Add another Last to the list: Aunt Jeni visiting the Big Apple for Huck’s birthday!  Thankfully she’s coming back in May (with cousin Lily!), and we’re already imagining next year’s March visit in a land far away from subway trains and tourists. I’m not sure how many times Jeni has been to New York since we moved here in 1997, but I do believe that since 2005 she’s visited us a total of 13 times!! (Something about the birth of her nephew brought her here more often.) Therefore, I will now bestow on my little sister the title of HONORARY NEW YORKER.

This time Jeni came the weekend before Huck’s March 7th birthday, making his entire celebration about ten days long.  (We’re in the final stretch now.) Her visit included an adult day at the Guggenheim, an Aunt & Nephew night alone while Troy and I went to an Eels show, a family day ice skating, a sisters’ day at the Bronx Zoo, a family massage, many games, many cups of coffee, many glasses of wine, sack lunches, Elvis impersonations, Rolos, iPad playing, cupcake making, and much, much laughter.  A highlight of the weekend was when 11 adults braved the Harlem Chuck E. Cheese on a Saturday night to give Huck a dream-come-true-pre-birthday dinner.  Huck got a lot of tickets that night, thanks to our friends’ surprisingly savvy gaming skills.  And because Jeni’s training for a marathon, she and Troy did a lot of running together along the Hudson River.  Using her fancy schmancy Fit Bit device, she logged 90,000 steps, 45 miles, and 287 flights of stairs.  All in 4 days’ work for a New Yorker!

And not only did Jeni bring Huck all kinds of fun gifts (including his new calculator watch), but she also brought her fox footsies pajamas for Huck and her red ‘n white polyester jump suit (not pictured) for me.  True Love.

Next up: The Actual Birthday Tomorrow followed by The Slumber Party.  JENI, COME BACK!!!!!!