Remembering the Students of Sandy Hook Elementary School

I can't stop thinking about the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School, especially the ones who dropped their kids off and said goodbye for the last time. For the most part, school mornings aren't easy or smooth. It's stressful to serve breakfast and find matching socks and get everyone out the door. Everything feels rushed. By this time of the school year, parents have learned the absolute last minute they can leave the house before they are late. They learn exactly what to serve for breakfast, sometimes resorting to a plastic baggie of cheerios to eat along the way. It's no longer new and memorable, like it was the first day of school. By now, the morning rush might even seem routine. 

But today, this morning turned out to be anything but routine for the parents of Sandy Hook who lost a child to a reckless gunman. They will never forget the boring details of their last moments with their kids. Now these details seem more precious than ever. My thoughts and love go out to the families dealing with so much loss right now. I'm searching for ways to help. To honor the kids who won't have a chance to experience a crazy school day morning again, I'm including the mundane details of our Friday morning . . . 

Happy Birthday!

I decided to keep the boys birthday party really small this year. I just invited our cousins in Harlem. The last thing I remember saying to Rob before I went to bed on Friday night was, "Shouldn't we plan something for tomorrow. For the boys party?" He replied, "Naw. It will work itself out." Here's the only thing I planned going into the party.

1. Starts at 4pm.
2. Eat pizza at Patsy's.
3. Ice cream at Serendipity 3
4. Call it a "Transportation Party" and get everywhere by using different modes of transportation.
5. Give the boys MTA trains  or something similar.

That's it! I never imagined it would go so well. With surprises along the way!

First Surprise: On our way to Patsy's, we happened to catch the vintage 1920's subway car sponsored this month by Boardwalk Empire. The sound of riding a subway with the windows down, the way it felt to sit in the wicker seats, the hooks, the ceiling fans, the light bulbs. We were in awe.

The pizza at Patsy's was great! No surprises there. It's been around since the 1930's so they know exactly how to make a pie. We ordered two! When we got out, we tried desperately to find a minivan taxi cab to get to our next destination: Serendipity 3. No such luck. Enter the next surprise: An impromptu party game. Boys against girls: Who can get to Serendipity 3 first? The boys caught the first cab, but the girls were able somehow crush them in the end!

Serendipity 3 had a whopping 1.5 hour wait, so the kids went to a nearby playground. While there, they discovered the Roosevelt Island Tram. Surprise #3! The whole ride took a standard subway fare and round trip was around 10 minutes. Best part: Sweeping views of the city. I felt like I was in the Peter Pan ride at Disney World. It goes so high up and has surround views. I really felt like I was flying! Incredible. Go now go!

We finally got our name called from the wait list at Serendipity 3 and got to eat gigantic sundaes! So good. Tip: Get a sundae, not their famous frozen hot chocolate.

For the record: Forms of transportation used at my very thought out party: our feet, a vintage subway, taxi, tram, bus.  Pretty good!

Happy Birthday boys! I hope you had fun!

Mother of Invention

If you've ever been to the park with my family, you'll most likely find one (or both) of my boys sitting on a limp swing screaming, "MOM! MOM! Push me! Mom? Can you hear me? MOM push me! MAAMMM" I will be sitting on a bench staring at my iPhone or chatting with a friend pretending to ignore their desperate cries. To me, swings are the worst. It's such a sedentary activity for my child if I'm pushing. I like my kids to be running and jumping to burning off their endless supply of energy. I'm convinced swings don't get the job done.

The boys love it though. And it's because of the sheer joy this simple act gives, I eventually push them.

It's actually kind of embarrassing how happy it makes them. Especially if I grab their feet on the way up. Or tickle their necks on the way back. One day I'll feel nostalgic for these moments, but for now I find the swings to be one big headache. My boys always complain that I don't push them enough (even though I've counted 100 pushes in my head). They whine when it's someones turn, and they have to get off. The sun is always in my eyes. My hands get cold. I've been trying for years to teach my boys how to swing by themselves. Years.

Today at the park was no different. Them screaming. Me ignoring. As I finally started pushing Owen, I looked over at the bucket toddler swings. I saw a couple pushing their little baby. The dad was taking a million pictures with his bulky camera. The mom was smiling and giggling at the baby. I didn't ask, but I'm almost positive it was the baby's first time in a swing. The parents were just so excited. I remember being the same way and recording the video of the boys. (Below. Please ignore my awful headband.) Finally, I thought, something to do at a playground with them. Life suddenly felt more fun.



But that was 4 years ago. Swinging has turned into a chore. That is, until I looked over at Oscar today.

He was SWINGING ON HIS OWN. And high too! I grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures away, just like the couple with the babe next to us. You should have heard me cheering. He told me he was going to swing forever. And then tried to kick me in the face. Again!

I rank the learning-how-to-swing-on-your-own-milestone just under potty training. It's huge! I made such a fuss about Oscar. Suddenly, Owen was trying to do it himself, too.  He's still going to need a little more practice to master this skill. All I have to do is ignore Owen's pleas to push him, and bam! I have no doubt he'll learn soon. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention!

What are your thoughts on pushing your kids on the swings? Dread it or love it?

My Biggest Failure Update: I Never Brush My Kids Teeth Part 2

when they all had their baby teeth. Photo by Keith Pitts

To prepare for my storytelling class, the teacher asked us to bring a 2-to-3 minutes short story that shows an individualistic quality about our self. He suggested it be something we find a little daring to share. He gave us some examples like, "Everyone thinks I'm hard as nails, but I'm secretly a softie!" or "I know it sounds crazy, but I really do believe in angels!" I decided to go with something like, "Everyone thinks I'm a great mom but I've totally neglected to teach my kids the most basic personal hygiene habits." I reworked this old post to fit into his guidelines. I'm working on memorizing it before our Saturday class . . .

How Many People Can Live in A 2 Bedroom Apartment in NYC? 3? 5? 10?

Check out how I found my kids sleeping a few nights ago. They pulled out a mattress and stuck it into our tiny hallway. Cozy? They seem to think so. I had to take a  picture.

We live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. All three of my kids share a bedroom (unless they decide to sleep in a hallway haha). My daughter is 6 and my twin boys are 4 years old. It’s clearly not the perfect living situation, but we’re happy. Every night feels like a slumber party!

I’ve been wondering lately: Is there an age when siblings should stop sharing a room? What’s the deal with siblings of the opposite sex sharing a bedroom? What was your experience with sharing a room growing up?

UPDATE!  Thank you for all your help! Here's some of my favorite responses.  Who do you identify with the most? I’ll start with my favorite comment. Have you ever thought of this?

Lia from Sip Mom writes: I think that there are alternatives for families living in NYC, where the extra bedroom can cost you one thousand dollars more in rent, like loft settings or dividers (apt therapy has lots of ideas). I am sure that if you place the extra one thousand you would spend on a three bedroom, on a savings account towards college for the next 15 years, then you would have 180,000 dollars plus interest to share among your kids. More than 60,000 to each kid. There would be no further complains about sharing a bedroom! 

Lia’s totally right. An extra bedroom would cost us at least an extra $1,000. It’s mind boggling how much we would save. I need to keep this in mind.

I also love Lilac Barries honest response: It’s not like we’re living in tenement houses of a 100 years ago and you have multiple families sharing a single tiny apartment. I think like anything with parenting it’s about making sure your children are happy and healthy and how that looks is different for every family. 

So true! I think once my kids start complaining about space, we’ll pay a visit to the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side. That’ll show ‘em!

Along the same lines, Noelle from These Mountains Are Mine writes: I know there are issues with gender sharing and number of kids in a room in our culture, but does it really matter? There are families all over the world that share a one room house … not bedroom … house with multiple kids and parents all sleeping in the same room. Aren’t bedrooms/space kind of just a luxury? Granted, I want to keep the genders separate in our household, at least once our kids are past the toddler age…but I wonder if we make it more of an issue than it should be. 

I wonder the same thing! Thanks Noelle for bringing up a good point.

Gaby from The Vault Files writes her experience with sharing a room. Lucky her! She writes: I’m the only girl of 4 siblings and my 3 brothers shared a room until the oldest one was 17! I had my own room from the very beginning! I always thought that rooms should be only shared among kids of the same gender but I guess sometimes there is no choice and you have to put them together. 

Like Gaby, reader LibbyK had a similar experience with one person always getting a single room. Her response cracked me up: I come from a biiiig family. At one time we lived in a tiny house and the room situation went like this-Mom/Dad/infant sister in one room. Me/my older sister in one tiny room. Two brothers in a bunk bed in the basement family room(!). My older brother had his own room. And it was the biggest room. Somehow he’s always finagled the best rooming situation in the family whilst the rest of us are stacked/crammed/smooshed into tinsy rooms.

I wonder what LibbyK’s older brother grew up to be? His negotiation skills must be top notch!

Leave it Becky from Baby Making to talk about the elephant in the room: PUBERTY. I love her blog — I can always count on her to write funny and honest posts. Her comment is in true Becky style: I think that boys and girls should split up around the same time that they start talking about boy/girl differences in school – around when puberty starts to hit. Before then, it’s not really inappropriate for boys and girls to change in front of each other, but if boys start getting morning wood or having wet dreams at night, and girls have their periods or blossoming breasts - it can make things uncomfortable! Haha. Oh, the joys of puberty!

Thanks Becky for reminding me of that terrible awkward time. I hope my daughter gets her own room before then!

I was glad to see Hailey’s comment because she has four kids in one room! I’ve actually been to her apartment, and it really does somehow work. Way to go Hailey! She writes: I love that my four kids are sharing a room here in NY. They have to learn to get along, and they can’t go and isolate themselves from the rest of the family. I hear them talking and giggling after lights out at night, and I like to think it’s bringing them closer. Plus, they are getting creative at finding ways to make their own privacy (dressing in closets, etc.) I think if and when we move back to the suburbs, I will still have them share as much as possible.

Who has Hailey beat?! Can I get a reader with 5 kids in a bedroom? Can I get 6? Anyone?

I’ll end with Jaclyn’s comment. She nail it. She wrote: I shared a room with my little brother and sister until we moved when i was 14. i never really minded it. there were moments where i wished i had my own room and there were times when we taped up sections of the bedroom as only mine or only my siblings, but all in all we survived. i was able to cope better at sleepovers and summer camp. i survived. 

I love that. We survived. I survived. I guess it’s really that simple. Thanks to all my readers for practically writing this article for me! I included three more of my favorite comments below. Now it’s your turn: What’s been your experience with siblings sharing a room? Love it or hate it?

1. Sarah from Just Sarah writes: I’ve grown up most of my life in NYC. My older brother and younger sister and I all shared a room until I was 14 and they were 15 and 12 respectively. It was kind of nice, and we were always really close. My brother had a curtain for privacy and we all had loft beds which was great. Finally we just outgrew the space (literally- I would stub my toe almost every time I walked to the back of the room) and had to move to a bigger apartment. I still share a room with my little sister, and sometimes I feel really cramped up, but over all I don’t mind it terribly. 

2. Libbey Blaine writes: My two older brothers are 7 and 8 years older than I and we shared a bedroom until I was in the 3rd grade. I’m sure they would tell you that it was more than annoying to share a room with their pesky little sister for that long, but I loved it. I had my own story tellers and monster fighters. I think sharing a room with them actually helped foster my independence, because I was able to rely less and less on my parents to comfort my fears.When we moved to a large house we each had our own bedrooms but sometimes we would have “camp outs” in each others rooms, and very often we would do this in the living room. 

3. Lando writes: We have twin 6-year old girls that have shared a bedroom since the first day they came home from the hospital together. Right now they are in a bunk-bed in a rather small bedroom, and it works – for now. I worry that somewhere around age 8 or 9 they will outgrow the limited space in their bedroom and start crashing into each other physically, mentally and emotionally….needing their own personal space. For now though, they have never known anything different so it works fine. My eldest daughter, who is 10, has said more than once “why does everyone else in this family have a roommate but me? it’s not fair…..” which just goes to show you that it’s all about perspective!

Hiho Batik: Handmade Art

My boys and I recently had the chance to check out Hiho Batik, a relatively new art space-cum-boutique in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I loved the store--the calm vibe, the design, and (on a practical side) the fit of the shirts. You know how t-shirts can sometimes be too wide or too short? Their shirts are just right and so soft. But that's not even the coolest part! We soon met Robyn Stylman and her business partner Julia Gordon and learned about the art space in the back of the store. That's where costumers can create their own personalized batik shirts, bags, bibs, aprons, even pillows!

Gordon has been practicing the art of batik for more than 18 years in Boulder and Miami. I was unfamiliar with this popular Indonesian fabric design, so Gordon explained, “The process of batik involves outlining a design on a shirt using hot wax, painting the design with dyes, waxing over the design to keep the colors in place, and finally dying the final piece of cloth. The wax simply gets washed out in the process and you are left with a one-of-a-kind piece of art.”

I couldn't wait to test it out, but that nervous feeling I get when I'm doing something new crept up on me. However, the owners and employees were so calm as they walked me and the boys through the process that I really enjoyed myself. I kept repeating the montra they have written cheerfully on the chalkboard in the back room, "There are no mistakes in art." This especially applies to batik. It's ok if the end result is a little messy. It actually looks better!

Here's some pictures of Oscar's experience. After the jump is Owen's (aka the artist) experience. I highly recommend Hiho Batik. You can walk-in or reserve the space for any occasion. I can't wait to go back and pick up our shirts. Read more details about my exsperience in an article I did for Elizabeth Street here.

That's Julia Gordon helping Oscar with his design. Plus, a mug full of permanent markers!!  

goofy face. he's stoked. i want that dog.

This is Oscar pouring the hot wax onto the shirt. Super hot but super safe thanks to Julia keeping a watchful eye. 

I couldn't tell if my boys were more thrilled to paint or wear rubber gloves.

Here's an example of a finished product. Buy this Dino Bones shirt here. Comes in adult size, too ha ;)

  Owen's turn after the jump . . .

Guest Post: Tips for dressing toddler boys

Today I'm a guest writer at Say Yes to Hoboken.  I give some tips for dressing toddler boys. One of my tips: Dress boys in girl jeans (see pics below). What do you think? Too tight? Too girly? Too awesome? Click through to see the rest of my tips and join the discussion. Thanks Liz!

Improv Everywhere

Have you heard of Improv Everywhere? It's a New York-based improv group that creates funny scenes in public places. Some of their videos get over 7 million views on youtube. Ha! My friend tipped me off that they needed kids for a future skit so I dragged the boys down for the event. I can't tell you anything about the secret improv sketch until the video goes live. I'll keep you posted when it does. The idea is so funny and sweet.
Here's a pic of the boys waiting for the event to start:

 And after the event, I found Owen swooning the ladies like any good improv comedian would do. Oscar's somewhere in the background playing hard to get. Those boys are such playas.

I can't wait to show you the in-between pictures! Soon!

New Shoes

Paolo Nutini's song "New Shoes" captures everything about our walk to school this morning. Even the late part.

Let me explain:

Last Wednesday we went to an amazing event at 77kids Times Square hosted by Moms and the City. The store is located right in the heart of Times Square so it feels more like an attraction rather than clothing store. It has interactive photo booths, chalkboards in the dressing rooms, and a music video program that puts your kids onto the big screens. There was even an 8-year-old DJing the event! I've never been to a store like it. Go!

Everyone who attended the event received generous 77kids gift cards and after browsing the store, I knew Owen and Oscar were getting new shoes. Bravo to whoever decides what shoes 77kids sells. Boys here, girls here. So many cute options, right? Which ones would you buy? Minnetonka Fringe Boots have my heart. I got these amazing Clarks boots for the boys. I thought it was a good choice because they're warm in the winter and great for school or church. Ella even fits into them and looks adorable. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. 

Thanks Moms and the City and 77kids for the new shoes! I couldn't wait until Christmas to give the Clarks to the boys. I'm glad I didn't wait. It made for such an unexpected fun morning!

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Morning in Central Park

The day after I read the picture book version of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening to my kids, it happened to snow. And while taking a walk in the woods is nearly impossible in NYC, the boys and I came close as we ventured into the North Woods in Central Park. It gets pretty wild up there.

When we got to the top of a hill, per the boys request or my suggestion or my insistence, I recited what I could remember from Robert Frost's poem. I must have memorized it in high school or college because the first 6 lines came back to me. It was exhilarating. I felt brilliant. I repeated what I knew again. Loudly. Then looked up the rest on my iPhone.

We continued down to the park all the way to The Pool to check out the ducks. It was so satisfying to bring a book to life, yet still be within walking distance to a Dunkin Donuts. 3 hot chocolates with whip cream and 2 donuts later we were ready to do it again. But we had promises to keep. And miles to go before we had to pick Ella up from basketball practice. And miles to go before we had to pick Ella up from basketball practice. Or something like that.

When it came to the part in the poem about the only sound is downy flake, I asked the boys what they could hear.
Our woods had a soothing mixture of birds, the crunchy snow beneath our boots, and firetruck sirens. 

P.S.
I just got the updated amount raised for Mohammed's Sneaker Project. 
So far the total amount raised is $1500! Incredible. 
And in case you're curious, I didn't delete any comments from the post. 
There was no need. You guys are so kind. Thank you.

From the Archives

I started seriously blogging once my kids where ages three and up. Which is good because I wasn't tempted to write breast feeding/potty training/naptime schedule rants for all the world to see. But at the same time, sad because I didn't get to write breast feeding/potty training/naptime schedule rants for all the world to see. I suspect it would have been a good writing exercise for me. Before NYC Taught Me, I had a tiny blog that my close friends and family read. Honestly, I didn't have the brain power to write thoughtful posts during those years. To the women that blog with newborns: High five. Like this one. She must be brilliant to write essays during the first year of twins. Yikes! During my first year with twins, I was able to squeeze out a lot of one-liner blog entries, take a couple of sloppy pictures of my kids, and write a few emails to my family. My sister found this old email and sent it back to me last night. It made happy to be reminded about my life at that time. Enjoy!

Hi Family! Just wanted to send an update on our family. Thanks to the help of family and friends I promise the first month with the boys wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I think I have done the laundry only once and the dishes a few times (thanks Fran and Patty!) So far, adjusting to life with 3 kids has been far easier then when we were adjusting to life with our first one. The boys have slept a lot and haven't cried for longer than one minute. I know I know, things could and will change. The will wake up one of these days. Hopefully they will be just a calm as they have been. Cross your fingers, wish on a star, and of course pray to help these boys stay mellow! Hope things are going well with you all. Love you, Sharon PS. 10 points to whoever can tell who's who in the picture.

What about you? When did you decide to start blogging? Do you blog for family or fame? haha

Oh here's the picture the email was talking about. You all can win ten points because I don't know who's who. And another thing: See what a difference owning a Canon Rebel t2i makes? I don't know what I was using in this picture, but it was most likely a small point and shoot. Almost makes me want to have another kid just so I could document their life all fancy and pretty with my new camera. ha very funny.

Naming Identical Twins

One of the things I dreaded about having identical twins was answering the question, "Who's who" a trillion times before the boys turned three. Of course my husband and I could tell them apart the first day week they were born but what about relatives who only saw them a few times a year? Teachers at preschool? What about when their back was towards me? I wanted a fool proof system that would make it easier for everyone to tell them apart so I did a google search for ideas. Dressing one in red and one in blue was a common solution. I thought this was a good idea, but I considered myself a success if I have clean clothes in any color. Another idea was to iron on name labels to their clothing. I know one day I would have two Owens. The next day, two Oscars. And the next, I would switch their shirts up and be too tired to make it right.

Then around the first year, something amazing happened: They grew hair. That's when I figured about my Who's Who Solution: Longer hair, longer name. Oscar will always have longer hair. Owen shorter. Until the boys protest, this is the system I'm sticking to. Had I thought of this idea earlier I would have made their names obviously longer and shorter. Here's a list I put together of my favorite boy and girl names if you find yourself in a similiar situation:

The long haired list:
Maximillian
Theodore
Giovanni
Emerson
Phineas
Wilhelmina
Henrietta
Juliana
Beatrix
Margaret

The Short Haired List:
Ike
Jett
Alf
Gus
Moe
Reese
June
Noor
May 
Jo

How do you tell identical twins apart? Do you have photos of twins that your can't tell apart? I do! It's the one above of my boys. My rookie mistake: dressing them the same for a family photo shoot pre-hair and pre-brilliant naming idea.

NYC Style Guide: Dressing Kids

Living in NYC has taught me a thing or two about fashion. The women and men on the streets look amazing! And their kids? Super stylish too. It didn't take me long to figure out their secrets and snatch up a few good deals. Here's a list of my sources. Did I miss something?

The Boys:
1. Suspenders from American Apparel. I've replaced belts for suspenders. Most of the time.
2. Skinny jeans from H&M. They sell unisex skinny jeans for $10 in the girls department. So the boys get Ella's hand me downs (as seen above in grey).
3. Cardigans from American Apparel. A splurge for children's clothes but my kids literally wear these everyday. Gender neutral colors make it easy to share, and it doesn't hurt that all my kids where the same size. As with all American Apparel clothes, buy 3 of the same item get 15% off. Helps a little.
4. T-shirts. $5 dollar each at Old Navy.
5. Shoes: $19.99 for All-Stars at Sears. Sears usually has the best deals on Converse All-Stars.

Ella is same as the boys mixed with $3 dollar tank tops from H&M, various skirts (thanks Liz for sewing the flower one above!), and:
1. Silly Tights from American Apparel.
2. Saddle Shoes $14.99 from Payless.com. Today I bought Ella's new current size, and one size up at the BOGO sale. Free shipping to store. Also, if you enter "42531" in coupon code box, you get 20% off at checkout.  It comes out to around $10 for each pair.

When all else fails, the Superhero costumes are always a hit.

Bye Bye Baby Items

You know how I could tell I was done having kids? I was thrilled when my twin boys out grew their baby items. Too big for onsies? Awesome. Bag 'em up and pass them along to someone else. Bottles, Bibs, Binkies. Gone, Gone, Gone. But there was one baby item I couldn't resist using daily. It's taken me four years to stop using . . .

I Can't Tell My Own Identical Twins Apart

No, computer, that's Owen making his signature fart noise face. 

When I was pregnant with the boys, I remember fantasying about having twins on a car ride with Rob. At the time, I hadn't even gone to the doctor yet, but it was always something I thought about in the early weeks of pregnancy. I told Rob identical twins were so weird, like why does it even happen? And if I were to ever have twins, I would want them to be fraternal. I told him I would be the worst person ever to have identical twins because I have the hardest time with faces. I often question whether I have a slight case of facial amnesia. You know that phrase: I can't remember a name, but I'll remember a face? I can't remember either. 

I feared if I had identical twins, I wouldn't be able to recognize my own kids. Instead of listening to what they were saying, I would be trying to figure out who I was talking to the whole time. When they boys came, of course, I recognized the differences in them immediately. Owen's ears looked slightly different. Oscar's head was rounder. It was a huge relief.

Problem is, while I could recognize them as babies, now I look back at pictures and can't tell who's who. I feel awful. With a few exceptions, they all look like Oscar to me. Round head after round head after perfectly round Charlie Brown head. I never labeled the photos because it was so obvious at the time. Big mistake.

I'm banking on the fact that they get a kick out tricking people of their identity. I hope they find it just a humorous when I explain to them that their own mom doesn't have the foggiest who they are in baby pictures. I suspect they were splitting into two at that very moment I said the fateful words "identical twins are weird." Just in spite of me. Those boys are always finding ways to drive me crazy. Love them anyway. 

Here's my collection of pictures of Oscar and Owen. I mean Owen and Oscar. Either way, they are both somewhat represented in these pictures. 

These pictures are too good to be bothered with the details of identity.

Also the last and only time I dressed them the same. 

Not me. A model mom and dad for a catalog shoot.
I wonder if model mommy and daddy label their fake twins pictures for future reference? Probably.

Who's going to claim those lashes? Beats me.

I made this picture as a challenge for relatives and friends. I have to dig up the results in an old email because I stumped myself.

A million mystery pictures after the jump . . .

Love/Hate relationship with the Children's Museum of Manhattan

OHhhh boy. The mind numbing second floor of the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM).  The theme: The Adventures of Dora and Diego!  No benches or chairs for the parents to sit, which encourages the helicopter moms/nannies to force suggest my kids to take turns or worse: SHARE. I don't know who this mom is sitting with the yellow shoes (above), but I relate to her. Bulky unfashionable backpack. Fist of Fury. The Not Again - Where's My Kid Now? neck turn.  I always praise myself for taking my kids here. Something easy and classic like: I'm the best mom in the world for sitting next to a painting of Benny the Bull. And so is she. And her. And her. 

As much as I would like to make fun of CMOM, I go all the time. Twice this week!  Read on to see my tips for making the most out of CMOM.

1. Go in with low expectations. Don't compare it to any children's museum you've ever visited. The three I've been to (Brooklyn, San Jose, and Bay Area), are at least triple the size. Like most things in Manhattan, I get the sense that they are squeezing in as much as the can with the small space they have. 

2. A lot of the kids who go to this museum are around 18 months old. That means it's super packed from 10am-12:30. The slowest times are from 12:30-2:30 because lunch/nap time sends the littles home. Go then!

3. That being said, I think most of the best exhibits are geared for kids under the age of 6. This museum is especially exciting for 3-4 year olds.  

4. The best restrooms are on the Lower Level floor. Not the 3rd floor, too busy. 

5. I adore the Lower Level for more than it's bathroom. It has a huge room with boxes filled with not so traditional building blocks. The shape is described as being long and thin, like a plank. I tried to find the blocks online, but learned they are specially designed for CMOM.  The activity is simple, quiet, and fun for me and the kids. I could stay down there all day but once the boys start chanting, "I want to go see Dora, Mom! DOra! DORA!", I give up on building my dream block city. 

6. The 4th floor is the same way. Quiet, a few things are broken, and more simple exhibits. 

7. No food is aloud anywhere in the museum. I recommend Artie's Deli for a meal or Cafe Deux Mergot for a small snack.

Despite it's setbacks, the boys love everything about CMOM. I love that it's walking distance from my house, and that it's a great place to spend three hours when the weather is horrible. It's displayed the same exhibits since I moved here, so I'm excited to check out the new Curious George exhibit on the first floor. It will open on June 11th.  Let the new chant begin: "I want to see Curious George, Mom! George! GEORGE!" Oh, all right. Fine. Let me knock over my block city first.  

So how did I do? Do the pictures capture the feelings of the Dora floor at CMOM? Do you have a children's museum in your town? Love it or Hate it? 

playing the blues on the kazoo

It was gorgeous out. The weather made me feel like I could do anything. But all the boys wanted to do was play the blues. So for everyone who had a rough day, this post is for you. My boys felt your pain and played the saddest songs ever. Sometimes on the harmonica. Sometimes on the kazoo.