come on over!

Hey there, family and friends (and lurkers, too!).

We're saying good-bye over here and hello somewhere else...

You're invited to come on over to our new blog!

The address is: http://bulldogandlefty.blogspot.com/

Or just click here.

See you there!

Coney

Wear bathing suits and pack extra snacks.
Ride the subway big-boy style.
See new and familiar things.

Dance along to music being played on the subway platform.
Laugh and smile and anticipate what's to come.

Laugh and smile and anticipate what's to come... again.

Get the best (if fleeting) view in the house.

Scream and laugh hysterically.
Jolt your brain and kidneys.

Eat funnel cakes.
Get powdered sugar everywhere.

Ride more carnival rides.
Enjoy the company and helping hands of friends.

Eat salty hot dogs and warm french fries and sugary, cold lemonade.

Feel a cool breeze and not-too-hot sun.
Play in sand and water.
(Eat sand.)
Run up and down the boardwalk.
People watch.

Get to ring the bell.

Avert a meltdown with tickles.

...Have another great day at Coney Island.

*What do you know! Because we use Picasa/Gmail, we've filled our photo storage quota for this blog! So... unless we start paying for extra storage each year, we'll have to figure out another way to bring you pictures of the boys, which might include a new blog under a new name! Stay tuned...*

Nap

Pink

This was every bit as cute - or more - as these pictures show. They made a lot of people smile on the street that day.

Lately I've been pushing Jesse in the single stroller while Lucas cruises along with us in the 3-wheel scooter (another stoop sale find!). But this day Jesse had a chance to go on foot, pushing his own little stroller. Lucas liked to ride in circles around him or go up and down the sidewalk a few times while Jesse caught up. We only went two blocks but I was impressed at how far Jesse's little feet took him!

These two boys are looking more and more alike in the face. It also feels a bit like deja vu whenever we watch Jesse gravitate towards the pinwheels all over our block and recall Lucas's obsession with them years ago.

Central Park

It's been way too long since we've taken the boys to Manhattan, so we spent a day in Central Park this week. And then we were reminded of how crazy we've been for not bringing them sooner...

There's an express bus that zips between Bay Ridge and Manhattan, leaving us just a couple of blocks from the southern end of the park, our favorite area. Lucas loved having the view instead of riding in a dark subway tunnel.

It's still a good ways away from home, so the boys were glad to run around after all that sitting.

We were on the hunt for an amazing playground with lots of rustic, natural elements and the best thing ever...

...a really fast, curvy granite slide! This is classic Lucas: after a few warm-ups with Mama, he declares that he's ready to go alone...

Such a brave boy making his way up to the top...

Looking a little worried coming down the first time alone...

But after that, he was home free, sliding on his back, flipping around, having the time of his life. He must have done this for, what, an hour straight?

Maybe because they know how fast the slide can be (many kids sit on cardboard pieces dug out of the trash to go even faster), the children were surprisingly good about regulating themselves and making sure to wait until the way was clear before taking their turn! The parents just hung out at the bottom, laughing and ooh'ing and aah'ing.

This Mama couldn't resist going down a few times herself. I could hear Jesse squealing with joy each time we went down...

Jesse later hung out in the sand box while Lucas kept on at the slide. Papi says he picked up a large tree seed and was using it to talk on the phone:

On The Mall we watched this kid juggle all kinds of things for a few minutes. When Lucas got closer to put some change in his bucket, we heard Lucas say to him, "Thanks, you did a really great job there!"

Making the sign for "water."

We hung out at the fountain and boathouse to rest and have lunch.

Jesse couldn't get enough of this poor bird. At first we thought the bird was wounded but we quickly figured out that the bird has grown accustomed to being fed by people. That bird was fearless (and so was Jesse).

Lucas would go in the nude all day long if we let him.

Ducks and turtles:

Miniature sailboats on the lake:

At the zoo there was a large picture of a polar bear, and Jesse kept growling at it like this:

Don't you wish someone would carry you when you're feeling tired?

Our napless wonder loved walking up and down the lanes, dog watching, and picking up leaves. (He's making his sniffing sign for "flower" - I guess he's making the connection that they both come from trees?)

Central Park is MAGICAL. We promise to take you if you come to visit!

In The City

We've heard it said many a time that when NYCers live in the city, that means everywhere outside of their apartment, in the city. Perhaps because living spaces here tend to be small, people live and work and play in bookstores, museums, coffee shops, the subway, parks, the street, and other public spaces.

Though our apartment is quite large (by NYC standards especially), some weeks of the summer have felt just like that. We spend a few hours at home in the middle of the day to nap, but otherwise we're out and about, soaking up the sun, meeting with friends and family, hopping on a bus, exploring new parks, taking our lunches on the road.

We love summer!

Two Videos (and our 500th Post!)

Liam slips Jesse the tongue. And Jesse likes it.


Tata and Jesse playing a new game.

4th of July Weekend

Friday:








Saturday:


Sunday:












All that sun, food, good friends and family... we're zonked!