The Big Apple

On the cusp of her teen years, in the spring before she turned thirteen, my princess and I traveled together to New York City.  If you've never done a one-on-one trip with your kid (separately if you have more than one kid), I strongly recommend it.  There is something very special about embarking on an adventure-- just the two of you-- and seeing where it will take you. 

We went over spring break, and it was a little chilly.  My little sister joined us for part of the trip. 

We did all the things you're supposed to do when you visit New York City. 

 



We went to the Statue of Liberty.



We ate at Hard Rock Cafe.



We went to the top of the Empire State Building.

But mostly what we did was walk.  We walked and walked and walked.  We walked through Central Park, and to three different museums.  We walked down Park Avenue, and through ecclectic neighborhoods.  We stopped every day we were there and got a vanilla steamer (kind of like a hot chocolate but with vanilla). 

Sometimes we talked while we walked, and sometimes we just walked.  It didn't matter.  We figured out how to take the subway and navigate the city streets.  We were together, out in a big city, finding our way. 

On our last night we went to see the Lion King.  If you ask my princess, she'd probably say that was her favorite part of the trip.  That, and the vanilla steamers.  The Lion King was amazing-- maybe the best show I've ever seen.  But my favorite part was the walking with my girl. 

These Precious Years

My princess is the spittin' image of her father.  The moment she entered the world, my husband nicknamed her "Little Debra" after his twin sister.  She is a wiz on the softball field, can run like the wind, and has no time for other people's drama.  But she's MY daughter-- my only daughter-- and I love her something fierce.   I am determined not to lose her during these precious teenage years.  

My princess loves to play catch with her daddy-- that is how they bond.  She and I needed something different, something ours (preferably something I didn't suck at).  And so began our mother-daughter adventures.  Some are big and some are small; sometimes we have planned every second, and other times we are impulsive and spontaneous.  Often they aren't even "adventures" but rather shared experiences, conversations, or moments.  Whatever they are, I cherish every one, and I file them away, so when I look back on these years when my princess was a teenager, I will remember more laughter than tears.