Music, Bubbles & Books with Nonna

Max was lucky enough to have three grandparents visit him recently. We got a sneak peak of Nonna with Aunt Courtney and cousin Sidon when they were stranded in rainy NYC on their way to Halifax, then we got Nonna for six whole days on her way home. Sunday we went to Japan Day in Central Park, where Max enjoyed watching a loud karate demonstration.

We braved some spring drizzle for photos with pretty spring flowers. Max loves the park, waving to any dogs, horses and statues he sees.

Monday we went to Soho so Brittney and Nonna could get their hair done. Max wasn’t due for another haircut yet, but he liked sitting in the salon chair (and riding the subway there and back).

We took Nonna to a music/play class (another Kid On The Town deal) featuring a trombone player, hoorays, shaking, a parachute and bubbles that Max liked to pop.

Tuesday we went to storytime at the library, had lunch at Lincoln Center, then listened to an amazing high school jazz band.

We managed to squeeze in some 20-month penguin pictures. Max was not into sitting with the penguins at first, but Nonna with her magic grandma ways got him to smile.

Nonna also got Max to do lots of cruising and assisted walking. He’s gotten good at going back and forth between the coffee table and the couch.

He’ll cruise anywhere to get to a book he loves.

Wednesday after swim class we went to a yummy outdoor market at Madison Square Park. Brittney got a gourmet plum and cherry popsicle that was at first too cold for Max, but after it warmed up a bit he couldn’t get enough.

A fruit drink company had a tent there with free samples of different flavors that Max also couldn’t get enough of, and some exotic musical instruments Max liked playing with.

He also really liked watching the dogs at the dog park, though, like the trombone in the music class, he only wanted to look and not touch.

Thursday, after a great speech therapy session where Max added some new words/sounds to his very frequent, intense “mm” for more (“Ah” for all done, “Eye” for a flashcard of an eye), learned to sort by color, and applauded for himself a lot, we went to the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met. Max still liked the dresses with feathers or wooden wings, but we were able to keep him moving along until he found a hologram film from a fashion show that he refused to leave, so Nonna and Brittney took turns seeing the rest of the exhibit. On the way home we found the giant bubbles, as much fun to pop as the little ones.

It was a busy week with lots of photo-ops (man this post is long!), but Max had lots of special time at home reading “Where The Wild Things Are” with two of his favorite people.

On Sunday Nonna was in the kitchen with our cousins Lauren and Kelsea cooking a delicious dinner, and Max crawled over from the living room carrying “Where The Wild Things Are.” It’s not easy to crawl carrying a book, but throughout the week Max was determined to get his Nonna storytime.

Video of Max bringing a book to Nonna (The actual reading of the book is pretty uneventful, Max is so mesmerized, though we like how he claps at the end of books)

We love seeing Max get so much love from his Nonna, and Brittney appreciates having the help so she can wok on non-mom projects. She is directing another play for the Young Playwrights from Castillo, a festival featuring plays written and performed by predominantly poor and minority teens and young adults. She was selected to participate in the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation upcoming Emerging Artist Symposium and her TV Pilot Script Dojo Dancing is a finalist in the 2011 Stanford Alumni In Entertainment Script Competition Contest. But hanging out with Max in the park still tops her list of favorite activities (even when Max would rather be held by Daddy, which has been happening more lately). Mark is still getting to work at 6:45 am to trade bonds all day, and at night he likes to show off his son at Wall Street charity events like a recent Parkinsons fundraiser. We didn’t win anything in the raffle or silent auction, but Max was a shoo-in for cutest baby there (even if he hadn’t been the only one there).