Toddlers Do New York

This weekend we were honored with a visit from Jen, Sean, Matthew, and Thomas. Saturday we packed ourselves up and braved the bus ride into the city. Babies' first bus ride, complete with mommy singing the wheels on the bus! We visited the Central Park Zoo, which had lemurs and penguins but none of the other animals featured in the movie Madagascar. I guess you can't believe everything you see in the movies. Thomas seemed to like the penguins best, both boys liked the bats, and the whole experience was somewhat overstimulating all around.

While we were at the zoo we heard a clock ringing, and looked up to see this very cool clock with metal animal sculptures holding instruments. Becky commented, "I think that clock is famous or something." And so we did what you do when being touristy and viewing something famous - took several pictures. Here's one picture of mommy and baby kangroos playing French horns.






We then traveled back to the lovely New Jersey and visited a playground with tons of cool fountains not too far from our neighborhood. I've been wanting to go to this place since I first saw it from the bus, but apparently it's really sketchy to go to a kids playground as an adult without any children.







I still think it probably would be/will be more fun with somewhat older kids, but it was still enjoyable to do with the nephews. In keeping with their personalities, Matthew wasn't so sure at first, but Thomas jumped right in. Matthew finally got in to it when he found a Matthew-sized water fountain - aka the somewhat broken, smallest fountain in the park that none of the big kids were interested in.

For dinner we dined at a delicious recently-opened local Indian restaurant. Matthew and Thomas trashed the place while the adults tried to enjoy conversation and tastiness. Exhaustion was had all around and no photos were taken. We continued to screaming overtired babies, Asti drinking (21 lbs and over), and a viewing of the Princess and the Frog.

Sunday morning Jen and Sean packed up and all of us headed to Father's Day at The Edible Garden exhibit of The New York Botanical Garden.

We wandered the park, ate some tasty but excessively expensive BBQ, putzed in the children's exhibit, and attempted to watch a butcher demonstration. Sadly though the presenters declared it "too hot" to butcher a pig. Alas.









And here are the boys with their favorite aunties (note how Thomas is reaching into my shirt and Matthew is tiredly attempting to blow raspberries at the camerawoman - aka Auntie Becky):