Zoe’s 9th birthday!

This sweet little girl turned 9 yesterday. I got to go into her class with 32 (yes, 32!) cupcakes for all 31 kids and her teacher. We sang happy birthday, ate up the sweets and then passed around little phone books so the kids could take down numbers and have playdates (or just use the tiny book with their dolls). I can’t believe 9 years have passed so quickly. We love you Zoe!

me and Z in her class

Yum! Gluten free cupcakes!

and a shot of Zoe on the day she was born… so pretty, right?

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Waterfront Parks

During Veteran’s Day we stumbled on the new Hunter’s Point coastal walk … one of many new and improved ‘coastlines’ of Queens.  There are others around Manhattan and Brooklyn – see here: (https://ny.curbed.com/2018/8/9/17667488/new-york-domino-park-hunters-point-south-photo-essay.)  When I first came to NYC in 1989 it seemed liked so much of this land was used for tossing trash, or vacant and ignored.  It’s so great to see it now is used as recreation area and more saliently, landscaped in a way that’s good for promoting ‘run off’ to keep city toxins out of the soil.  I love how the grasses here were planting to facilitate this – while at the same time avoiding land erosion.  Best of all it seems to last year round (colors looking good in the fall, and perhaps even staying around for the winter).

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Bye for now, October!

We had a great little segue into fall … with leaves slowly turning color, and another somewhat balmy Halloween night.  Even though it was a school night – kids were out in droves collecting candy on our street.  Bye for now October… it’s been a LOT of fun.

autumn light outside..

and inside (Louie on the footstool)

teachers walking the kids around the block on Halloween day

and some even dressed up!

Zoe and classmates got pumpkins to decorate

Neighbors on our street lookin’ good!

Stranger Things…

and ‘Eleven’ from Stranger Things

Zoe and buds

Neighbors ready for the crowds with candy

E was ‘watermelon man’ with Herbie Hancock’s tune playing from under his costume..

end of the night candy swap

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Hello October

I’m not necessarily ready for cooler weather but clearly Zoe is: she likes to ice skate with her classmate Lily lately.  Since Lily takes skating lessons, I just let her tie on Zoe’s skates and teach her the ropes – and I basically stand around waiting to be useful .

We are already seeing signs of “Halloween night preparation” in our ‘hood – and I found this crazy old pix of me and my brothers in our home-made costumes in the ’70s.  I wonder if this will inspire my own kids’ ideas for costumes this year?

 

I hear that Lily gets up at 5 a.m. for skate lessons so .. I’m unnecessary here

this fearless little one

off she goes!

neighbors already getting creative

me and my brothers – I guess one of us has a store-bought costume but the others are made from scratch!

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And the Back to School shots..

Photos shot by E and Z’s dad – as they are every year.  These 2 are growing so fast!  They are heading into the 7th and 3rd grade, and of course Z is sporting her new cowgirl boots (courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa during their trip to Yellowstone this summer!) Enjoy the start to September everyone ..

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Queens Kid’s Music Festival

We’ve been combing the city for gigs where the band can play, and where Zoe enjoys herself at the same time.  Enter the Queens Kid’s Music Festival!  So much kid talent packed into one event, and Ezra met some great talk show hosts that may very well use his musical talent on their show some day… more to come!

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Summer chalking

What does Zoe do when Ezra is away at camp by day and she’s bored? Get creative of course!

and of course when Ezra got home, he also had to contribute:

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