Farm livin'

Somehow it's mid-November already and I'm not even sure I realized Halloween was fully over. How does that happen? Why does it feel like each year fall gets shorter and my nosedive into the holiday season begins before I've even thrown out the rotting pumpkins? Well, yesterday I had a chance to indulge in a little more autumnal fun (including a--you guessed it--pumpkin patch) with Elisa's Kindergarten class on their first field trip to Green Meadows Farm in Queens. It was a good, if frighteningly chilly day, and the kids were really pumped for their big outing.  Now I must admit at first I was a little confused about the location. This is actually the same place we've been before since it's part of the Queens County Farm Museum.  And if I recall, that visit too was on a chilly day in November, so I suppose I knew what I was getting myself in for. 

Except that I'm always overly optimistic about these field trips. I was looking forward to tagging along, thinking it would be fun to see Elisa out enjoying her classmates on a fun little excursion. One of her teachers wrote me a nice message a few weeks ago about what a great example Elisa was setting in the classroom. It was wonderful to hear and I was hoping to see a glimmer of that on the trip.  But alas, we were back to the Elisa that I know. The one who saves her frustrations and her snark for her mother. There was no fun to be had--at least not for her. Almost from the minute we piled on the bus, Elisa was clingy and possessive, competitive with her friends and whiny to me. Oh joy. I tried to cajole her out of it, but nothing seemed to work. She was cold and hungry, complaining of a tummy ache and wanting to go home. Not back to school, mind you, but home. Her teacher Ms. Z leaned in to assure me that this was not how Elisa acted at school and I smiled and said, I know.  We went through this a few times before with school trips and I suppose it's a testament to how much she likes me that she wants me all to herself. But at this age, I was really hoping we'd moved past it--like we could just enjoy the day together and I could be part of her class trip without making her crazy. The bus ride home was probably the sweetest she was all day and that was only because we shared an orange and cuddled on the ride. Ahhh, this kid kills me.

Nevertheless, I was glad I went. I probably won't volunteer for the next one since I think it's a pattern that is all too likely to repeat itself. But it was neat to see the kids in action and to chat a little more with Ms. Z. We attended her wedding ceremony last weekend and she's a lovely woman and a very devoted teacher. I think Elisa is extremely lucky to have made it into AoC this year for her first real school experience and no doubt, Ms. Z has been a big part of that smooth transition. And who knows, maybe by spring time I'll brave another field trip. It's always possible that Elisa will evolve enough to let me be part of her school life without eclipsing it. At least I still have hope. 

Tap dancin'

Somewhere in the midst of September ending and October beginning, I forgot to mention that Elisa started her first dance class at Sunnyside Ballet Studio. I chose tap for her for a number of, perhaps obvious, reasons. Ballet might have been too formal, too disciplined for a girl who wants to groove.  It was for me.  And I think Elisa has the sparkle, the wiggle and the rhythm to pull off a tap class at this point. But mostly, I  remember starting my first dance class ever at the age of 5 and feeling like I found a place I belonged. Dance was a tremendous outlet for me for much of my childhood. I was finally good at something and I loved the feeling of nailing a routine. Sometimes I could even win a dollar in dance offs against other girls.  Can you imagine that now?  Yeah, back in the good ol' days of the 1980s when our instructor would take a 5 minute smoke break and calm her nerves outside with some nicotine, I remember the smell of that studio--a mixture of perfume and smoke--and how I watched the older girls with names like Kendra and Jackie who made splits and time steps look like child's play.  It was a glamorous world and I loved the sequins and shine of getting our new costumes in preparation for the big recital at the end of the spring. The whole year was leading up to that one night at the music hall in Kansas City where we would tap and twirl and flash our jazz hands for our adoring audience. Excitement and trepidation mixed as we took the stage, but the resulting rush of adrenaline and the pure bliss of performing was all I needed. I was hooked.  I really hope Elisa will have the same love of dance class because I can already see how much she enjoys moving to music.  She has a natural grace and joy when she's feeling the rhythm pulse through her veins.  And just like my mother before me, I tell her all the time how much I enjoy watching her dance. Sometimes it's the simplest things that bring the biggest smiles.

Fall Festival

I may be nursing two sick kiddos back to health this week, but what a jam-packed, fun weekend we had. Even if it did lead to our demise, I'd say it was worth it.  Friday night was the Fall Festival at Academy of the City and coming a day after our dress up for Halloween, I was a bit hesitant at first. Plus it was from 6-8 pm after a long week of school and Nacho was working which left me on my own with both girls. But surprisingly, it went well and both Carolina and Elisa enjoyed dancing around the school gym while I grabbed a delicious plate from the pot luck and settled in.  Elisa opted to get her face painted after seeing her friend Birdie all decked out, and the two of them hit the dance floor soon afterwards. Actually, that's about all Elisa did since she wasn't too keen on any of the games.  Carolina wandered around the gym solo a good part of the time later befriending a much older Snow White who wasn't quite sure how to shake her.  The DJ played some old school tunes, including "Thriller," which made me happy. Except for a few wild kids tearing through the gym or the boys who spent most of the night pummeling their friends, it was an enjoyable affair.  In addition to giving the kids a chance to show off their Halloween get ups, the night also highlighted the two fundraisers AoC has been working on--a raffle as well as an online auction--to get new playground equipment. I was happy to donate a family photo shoot to the auction and found out today that it was one of the highest bidding items. Most of all, it's great to see how the school community is coming out to support the kids as well as the administration and I'm very happy we're part of it. I'll be even happier when we start selling Thanksgiving pies this week....yum. 

Fall at Storm King

On my first visit to Storm King in the spring of 2011, I was five months pregnant chasing a two year old around the place and wondering who would collapse first. It was such an expansive place with amazing views that made you want to keep on marching until you'd seen it all. I remember thinking that I would love to come back and photograph it in each season--the spring blooms giving way to lush summer, fiery autumn turning into a winter wonderland. Fast forward a couple of years, and a busy life with two kids kept me sticking close to home most weekends. Storm King wasn't really on my radar until I noticed a friend posting pics on Facebook last week. The colors of fall were popping all around the fields, peeking out from behind the sky high sculptures and begging me to come have another look. I wasn't sure we could squeeze it in this weekend, but after the girls woke up late at 8 a.m., I thought why not. So off we went up the Palisades Parkway in NJ to Cornwall, NY, in about an hour and a half.  As we neared the park around noon, Nacho asked if we should stop and get lunch first. Probably not a bad idea and after turning into the town, we spied Woody's All Natural where we'd had lunch last time. Friends had told me it shuttered and apparently, it only recently reopened. So that was a surprise and a nice one at that. 

With lunch in our bellies, we pushed on to the art center and found a small line of cars waiting ahead of us on the rural lane into it.  After about 10 minutes, we handed over our entrance fees (a rather steep $32) and zoomed into the parking area. As we found out last time, walking is about the only way to get around out there (trams come through infrequently but are crowded).  So we encouraged the girls to run and frolic as much as they liked and soon they were practicing rolling down the hills like the novices they are. Oh yeah, I remember the joy of turning over and over again. I wasn't tempted to try yesterday, but it did look like fun and there were plenty of other kids and adults giving it a whirl. No, instead, I followed the girls and Nacho like the photographic hunter I've become. Each sculpture and hill another vista worth recording. The sun was with us for the first half of the visit, giving way to light rain as we trudged past the Storm King Wall and up through the forest. It made Elisa a bit crazy and she started complaining ("I'm tired! I'm thirsty!") but we labored on. I tried to get her thinking about something else, and that only seemed to irritate her further. One more sculpture and we're out was a better bribe. And the last one was really my favorite--the Three Legged Buddha that juxtaposes his head with the other "legs."  With the bright orange leaves illuminating it from all sides, the dark Buddha positively shone. I waited patiently for the throngs to move out and just before the girls had tired of everything, I found a minute to snap a few pictures. Just me and the Buddha. Ahhh. This was worth it.

I kept my promise to head out after that, but still there was another walk to the car to brush past a few more pieces. The girls found their second wind, and I was happy to oblige their game of hide and seek as Nacho went to pull up the car. It was a wonderfully balmy fall day and probably the best weather we could have hoped for. Being able to wander around such a gorgeous landscape with my family before the chill of winter sets in was so rewarding. I know in a few weeks we'll be dodging cabin fever and bundling up to make our way outside for even 30 minutes. So Storm King more than delivered on this visit. Now if I can only get back there for a little trudging through the snow....maybe next year.