PJFL Jazz Lesson 2017

Saxophonist Shenole Latimer used listening games, live music, group participation, and humorous demonstrations to introduce kids to Jazz music. He taught the kids about Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Charlie Parker, Max Roach, Thelonious Monk, "improvisation," and yes, I took notes on my phone because I need to learn these things too.

Latimer playing some jazz


Latimer helping the kids remember "Monk" with monkey noises- kids loved it!

Shake N' Make Music- August 2016

We went to the library for a music class last Friday. They contract out to a local company called Shake n' Make Music about once a month. I'm enjoying the classes that are ages 2-5 this summer, since James is about to age out to K-3rd grade.

Bean bags for balancing

Following directions!

Walking like penguins

Getting instruments (bells and tamborine- Miranda wanted a drum)

Colorful peekaboo

Under the parachute!

More parachute fun

Bubbles!

PJFL Dance and Music Class 2016

Tuesday I had a date with Miranda at Babies Boogie followed by a date with James at Toddlers Tango. James was super excited because he felt like he finally got to go to "Mommy n' Me" which is sort of of kind of is.

Babies Boogie Musical Peekaboo

There she is!

Babies Boogie bubbles and drums!

Toddlers Tango- Music and hula hoops

Toddler Tango Drumming Circle!

He got bubbles too!

Shake N' Make Music- March 2016

While James went to Pre-K,  I took Miranda to a library event, Shake N' Make Music. I think the library pays for some local children's events to be available for free at the library because I've definitely seen ads for this program and it's an independent local business.

Sitting on my lap drumming


Frogs on a parachute

 Under the baby parachute!


Grab a frog!


Super determined bubble-catching

Instrument Petting Zoo 2016

Stony Brook University has this interactive program for kids 3-5 years old called "Instrument Petting Zoo." While I was in Richmond, Kevin took James. (Miranda was also there but strictly in an observational capacity.) James could listen and play real instruments from an orchestra.

Stony Brook University Music students demonstrated how each instrument works and then James was able to touch and play some of the instruments.  He was able to slide a trombone, blow through a recorder and wave their arms to make sounds on a Theremin. James and Miranda both got a  kazoo as a gift to keep.

James playing the recorder.

James playing the guitar

Video of James playing the guitar!

Video of James waving his arms to make sounds on a Theremin

Valentine's Day 2016

We celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday night even though it's pretty clear at this point that Kevin despises Valentine's Day because it generally intrudes on his birthday on the 15th. As my brother David and his fiance Melanie accidentally pointed out, this was our 10th Valentine's Day together! And our 5th as a parent... relatedly thanks for babysitting Grandma!

For our 10th Valentine's Day, we had dinner at The Fifth Season in Port Jefferson. Even though I'd been there before for drinks, this was the first time I had a full dinner there. It was a prix fixe and every course was good. So were my two crazy martinis: coconut and later Snickers. After dinner we went to see the Stony Brook Chamber Ensemble play Haydn Quartet Op. 77 no. 1, and Dvorak Bass Quintet No. 2 op. 77 at Three Villages Church in Setauket. It was a lovely evening.

We're wearing black, yo.

View of the harbor in Port Jeff

Stony Brook Chamber Ensemble

Sunday was the 14th, and we wore red, Kathy and the kids made Kevin a cake, and we celebrated Kevin's birthday. More in the next post.

Here's the red! Happy Valentines Day!

Oh did you want to know what we did every single time? Here you go:

9- In 2015, we had a double date with  Lukas and Sarah at Sekund Sun in Queens
8- In 2014, I was pregnant with Miranda and we took James for sushi at Kaji in Garden City
7- In 2013, we went to Ki, Clover Club, Char. No. 4, and The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn, thanks to Nana!
6- In 2012, we had dinner at Sushi Ya in Garden City, thanks to Michi!
5- In 2011, I was pregnant with James and we had dinner at Bob's Restaurant in Floral Park
4- For our first married Valentine's Day in 2010, we had dinner at El Centro and then went to the NYC Ballet in Manhattan
3- In 2009, we celebrated Kevin's birthday on Valentine's Day with Brady and James in Brooklyn
2- In 2008, Kevin and I were engaged for 2 months and I think we stayed home, but Valentine's was bookended by my law school formal dance and our engagement party in Charlottesville
1- In 2007, Kevin and I had been dating 6 months and we went l'Etoile Restaurant in Charlottesville, VA

James's Winter Concert 2016

James had a winter concert, "Winter Song Night" at school. This was our first nighttime school event ever! There was a lot of excitement. James wakes up EARLY no matter when we put him to bed, so this event was running right through his bedtime, and Miranda not only goes to bed early, but is currently sleep-training... again. But a school concert! So fun and worth it!

Hello parents!

Dancing Emma, Lexi, Cora, Adrianna, Lyla, Myla, Dillon, Rebecca, Ellie and James!



Video

Singing Lyla, Myla, Dillon, Rebecca, Ellie and James!

I LOVE YOU!

My mother will surely object to this style, but the concert was after Miranda's bedtime so I put her in footie pajamas and a coat so that if she fell asleep we could still pop her in the crib. I also thought she'd want me to hold her the whole time, as she sometimes does when she's tired but no. She's desperate to go to school and won't miss me at all, thank you very much. Haha.

Miranda taking over the playroom

After the concert there was a little snack party for the kids. The parents mingled a little and then we braved the cold again.

Table art and hats by Miss Tasha (navy sweater)
Miss Jill in rainbow sweater behind James, Miss Jackie behind Ellie


Miss Jill talking to Ellie

This week's besties: Rebecca, Lyla, and James

James introducing Miranda to Ellie

Miranda has taken over this laptop.

Harbor Front Trio- December 2015

Date night! Twice in one month! Craziness! First we went for coffee at Tiger Lily Cafe because I had been wanting to check it out, and also because I was so tired after my night out in NYC celebrating Mike and Havi's love.

Tiger Lily Cafe date-night-selfie

Then we went to get my library card at Port Jeff Library so I can take the kids to events and get digital books and audiobooks. But it's super frustrating to get a library card there. This was my second try and I still thought they were going to say no. What are the rules? You have to have a piece of mail with your name AND date on it. It doesn't matter if all your bills are addressed to your husband, that's a personal problem. It doesn't matter that your husband and kids already have their library cards. It's also a personal problem that a lot of your bills have personal information on them. But alas, I got my card.

Book Tree at library- Merry Christmas and Hallelujah!

Then we were off to the main event. The Harbor Front Trio was playing (for free!) at the Port Jefferson Village Center in the Sail Loft Room with a view of the harbor. The trio played Mozart (well Mozart's dad actually) & Haydn.

Port Jefferson Village Center decorated for Christmas!

There was a tree decorating competition happening.

Harbor Front Trio: Natalie Kress (a little hidden), Phuc Phan, and Ofir Tomer

View out the window

Intermission

Port Jefferson Christmas lights

Port Jeff Ice Cream and Brewery 2015

We had an exciting day on Wednesday! We enrolled James for late summer camp and pre-school in the fall! Real pre-school! He'll have "academic standards" to meet before kindergarten- actually all stuff he can already do, but still makes it legitimate school.

Kevin's coworker Kristina, and now my one and only friend in town, invited us to go to a summer night Brewery concert. We were psyched. The concert ran into the kids bedtime so to make it more of an event we went early for ice cream. That seemed like a good idea except my kids were pretty much covered in ice cream from head to toe before the concert even started. I basically bathed them and washed their clothes in a random bathroom. True story. Luckily it's summer so it all dried pretty quickly.

Waiting in line at Port Jeff Ice Cream Cafe

Started to get covered in Black Rasberry ice cream...

Self-serve is where we went really wrong...

The Port Jeff Brewery was having a Summer Music Series, and the band on Wednesday was an Irish music band, Bangers & Mash, so there was some real and some pretend Irish step-dancing in the audience. We met Kristina, her husband Darren, two of her kids, and some of the kids' friends. They aren't pictured because I was trying not to be my usual picture-pushy self so as not to scare them away haha. New friends yay!

Bangers & Mash concert outside the brewery

Kevin and James dancing to some Irish music

More dancing