{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by my favorite blog: SouleMama

Swedish Cottage

Yesterday we took a "down day".  I made no plans and we just were going to chill, go walk around the park, and chill.  I felt tired.

It was misty and damp out, we ended up by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater right before a show was going to start.  There was a woman aggressively pushing a preschooler in a stroller leaving the cottage when we approached.  She insisted we take their tickets and not pay her.  I didn't fight her.  We walked right in, sat down, and enjoyed the show.  The show, The Secret History of the Swedish Cottage, was beautifully done.  The sets were gorgeous!  The story was probably difficult for the kids to follow since there was no dialogue.  But Isabella was entertained the entire time and Oliver lasted all but the last 10 minutes (longer than I expected).

I just asked Isabella what she thought of the production, she said, "It was great!  Except the thunderstorm.  It made my belly hurt.  It made me feel sick inside."  I had completely forgotten there was a storm in the show.

getting ready for the show

these photos don't do justice to the amazing sets

Simon: 6 months

Okay, so it should say: Simon: 6 months, 1 week, and 3 days.  This boy changes so fast that a week (and 3 days) can make a big difference.  Like , since last week he's now moving and getting places.  No he's not scooting or crawling yet, but he rolls and somehow can get his little body from one corner of our apartment to the other within minutes.  He's becoming more aware and in control of where to go and how.

Simon is awesome!  He always has a huge happy open mouth.  He loves to be thrown up in the air and tossed about.  He's so close to sitting up on his own and I know he can't wait to master that so he can play with his toys and see everything around him.  He has amazing grabbing skillz.  If I'm holding him and reaching for a plastic bag he's got a grip on it before I do.  Prying his little fingers open from plastic bags and his sister's hair is a tricky task.

He has a sweet, soft nasally laugh.

Oliver has been more interested in Simon lately and tries to play with him, move him, or sit on him.  Oliver loves it when Simon shows interest in him (i.e. when Simon reaches out to grab Oliver's face or something like that) and Oliver makes a game out of it.

Isabella still adores Simon (a little too much sometimes) and greets him first every morning.  She tries hard to make him laugh and is a little confused (sometimes) when her goofy tactics don't work.

When Brian is near Simon gets super excited and kicks, kicks, kicks his little legs until Brian picks him and swings him around.

More Coney Island

The reason we went to Coney Island last weekend was for the Mermaid Parade, but we did some other fun things too.

playing at the beach

battle of the bands (from the parade) in the water

Isabella getting her mermaid on

riding the Wonder Wheel

There was a "bubble battle".  So many bubbles.  The camera just couldn't capture its awesomeness.

my little urban monkey