Bug Carousel at the Bronx Zoo

Bug Carousel

Originally uploaded by Jangjacude.

Today we went to the Bronx Zoo and had a great time visiting all the animals. The boys really enjoy the zoo, and the Bronx is top notch. Its so big that we never do everything when we visit. We’ve been 3 times now and still haven’t seen a couple of the exhibits.

This was our first time ever going on a weekend. Crowded. Understatement. It’ll probably be the last time we go on a weekend. It was still a beautiful day and lot of fun, crowd and all.

Irish Boys

Well, St Patty’s Day is finally upon us and in hopes of finding a pot of gold, we have come short! The boys wanted to dress in the funny hats and necklaces but weren’t too keen on taking pictures. It was a nice sunny, warm day so all they wanted to do was play. “No time for pictures, Mom!” Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone….and a special Happy “Fitzpatrick” Day to Megan!!

Trip to the Arctic

As you can tell from the pictures, we just got back from our trip to Arctic. We stayed a few nights in the igloo, and had a number of up close encounters with the Beluga whales.

Okay, not true…actually its just the aquarium and kid’s museum. But it has been really cold and seems like the Arctic.

Male Bonding

Jack was reading Eric Carle’s classic to Jude and we were able to catch it on video. I suppose “catch it” is an overstatement, with affinity for the camera, he’d gladly give us 3 or 4 takes, if necessary… but getting Jude to attentively listen would likely only happen once.  

Neverland Birthday Party

Yesterday was Jack’s Neverland themed birthday party. He has been counting down the days to his birthday and his party all month. We made a paper chain so he could tear off a ring each day, which helped quell the incessant “When is my birthday?” questions a bit. But his adrenaline cup flowed over yesterday morning when he woke up at about 5:30 ready for the party to begin. The questions of “How long until my friends come over?” started then and continued about every 2 minutes until people showed up (thankfully, at the relatively early hour of 10:30). Needless to say, he was amped- before the cake and pixie sticks.

The house was overrun with pirates, fairies, and lost boys. It was fun. All the kids went on a treasure hunt to find Hook’s gold (which was located at Skull Rock). The pirate ship cake was huge- I’m guessing it would feed about 30. I’m not sure how we’re going to finish off all the leftovers.

Anyway, it was fun, and we wish everyone could have been here.

Pan and Hook

Pan and Hook

Originally uploaded by Jangjacude.

Jack wants a Peter Pan themed party for his birthday, so Mom made him a costume and Dad fashioned a sword. Of course, sibling rivalry what it is, Jude demanded to be Hook. While his birthday is still weeks away, why do I get the feeling we’ll be putting these costumes on repeatedly for quite some time?

Santa and His Helper

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
We heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

   

A Visit With Mickey and the Gang

We’re back from our trip to Disney World. It was the boys first time there, and they loved it. We visited the Magic Kingdom (twice), Animal Kingdom, and Epcot (which I now know is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow… see, you do learn something every day). We had a “Magical” time. It was pretty good timing, too, as we missed two big snowstorms while we were gone. The only mistake was not staying longer! Oh yeah, and lesson learned- always make sure to have covered parking at the airport in the winter…the snow removal from the car was more pain than it was worth.

As expected, Jack LOVED all the rides. He doesn’t quite comprehend the full meaning of “favorite” yet, because whenever we ask which one is his- he gives different answers: Pirates, Goofy’s Barnstormer Roller Coaster, Splash Mountain, Soarin’, Test Track, Peter Pan, Tomorrowland Speedway  and the list goes on…

While Jude didn’t get to play on as many thrill rides as his big brother, he got to share in the fun on the peaceful rides like Pirates, Jungle Cruise (while Jack drove),

 

  and Small World (accompanied by Jack singing along) .

We spent several days with the Sumroks, and were glad to get to see them all. Jack and Camryn acted like a couple reunited after a deployment to Iraq. They loved being able to play together after being apart for so long (though Camryn didn’t quite share Jack’s enthusiasm for the adrenaline rides).

It was definitely a fun trip. We’re ready to go again. Spring Break?

There are more pictures on flickr.

A Birthday Wish for Grandma

The boys teamed up to send some long distance love and aloha out to Grandma. We all hope you have a great day!

Go Fly a Kite

Kite Flying…

Originally uploaded by Jangjacude.

We had a very good breeze this weekend, so we headed out to the beach and got in some outstanding kite flying. This was clearly our best kite flying experience yet, as the previous iterations have included mostly just running and kite crashing. With the added benefit of lots of wind creating lift, Jack surmised, “I’m the best kite flyer, ever!” Jude liked watching, but wasn’t ready to grab ahold of the controls quite yet.