Traipsing About

Brooklyn Dance Party

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:04:05 +0000

Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum are a fabulous and free New York event. We took our daughter for the first time this past weekend for the celebrating rock and roll event and the launch of Who Shot Rock and Roll, A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present. Upon first entering, it was so crazy crowded that we could barely walk around the lobby with all the different ongoing activities. A marching band greeted us as we first arrived, and the unexpected sighting of the troupe of flag turners gave me flashbacks to high school. The museum had various events planned such as indie bands playing and a screening of “Purple Rain”. We arrived in the Education Gallery to create a percussive instrument. I thought we would be making drums of some sort, but basically we decorated gourds the size of Easter eggs with Crayola markers and glitter glue. Ivy was in heaven, nonetheless. It was entirely too crowded to actually enjoy the collection of the museum as well as the current exhibit of Who Shot Rock and Roll, especially with a three year old in tow, but it is a great event for people watching. All types of folks were there probably representing each nation on earth from families with infants, old Brooklynites, people on dates, and hipsters on the prowl. The Dance Party supposedly began at 9:00 pm at the Beaux-Arts Court, but the little kids kicked it off around 8:15 running around in circles like maniacs on the wide spacious dance floor while DJ Evil Dee was setting up. It was Ivy’s first dance party and she cut loose to the opening songs selected by the DJ highlighting the artists in the exhibit, such as Jimi Hendrix, Madonna and Michael Jackson. She loved every minute of it at first, until the dance floor became more crowded and the music got louder. We were then able to check out the decorative objects and vases in the Chinese Art gallery, picking out our favorite pieces.

Eggy Treats

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:01:46 +0000

Today was my daughter’s preschool Halloween Parade. The children dressed up as shapes in different colors, green triangles, blue circles, pink squares and so forth. They marched up the street where all the parents and caregivers were waiting in a nearby park and serenaded us with their spooky songs. We gathered for a round of photos and then the children headed towards the main strip to hit up all the local stores for some candy. They were all very excited to go trick or treating and I was surprised at how quickly they all started gobbling up their candy. Ivy wasn’t even interested in eating a lollipop. She was just happy to receive the loot in her decorated Halloween bag and seemed more content to pick up acorns off the sidewalk. After the mob of kids, parents, and teachers reached our final spot, Ivy and I went to buy some Halloween shaped cookie cutters. She fancied an ice cream but I wanted her to eat lunch first. I suggested that we have some miso soup and edamame; yet, as we passed Fabiane’s on Bedford, she insisted that we eat there practically ditching me and opening the door herself. We entered the café and she found a table in the back for us. Fabiane’s is a great kid friendly spot and she probably remembered that from the previous time we had been there. They have great café au laits served in oversized mugs. The breakfast menu offers a selection of organic baked eggs. The eggs are baked with the yolks still a little bit runny, perfect for dipping pieces of the baguette. We ordered the option with prosciutto and cheddar. We didn’t have any dessert today, but their selection of pastries is always very tempting.

Spacecraft

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:22:29 +0000

Spacecraft is a fun arts and craft store in our neighborhood owned by two moms that we know. Aside from selling all types of materials and kits, they also offer craft workshops from pumpkin carving to embroidery. In the back of the store, they have this huge fantastic wooden worktable. It’s nice to sit there, work on your project, and just chat with everyone around. My daughter and I went there for the Playcraft Session on Mondays. It’s five dollars for the little ones to make a craft project like a collage with felt and flowers. Sometimes Ivy can really concentrate on a project, other times she becomes distracted. She mainly focused on squirting glue on her sheet of paper without really attaching any of her cut out objects to it. Spacecraft also has different toys for kids to enjoy, so this time out she seemed more interested in checking out the toy selection and eager to roll cars up and down the ramp. I happily worked on gluing felt onto my mosaic. If only I could really learn to knit. Future project. www.spacecraftbrooklyn.com

Stings and things

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:20:56 +0000

Picking apples, going to a pumpkin patch, and weaving through a corn maze were the weekend activities in the North Fork of Long Island. The first stop was Briermere’s Farm Stand to pick up some brussel sprouts and pie. Briermere’s is famous for their pies. You can barely find a spot in their parking lot these days, and cars are now lining up and down the road. The farm stand sells seasonal items such as apples, brussel sprouts, and squash. The interior shop is where they keep the outrageous selection of pies along with cookies and jams. We selected a pear and cranberry pie that was amazing. The crust is always very flaky, and the combination of the cranberry and pear with a touch of cinnamon was splendid.

Next up was Lewin Farms orchard to pick apples. The miniature trees indeed make it easier to reach the apples; yet, the dwarf trees make you feel like you’re in some sort of crazed Alice in Wonderland segment. To add to the hilarity, the wind and rain from the last two days blew all the apples off and there were hardly any apples left on the trees. It was like a red carpet of apples surrounding the trees, lying on the ground, rotting in a stinky apple cider funk. We finally found a couple of trees at the end of a long row far away from the entrance that had some red apples. Ivy had a ball ducking under the branches trying to pull the apples off. Dave went on a reconnaissance mission and discovered a whole section with gorgeous yellow apples. It was if he had discovered gold. Ivy was in apple heaven. She picked several bags worth that we had to lug back to the car. Needless to say, we now have apples coming out of our ears.

We then went to the Rottkamp’s Pumpkin Patch in Baiting Hollow. It was sort of arbitrary which patch we selected, as there was several up and down the strip. But as we were cruising about, I had spotted this one from the road since it looked like they had some interesting wooden structures set amongst the pumpkins. And indeed, it was wooden play equipment – a tractor, a castle, and a ship with connecting slides and swinging bars that all the children were climbing about. It was a perfect way to pass the afternoon, a mini playground surrounded by pumpkins.

At the rear of the patch, there was a very corny corn maze. The paths were pretty wide, and I never had the sensation that we wouldn’t be able to find our way out. At one point Ivy started screaming hysterically for me. She said she had a pinch on her, and I wasn’t sure if she had brushed by a cornstalk and it scratched her or what. When I knelt down to see what was the matter, I could see she had a red mark on her chest. As I was pulling down her shirt to see it better, a yellow jacket came flying out. I thought I was going to die. She was a very brave little girl. She sat calmly on my lap while at first her dad put some mud on her to bring the stinging down. Then he actually tried sucking on her a bit to see if he could suck out the stinger. I carried her through the maze for a bit until she recovered. After we wove our way out, she took off to the wooden boat so she could sail away to Coney Island.

Australopithecines and Skunks

traipsingtumbleweeds — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:07:20 +0000

It was a journey for us just getting to the American Museum of Natural History. I mistakenly took the E train uptown instead of the C and we started to head for Queens. Instead of dragging my daughter, who was beginning to whimper out, on two more trains, I wimped out and hailed us a taxi from midtown.

The elephants in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals extended an impressive greeting. Circling clockwise around the displays, we arrived at the young zebra nursing with its mother. This delighted Ivy, “Look mama, the baby is doing chupa!”

In the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life we settled beneath the suspended whale to watch a video about aquatic life from sharks to sea turtles and the effects of human devastation on the ocean. Ivy could have sat there all day long. I encouraged her to walk around to look at the other sea creature displays. The low light and the background sounds in this gallery intimidated her.

Making our way through the Hall of Biodiversity we pretended we were Hansel and Gretel in the forest. We dropped imaginary stones behind us so we could find our way back. I was eager to see the Northwest Coast Indians gallery as the masks and totems are amongst my favorites in the museum. The dim lighting and carvings of the masks troubled her. I was gazing momentarily at a very large wooden spoon that was used during feasts and envisioning the implementation of it when she utters, “Are you really my mother?” I have no idea what she meant by that but realized by now she must really be starving.

The food court in the basement offers typical kid fare such as pizza, fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese. She had her heart set on a pbj sandwich, which they don’t serve. I assembled an overpriced salad with items I knew that she would eat such as chicken, cucumbers, pasta salad, and mozzarella balls. The promise of a Sprite to wash it all down powered her to eat it. I wanted her to be good and jacked so she could spin around the museum a bit more.

Next up, the Ornithischian Dinosaurs on the fourth floor. Even with the beautiful, natural sunlight pouring through the windows, the dinosaurs scared her. I tried to allay her fears as we pretended to feed the dinosaurs seeds like we would a lamb at the zoo, but for the most part she was uninterested. She only liked the baby dinosaur.

Walking through the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, we spot a pair of Australopithecines. As we approach, she blurts out “He has a penis”. Thankfully no one was in earshot. But a cluster of ladies were amused when they overheard her proclaim “They’re at the beach”.

I wanted to see the Star of India gem that had been stolen in the 1960s. I proceeded to march Ivy toward the Hall of Gems and Minerals. Of course as we arrived, she declared she had to go to the bathroom, so I quickly rushed through the gallery, didn’t see the stone, and figured I should take my daughter to the facilities.

Overall I would rate our trip to the museum this time as unsuccessful. For the majority of the visit, she was a whiny and unenthusiastic kid. She was on the brink of needing a nap the whole time. She was uninspired even after eating her lunch. The sugar buzz from the Sprite never kicked in. It felt like she was just trudging along. I suppose with frequent visits, she will develop a familiarity and enthusiasm for the museum.

The biggest thrill she had was in the gift shop. I attribute that to the bright lighting and all the toys, of course. She was allowed to purchase a small velvet pouch to fill with gemstones. She selected six pink stones. I convinced her to at least get one in a different color. She picked purple.

When we returned home, I asked her what was her favorite part of the museum, she replied, “The little baby skunks with the mama skunk”.

Bedford Cheese

traipsingtumbleweeds — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:43:44 +0000

The only excursion we made today was to the Bedford Cheese Shop after gymnastics class. Upon entering the store, my daughter declares, “This place smells like stinky cheese!” Thank God Bedford Cheese is not the type of establishment where you would want to crawl under a rock if your child shouts that out. I have been going there since they first opened in the Mini Mall before relocating to their larger storefront on Bedford. I haven’t been to the shop nearly as frequently since Ivy was born since child raising has depleted my cheese fund. The witty and snarky descriptions ease one’s trepidation of exploring and tasting new cheeses. The laid back staff is knowledgeable and approachable offering samples and recommendations. In addition to carrying a dizzying selection of fromage, they also sell specialty items from England and Europe such as jars of Branston Pickle to accompany your Stilton to Jamon Serrano. Local items include Amy’s Bread and Mast Brothers Chocolate Bars. One cheese we purchased was a small round Mothais, a yummy soft goat cheese wrapped in a chestnut leaf. It was great to spread a little bit on a piece of baguette. Ivy even asked for more. www.bedfordcheeseshop.com/

Kellogg’s, Don Paco Lopez & Fantasia

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:48:49 +0000

The last time I was in Kellogg’s Diner was over ten years ago and I think it was really late at night and it was greasy and dirty and gave me the creeps. They recently remodeled and on our pancake jaunt this morning, I decided to check them out. A lobster tank greeted us when we first walked in. A cappuccino machine and bottles of wine surrounded the check out counter. We sat at a window booth and Ivy waved to everyone as they passed by on the street. She gobbled her silver dollar pancakes with her fingers in a flourish, as she is still allergic to using a fork. If you’re looking for a squeaky clean diner, this is the place to go.

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the oldest children’s museum in the country. Since they remodeled, we have become members and visit fairly frequently. One of the exhibits includes Don Paco Lopez Panadaria, the bakery where Ivy loves to bake bread. She places the conchas and the bread for the Day of The Dead (Dia de los Muertos) on a tray and pops them into the oven. Pressing a button triggers a red light that “bakes” the bread. After it’s heated, she whisks it out of the oven and brings it to the cash register to ring me up. The bakery is one of the storefronts in the World Brooklyn exhibit each with telephones on the wall and a list of the extensions to call each store. I often scoot into the next-door Grocery Store, dial the extension of the panaderia, and Ivy always answers: “Hola”. We then proceed to have a full-blown conversation with each other in Spanish as I place my order. Maybe I should take her to the real Don Paco Lopez Panaderia in Sunset Park especially since Dia de Los Muertos is coming up.

In the basement is Fantasia, the more than nineteen foot long albino Burmese python. She is ridiculously rotund and seemingly contentedly curls herself into a coil in her warmed cage. She will be celebrating her Sweet Sixteenth Birthday in spring 2010 (she had her Quinceañera last Spring). She usually eats a whole dead chicken or large rodent every Friday afternoon. The feedings are open to the public, yet since she’s entering a hibernation phase, she will not feed again until around March a staff person informed me. I’m marking my calendar.

Governor’s Island

traipsingtumbleweeds — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:17:09 +0000

We visited Governor’s Island for the last day of the 2009 season. The island is very popular for bicycle riding. Aside from people bringing their own bikes, there are also rentals including the Quadcycle that accommodates six adults and two kids. I thought it would be hilarious if we could all hop on one of those, but they were all rented when we stopped by. A sandy water taxi beach and playground also provide diversions for the little ones.

We enjoyed walking the perimeter of the island and interior paths marveling at old Victorian houses in Nolan Park. Running around the moat and picking late season dandelions thrilled the girls. The converted containers overlooking the Statue of Liberty provided a stage for an improvised theater presentation as well as a lemonade stand as we parents picnicked and lounged in the sunny autumn afternoon.

Rock and John

traipsingtumbleweeds — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:21:15 +0000

I’m always looking for something for us to do in New York that doesn’t cost a lot. A friend works at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex in Soho. As a tribute to John Lennon this past weekend, they offered free admission. I wasn’t sure how interested or not Ivy would be, so I decided to take advantage of the free entry. First, we gathered in an antechamber where signatures of various rock and rollers hang on plaques on the wall. From David Bowie to Bob Marley to Sam Cooke, snippets of songs play and the signatures light up. I realized Ivy was a little too young to drag in there, as she couldn’t read the names, and the darkness made her a bit nervous. Bob Marley was the only person’s name and music recognizable to her, and I realize I need to further her music education. The short film consisted of various clips of different bands from the advent of rock to current day. With the Beatles footage and the screaming crowd background, I thought Ivy’s ears were going to pop off. The footage of Sister Rosetta Tharpe overwhelmed me. The way she played the guitar and her presence was captivating, and I thought it’s a pity that more female performers didn’t have half of what she had. After the film, we received headphones that trigger in front of various displays from Led Zeppelin to the Talking Heads. Ivy completely lost interest in wearing the headphones and just wanted to hide behind display cases, so I rushed through the remainder of the exhibits as I didn’t want her to dismantle anything. Unfortunately we breezed through the John Lennon gallery. The item that struck me most was this enlarged photo of his bloody eyeglasses that Yoko photographed after he died. She placed them on her windowsill and photographed this closeup of the bloody frames with Central Park diffused in the background. That she possessed the glasses, that she photographed them, that I was able to see that image, really moved me. With my daughter squirming about, I tried to take it all in and actually imagine if he hadn’t have died. www.rockannex.com

Zilker Park

traipsingtumbleweeds — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:53:01 +0000

If you were a little kid, how could you not think of Zilker Park as being heaven on earth? Your mom wakes you up in the morning and says hurry and eat your breakfast and get dressed and takes you to explore a wonderful playground, lets you ride a cute little train that actually goes through a tunnel passing pleasant scenery, and brings you for a refreshing morning swim in Barton Springs. And then after all these great activities, your mom drives you over to the Austin Nature Preserve so you can hike on some trails and visit a bashful bobcat, a wary wolf and a smelly skunk. How could you not think that you have the best mom in the world and you would just want to remain a kid forever, live in Austin, and visit Zilker Park everyday.