Mika finally had Olivia at our house for a sleepover / slumber party. And a party it was! The above picture is taken on “the morning after”, surprisingly fresh faced…
The girls started out with an after-school play date but couldn’t wait to blow up the big Aero Bed, change into their night gowns, take a bath, and brush their teeth (twice!). After dinner, we treated them to a short movie, read many books, and tucked them in under the same blanket just after 8:00 pm.
That’s when the real party started. They finally fell asleep at 11:40 pm, only to wake up at 6:20 am (!) the next morning … ready to ask us for their special pancake breakfast. Apparently, sleep is for the weak.
After losing her favorite possession of the moment – a single, impossibly small silver and turquoise bead – on the busy intersection of Court and Union Streets, i decided to treat Mika to a new little treasure from the local thrift store’s bauble bin. She opted for two links of an overly embellished mystery belt/necklace, while her play date Jacob picked a classic black beaded necklace. Two very happy preschoolers for less than the price of one average takeout coffee.
Today the kids got their first, highly anticipated taste of our fire-escape grown strawberries. Since we had a grand total of TWO strawberries ready to be eaten, i have to take their word for it: “deeeee-licious!“, “hmmmmmmmh!!!”
Sunday we left the house bright and early to beat the crowds at the newly opened High Line. Towards noon, when we left, foot traffic had picked up considerably already and i heard there were lines to enter the park (!) all afternoon.
We’ll be back for sure because this is truly a special place. Rarely have i seen such simple, yet elegant repurposing of former industrial wasteland. The park also adds much needed (public) greenland in Chelsea and will be no doubt a magnet for tourists and locals alike. The kids loved looking out on 10th Avenue at the ‘amphitheatre’, balancing on benches and tracks, and exploring the ‘wild flowers’ everywhere. The treat from the artisinal ice cream truck in the meat packing district afterwards wasn’t so bad either…
At today’s play date with Kai and Sango, Tobin got tired of saying “Mika … Kai” over and over again, so he coined a new short phrase, “MiKai”.
The big kids went to the playground bright and early, and Tobin joined them right after music class. He tried to join their tricycle gang, but his skills didn’t earn him a spot in the front row just yet. They did offer him a seat at the stoop sale ‘library’ though…
Tobin got introduced to one of the small, but memorable summer activities of my 1970’s childhood: to stick maple seeds on top of one’s nose and pretend to be a rhinoceros. He liked it just as much as Mika, whom i showed this trick the first time a month before Tobin was born.
I finally sent Mika’s school’s yearbook off to the printer … the books will be delivered just in time for graduation. You can flip through the virtual pages here (Book ID: 1110585, Password: 2649371)
The day started out great with Bru coming over for the most mellow and relaxed play date in a long while. Thanks for bringing treats, yummy fish … and for an expert’s take on Tobin’s favorite bunny book.
Things took a turn for the worse when Mika’s school called during our lunch: she had developed a fever and needed to be picked up immediately. I guess we are pretty lucky that this is a ‘first’ – in two years of pre-school, with only two more weeks to go! Also, she dosn’t seem to have any other symptoms besides the fever. Hopefully she’ll be able to recover quickly…
Lots of great outdoor pictures from this past weekend are waiting to be posted, but i am working on a project these days nights. So here’s a little pink moment to tie you over: when i came home from my ‘Mother’s Day Beautification‘ (thanks, Sung!), Mika wanted her nails to match my newly painted feet. Good thing i had the foresight to purchase a backup bottle of that color…
Not exactly a tour, just a little dip down to the Fulton Ferry Landing in DUMBO. However, it’s the first time we all rode our bikes together, including Mika. What could’ve been a 5-minute ride, took us over 30 minutes at training wheel speed. The kids were thrilled though…
