A trip to PS1 in Queens

I love taking my kids to modern art museums. People probably assume that art museums aren’t for kids but if the pieces are modern and playful, it becomes a great place for kids to expand their minds; see how adults can create things just to fulfill their fancy or make a powerful statement. Often in modern art museums kids are allowed to touch things or move around them, making it a less frustrating experience than being told to be quiet and ‘not-touch’ all the time.

PS1 use to be a public school (hence the ‘PS’ – which is in the title of all the public schools around NYC). It’s been revamped to hold an offshoot of the MoMA – which we also love. The kids are mesmerized by the ‘lady in the floorboards’ at the entrance (a permanent video installation in the floor) – and where else can they see a room full of waterfall, stomp around in an ‘Arctic Room’ full of ice (brrr!) or simply run around the building’s old school yard where exhibits (like the geodesic dome of late) are installed?

lady in the floorboards!

Read Full Post »

LIC and 5 Pointz

Now that the weather is nicer we’ve been getting out and enjoying Queens. A trip to 5 Pointz in Long Island City is always a great diversion, especially amidst the rumors that it may get demolished by September of 2013. Since graffiti is no longer apparent on subway trains, I’d kind of love to see these buildings and their art stick around. (I’ve been in NYC so long – I really do remember trains looking like this when I first moved here!)

Zoe admires the pink hair

Does the lady with pink hair own this cool car?

Why does Zoe look like she wants to tag something?

Around the corner is the Space Womb gallery and PS1 (MoMA offshoot) for more art exploring

Read Full Post »

More Spring blooming around Socrates Sculpture Park

Read Full Post »

Fly a Kite

Every year this park (located near the last Queens apartment that we lived in) hosts a Kite Flight – where kids are invited to make a kite, and then fly it. This year the kite instruction was a bit complex and in ernest mostly parents were making kites for kids… but it was great to get to Socrates Sculpture Garden filled with kites and see the lush gardens blooming along the edge of the park.

some cool graphics to glue to our kites

Read Full Post »

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.. ?

Read Full Post »

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.

Read Full Post »

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

Read Full Post »

The Earth Day march..

Ezra and his class had a march around the block one day during school in honor of Earth Day. They spent a few days making hats out of recycled things – then proudly marched around the neighborhood wearing them and holding their eco-conscious ideas on signs. I was so proud when I saw his sign insisting on ‘more electric cars’ to keep the trees happy (and – according to his sign – it will also prevent stick figure people from falling over and bleeding in the streets!)
As the sign says: “Gas cars is killing us!”

Read Full Post »

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

Read Full Post »

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!)

Read Full Post »