend, Tedrah!

Waking up from an Ergo nap!

We walked to the Hudson and showed Kajsia the Statue of Liberty. She saw her first waterway taxi and loved the bubbles they produced upon arrival at their terminal. Every seagull was given a big wave and a boisterous, "HELLO SEAGULL! WHERE YOU GOING?"

Perfect toddler sized swings...

The Rockefeller Park lived up to the hype on mommypoppins.com. It was dreamy! Sand boxes galore, slides for all sizes, sprinklers, a (sandy) water pool and this cool circular bicycle contraption (see pictures below) all within a stone's throw of the Hudson River. It was well worth the schlepping of the subway stairs!

Where was this when we were kids?

Tedrah, Kajsia, Elliott and Chase on this bicycle built for 10. You know it's been a successful day when they pass out in the stroller before you get to the subway. They snore thru all the high school kids clammoring to get each others attention and the not so smooth hike up the subway stairs.

A huge fan of the 2 train!

I have decided that with this new found time, I need to be more spontaneous with my children and husband. As we were sitting as mom's today talking this young, blonde, well-suited professional walked by and just stared at us while clutching her briefcase. I told one of the women, do you remember what it was like to be her? My friend's witty reply, "Yes, but now you don't HAVE to wear make-up, you GET to wear flip-flops every day and you have FUN!" Even with two kids in tow, I can still go on adventures. I canW do as much, if not more than that young professional. My new resolution... on a whim Wednesday's! It's time to get out and really SEE the city I love and DRINK it all in.