The Playgrounds of New York

Let's see what else our photos tell us we did in New York. It looks like we went to a lot of playgrounds - 4, I think

We took Bluet to the ancient playground a couple of times, where of course she played on the swings. She loved the playgrounds in New York, probably because they are both awesome and full of other kids.

And then we also went to Charles Shultz Park, near our old apartment, where Bluet played on the swings

And then we went to Tompkins Square Park, where Bluet played on the swings. This is one Bluet had never been to before

And finally, on our last day, to the Imagination Playground, where there are no swings, but there are hula hoops and sand

After the imagination playground, Ilona was knackered, and fell asleep on a seat in a restaurant.

A sort of homecoming

This last week Bluet and Ilona's daycare was shut for 'Spring Break' so we took the opportunity to return to the city that never sleeps, the big apple, the place of Bluet's birth, New York.

What a week that was.

Whilst we also didn't sleep so much (so many places to see, so many people to meet, so much to do, and a small one bedroom apartment with 4 people and steam heating*) but we had a wonderful time, and it makes us really excited to be moving again to a real city (Zurich) rather than the never ending suburb in which we currently reside.

So it is going to take some time to sort out the photos, but never fear, they are coming. In the meantime, here is a video of Bluet hula hooping at the imagination playground. You may recall, this is something she has wanted to be able to do for a long time, and now she seems to have mastered it.

*the only bad thing about New York is the steam heating, which heats all the apartment buildings through radiators. Unfortunately the temperature appears to be set for the oldest person in the building (i.e. much, much too hot) so you have to have the windows open all winter to adjust the temperature, and then in this apartment Bluet and Ilona were in the bedroom with windows, and Emily and I slept on the sofa in the room with no windows, and anyway, I digress. I also feel I might have written this before. 

Hula Girl

Hula girl vine.co/v/bxaaPju1w3g

— ben collins (@bencollins01) April 28, 2013

On Friday there was a 'Zoobilee' at Houston Zoo, so we took Bluet. Recently she has discovered the hula hoop (the 50s craze, not the delicious potato based snack that America sadly lacks) as they have them at school. I think that Bluet's love of circles plays some role in her love of hula hoops (or 'big circle', as she calls them). Anyway, immediately upon entering the Zoo, there was a DJ dressed as a pirate (because Zoos need pirates) playing music so that the kids could hula. Bluet immediately located her own blue hula hoop - which was available as it was slightly deformed and oval in shape. Anyway, for the next 20 minutes her and the hula hoop were inseparable. She would occasionally stand and watch an older kid, for tips, and then try and hula herself. Or she would see another hoop and go get it. But she kept an eye on her first blue hoop, and if anyone came near and tried to take it, she would run back and pick it up. Never has a hula hoop been so loved, especially such a runty and deformed one. After that we went and ate some bad Zoo food, and then more or less headed home (via the carrousel, which she also loves - this time on one of the animals that moves 'up down'), seeing hardly any animals. But I think the hula hoops made this Bluet's favourite trip to the Zoo ever.