Easter Brunch in NYC

Today we went to Manhattan to have Easter Brunch with Grandpa George & Grandma Ruth. We went to a restaurant called Opia.

Before leaving for Manhattan we took some photos of the kids outside. Louis did not cooperate at all.


He fell asleep shortly before getting to the restaurant and ended up sleeping through brunch.


After waking he went over to the play area the restaurant had set up for the children attending the brunch. There was a face painter, bouncy castle, Easter egg hunts, toys and balloons for the children to play with. Louis loved the balloons. A lot of onlookers were surprised he kept his hat on, but I wasn't. He LOVES hats, especially this fedora. He wears it well.

LICM

We headed out to the Long Island Children's Museum today. It is the perfect place to take Louis and Leah to. Plenty for both of them to do.


Louis loved the beach theme sand play area.




There is also a music room with various instruments from around the world for the children to try out. Louis loved going from one to the next over and over again.


The bubble area is a great favorite among the children. We were there until closing time so the kids were able to enjoy this area for a long time.



Louis needed to take a break at several points and didn't want to stay in his stroller. Also makes it easier to wear him rather than spend the time chasing him around while Leah participates in the school age activities. Even at nearly 7 months pregnant, carrying around a 28 pound child is still comfortable in the ERGOBaby Carrier.

Open Play in the Treetop

Today we visited a local kids' indoor play space right by our house. It was busy because it was Spring Break but still a lot of fun. Louis had a blast.

Passover 2011

We went to Nana's today for Passover dinner. The kids had a great time (as always) with the family. Great food, great company.

Leah and Louis looked great in their outfits. Love the color coordinated look.





Even matching socks :)

Another trip to the farm

We really need to consider getting a season pass to White Post Farms next year. We sure visit often enough to make it worth our while. We were all in need of an outing and today was the perfect day for a farm trip. The farm had many Easter related activities for the children to participate in.

There was an Easter Egg hunt in the hay play area. At first Louis wasn't sure about what to do but Leah showed him the way.






Up until now Louis has not shown an interest in feeding the animals. He tried it out this time around. Still not crazy about it.






Snack Break


Meeting the Easter Bunny


Playing with Easter eggs while Leah paints and decorates her ostrich egg.


Waiting for Leah made Louis a bit tired.


Next up was the train ride. Fortunately the ride attendant felt comfortable allowing Leah to ride with Louis so I didn't have to.



Post Farm Smoothie Snack

Post Mall Trip

Spent the afternoon at the mall. I shopped for some Passover and Easter clothes for the kids then Leah & Matt went to see a movie. Meanwhile Louis and I walked around and had some lunch.

After we got home he was still a bundle of energy.




He picked out his own hat at H&M. Cute blue fedora.

Happy 16 Months!

16 Month Milestones

I've found that milestones get all mixed up after a year. I don't pay much mind to them. I think Louis is developing well.

Nevertheless these are the ones listed for a 16 month old.

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
-Turns the pages of a book - has been doing this for a while now. I've noticed he can now do one page at a time in Leah's books.
-Has temper tantrums when frustrated - He still isn't into the full blown temper trantrum stage. He just pushes you off or changes his face when upset. He may grunt or yell a little.
-Becomes attached to soft toy or other object - He has his moments where he wants to keep a stuffed animal w/him or one of Leah's dolls. Nothing specific though.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Discovers the joy of climbing - I don't know about other children but Louis has been climbing before he could even walk. It is his favorite thing to do.
Stacks three blocks - I noticed the other day he stacks 3 or 4 blocks now before knocking them all down.
Uses spoon or fork - He has been feeding himself more lately using a spoon and fork. He prefers to.
Learns the correct way to use common objects (e.g., the telephone) - He knows how to turn the phone on and will talk while on it. He also knows how to turn on and off the tv using the remote or our Google Tv keyboard.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Takes off one piece of clothing by himself - He will take off his socks and pants at the end of the day.
Gets finicky about food - I have noticed he has his preferences lately but overall he eats everything.
Switches from two naps to one - He hasn't had a two nap day in quite some time. Unless we are out for the day, then he may have two. Overall though he's done with the morning nap.