Right after Super Science Saturday, Mika took off for her first sleepover at Luna’s house. When i left, the girls were testing their flashlights – getting ready for a busy night. This morning, they were still playing with flashlights (and boxes), and convinced they didn’t sleep at all. I was told they had about half a night’s worth of sleep, which sounds like a perfect sleepover. (Psst: this afternoon, both Mika and Tobin fell asleep for a much needed nap … hehe!)
Today was the Annual “Super Science Saturday” at Mika’s school. This year’s theme was The Human Body. The kids studied skeletons, various organs, their teeth … even a tar filled “smoker’s lung” performing next to a healthy lung (yikes!). Ever popular were also the “make your own snot”, ooey gooey digestive science, and building molecule kind of structures from spaghetti and mini marshmallows.
Tobin, Henry, and Bruno, along with their 21 class mates, went on a field trip to DUMBO. At the very last minute, i carved a couple hours out of my freelance schedule to serve as a chaperon, since they were running low on volunteers. The weather couldn’t have been better, and the kids had a great time sketching, taking pictures, and running around Brooklyn Bridge Park. After a brown bag picnic, the rascals were invited into the offices of a fellow parent’s agency. It was by far the liveliest meeting their large conference room has ever witnessed: 24 pairs of hands scribbled all over the dry erase wall and helped edit pictures via multiple iPads into a slide show. They also scored more yummy snack while watching the visual bounty of their morning.
This month, Tobin’s class has been studying the science of light. The kids were particularly fascinated by rainbows, so it doesn’t come as a surprise to see him proudly drawing “spaghetti rainbows” at home … just like Mika in her first year of preschool. Aside from all the truly creative work the kids do at Choo Choo Train, there seem to be a few odd, iconic milestones that they just pick up from each other.
Tonight, our clocks are going to skip an hour toward daylight saving time. Another sign that we’re just one week away from Spring: our local Blue Marble re-opened for the season! We spent all afternoon zipping around the neighborhood on bikes (and scooter), and ended the day at Anke’s surprise birthday party.
It’s been a very long time since Tobin and Henry had an at-home play date, so the boys were really excited about the impromptu play time after school on Friday. Unfortunately, Henry fell under the spell of Mika and the vintage turntable, and Tobin had to make several attempts to reclaim his friend. In the end, they all played well together though (not pictured).
Today was a complete wash out. We spent this Sunday at home, sadly missing out on culturally more exciting opportunities the city had to offer. What made the afternoon special after all, was running a few local errands with Mika while Tobin slept. She was so happy to be outdoors, LOVED the rain, and literally walked singing, giggling, and skipping through ankle-deep puddles. Made me smile.
Following a cold and windy week, today was a surprisingly mild day that raises hope for Spring to be near. We spent most of the afternoon in Central Park, crossing it twice, climbing rocks, trees, and visiting the zoo. The kids also paid Alice a visit, and tenderly inspected the very first Schneeglöckchen (snowdrops) of the season. It’s such a relief to see their green break through the wintry soil…
Three years ago, i got a vintage, Fischer-Price baby ‘record’ player from e-bay, after both Mika and i were mesmerized by an original hand-me-down version at Elsie’s house. It’s technically a music box: the plastic records trigger an instrument inside the toy. Both kids loved playing with it, but have mostly moved on to listening to CD’s these days.
I’ve always wanted to pass on my own, German children’s records to Mika and Tobin, but there was no way they could be allowed to play them unsupervised on Sung’s turntable. Fisher-Price and e-bay to the rescue again! I snapped up a vintage children’s turntable, along with some Sesame Street classics (the Sing-Along has the Rubber Ducky song!). In a local thrift store, we even got “The Sound of Music” for $1. A new, old era has begun…
Having my birthday fall on a Saturday was a gift in itself. I got to sleep in (a little), and had all the time in the world to open the lovely gifts from my family (near and far). Mika and Tobin had collaborated on a number of items: check out the color-me-in card she created for Tobin! He actually traced all her letters and colored her drawings. Mom & Dad Chang sent lovely flowers, and Omi Hilde included my favorite chocolate. In the early afternoon, we went for brunch and strolled along the High Line. Unfortunately, a pesky virus had plotted to take over my health by the end of the night, almost ruining dinner plans.
Mika got her first ever filling at the dentist today. While she was waiting for the procedure to start, she let Tobin lie on the chair as well so he could watch the cartoon playing overhead. Once it was time to get down to business, he had to sit on the sidelines though. The good news: nowadays, dentists don’t drill without local anesthesia anymore. The bad news: the numbed gums and cheek freaked her out a little anyway, but she was a trooper and earned a bunch of stickers and a new necklace.
