Jam Packed

For much of the winter our social lives take a hit, or at least the spontaneous meet ups aren't as plentiful.  So it's nice that spring has finally arrived and with it some fun invitations to get out and enjoy our friends as the weather warms up.  While I wouldn't normally call a school fundraiser a social event, it does happen to include a few of our local playgroup families.  So Chuck E Cheese on a Thursday night for pizza and games wasn't too crazy. I mostly sat back and enjoyed the chaos from the safety of our booth.  The girls ran ragged and by bedtime (Nacho was working overnight in Buffalo), I was feeling pretty wiped out myself. It didn't help that Elisa woke up a few hours later puking all over her bed. Pizza plus red Jello before bedtime didn't make for easy clean up, but I digress....it was a long night and Friday meant a day off of school to recuperate. She felt good enough to accompany us to Carolina's classroom potluck at AMB that evening. Another night, another school event. See what I mean? Things are starting to pick up.

Saturday was another chance to hang out with some preschool families at a birthday party for one of Carolina's "best friends." I put that in quotes because every other day, the best friend has changed and Carolina is telling me that so-and-so is her new best friend. It's amazing to see how these early friendships are forming and how a kid as outgoing and happy as Carolina can navigate it all so clearly. She definitely knows who she likes, and that's just about everybody! So it was her BFF Alegria's fourth birthday that afternoon and the kids enjoyed running around the park as much as singing and eating cake. It's pretty simple at that age. The face painting was also a hit, with most opting for a kitty cat theme. Seeing them act it out with their crazy clawing later was pretty entertaining. Oh, to be that age again. 

By Saturday night, however, Elisa was back to feeling not so good. She hasn't run a high fever with any of this so it's been kind of hard to gauge what exactly we're dealing with. Sore throat and two episodes of puking.  Otherwise, just very tired and probably her allergies flaring up as well.  So we're taking it day by day and hoping that a Sunday full of rest will push her back to the brink of wellness. They both enjoyed a leisurely morning of bacon and disco ball dancing. Then Nacho and I headed over to Anable Basin Sailing, a cool place in LIC, for an adult-only birthday party that Tania threw together at the last minute for her husband Chris. The day was sunny and breezy and the grilled lunch offerings with cold beer really hit the spot. This was shaping up to be the perfect end to a busy weekend of hanging out. 

I definitely see us going back there in the summertime with kids in tow. It's not probably as easy to snag a table, but with great views of the city skyline and East River, I'd say it's worth the effort. Plus, you're just a stone's throw from Gantry and the fields at Hunters Point South. Nacho and I both ordered the cevapi and it was pretty tasty, I have to admit. I've been craving that dish for some reason lately and have been bugging my friend Marija about where to go to get some good Balkan food. So this hit the spot. Spending time relaxing with friends talking and not having kids interrupt us every five seconds was even better. Hope we'll be doing this kind of thing again soon. Summer is almost here...and our social lives are ready to bloom too. 

Girl Scouts Field Trip: NY Hall of Science Sleepover

Last December Elisa had her first sleepover with the Girl Scouts. It was a St. Sebastian's Parish Center in Woodside and it marked the first time she'd ever spent the night somewhere without us or a relative.  I knew I wouldn't be able to go with her since I had a photo shoot that day followed by another the next morning. And even though I had faith she would do well, I was still a little nervous dropping her off that evening. A few photos from other mom friends who stayed the night helped give me the assurance I craved that all was well. And by the next morning, Elisa returned tired but triumphant. She had a great time and loved telling us all about it. Fast forward to spring and I was happy to register for the spring sleepover at the New York Hall of Science. Not only would this be the first (and possibly last) time I'd sleep in a museum, but it would be a chance to do something special with Elisa and see if she was eager to continue scouting next year. The jury is still out on that, but I can definitely say she had a good time. Who wouldn't love running around a museum late at night with just a few dozen fellow scouts? Here's the slide show to remember it all by...

After our initial check-in at 6pm, there was a bit of playground fun out back behind the museum. After such a lovely warm spring day, I'd say some of the girls already looked tired, but the playground sure perked them up. Then we went in to start the orientation and get our checklists for the museum adventure.  We started with the pitching cage upstairs and I was immediately impressed with Elisa's arm. That girl can throw a ball! She was the first (and one of the few) to break the 23mph barrier since most were getting about 15-16mp, and she didn't even seem to be trying that hard. Made me think we should investigate T-ball again. Hmmm....we'll see though she has recently expressed an interest in swim team. So many activities, so little time.  And then we were off to the lower areas of the exhibits to start on the pillow case decorating where even the moms got to express their creative sides. We made signing our cases something of a yearbook event with lots of "Stay cool" and "BFFs Forever!" comments. After that, we moved over to build our dowel rod structures which had to shelter all 6 team members and remain standing for 10 seconds. Not that easy, but with help from all the girls, and especially Sabrina who got right in there and made those triangles and joints, it was done in just a few minutes. Quite the accomplishment! 

Then there was the treehouse structure we got to explore while waiting to make our air/land/sea vehicles. Elisa was so distracted running around the balconies and enjoying the views up top that I ended up totally forging her vehicle for her. Oh well. At least I had fun making it. And of course we went with an airplane motif since that would be something cool we could show Papa from our time in the museum. Elisa added the foil overlay and the seat for Waddles the Penguin to sit in and we were done. One more stop at the cardboard construction city with little battery-powered lights and we were almost through with our checklist. Elisa again kind of let the chaos overwhelm her, so we made a very quick A-frame Pet Hospital since the goal was to build a structure that "would make the city better." I think we nailed it. And just in time to run upstairs to set up camp for the night before our bedtime treat of milk and cookies while watching "Big Hero 6." Yes, it was a jam-packed evening for the girls (and moms) but I think things were well paced. By 12:30 a.m. after teeth were brushed and lights went out (a bit prematurely as we returned from the bathrooms downstairs without flashlights!), Elisa and friends were racing up and down the Hall of Mirrors like sleepover pros. But that burst of energy was not to last. By 1 a.m. the place was almost completely quiet save for a few shrieks and coughs. And I managed to doze somewhat peacefully until our 6:57 a.m. wake up call. They couldn't even wait til 7 a.m. as promised?? Oy. That was rough. But we forced the girls up and at it, packing and folding and getting everything back in the bins for our roll out. Breakfast was served up and we had another hour to run around the museum before calling it a day. Overall, I was happy to be part of this event and thought they really enjoyed the evening. Sleepover success!

Flat Stanley

Ever heard of Flat Stanley? It's a cute little story about a boy who wakes up flat and realizes that it's much easier to travel by mail and see lots of places that way.  An adventurer after my own heart, I suppose.  I'm pretty sure I saw something about him a few years back, and now with social media it's much easier to track where he's been.  So when my friend and fellow blogger Maggie asked if the girls might like to host one from her daughter Anna's school in Downers Grove, IL, I said yes.  He made his way to New York City last month to hang out with us for a bit and we had a good time coloring him in and planning places to take him. I managed to cut him out and attach him to some cardboard only after realizing that he look a lot less like a person surrounded by plain white paper. Good catch, Ann...

Spring Break came and went and Flat Stanley traveled with us to Raleigh, NC to visit the family.  We even took him to the beach in Emerald Isle one afternoon to relax in the sand and enjoy a little ice cream from Dairy Queen on the way home. Yes, Stanley was living large! But soon enough it was time to pack it in and head back to NYC. Stanley grabbed the window seat (of course) and made one last major outing to the Science Hall sleepover with the Girl Scouts. He was up way too late, but I'm not telling. So this week we wrote our letter, printed some photos and sent him back home again. I hope Anna and her classmates enjoy reading about his adventures.  We'll miss you, Stanley! 

Sleepover Success!

Last Saturday Elisa had her second sleepover with the Daisy Scouts from Troop 4074 and this one was at the NY Hall of Science in Flushing, Queens. I skipped out on the first one at the Parish Center, but knew that this was more my speed and so was happy to go. We had a really fun evening completing the museum's list of challenges, watching Big Hero 6 and racing around the Hall of Mirrors at midnight--oops--I meant sleeping quietly in the mezzanine exhibits. Yes, sleeping in a museum was a first for both of us and we more than survived. By dawn the next day, we were tired but elated. We did it.  Elisa earned another badge and I got to enjoy a much deserved brunch at White Cake Bakery as we reunited with Papa and Carolina. Good stuff. More pics to follow!