Queens County Farm 2009

I got to go with Lexi's class to the Queens County Farm a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, Queens has a farm.  Although it's pretty much geared towards school groups- a guide meets your school bus and takes you around to different stations where you can interact with the animals.  It's sort of a crazy busy place, but the kids all had fun, and I did too.

Waiting in line to ride the pony:

I got to hold the baby chick while everyone had a chance to pet it

Our guide, Tony, helping Lexi milk a cow

Lexi is brave enough to pick up a Japanese chicken!

I have never seen a pregnant goat before- this one was due anyday...

Thaaaaaaaaa Yankeeeeeeeessss Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnn!

That's how our local Yankees announcer says it, anyway.   So since I'm delayed in posting these photos, you all already know that the Yankees won the World Series this year.  Yay!

The City of New York hosted a ticker tape parade for the team, so I gave Lexi the option to go to school, or go to the parade.  She was very hesitant to make the choice, but did in fact choose the parade.  The next morning, though, when she woke up she changed her mind and decided she wanted to go to school instead.  So off she went to school.  And Ella and I ventured down to the financial district to see the parade.  It was a madhouse.  And a bit disappointing.  We were crammed into the press of people and still quite far from Broadway- visibility was difficult and a huge crowd had gathered on the scaffolding behind us to watch the parade and ended up yelling all sorts of obscenities- to the Phillies, to the girls on people's shoulders, to each other.  It was really annoying and inappropriate.  There was not much ticker tape flying where we were standing, and as I said earlier, we could hardly see anything.  Ella kept saying "Mommy! Go home!" so after about an hour of fighting the crowds, I gave up and headed home.  In the end, I'm glad Lexi chose not to come.  She would have been supremely disappointed.


And just one more thing.  I think it's kind of funny that years ago you had to do amazing, historic things like walk on the moon, win a world war, or fly solo across the Atlantic to get a ticker tape parade in your honor.  Now, you just have to win some baseball games.  Just sayin'.

This is the best photo I got- I have no idea who's on that bus- I think it's just some Yankee staffers & families, but that's part of why I was sort of disappointed.  We did hear that Hideki Matsui went by (b/c of MVP chants), but sure didn't see him.

The crowd that gathered on the scaffolding behind us- a little later you couldn't see any bars up there- people covered every inch.

A photo trying to capture the ticker tape on film.... Ella did seem interested in the paper flying in the air.

Here's a video I found on YouTube that makes it seem like a better experience.  It was pretty cool to be there with so many fans- not a single person was NOT wearing Yankee Blue (even Ella was in her Yankee PJs!)

Boo at the Zoo (and some friends, too!)

One of my mission companions, Jamie, was in town over the Halloween weekend- so we met up at the Central Park Zoo so our kids could play and we could reminisce.  Turned out to be Boo at the Zoo! And the keepers were treating the animals to pumpkins!  We also did part of a scavenger hunt, and got to pet a snake & hissing cockroach at a special little show, and make a scary headband (and get interviewed by NY1 news).












But more than that, just being with Jamie (& her cute family) was so enjoyable.  I always felt loved by her and comfortable with her.  She exudes happiness, kindness & enthusiasm.  Te quiero, hermanita!

The Farmers Market

I LOVE that there's a Farmer's Market only 3 blocks from our new home!  It's there every Thursday and it's great!  Ella and I stroll over there to see what's looking good and more often than not end up going home with more than what's on our list.

Fascinated by the squirming blue crabs!

Neighborhood Harvest Festival

Another great thing about our new neighborhood is that a few times a year there is a great event planned by the local parents.  The Harvest Festival is the biggest and most well-attended.  I volunteered to help out at the cupcake decorating table, which was messy, but delicious!  The festival was rained out for its original date, so it was postponed to the following weekend, when it rained again!  This time, however, we were able to use a local church on 181st street, so the Festival went on!  All indoor- it was really quite warm and crowded, but it was fun!

Standing in the pumpkin patch- every child got to choose a pumpkin to take home!


Sitting among the entries of the scarecrow contest







Fishing for prizes!


Decorating our pumpkins!




What a fun day! Face painting & pumpkin decorating- check!

The Guggenheim is 50!

On the Guggenheim's 50th Birthday, admission was free!  So I took Ella down there to view a little Kandinsky.









She particularly loved this installation of gold beads suspended from the ceiling.  We must have spent at least 15 minutes here while she ran in and out of the curtain.

Urban Glass

October is also the time of year for Open House New York.  This year we decided to check out Urban Glass in Brooklyn.  A space in the city for glass artists to work!  Very cool.  We were sad to find out, upon our arrival, that the facility was only doing events for Sunday's Open House New York, but they did agree to give us a tour and spent a lot of time with us. 

First we had to don special safety glasses!

We felt the WHITE HOT heat from the oven where they store the molten glass.  When an artist starts a project, they dip their long steel rod into this oven to pick up some glass.

After a project is complete, it is stored in this container to cool down.  It can take several days to be cool enough to handle with your bare hands.

Steel rods waiting to be used- this oven keeps them hot.

The woman sitting was a visiting artist from California.  She comes several times a year to use this facility.  She is wearing a special protective covering on her arm to prevent any burns.  And the woman in the blue is the "gaffer"- the assistant who does whatever the artist needs help with.  It is extremely difficult to blow glass by yourself.  You must have a gaffer.

Tools on the wall for cutting & shaping.

I wish I had some photos of finished works, but if you've ever seen hand blown glass, it's really an amazing and beautiful creation.

The Whitney

Back at the beginning of October we made our first visit to the Whitney Musuem for their family day activities.  There's a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit right now, so there were many plant-based activities to celebrate her plant-inspired paintings.  We got to plant a seedling in a recycled container complete with a fancy water pump made entirely from recycled materials (but since we have black thumbs in this household, they both withered and died shortly thereafter).  We also got to listen to the roots of plants!  Did you know they talk?  We had to wear stethoscopes & put them up against the planter box to listen in on the conversations of the flowers & plants.  They said things like, "I think I need to relocate- my apartment just doesn't get enough light" and "I think you might be the root of that problem."  It was pretty cute.

Plant doctors were on hand to help us out:

Alexis also took part in a tour of the O'Keefe exhibit and spent some time drawing (in the gallery where she could be inspired by O'Keefe) her own versions of a place she had been (the beach in North Carolina).

Medieval Festival

Every year at the beginning of October there is a Medieval Festival in Ft. Tryon Park, not far from our new home. This was the first year we actually attended- it is a very popular event!

We saw people working on looms & spinning wheels:


A pottery wheel & artisan:


A view of Matt's school (the cupola in between the large buildings)


Some falcons:




And a JOUST!