The kids put a lot of love and effort into this years birthday gift for Sung – he got two one-of-a-kind t-shirts with his favorite vehicles. Luna was part of our secret project and did quality check before the artwork was released.

Listening to music on headphones is a treat to our kids – like eating candy. There is lots of music in our house, but usually for everybody to hear and enjoy together. The kids bring their cool headphones along whenever we travel. Occasionally, we let them listen to their very own – different – music together, at home. They have no idea how cute they look, and how silly their alley-cat howl-a-long sounds. Mind you, they are both able to hold a tune without headphones on ;-)

Escaping the 95°F heat outdoors, Mika and Olivia had a post camp play date at The Brooklyn Strategist. Their favorite game of the afternoon: Mancala. The little brothers joined later, and didn’t get quite as immersed in game strategy…

Another one of Tobin’s tricked out bird action figures … this is a ‘good guy’ though.

Just before the moms (and babes) leave to their respective homelands for Summer Break, we got together with team Lee-Alto for a play date. Newly rising temperatures and humidity drove us inside … the Met. We briefly visited Cloud City on the roof, but no kids under 10 years of age (and no leather shoes) were permitted on the installation. Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exceeded our expectations – especially the simulated conversations (directed by Baz Luhrmann). Tobin’s favorite were the knights, and all children loved chilling at the wishing fountain near the ever-popular Temple of Dendur.

On a glorious Thursday afternoon, two dear friends saved my day (= the late afternoon childcare emergency). Tobin had a fantastic play date/dinner with Bruno and Sash (thank you Sabine!), Mika went home with her BFF Mica (thank you Jamie!). The girls kicked it up a notch when they convinced us moms to turn their play date into a sleepover (!) 

Photos by Sabine (thanks!)

The record heat wave continued all throughout last week, making cold water a requirement for outdoor play. With temperatures hot enough to get airplanes stuck on the tarmac, we made several runs to the local pools (no cameras allowed) and stuck close to sprinklers or water guns…

Mika continues to love her swim lessons and makes great progress – especially for a kid who was terrified of water until age 6. She has been working on her various strokes, general endurance, and started to put more focus on breathing techniques. Today, due to “4th of July week”, she had her teacher all to herself and (finally) started jumping into the water – standing up, at the deep end.

NOTE: video is 6+ minutes … special grandparents edition. Don’t play if you are “on the go” (174.8 MB)

It’s always fun to see what games the kids come up with during idle times. A couple of days ago, we bumped into Olivia at Carroll Park and the kids spent hours building a basin to trap collected sprinkler water. The last two days, the kids obsessed about their indoor caves – Mika built sunny and cozy near the window. Tobin preferred a dark, widespread design with a fuzzy ground to chill on.

On hot Summer days, our bedroom brings the dead back to life: A/C and (optional) ceiling fan cut through the most debilitating heat wave. Not surprisingly, the kids love to go wild under the fan and come up with games like this: Tobin sitting down for a wild “carousel ride” on Mika’s feet, which ends with him flying off ejector-seat style into the pillows. They must have gone through about 20 rounds already, and laughing themselves silly, before i brought the camera along…

On our first weekend of Summer Break, we followed up on Mika’s latest social studies subject, Ellis Island. First stop of the tour: Liberty Island. Unfortunately, the statue is undergoing a temporary renovation until the end of 2012, so we couldn’t walk up into the crown. Paired with relentless heat, it wasn’t the kids’ favorite part of the excursion, as you can see. Two lemon slushies restored their mood quickly, with mutant yellow tongues to prove. Next up was Ellis Island. The immigration museum tour was a breeze: air conditioned, with fascinating topics, and a special audio commentary for kids.

The kids sent their bunnies to (horse carriage) driving school this morning. Somehow, Tobin’s dog must have gotten caught up against his will…