Run Fox Run

Spring has sprung in the garden state: from daffodils to newborn lambs, cherry blossoms to giddy children finally free to run outside after a long winter, any springtime flora or fauna you might like to see is contained within the recent albums on gliderboy (the annual cherry blossom pilgrimage to Branch Brook Park; the daffodil bowl at Reeves-Reed; the lambing at Valley Shepherd Creamery).  The kids cooperate with the demand for photo ops, to a point, and we all appreciate snack breaks like the ones we’ve had at Irving’s Deli (the taste of Second Avenue, closer to home) and Ana Beall’s Tea Room (see Cleo enjoying a spot of tea and crumpets, below).

Thanks to Lynn & George, both Disney pros, we spent Spring Break in the happiest place on earth: the 7000-acre compound containing several parks, hotels, restaurants, and uncountably many shops and stores.  A magical place where books and movies come to life, and where a “cast member” can unironically utter the phrase, “Maps on the right, komodo dragon on the left.”  We had a fantastic time in the Animal and Magic Kingdoms, and exploring Epcot.  Leda was in Epcot when she was about a year and a half, when we were in town to celebrate her great grandparents’ 60th anniversary, and a lot of the grandeur was lost on her: the highlight of her visit was undoubtably the fountain in which she got soaking wet at the end of a long day strolling around the Lagoon of Nations.  Currently, she’s enchanted by princesses (although there’s still room in her heart for Baloo and Bernard & Bianca), and Cleo’s eager to do anything her big sister seems to enjoy.  They loved every moment of our week in Orlando, and we loved experiencing it with them.

As you’ll see in the Disneyworld 2009 album, the Epcot fountain was a hit once again.  We celebrated Grandma & Papa’s 39th anniversary, and Cleo’s second birthday, with lots of friendly, familiar faces.  Uncles Sable and Joel, and cousin Gail, stopped by.  And, even her pink-and-princess-phobic mom has to admit that Leda makes a lovely member of her royal family:

After experiencing Narnia at the Franklin Institute, Leda recounts the main plot points from The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis  subsequent to returning home from Philly. Prompting is provided by mom. Of course, Leda doesn’t remember that she actually saw this movie in the theater when she was 2 years old. That’s probably because she and her mommy made an exit before the big battle scene.

Cleo is completely oblivious to the performance and insists that she must have her own book from which to read.

When the weather is foul, it’s best to take in new experiences in far away lands. When those far flung locales may be hard to attain, Philadelphia will fill in nicely. We had a weekend away from home to see a couple of special exhibits as well as explore the with wide-eyed wonderment the dazzling capabilities of the hotel (pool access 19 hours a day, room service, watching TV in your bed). By staying in a hotel, we were able to secure “VIP” tickets to the Cezanne and Beyond exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and to the Chronicles of Narnia experience at the Franklin Institute. The VIP means that you can show up any time you please instead of having timed tickets (and with kids, this is a big plus). Also a day-trip to Philadelphia is pretty arduous, so staying overnight is the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it. At the Cezanne exhibit, the girls liked the artwork, especially all the apples/pears/oranges from the still lifes, the purple mountain (Mont Sainte Victoire), and the trees with branches. They also liked the cafe in the basement for lunch. Then we were off to the Constitution center to get a good dose of “We the People”. After an Italian dinner and an evening swim, we collapsed into a late bed-time. 

The next morning saw us at the Franklin Institute. We enjoyed planes, train, and mythical lands courtesy of C.S. Lewis. Science museum are like candy stores to engineering faculty. We’re often elbowing the kids out of the way so we can “experience” the physics first hand. Daddy did let Cleo sit on his lap in the fighter plane, grudgingly though. 

Before departing, we had *another* swim and a trip to the decadent Naked Chocolate for some serious hot chocolates and chocolate dip. Many many wipes were harmed after the taking of this picture. Leda and Cleo made out fine after the enormous sugar rush, slept most of the way home. These sisters will see you again, city of brotherly love.

Second kids beg for attention, right? Look at me, Mommy! Cleo has amped up the cuteness level to make sure that she’s noticed. ABC singing with heavy prompting is one manifestation. But the inspired re-interpretation of Gary’s (Anthony Michael Hall) facial manipulations of Chet (Bill Paxton) from Weird Science during the famous “greasy-pork sandwich” scene show a true gift of comedic genius far beyond her years. Daddy is a barely sufficient straight-man.