I just spent the past few days in New Jersey. My brother married an amazing chick about 4 years ago and they have been together for something like 12 years. Last year, they picked up and moved their small family of three and headed to the suburbs when baby #2 was on the way as they couldn’t all fit in their 1-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, NY. Secretly, I might’ve been a tad bummed they didn’t have the apartment in Brooklyn anymore, but they moved to a super nice neighborhood… and this weekend I learned that there was a Rita’s Italian Ice just a mile up the road, so all is forgiven (we don’t have a Rita’s in Maine – in fact, the closest one in is Warwick, RI!). I am sad I didn’t know this fine detail last year when I visited, but I can look past that. My first visit to their new home was 4 weeks after my baby was born and I might’ve been too tired to do anything, anyway. haha
My brother is just a couple of years younger than I, and he was my best friend when we were little kids. Then, as we grew, we hated each other – in that love/hate sibling kind of hate. He got bigger than me and didn’t take to a bossy big sister so tensions ran high. Typical.
So, life takes over and suddenly you are both in your thirties and have kids and houses to manage on top of careers and and and…
Now, New Jersey isn’t THAT far away… just a quick hop, skip and a jump and you’re there… unless you have kids. What should take 5 hours actually takes 8 or more! We made it to New Hampshire and had to pull off I-95 (40 minutes from home) before we had to change a diaper. At the liquor store. The liquor store. (We actually just changed him in the parking lot because it felt completely wrong bringing a baby in there. LOL) We stopped a few more times and 5 hours later, we have a screamer. So we stop at this rest stop somewhere in New York where there was magical light – and I captured a few images before we tortured ourselves for another hour and a half before we finally arrived at the little bro’s house.
Armies of ants are a fascinating find.
Not in the car = not crying….
This is how crazy I thought I was going to be if we hadn’t pulled over when we did…
I should’ve taken Before and After photos just to show the dramatic change that occurred as soon as we were all out of the car. It would have proven how much I love my brother even more. haha
xo