waiting for the storm

Taiyo woke up at 8am, ealier than usual, but refused to get out of his pajamas. I said fine, and we were out the door by 9am to get some stuff done before the storm. The Chinese laundromat on Rivington was open and was unusually crowded, of course. After laundry, we went for brunch at Schiller's on Rivington and Norfolk. Although it is a noisy hipster joint, this place is quite kid-friendly- they immediately asked us if we need a high chair, made a room for the SUV stroller we had, and brought a pack of crayons for Taiyo. Staff were very friendly with him, and there was a large magazine rack by the door for him to pick a reading materials from. When I asked him if he wants to read something, he went over and brought a copy of "Popular Science" to our table. We had a toast with milk for him and a glass of bellini for me. He didn't like hazelnuts in the waffle, but still enjoyed good portion of it, plus it was adorned with fresh fruits. One by one, more strollers came in while we dined. Although it's a bit pricey- waffle, coffee, bellini and milk before tip was $32- food was fair and they provided us pleasant dining experience. The waitress was very much impressed with Taiyo bringing her money with the check. This usually never fails to put smile on people's faces.
Some shopping after brunch- the liquor store on Grand had nice long line at the register, but the shopkeeper handled it quickly and courteously. I decided not to bother with the supermarket- we have plenty of food downstairs anyway, and picked up some fruits from the stand - he seemed unsually busy also. After two hours of Elmo and an hour and a half of Teletubbies, Taiyo finally laid down for a nap on the couch. I went downstairs and defrosted the freezer. It's just an extra half day for me, since my staff couldn't get here this evening. It's still very calm outside at 6pm, just waiting for Taiyo to wake up while the hurricane approaches.