Mother’s Day: Walk for A Cause/Maplewood Diner

Mother’s Day morning.  NYCity Mama didn’t sleep in. As a matter of fact, as strange as it may be, she actually ended up waking up earlier than ever, before anyone…even the kids.  Because the kids have a habit of invading their bed in the wee hours of the morning, they (Dad, Mom, and two younger boys) were all curled up together on their Queen size bed, warm and deep in sleep.

But Mama couldn’t sleep anymore.  So at 6:30 she was up.  She likes the time of silence and of just being able to think alone for a bit.  It’s a great way to start her day.

After letting them sleep for awhile, she got them all up, in her motherly fashion, to get ready to head out to Central Park.  Today was the day she would be participating in R Baby Foundation‘s Run/Walk to help raise money for newborn babies who need special medical care during those first crucial months of life.  Sounded to Mama like a perfect cause for a perfect day.  She had been fortunate to not have ever experienced the sadness of needing such help herself for her children and was more than happy to help other families that did.

They made it to the park just in time for her to line up for the 1.3 mile Health Walk.  The day was sunny, but windy and a bit chilly, beautiful nevertheless. Her husband took the kids to one of the playgrounds in the park while she did her walk.  At first, in seeing the crowds of families and mother’s with their husbands and little ones, she wished she had brought her family to join her.  But shortly after starting the walk she began power walking, and pushed herself to the fastest walk she’s done, helping her complete it in 20 minutes!  The crowds at the end of the line were great too, cheering everyone on and congratulating them for the finish.

After meeting up with some friends for a quick hello, Mama made her way through Central Park to meet her husband. She walked by some of her favorite spots in the park, still empty due to the fact that it was early.  Even The Boathouse was still setting up for the Mother’s Day patrons lining up outside.  

The paths inside of Central Park that lead to different sections and cross town, can be convoluted and many. It seemed like miles before Mama was able to reach her family on the other side of town, but it was a beautiful, peaceful walk through the park, one she recommends to everyone. (You shouldn’t be nervous to take the many paths through the park for a morning or afternoon stroll-as long as it’s not dark out-they all lead to an open, populated space, and there are plenty of security personnel, as well as other walkers and runners along the way.)

After spending the morning at the park, in the heart of the city, Mama and family decided to avoid the many long lines that they would surely fine at that time for lunch and head out of the city to a little town she likes to escape to called Maplewood in New Jersey.

Maplewood is about a 30 minute drive out of the city.  It’s quiet and quaint and she loves it here.  They often come here to visit when they just need to slow down for a couple of hours, and should Mama ever leave her beloved city, this is where she would move to.

They stop at their favorite local diner, the Maple Leaf Diner and immediately find parking and a booth.  The diner was full of families with little ones, and Mama and Hubby felt immediately at ease: no stress, no worries.  They got their orders right away.  Mama ordered a Farmer’s Omelette, which turned out to be one of the best Farmer’s Omelette she’s ever had.  The veggies weren’t overcooked, with the carrots and broccoli still having a nice crunch to them and all the veggies well seasoned and flavorful.

After brunch, they take a stroll around town, stopping to window shop and browse in the small shops found along the main street of their downtown, all before walking to the local playground so that the kids could run around a bit.

 

Boys had a lot of fun at the small playground.  Mama had a chance to talk to other local moms about Mother’s Day, the neighborhood, and their kids, while Daddy played with the boys.  At one point Mama joined in on the fun, even posing for pictures with her 11 year old.

Before leaving they headed over to the local ice cream shop and got the boys a small treat.  They ate it outside the shop which was full with little kids and parents ordering their cold treat.  Mama met a nice couple and their baby and they chatted for a while before having to head back to the city.

NYCity Mama couldn’t have asked for a better Mother’s Day.  By the time they got back into the city, the boys had fallen asleep in the car, and the traffic over the George Washington Bridge was beginning to get ugly.  But Mama enjoyed every second from beginning to end.  Hubby ended the day by making her a special dinner and treating her to a few hours of “do nothing”.  She is grateful for her husband who is so loving and considerate and for her beautiful children who have honored her with the role of mom.

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