Fun day at the Central Park Zoo!

This winter was kinda rough! We were plagued with a nasty stomach bug that everyone in our family seemed to get twice! Noah was the last to finally get it and it definitely took a toll on all of us. So, after getting a phone call from Noah's school that he was sick and needed to be picked up, we were quarantined once again. The next day was a half day for his school and the weather forecast looked amazing. After we determined that everyone was feeling much better, we ditched school and headed down to the Central Park Zoo. We needed this day SOOOO badly! It was the perfect zoo day -- not crowded at all, the animals were all out, and the boys were so ready for an adventure after being cooped up for the past few weeks. I really needed it too! Our daily routine can get so monotonous and it's just nice to break away every once in awhile and do something fun and different. We made a day of it as we picnicked afterwards and then hit a fun playground. Such a great day to re-charge our batteries and look forward to spring!

checking the map

penguins!

seals

polar bear!

the red panda was even out!

a little lunch

some tree-climbing

hanging out on the lawn

awesome slide at a nearby playground

topped off with ice cream!

Noah's Piano Recital

Noah has been taking beginner group piano lessons after school once a week and they had their first recital a few weeks ago. I thought group classes would be a great introduction to music lessons for him because he is such a social kid and that would be a great motivator. So far it has seemed to work out well. But I will have to admit that it's been funny to catch myself getting WAY too involved in his practice time. He gets really frustrated if I hover or correct him too much and then refuses to practice. (hmmm... flashbacks to my beginning piano studies with my dad?!?) So, I've had to take a step back and find some balance with my involvement in his practice time. I'll be honest, it's been pretty hard! But he pulled off a great performance at the recital and I was super proud!

F

relaxing with his buddies before the performance!

"Hot Cross Buns"

the very dramatic bow!

(much rehearsed by the teacher)

supportive little bro

post performance pic!

the piano class!

Noah and Ms. Chang

"Hot Cross Buns"

(so sad I cut it off before the ending bow... so cute!)

February Break fun...

The boys had a week off of school for mid-winter break so we decided to make a family vacation of sorts out of it. Jon was able to take the week off of work which was so nice. We were all recovering from some kind of illness or the other at the beginning of the week, but got better in time to enjoy the rest of the week. We headed up to gma's house for the first weekend where we were able to get out of the city and relax. The boys love going up there because they can roam around in her yard and have the luxury of a car for transportation! Jon met us after his weekend shift and we were able to hit some playgrounds, feed the ducks at a nearby park, and do some good ol' suburban bowling!

Then we headed out to the Poconos for a night's stay at the Great Wolf Lodge. We had been about 2 years ago and Noah couldn't stop talking about it, so we decided to make another trip! This trip seemed much less stressful for us as the boys are 2 years older and a lot less likely to drown... so it was much less hands-on for us and a lot more fun. Gabriel was really into it this time and it was so much fun to watch them enjoy themselves -- and wear themselves out!!! Our good friends, the Copes, joined us for the first afternoon and it was lots of fun to have more friends with us. We will definitely be going back!

We topped off the week with a trip to the AMNH -- we hadn't been in over a year, so it seemed like a great cold-weather activity. We enjoyed the first hour or so, but then Gabriel quickly decided that he had enough. It was nothing that a little pizza couln't fix, so we headed out for lunch.

It was really nice to just have a break from our usual weekly routine and to have Jon around. Much-needed February fun!

brothers on gma's stoop

feeding the ducks

playground time!

exploring Algonquin Park

hammin' it up

bowling time!

GWL pool

little fish

breakfast buffet... yum!

off to the waterpark!

waterslides!

Gabriel's favorite

GWL in all it's glory

slam dunk!

relaxing in the hot tub

the very exciting wave pool

warming up

Gabriel's dream meal:

a hamburger, spaghetti, and chocolate milk

Noah's dream dining experience:

eating while watching Spongebob

air hockey

kid-sized bowling alley

AMNH dinosaurs!

what a ham!

lunch at UNO Chicago Grill

thank goodness for kid-friendly restaurants in NYC!

Winter Playground Adventures!

We have had a seriously MILD winter this year (knock on wood!). Only 2 snow storms and even some amazing random 60 degree days!

So we have been hitting the playground scene as much as we can to take advantage of the great weather. Here are some pics from some recent playground adventures...

96th Street & CPW: Rudin Family Playground

68th Street & CPW: Tots Playground