Learning the ropes…

A few weekends ago we went to Alley Pond Park Adventure Course to explore the new ropes course and zip lines. While Zoe wasn’t old enough to go on, Ezra and his dad had a try at climbing into the tree canopies, walking across ladder bridges and then ‘belay-ing‘ down with a harness and some trainers holding on from the ground! I have to tell you – I was so proud of Ezra and how easily he faced this challenge. Fearless really: which is great considering what an intense school year it’s been for him (already at 4th grade!) I’m happy to see him face more and more challenges each day, almost effortlessly.

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City of Science

E and Z’s dad has been shooting for the World Science Festival for awhile now, and this year they’ve decided to do some ‘satellite’ Cities of Science exhibits to spread the interest over all 5 boroughs!    As always the kids love this hands-on approach to learning new things about brains, gravity, and motion.  Here are a few shots of the fun via my own camera!

 

turns out Zoe really likes learning about brains!

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A little trip to Newport RI

Well I haven’t been here for many years, but I’ve always loved the mansions on the bluff at Newport RI.  We walked the ‘cliff walk’ with the kids just a couple weekends ago .. and took in the stellar ocean view and fresh sea air.  More mansions will be opening up again with the warmer season coming.  I can’t wait to some day tour and share my knowledge of the Rosecliff with the kids (where the first Gatsby movie with Mia Farrow was filmed) – my favorite mansion tour!

Zoe does some cartwheels –

strange yellow moss on rocks along the cliff walk

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The Mitzvah Garden

Cousins Alison and Stella took us to the Mitzvah Garden near there synagogue, where we learned a thing or two about collecting water in rain barrels and planting vegetables for summer!  I plan on using some info I gleaned about keeping purple martins around with bird feeders .. so that they will linger to eat all our bugs!

Ezra getting zen with some small planting

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A little trip to Kansas City Zoo

There’s probably no bigger feat than getting this whole entourage (that is my husband’s family and relatives) to enjoy the same activity and move around at the same place and same pace, yet they always seem to amaze me and do it so well.  Which is ideal for us since Ezra and Zoe love spending so much time with their cousins.  And on a hot day – gazing at cool pools filled with polar bears, penguins, riding the tram or carousel and feeding lorikeets is pretty much all we wanted to do.

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Passover in Kansas City

Sorry again that I’ve lagged in posting photos but this past April Spring break week has been so full of activity, my camera and phone were back burnered.

We spent a lovely first 2 seders with cousins Alison and Stella (remember they came to see US here?)  Kansas City is amazing!  I love the Nelson Atkins Art Museum (although it was so warm outside we stayed with the Claes Oldenburg sculptures outdoors) and we had a lovely 2nd night seder outdoors – which I always love.  (It happened before a few years ago in Maryland!)  More pix of the Kansas City Zoo are to come..

 

new game with cousins .. make like a mannequin while moms shop!

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