Christmas Day in Manhattan

Photo heavy post!!! More pictures available here.


What do Squid do on Christmas Day? (Please keep in mind that we are Jewish Squid.)

Usually the adults give or attempt to give blood at our synagogue's blood drive. We didn't do that this year since each adult gave in school drives not too long ago.

Instead, we took the subway uptown and walked home.

Sounds boring? Right?

Ah, but this is New York City and this is the Holiday Season.

As a general rule, I avoid Midtown like the plague during this time of year. Because, this is New York City and this is the Holiday Season. And everyone and their brother come out to see the sights. The last time I ventured in to midtown, on a workday during the holiday week, I found the sidewalks packed. As in sardine-like. Scary.

Last year, however, we took a chance after the blood drive and drove into midtown and parked. Gasp! Then we scooted around to see the holiday windows with a few handfuls of other people. Because we had the car to contend with, we didn't get a good feel for how many people were out and about. Apparently there were more then we realized.

This year, we decided to take the subway uptown and walk downtown. And here you go ...

Fifth Avenue (and connecting streets) during the Holiday Season.

We started out at Columbus Circle, 59th Street and Broadway and Seventh Avenue.


Walking east on 59th Street, we passed horse drawn carriages and Gainsborough Studios, which I never noticed before. Look at the detailed mosaic work in the second photo. Studios, by the way, refers to studio apartments -- one room.
As we approached Fifth Avenue we blinked our eyes in surprise as it appeared that people were going into FAO Schwarz. Um, what? It's Christmas. Everything, except Chinese restaurants, is supposed to be closed. Apparently not. No, no pictures, I was too dumbstruck as we wandered the aisles of a not-so-empty store.

Departing said monument to high priced toys, we sauntered down Fifth Avenue, by passing the Bergdorf Goodman windows in favor of Saks. First however, a pause to try to capture the beauty of the giant crystal star over 57th and Fifth. I do not do it justice. Sorry.

Then, passing Cartier, we pause to admire how they compensated for the construction work. Usually the building is wrapped in a giant red ribbon for the holidays. Notice all the people on the street. What happened to my empty city!
And on to DeBeers with it's "diamond" encrusted icicles.
Yes, we skipped the tree at Rockefeller Center -- I promise it for later in the week. We have to get to lunch near there this week so we'll get it then.

Saks took a snowman based approach this year.

I liked it a lot better then last year but I tend to prefer the simpler windows. They also had the easiest windows to photograph.

Continuing downtown we finally encountered Patience and Fortitude in their winter finery. Nope, can't tell you which is which.

And on to my favorite department store, Lord and Taylor.
Sorry for the massive refections -- these were not so easy to photograph even with the "through glass" setting on my camera.
They were pretty amazing, though.
At Macy's we encountered the Naughty and Nice List. I am, apparently, naughty. Yes, that is my head in the picture.
Their side windows are always based on "A Miracle on 34th Street." We pondered for a minute, what life would be like if the Macy's name were discontinued. What would happen to the parade? Our conclusion is that with all of the store names that have been dropped as the stores have merged, Macy's has survived because of it's iconic status with the parade and the movie. Yea, let us believe that.



Macy's is "doing" Shrek this year. We like Shrek.
And as we finish our walk, a decent shot of the main Post Office. I really love this building.
Hoping your day was a good one, no matter what you celebrate!

Tangled

I got caught up in my knitting last night.Blame my husband.

T'was the Day Before ...

And Mama was on a cleaning frenzy. While sorting out all of the books / magazines / papers lurking on the shelf beneath the coffee table I found this:

Click to enlarge and look at the last letter on the left -- it finishes at the top of the next column. Yup, Papa Squid was published at the tender age of 9. The New York Times Magazine, August 1, 1976. I found 3 copies of the magazine in an envelope under the coffee table. What it was doing there, I will never know but that is it's permanent home now.

After the frenzy, we headed out to the opera. Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera. Orchestra seats. It was, to quote my son, awesome. (Actually, I found the first act a bit slow but the second was really good and the third was great.) Wednesday, Mike and I will return to the orchestra section for War and Peace. It runs 4.5 hours long. Don't expect to see a review until my brain wakes up sometime late Thursday, maybe Friday.

The tree at Lincoln Center.

The ornaments are different from last year. See the musical notes on some of them?

We then persuaded the kids to walk downtown to the newly reopened Second Avenue Deli. Off of Third Avenue.

On the way, we passed the giant Menorah at Grand Army Plaza, not to be confused with Grand Army Plaza.
No, it is not lit. Chanuckah is long over.

Continuing our walk South and East, we discovered this statue outside of The Lever House.

Yes, yes it is kind of disturbing.

Moving right along, we passed The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, all lit up and pretty for the season. The Waldorf is, as you may remember, the scene of my very first prom.
After walking through the Hemsely Building, MetLife Building (know as the PanAm Building to us old timers) and Grand Central Terminal (not to be confused with Grand Central Station which houses the subway), we finally arrived at the Second Avenue Deli only to discover that the wait was at least 30 minutes. We walked on, heading back towards home.

Crossing Fifth Avenue, I had to stop and take this picture and finally find out what the ribbons were all about.
They are Peace Prayers. The yellow represent prayers for those in the Service who have lost their lives in Iraq, the blue, prayers for lost Iraquies and their families and green, prayers for peace. More can be found here.

Then on to Hill Country for dinner. Mmmm ...

Now to put a few more rows on Squidette's blanket. I was not going to start it until after the New Year -- and hence not count the yarn so far acquired in this year's total, but my fingers got to itching and my brain to planning and so I did both. We only have 5 of the 24 requisite skeins so far -- the rest are on order through Knitty City (yes, it costs more then ordering on line but I'd rather support a local business, especially since we went there to see the colors in person instead of guessing off a monitor).

Sunny Squid

This will hopefully last him until puberty.

Pattern: as per general guidelines in Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns. Children's size 10.

Yarn: Cascade 220

Design: 12-pointed star (sun) as per Little Squid's direction

I Can Still Embarrass My Mom

Last night I went out with Mom and Lil' Sis. We had a lovely dinner at a Thai Restaurant and then strolled through the Times Square area until showtime.

We performed some family-specific pre-show rituals (with which I will not embarrass my family by sharing) but which I was heartened to see are still intact after all this time. Take note, squidlings, the things that embarrass you about your parents now ... well they will still embarrass you twenty years from now. (Personally, I was all about the ritual, Lil' Sis was the embarrassed one.)

While out on the street, however, I had to snap this shot:

which embarrassed Mom. She was not, however, embarrassed when I put my Dad's just finished sock on my hand and started using it as a puppet. Curious.

(I cannot seem to get that photo off my phone -- my new palm software is not cooperating.)

Things to Do Today

1. Drop kids at school.

2. Drop Me at school.

3. Work

4. Work

5. Work

6. Dismiss Students

7. A little more work

8. Dismiss me

9. Fight holiday traffic

10. Start break with dinner and a show with Mom and Lil' Sis.

Sounds like a good day to me!

Teens MEN Knitting

Yes, we have MEN. Young men, but men all the same. The number of male knitters at my school jumped from one to three in the span of half an hour. Yea! Both of the newbies caught on to the cast on and knit stitch incredibly quickly.

I had more to write about this but since I started it this morning and it is now 12 hours later, I've lost the train of thought.

In other news, at 3:00 tomorrow we will shut up the school until January 2. Woo Hoo! Yes, I desperately need this break and am really looking forward to lots of slow mornings, a couple of operas, some days spent with friends and family and lots of other quiet amusements.

What I did ...

Thank you all for your wishes for a good day. The concert was, as my last post put it, awesome! I was a very proud Mama and kvelled as compliments were piled on me and mine.

After the concert I attended the holiday party (the publishing party has been pushed off until after the state ELA exams) and schmoozed with the teacher and other parents. Then I left the school with lots of time, and no plan.

My purse was packed with everything I needed for an ideal day (except a book -- it was too big) and I set off toward the West Side, figuring that at the very least, I would get a nice walk in and hang around a neighborhood that I have not done to death ala the Upper East Side.

As I ambled toward Central Park, I stopped to take photos here and there and, as I approached the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I thought about "doing" a museum. Nah, not as much fun as with a friend. That, however, set my brain whirring through things that I might not do on a regular basis but could do alone. By the time I hit the Great Lawn, I had it. A movie! Ah, but what movie? Everything I have seen in the last year or so has been animated or Harry Potter. We don't, as a general rule, "do" movies. Exiting the park, I started looking for buses and their ads. Then I hit on it, the Will Smith movie. Yup, could not think of the name of it. Bought a newspaper, found the name -- I Am Legend -- found a couple of theaters playing it. Debated walking back to the east side and then having to skip lunch, then settled for a huge theater on the West Side. Had a lovely lunch at Ollie's and then knit my way through the movie.

Loved it! I am not a horror movie kind of gal but I would not really classify this as horror. I have not read the book so I had no preconceptions and was able to enjoy it for it's own sake. I laughed, I cried, and I gasped. The set dressing was, as my son would say, awesome.
After the movie, I wandered by Knitty City to confirm that Pearl has the color cards for the yarn I want to use for Squidette's blanket and she will special order for me. Yes, I could get it on line for cheaper but I'd rather give my local shop the business.

Then, on to do some more window shopping. (Yup, only asked a question at Knitty City, didn't spend any money -- she'll get quite enough on this blanket!) As I was heading back east, Squidette called, a bit earlier then I expected, and I hustled back east for our usual Tuesday, pre Hebrew School, meet up.
She and I had hot chocolate and pastry at a local bagel shop and then I traded her for Little Squid and a nice dinner at the diner.

And there you have it. Home at last and almost ready to go to bed.

***

Debbie, I am not sure what I was looking for in that post -- my brain is quite mushy tonight. I know I spent a lot of time looking for the watch repair kit that I got him and we did debate several time keeping options before settling on the binary clock. The clock was chosen, mainly, because he could not wear it. *grin* As for his grandfathers and their watches, he will most likely get the only one still in existence that belonged to my father-in-law but Mike is still cherishing it as his own right now. As for my dad well ... he's got three grandsons and two sons so I suspect it might be a tough call. For now he is still wearing his watches and I hope that continues for a good long time!

AWESOME!

Four songs with the band ...One song with the chorus ...
One Awesome kid!

(pictures overly cropped to eliminate other people's children for privacy reasons)

Ready, Set, Go!

During this most chaotic of weeks, I am taking a day off to make life a little less hectic.

Little Squid's Winter Solstice concert is this morning, followed by a holiday/publishing party. Rather then worry about work and having to get to work, I am taking a personal day. I am not hiding where I am or what I am doing. I'll worry about work tomorrow -- when I'm there. Today, I can stay at the party as long as I like. Today, I can shmooze with the other parents and I can kvell in how talented my progeny is as he plays his flute with the band and his violin with the chorus. Today, I can take the time to really read his writing, and that of his classmates. My comments can be thoughtful instead of peremptory. My thoughts can be of fifth grade instead of high school.

And afterward? I can take myself to lunch. Or not. I can go for a manicure. Or not. I can snag a couch at the 85th Street Starbucks and listen to my book and knit. Or snag a couch and take a badly needed nap. I can take a long walk to Knitty City and Zabars. I can shop for a new suit (for work). I can just wander the streets of the city and look at the winter finery. My only constraint is that I wind up back on the Upper East Side by 4:00 or so -- so I will probably not go home.

The video camera is charged, a fresh battery is in my digital camera, I have my knitting and I have enough cash for my fairly modest needs. My son is relaxed despite his need to wear blue and black for the chorus and white and blue for the band. His violin is tuned and his hair is in desperate need of a trim. He is wearing a single watch on each arm, one around his neck and one in his pocket.

So, if you see me wandering the streets of the Upper East or West side today (in a bright pink parka with a pale purple hat and grey mittens), stop me. Say hi, feel free to schooze. I've got nothing but time.

Creative Cooking

We are now firmly in winter mode here at Chez Squid and Mike broke out the crock pot to stew a batch of chili for dinner. Instead of serving it over rice, as is our custom, he decided to make bread bowls.
Yes, he made the bread from scratch.


Yes, my son attempted to eat it as a sandwich. (We stopped him before he could burn his mouth.)

And yes, it was delicious!

***

And no, I have not finished Little Squid's sweater. Squidette was kind enough to give me her cold so I have spent most of my at home time this weekend just lying around and reading.

Nature vs Nuture

When the kids were little, we briefly had them trained to respond to the following question: "how did you get so ... (insert: smart, cute etc.)." Squidette answered "genetics" and Little Squid answered "environment." What we do to our kids!

Around the same time, their Grandmother was working on getting Little Squid to tell time and badgering Squidette to wear her watch (purchased by Grandma, of course).

Grandma always had a watch on. Grandma loved watches and was always punctual. If she was late, due to unforeseen circumstance, it drove her nuts.

It also drove her nuts that Squidette would not wear her watch regularly. Squidette still does not wear a watch. She does carry one in her pocket or uses her cellphone when necessary. So far she has not had any problems getting places on time.

Grandma would be proud of Little Squid with all of his watches and his love of time.(Grandma's watch collection, now in my possession.)

He received three new time pieces for Chanuckah. A stopwatch / watch from one Aunt, a pocket watch / sundial from an Uncle and a binary clock from his parents. He also received a watch repair kit. A good one.

Together, he and I have attempted to fix one of his watches and successfully repaired a second.
His Grandma would be proud!

It's Dave's Fault

that I was making french toast at 6:30 this morning.See, Dave posted about this link, which, by the way, totally meshes with our own French Toast theory (which extends to hurricanes as well as snowy weather) and then I had to explain it to the kids. And Little Squid was being a little dense this morning. And, by the time I was finished explaining it to him, we were all hungry for french toast. That, combined with the shocking lack of breakfast food in this place, had me making french toast.

Dave, the kids thank you!

Progress

While home yesterday morning, I finished Mom's socks and the "teacher" scarf. Later in the evening, I made headway on finishing Little Squid's sweater. The pieces are now lightly steam blocked and the front and back sewn together. The ends of the sun are hidden and the neck is knit. Since tonight is a late night, it is unlikely that there will be any more progress on it. Look for a finished sweater this weekend.

Little Squid's Sweater
Teacher scarf on a not so willing model
Mom's socks on the hands of the same model
And then there is my dad's first sock. Did I mention he has size 13 feet? I might actually get to the heel today, what with the middle school tour and the usual Tuesday shuffle. I'm feeling less nervous about the yardage but I'll let you know for sure once I turn the heel.

All Better!

Thanks to everyone who expressed concern over Little Squid. This was a rough one but it was mostly gone by lunch time and he went to school -- and I went to work. Tomorrow he and I are going on another Middle School tour in the morning and Thursday he has a publishing party at school. What that means is that I am going in to work late 3 days this week. As much as I hate when that happens, if you look at how many weeks in a row I have arrived early every day, it does balance out.

For the curious, a publishing party occurs when the class finishes a writing unit, this one is literary essays and personal narratives. The students show off their work and the parents write comments about it on a special comment sheet. This teacher has kept the parties to a minimum, so this is only the second one this year. Next week, however, is his winter concert followed by the class holiday party. I'm not even going to attempt to go in to work for that one, I'm just going to take a personal day and take it easy. Little Squid will be performing with both the band (flute) and the chorus (violin) so I get a double feature. Welcome to Mama Squid's busy season!

Still Here

For a brief period it looked like we were somewhat perky and ready to go but we have now resumed our position on the couch. The thing about his migraines is that I no longer worry. They eventually go away so it is just a waiting game and there is nothing so important that I have to rush to work for. Yes, I could call my folks and ask them to come in and sit with him but frankly, as Dee said, it is downright cozy.

Back to my knitting!

Quiet Morning

As I sit here, typing away, Little Squid is curled up on the couch sleeping off a migraine. I abandoned my position as pillow in order to eat some breakfast but will go back shortly with knitting in hand and another episode of Northern Exposure in the DVD player.

While I feel badly for Little Squid, I am actually pretty content right now.

Excuse me while I resume my role as pillow.

Nervous

(Please welcome Super Monkey to our home.)

I'm a bit nervous. I just started a pair of socks for my father and have carefully wound my Cabin Cove Yankee Ikat sock yarn into two roughly equal balls.

Yes, I used a scale that measures in increments of single grams.

The heels and toes will be in Jawol white.

My dad has size 13 feet.

Some encouragement here please?

A size zero circular needle (magic loop) is being employed because the yarn is of the thinner sock yarn variety. It is incredibly yummy feeling.

But my dad has size 13 feet.

They will be knit toe up and I am starting with the slightly lighter ball.

Did I mention that my dad has size 13 feet?

I know that I had plenty of a similar weight yarn left over when I knit socks for my husband (size 11), my brother (size 11.5) and my brother-in-law (size 12) but I am still nervous.

I'm going to a chanuckah party later, lots of knitting time while visiting with good friends -- I'll let you know how much progress I make after I finish mom's socks.

****

(And any sibling reading this who feels that they or their spouse is being neglected on the sock front -- I promise, you are in queue.)

Why Jeans?

Seems to me that I never did explain why I went to work in jeans yesterday (and today(yes, Saturday)).

See this room?

Imagine it filled -- and I mean FILLED. And by the way, it is twice the size that it appears. There is more room to the right of the machinery.

At the start of the day, this room was full. Every nook and cranny had boxes or old equipment in them. The room is now empty and the contents moved to either the trash or to the vault to age a bit more before they can be shredded.

Then there were the 15 boxes of stuff that got shredded. They came OUT of the vault. (They were sufficiently aged.) And the six boxes of books which were deaccessed (or something like that) from the library. Our custodian arranged for a dumpster for us, a big one. Like the size of an 18 wheeler. It was empty at the start of the day. It was half full at the end of it.

We did a lot. There is still much to do, but every little bit counts. There were eight staff members (not including me) and 25 kids.

Oh and tomorrow? I am going to be VERY sore. Theoretically, the person running the show should not be doing the schlepping but since my style of leadership is "by example," I lifted and tugged at many, many boxes and bags. Basically, non stop movement for 5 hours. I think I got my workout for the day. What do you think?

Anyhow, yesterday I had to do the shopping and set up which involved schlepping dusty boxes and shredders and such. Hence the jeans.

And by the way, I think work make-up adds 10 years to my face when worn with jeans. I may have to rethink the face next year. (Or lighten the lipstick.)

Jeans

I wore jeans to work today.

Got your jaw back in your head?

O.k., I know that most of you do not realize that it has been YEARS since I have worn jeans to work. I think the last time I did it was before Squidette was born.

Over the years, my working wardrobe has slowly gotten more and more formal to the point where I almost wish I had enough suits to wear one every day. The older I get, the less I want to be casual in my work place. There is a certain distance I want to have between me and the kids, and me and my staff.

Why? Because I find that when students get too comfortable with a teacher, they assume that they can do things that are not allowed, like whip out a cell phone or assume privileges to which they are not entitled. Yes, even my knitters eventually reach this point. That said, it only takes a look to return things, with a smile, to their proper order.

When I first became an Assistant Principal, it bothered me that teachers and support staff would call me Mrs. Squid. While we are a "traditional" school and use Mr and Ms with the students, we do call each other by our first names if not in the presence of kids. Over the years, though, it has become normal to just call everyone Mr and Ms and only use first names occasionally. While I miss the camaraderie that first names imply, I only rarely mind the formality that Mr and Ms imply. After 16 years I have very few personal friends in the school and with those I use Mr and Ms almost teasingly.

Interesting, I meant this to be an explanation of why I wore jeans and instead wound up reflecting on the place of formality in a school setting. Hm ...

So what are your feelings regarding how dress governs attitude? (Oh, and I did were full "work" make up and a school T shirt over a turtleneck to make a "uniform"despite the jeans. And shiney earrings that Squidette gave me, for a little "bling.")

Teens Knittng: Blanket Number 3

While I was inculcating 3 more newbies, and teaching cabling, purling and sock knitting to some "older" knitters, a few young ladies were organizing this:
There are actually enough blocks for 1.5 blankets so we are well on our way to number 4.

The blocks are now neatly stacked and bagged in my office, waiting for me to attach them all. I put two big ones together earlier and hope to do a few each day before I leave work. Whatever is left on the 21st will come home for finishing over the break. Yes, I will wash the blanket before we donate it. Promise!

Kang and Kodos Ride Again!

Yes, it is true, Kang and Kodos hibernate for the summer.

When asked if they were concerned that their tentacles would get caught in the bicycle chain, Kang responded:

"Silly earthling. We have total control of our appendages. No wimpy bicycle chain will mess with us!"

Kodos just kind of whimpered.Afterwards they both apparently commented that they found the experience "exhilarating."

More Clarification Needed

Apparently, I over stepped my bounds as a mother yesterday when I mentioned the "B" word. Squidette was mortified. Apparently, she no longer plays with the Barbies. And, she promised to pack them and their belongings up and give them to her younger cousin.

Now that that's cleared up, I have to show you some of the Barbie clothes. We have the best dressed Barbies in town.

The crocheted dresses were made by my sister and the knit dress and sweater by her Grammy. There are many, many more items, this was just a quick sampling as I dug through the bag looking for more mittens (found 2 pair) and socks (found 3 pair).

Snuggles

Much of Saturday was spent with Squidette snuggled up next to me. Now I have Little Squid doing the snuggle thing. Life is good.

What Mothers Do ...

The last few Mondays have been rough for Little Squid so this morning I called an end to it. I did the Curse Breaking Dance. Please imagine, if you will ('cause you are NOT getting a picture of this), a Mama Squid, clad in purple silk kimono (I kid you not), with damp hair and bare feet, jumping and leaping around the living room in order to break the Monday Curse.

The child in question went off laughing, so I think it worked. Keep your fingers crossed.

***

We found the woolies!!! The missing hats and mittens and glove (yes, singular) were mixed in with Squidette's Barbie clothes. We are now ready for winter.

And yes, she kind of knew it all along. She knew that the Dumb Donald hat was there but did not realize that if one hat was there, then the rest probably were there as well.

***

I did pick up my knitting last night and made major progress on Little Squid's sleeve. My finger is pretty much back to normal this morning. Woo Hoo!

Do I have to go to work now?

I Don't Claim to Make Sense, I'm Your Mother

Every night we have a disagreement as to which "child" bathes first. Tonight I settled the feud in a non-sensical manner. I don't have to make sense, I'm the mother.

Much of today was spent like this.Or in a similar position with a book on my lap. I have now finished three of my "math"* books in under a month -- a fourth is waiting for me to resume reading. All of these books have been works in progress for a year or more. Next on deck "Breaking the Spell, Religion as Natural Phenomenon" by Daniel C. Dennett. I'm on page 30 of 339.

Actually, I was productive. Did the laundry, paid the bills, took Squidette to Old Navy and purchased her first pairs of "adult" sized jeans. She is now a size zero. Ack! Researched bike trainers and MP3 players. Perused watches for Little Squid (yes, we feed his obsessions).

Indeed, despite serious itching, I did not pick up my knitting needles so far today. I may give them a try once my nails are dry but won't force it. My finger is definitely getting better. I must have jammed it or pulled it or something. Whatever.

For those of you who cared about our Bat Mitzvah saga, it is essentially concluded. Mike traded a few emails with the Senior Rabbi, who asked for the band schedule and, comparing it to the master b'nai mitzvah schedule, determined that there are 6 shabbot that work for us. He also promised to look into the lack of clarity of the regulation. Problem solved. Yes, I know that I way over reacted. Thanks for bearing with me. Oh, and another mom confirmed our interpretation of the rule. She also did not realize that only specific services counted. So, it wasn't just us.

*"Math book" is a euphemism for any non-fiction that requires serious thought while reading. Therefore, when "Math Books" is yelled in our home, it is a call for the kids to take out their supplemental math books (subject, mathematics) and the parents to take out something thought provoking.

Winter?

The view from my window this morning ...
And of my stash on the balcony ...
Yes, my stash now has a light coating of snow!

Meanwhile, inside the apartment ...
we are now the owners of a front, back and partial sleeve for Little Squid's sweater.

Unfortunately, that is probably where it will stand for the next day or two. I did something to my left index finger last night (no idea what) and it is now a little stiff and painful. It was a lot more so last night so I am sure that this too shall pass but I suspect I will be catching up on my reading today instead of my knitting and spinning. I think I gave it a good bang at one point, yesterday -- that or all the knitting it took to get to this point on the sleeve, twice. Yup. After doing all the calculations (since Ann Budd is great for gauges involving whole stitches but requires some work if you have, oh say 4.5 stitches per inch) I gleefully cast on for the sleeve and was practically up to the elbow when I compared the number of stitches to what I was supposed to have ... and realized that I cast on 32 instead of 36 stitches. Oops!

Such is life. No big deal in the grand scheme of things.