Peaceful day

 

Bear Mountain Lodge

Our trip to Bear Mountain Lodge was a blast. There’s so much to do there with a little one. There’s a lake to walk around, paddle boats you can rent, a playground, a zoo with a bear, an eagle, an owl, some fish, snakes, coyotes, etc. This is maybe not something I would have cared about pre-baby, but there’s a big, wide, expansive, green lawn. Nora could run free! You can eat brunch there at the renovated restaurant, which I’d really recommend. It’s $30 for an all-you-can-eat buffet and the food was yummy. Here’s some of the highlights:

Okay, this is actually in Cold Spring. It’s another fifteen minutes from Bear Mountain Lodge. We love it here.

So much fun now that Nora can explore the great outdoors!

Looking forward to fall

Well, Labor Day has come and gone and the pool is officially closed until next summer. I will miss those lazy summer days. Nora really liked the pool. She kicked her little chubby legs and slapped the surface of the water with her palms, splashing water all over her face. She laughed and squealed letting everyone see those two funny little teeth. (I mean, those teeth are ridiculous. What are they good for? They’re just cute, that’s all.) There’s nothing like wrapping Nora in a towel and drying her off so she’s nice and warm and cozy.

I realize that summer’s not officially over yet, but I see a few leaves changing colors already. Why be sad about it? One of my favorite things about being a mom is getting to do the kid stuff all over again, from a new perspective.

This fall will be about apple picking (and apple crisp) and walking in the woods. Nora will wear cute hats and sweaters that Grammy knitted for her, like this one:

We’ll decorate our new house with pumpkins, squash and scary cats (that’s about as gory as I get) and we’ll sit on a rocking chair the back porch and where it’ll be nice and breezy. We’ll take Nora on road trips up North to Cold Spring and New Paltz where we’ll wander in and out of little stores and warm our hands with mugs of hot cider. We’ll drive up to Bear Mountain and look out at the yellows and reds and oranges for miles below. We’ll invite friends and family to our home (which will smell like apple crisp. I’m fixing to make a lot of crisp this fall, people.) Our nieces will ride their bikes up and down the street. It’ll be Nora’s first Halloween. We’ll dress her up in a cute/cuddly costume (most likely with bear ears) and take lots of pictures, and she’ll think, “What? What’s the big deal?” Nora and I will sit by the Hudson and look out at the boats. There will be a chill in the air, a cool wind rippling down the river. We’ll bundle up and head back to the car, bracing ourselves for winter.

(And why be all sad about winter? Think, baby in a snowsuit.)