We Have Two Beloved Visitors in Brooklyn This Week
Last night, Anton and I sat on the stoop waiting impatiently for our guests to arrive…
…until my brother Nick and my cousin’s son Jimmy (aka Anton’s second cousin) arrived from England to spend a week with us in Brooklyn. It’s Jimmy’s first time in the U.S., and when I asked him what he’d like to do — ride the Cyclone at Coney Island? see the view from the Empire State Building? — he asked me, earnestly, “Do you guys have Dunkin’ Donuts?” We do, Jimmy, we do.
What a fun assignment to think about how to show a 13-year-old around NYC — what are the fun activities specifically for preteens? Last night, we ordered pizza and rode bikes and scooters along the river to the Brooklyn Bridge, while the sun set — or, as Jimmy said, whilst the sun set. My brother also cemented his “fun uncle” status by doing wheelies and riding down stairs.
This morning, poor Jimmy woke up at 5 a.m. (jet lag!) but waited patiently until we all roused a few hours later. Then we walked to get bagels and took goofy photos. Next up: shopping for “trainers” and going to the Yankees game. (Toby’s visiting my mom right now, but they come back to New York on Friday for an even bigger reunion.)
Plus, a flashback:
Jimmy and Anton in Cornwall (ages of the cousins, from left to right: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!). They’ve been mischievous soulmates since day one.
On Anton’s sixth birthday, and Jimmy was seven.
This summer, when Anton turned 12 and Jimmy was 13.
We always love having visitors, especially these two! What about you? What do you show people from your hometown? Also, would you like an updated Cup of Jo NYC guide, maybe one for kids, one for teens, and one for adults?
P.S. Our Brooklyn house tour, and all our past England trips, including my aunt’s house tour.
Comments
148 commentsThat blue gate gets me every time!!
The cutest lil’ cousin friends! And the timeline of them growing up beside one another– SOB! Sweetest thing.
Um, is your brother Cillian Murphy??? (But really….)
YES YES YES!! NYC GUIDE!!
what a blast! <3 <3 <3
Yes to NYC guides! We live in Wisconsin, and my college daughter had an internship in NYC this past summer. I stalked every recommendation from you and Jenny (and the COJ community) I could find for my four-day visit but would have loooved an official guide.
This is so wonderful and I’m a little bit jealous. My family (in Canada) told me they wouldn’t visit me while Trump is in office. I understand (mostly) and I am heartbroken. I will do my best to visit them when I can, but I have three little kids and flying is expensive. And there’s just something about showing your family your life, you know?
Joanna, I just want to say what a surrogate mother/aunt you are to me! I feel like I have adopted so many of your parenting ideas/techniques over the years since I started reading your blog in high school and am now a 32-yr old mom to a nearly 1-year old baby (eek, crying again!). We just visited family and she had a blast babbling with her cousins; seeing your kids several years ahead gives me an idea of how to help them develop their own friendships down the line and how I can be a good aunt to my nephews. Not to sound creepy, but a HUGE thank you for sharing your life on the internet and helping me know what to expect as I enter life stages a few behind yours.
this means so much to me, JK. I feel so teary reading your comment! I also wish I could come hold your baby for a minute, i looooove me a one-year-old :) :) :) thank you again xo
Aw, JK, I feel this so deeply. I’m also 32, a new mom to a 5-month-old baby, and Joanna has been a guide to me since I was 16 or 17. Even from far away (I’m from Mallorca, Spain), her words on life, career, and love have given me comfort and direction so many times. Now, holding my own sweet boy, I feel even closer. That post about having boys? I’d frame it! Entering motherhood feels full of awe and responsibility, just as she has taught us, and I carry so much of what she’s shared and continues sharing. Thank you, Joanna, for being a companion to so many of us around the world all these years. ❤️
I am crying reading this, J K. I feel the same: awkward 20s (what is life? who do I date?), relationships, marriage, kids, grief, joy…I’ve taken away so much from Joanna and this community <3 Thank you.
We took our exchange student to New York and all she wanted to do was visit raising cane’s in Times Square. We were slightly horrified 😆
When we had an exchange student with us from the Netherlands and Dunkin’ was top on his list! I love this! When we visited Toronto our son wanted to visit the grocery store to see milk in bags.
Oh goodness, I remember seeing milk in bags when I first moved to Switzerland. It’s such a strange thing to see! Also un-refrigerated eggs!
Does your brother live in England? Just curious!
We had 24 hours in NYC during college tours. We had pizza, saw “The Book of Mormon”, went to Top of the Rock, saw a subway rat, had a celeb sighting (Andy Cohen), ate Nathan’s hot dogs in Central Park, visited Eloise’s portrait at The Plaza, walked through Tiffany’s and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and quickly hit the MOMA Store before taking their first-ever taxi ride to the airport with a bagel. But the highlight was getting up at 4am for senior photos at dawn in Times Square, with nobody there but the pigeons. A pretty perfect day!
Book of Mormon is pee in your pants kind of funny.
An adult guide to NYC would be helpful. Please share ideas where to stay in NYC for a girls weekend. someplace special but not too posh/expensive.
Summers with your fave international cousin… is there anything sweeter? I think not.
I’ve been reading and loving this blog for over 10 years now and as the kids would say “I lowkey had no idea Joanna had a brother….”
Same!!!! (Maybe she’s actually a triplet – her brother looks so much like her!)
me too! I had no idea there was a brother!
It‘s her younger brother – so no, they aren’t triplets;-). He only shows up here in the blog very rarely, mostly through the Xmas gift guides.
I always forget she has a brother! And I feel like this is the first time we get a good look at him! Strong family resemblance. And what a sweet family, right? I’m envious of how close they all seem. I hope they know how lucky they are to have each other.
my teen’s favorite thing about visiting NYC was going out and navigating the city on his own. The first day we tested him: he found a couple of thrift stores and followed google maps while we walked behind him. When we were confident in his ability to not get himself lost we let him go for an hour and followed his location on the phone. We live in a city so he has some street smarts. His freedom increased until he got himself from his brothers dorm to our hotel on a city bike at night. He said that was the absolute best. Freedom to go around the city by himself.
Wahoo !! That’s great !
And one sightseeing tip for those with younger kids. My daughter brought her stuffed bunny to New York and spontaneously took its photo in front of a big museum. Like, just the bunny is in the frame, as if it was the tourist. So then we kept it going and now have a whole album of Bonnie-the-Bunny in a planter on Pier 55, sipping a coffee at Maman, checking out the telescope at Top of the Rock…it became a funny way for my daughter to stay engaged and curious and present during some very full days!
My preteen daughter and I visited New York for the first time last summer, and beyond our fun itinerary (bagels! MoMA! Bryant Park Art Cart! FAO Schwarz’s friendly guard!), some of my favorite moments were when we’d run out of things to talk about — or run out of patience but still had a long way to walk — and so we’d play “I Spy” without calling it that. ;) Notice patterns like colorful doorways or crazy purses or tiny dogs or 50 people in ten blocks all wearing chartreuse. We’d start pointing and observing and connecting with knowing winks. It was fantastic and saved us from hanger trips multiple times!
Between the ages of 13 and 15, my friends and I had an obsession with Seattle’s skyscrapers. Whenever we could, we’d hop on the bus to downtown on a mission to infiltrate the tallest buildings we could find. We’d slip past security desks trying to look like kids who belonged, duck into elevators, and ride them as high as they’d take us. Sometimes we’d end up in eerie, silent hallways with carpet that muffled our footsteps like a spy movie. Other times, we’d find rooftop access and stand there, wind whipping through our hair, looking out over the city. We were chasing altitude just for the thrill of it. At that age it was a stepping-stone of independence. We felt like explorers or adventurers chasing views and adrenaline for no reason other than it was fun and kinda rebellious. I know elevators are definitely not a Joanna thing, and I have no idea of that kind of thing is even still possible, but I wonder if the boys might enjoy some free time to explore on their own, or maybe some cheeky elevator rides with their cool uncle.
I just took my 14 year old into the city for a weekend and he was pretty enthralled with the highline! He referred to it as “the park in the sky” :)
This post makes me inexplicably happy. There is just something so so special about cousins.
Does anyone have any hot tips on visiting the city with kids but NOT sleeping in the same hotel room? My kid goes to bed really early, and when we travel we often stay in AirBnbs. Any mildly affordable hotels with a suite-like set up (bedroom + pull out couch in the living area), cool bunk bed setup, something like that that could work?
The Manhattan Club Hotel is all suites and very reasonable in Midtown.
Check out the hotels in Long Island City Queens – it’s a very short subway ride into the city and much more affordable. LIC has some great waterfront parks for the kids to run around with a great view of the skyline.
Such sweet photos!!!! Joanna, I couldn’t help but notice the Apple Watch on Anton’s wrist, if you don’t mind me asking : is this in lieu of a phone..? So he can be “connnected” somehow but not have an actual phone, or maybe he has one in addition to the watch? Just curious (also because the issue of teen/tween access to technology is very much on my mind)!
hi! thanks for asking :) I got both of my boys phones when they started sixth grade, since they’d be commenting by subway to school. but anton kept finding that he’d get sucked into TikTok etc and get in a bad mood. we had rules/limits around screen time, of course, but he still didn’t like the way it made him feel to be on his phone, but he told me that it was hard for him to resist it. so this summer he asked if he could swap out his phone for a watch. all his friends thought he was nuts for doing that, and he had moments of doubt as we were heading to the Apple Store. but he stayed the course and swapped for a watch. and now he loves it — he is able to call his friends, or use the map, or call home to ask questions (like, if he can buy a snack or stay out later, etc), but the watch doesn’t suck him in like a phone would. I was so proud of him for this thoughtful decision! and as a parent, I was glad bc I HATE phones, omg the bane of my existence! curious to hear from other parents! joannaxoxo
Both my boys have Apple Watches (hand-me-down from when dad and mom upgraded the last time) and it’s been perfect for both of them. Older one is 14 now and has no interest in a phone. He has an iPad he can use at home for videos, but doesn’t need more than the watch for texting his friends (short contact list) or family. They use them to pay for the city bus or subway, and the occasional treat at the dollar store. In return, they answer when we text and we can tell when they are headed home or need a reminder that it’s time to head home for dinner. Plus they aren’t allowed phones during the day in middle school, so they’d have to lock it up all the time anyway. It’s been great for us. Started when my younger was 9 and started walking himself home from school.
That is super cool Joanna !!
This is a great solution. And I’m doubly impressed by Anton’s self awareness. Such maturity.
Thank you so much for your response(s), and wow Joanna I’m so so impressed at Anton’s level of self-awareness and maturity around that decision! (also with sticking to his decision, despite what his friends might think/say)
We did apple watches till high school. My kids said, “we are the only ones with out a phone!” This time, it wasn’t an exaggeration, I think they were right. But still, I’m glad I did it that way. The phones are still the bane of my existence, but just later rather than earlier.
That is so great Joanna. I definitely agree about phones being the banes of our existence. My almost 15 yr old high schooler just got his first phone and that too only because the school requires them to check in through an app for office hours. With reduced screen time, I definitely feel that the moods of kids is so much better
joanna, it’s very cool that anton was able to have that self awareness. we just got an apple watch for my 11 year old son and i’m really hoping it staves off the “need” for a phone for a while.
Wow wow wow, I’m so impressed with Anton’s self awareness and desire for more control over his relationship with tech. He sounds wiser than most adults! What a credit to you and your parenting, Joanna.
Your Aunt Lulu just glows, doesn’t she?
I just spent 2 weeks in NYC with my 14 yr old son last year. highlights: Coney Island, second hand clothes shops, skateboard lessons in Brooklyn, graffiti workshop in Brooklyn, electric scooters in Central Park, pizza in Times Square after dark.
An updated list would be great! We took our 8,10 and 15 year old this summer for 4 days and did all the city things (we live in the western mountains:). The splash park by the Brooklyn bridge was even fun for my 15 year old and they loved the touristy boat at night around the city. Plus nothing beats trying all the pizzas, Central Park and the museum of natural history. We’ll be back soon and would love more ideas.
i get that you have to go to dunkin’ for the ~cultural experience~ but please also take those boys to Fan-Fan Doughnuts https://www.fan-fandoughnuts.com/ the #1 thing i miss from brooklyn!
i’ve been refreshing all day to see if anyone else replied to my 🍩 comment 😄 file under “signs you might have an unhealthy obsession”
I have been meaning to go to Fan Fan! I’m going to make it happen soon!
I want to try their mango lassi donut. Which one was your favorite??
Kay from Queens! First of all, I love all your comments, so this was very exciting to read this morning! It’s like that scene in Mean Girls about October 3rd, haha OK, back to the very important matter at hand. The truth is they are all SO good and SO special, and all I can recommend is that you get as many as you can and divide them into quarters or halves because each flavor is an experience. Should you get the mango lassi? Yes. Should you get the chocolate? Yes. The coffee one tastes more like coffee than any cup of coffee I’ve had in my life, which is both impossible and 100% true. The passion fruit is beyond words. Just go there, commune with the doughnuts, and see which ones you are called to try. Afterward, you can visit the Greene Acres community garden around the corner or take a stroll to Fort Greene Park or Café con Libros (a little farther away, but it’s an Afro-Latina bookstore, which I think you’d appreciate). And, if you can, please report back with a full review, haha
I just took a screenshot of your comment! Listen, anytime you come back to NYC, mention it here and we’ll do a coffee and donuts date and meet each other properly!
I would love that :’) Thank you so much
You know what I would like a guide about? How your parents raised you and your siblings to all be so close. I came from a rough upbringing and am constantly worried that I my kids won’t have good sibling relationships bc the ones I have with my siblings are all strained. I’m in constant awe and admiration of grown siblings who genuinely enjoy one another. You guys are so lucky!
Same! It’s too late for my bio family but I am in the process of creating a chosen family.
yes, i absolutely agree with this. i have two kids (10.5 and 6.5) and they DO NOT GET ALONG right now at all. they just bicker and bicker — it’s mostly my son, the older one, starting the bickering and just generally not being kind/loving to his younger sister. anyway, my siblings and i are not close, and i’m not close to anyone in my family. i’m so, so, so wanting to raise my children differently and for them to have each other to lean on in their adult years.
Hi! I would love to read Joanna’s take on this, too. My experience is that my siblings and I (sister is 3 years older and brother is 1 year younger) and I are all super close, all in our 40’s. My brother and I just took our kids camping together, and my sister is my best friend. We were raised by our mom who was emotionally immature and had a lot of issues, but one thing I think she did right that set us on this path of friendship was that she never compared us, never talked down about another sibling and made sure we kept our comments dignified about one another. She did not allow us to call names or fight physically (I would’ve never dreamed of hitting, threatening or hurting a sibling). She also loved us uniquely and wasn’t concerned with things being ‘fair’. If one of my siblings got a special occasion or gift, we were happy or neutral about it—there wasn’t an obsession about well if she gets that so do I! “No fair!” wasn’t a thing. This resulted in zero competition amongst us, and we remain supportive of each other to this day even though some of us are ‘better off’ than others. That’s just my experience, but I wish you good luck and at the end of the day: if you’re even thinking about this issue, you are doing a good job. Hugs!
I live in Orange County, CA. When people visit, they want to see the beach, the mansions, and the sun, so I take them to Newport Beach for all three ;)
Would love an nyc adult guide- where to stay, restaurants etc and then similar for kids (young vs teen)!
I come from a large extended family, with cousins spread across the country, and am extremely grateful to my grandmother and my great aunt for making sure we not only knew our cousins but spent time with them! This past summer we had a family reunion and 35 people attended, from age 2 to 87, from 8 different states! I live about 60 miles from Olympic National Park,, so we take visitors up to Hurricane Ridge ( stunning mountain views) , a ferry ride to Seattle and wander there, and Poulsbo, a nearby town on a bay called Little Norway.
I could use a general “how to host kids” post. My 6yo had his 8yo friend over and I was lost. I didn’t know what my role was, so I just kept popping into whatever room they were in asking if they needed something to eat.
Seconding this request as a new mom! We have a couple of years yet before true play dates, but would love to read about how to support those interactions (and tips for supervising without hovering).
Yes to a Yankees game, but you MUST do a Mets game. The energy is awesome there!
They’re being raised Yankee fans. The only parenting decision she’s made that I’ve questioned. 😉 (kidding, of course. But let’s go Mets)
I love cousin love 🥲 My cousins came to the US for the first time last summer and they said they absolutely had to shop for snacks at Trader Joe’s, which in my view was a very solid welcome-to-America option.
I love this idea! One of my favorite things when visiting Europe is simply buying and trying new snacks and candies. Trader Joe’s would be a good equivalent here
Oh my gosh! I just got back from a mom-and-son trip to nyc last week. He is almost 13 and it was our first time going just the two of us. My husband and I lived there in our twenties and have taken both of our boys to nyc multiple times over the years so have done a lot of the touristy things already. My son’s most favorite part of our mom-and-son trip? All of the sneaker shops in Soho. Did you know there’s a store that sells $40,000 Back-to-the-Future Marty McFly kicks? Welp, there is. (Shocking, but my kid did not convince me to buy them although “they would be such a good investment Mom!!!!”). He also loved Economy Candy and also wanted to go to Raising Caine’s, although we have them in our city as well. I dragged him to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (him = meh, me = loved), and the Highline. (Oh! Also, Hamilton was a winner.) Hope you guys have the best time!!!! It’s always the best when something small or unexpected make them so full of joy that it beams out of them. It’s a nice reminder that the squishy little guy I used to snuggle still lives inside the too-cool-for-school kid I think I have.
Thinking of you and Anton waiting for your guests to arrive reminds me of the time way back when in the 70’s when we were all piled into the station wagon going to visit friends, and our dad was driving around this housing development trying to find the right house. He pulled in to one driveway to turn around, and these kids came running out – “They’re here! They’re here!” We felt so bad, we were not the people they were expecting!
Would absolutely love an updated NYC guide for tweens/teens! My 12 year old daughter really wants to see New York but my oldest daughter is 14 and has autism. I’m worried it will be overstimulating?
I would love, love, LOVE, a guide for kids/pre-teens for NYC. I’ve made a couple trips to Brooklyn over the last year to visit friends or attend weddings, and my daughter (9) made me pinkie promise a trip to NYC for her 10th birthday. Good pizza, offbeat locations, museum musts, things unique to Brookyln/Manhattan. We’re already planning to get swedish fish at BonBon, but what else? What else? :)
I second this request!
Jane’s carousel in brooklyn bridge park is fun and it’s lovely to walk around that area. The Play that Goes Wrong is a super fun theater experience, but if they watch & love Stranger Things on Netflix, they will be blown away by the Broadway play. The Strand bookstore if they like books; taking a ferry; going to an observation deck, are all super fun. I would say the museum of natural history is a must, but the tweens in my group refused to go. Around the holidays, the Big Apple Circus is fun.
Michelle, have you been to Books of Wonder? It’s a children’s only bookstore and they have great, knowledgeable booksellers!
I have 13 nieces and nephews, all grown now, and nothing makes me happier than seeing the adult friendships that have grown out of their childhood visits to each other’s homes. During COVID, one cousin drove a moving van across state to help another relocate. Another, a pediatric ICU nurse, took a week off work to stay with her cousin whose daughter arrived several weeks early. You’re not just showing your relatives a good time. Your helping the boys build life long friendships and networks of family support.
I live in Montreal. Last fall my dear friend from high school came back to visit with her 9 year old daughter. They live in the Northwest Territories (i.e., quite far north where they regularly see the northern lights and in June can read a book at 1am without turning on a light). We asked her daughter what she wanted to see and do. It turns out she was very excited to ride escalators and see pigeons. It was so easy to give her a great day in the wonderful city I live in. Refreshing to see things from her perspective! And I agree with her – when I’m visiting somewhere new, it’s fun to experience what is ordinary to folks who live there. I always like to wander around a grocery store in a new-to-me country.
Yukoner here! The escalators lol! My kids were amazed.
Ontario gal here – there aren’t typically escalators up North?? There’s so much geographical variety in Canada, isn’t there? I’ve got some things to Google, clearly. I’m guessing Quebec made a big impression, and hopefully it sets her on a course of regular small-big adventures to keep her honorary auntie filled in on.
Another Yukoner! How fun, I’ve always wondered if anyone else from here is reading cup of jo!
I remember my parents taking me to malls in the city so that I would know what escalators were–it’s a life skill! (also living in the Yukon now)
I second the recommendation to see The Outsiders on Broadway! I’ve been lucky enough to see it with several of my nieces and nephews and it’s such a great shared experience. My nieces and nephews of similar ages to Anton and Jimmy have also loved getting the watermelon ice-cream (and other delectable and brilliantly-presented creations) at Dominque Ansel’s Bakery and taking a sailboat ride around the Statue of Liberty.
would love an extended NYC guide for adults!
Me too! Girlfriend trip in planning mode – any recs would be welcome!
Baseball. We took our two English nephews to Fenway to see the Red Sox. That, and kayaking and hiking in Acadia, were their favorite activities!
First of all riding a bike down stairs is CRAZY. Second, the fact that a soul travels all the way to America and wants Dunkin Donuts is so charming. Not a bad choice at all.
Twenty years ago, when I landed in the US for the first time from India, I was upset with my then boyfriend that he hadn’t taken me yet to McDonald. lol. So, I get it. I had my teen nephews from London over a couple of years ago. All they were interested were visiting restaurants they had seen in shows like Cheese cake factory, Burger King etc,
I would love a Kids Guide to NYC!
I know it’s not NYC specific but every kid in my life looooooves Activate.
Here’s a confession Joanna. After you divorced I secretly hoped that one of your brother’s Hugh Grant lookalike British friends (no offence to Freddy, I’m sure he’s a great guy) would be your new man. That gorgeous house your aunt has in Cornwall, that epic view and you deserve that so badly!
So many fun boys! And how FUN to get to go to the States to visit your cousins at that age – hope y’all have a blast!
– Ferry to the Rockaways or Governor’s Island – Dekalb Market has always been a hit with my own teens and teen/tween visitors – A NYC Scavenger Hunt – you can probably find one online or just make one up. Break into teams and give everyone things to find running around the city or a particular neighborhood. – Watching the chess players in Washington Square Park (the whole park is fun to visit)
We’re planning to head to NYC at the end of this year with our 13-year-old son. I’d love recommendations for all ages! My son has wanted to visit The Met ever since reading “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” in lower school.
I’m 66. That remains one of my favorite books to this day. I’ll never forget reading that at maybe 10 years old. I still routinely give it as gifts. Most recently to my long time friend for her 70th birthday. I have several copies also. What a book . I’m glad to hear kids are still reading it. It made such an impression on me, 56 years ago.
I second a request for a tween/teen NYC guide! My son wants to go to the Met too ERT!
OH MY! If you have activities in NYC AND a book that a kiddo (say 8 – 10 could read in advance), that would be an amazing guide.
I am 54 and want to go to The Met one day because of that book!
So wholesome! You left us with a cliffhanger:did he like Dunkin’ Donuts?
hahah we haven’t gone yet, I’ll keep you posted!
As a Bostonian: thoughts exactly! What will he order? Also, if you’re up for sharing an even deeper report with your readers- how did he hear about Dunkin’ Donuts (I still am not ready to call it “Dunkin”) Thanks Jo & I hope you all have a wonderful time!
Same thing I was wondering! 🍩 😉
Glad you can all have this last hurrah of summer!
I love how connected your family is despite being a continent away! It is very inspiring!
Omg I can’t believe we just saw a picture of your brother!!!!! HUGE day!
here’s a short video of him talking too hahaha: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C84Pi5MOqLI/?hl=en
Yes! Thanks for trusting us, Nick!
Ran to the comments to say this 😂
Same, and I thought, no, be cool and don’t say anything or you’ll scare him away! 😂 So happy you’re getting this precious family time, Jo & Co.!
That’s what I was thinking!!
Ran to the comments to say this too! The elusive Nick is TALL!
Haha! I thought the same thing! I’ve been reading CoJ since 2012 and he’s always been a cipher!
I agree!!!
SAME! Hello, Nick!
I’d love an NYC guide for adults!! Including hotel recommendations, please!
I can’t emphasize to you enough how much joy I got out of your NYC kids guide. The excitement reading it with my too-young toddler for future a future time, then the anticipation of the trip when I decide 3.5 was old enough for me to take him solo. We had the BEST time last fall at the natural history museum and the Central Park playground (Diana Ross?), per your recommendation. We stayed in the upper west side a few blocks from the museum and just soaked it all in. Peak life memory seeing NYC through his eyes. I’d LOVE an updated kid guide, now that I have two kids, plus another (!!) on the way I just found out about – to get me through the next few years until we can get there again.
awww I love that, jess! and congrats on your (!!) :) :) :)
Okay so silly of me but seeing your brother is a mini glimmer, like the reveal of a show’s mystery star. (Charlie from Charlie’s Angels or Xoxo Gossip Girl) Over the many years, I’ve seen him in maybe 4 pics but always at an angle. Happy he approved his CoJ debut!
he’s the very best! an epically fun uncle (and brother).
Is your brother available?!
ha, ha, SAME!!!
hahaha I’ll ask him ;) this is funny, too: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C84Pi5MOqLI/?hl=en
Wondering the same thing (and I’m single, to be clear!)
Wondering about this as well!
Help This Reader Date Joanna’s Brother
@Karin the cackle I cackled!
SO much fun getting to show a preteen/teen all the cool things in your city! My husband’s sister has 5 children and has started a tradition of sending them to visit us for several weeks the summer before they turn 13. We’ve got a list of standard “must-see” activities for our area, but it’s also been super fun pitching different ideas and getting a sense of what each individual kid wants to do and see on their big trip. This age range is so sweet—sometimes they’re a little aloof and too-cool-for-school as you’re trying to show them something you think is super cool, and then every now and then something sparks their interest and they light up and act like littler versions of themselves when you least expect it. :)
So lovely that you host your nephews/nieces. I think it will part of their core memory. My son spent 5 weeks at my sister’s place in London without us (parents). He is a major train nerd. So all he did was go on several train rides and being independent and doing things on his own.
broadway show!! outsiders, hell’s kitchen, stranger things would all be good.
oh I forgot about outsiders! toby and I just saw Mamma Mia with some friends (we LOVE the movies) and it was sooooooo fun and invigorating. at the curtain call, they busted out three more songs and everyone stood up and sang along. such a joyous moment!
I would love an updated NYC guide for adults! I was just thinking a couple of weeks ago that I would pop down again from Massachusetts this fall or winter for a solo adventure of museums and pizza. Thanks!
will get to work on one! xoxo
Aww I love seeing this! One of the unexpected joys of my life right now is that one of my cousins has a son the same as my little guy. She and I are 12 years apart – I babysat her growing up! – but military life had them starting their family young. So at 28 and 40, we both have 4 year olds who absolutely adore each other. When they met, my son said, “So is he my cousin or my friend?” When we said “Both?!” he said “GREAT!!” and they’ve been besties ever since. The sweetest friendship.
i think this is the best thing i’ve read today. Lovely!!
So fun seeing your brother with you all since I know you’ve said he keeps pretty private. Have the best time!
I was surprised that he let me post this photo, but so happy! :) I adore him.
How simply wonderful! It must make your heart sing to know these cousins from different countries are so firmly connected and how this will be a thread in their lives.
Adorbs! Cousins are one of life’s great joys. I have three older gal cousins who live in Australia (I’m in Bklyn too) and I only wish I could see them more. They are also just so cool (one is a member of a very cool band, HTRK).
that is so cool!!
Yes, please, to the CoJ Kids-in-NYC guide! My boys desperately want to visit to see the Statue of Liberty and the Museum of Natural History, and beyond that there is NO plan!
While I no longer live in my hometown, I visit often. My husband and I brought a small farmhouse there. Which shocks 15 year old me, to this date. When I graduated from high school and packed my bags for college, I thought I would rarely visit again, outside of the occasional holiday and family visit. It is so funny how life changes. I was reading Travel and Leisure yesterday. There was an article highlighting my hometown. Who would have ever thought it would be a cool place to visit? https://www.travelandleisure.com/guide-to-bardstown-kentucky-11786570
Mandy, Wow! When I was growing up fifty years ago in Louisville (a city that has also changed a lot), the only reason we went to Bardstown was to go to My Old Kentucky Home. That’s not even on the T + L list of things to do. Next time I’m in KY I would love to explore your very hip hometown.
Oh, I visited Bardstown every Thanksgiving to be with my grandfather’s brother and his family. It’s the few cousins I have since I’m an only child and we still LOVE returning with our son to be with family most years.
Oh I wish I had seen this before we visited Kentucky this summer! On our way back to Louisville from Mammoth Cave, we stopped at Bernheim Forest. It was enchanting to say the least. We went searching for the giants, and on our searching, we found giant footprints, or pits shaped like feet in the ground. My kids swore up and down they belonged to the giants.
@Kay It one of our favorite things to do with my five year old and my nephews. :) We pack picnics and search for clues that lead us to the giants.
I went to NYC with my British preteen this April. She planned our itinerary and loved the things you’d expect: the Color Museum. Coney Island. The Rock. The subway crossing the Hudson. Ellens Diner. The M&M store. That hidden indoor market, not far from Hells Kitchen, the name escapes me. But the biggest surprise hit? Intrepid museum. She’s not even particularly into boats, planes or warfare but that place reeled her in. It’s the MOST fun place to go with pre teens, I hope you guys love every second.
oooh great idea!! anton used to LOVE the intrepid but we haven’t been in ages. thank you!
Love this! I come from a large family and am always explaining to the young ones about first cousins and second cousins and first cousins once removed, etc. It’s so fun to see other families and who looks like whom…you all look so much alike. Plus you all seem to have so much fun together!
My 14 year old second-cousin visited from Bude, Cornwall last month and she asked specifically for Raising Cane’s (?!?!) and she collected the soda fountain cups from all the fast food restaurants she visited to show her friends! (in-n-out, raising canes, chic fil a, etc…. and a crumbl cookie box?) We’re a vegetarian family over here so we had to look it up hahahaha. My four year old now thinks Raising Canes is french fry nirvana. The best part of visiting family is the little tiny things! The way to see your home turf in a completely new way! The stuff of life!! … “whilst” … so good.
I think they’ve heard about them all from tiktok? haha, I’m like, yup, we’ll hit up raising cane’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, 16 handles… hahaha