Warmer Weather

Well, warmer weather has officially arrived in New York City. And all the concrete and humidity only seems to magnify it. We have recently made friends with a family who lives close by and has a backyard! Hurray! Thanks to Olivia (3 1/2) & Grayden (1 1/2) and their mom, Christine, for inviting us! We went over on Tuesday afternoon for fun with the hose. (The sprinkler didn't go over too well.) Lexi and Olivia spent quite some time watering (drowning?) the flowers. 

Van Cortlandt Manor

Thanks to our Bank of America perks, we were able to visit Van Cortlandt Manor on Memorial Day. It is a living history museum where you canl experience the domestic life of a patriot family living in the years just after the American Revolution - the New Nation period. There was a special festival going on called Animals & Acrobats where we saw a puppet show, a magician, a slack-rope walker, storytelling and a juggler. We brought a picnic lunch and toured the historic buildings on site as well.

Click HERE for more photos of our day. 

Guggenheim

As rather unsatisfied customers of Citibank, we decided to switch to Bank of America for a number of reasons, which I won't detail here. One of the perks of our new account ownership is that during the entire month of May, we are able to get 2 free tickets each to a number of museums in the New York area. I took Lexi over to the Children's Museum of Manhattan one rainy day, where we had a blast. This picture was taken at the Guggenheim in the lobby where you can look up and see the interesting circular architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We were able to see an exhibit of some of Jackson Pollack's works and we have decided on a print we would like to get for our *new and improved* living room. Unfortunately, a portion of the museum was closed off as they are preparing for an upcoming exhibit. Still a fun trip! 

Quotables...

"This is tasty. It makes my mouth feel better."

~Lexi, after taking a nice swig of Newman's Own Grape Juice.

First Haircut

Today I took Lexi *downtown* for her first official haircut. I have never really cut it over the past 2+ years. Just a small trim here and there, but I have been trying to grow it out. It has gotten to the point where I feel it is quite shaggy, though, and I wanted it to get cleaned up a bit. So we went to a salon that specializes in kid’s cuts. She got to sit in a Jeep chair, complete with moveable steering wheel. She was also allowed to choose a movie to watch during the process, which explains her averted eyes in many of the photos. She also got a lollipop- an extremely rare treat. She was very patient and cooperative through the whole thing and even allowed the lady to blow dry her hair. As a result, she was rewarded with another (!) lollipop, a balloon, a small toy boat, and a certificate acknowledging her first haircut, including several locks of her hair. She was such a good girl, but then again she is definitely ALL GIRL, and what girl doesn’t love getting her hair done?!

 

David Blaine

So this man, David Blaine, has been submerged in a bubble of water for a week now. He is commanding an awful lot of attention since he is right smack in the middle of Lincoln Center. Tonight, he attempts to hold his breath under the water for 9 minutes, or something extremely crazy like that. We waited in line for 15 minutes to get a chance to walk up beside him and get a close-up view of him. Here he is giving Lexi a high-5.

After watching some of the Prime Time special about David Blaine and his *magic*, I can't help but wonder if he has turned to the *dark side*. His tricks are creepy and eerie and I had an icky feeling while watching. He seems to be obsessed with the attention and the buzz he creates doing these absurd feats. I'm sure he makes a lot of money doing, it, too.... Either way, it was an interesting thing to go and see. But I still think he's crazy. 

Rooftop BBQ

Thanks to all the medical students in the ward, we are able to have fantastic barbrques on the roof of the dorms at Columbia University Medical student housing. There is an incredible view of the George Washington Bridge to the west, and the Bronx to the east. Today, there were a few other students out sunning and *studying*. This student let Lexi & Aiden feed her little dog. They spent a good 15 minutes just giving him pellet after pellet of dog food. 

I'm Hungry!

In January, a little European bakery opened up, literally, around the corner from our building. We are pretty frequent patrons. They make the most delicious, buttery, flaky croissants in all sorts of yummy flavors. We also love their breads- baguettes & other fancy loaves. Tonight Lexi and I ran down to get a baguette for our dinner and I caught her trying to sneak a bite! 

Alexis

Grandma Cope recently sent a beautiful poncho that she knit herself. She is a most talented lady! When Lexi first put it on she couldn't stop saying how much she loved it: "I love it, Mommy. I love it!" I do think she looks most adorable in it.