Spring 2012 in New York

The second in a series of catch-up blogs...

When we got back from Florida Bob came to stay for a couple of weeks.  It was lovely to see him.  He really enjoyed making pottery at the community centre with Max, reading a book to Sam's class at school and playing with Leo.  One day he took Sam across to Liberty Park and to the Jersey science museum.  Sam loved showing him the trains at Liberty Park and climbing them.  Bob also took Max to Prospect Park Zoo.  They really enjoyed watching the sealions together as they jumped up, caught fish and swam around. 

Bob was also here for the start of Sam's first baseball season.  Sam had really good coaches and learnt a lot.  He opened the batting and scored the first run for his team, and really enjoyed the season.  The were some really good kids on the team and the Downtown Athletics won most of their matches.  At the end of the baseball season there was a league night out at Citi Field for a NY Mets game, and before the game started Sam got to walk around the pitch with the other kids in the league.

We visited Boston for Memorial Day bank holiday weekend.  It was our first visit to Boston (my second as I had been when I was five).  We did a lot of tourist stuff, walking round Harvard campus, walking along the Freedom trail to see the sights, and finding playgrounds along the way.  On the Saturday night I went to see the Boston Celtics in a home playoff game.  The Celtics have always been the basketball team I support and I have seen them in London, New York and Jersey, but never been to a home game.  It was the 7th game in a best of seven playoff series, so the atmosphere was great and the Celtics won in a noisy Boston garden.

We also went to the Boston science museum, which is really good.  We watched the lightening generating machine, which made big bolts of lightening jump between pillars.  There was also a kids section with lots of games and activities for the boys, including one where you could test how fast you run, which Sam and Max loved.  After the museum we had dinner at the Cheers bar, which was  a definite highlight for Lyn.  We left Boston on Monday and broke the journey up by stopping at Mystic (of Mystic Pizza film fame) and watched their memorial day parade.

This year we joined the Manhattan sailing club, which is based in North Cove, about five minutes walk from our front door.  We had wanted to for a while and finally took the plunge this year.  It has been amazing.  I have sailed before and Lyn did the weekend long learn to sail course and got her ASA qualification.  Most weekends Lyn and I would take it in turns to look after the boys while the other had a three hour break sailing on the river Hudson and in the NYC harbour.  The boats are for 3-6 people and you just put your name on the list and go and sail with a club skipper.  It's a great way to wind down as it's relaxing, but you have to be aware the whole time, so it takes your mind off everything else.  And it's the first time that Lyn and I have really met people as ourselves, rather than as parents or as a colleague, since we've been in New York.  It's so nice going out, improving a skill, and chatting to new and interesting people.  I am now on the mentor program to become a club skipper and then I'd be able to take a boat out whenever I like.  Hopefully I'll pass the test in May/June next year, so come and stay and I can take you sailing past the Statue of Liberty!

Another exciting thing in the Spring was when the NASA space shuttle Enterprise came to New York.  It arrived on the back of a 747 and despite it flying right past our window Sam was the only one of us who saw it as he was on a field trip in the park.  A week later it sailed up the river on a barge and Lyn and the boys all saw it.

Here are some photos of our spring.

Lots of love,

Tom x