Music on the Green

Our neighborhood puts on some great events. We even have a social chair that plans out year-round events, how cool is that? Tonight was Music on the Green. One of the neighbors plays in a jazz band and gets the band to come out to play for the neighborhood.

Of course, we bring one small blanket for 10 people. Here are the "girls" and baby too!

Mia and Kailey petting Milo, one of the many dogs at the event.

The girls enjoying the music.



Mia's interesting dance solo.

More monkey bars fun

During the evening bike ride to the park, Mia hung by her knees off the monkey bars...okay, I held her feet, but that's still an accomplishment. Wouldn't you be scared?

After the taunts from Lil' Yi-Yi (Vicki) about "I see Paris, I see France...", Mia insists on wearing skirts or dresses with bloomers. But she is so good natured about the taunting, she laughs when she tells me about Lil' Yi-Yi singing that song to her.

Gang of Three

We changed the schedule a bit today and went for a morning bike ride. Isn't it amazing how kids can just play non-stop: morning, noon and night?!!? I want some of their energy!!!!

The usual gang of three: Mia, Jalen, and Dan Dan

I was so happy to capture this on camera. Jalen and Mia always arrive to the park first and Mia always asks Jalen for help with her helmet and he always does...every time with no complaint. They're really there for each other.

It's all fun and games until...

...well, no one got hurt, but would you like to be on the receiving end of this:

Jalen is actually very sweet and he helps the girls comb their hair after bath time. I guess he was getting a little creative here. I worked on it for 10 minutes and Vicki probably did for another 7 minutes. All Dan Dan could say is, "Ouch...just cut it." Poor girl! But she's fine and all the hair is intact.

Meanwhile, baby Justin just plays while his sister is suffering. Here's his smile gradually turning into his big cheese face.

Two lil' monkey's...

Jalen showed me something new that he can do on the monkey bars, hooking his legs to (almost) hand upside down. After Mia saw it, she had to try. She is definitely persistent, she must have tried for 15 minutes and was so close...maybe tomorrow.

The two monkey's in action.

Back to the routine...

After a week in NYC, we are back into our routine of swim lessons, bike rides, and playing with cousins all day long.

Jalen is doing amazing this summer with his swim lessons. Here's the boy who didn't like to get his face wet last summer!



And check out his form. This is in the 6ft. deep end of the pool. I won't even do this...or jump in the pool for that matter. =)



The biggest hurdle for Mia & Dan Dan is for them to be comfortable with getting their face in the water. Mia is doing well this week and Dan Dan, well, not so good. For some reason, one will have a good week and the other a bad one, then the next week, they'll switch off. Here are some of Mia's head bobs and Dan Dan's death stare at me for wanting her to dunk her head...scary!

Until next time...

Mia and Fer Fer are great together...non-stop laughing, pure silliness and both are "loco" in the head! But I love that they're close.

Playing a made-up FF game. Mia loves them all.

We wish FF (and Uncle Daylan) lived closer...

Flower Girl Fashion Show

Well, Mia's big day is coming up in October...her first flower girl gig! She is so excited to be getting a "princess" dress. This girl is so girly, how did she become this way!?!?! Anyhow, this is the highlight of Mia's NY trip. Which do you like?

Some of these dresses were unbelieveable, I can't see a little girl really wearing this, but of course this is the one she LOVED...YIKES!

And, of course, she had to try on a veil. As Mia said "Just like Cinderella."

Central Park Fun

After the Children's Museum, we headed to Central Park. There is just something amazing about being in a gorgeous park in the middle of a busy city. Mia definitely loves escaping to the park. We don't see many tire swings at parks back home, but I hope we find some because Mia really loved them...actually I hope we don't, I get sick just watching her! Don't watch this video if you get dizzy (I can't watch it at all!).

Children's Museum of Manhatten

We headed to this museum today. It's a great place for young kids...everything is interactive, entertaining, and it's a great learning environment. No bully on this visit (http://adventures-of-mia.blogspot.com/2008/02/back-in-nyc.html) which is fine since there was so much to do and no time to fend off a bully!

The weather is nice, so this time around "City Splash" was open.

Fishing was the popular activity...she got one!

Speeding through the "virtual" city on a tricycle.

The hokey pokey is always fun. Mia was laughing so hard because they said to put your "tooshie" and your tongue in the middle.

Brookyln Zoo & Butterflies

So much to do and see at the Brooklyn Zoo, but I'm not sure it was worth the hour + ride on the subway...well, I had a full bladder (TMI) so maybe that's what made it a miserable trip. Mia on the other hand, did not mind the trip and loved the Madagascar exhibit, the tiger, giraffe's and...butterflies.

Here she is with a "butterfly" painted face trying to get a butterfly onto her hand.

She didn't get it to land on her hand, so she settled for the butterfly on her shirt.

A butterfly within a butterfly!


Totally exhausted after a day of being pushed in a stroller at the zoo. The subway sign is the only thing that I got a picture of that says we were at the zoo.

Coney Island Fun!

They make it easy to have a full day on Coney Island. The aquarium is right next to the amusement park and beach on Coney Island, so Mia indulged in some kiddie rides.

A must, the roller coaster.

Other fun rides.

NY Aquarium and Mia's new "baby"

What a great day! We started off at the NY Aquarium and saw the sea lion show (twice).

Mia fell in love with the walrus and her baby (born last year at 117 lbs and 44 inches!!!). She has never been into stuffed animals, but when she saw the stuffed baby walrus, she had to have him. Here she is posing with her baby and the "mommy".

Here she is showing the real mommy walrus her baby.

We also saw penguins and then went for an art project. For $1 Mia got to pick a pick a picture to color and get made into a button. Guess what she picked?

Introducing Potato Monster Jr!

I don't know how Fer Fer gets Daylan to go along with her funny, crazy antics, but she does! Here is where Potato Monster all started...

Fer Fer with PM.

Mia meeting PM.

Mia as Potato Monster Jr!

PM Jr. singing happy birthday to her mommy!

And, of course, every PM needs a Mommy PM.

COMING SOON!

Castle Fort by Uncle Daylan

Uncle Daylan is the best. FF and I went to check out some sales and Daylan played with Mia. I don't think she even noticed we were gone, look at the castle fort he made her.

He even gave her a little wooden box as a "treasure chest". So creative, Uncle Daylan!

Mia's NYC "loft"

Mia made a "loft" hang out at Auntie Fer Fer & Uncle Daylan's place. She hangs out in that spot whenever we're lounging at the house. She loves people watching and relaxing there.

This one turned out a little artistic...but totally by accident!

NYC according to Mia

We are back in NYC to visit Auntie Fer Fer and Uncle Daylan. The weather is hot, humid and muggy. But we are being brave and heading out and about as we normally do. Mia is a trooper with all the walking and all the shops we want to go in. She entertained herself with the camera while in the stroller....here's some of her favorite subjects.

Mommy, of course!

Uncle Daylan comes in a very close second...

This is the view from her stroller...

And here she is trying to take a picture of herself.

Ultimate NY experience

We couldn't believe our luck! It was HOT and Mia was on the verge of a melt down when we ran into this...



Here's some fun with Uncle Daylan:



I'm hoping that there will be more photos. There was a couple shooting a lot of photos of Mia playing with the hydrant and they said they would email them to Mia. It was like she was being followed by the papparazi!

Swim lessons continue...

The kids are getting very comfortable in the water and Jalen is swimming a bit. They love their lessons and their new teacher.

Mia putting her face in the water and blowing bubbles. Her previous record was four seconds.



This girl jumped in the pool on her first & second day of swim lesson and after that, she refused to do it. It was her battle of choice each swim session...but look at her now and even a head dunk at the end!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Randy!

We all got together for Randy's 31st(!) birthday...but I didn't get a photo of him with the kids. Maybe I'll have to steal one off of his camera for the blog.

We tried to set-up the girls for some cute shots on the lawn, but someone wouldn't do a cute face...I think she's doing the "My name is Chubs" joke...or the sexy model look?!??!!

The old saying, "boys will be boys" is so true! I can't imagine Dan Dan and Mia doing this for an hour thinking it is as fun as Jalen and Wai Wai do...maybe one or two throws, but an hour!?!?!

Fun with more family

Mia got to enjoy time with her great uncle, great aunt, and 2nd cousins, Alyssa & Aaron. We went for our nightly bike ride and Wai Wai generously offered his Razor to Uncle Chuckie. Still a kid at heart:

Here's Wai Wai showing U.C. how it's really done.

Aaron started a pull-up challenge. Here's Virginia, I think she got 1 1/2, but as Aunt Jih-Ling pointed out, she got a jumping start on the first one...cheater! ;p

The Nip kids all grown-up....

Look Ma, No Hands!

After our friends leave, we go on a bike ride. Mia does the craziest things out of the blue and today was no different. She is suddenly peddling and puts her hands in the air. I'm kinda confused, so I ask her what she's doing. "I'm riding with no hands"...duh, mom. So I ask "Why?" and she simply says, "Because I want to." Oh, okay. What can I say since she seems so good at it? Nothing except, "Be careful and don't do it down the hills."

Happy 4th of July!

Mia enjoyed the day with some new & old friends over. Carter & Claire stopped by, along with new friends Madison & Camryn (Kerry & Jerome have moved back!) and Donovan (Nicole Kim & hubby Dave's 12 week old).

Mia got a hold of the camera and took these shots:

Lil' Donovan had his first fall at this house...OUCH! But he is quite a trooper. Nicole is convinced that he wasn't crying over the fall, it was more like, "Uh, I'm hungry, where's my lunch!?!?!" But daddy Dave took care of him, as did the lil' helpers. It was very cute how they all wanted to make sure Donovan was okay.

Unfortunately the fun always has to end, but Madison was very sweet and ask Mia if she wanted to go to her house for a playdate...and of course, Mia said "yes" to her new buddy.