NBC Studio Tour

 

Yesterday, Brian and I got to explore the city without kids!  We dropped the kids off at summer camp and then took the subway uptown.  First stop was a tour of the NBC studios.  The tour was great and very interesting.  Most of the sets (Dr. Oz and Saturday Night Live) were on hiatus for the summer but it was still interesting.  Both Brian and I would like to see a living filming one of these days.   

After the tour we went over to the New York Public Library.  My kids love Winnie the Pooh so I wanted to see the stuffed animals that inspired the stories. The stuffed animals were well loved and very patched up.  They reminded me of my childhood teddy bear that I loved dearly.

After the library we headed out of get something to eat and then stopped to do a little shopping before we had to pick the girls up.  It has gotten quite hot here in the city so all the walking and exploring left us very hot and sticky, which is not my favorite thing.  :)  It was fun just hanging out the two of us.  We are looking forward to doing it again next week :)

The Guggenheim Museum

Today I went to the Guggenhein Museum all by myself!  Yes, you read that correctly, all by myself!  The girls are in summer camp for a few days this week and our original plan was for Brian and I to use that time to explore the city without the kids in tow.  Unfortunately, Brian has been really busy at work so he is only going to be able to join me for one of the days.  So that meant today I had from 9am until 3pm without kids, to do anything I like. :) Such a luxury, I am really lucky.

So I had a quick doctor's appointment in the morning, I have to be practical with my time as well.  Then I headed up to the Upper East Side to find the Guggenheim Museum.    I enjoyed the museum more than I expected.  I am not much of an art work type of girl but included in the museum admission was an audio tour.  Which was just perfect for me, it pointed out the major pieces in the exhibits and talked about each one.   The major exhibit was abstract art.  I saw a little Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh.  It reminded me of those art classes I had in elementary school.  I bet they cut those a long time ago :( The building that houses the Guggenheim is really spectacular.  It is spiral in shape,  when standing at the bottom and looking up, it it looks like you are looking into a nautilus shell.  Also when first looking around at the museum does not seem so big but with all the spirals it is quite large and takes a chuck of time to work your way through it.   I really enjoyed it and it was a great museum to go to without kids.

From there I headed over to Central Park.  I was much further north than I usually am so I got to see new areas of the park that I had not seen before.  It is amazing how you can be in the middle of Manhattan but feel like you are out in the middle of nature.  The weather was beautiful and the walk was lovely.  

I got back down to Tribeca just in time to pick up the girls from summer camp.  It was a lovely way to spend my day.  Although I must admit when I was saying good night to the girls I was shocked by how little of the day I actually spent with them, how much of their day I missed out on :(  But then I reminded myself that I have them all day tomorrow :)  What adventure shall we go on?

Victorian Gardens - Central Park

Today we headed out to Victorian Gardens in Central Park.  You may think it was a botanical gardens type of adventure but you would be wrong.  It is a little tiny amusement park within central park.  Perfect for little people.

In the morning we met up with our friend Cooper and his nanny, Beril.  Then took the subway up to Central Park.  Once we got into the amusement park Luna was so excited, dare I say the most excited I have seen her over an adventure.  Rachel took a little longer to warm up to the idea of rides.  But by the end of the day all three kiddos had their favorite rides.

At one point the girls were "driving" little trucks around a track.  They leaned out the window and Luna yelled to Rachel "I will meet you at Nana and Pops house."  It was hysterical.  

Everytime Luna got off a ride she would say "I want to go again."  She loved every ride.  The roller coaster they went on the most and also had a shortest line :)  Luna the little dare devil she is, even tried to put her hands in the air, it was pretty cute.

Once again the smallness of the city surprised me.  We ran into our neighbors while we were there.  So Luna went on a couple rides with them as well.   I love how small New York City feels at times.

After a good 4 hours at the park, Beril and me were done.  Although the kids could have kept going without blinking an eye. We took the subway home and after carrying the stroller a few flights of stairs and pushing the girls home I was exhausted.  On the way home Luna looked at me and said "Mommy I am so glad you don't work."  It melted my heart, me too Luna, me too!

Next spring we have a family vacation planned to Disney World and after today I am much more excited!  

Daddy's Day

This past Saturday we celebrated Father's Day.  A little late I realize, but I was out of town last week so this weekend we celebrated and called it "Daddy's Day."  Brian wanted to go for a hike.  So we rented a zip car and headed out to Staten Island.   Luna and Rachel were so excited to ride in the car.  From the way they were acting you would have thought they never had never been in a car before :)  It was hysterical.  

 We had read about Clay Pit Ponds State Park Reserve and thought it would be a good place to go on a little hike with the girls.  It turned out perfect.  The weather was warm but not too hot and the hike was relatively flat.  The kiddos had a good time but more importantly so did Daddy.  It was nice to get out of the city and away from all the people.  When we first got into the woods both girls were a little on the scared side :) such city kids!  But they soon warmed up to the new environment and love running around.

At the end of the hike we had a picnic lunch at the park.  Here is Daddy and Rachel enjoying their lunches.  We still had some time with the zip car so we decided to check out Staten Island.  

We ended up at the beach.   Here is a picture of Brian and the girls with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the back ground.  The beach was quiet but no swimming was allowed.  So we just played in the sand and collected rocks.  It was a very relaxing time and completely unexpected.

The girls loved wading into the water and slashing around.  By the end of the afternoon they had a whole collection of rocks and beach glass, a few of them made it back to the apartment.  :)

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy.  You are a blessing to us and we love you a million, contrillion, three, and zillion and 2 hundred and one.  :) 

 

Disney Pixar's "Brave" Early Screening

The girls were invited to an early screening of the Disney movie "Brave" in a screening room.  I was out of town for the showing so Brian got to take the girls solo and was told by me to "take a lot of photos."  I was curious to see what the experience was going to be like.  

The theater was intimate, and full of kids and popcorn :)  Brian said that the girls had fun and enjoyed the movie.  

Soccer Time

The Battery City Parks program puts on different activities for the kids, May through September.  So they recently started up again.  Every day of the week there is a different activity for the girls to enjoy in the local parks.  Today was soccer.

This was the first time I ever took them to soccer and I was curious to see how it would go.   The coaches had about 20 3/4 year olds :)  I did not envy them but much appreciated them.  Rachel only last about 10 minutes and then wanted to play with her baby.  But Luna had fun, she ran all over the field and attempted to kick the ball to the goals.  During one of her water breaks I asked her what goal she was trying to get it in. She pointed first to one of the goals and then to the other and said "either one."  :)

Hello Mr. President

Thursday evening's entertainment consisted of us looking out our windows for the President's motorcade to pass by.  The President was in our neighborhood checking out the progress at the World Trade Center site.  In preparation for the visit there was police presence every where, and I mean every where.

They shut down the highway by us and would not even let pedestrians across which caused quite a bit of commotion and entertainment.  The President was passing through right during the evening commute so there were a lot of people that needed to get across the highway.  We had fun watching it all from our windows.

Luna was curious about what was going on.  When I told her the president was going to pass by in a car.  She asked me "so what type of car does he drive?"  :)  When the limousines with the flags finally went by there were so many other black cars around them that she missed it all together.  But Brian and I enjoyed it and we had some interesting and entertaining conversations with Luna and Rachel about our President.

Last Day of School Already?

I can't believe it is the end of the school year already.  The girls have had a great year.  The Park Preschool ha some fabulous teachers.  Both girls loved school and loved their friends at school.  So glad it was such a positive experience for them.  

Next year Luna goes on to kindergarten and she is so excited.  What is she looking forward to?  In her words "staying all day" and "eating lunch there."  :) She is so eager to grow up, slow down kiddo!  Last week we went to the kindergarten orientation, Luna got to see one of the classrooms and meet one set of teachers, not necessarily her teachers though.  At the local playgrounds we have already run into some of the kids she met that day and each time she walks right up to them and asks if they want to play.  :)  I love her boldness.  

Rachel will be back at Park Preschool next year but in the mornings instead.  It took Rachel a little while to come out of her shell so another year in a familiar setting will be good for her.  I am excited to see how her confidence increases through out the school year.  

Next year will be an adjustment for us all.  No more lazy mornings for us, we will be up and out.  

Rachel's Music Class

Boy do I love this girl!  She is just so cute.

Once a week for the last 6 months Rachel and I have been attending music classes.  She loves them, just loves them.  I was done after the first 8 week session but we are still going because she loves them so much.  Her teacher is Colin and I think she has a little crush on him, she talks about him quite a bit during the week :)

Our favorite song is Taxi, it is very catchy.  You can hear it on their website:  www.musicforaardvarks.com

While we love all the music from class, her favorite part is the dancing.  They play instruments during some of the songs and then some songs they dance and she loves this. Seeing little Rachel come out of her shell and just dance is adorable.  She takes it very seriously and some times I have to ask her if she is having fun because her face is so serious but she always yells "YES" when I ask. The photo above is her "dancing ballet" as she told me.  Today Daddy joined us at class for the first time and she was dancing quite a bit just for him.

Maybe in the fall we will enroll her in some dancing classes.  For right now we have two weeks left of the music class.  Two more weeks of dancing her heart out :)

Saturday Fun Day

Saturday Brian and I decided that we would each spend some special time with the girls individually.  Since Luna is in preschool 5 days a week and Rachel only 3 days a week, I get alone time every week with Rachel.  So I was looking forward to spending some time with just Luna.

We started our morning off by going swimming.  It was fun to just have one kiddo in the pool, usually I have two and it can be a handful. So Luna and I had fun playing all our underwater games and I got to focus completely on her.

After swimming we headed over to the grocery store, she wanted to bake some cookies and we needed some ingredients. On the way to the grocery store we walked through the farmers market and passed a marionette show.  Luna loved it, she sat there for at least 30 minutes watching the performance.  While there we bumped into two of her classmates, it is so wonderful living so close to everyone.

After buying our ingredients we went home and baked our s'more cookies.  They were yummy!  My Saturday could not have been more fun,  I love baking and swimming and it is even more fun sharing it with my little girl.

Since I write the blog and Brian does not, I can write about Rachel's Saturday in much detail.  First they went to the library to read books and then went to an ice cream shop that Rachel requested.  By the time they got home she was asleep in the stroller :)  So that means she had fun and was exhausted by the end of their outing.

Pier 25

Let me introduce you to Pier 25 jetting off into the Hudson River.  Starting at the far left of the photo you can see the turf field.  This where the school picnic was held for preschool.  Then moving to the right is the sand volleyball courts.  Next the mini golf court, my favorite.  Then on the far right in the playground with a spray park attached.  The pier is very close to our apartment and we spend a lot of time here.  The only downfall of this pier is that it is so new, the trees have not gotten a chance to grow.  So there is not much shade, in the summer it is hot hot hot.   But in the springtime it is just about perfect.  Next to the pier is a new pier under construction. I am not sure what is going to be on that pier, but I am guessing it will be more fun activities for New Yorkers to enjoy.

Yarn Extensions Update

I am not sure anyone out there reading this blog cares in the least bit but Luna's yarn extensions are holding up beautifully.  Luna and I are very happy about it!!!  I am actually so happy it almost brings tears to my eyes.

We are going on our 5th week.  I redid the front because I could not take it hanging down in her face all the time.  So I cornrowed it away from her face which is much better.  She is refusing to wear it any way but down.  I was hoping for some pony tails or pig tails thrown in there but she is not feeling it.  She is just loving having long hair, LOVES it.

It is so nice to have a style that I can count on to last a while.  Sometimes life gets busy and it is hard to have time every week to restyle, now I don't have to!  Yippee!

Luna and I did some baking this weekend.  The photo her holding the yummy creation.

School Picnic

Today was the school picnic for the girls.  It was held at Pier 25 on one of the turf fields.  The weather was beautiful but a little hot in the direct sun.  Luna was in her element, she went from one activity to the next with all her friends.  Every once in a while Brian and I would look at each other and ask if either of us had seen Luna.  Then we would see her run by.  Rachel stuck close by and spent the entire time dancing to the music, she loves to dance.  By the end Rachel was tired and done.  The heat was too much for her, we were in the direct sunlight the whole time.  It was fun for Brian and I to see them with all their friends having fun.

My favorite part of the day was actually on the way to the picnic.  When everyone lives within a few blocks of each other and everyone walks everywhere, you are bound to run into a few school friends on the way to a school picnic.  Then you all have to hold hands the whole way.  Talk about cuteness it is adorable, just adorable.  Here is a photo of the friendship train they made.  Girls are just so sweet at this age.

BBQing

One thing I miss a lot when in the city is BBQing.  Especially on those summer nights where I need to cook dinner but don't want to heat up the apartment.  Last week we were visiting some friends and they had just moved into a new apartment.  One of the perks of their new building is that it has a community terrace with BBQs and picnic tables.  They invited us to stay for dinner, so Brian grabbed some chicken at the store and we BBQed!  It was a wonderful finish to the day.  Here is a view from the terrace, not a bad way to BBQ :)

Sunday Worship Service

One Sunday our church held their worship service on the rooftop.  It was spectacular.  Such an amazing way to worship God and his amazing creation.

Tribeca Performing Arts Center - Family Theater

For Christmas this year Gramma gave the girls a season pass to the children's plays at the local community college (which is a block away).  We have seen so many performances there this year:

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Henry & Mudge
Magic School Bus, Climate Challenge

Today we saw the last one of the season, Skippyjon Jones.  The girls love going, they really look forward to it.  I have to say we have seen a few other children's performances at other venues and the ones at the community college are by far the best.  Today we bought our friend Cooper with us and he loved it as well.  It was a fun afternoon just me and the three kiddos.

After the performance today they handed out the schedule for next year and to be honest I am really looking forward to quite a few one them.  So many of them are stories we know and love.  Like We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Click Clack Moo and The Velveteen Rabbit to name a few.

Thank You Gramma for the gift! You helped to create priceless memories for the girls and enriched their lives by exposing them to the Arts!

Jamacia

Brian and I recently spent a week in Jamacia without kids!  My amazing Mom flew out to NYC to watch the girls for the week so we could get away.  Brian and I spent the week at a Sandals resort in Negril, Jamacia.  

What did we do?  Relax, relax and relax.  We never left the resort and I never washed one dish :) Yipee!   We swam in the ocean and pools, played tennis, yoga (Allison not Brian), paddle boarded, went scuba diving, read lots of books and ate ate ate!  The beginning of our trip a tropical storm went through and it was rainy and overcast. But by the end it had cleared up and the weather was beautiful, clear and sunny.  

We skyped with the girls each night.  I had been worried about my Mom.  Staying with the girls for the week was a big task alone but then doing it in NYC added a whole new level to it.  So I was not sure how it was going to go.  But my Mom was amazing she blew me out of the water.  One day she took the girls on the SUBWAY over to BROOKLYN to the Children's Museum.  This is a big outing for me (a seasoned New Yorker) so for my Mom to do it solo is very impressive.  We love you Mom!  Thanks for watching the girls so we could get away. THANK YOU!