This weblog tracks my kids’ early years. Each entry is a snapshot from their childhood.
Please pardon any type-o’s, misstatements, or factual irregularities. This blog is written by an often dazed dad, normally after 11 pm when he should really be in bed if he had any sense. Even the basic quick edit is not a regular practice here.
I have been taking Molly out for some practice drives around the neighborhood in the MINI.
Well, actually, she’s been taking me. But I still get to pick the music.
She’s doing well with driving. We drive in the same area we used to practice riding bikes. It’s a nice, flat, low-traffic area.
Today’s session was followed-up by a drive through the Whatabrger for a milkshake because…had to.
Fresh off of Claire’s spring college break to Atlanta (TODO link), I had two days in Austin, and then it was off to NYC with Molly on her high school spring break.
We spent two full days camped in a tiny but pleasant hotel room SoHo, which we kept accidentally calling Austin’s own SoCo. The hotel had a rather large balcony, with a view of the World Trade enter Center, some lawn furniture, and an outdoor shower!
On day 1, we walked nine miles of Manhattan. We got the world’s best bagels from Popup Bagels and enjoyed them in a brisk Washington Square Park. We checked out music spots Electric Lady Studios and 23 Cornelia Street, plus the nearby Friends apartment building. We trekked up to Little Island park, explored the High Line, and dining at Chelsea Market. The server was definitely an actor on the side. Also, finding the Apple Store for an Pencil tip, thank you very much. We headed back towards our “home” in SoHo and skipped over to Chinatown to get a Bahn Mi, which somehow Molly had never had?!? Whose daughter is this? She loved it.
Finally, inspired by the Friends apartment building, we got last-minute tickets to an off-broadway Friends musical parody, Molly confessed that she loved musicals, which I did not know. We had been walking and taking the subway everywhere but settled for an Uber from Hell’s Kitchen back home to SoHo late that night.
Day 2 got us another nine miles on foot, the time like Washington’s Army, crossing briefly into Brooklyn! We hit the Museum of Illusions (not the Museum of Allusions, which would have been really boring). Then our favorite sport just about anywhere, Central Park. We came across Strawberry Fields and someone singing Let It Be. Followed by ice cream on the Upper West Side, obviously. We were determined to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and see a Broadway show before we left, so we hurried back to SoHo, refreshed a bit, and headed out to Brooklyn on the subway, which took forever because basically all the trains were express and most distinctly not the other side of Brooklyn Bridge.
Somewhere along the line, I bought tickets to The Book of Mormon for that night.
We hurried back on foot and had a quick pizza at our favorite spot next door to the hotel, LTD Pizza. Exhausted, we changed clothes and headed uptown for our real freakin’ Broadway play, The Book of Mormon. I had bought on my phone somewhere along the line between Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge.
The show was amazing; Molly really wants to see more musicals! The crowds in Times Square insane, so we walked to Hell’s Kitchen for a thinner (but still thick) crowd and an Uber back to SoHo.
We braved the hour-long subway ride to JFK airport the next morning and got home exhausted but happy.
“Claire was born in Atlanta, but she’s never been there.” At least that’s what I tell people.
Okay, Claire (and this blog) was born in Atlanta, and she’s hasn’t been back since she’s was two years old. Notice that the Atlanta-tagged post before this was from 2007!
So I decided to take her there for a couple days on her college string break to see her “birth” house and the town that created her.
We had a fun time seeing the old neighborhood, which Claire has no memory of but enjoyed. It wasn’t quite what she expected Atlanta to be like, which is what we thought when we moved there.
We also got to take in some movie sights, most especially the real site of the fiction and creepy AF Hawkins National Laboratory from Stranger Things.
After seeing the sights in Atlanta, I wanted to take her somewhere new for both of us. My dad had always said that Helen, Georgia was one of the prettiest places he had ever seen. So we ventured an hour north of the city and explored the Bavarian-style Disneyland-esque town as a little day trip.
It was a fun couple days with Claire in her lovely home state, although I think she still considers herself a Texan. 😉
Molly and I made a day trip to San Antonio to visit Claire at college. We picked up Claire and hit two classic San Antonio destinations: the San Antonio Zoo and Mi Tierra Cafe (y Panadaeria).
I personally felt like a kid again at the zoo as we admired at the giant hippos, zebras, and Komodo dragons. And we enjoyed a late, hearty lunch at Mi Tierra, where the food and the vibe were pure Tex Mex bliss.
It was a fun day and great to have both kids together for a while. 😊
Last Christmas, I took the kids on a ride around the Formula 1 track at the Circuit of the Americas just on a whim. It was fun like any holiday outing such Trail of Lights, Mozarts Festival of Lights, or whatever.
In the year since, Claire has become a big Formula 1 fan, along with her friends. Heck, she even got me interested in reading a book (!) to learning more about the sport.
So this year, I decided to put Claire behind the wheel in her Prius 😆. We invited her F1 friends along, and Molly, a casual F1 fan, squeezed in too.
This turned out to be the most fun experience we’ve all had together in a long time. I’ll say no more and let the video speak for itself. 👌 (Also on Instagram.)
Days after taking Molly to Sabrina Carpenter, Claire returned from her studies in college to see Panchiko with me! It was an amazing shoegze / post-rock show and in some ways the opposite of Sabrina Carpenter. 😆 We really like the opener, Wisp, too.
It was the first time I got to take Claire to Stubb’s, who enjoyed the show and the outdoor setting under the moonlight. 🌖
Molly’s been cheering on the football team all fall. She even ended up in leading the charge in this picture from The Austin Chronicle. Check the right side. Way to go, Molly!👌
Molly and I got to enjoy the pretty wild, funny, and amazing Sabrina Carpenter Short n’ Sweet tour together. 🙌
Since Sabrina was playing the Moody Center, basically on the UT campus, Molly and I incorporated our favorite UT routine into the night. We parked in West Campus (I mean, who wants to park near the venue? So boring!), got some pizza at Roppolo’s, and walked across the campus to the concert. It was a beautiful night, and the walk was a great way to get warmed up for the concert.
The Sabrina concert was a “little” over the top, including a “SABRINA AFTER DARK” segment with the tongue-in-cheek warning “PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED”. Oh well, too late. 🤷🏻♂️And everything was behind translucent curtains, so we’re 👌.
The show as surprisingly entertaining, and I’m personally glad that Molly got me into Sabrina’s music. I’ve had Short n’ Sweet on pretty heavy rotation, with fav songs being Please Please Please, Coincidence, Lie to Girls, Don’t Smile, and of course Espresso. You’ve got to love her lyrics…
Too bad your ex don’t do it for ya
Walked in and dream-came-trued it for ya
Soft skin and I perfumed it for ya
I know I Mountain Dew it for ya
We dropped Clairey off at college and left her in the best hands possible down in San Antonio.
I can’t say much because I’m still feeling pretty bitter-sweet about it.
I drove down with Claire in her car, then we all helped her move in, did some shopping, spent the night, did the various orientations, and had a “hello goodbye” picnic.
And then the administration insisted that we parents actually, you know, leave.
I was really happy we could all be there for Claire, even Molly, who missed an afternoon of high school to make the trip to SA.
I’m so proud of you Claire!
For the first time as a dad, I can really say that I wish you were five years old again. 🥲
But even though you’re officially “all grows up” now, we still have a lifetime ahead of us of goofing off and having deep talks about history and philosophy. Based on your new location, something tells me those talks are only going to get better. 👩🎓
McG Kids 