Visiting the Cradle of Aviation Museum

I can't believe we didn't know about Cradle of Aviation Museum in Charles Lindbergh Blvd.
Garden City, NY earlier. It's in the museum row in Garden, City, NY just a few building away from Long Island Children's Museum which we visited a number of times.

Watching Sea Monters in the Dome Theater is awesome! In some scenes we experienced the same feeling that we had during Soarin, a flight stimulator in Epcot. We went to the museum early so we had the Dome Theater to ourselves. We felt special, it's like chartering a whole theater for a great watching experience!

The Deep Sea: The Ride in the X-Ride Theater is not so bad either! The screen is not as big as the Dome Theater, but the motion of our ride compensate for it.

There are different models of planes and even a flight stimulator. My daughter crash the plane without even taking off the first time but the second time she tried it, she was able to do it. My husband kind of help with the pedal though since she too short to reach them with her feet.

The Junior Jet Club, an interactive play area for children up to six years of age is my daughter's favorite spot in the whole museum though. She built rockets using soft blocks, pretend to pilot a space shuttle cockpit, climb into space stations among other things. We will definitely come back again to this museum.

Hanging Out in Fort Totten in Bayside, NY

Fort Totten is one of the interesting places to hang out in my community at Bayside, NY. There is a swimming pool, and if you enjoy biking, it is a good places to ride your bike with friends and family. If you like just walking around, you can visit the remains of the old Fort. It is free. You are asked to sign in before you see the fort but it is a good thing because if you have kids they can play in the Kids Corner after the long walk from the gate.

Children's Museums in Georgia

If you want to take a road trip to Disney World but are looking for interesting places to see along the way you can stop over children's museums along the way.  You can relax while your child spends excess energy. Plus, she or he have something to look forward to during the drive. We usually start in the early morning then check out children's museum in the afternoon, check in at a hotel near the museum then drive again in the morning.

Imagine It, The Children's Museum of Atlanta is a nice stop-over in the state of Georgia. My daughter had fun loading balls using pulleys, levers, screws, inclined planes, wheel and axle, and wedges and operating the crane.

Another children's museum that we are interested to visit is Interactive, Neighborhood for Kids, Inc. in Gainesville, Georgia. Just want to check out the full-sized aircraft, the vet clinic and see how to create pottery in Fired Pottery store among others.

Children's Museums in Virginia

If you are like us who don't want to drive more than a certain hours a day to reach Disney World. You can stop over children's museums along the way.  You can relax while your child spend excess energy. Plus she  or he have something to look forward to during the drive. We usually start in the early morning then check out children's museum in the afternoon, check in at a hotel near the museum then drive again in the morning.

Children's Museum of Richmond is a nice stopover in Virginia.

Another children's Museum that we want to visit next time we stop over in Virginia is the Children's Museum of Virginia. Just want to check out its Planetarium, Wizard of Oz, and Pets and Vets clinic exhibits.

Visiting Carrier Houses Bed and Breakfast

Carrier Houses Bed and Breakfast was walking distance to KidSenses Children's Museum, the reason why we stopped over in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. This historical house with its charming old world decor and ambiance as well as the impressive architecture was truly an experience. Dan and Lynn, the hosts were so accommodating and friendly. It was a pleasure to stop there and it was a mini vacation within our vacation.

The lemonade and freshly baked cookies available when we arrived were a nice touch. Lynn made a delicious breakfast. She arranged the fruits, banana, cantaloupe, etc like a smiley face on my daughter's plate then gave her a butterfly and heart shaped french toast breakfast. My husband and I were served fruits, then french toast artfully arranged with peaches. What a treat!

Visiting Disney World

Disney World will still be a favorite destination no matter how many times we've been there.  Disney is expensive, but they know how to show a family a great time.  Before we even took the short bus ride from the hotel to Disney, my daughter (and me) couldn't get over the beautiful themed room from the Lion King.  At the Magic Kingdom my daughter took picture with Elsa and Anna from the movie frozen, as well as many of the other princess characters.  Of course the rides are amazing and not only great for kids, but nostalgic for adults.  Who can resist smiling when they ride Its A Small World After All.  My daughter said her favorite ride (and mine too) was the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride.  The lines are long and its incredibly hot, so try to get a fast pass which gives you the time to ride a particular ride and cuts down your waiting time significantly.  Epcot is also amazing.  Our favorite ride was Soarin' which gives you the feeling of flying over a landscape.  The seats move up and down, and I don't know exactly how they do it, but this is incredibly realistic and amazing.  Epcot also offers fast passes, and you'll want it for a popular ride like this one.

Cool Places For Kids in Georgia

Looking for cool places to stop-over in Georgia while on your way to Florida?

Imagine It, The Children's Museum of Atlanta is a nice stop-over in the state of Georgia. My daughter had fun loading balls using pulleys, levers, screws, inclined planes, wheel and axle, and wedges and operating the crane.

Georgia Aquarium is a nice place to visit. It has its own parking, you just need to pay for it.  I was really surprised to see how big this place was.  I loved how some of the exhibits were presented, not just on the walls, but on the ceilings as well, sometimes making you feel like you're in the aquarium.  We also went to a dolphin show which was great.

 

It's good to walk at Centennial Olympic Park to stretch your legs after a long drive.  Very pretty and relaxing.  Its really hot but all the fountains made it seem cooler.  My daughter of course found the kids playground and enjoyed that too.

Cool Places to Visit in Hershey, Pennsylvania

There are a lot of cool places to check out if you would want to visit or stop over Hershey, Pennsylvania  to break the boredom of driving with your kids. If you like to stretch your legs and smell the flowers try Hershey Gardens. You can borrow umbrellas at the entrance and buy smoothies, eat some fruit and vegetables in the cafe on your way out.

There is a huge beautiful garden of roses and other flowers.  The gardens include a Children's Garden that has a butterfly house. If you walk down the hill from the Butterfly House, kids can make their butterfly craft.

 

 If you like a free ride (you sit and let the car take you through the tour) as you check out a free chocolate making tour Try Hershey Chocolate Tour. It offers a free parking for the first 3 hours.  Its a short tour but really fun, but be prepared because the tour ends in the chocolate gift shop which contains more chocolate than you've ever seen before.

 

If you're looking for an amusement park, try Hersheypark. There are rides for every age and every level of trill seeking.  I also loved seeing my daughter dance along with the Hershey characters, which ranged from a person in a Hershey bar costume to a person in a Jolly Rancher costume.

Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania

Theme parks are enjoyable for both parents and kids.  Although there is only one Disney World, there are others out there that are fun.

Sesame Place is a really nice amusement park located in in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.  My daughter loved running around monster land and going on the rides.  She also loved strolling down Sesame Street and taking pictures with the characters.

If you're looking for a bigger amusement park, try Hersheypark in Hershey Pennsylvania.  There are rides for every age and every level of trill seeking.  I also loved seeing my daughter dance along with the Hershey characters, which ranged from a person in a Hershey bar costume to a person in a Jolly Rancher costume.

Children's Museums in North Carolina

If you want to take a road trip to Disney World but are looking for interesting places to see along the way you can stop over children's museums along the way.  You can relax while your child enjoys themselves and spends excess energy. Plus, she or he have something to look forward to during the drive. We usually start in the early morning then check out children's museum in the afternoon, check in at a hotel near the museum then drive again in the morning.

KidSenses is a nice Children's Museum in North Carolina.  My daughter had fun running around and using her imagination.  She really enjoyed role playing in the various rooms and being everything from a princess to a dentist. 

Another great Children's Museum in North Carolina is Greensboro Children's Museum.  My daughter really loved climbing in and out of the real cars and trucks that were on display and especially the plane. 

Playdate at Governor's Island

Governor's Island is a nice place to have play date. You can take a ferry from Lower Manhattan seven days. There is a $2 round trip fare for adults and children over the age of 12. Ferries from Manhattan are free on Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM, 11AM and 11:30AM.

My Daughter's Arts and Award Show

Apparently there is no Stepping UP Ceremony or Graduation for Pre-K so my daughter has an Arts and
Awards Show.

Arts and Crafts Stores in Queens, NY

Arts and Crafts are fun for kids. Finishing a project boost their self confidence. It is an enjoyable way of spending time together for parents and kids. Aside from that doing arts and crafts project improve their fine motor skills that is very important in school.

You can also shop for arts and materials at Michaels. Our favorite because it is near us is the Fresh Meadows, NY Michael's location.

You can also shop for arts and materials at AC Moore at 8989 Union Turnpike  Glendale, NY
Neighborhood: Forest Hills

Visiting Brooklyn Children's Museum

Since we always celebrate special occasions by going out and spending time with each other, today on Father's Day, we decided to go to Brooklyn Children's Museum. We thought it will be difficult to find a parking spot but luckily we were able to park on the second time of circling around the museum to find a spot.

We stayed for a long time in the Sensory Room. My daughter enjoyed being in the hammock and took more than one turn in that. She also liked the rocking boat that can be upended if kids are in the mood to climb it instead.

My daughter also enjoyed making pretend pizza, and serving it to her Dad in the Pizzeria which can be found in the World Brooklyn exhibit. It was funny when she was insisting that her Daddy had to pay a hundred for the pizza and juice that she served him. My husband told her maybe she meant 100 kisses and she was insisting people paid with money when eating out.

It was a great way to spend a family day, my daughter and her Daddy enjoyed putting plastic bugs together, designing their mas costume, creating their mask together, doing puzzles together among other things.

Next time we visit Brooklyn Children's Museum, we'll start with Totally Tots. We ran out of time my daughter on;y enjoyed this part for a few minutes.

Cool Places for Kids Parties

Looking for a place for your child's birthday party? The following are some interesting venues.

If your girl and her friends need a day of pampering Ritzy Glitzy Girls Club Glam Spa Parties for Girls at 245 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, New York is for you.  My then four year old and her friends had their hair braided with colorful feathers: nails painted and make up applied. The girls then hit the runway for a fashion show.

Another alternative is Dudes and Divas at 104-12 Metropolitan Ave.  My daughter missed her friend's party in this place because she was sick. All parties also include make up, nails, music, games and stage dancing.

If you prefer a little disco and arts and crafts then you will definitely want to visit Fun Craft at 800 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, New York.

For a change of pace animal lovers can enjoy a day of feeding animals (including a zebra and a camel) and a pony ride at White Post Farms in Melville.

 

If your child and her friends like to create their own stuffed animals, then Build-A-Bar Workshop in Garden City is the place! Your child and her party friends can choose, stuff, stitch, fluff and dress her your furry friend.

The BounceU in CollePoint is another good venue for birthday parties.

Mud Genius in Bay Terrace Mall, 212-91 26 Ave., Bayside, NY 11360 is also a good place for small parties or even a play date

Creative Corner in 482 Hempstead Ave, West Heampstead Ave, West Hempstead, NY 11552  is also a good venue for young children who can already sit still and follow directions. Young birthday guests can explore their creative talent. My daughter attended a birthday party here and she really enjoyed it.

My Daughter's Birthday Party at White Post Farms

The weather prediction called for rain Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but I'm an optimist. I always believe positive things happen instead of worrying that something won't. I was very happy last Tuesday and Wednesday that it was sunny and only rain late afternoon and night. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I woke up this morning and it was raining! Why did the weather bureau has to be right today! I e-mailed and texted all our party guests that the party was still on. My husband was a little tense I guessed because we didn't leave early enough as we'd planned. He always likes to come early, I'm the one who always do something in the last minute. It turned out he's right, there are actually a few guest waiting for us when we get to the the Farm View Room, our party room in White Post Farms.

I may be biased but it was a great party. The children were able to pose with Buttons, the Bear. Then they have a pony ride. After that they eat pizza and fruits. Then they feed the animals. Then we had the birthday cake. They also pet bunnies on their lap after that their straw hat,  give away gift was given to them. Almost half of the parent and kids just went home after that even though they were told that they can stay since their entrance fee is paid for anyway. The good thing about the day starting on a rainy morning is that there were not a lot of kids who went to White Post Farms so we almost had the whole farm to ourselves.

Field Trip to NY Botanical Garden

Earlier today I am one of the parent chaperon on my daughter's class field trip to New York Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York. Her class has a lot of field trip because the school's PTA do a lot of fund raising and paid for these trips for the kids. I was assigned to watch two well behaved boys aside from my daughter.

Everyone in the class planted a flowering plant. Each child bring home their plant.

They also tasted nectar and the kids actually asked for it more than once. There are also craft activity. They colored a butterfly and put a popsicle stick behind it.

I'm feeling lucky that I can share all these nice school memories with my daughter.

Annual School Carnival

I volunteered for my daughter's annual school carnival yesterday and I worked the taco machine. Just putting melted cheese on top of tortilla chips actually. It was too bad it started to rain 30 minutes before closing but I think the children enjoyed themselves. My daughter said it was the best day ever! But then she always said that whenever she enjoys herself.

Celebrating at Maria's Restaurant in Bayside, NY

We decided to celebrate at Maria's Restaurant because we've ordered from them in the past during special holidays and we like the food. I've ordered okra and vegetable rice, my husband ordered vegetable moussaka and my daughter ordered plain pasta and pizza from the kids menu. I liked my order, my husband said his order was good, but can be better if they put less eggplant in it. My daughter seemed happy with her food.

It's amazing that we can eat out in different restaurants because of our vegetarian diet.

Going to the Big Apple Circus with my Daughter's Class

Once again my daughter and I went to Big Apple Circus but this year we do it with her class. I 'm one of the chaperon for today's class trip. Second field trip in the same week. Her class certainly do a lot of stuff!

The performance was so amazing. It also helps that we are in Row D, so we can see clearly. 

Visiting Green Meadows Farm

My daughter's class visited Green Meadow's Farm in Floral Park, NY today. They pet the chickens, the pigs, the sheep, the bunnies and even milked a cow. At first my daughter did not want to pet the chickens because they were following her. Then she saw her classmates petting them and she changed her mind. She was waving goodbye to the chickens before she get out of their coop. They had a chance to look at varying sizes of turtles. Each children in her class also rode a pony.  They also enjoyed the hay ride.

My Favorite Smoothie Shop and Juice Bar in Bayside, NY

When you're a Mom, you're always in a rush to go somewhere, because for some reason you don't get out of the front door when you're supposed to. There's always something that you have to find like your child's sunglasses that got misplaced, her favorite toy or she just want to go change her clothes or shoes again. Having some cold drink cools you down.

Our favorite place to get a smoothie is  Sweet Adele in 73-10 Bell Boulevard. Whenever we go to the Windsor Park library either for the library programs like Arts and Crafts or Story time or just to borrow books, we buy our favorite smoothie in Sweet Adele's. The owners are very friendly and Cindy remember our favorite, one day when my husband went with my daughter and I, he was so surprised when he ordered and the owner give him the smoothie that she was making. She started making it as soon as she heard the word smoothie when we entered the store I think. I told my husband it was no brainer, my daughter and I ordered the same smoothie every time and that's twice a week even in winter time. Yes, we order smoothie even in Winter time. At first I did not know I can order smoothie in winter time but my daughter order it and apparently they have it even in winter time. I let her order it because she likes ordering and Hawaiian Vacation is such a mouthful I'm amazed that she can say it even when she was just three years old. Sweet Adele is also near at least 4 playgrounds that it is very convenient to grab a smoothie there and sip it while the kids are playing.

One of our favorite juice bar in Bayside is mmm...That's a Wrap in 45-52 Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY. Just love the freshly made Green Machine! Before my daughter was born we usually go there after going to Bell Plaza Sports Club, now we go there every time we bring our daughter for her regular check-up with her pediatrician. For some reason, she has this idea that we have to treat her out every time she see her pediatrician, Dr Theodora Panteloglou, so what better way to treat her out than buying some freshly made juice for each of us.

Another favorite is the Health Nuts in 21135 26th Ave, Bayside, NY. If you like fresh organic fruits or vegetable juices, then this is the place! We go here when we go to Barnes and Noble Storytime, or when we want to eat veggie barbecue. They have a section in the back of the store where you can order and eat food made with organic ingredients.

My Daughter's First Dance Recital

Forever Dancing LLC celebrated its annual dance recital today and my daughter had her first dance recital ever! She did great! I'm a little bias of course. Her class has two numbers. On the first one she was a little too shy and was looking at the floor some of the time. A little understandable I guess since it's her first time to perform on stage. But she got used to the crowd I guessed because on her second dance number she was a little more animated and more into the dance already.

 The dance recital proceeds was donated to Dancing Dreams, a dance program for physically challenged children.

Dance Classes in the Castle at Fort Totten in Bayside, NY

I can't believe today is the last day of Spring classes for my daughter's Tap/Ballet Combo class in Bayside Historical Society's Officer Club also known as the Castle which is part of Fort Totten in Bayside, NY. How time flies! It seems just yesterday when she first started her very first dance class lesson. Ms. Marianne Marian of Forever Dancing let my daughter have a free trial class and she liked it. We learned about the program because a friend of hers in school attended the Tap/Ballet Combo  class on Wednesdays and since they like each other we enrolled her in the same class.

The buildings inside the Fort are just amazing with their old world charm.

 The view inside the Fort is just breathtakingly relaxing. We will definitely miss it! Although we will return to check out the ruins again when her classes are over.

Celebrating Mother's Day dinner in Bayside

We rarely eat out because sometimes my daughter fell asleep but on Mother's day we decided to go out for dinner. We went to Asian Terrace in Bay Terrace just to try it out. We went to the Chinese restaurant that was in there before so we decided why not try the new one? Although we have to wait for 10 minutes, the food turns out good. I've ordered Malaysian Curry, my husband ordered Broccoli or mixed vegetables in brown sauce, while my daughter ordered udon noodles. We will definitely go back again or at least order because they also deliver food.

The ambience is nice. I like the fountain in the middle of the restaurant.

Visiting Children's Museum of Manhattan

We visited the Children's Museum of Manhattan during Mother's day and it is worth the traffic. The first floor is like a museum about the body.

The second floor and the third floor are like play center. There is a Dora and Diego exhibit on the 2nd floor with living room, sleeping area, the rainbow bridge, etc.

On the 3rd floor there is an interactive dragon that kids can feed with letters. There are also different transportation vehicles like the MTA bus, yellow can and even a fire truck that children can go in and out of.

There is a 15% discount on Central Parking garage located at West 83rd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. We validated our parking ticket in the reception desk before we stepped out and we only paid $20 for a little more than three hours.