Thirty-two Hullabaloo
The other day, Mitchell and I were basking in the golden hours between the kids’ bedtime and ours, two amorphous couch blobs. That’s when he hit me casually with a, “So.. how’s your blog goin?” I really had no response but to give him a piercing side eye and reply staunchly with, “It’s.. uh.. it’s going..”
Admittedly, this little blog of mine has been in the foreground of my mind for some time. I started it with the intent that I could have an outlet to create content and record memories and flesh out a space in my day that's solely for me. Then it seemed as if life laughed and laughed and pushed the toddler that gets into everything, energetic six year old with school and extracurricular, and husband with surgical residency hours back into the glaring spotlight.
I was also unsure of where to pick up after such a pronounced hiatus. I decided on a birthday post, as I believe all birthdays should be celebrated and festivities documented. So thank you for sticking around, faithful readers (all three of you.. alright, maybe just my dear husband.. hi!).
Without further adieu, here’s my little ode to turning thirty-two.
Somehow Mitchell had a rare weekend off the same time as my birthday weekend. As soon as I realized that, I knew I wanted to make the most of his days off and go on some family adventures. For Saturday, I figured we’d head out east to Suffolk county.
On my Long Island bucket list for some time was visiting the Big Duck in Flanders. I firmly believe there are inquisitive people, full of fun, who love to explore all historical oddities near them and people who are dead inside. In other words, myself and Mitchell respectively. Big Duck would’ve quickly garnered a veto from him but it was my birthday weekend! Cue diabolical laughs.
Our conversation upon pulling up and parking beside the Big Duck, paraphrased:
“It’s.. it’s a big duck.. what? What the hell, Arianne?!”
“[laughing hysterically] Isn’t it great?!”
The Big Duck essentially houses a quirky little gift shop. Ava nabbed some Big Duck postcards to send to her penpals. Hours are kind of wonky and don’t reflect what’s posted on the door though.
We washed down our thrilling time at the Big Duck with beer and food at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company in Peconic. I was initially confused as to which location would better suit our family. An employee explained that the Greenport location is smaller and serves more of the boutique flavors whereas the Peconic location is larger and has a bigger restaurant.
It was our first time visiting a brewery as a family. To make future visits more enjoyable, I’ll make sure that we pack something to sit on (whether it be portable chairs or a picnic blanket). There was an expansive lawn that would’ve been nice to sit on and enjoy our food and drinks while the kids roamed freely nearby; however, all seats were claimed and we weren’t particularly fond of sitting on the patchy grass.
67 Steps Beach caught my eye on social media a few months prior. Its iconic steps reminded me of my beloved Thousand Steps Beach back in SoCal and I’ve been hoping for an opportunity to explore its East Coast version, so to speak. I have a fondness for heading to the ocean as the sunsets for my birthday. There’s just something soothing and meditative about watching the sun melt into the ocean. I personally think it’s a great way to note the beginning of another year of life.
I grew up in SoCal so the ideal version of a beach to me had vast swaths of sand and crashing waves, often accompanied by dramatic vistas. When we moved to Long Island, I didn’t get the appeal of the beaches and bays here for the longest time. 67 Steps completely changed my attitude. The golden hour bathed everything in a halcyon hue. The soft, lapping water and small bit of rocky terrain made for an intimate setting. The salty air mixed with a hint of smoke from a bonfire in the distance made me think of how summer nights should smell.
I totally get it now.
After the beach, we made our way to Little Creek Oyster Farm. I love fresh oysters and a good deal so their $18 for a dozen shuck-it-yourself oysters seemed like a no brainer. Plus I had a husband who was willing to oblige to any of my whims for my birthday weekend. Done deal!
For whatever reason, we struggled to find this little place nestled in the dim harbor (or perhaps our initial navigator’s skills should be questioned more.. I’ll keep him nameless for now) so we arrived a little flustered. Then we were on high alert because Ava’s allergic to nearly all seafood and every surface seemed to have come in contact with an allergen recently. To top it off, Theo was having some strong feelings about being out so close to bedtime and was expressing said emotions loudly.
It quickly became dangerously more than what I bargained for; however, we shouldered on. Ava was handed Mitchell’s iPhone so she could play some games and be less tempted to touch everything. Theo was surreptitiously scooped up and placed in the Ergo I had strapped to me before he could wail louder. And Mitchell narrowly missed gouging his hand as he got the hang of opening up the oysters. Why I thought it was a good idea to have the dude whose livelihood depends largely on his hands pry open stubborn mollusks is beyond me now.
What felt like adding insult to injury, I painstakingly tried to get a clear shot of Mitchell opening oysters but Theo’s foot kept making its way into the frame. I sometimes feel a pinch of frustration when I have a certain picture in mind and something keeps messing up that perfect shot. I quickly realized that that darn little Croc marked where we are in life as a family right now and meaningfulness trumps perfection any day.
I’ve come to really love this photo, Croc and all.
On Sunday (my actual birthday), I knew I wanted a cookie from Levain as my “birthday cake” so I built up our day around that. We let the kids burn energy in Central Park before having omakase at Sushi Yasaka and then ending the day with some warm cookies.
The only time I ever headed into the city by myself was to pick up over three dozen cookies from Levain for my best friend Lauren’s bridal shower in SoCal the day before my flight. I was also in the third trimester of my pregnancy with Theo. I remember standing, waiting for the subway, shifting my weight from foot to foot while I gripped two large, heavy bags with the Levain logo, feeling 1000% the stereotype of a pregnant woman scarfing down everything in sight. That’s when I caught a guy nearby glancing at me. He flashed me a smile and commented, “Good choice!” What a sight I must’ve been.
And that’s it to my thirty-second birthday! Cheers to many more years and hopefully even more blog posts.