Weekend fun

Weekends for us always involve discovering something or seeing something new.

Here are some Facebook and Twitter updates on family moments from the weekend:

was at the Kidville www.helpusadopt.org
 event this morning...Rockin Railroad concert, pizza and gym time :) Phoenix loves flinging himself into the "lava pit" I call it, jumping on the Tumbl Trak (and he sat SOO well at the table for a snack, which most landed on the floor but we had a nice time.)

Yesterday we did a family photo-shoot in Central Park: When you do a family photo-shoot with your infant or toddler, remember, you only have about a 20 sec interval to get the shots. And babies only typically have about a 20 min tolerance before they are done. HANDS are a big thing when holding a baby in a family group shot, have one of you hold the baby and another gently stand close and touch your babies arm or hand or your spouses, a bad positioned hand can ruin a shot. Practice in front of the mirror before shooting or have a plan...a few different concepts and QUICK position changes are key!

We were at the Frogs exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History

Our new books! Trains, Cookies and Snow! Reviews coming soon!

 

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site

My homework this weekend is to learn the name of these trucks. Phoenix has been eyeing the construction on 2nd Ave and has seen a few of these...I need to be ready to say...that's a bulldozer next time! Plus it's a good book, very creative and great rhymes through the story and the pages feel good in my hands too. Production wise it's also a beautifully done book. 

 

More city adventures with Phoenix

Along with our music and gym classes we have been having so much fun this fall, from Phoenix's 1st Birthday and Apple picking, to Strawberry Fields in Central Park, to Apple Seeds Playground, milk shakes, to Art Farm in the City, and enjoying the sculptures in Central Park and the leaves, this fall has started out very memorable.

Phoenix turned 1 on Sept 27th!

 

Strawberry Fields in Central Park

 

After Phoenix's 1 year doctor's apt we celebrated with milkshakes!

Apple picking at Applewood Orchards, such a fun time

The Art Farm in the City spying on rabbits

First haircut at Sharkey's in the Upper East Side

Phoenix modeling for the Children's Place 2013 holiday collection

Without books how do you get your kids to bed?

WTHECK!  Only "one in three parents (33 percent) read bedtime stories daily with their children" ! SAD :(  http://www.rif.org/us/about/press/only-one-in-three-parents-read-bedtime-stories-with-their-children-every-night.htm I get it when your kids are old enough to read to themselves and support a calm down and read and get ready for bed time plan. Playing games on your phone only keeps you up, I know this because my husband does it and it doesn't relax the mind...or ease our energy.   How do these parents get their babies, toddlers and kids to sleep, for us the book is like what we do, Phoenix just under a year hands us the book to read to him already, he wants the book.

Sad that parents aren't having these precious moments and memories with their kids...reading is more than words and pictures, it's an important bonding time and kids really love that closeness that happens when snuggled with a book and their parent/s.

Isobella & Phoenix

Morning Music Session at Museum of Motherhood with Moey's Music Party this morning

Checked out the @MOMmuseum (The Museum of Motherhood) this morning & @MoeysmusicParty both rocked & we will be back at the MOM museum soon 


We will be back to check out more events and open play at The Museum of Motherhood.
http://www.mommuseum.org/


Thanks to Mommypoppins.com for spreading the word and keeping us in the know.

POM POMS Mom? Okay I will give it a whirl and represent the boys/ aww my little prince

anything able to be opened or shut, I'm on that!

 

~Isobella & Phoenix

Two new children's books with leaves for fall 2013 to add to our bookshelf

Oh yes, I let my baby run through the leaves, why not. CRUNCH CRUNCH, leaves make such a fun sound. I grew up jumping and playing in the leaves and lately we've been using the words: Leaf and Leaves on a daily bases. I look forward to sharing the changing leaves and the pretty colors of fall soon, I love the fall landscapes of yellows, orange and maroons. On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble I recently picked up Leaves by David Ezra Stein, with Phoenix running all around I only had a few seconds to flip through it but I liked the illustrations and the bear element reminded me of The Bear Snores On (one of our constant bedtime reads) since the bear hibernates after seeing the leaves fall. This board book is a quick read before naptime or bedtime and has a sweet drifting to sleep like the leaves drifting off the trees vibe and then welcoming spring after the long winter. My favorite part: When the bear tries to put the yellow and red leaves back on the tree but it doesn't work and is sad for a moment but gets savvy and uses the leaves for his cave. It's sweet when we see other animals passing by the bears cave and they notice a peek of the leaves, or don't because of the snow. You'll like how the bear celebrates the leaves and it's a sweet book to share with your baby about the changing seasons.

(Phoenix opening Leaves by David Ezra Stein)

We also recently received the book Leaf by Stephen Michael King, and I'm still figuring it out but enjoying this book for it's innocence and meaning of the leaf. It's a book without words, the pictures tell the story or more like you (the reader) creates the words. The story starts off with the boys mother wanting to cut his hair and he runs outside, as if saying "Noooo!" Outside he plays with his dog and a bird poops on him, well I that what I thought at first but then I thought maybe it was a stone, a pebble or something that PLOPS on the boys head and a leaf appears, growing out of his head.

Perhaps the boy is trying to water the leaf and have it grow and he takes his dog on an adventure trying to get wet. Or maybe they are just really enjoying the rain and water and love getting all soaked! He has a scary dream about other plants hurting the leaf on his head and big clippers coming at his head and wakes up and plays some more but finally accepts his mother's clippers and let's her cut off all his hair.

It was sad when the boy's hair is all cut off, I'm thinking WHY while reading this to Phoenix, is his mom THAT mean? Does he have Cancer? What? Why all the hair gone! But I smiled when the boy uses the hair that was cuff off to create a nest for the leaf that he plants in the ground and it becomes a big tree and we see the boy through the ages, like The Giving Tree.

~Isobella & Phoenix