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North America, Travel
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May 11, 2009

Tale of The Perfect Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day morning. I didn’t sleep in. As a matter of fact, as strange as it may be, I actually ended up waking up earlier than ever, before anyone – even the kids. Because the kids have a habit of invading our bed in the wee hours of the morning, we were all curled up together on their queen size bed, warm and deep in sleep.

But I couldn’t sleep anymore. So at 6:30 I was up. I like the time of silence and of just being able to think alone for a bit. It’s a great way to start the day, not that I am much of an early morning person.

After letting them sleep for awhile, I got them all up, in motherly fashion, to get ready to head out to Central Park. Today was the day I 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 me like a perfect cause for a perfect day. I 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.

We made it to the park just in time for me to line up for the 1.3 mile Health Walk. The day was sunny, but windy and a bit chilly, beautiful nevertheless. Hubby took the kids to one of the playgrounds in the park while I did my walk. At first, in seeing the crowds of families and mother’s with their husbands and little ones, I wished I had brought my family to join me. But shortly after starting the walk I began power walking and pushed myself to the fastest walk I’ve done, helping me 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.

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After meeting up with some friends for a quick hello, I made my way through Central Park to meet the family. I walked by some of my 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.

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The paths inside of Central Park that lead to different sections and cross town, can be convoluted and many. It seemed like miles before I was able to reach my family on the other side of town, but it was a beautiful, peaceful walk through the park, one I 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.)

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After spending the morning at the park we decided to avoid the many long lines that we would surely find with crowds looking for brunch. So we headed out of the city to a little town called Maplewood in New Jersey.

Maplewood is about a 30 minute drive out of the city. It’s quiet and quaint and I love it there. We often come here to visit when we just need to slow down for a couple of hours, and should I ever leave my beloved city, this is where I would move to.

We stopped at our favorite local diner, the Maple Leaf Diner. The diner was full of families with little ones, and hubby and I felt immediately at ease: no stress, no worries. We got their orders right away.

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img_5132After brunch, we took a stroll around town, stopping to window shop and browse in the small shops found along the main street, all before walking to the local playground so that the kids could run around a bit.

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Boys had a lot of fun at the small playground and I had a chance to talk to other local moms about Mother’s Day, the neighborhood.

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

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img_5229It was a pretty perfect Mother’s Day. By the time we 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 I enjoyed every second from beginning to end. Hubby ended the day by making me a special dinner and treating me to a few more hours of “do nothing”. I am grateful for him, who is so loving and considerate and for my beautiful children who have honored me with this role.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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3 Comments
  • Lisa
    May 11, 2009

    Wow, you had a great day. Nice pictures too. Your food pictures always makes me hungry..lol

    Reply
  • Evelyn
    May 11, 2009

    Sounds like a perfect day!

    Reply
  • Justice Jonesie
    May 12, 2009

    Wow, what a great day!! This post makes me want to move to NYC!! What a beautiful day, great parks, and restaurants that serve great food. What else can you want in a city?

    Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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One day would never be enough to celebrate the won One day would never be enough to celebrate the wonderful that has been the 20 years that I have been @toniiocain’s mom. The kindness and softness he puts out into the world is something we all need more of.

Antonio, I am proud of the man you are growing up to be and know that you are destined for amazing things. 

I miss the baby you once were because omg, you were the best baby, but I look forward to continuing to experience this journey of growth you are on.

Happy Birthday, Antonio. I love you more than words could ever express. 

#proudmomma
Rainy Sunday night bliss. ❤️ Feeling grateful. Rainy Sunday night bliss. ❤️ Feeling grateful.
A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, N A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, NY to explore all the good reads available at the cutest little bookstore, @sulfurbooks. 

With its airy feel, with cozy reading nooks and friendly vibes, I could’ve easily spent hours here. Instead, I walked away with some new reads and excitement for my return.

📍Clifton Springs is a 45 min drive from Rochester and a little over 30 mins from Penn Yan, NY. 

#fingerlakes #smallrownny #newyork #roadtrip #booklover
And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain was invited to participate in MuralFest hosted by @communityartselmira. His theme was in honor of the Seneca Indigenous culture and their remaining influence on the Finger Lakes and so much of North America. 

In the mural you will see depictions of a turtle at center, which is sacred and is believed to be the protector and nurturer of life. The 13 moon cycles is the traditional lunar calendar. Also depicted are long houses, traditional foods such as corn, and an eagle, which serves as a messenger to the Creator and a protector of the Haudenosaunee.

The mural is already marked by the impact of all the rain we had since he started, but today he, @liamcain._ , and @toniiocain worked throughout the day in this very hot sun to complete it. And I couldn’t be prouder or love it more! 

If you want to see the mural in person, it is located on the railway wall along Washington Ave. and Lake St. in Elmira, NY across from the old Big Lots parking lot. 

Congratulations to Travis and all the artists!

#murals #streetartist #elmirany #artist #muralist
Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu é Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu éxito, y tus esperanzas y sueños positivos hacia el futuro también son expresiones de revolución. El propósito es crear desesperación, confusión, intimidación, y tristeza. Y sí, existen. Sufrímos con nuestras familias, amistades, y comunidades. Pero, coño, nuestra gente somos resiliente y capaces de más de lo que se imaginan. Movamosnos adelante con la cara alta, dignidad, y coraje. 
…………..

My Latinx and immigrant people: your happiness, your success, and your positive hopes and dreams for the future are also forms of revolution. The purpose is to create despair, confusion, intimidation, and sadness. And yes, they exist. We suffer with our families, friends, and communities. But, above all, our people are resilient and capable of more than you can imagine. Let us move forward with our heads held high, with dignity, and courage.

#latinx
Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on th Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on the metal roof. So calming. 

#countryliving #fingerlakes #newyork

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