The Adventures. . . NooNoo Goes to New York

NooNoo is about to pack up a few one-zees, stash some diapers in the bag and head out for the Big Apple. In her world this name probably translates into something resembling a big candy apple, even though she does not yet have one baby tooth in her tiny, adorable mouth but the most irresistible gummy smile imaginable.

The adventure will entail being whisked through security, charming the TSA folk so that she doesn’t have to take off her booties then flying on a big, big bird for several hours across the entire country from the west coast to the east. This clearly is the most ambitious outing in which she has been involved since her birth, even though she already has been to the beach.

Since NooNoo is less than two months old she won’t even have to pay for her ticket- what a fantastic deal! She will take advantage of this freebie until the age of two, when rather mysteriously she suddenly becomes a "big girl" by fare rules, even though she is still quite small.  Of course this also means she will be entitled to some crayons, a couple of cookies perhaps, and her very own seat- not that she necessarily will stay in it for the whole flight, but that’s another story. As for baggage, at the moment it’s actually NooNoo herself who comprises most of the “carry on” and so she’s decided to travel quite light since her parents have agreed to do most of the heavy lifting.

It’s early April in New York and the golden forsythia and pink- white cherry and apple blossoms as well as splashy magnolias that decorate the parks and streets are all but fidgeting around like crazy, impatient little buds just about ready to burst out of their small protective coverings; they barely can restrain themselves! These infant flowers are simply waiting on tenterhooks to explode onto the sidewalks at the perfect moment. They will create a kind of magical, fairy tale setting reminiscent of an early twentieth century operetta or a silly Hollywood musical after a long, gray and pretty well freezing winter. The last of the snow banks finally has melted, the plastic flying saucers and sleds have long been put away with the puffy “puffer” coats, and everyone from age a day to a century is ready for some serious sun warming and bright new greenery.

The evenings on the east coast are still a bit chilly, so NooNoo’s parents have thrown in a swaddling blanket or two along with a couple of cozy, long sleeved sleep sacks patterned with cute, smiley little animals to keep her company while she is sleeping and dreaming. At least several of these dreams will offer up fantastical images of of the many things she's already heard about the Big Candy Apple: brick oven pizza, Central Park, knishes, the Great White Way, taxis, small, cozy book stores, bialys, street vendors, hot dogs, walking all over the place if  you're old enough or being wheeled all over the place if you're not, street musicians, fast talkers, slow traffic, New York cheese cake and of course rugelah, also spelled rugelach. But no matter, a pastry by any other name. . . .