Governor's Island: FIGMENT

Last Friday I took the kids out to Governor's Island for a fun art festival called FIGMENT. Despite the longest line ever (full of school groups) to get onto the ferry we really enjoyed our time on the island. It was relaxed and fun, just as it should be. FIGMENT itself was fun and interesting, but I didn't feel like it was worthy of a special trip to Governor's Island. It was more, "if you are going to go, there will be more things to do once you are there". Some of our favorite activities will be at Governor's Island all summer; like The Children's Museum of the Arts.

Here are several photos of our adventure:

Lunch on the ferry.  The lines were so long we missed the first one.

Painting with water.

Silly Putty transfer art.

Postcards for peace.

Don't mess with the bubble gun!

Jumping

Oliver kept climbing all over this sculpture that had "no climbing" signs posted all over it.  Can't he read?!  I chased after him all the way to the top.  Once.

This was a favorite.  It's made out of bottle caps and makes a fun noise when you pull the rope.

Drumming

Picnic lunch with Lady Liberty.

This was my favorite.

The coolest golf cart ever.  Gave people rides.  Played cool tunes.

Oliver: 2 YEARS!!!

How can Oliver be two years old already?!  He's still as adorable as ever!  (Except maybe a few times this last week.  He's making sure I know he is a two year old!)

a few hours old

When this little boy was born two years ago I knew I'd love him with all my heart, but I had no idea what awesome joy he would bring.  He's such a happy boy.  I remember at only 4 months old he would crack up when we just looked at him.  Many people are drawn to him and his cheerful demeanor.

a few days old

Lately he really loves his brother, Simon.  If Simon reaches out to Oliver and touches him, Oliver cracks up and then stands close so Simon will do it again.  When ever Oliver sees the letter "s" he says, "ssss" and then points to Simon.  Isabella knows Oliver's ticklish spots and often gets him to laugh and scream (happy) while he's strapped in the stroller and can't get away (usually while we are in a crowded subway car).

June 2010

Oliver loves:

• to be chased
• the letter "o"
• the color blue
• being surprised
• surprising others, he say's "boo" in a deep voice
• his sister
• watching movies
• playing with Daddy
• attempting to ride the scooter
• doing anything Isabella does
• pretending he's a baby
• pretending he's a sea lion
• going down the slide
• mama to hold him in the mornings
• breakfast
• cooking with me (real or pretend)
• pirates and saying "ARRR"

Halloween 2010

Oliver is very good at:

• following directions
• making us laugh
• sharing 
• getting into mischief
• brushing his teeth
• blowing raspberries
• understanding what we ask/say
• pretending he's a sea lion
• climbing up and down stairs
• recognizing letters
• helping clean up

He recently went on a see-saw for the first time.  He loved it!  He could-not-stop-laughing.  At one point he laughed so hard and long he couldn't breathe.  His face turned red.  His worried wide eyes searched my face, and then he gasped.

spring 2011

He doesn't use many words yet (most things are labeled as "da" or "na"), but he can communicate quite well.  He will often string 4-5 signs together to help us understand, pull us, point, etc.  Words he uses: Mama, Dada, Lelela (Isabella), eesh (cheese), ow (water), ca-ka (chicken), boe (shoe), moooe (no).

self portrait Jan 2011

He's become a picky eater but loves his breakfast.  He can down a Papa Bear sized portion of oatmeal or 4 eggs in one sitting.  But then he may not eat much the rest of the day.  He usually likes chicken.

spring 2011

Despite his extremely happy demeanor he definitely has a bit of strong headedness.  The last two weeks he's begun screaming (bloody-murder type) when he doesn't get his way.  Like yesterday, when we were at Isabella's (future) school office filling out some paper work.  It was, of course, very quiet.  He didn't get his way.  And he was angry.  His face turned bright red and he screamed!!!  For an entire minute (I'm sure).  All my attempts to calm him failed.  I turned red too (with embarrassment).  I was so uncomfortable that I began laughing nervously.  (So, no Grandma, he's not a perfect angel!  :0))

I really love seeing him grow.  I can't wait to hear what he has to say this next year.

Oliver, we love and adore you.  You are such an amazing little boy.  I am so happy to be your Mama!
 

yesterday

The Runaway Bunny

The weather turned beautiful (way back when) and I've been a complete slacker on our little curriculum.  (FYI: I'm completely okay with being a slacker under our current circumstances.  She's only 4.  Also, we are outside learning and playing all-the-time.)  But we have been working on our Before Five in a Row (B4FIAR) book The Runaway Bunny for a few weeks now.  We did an activity or two each week.

I would really like to stick with B4FIAR and put it into our daily "schedule".  (Isabella has asked to do more as well.)  Now that I seem to have more energy (running+eating better=sleeping better), I am not quite so desperate for a nap while Oliver is napping, so I can spend some of that time focused on working with Isabella.  I feel like I'm still figuring out our rhythm with 3 kids and good weather.  I know I'll figure it out and then it will all change!

My favorite part about exploring The Runaway Bunny is I was introduced to a bunch of Margaret Wise Brown books that I didn't know.  We now love The Important Book and we really enjoyed Bunny's Noisy Book.


With all the fantastic weather, I can't say I really got into The Runaway Bunny.  I think I was suffering from a bit of spring fever.

Here's what we did:

Playing the "If...then" game from the story.

Pen drawings vs. watercolor paintings

Matching bunny silhouettes.

Making "handprint" crocuses.

Our bouquet of crocuses.

The finished lapbook.  All printouts are free at homeschoolshare.com.

Granola Bars

In my effort to be more healthy, eat less dairy, and keep our grocery bills within budget (despite the non-stop rising costs of groceries) I began making my own granola bars.  I make a large batch which lasts about a week.  They are easy to make, easy to transport, and the kids will eat them.  A perfect combo!

I've adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com.  I use less sugar and oil, and I've doubled the batch in the recipe below.

Kiasa's Granola Bars

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I'm going to use 1/4 cup next batch and see how it goes)

1 cup wheat germ

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups raisins (or any dried fruit)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup honey

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease two 9x13 inch baking pans.  (I have a large 12x16 inch cookie sheet I use.)

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the oil, honey, eggs, applesauce and vanilla. Mix well. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Here are some fun photos of the kids helping make the bars:

Mixing by hand is really the funnest way to go.

Patting mixture into pan...using surgical gloves, of course.

Wonder Women

While growing up I don't remember having anyone I considered my hero.  (Although, I thought it would be super cool to be Punk Brewster!)  Fortunately, I have been surrounded by amazing women my entire life.  Right now is no different.  There are so many amazing women in my life that touch me and teach me.  They are truly, my superheros!

Recently, two women I admire have been interviewed (by different people) and their stories, published.  I hope to, someday, be more like these women.

The first is a brief video about Mehrsa who use to live in Harlem when we lived there.  I really look up to Mehrsa.

The second is a Q&A with Lorinda, who is raising six(!!!) kids in NYC.  I've only spoken with her on a couple of occasions, but I've always felt inspired when I'm around her.

Why didn't I learn my lesson...

Less than 24 hours later from the fruit munching incident, I went into the bedroom to get the kids' clothes for the day.  I was gone for two minutes!  This is what happened:

No, it's not regular lotion...it's self-tanning lotion, of course.  If you see a blond oompa loompa wandering NYC, that's my boy!

Guess which mischievous little boy turns two on Saturday?!

Why I don't leave the room anymore...

I went into the bedroom for a few minutes to put nurse Simon and put him down for a nap.  This is what I came back to:

He was drenched in peach juice.

I now know which peach was ripe and ready to eat.  And I guess we will have fajitas (with avocado) tonight instead of tomorrow.

The Everything Weekend

This weekend was jammed packed full of fun!  It was one of those weekends where there was so much stuff going on in the city that I wished I could clone myself and do it all.  But no, we had to forgo some fun for other fun, which turned out to be quite fun!

Here's our weekend in (a lot of) photos:

For years I've wanted to take advantage of the free kayaking on the Hudson.  We happened upon it while just walking along the river (at W 72nd St) with no lines, so I did it!  Isabella was nervous at first, proclaiming she wanted to go back and just watch with Daddy, but within minutes she was having a blast and playing captain.

We met up with some of our favorite people, ate lunch at Pier i Cafe, and then frolicked in the grass.

We went to an awesome pirate-princess-party for another favorite little person.  The pirate-princess-party had a perfectly pink pinata, of course!

We went to the World Science Festival in Washington Square Park.  We had fun.  I rubbed elbows with several of my former competition.  And I kept thinking, "I could be here.  I should have a booth."  But reminded myself I am in the most awesome science adventure every day with these three little ones.  The booth can wait; these babies will not.

looking for fossils

playing with center of gravity

making patterns with magna-tiles

 We even stopped briefly at the Housing Works Street Fair and picked out some new books for the kids.

Right Now

Riding the "bug carousel" at the Bronx Zoo.

Imagination Playground

Mommy Poppins has a series called "Destination Playground" and I'm hoping we will make it to most of these playgrounds this summer (definitely all the ones in Manhattan).  I'm pretty determined to still "live" in NYC (and not just the UWS), but with three kids (two confined to a big stroller) it requires a bit more planning.  Specifically, finding our way with subway elevators.  

I love this next month because 1) the weather is perfect for playing outside (not too hot yet) and 2) the school kids are still in school.  So the playgrounds are relatively "calm" during the mornings.

We recently trekked to the David Rockwell Imagination Playground near South Street Seaport.  Yes, it is a haul from the UWS with 3 kids, but they loved it!   We took the 2/3 from W 72nd to Chambers St.  Then walked from there.  It took us about an hour, door-to-playground.  Isabella walked most of the time (scooted a bit of the time), which means we move pretty slow sometimes.

We did come to this playground last year, but the sun (and lack of shade) made it pretty intense in the heat of summer.  If you go remember to bring hats, sunglasses and tons of sunblock!

The playground is open 10am-6pm (9am on the weekends, I believe).  We got there right when it opened.  It took the attendant almost an hour to get everything done (set out all the sand toys, building materials, put up the umbrellas and unclog a filter) before he finally turned on the water.

The kids loved it and were completely worn out on the way home!