More Spring blooming around Socrates Sculpture Park

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How does our garden grow?

I’ve been volunteering at Ezra’s school and have been helping a teacher who – as it turns out – just may be Ezra’s teacher next year. She’s wonderful, and finds all sorts of outside activities with the kids so that they can get involved with the community and enjoy its diversity. A few weeks ago she took them to an Indian restaurant for lunch (I loved being in her classroom in the a.m. while she played tabla music to ‘get them in the mood’.) This week she volunteered the class to clean up a vacant lot near our house. The kids had to clean out the trash and then plant perennials that will hopefully cheer up the neighborhood for years to come!

Ms Wilches and her students get to work!

Zoe insisted on wearing white for gardening.. ?

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Greek Easter

This past Sunday we had a craving for grilled calamari and tzatziki – but found that our favorite Greek restaurants were closed! I guess Astoria practically shut down for Greek Easter but I’m glad we found one restaurant open – because Zoe loved the pink hard boiled eggs and Greek Easter cookies.

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The Puppet

Ezra doesn’t like art much … which has always appalled me. I’ve been drawn to art for as long as I can remember. I could draw and paint and sculpt all my hours and days away if I was allowed to, so to have a kid who feels like he could take it or leave it – well I often wonder if he really did come from my own gene pool.

So when Ezra was telling me that he was making a puppet in school with his artist-in-residence teacher, he told me with great reluctance – insisting that he was making a mess of it, that everyone told him he was taking too long to create it. When I finally went to his art show/puppet show I was SHOCKED to find him holding the most detailed, intricate little face on a paper dress – AND he was the show’s director! He took so easily to talking into a microphone to the audience (of 3 grades of kids, and all their parents) and then proceeded to change his voice when he made his puppet talk. He guided his other puppeteers/students around, and narrated the story. I think he was being very modest when he told me his puppet was a mess, as it was the most beautifully detailed little nose and mustached puppet I’ve ever seen!

the proud puppet maker

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Spring in the City

Whew .. a week of work is done and I have a few days to decompress before going back to work again. My blog has been a little neglected due to a hectic schedule, but my friend sent this beautiful instagram of the Orly Gender show being knitted together this week. I cannot wait to check it out this weekend. And while I was working I was back in this neighborhood again where I found tulips growing by the carousel. It was a bit stressful being so near to Times Square while the news broke that the Boston bombers had it as a second target. But at lunchtime I liked to imagine I could be in Paris when I’m in Bryant Park – especially when it’s misty and rainy, and flowers are in bloom.

Bring on the flowers and warmer weather!

instagram by Ina Seow

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Shabbat Box

Last week we had a rabbi to our house from a synagogue in Forest Hills. We invited other families from around our neighborhood and not only did we have a fun Shabbat hangout, but we got to learn how other families do Shabbat. The rabbi brought along a sheet of songs, and we shared with everyone that we love the book The Shabbat Box by Lesley Simpson. The kids then got to decorate boxes to store their ‘shabbat things’ (or anything else) inside. Ezra and Zoe love this .. and are looking forward to using them tonight. Ezra even took the rabbi’s information on celebrating this ‘day of rest’ to heart, and stayed in his pajamas until 2 last Saturday! Maybe we will do it again.

hamming it up for the camera with their favorite cobra candle holders

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Princess party

Another princess party; why do these fascinate me? Aside from the fact that I had my son first (and got thoroughly involved in his interests like ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and cars) … and now all this ‘girl stuff’ feels NEW to me, perhaps? As if I’m adjusting to a whole new set of criteria to be aware of?

Or maybe I’m amazed at how Zoe and her girlfriends have an innate ability to coordinate princess outfits already?

I guess I’ve never really been a very ‘girlie’ girl growing up (or maybe my mom would disagree?) If I was, it didn’t really ever carry over to my parties and I don’t know that I ever enjoyed dressing like a princess. But Zoe seems to tolerate itchy fabrics and tripping on miles of tule better than I do.

I couldn’t help but but feel like an anthropologist watching the party-goers live in a princess-world for hours. But all my analysis aside, this party was just too cute NOT to share. With a ‘pin the kiss on the frog’ game, castle, crown-making and all (and those Zulily Fairy cupcakes and bags, amazing!)

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Spring Beautiful Things

photos from ohhappyday.com

Since we’ve had a couple warm days this week I must admit, I wasn’t perusing blogs like I usually do. But these little gems did catch my eye and I had to share. Have a great weekend!

– Zoe is so into watching flowers bloom this season, I’d love to make her this hat.

– A dad does hair with a vacuum. I could’ve used this for Zoe’s dance recital!

– Performance art meets soliciting on the subway. This is hilarious!

– Pretty little girl’s room.

– A very cool consignment shop in Virginia.

– Have your heard of quilling? Amazing!

– Cutest pinterest page ever of kid’s stuff.

– Time to build this in our garden – our kids would love it.

– Can’t wait to take Ezra to this fuel efficient car show. (Thanks Jill!)

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Long Island Children’s Museum

Wow. This museum has the coolest little “animal diner” where you put plates of various kinds of ‘food’ in front of your animal customer – and the condiments on the bar will light up with a yes or no depending on what your animal likes to eat! Clearly this is another fun museum for climbers and sand diggers, and the music rooms are fascinating. But my kids can spend hours playing with the old rotary telephones with the ‘strange curly wires’ holding the earpiece to the base. Who knew such an overlooked device from MY past would be seen as an antique by my own kids so quickly!

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The recital

Before spring break Zoe had the sweetest ballet recital. It took some convincing to get her to tone down her hair accessories and to wear only pink (and not gold and purple too). The teachers did some of their own dancing at the end and awarded their students with little bags of ballet treats, books, stickers and a tiara each!
There were some shy girls that got a little too fearful to get up and dance – but Zoe was there, pressing on with her older friend Ruby. The show must go on!

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