Dog-Days Monkeyshines

It was a hot and extra-steamy weekend here in Brooklyn this past weekend, but that didn't stop our favorite little ones from spending a fun-filled weekend with Daddy.

Our pet "mouse" saw a lot of action this weekend, which is good because living in a relatively small cage, he needs the exercise. We put him in the bathtub first to make sure that in his excitement that he is not going to make any poops, then he is free to run around the apartment. This weekend he was treated to several rides on our electric train set. Zachy was a little disappointed that he didn't fit into the boxcar, but Mr. Mouse seemed to genuinely enjoy riding in the flatbed car. Both children thought that this was quite fun.

Saturday morning we did the Sensory Gym thing per usual, then we went to the Shore Road Park for some sprinkler action. You might notice something slightly different about the photos of this white-hot action: Daddy is actually in a couple of the shots! Yes, I finally remembered that the disposable digital cameras that I use have a timer feature and the fences around the swing sets make perfect perches for self-photography. Unfortunately, Daddy is not nearly as photogenic as his beautiful children.

On Saturday afternoon we went to a local block party on 87th Street. We kind of invited ourselves, but since we live on the corner we were welcomed and got blue wristbands that designated us as residents. We got balloons from a clown who tied them into silly shapes, Daddy got some yummy potato salad, and we all bounced on the moon-walk ride, which Miranda dubbed "the bouncy castle." Zach was eyeing up the BigWheels that the kids were riding and would have taken a turn if the opportunity had presented itself - this got Daddy thinking, hmmmmn? Anyway, it's always nice to meet your neighbors and we had a good time.

On Saturday evening we took a long walk to the 69th Street pier to look at the water and see the fishermen fishing, after that we went to Owl's Head Park which is Zach and Miranda's normal stomping ground when they are not visiting with Daddy.


As we walked along the way, we saw a bag-piper piping. Zachy clutched his ears, but smiled and Miranda stared spellbound until the nice man had finished playing for us then said, "I want one!" I told her that perhaps she could try it when she was older - eeeek!

Sunday morning we went to the park by Fort Hamilton High School. We were up and out early, trying to get some outdoor time in before it rained, so we had the place all to ourselves for the first hour or so. No piece of equipment went unused, including the big-kids' swings which both Zachy and Miranda did a great job of swinging on.

With rain threatening on Sunday afternoon (actually it was threatening all weekend), Daddy decided that we could use an indoor activity so we went to the Painted Pot on 3rd Avenue. This is a place where they have a variety of unfinished pottery pieces that you pick out and can finish yourself. Of course you pay for the pottery, but included in the price are all of the paints/glazes, supplies, etc that you use to decorate the pottery. They also include the kiln firing of the pieces. You can choose to just do the painting or you can use colorful beads and tiles to create a mosaic piece. We just stuck with the glazes. Miranda did a fabulous job painting a large plate, and Zachy did a nice job of painting a piggy bank in the shape of a car, until he got bored and decided to sit and much some Fritos and watch the action (Daddy finished it for him). Thankfully, the paints and glazes are all water-based so they wash out of clothes, which is a good thing because we were all pretty well splattered by the end.

While we were on the way home, the skies opened up and we got pretty drenched, which the kids thought was just hilarious. Even Daddy didn't mind so much because it actually felt good after pushing the stroller around all weekend in 1000% humidity and sweating like a beast. That about sums up the high points of this week's episode of Monkeyshines - stay tuned for future adventures!