August takes Manhattan

We decided to play everything by ear since we couldn't know for sure what August would allow us to do in New York. Last time we ate at Babbo with her, August was 9 months old and hadn't figured out how to walk or yell yet. This time, we knew better than to take our chances and Auntie Jennie & Uncle Ryan helped out with the babysitting. It helped that we promised (haha!) that there would be no poopy diapers. Surprisingly, subway via stroller with 2 or 3 people is quite do-able. If you can imagine a princess being carried in her private sedan, you've got the picture. Also, large flagship stores with air conditioning, stairs, rails, and wide aisles are the equivalent of the urban jungle gym. Hidden children's parks near Chelsea/Soho saved us. Our favorite had a fountain made especially for wet toddler frolics. FAO Schwartz is still a little out of her mental grasp as there's just too much to take in. We've been going to New York every year for over 5 years now. This was our first time that we skipped Babbo. We went to Daniel instead. Perfect execution for all 12 items (6 courses and an additional 6 complimentary plates), but what they put into perfection, they gave up in soul. We skipped Prada, but still went to Miu Miu. It's a new century and I'm still trying to find where I fit in. Marc Jacobs is usually not my style. You can only get so far with mail order before you're inundated with returns and errands. And August is still chewing holes in my Splendid shirts.