Spring Break in NYC

This post is long overdue, but I'm publishing it anyway, for two reasons.  The first is to thank our gracious hosts in New York, Boyd and Emily.  My family came to NYC for my sister's Spring Break and B & E hosted them, plus Sophie and I, then Loren when he came on the weekend.  Loren and I love them and their kids so much and I'm so appreciative of their kindness and generosity.  The second reason for the post is to help share fond memories with my sister, who's now off at college.  We had a good time in the city and hopefully these pictures will cheer her up and ward off homesickness.  And now, a brief review of our Spring Break in New York, via a rush of pictures.

Sophie and I got to go into the plane's cockpit in Boston

My dad, sister and I saw Death of a Salesman, with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield.  It was amazing!

We went to see Lady Liberty

I love this picture!

Trying out the ever-popular jumping picture

Her crown was under construction, so we had to stay on the ground, but it was a surprisingly emotional and special visit for me.  It made me proud to be an American.

Ellis Island

Spoiler alert:  This is her upcoming Halloween costume

At the World Trade Center Memorial.  I thought it was very moving.

Central Park, still no Loren

On the lookout for family

We decided to go rowing in the park...

and Sophie was excited to be with her cousins...

so I got stuck in a boat by myself.  Yes, I got some pitying stares.

Sophie and her newest cousin, Joshua.  Pretty sure he's almost as big as her!

The Hawkins girls went out to Phantom of the Opera, then we met up with my dad for some Junior's cheesecake

Loren made his first appearance(!), for an Easter egg hunt in the park

There were many variations of this picture, each with different expressions from the kids

Dyeing eggs

Easter morning

Beautiful Easter picture of cousins - Sophie, Eli and Gavin

We also got to spend one day with Loren's sister, Sherilyn, who came into town for her own Spring Break.  It was wonderful to see both of our families in one visit!

First Day of Preschool

Catching (way) up on the blog has been on my to-do list for months, but I want to start with a big current event at our house.  This week Sophie started preschool!  Sometimes I really do have to stop to think about it and I realize Sophie is 3 1/2, almost 4.  Wow!  We were all excited for her to start school.  Based on a recommendation from a friend of a friend, we found a great at-home preschool close to our house.  Sophie's teacher, Miss April, is so nice and has been teaching for many years.  There are nine kids in her class (all 3 years old).  Last week we went to an open house at the school, so the excitement had been building.  Then on Tuesday, her first day, Sophie started out looking like this:

We were getting a little pressed for time, which is a habit I am really trying to change, but... I rushed Sophie out the door, then remembered I wanted to take a picture of her.  I asked her to come stand in front of the house, which of course she didn't want to do because it was "too cold."  Not wanting to be late on the first day, I opted to drag her out of the garage against her will and take a picture anyway.  Before I snapped the pic, she opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could to express her displeasure with me.  Sorry neighbors!  I also tried to get one of her with her backpack on, but that was definitely not happening.

But don't worry, this all ends well.  In the less than five minutes it took to get to school, she had a change of heart and ended up looking like this, right before she walked in:

 
She seemed to have a great first day, although she was sad that she didn't have anything in her backpack to show for sharing time.  One girl had a bracelet (!) in her backpack, but Sophie remedied the situation by asking Miss April to please mail her a bracelet of her own.  Good thinking, kid.  Hooray for this milestone!  I hope this is the beginning of a long and happy relationship with formal education.  (And yes, I realized this is the same outfit she wore for her last day of co-op preschool in Cambridge.  Hey, if it ain't broke...) 

Last Day of School: A Series

Presenting the Tiny Taught's Class of 2012.  We'll miss you, Berkeley and Jonas!

MFA - Part 2

Here are some cool things we saw at our second visit to the Museum of Fine Arts.  And this time we even roped Loren into coming with us!

Sophie and I with the famous portrait of Paul Revere

John Adams - Gilbert Stuart, 1823.  This was painted when Adams was almost 90!

A picture of a little girl in front of a picture of a little girl...  Helen Sears - John Singer Sargent, 1895.  Helen was six when this portrait was painted.

George Washington - Gilbert Stuart, 1796.  This is the portrait that is used on the dollar bill.  Now do you see why Sophie and I took a picture of his tombstone?

Caresse Maternelle - Mary Stevenson Cassatt, about 1902.  I think this portrait is so sweet and tender.

And the famous Sargent painting:  The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit - John Singer Sargent, 1882.  Sargent painted this when he was only 26, wow.  The placard called his composition, "daringly empty."

Mommy-Daughter Date

Today was our big moving day and since we packed up the computer, I scheduled this post.  I know, it is high-tech.  Hopefully everything went well with the move!  On to the subject of this post...  One Saturday we decided to go as a family to see The Lorax at the movie theater.  It was only playing at the theater off Boston Common and it was only in 3-D, so that's what we did.  There was a tense moment during the previews when I thought Sophie was going to refuse to wear her 3-D glasses, but thankfully it passed and we all enjoyed the show.  It was everyone's first 3-D movie and it was cool, but I think the consensus was that in general, it's not worth spending the extra money.  Afterward Loren had to go back home and study (lame) so Sophie and I spent some time wandering around Boston Common and the Public Gardens.  Well, I wandered and she scootered.  It was a lovely spring day and I had a great time sightseeing and spending some special time with my daughter.

In front of the tombstone of artist Gilbert Stuart

Sophie for scale in a graveyard in Boston Common

I love these old tombstones and the elongated "s"

View of the Hancock Tower from the Public Gardens

 

Yes, I was usually too lazy to take off Sophie's helmet before I took a picture

An unusual monument celebrating the discovery that using ether helps relieve pain during medical procedures.  It was first used at Mass General Hospital

 

I love these pictures in the tulips!

Scooter Girl

After seeing Sophie play with her cousin's scooters in New York (which I will post about... someday), I decided she needed one for herself.  She had picked up the technique so quickly that I knew she wouldn't have too many accidents, plus I figured a scooter would be easier to carry up and down our stairs than a stroller would be.  Also, I may have secretly hoped that outings where Sophie rode her scooter would wear her out more than just sitting in the stroller.  Sounds logical, right?

Loren and I decided to get Sophie the scooter, but not tell her and have it be a fun surprise.  After agonizing a little longer than was necessary about the color choice (we picked green), we ordered it and waited for the big reveal.  Sophie was surprised and now loves her scooter!  She knows the safety rules about riding it and I'm happy we have something fun for her to do in our new neighborhood in Boise.

What could be in the box?

 

Surprise, your very own scooter!  I think she likes it.

 

Riding around the neighborhood.  This mural is on the side of the local florist's shop.