Manhattan on $25

We go into Manhattan every year. Last year Joseph was not old enough to walk long distances (but too old for a stroller) so we were stuck driving into the city. But this year we decided to ditch the car and take public transportation. We took the Staten Island Ferry into Manhattan and the subway to the American Museum of Natural History.

The kids' first subway ride!

I love the origami tree the AMNH has every year. This year's theme was fossils, so the tree was covered with delicate origami skeletons, ammonites, etc.

Joseph had a meltdown in the Hall of Birds of the World. He sat down in a corner to sulk, and I sat down on a nearby bench. He attracted the attention of a crowd of young Japanese women, who took pictures of his spectacular pout. When Joseph peeked up to make sure that I was still watching him, caught me looking at him, and then dramatically turned away and scowled, the girls all giggled and "Awwed" at him. Eventually Sam came over to show Joseph the secretary bird, which got Joseph out of his funk.

There was a Kwanzaa festival in the Hall of Biodiversity, so we didn't get to see most of the exhibits that the kids were looking forward to. There were dancers, though.

Because we didn't have the car, we had the chance to go out of the museum to find lunch. I had an amazing chicken cutlet sandwich at a deli. Now why can't they do that in Normal?

Yet again, I tried to get a good family picture. No luck, but here are the attempts.

Sorry and falling

Tonight when Danny and Sam went to TaeKwonDo, Joseph and I played Sorry with teams of action figures. He is becoming such a good reader! I took video of Joseph reading the cards.


When Sam came home he showed us the proper way to fall.

Lousy

Thursday, Sam and Joseph had a friend from the neighborhood come over. The three of them constructed an enormous fort on Sam's bed, including every single one of their stuffed animals and blankets. The kids were playing in the fort for hours.
Friday, we got a phone call from the friend's mother to tell us that she had head lice.
Saturday? We spent the day doing loads and loads of laundry: every single stuffed animal and all the bedding, with lots of hot water.

School's out

The kids have started their summer vacation, and I am worn out! We will be leaving for Baltimore and New York on the 14th, and I am trying to get as many experiments done as I can. Danny has been watching the kids during the day, but I have been coming in to work late and leaving @ 3:30 or 4. It has been really hard to get everything done in that short window of time.

Danny and the kids have been stopping by the lab to visit, which has been fun. Joseph hates walking to campus (we don't call him "lazy legs" for nothing). I had encouraged Joseph to put a bike on his birthday wish list so that we could walk places together as a family, and indeed, it has helped. Joseph rides his little Spiderman bike with the training wheels from the house all of the way into the lab. Tuesday we went to the community pool in the afternoon, and I will try to go again tomorrow. Next week, Sam is in zoo camp, although Joseph will be home. After we get back from the East Coast, Joseph starts summer session at the ISU daycare, and Sam has a variety of summer camps and activities.

More birthday pictures. Breakfast of champions: turkey bacon, croissants, eggs and strawberries!

Presents!

Joseph is 5!

Joseph's birthday was yesterday! We had the party at the Children's Discovery Museum, which happens to be just a few blocks from our house in Uptown Normal. The kids LOVE the museum, and the museum has birthday packages including cake and pizza, so it seemed like a great place to have the party. The museum coordinator told Danny that the birthday package included games and activities, as well as access to the regular museum areas. I was delighted to not have to do anything but show up and pay!
However, when we got there, the "birthday helper" asked us if we brought decorations and games, and then led us into a completely empty room with tables and chairs, and told us that we would be in the EMPTY room for an HOUR for games, food, presents, etc., and then we could go out into the museum. I asked about the games, activities and decorations, and she produced a roll of paper and a box of markers and NOTHING MORE. I had a room full of kids and parents who were expecting a party and NO ENTERTAINMENT WHATSOEVER. I was VERY NOT AMUSED. Had I known that this would happen, I easily could have brought all of these things (or had the cake and pizza at home beforehand), but it was too late. I made up a pictionary game with the markers and paper to keep them busy, fed them the food, opened presents and then got the hell out of that room into the museum. The kids had a great time, though. Sam brought his friend Katana from TaeKwonDo, and the two of them seemed to have lots of fun, too.

Hooray! Another Bionicle!

As we were about to escape from the room of doom, someone from the museum brought in a poster birthday card for the kids to sign.

Building a castle for King Joseph

The dancing room

The bad farm animals try to blockade the train.

I went into the climbing structure to help some stuck kids. Believe me, it was a tight squeeze.

The only group picture that I could get was this one of the kids waiting for the elevator. As you might notice, Joseph is a little impatient to get to the next floor.

Pedal power

Grandma Dorinda gave Joseph (and Sam) bikes for Joseph's birthday. Joseph was delighted to pick out a Spiderman bike with training wheels and a spider helmet. Joseph is a moody biker: he veers between ecstatically giggling as he speeds down the sidewalk to sulking and refusing to move because he feels that the bike has slighted him in some way.

Happy biker:

Angry biker:


Sam has been struggling to ride a bike for YEARS. In the past, Sam had a pretty negative attitude about his bike, and leaned heavily on Danny without really ever learning to balance for himself. Danny and I frequently argue about this. Danny has been holding Sam upright on his bike for over a year since Sam decided that training wheels were baby-ish while I run alongside yelling "Let go of the damn bike already!"

However, now that Sam has a new bike that fits him (and a cool skull helmet) Sam has finally started to learn to balance himself and ride around a bit. Now he just needs to learn how to start himself without help, and to stop with his breaks, not by aiming for a grassy spot and crashing.

Go Sam go!


Joseph on his first bike!

He's a speedy little fellow!

Sam rides alone and Joseph has a special bonus birthday tantrum.

Sam riding on the quad (and a happier Joseph.)

Tantrums and fireflies

This morning we went to the Farmer's Market to buy cheese, bread and organic popcorn. We didn't stay long, though. Joseph was committed to a day-long tantrum entitled: "I hate this day!!" Given that I have no power to bend the laws of space and time, we just had to ride it out. I suspect that Joseph is just having a hard time waiting for his birthday.
Update: the final tantrum occurred just before midnight. Joseph woke up because of urgent digestive needs that he was unwilling to address during the day. Note to self: when building dream house, don't forget the high capacity toilet.

Joseph's tantrum at the Farmer's Market.


We have been bringing Argos to the Bloomington Farmer's Market to help him get over his city-related phobias (gratings, buses, motorcycles, etc). Argos had a GREAT time at the Farmer's Market today: the cheese guy was getting rid of his excess samples of cheese curds, so Argos got to eat a half-bag of the squeeky little treats. He also got lots of loving.


Today we saw fireflies! There are no fireflies in Riverside. Although we go to Baltimore and New York in the summer, we rarely go early enough in the season to see fireflies. I had kind of forgotten about fireflies, so when I saw them for the first time in Normal, I was charmed. The kids had a great time chasing them around the yard.

The end?

This week has been all about transition and nostalgia. It was the last week of school for the kids. Sam's school had lots of hoopla, awards and games. Joseph's school had a picnic, but was much more emotional because most of the kids in Joseph's class were leaving Mulberry School for kindergarten elsewhere.

The Mulberry school picnic.


Sam tested for his green belt today. He did a fine job, although he had more trouble than usual breaking his board. We all went out to Los Patrillos Real Mexican Cuisine after class, and the food was not bad at all. Kelly, who is a Master's student in in my lab and also a brown belt in Sam's TaeKwonDo class left town today. So sad! I will miss her around the lab and socially, and she is great with Sam at TaeKwonDo.

Sam and Kelly sparring


Most nostalgically, Joseph was born five years ago tomorrow. Five years ago in our little house in Riverside, I woke up at 2 in the morning with back pains every 4 minutes. After first turning on all the lights, the television and then stomping loudly around the bedroom without succeeding in waking up Danny, I believe that I may have punched him. Six-and-a-half hours later, Joseph was born. He had black eyes, dark hair that stood up like a troll, and a lump on his head. Sam wanted to have a party for him, so he got Danny to stop and buy a little cake, a balloon and corn dogs.



Videos from Sam's green belt test:
Jumping Sam

Sam doing his forms. Sam is not doing it wrong when he is out of synch--he is the only one testing for green belt, so he has different forms from the other kids.

Sam's first attempt at breaking his board. He got it after a few tries, but we didn't catch it on video.

OMG

Joseph had his Spring Program tonight. I fear that it was the first (but likely not the last) time that Danny and I embarrassed him publicly. Joseph was very excited to perform, but when all eyes turned to him, he unconsciously busted out in a series of socially inappropriate behaviors: picking his nose, checking out his crotch, itching his stomach, then sticking his arm into his shirt to scratch his armpit.

Eventually, Danny and I were sobbing with laughter and we literally has tears running down our cheeks. All of the other parents and kids were staring at us, but, unfortunately, it was unstoppable.

Here's Joseph presenting his imaginary animal. The big laugh from the crowd is because Joseph seemed so crestfallen when he was told that there was not enough time for everyone to be a tigrant, too.

After Joseph was done with his presentation he visibly wet his pants. I had to snag him out of the line-up to change his pants. Clearly, Joseph is rather old for potty accidents, however, he was not at all perturbed. The J-man is so confident in himself that he does not care at all that he peed himself in front of a classroom full of his peers and their families. People spend a lifetime in therapy for that kind of self-confidence.

Happy Mothra Day

We all had a lovely mother's day. We stayed out very late at a graduation party last night (the kids, too, oddly enough) and I was a little under the weather (hung over and/or old) when the kids got up at 7 am to practice their robot walks in the hallway.

Sam playing bags at the party.


Sam made some great Mother's Day cards for me.

Danny bought me flowers and the traditional Mother's Day gift of a replacement laptop battery.

Joseph potted flowers for me at school and lovingly inscribed the flower pot. Danny and the kids went out and bought delicious pastries for breakfast.

We did a little shopping at Target, after which, Joseph had the following tantrum:


Afterwards, we drove to Peoria to see Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
I had been looking forward to seeing Jackie Chan and Jet Li together. It was a pretty good movie. I had hoped for more 80's Jackie Chan, with clever stunts, but this was kind of a weak combination of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon flying (without the lovely cinematography) and a classic martial arts fable. There were some parts that I thought were too violent for Joseph. Sam enjoyed it, and Joseph especially liked the Monkey King.

For dinner we went to Medici. The food was quite good (especially for Normal), and the ambiance is exceptional. All of the tables, booths and railings etc are custom hand-crafted out of unusual wood. The fixtures and railings are all custom or hand-made by elves or something. The kids were very good, and we went to Emack and Bolio's for some ice cream/sorbet.

Here are some of the cards that the kids drew for their Grandmothers ("GramoMoetr," "GramoDrenda" and "GramE). The theme was animal mothers.
FYI: The interpretive arrows tell you the "wotr" (water) from the "grod" (ground)