Category Archives: Birthdays

Happy Birthday Ari and Max & Ruby Live!

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

It’s Ari’s birthday today! The little man is three-years-old, or as he likes to say, he is “three months old.” When he says that he’s three months old, I tell him: “Samara is three months old, you’re three years old.” He then insists that Samara is three-years-old and he is three months old, and I feel like I’m playing a giant game of “who’s on first.”

The first thing we did was to go out for brunch with grandma and grandpa. To get to the brunch spot we took the train, which Ari loved.




We got to Dizzy’s, the coolest brunch spot in Park Slope.

Please excuse the giant light emanating from Samara’s head. She can’t help it if she glows.



Faces of the other restaurant diners have been disguised to protect anonymity.

After brunch, everyone took a nap, except for me because I had some freelance writing work to do, and then we set off to Staten Island to see…Max & Ruby Live! Aunt Jackie got our whole family tickets to see the show as a birthday present for Ari, or as she calls in in tagalog- Ari-Ko.


I must add that Ari’s birthday was spent diaper-free! That’s right folks, he was in Toy Story underwear the whole day. There was one pee accident though. :/. It’s okay, it’s only his third day in underwear.

We got to the theater and Ari found some familiar friends:

He also got this nifty contraption, which we all enjoyed:



Then it was time for the show!




Ari was entranced by Max & Ruby Live. He kept his eyes glued to the stage. When it was intermission, he said “one more episode?” Wil and I assured him that there would be more Max & Ruby coming up, in 15 minutes. Samara liked it too. But toward the middle of the show, she got sleepy.

After the show was over, Ari was so hyped up the concessions stand snacks, i.e. cookies and chips, (and he hadn’t had dinner) that he went a little bananas and tried to run down the theater stairs without me. I was terrified because we were in an enormous crowd. Thankfully, I caught him by the back of the shirt before he ran off, but that was pretty scary.

The show was awesome! We all had a great time. The show even addressed where Max & Ruby’s parents are! Apparently, they are “organizing things in their attic,” or “on the phone.” They listed a slew of other reasons the parents are “not around” in the form of a song.
Happy Birthday Ari Bear! I cannot believe you’re 3-years-old. I love you so much! I’m kvelling!

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Posted in Birthdays, Max and Ruby

Where The Wild 30 Year Old Went For Her Birthday

Posted on October 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I am officially three decades old. To celebrate, my best friend Mint, my son and I went to see “Where The Wild Things Are,” in IMAX at an insanely early hour. The show was at 9:20am!


When We entered the theater lobby, Mint said:

“We need to have a plan in case he starts crying in the theater. Do you want me to take him out since it’s your birthday?”
“No,” I replied “I’ll do it. But, I think he’ll be okay.” I was recalling how well he behaved during his first movie experience, when we went to see Pixar’s “Up.” I was hopeful that he would sit through the whole movie.

When we walked into the theater, the previews had already started. My son stopped in tracks. He was alarmed by the roaring sounds coming from the auditorium. We coaxed him into the theater and sat down to watch the movie.

I was right! As soon as I handed him a zip lock bag of Multi-Grain Cherrios and his water bottle, he was locked into the movie. He sat through the whole thing. Two things to note: He was frightened during one part of the film that was so intense that even Mint gasped. And he got slightly bored toward the end when the film’s pace began to slow. But all in all he was a great movie goer.

When we exited the theater he became fascinated by the individual lights attached to the game machines in the lobby. He pointed the lights out to Mint.

The movie was wonderful. The “wild things” looked incredibly realistic and resembled the figures I recalled from this classic story of my childhood. The boy who played Max was perfect for the part. I don’t want to give away too much, but I highly recommend checking this film out.

I will close with a hilarious quote that Mint sent me from Maurice Sendak, author of “Where The Wild Things Are.”

“When Newsweek asked what the author would say to parents who might think ‘Wild Things’ too frightening for their children, he didn’t skip a beat in responding: “I would tell them to go to hell. That is a question I will not tolerate.” Not one to mince words, he continued, “If they can’t handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it’s not a question that can be answered.”

See entire article here

For more information on the film click here.

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Posted in Birthdays

First Birthday Parties

Posted on May 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

My son turns one year old today! May 6th. Happy Birthday, goo-goohead!

The first birthday is a big deal. In most ways it is a bigger deal for the parents than it is for the baby. As my best friend said wisely:

“The first birthday is celebrating that you survived one year with a baby.”

And its true. My son is not going to remember today, unfortunately. But I will. And later in his life I can show his pictures of what happened on his first birthday.

My boyfriend and I agonized about what to do for my son’s first birthday. Should we throw a huge party and invite everybody we know? Or do a low key family event.

It was really a tough decision. In the end we compromised; today we are taking our son out to lunch with our close family. Next week we are having another tiny family party with a few of my son’s friends and their moms.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday goo-goohead!!!!!

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Posted in Birthdays