Saturday, July 30, 2011

Breakfast Papa Style

I hate to do this to you Craig but a) I warned you I would and b) it's just too good not to! To be fair, it was early morning and when I woke up I went downstairs for about 10 minutes and that's when she woke up... he was so bleary from just having gone to bed that I think he thought he was just giving her a snack, but still!

Thinking games

Ready to move beyond "I Spy", I was very excited to read this on Park Slope Parents (an email group and local list serve):


"My kids are a little younger (3 and 5) and we like these thinking car games, geared to the younger set:

1) I'm thinking of something and it has... [this is a twist on 20 questions, but for smaller kids who aren't quire up to the task of generating lots of questions - provide three+ descriptives to help the child guess ("Whiskers, paws and meows"). Make it easier or harder based on age.]

2) Rhyming roots song... [Credit for this goes to my mom, a first grade teacher. Teach rhyming roots with a song, you do the first few, and then the kids figure it out and chime in to spell the word. For early phonics. "I can spell CAT.... C-A-T. I can spell BAT... B-A-T. And on and on. Kids will start to add their own first consonant to make their own words. Every once in a while, my Mom would end that root series with the phrase: "Isn't it incredible! (sung in opera voice), and that was sort of a verbal high five, before switching roots. Corny but kids LOVE it.

3) Rhyming guessing game: "I'm thinking of something that is white and cold and it rhymes with glow."

4) True or False: make statements that are either silly or true and have the children answer - "True or false: Whales like to eat apple pie?"

5)Mommy doesn't like.....: This is a quirky game that my kids made up that is a road trip hit in our family. I like it because it invites the kids to think about others. In the car, we go in turns. The person speaking has to think of a person and then think of something that other person really likes (for me it is always latte), and then they say: "Mommy doesn't like LATTES!" Of course I do like Lattes, so we all say "no-no-no-no-no!" and laugh. (Each time we say the opposite of the truth, then we say "no" a lot in silly voices, then we laugh.) The first round is easy, but after that, it is interesting to see how children perceive the preferences of others in the family, and also how well they manage the trick of reversing it...which they find hilarious.

Happy travels everyone!

Jill (mom to 2 good road-trippers)"

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Happenings - Summer 2011


Stoop Sale-ing


Coop Shopping

Last Day of Huggs Having!

Playground Playing!




Wonderful gifts from afar receiving! Scones overnighted from San Diego (delivery snafu - finally consumed 3 days late, but amazingly...still good!) A very small accordion from Nana in San Francisco who is coming to visit next weeeeek! (Gracie, I can see you rocking in the corner.)

Bebe Day Travelling. The Bronx. A wonderful thing to do with someone is to take them on a day trip to where they grew up. I loved watching your face, Bebe as you explained, told stories and pointed around. With lunch on Arthur Avenue at the end (the owner, The Mama below even sang us an aria...) Another great adventure for Grandpops, Bebe, Finley and Me:)

Puppet Show a-going

Backyard worm digging

And finally... summer side sleeping!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Concerts in the Park

Celebrate Brooklyn! Free concerts all summer a few blocks away. This was our first and a special one that also celebrated Brooklyn author Ezra Jack Keats. A woman read from books that were displayed on a giant screen "Jennie's Hat" and "Maggie and The Pirates" (for your next trip to library, Silas!) The actual concert was Dan Zanes who also share the stage with a children's orchestra, a Marimba group from Seattle and and dance troupe from Bed Sty. Mr. Zanes puts on a great show - he and his very talented and young band (the woman who played fiddle could also jam on the spoons) I caught Finley busting some serious moves wearing a serious dance face. My personal favorite moment was during the last song - he had everyone on their feet, there was a breeze was blowing and we were all singing "The Sidewalks of New York" in a round until people just naturally walked away. Afterwards we scootered down the slope homeward to bed. I WISH I could have had everyone I know here to go to the West Side Story movie screening complete with choreographers teaching the audience to dance like a Jet. The last concert will be while my cousin Nana the Fairy Godmother is here for a visit... Alvin Ailey's Revelations!! So perfect. Brooklyn, have I told you lately that I love you?



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Scooters rock

Yesterday...

First unassisted swim!

Okay there is a serious floaty suit assisting but she definitely felt free like a fish! We were with my friend Marni and kids last week in Montclair, NY. I love to think how there must be lots of summer invitations and adventures that start with this sentence - "I have a friend that has a pool..."

We Welcome Emerson James Douglas!!

Yay, you finally made it!! Born on the fourth of July. Baby, you're a firework! (Finley's favorite "popular" song;) Congratulations Kelli, he's so dreamy.



Our