There's no question that Olivia's pick this week was her backyard, Pooh Bear, pool-side, bouncy-house birthday party! Friends, sun, cake and hours of bouncing made it an afternoon to remember.
We borrowed a bounce house with a water slide from a generous Mama friend; let me tell you, it made the party. The kids bounced around the yard like a pack of Tiggers, stopping only to shove handfuls of cake into their mouths. It was a perfect summer party for my special little birthday girl, one that she likely won't remember and one that I will surely never forget.
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Olivia's Pick--12 July 2009
Olivia and I spent a girls' weekend on the town, living it up in the Big Apple. The weather was perfect. We celebrated a sunny Sunday morning eating our bagels in the park and dog-watching. It was divine.
Being the born New Yorker that she is, Olivia suggested we spend the late morning and early afternoon at the Museum of Natural History.
Dinosaurs and other beasties ruled the day. She was most impressed by the life-size blue whale model and kept asking why it wasn't swimming. It was fun-filled and action-packed to say the very least.
Try as she did to keep the momentum going in the city that never sleeps, she wound up crashing for a monster 3 hour nap in the afternoon, giving Mama some much needed down-time.
On our way back to our little seaside Connecticut town, she looked back from her car seat at the skyline and said, "See you next time, New York!"
Being the born New Yorker that she is, Olivia suggested we spend the late morning and early afternoon at the Museum of Natural History.
Dinosaurs and other beasties ruled the day. She was most impressed by the life-size blue whale model and kept asking why it wasn't swimming. It was fun-filled and action-packed to say the very least.
Try as she did to keep the momentum going in the city that never sleeps, she wound up crashing for a monster 3 hour nap in the afternoon, giving Mama some much needed down-time.
On our way back to our little seaside Connecticut town, she looked back from her car seat at the skyline and said, "See you next time, New York!"
Monday, July 13, 2009
Olivia's Pick--21 June 2001
Our lucky little girl attended not one but two birthday parties this weekend. Both were the very best kind of summer party; both were POOL PARTIES!
We had so much fun splashing around while the pads of our fingers shriveled up like our dried fruit snacks. It wouldn't be a stretch to assert that this weekend was one of the best of her life.
It was also a nice reminder that safety and summer fun are inseparable. For kids as young as mine, life jackets are a great accessory for a pool party--or a lakeside or beachside vacation. There's some helpful "Life Jackets 101" information out there, like this from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Pool toys, floaters and rafts are all fun for young swimmers, too. Of course, the most important accessory for any waterside fun is simply a parent's vigilance. Whether they can swim or not, children are drawn to water like 'tween girls to a Jonas Brothers show. In either case, a parent's watchful eye is recommended.
And of course, if you're planning on more than just a little fun under the sun, don't forget the sunscreen.
We had so much fun splashing around while the pads of our fingers shriveled up like our dried fruit snacks. It wouldn't be a stretch to assert that this weekend was one of the best of her life.
It was also a nice reminder that safety and summer fun are inseparable. For kids as young as mine, life jackets are a great accessory for a pool party--or a lakeside or beachside vacation. There's some helpful "Life Jackets 101" information out there, like this from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Pool toys, floaters and rafts are all fun for young swimmers, too. Of course, the most important accessory for any waterside fun is simply a parent's vigilance. Whether they can swim or not, children are drawn to water like 'tween girls to a Jonas Brothers show. In either case, a parent's watchful eye is recommended.
And of course, if you're planning on more than just a little fun under the sun, don't forget the sunscreen.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Olivia's Pick--8 June 2009
Central Park has always been one of my favorite things about New York City. It's an oasis, a sea of life surrounded on all sides by the steel and concrete on which New Yorkers build their dreams. The park makes the noise and the pace of the city a bit more bearable; inside its lush greenery, you can come up for air.
Yesterday, Olivia and I spent the day (the perfect, glorious, sunshine-y day) exploring the park. After poking around the flea market on the Upper West Side and stowing our treasures in canvas bags hanging off the stroller handles, we made our way east into Central Park.We entered at Strawberry Fields and watched the tourists snapping photos. We saw penguins, puffins and polar bears. We snooped on one of Manhattan's most famous residents with a high powered telescope. (It's someone we've enjoyed reading about recently.) We admired sailboats as they glided silently past. We joined a mad tea party, already in progress.I
t was one of those days when the universe conspires to spread smiles on the faces and joy in the hearts of Mamas and little ones everywhere. It was as perfect a day as any in my memory. And I got to share it with her.
Lucky, lucky me.
Yesterday, Olivia and I spent the day (the perfect, glorious, sunshine-y day) exploring the park. After poking around the flea market on the Upper West Side and stowing our treasures in canvas bags hanging off the stroller handles, we made our way east into Central Park.We entered at Strawberry Fields and watched the tourists snapping photos. We saw penguins, puffins and polar bears. We snooped on one of Manhattan's most famous residents with a high powered telescope. (It's someone we've enjoyed reading about recently.) We admired sailboats as they glided silently past. We joined a mad tea party, already in progress.I
t was one of those days when the universe conspires to spread smiles on the faces and joy in the hearts of Mamas and little ones everywhere. It was as perfect a day as any in my memory. And I got to share it with her.
Lucky, lucky me.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Olivia's Pick of the Week--17 May 2009
The summer festival season has begun. This weekend, we visited a beach festival in a neighboring town. Olivia rode the carousel, the train, the cars, the fire engines and the ponies. She was all smiles and excitement. I looked on in complete astonishment that she is old enough to ride on these things all by herself! Didn't I just give birth to her like last Tuesday or something?
One of the games we played entailed throwing darts at balloons. The sign proclaiming "Everyone Wins!" beckoned to us, perhaps skewing our sense of our dart-throwing capabilities. Giant teddy-bears, stuffed dogs and flamingos looked down from their perches on high, smiling at us, their eyes saying "Take us home!" So we shelled out 6 bucks for three darts.
45 seconds later, we walked away from the booth 6 dollars poorer. But we were the proud new owners of a very loud harmonica, the kid-sized stuffed animals remaining frustratingly out of our reach. No shrinking violet, my little Olivia proceeded to regale festival goers and workers alike with her natural abilities on this nuanced instrument.
She has brought the magic of the weekend into Monday morning and currently has her harmonica talents on display for the family and the family dog.
Someday, when she's playing at Carnegie Hall, this will be a funny story for me to relate to the New York Times. Right now, it's just loud.
One of the games we played entailed throwing darts at balloons. The sign proclaiming "Everyone Wins!" beckoned to us, perhaps skewing our sense of our dart-throwing capabilities. Giant teddy-bears, stuffed dogs and flamingos looked down from their perches on high, smiling at us, their eyes saying "Take us home!" So we shelled out 6 bucks for three darts.
45 seconds later, we walked away from the booth 6 dollars poorer. But we were the proud new owners of a very loud harmonica, the kid-sized stuffed animals remaining frustratingly out of our reach. No shrinking violet, my little Olivia proceeded to regale festival goers and workers alike with her natural abilities on this nuanced instrument.
She has brought the magic of the weekend into Monday morning and currently has her harmonica talents on display for the family and the family dog.
Someday, when she's playing at Carnegie Hall, this will be a funny story for me to relate to the New York Times. Right now, it's just loud.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Olivia's Pick--27 April 2009
It doesn't take long for the weather to warm up in the Northeast. What I mean is, once Old Man Winter finally releases his death grip on the region, we usually go from 40 degrees to 80 degrees in the space of about six days.
This weekend, the mercury spiked and our backyard became a summer-like wonderland. Sure, the leaves on the trees were still curled tightly into little buds, but the sprinkler was out and Olivia & Co. were running, jumping and laughing their way into the season.
Her Green Toys sand play set is still her favorite outdoor dirt & sand kit. It's made from recycled milk jugs, but you'd never know it. It's cute, durable and "eco-groovy." And if that's not enough, it's made right here in the USA.
This weekend, the mercury spiked and our backyard became a summer-like wonderland. Sure, the leaves on the trees were still curled tightly into little buds, but the sprinkler was out and Olivia & Co. were running, jumping and laughing their way into the season.
Her Green Toys sand play set is still her favorite outdoor dirt & sand kit. It's made from recycled milk jugs, but you'd never know it. It's cute, durable and "eco-groovy." And if that's not enough, it's made right here in the USA.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Olivia's Pick--20 April 2009
Q: What's more fun than the zoo for an almost-3-year-old?
A: The Bronx Zoo
This place is definitely not your average zoo. In fact, it's the largest metropolitan zoo in America, clocking in at 265 acres. They work hard to give animals room to roam in landscapes that resemble their natural habitat.
Well-placed signs inform urban adventurers about the zoo's inhabitants and the challenges they face. For instance, I had no idea that only four to five thousand tigers remain in the wild. Or that recycling my old cell phone (something you can do at the Bronx Zoo) could help preserve the Congolese gorilla population.
Even if you don't live close enough to plan a day trip, their website is a terrific resource, loaded with video, facts and ideas for sustainable living. They even have a special section on their website just for teens.
As for Olivia, she's busy planning her next trip.
A: The Bronx Zoo
This place is definitely not your average zoo. In fact, it's the largest metropolitan zoo in America, clocking in at 265 acres. They work hard to give animals room to roam in landscapes that resemble their natural habitat.
Well-placed signs inform urban adventurers about the zoo's inhabitants and the challenges they face. For instance, I had no idea that only four to five thousand tigers remain in the wild. Or that recycling my old cell phone (something you can do at the Bronx Zoo) could help preserve the Congolese gorilla population.
Even if you don't live close enough to plan a day trip, their website is a terrific resource, loaded with video, facts and ideas for sustainable living. They even have a special section on their website just for teens.
As for Olivia, she's busy planning her next trip.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Olivia's Pick--27 July 2008
Without a doubt, Olivia's pick for this week--maybe for the whole year--is Birthday Parties. Specifically those held in her honor. This weekend, the backyard was packed with kids indulging in our Messy Art Party. By the end of the afternoon, children were wandering around in sugar-induced hazes, caked with frosting and paint, diapers sagging from splashing in the pool. From the sunshine to the pinata to the cupcakes to the Pollock-rivaling masterpiece the kids created, the day was simply perfect. And everytime I caught Olivia's eye, she would meet my gaze with that smile that makes me melt.
A couple of months ago, we were considering not throwing a birthday party at all. She's young and won't remember, we rationalized. But then I spoke to a wise and wonderful Mama I know and she reminded me how few moments there are in life for us to truly celebrate, and that we should take advantage of each one.
Boy, am I glad we did.
A couple of months ago, we were considering not throwing a birthday party at all. She's young and won't remember, we rationalized. But then I spoke to a wise and wonderful Mama I know and she reminded me how few moments there are in life for us to truly celebrate, and that we should take advantage of each one.
Boy, am I glad we did.
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