November 2009

November launches with our church Fair, an all hands on deck affair, and major fundraiser. The courtyard has bouncy castle, petting zoo and pony rides. Lela is usually first in line.

Lian has now decided that ponies are OK, probably courtesy of "My Little Pony."

The toys and games room has something for everyone under the age of 10.

Downstairs is the Children's Carnival with games, prizes, snacks and face painting

A birthday party with FCC (Families with children from China) friends. I wonder of the non-Chinese kids notice they are in the minority?

Lian got her hair curled as part of the party make over. She loved it. When I went to buy a curling iron, all I could find was hair irons for straightening. I guess the girls are already fashionable.

Another birthday party with FCC friends. If the kids didn't have a social life we'd probably spend our weekends watching the dust bunnies multiplying.

We began to rumble inexorably toward Xmas with a brief pause to over eat on T-day. Chris (Jamie’s mom) had a fall and has been in rehab so visiting grandma became part of the routine.

Turkey Day was a bit fragmented. Jamie's mom, Chris, was still in the hospital (she's now close to getting released from rehab.) I was volunteering at our annual Turkey Trot 5 mile run (it benefits a local charity where I'm a board member.) We had the usual bird with trimmings, Christy did the bird, I did most of the trimmings, a bakery did the deserts, but apparently no pix to commemorate the day. So we went for a post Thanksgiving day jaunt that weekend. We tried to make it to the Bronx zoo but the traffic was too bad, (we spent an hour on the LI Snailway before giving it up as a bad deal) so we settled for the Queens zoo - which has a very nice carousel (are you noticing a theme to our jaunts?) Lela picks......the lion.

Me too, Lian's turn on the lion, but only if Papa goes with me.





Need I say anything more?

The zoo has added a nice bird migration themed play ground. This is crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Lela is Queen of the Monkey bars. Her personal record is four times back and forth before dropping. If she were a bird she'd be an Arctic Tern - they fly from one pole to the other. Most other kids are very impressed. The dads of little boys are generally green with envy. I overhear a lot of, "That little girl can do it...."