On the last day of his visit, we took Uncle Joe to DUMBO. The kids went on the carousel, and had a great time watching boats and collecting pebbles along the waterfront. We lucked out with the weather, which turned warm and sunny after an initial shower. The kids were so comfortable with Joe, that Sung and i could have easily left them alone for a while. Not hours, but days ;-)

It’s been two years since we visited the NY Botanical Garden during cherry blossom season, and even longer since we enjoyed Hanami with Uncle Joe. Today, we got to do all of it on a perfect Spring day. It was very windy, but the temperatures were just right to put everybody at ease. Except for one little sword fighter, who kept challenging us with various sticks. Once the sun had been taken over by clouds, we warmed up bodies and minds at the Orchid Show with it’s abundant shapes and colors.

Cake for breakfast, undivided love and attention from Mika and Tobin, and a family day trip to the NY Botanical Garden in perfect Spring weather – we hope this East Coast birthday made you feel right at home :)

Luna and her family invited us over for Easter brunch and a private little egg hunt in their back yard. The weather was lovely and everybody had a great time coloring (real) eggs, searching for eggs, and relaxing all afternoon … the parents as well.

The same procedure as last year, Hilde?
The same procedure as every year, kids!*

Thanks to Sung and the kids, i was able to make a solo trip to my grandmother’s birthday again. We spent a few days alone prior to the big day and had the best time. The celebration was a cozy affair with my parents and her little brother Fritz, as every year. At the age of 91, Hilde had her first ever strawberry shortcake, which might become a fixture for years to come.

After a full day of Super Science Saturday at Mika’s school, swim lessons in Brooklyn Heights, and raclette dinner at home, Uncle Joe participated in our weekly movie night. Today’s feature: Disney’s 1967 classic, Jungle Book.

Friday afternoon, Uncle Joe returned to Brooklyn just in time to come along to school pickup, hang out with the kids at the local playground, and enjoy the last warm sunset during our rooftop dinner at Alma. Tomorrow, the temperatures will drop from today’s record 77°F (25°C) back to more seasonable levels with a chance of rain.

Could there be anything better than a digger? Funny you should ask, because Tobin invented the Super Fly Digger. It’s snake-like boom is long enough to dig in a neighboring borough, and two helicopter rotors give it superior mobility…

Uncle Joe is in town on business all week and the kids are looking forward to spending the weekend with him. Today, he stopped by for a few hours after work and was instantly recruited for Lego construction. At bedtime, the kids showed him one of their books featuring Uncle Joe the Ice Cream Man. They had always chuckled at that part when we read the book in the past, but reading the story with the real Uncle Joe literally made them ROFL. Thanks for making time tonight … and see you again on Friday!

On our way to Mika’s play date pickup, we encountered the biggest paper airplanes ever …right on our block! A neighbor was taking them to his photo shoot in Dumbo … too bad we couldn’t tag along!

Luna is generally a well behaved cat – she doesn’t beg for food and doesn’t jump on the table at mealtime – but today, she couldn’t help it. The teriyaki salmon was too much of a lure and she squeezed herself behind Tobin on his chair, eyeing his dinner. He treated her like a pesky sibling, pushing her out of the way with his elbow…

This weekend, the kids built two treasure boxes to hold all their tiny LEGO “jewels” (translucent single mini pieces). Both boxes started with the same, initial footprint. Both boxes have a secret door to move jewels in and out. One child planted a flower garden atop and fastened handy tools to pry open the secret door “when your fingernails are cut short”. The other child armed the box to the teeth and positioned a guard.

If you find this as funny as i do, you might enjoy playing with this.