PJFL Story Time - August 2017

Yesterday we went to story time at the library and ran into Kyle, Kacy, and Erica! Spontaneous playdate! After the reading the kids played in the library a little while then we briefly visited the splash park near the harbor.

Kacy, Miranda, Kyle, and James

Funny story books!

 

Playing trains. Miranda was more active in this than she appears here.

Splashing!

PJFL Mindfulness 2017

Last Tuesday, I took James to the best kids program ever: Mindfulness.

Playing pre-program

Saying nice things about each other and themselves

James praised a particular girl's idea to play Ring-around-the-rosy

Making breathing beads

Yoga stretches

The warrior

Relaxing and meditating

Summer Family Fun- July 2017

We had a crazy Monday this week. We went to the beach, took James to an art class at the library, and went to a Long Island Ducks game with Jennifer, Frank, and Dominick.

Cedar Beach

Throwing rocks

Demonstrating his front float

Getting brave 

We had the beach pretty much to ourselves

Mixed Media Art Class at library

 

Finishing his pencil, pen, watercolor, and sand art

Arriving at Bethpage Ballpark

Our first baseball game as a family!

LI Ducks

Girls at the game

James got to  do the Bounce House!

Let's just forget this part happened.

PJFL Chess 2017

James still loves his Chess club at the library. Wednesday he had his 7th meeting (the 3rd class this summer), and he's signed up for the rest of the summer. I really love our library!

Look at his face! What a cute happy little nerd!

P.S. He lost his 5th tooth on Wednesday too. A top one!

You can see the missing 4th tooth too but no idea when that happened.

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!

J & M in Super Soccer Stars 2017

My friend Erica and I took our kids to Super Soccer Stars at the library on Thursday. There was a little kids class for Miranda and her little Kacy at 11, and then there was a soccer class for the big kids James and Kyle at 12. We also had James's and Kyle's friend Nick with us, and Kyle's cousin Gabe and they got a chance to play too. Fun times!

Selfie of everyone

 

Miranda playing soccer

Kids taking a snack break outside

 

Big kids playing soccer

 

Miranda, James, Kyle, Nick, Gabe, and Kyle (busy right now)

Taking these well-behaved kiddos for ice cream

PJFL Butterfly Story Craft 2017

T-ball was cancelled last minute because the field was soaked so we drove straight to the library and got in some butterfly and caterpillar crafts before butterfly story time. Woo!

James made a butterfly and a caterpillar

Miranda made a pastel-colored caterpillar

PJFL Bunnies 2017

We took the kids to a library event to "learn about how bunnies are born and develop" but really just to hold and pet baby bunnies. This program is so popular that even though it was offered 2-3 times this month I only managed to get 1 kid on the waitlist. When they called us off the waitlist we got the other kid in too. Cheating! It felt like winning the hottest concert tickets.

Miranda experienced pure joy.

James holding and petting a brown bunny of his choice

My favorite bunnies were the little black ones.

Seriously, the happiness is off the charts.

Before the instructor let the bunnies run wild

Bunnies having play time.

This one was "a runner and a biter" and tried to escape.

My bunny

First Chess Club Meeting 2017

James has an independent interest in chess, which he picked up from the apps on his Kindle. Kevin was pleased and agreed to play with him, but James prefers to have some chance at winning, so now he's participating in the library's class so he can play other little kids. My little future nerd is growing up!

Reviewing some strategy

Putting theory into practice

Miranda waiting for chess class to end

PJFL Snowflake Craft 2016

Kevin is on his vacation so Monday we took Miranda to library crafts. She was pretty difficult so we had to cancel our post-library lunch plans. But look how good and easy she looks in (silent) pictures!

I'm doing stencils and she wanted to do the color-ins

Working hard

Explaining her art to me

Adding jewels and cotton balls to her project

A little children's room fun afterwards