Jaime Visits- July 2016

Jaime's trip to Turkey was cancelled because a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces attempted a coup of the government on July 15, and the continuing bad situation there as President Erdoğan cracks down on civil liberties.

She got here Saturday and played with the kids a little and helped with bedtime reading. Then we celebrated that they were asleep with margaritas. Sunday, she went for a "spirit walk," which means she walked to the Sound  and then got lost. Then we went to the beach. We spent most of the time in the water because my kids are happy little fish and sad little land crabs. James hung all over Jaime in the water and Miranda insisted I hold her horizontally so she could "swim." Miranda was so angry when I made her get out of the water finally.

Chilling on beach

Splashing in the waves

Kevin got back from his trip to Boston, and Jaime and I went out for dinner and drinks in Port Jefferson. We went to Kimi Sushi which I think I actually like better than Benten now. The sushi is just as good as Benten, the staff is much nicer, and when you're done, you're already in Port Jefferson for drinks or ice cream. After we that went to Brewology for drinks. Port Jefferson was full of people even though it was Sunday night. Port Jefferson loves the summer. We went different ways for dessert,  I got a dark chocolate ice cream at the Ice Cream Cafe, and then Jaime got licorice at Port Jefferson Frigate.

At Kimi Sushi

At Brewology with her beaker of beer


Candy at Port Jefferson Frigate

Port Jefferson was also really busy because it's been overtaken by Pokemon-playing zombies (like me). Tons of people there to play on a Sunday night because there aren't a lot of places with as many stops and pokemon as there are there. Plus you can eat and drink while you're there.

Hundreds of people sitting by the water in Port Jefferson playing Pokemon

On Monday after our library craft program, Jaime met us for lunch at Sweet n' Savory. I'm officially obsessed with the savory crepes there.

 

Crepes at Sweet n' Savory

Playing with the kids Monday afternoon

After her fun visit here she went on to visit her parents in Massachusetts then go on a fun roadtrip to Arethusa Falls in New Hampshire and Wells, Maine. Lots of fun!

PJFL Swan Craft- July 2016

On Monday, I took James and Miranda went to a reading and craft program at the library. The librarian read to them from a book about swans, and then we made swans from paper plates, feathers and glue sticks.

Listening to the story

Having fun with the glue stick

Starting to look like a swan!

Finished products: Miranda's on left, James's on right.

Boys' Trip to Boston 2016

Kevin went to Boston with his friends Casey, Jon, and Pete to see a Red Sox game. They had dugout seats so they were pretty excited. Kevin said the view was one of the best parts of the game. (The Red Sox lost.)

Pete, Kevin, Jon, Casey

They also spent some time in Swampscott with Casey both before and after the game. They ate out dinner there and stayed overnight there. In the morning, Casey gave them a tour of The Cabot Theater where he is the Executive Director.

Jon, Casey, and Kevin at Mission on the Bay


On stage at The Cabot


Tour of the Cabot

Pokemon with Adam and Colleen 2016

Okay, so I've been playing Pokemon Go since July 11, about a week after it was released in the US. It's not the big time waster that people assume it is because you have to walk to play so it overlaps with the time I spent walking and exercising before. The thing that makes it a bit of a time-waster is that now it's harder for me to listen to podcasts or audiobooks while walking.

One problem is that there are no "pokestops" (not to be confused with "gyms") anywhere near my house. You need the things you collect from pokestops- such as pokeballs- to catch the Pokemon. I tried to walk to the closest ones and they are way too far. Also, there aren't a lot of sidewalks in my neighborhood so it's not super safe to be focused on my phone while I'm walking.

Adam and Colleen offered to take me with them to the park nearby where there are a ton of stops around a walking track. I had so much fun! I had great company, we got exercise, and the track was full of other locals playing. We were all talking to each other and would randomly run to catch a Pokemon or to tell other people where to catch one. A bit ridiculous, but very fun.

The park- I'm the mean mom that went without my kids, haha.

The virtual version of the park.

This was our big catch of the night!

A Time for Kids: Frogs 2016

As I've explained before, I often don't know what a particular library program entails before I show up for it for the first time. I knew this one had something to do with frogs, but that was it. It turns out that A Time for Kids is a program that copies a school format but with parents present. They start with two welcome songs, which mercifully did not work at the beginning, and then we did a frog craft.

Miranda and James with varying levels of attention

Froggies in the first stage

Making some progress now...

Frog puppets complete!

Relatively happy

While the glue dried we had circle time and did some school-type puzzle activity. It was too easy for James at 5. It was just about right for Miranda at 2 it turned out but she needed a little more time (or fewer stickies) to do it herself.

Circle time

Working on their "puzzles"

LI Aquarium with Erika and Rob- July 2016

We've missed Erika and Rob since Memorial Day because she's been on a summer book tour for her book, The Book of Speculation! (I read it- it's great! Buy it! Read it!) So we were excited when they suggested going to the aquarium together. We love the Long Island Aquarium.

Group selfie! Unhappy faces due to heat outside the Aquarium

We had a fun afternoon walking around the inside and outside of the aquarium, getting lunch, ice cream, and playing a little Pokemon Go.

James outside the aquarium

Miranda petting sting ray

Rob and Erika laughing at these motionless fish

Miranda pointing out her favorite fish

People in the shark tank today!

Sea lion show!

Petting different sea animals

Miranda is excited

Rob told us about the Penguin bubble!

James is excited that he's big enough for the wading pool (Miranda isn't)

Walking with crabs

Checking out a shelled animal

Kevin and Miranda checking out the otters

The train captivated and enraged Miranda

Ice cream and shade

When we got home the kids made their own aquarium, stocked with kids instead of fish.

Miranda insisted the water table be inside the pool

James insisted on "swimming" laps around the water table

J & M in Swim Class 2016

We signed up both the kids for swim class, July 1-15. Ten days of the 5 year old solo class for James, and the mommy and me class for Miranda at the Centereach Pool. Except Kevin swam with her instead of me.

On the first day, the pipes at Centereach Pool burst so we were relocated to the Holtsville Pool and also it rained. We were a sad bunch.

Not exactly pool weather!

Not happy.

Other dedicated parents.

I wasn't allowed in because I wasn't doing the mommy and me class and the other classes didn't want parents there to freak out their kids. I couldn't even see James from my side of the fence, but I got a tiny picture of Kevin and Miranda swimming. Miranda hated the rain and the cold. James didn't care and when he got out of class he said "It was awesome!"

Kevin and Miranda under the life guard

Because of the July 4th holiday, the next lesson was July 5th. The lessons were at Centereach this time, but it rained again! The rest of the lesson were in better weather, but the water was cold most days and Miranda didn't start to be okay with the whole thing until the last few days.

James lining up to go in.

The Centereach Pool

This is how the moms watch the solo swim classes- through holes in the fence

James learning to swim

With his class

The last day they also got some quality water park time there.

Driving the splashy car

Splashing his little sister and dad


Splashy fun!


Running around