Urban Wildlife

A Great Blue Heron spotted on our walk home from school in Prospect Park...



We hadn't walked home one time this year until today! We've become dependent on driving. It seems there is always a reason that makes it more convenient to just drive...rain, giving someone a ride, needing to get home quickly for a playdate or homework. The freedom and ease of driving has made a big difference but we do miss walking too. I really enjoyed walking and talking to all four today.

Lego Store

A quick subway ride and the boys and I were able to participate in the grand opening of the lego store in Rockefellar Center. This day was long anticipated by C. We met one of P's friends there and we all helped to build a giant lego Apple (in honor of being in "The Big Apple") and a green lego citiscape. Charlie spent a birthday gift card and some birthday money on 3 new lego sets and I bought a couple of small things and the boys each got a free t-shirt. The weather was perfect...it wasn't too crowded and it was great to be out with just my guys.

Blue Bell Wood

Before the recent late Spring surprise cold weather...the little girls and I explored the Brooklyn Botanical Garden while the guys were participating in the City Farmer program. The Blue Bell Wood was in its full glory! I hope we will be back in short sleeves again soon.

Trip to the Beach Goes Awry

It was in the high 80s yesterday and after a busy day playing baseball (should be another post) on Saturday, church in the morning, playing in the park in the afternoon...we decided to finish the weekend with a picnic dinner at the beach.








I made pesto pasta chicken salad and Mark made fruit salad and we drove 25 minutes to Jacob Riis national recreation area. We were expecting thunderstorms but the sun was peeking out now and then and the beach was almost empty and beautiful. The kids got wet and sandy despite us begging them not to....we enjoyed our delicious picnic and took a few pics. It was chilly at the beach and we started back to the car at 6:30 or so.









The kids were all running on the pavement and M fell down and started crying. A quick assessment and we realized she was fine and we continued on...for about 1 more second when C fell down on his face and jumped up screaming. Blood was pouring out. We calmed him down and held paper towels to the wound until it stopped bleeding a little. We could then see that a visit to the ER was a definite.


Mark dropped us off at the ER around 7:15 and we waited and waited, watched TV and waited, saw one dr. who got another dr....they decided that the plastic surgeon should be called. 45 minutes later the plastic surgeon showed up...cut off a partof dead skin...stitched up the wound with 14 tiny stitchen and were ready to go at 11 p.m. C was very patient and barely cried after the accident first happened. We've been to the ER for 7x in 9 years of parenting. 3x have been for facial wounds. This one was the worst. The patient is doing better today.

Squeezing It All In

Every year...we have a great time at christmas getting bunches of beautiful gifts (toys, toys and more toys) and then we have to find a place for all of them. More kids, same house, more stuff and the reorganization gets harder and harder every year. We had also been planning a redo of the basement for YEARS.

New Year's weekend...4 days, 3 trips to IKEA, lots of assembly and we have a much more functional, bright, beautiful basement for everyday use and to house all the guests that frequently visit us. We bought a new couch/bed, chair/bed, GREAT BIG bookcase organizer, TV stand and a few other odds and ends.

We had our first guests this weekend...Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Judy and they assured us that the new accomodations were very comfortable.

Basement...before pics


Progress...







Basement After!

Belated Happy 5th Birthday!

Summer in the Country

I admit that this may be going overboard in seasonal wear.