Showing posts with label kids activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids activities. Show all posts

WW: Obi's Pokemon Story

A little story from Obi, my  6 year-old daughter :).

She has started to learn how to read and since she loves drawing as well, she recently loves to create her own stories, involving her favorite characters. Still working on her English and her writing but I love to see her creative ideas.

One day in the village of Pokemon ...










Check out the (almost) Wordless Wednesday Headquarters and enjoy the blog hopping party!

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

Fall is somehow identical with pumpkins. And Halloween as well as Jack O'Lantern.
I guess many of us were having a blast last Halloween, including carving this famous orange icon.

Speaking of Jack O'Lantern,  have you seen the Great Jack O'Lantern blaze




Yes, the blaze.
When you have around 7000 (indeed..seven thousands) Jack O'Lantern beautifully lit in a historical manor.
And it's in Tarry Town, where we have the famously haunted cemetery, Sleepy Hollow.




We've heard about it since the first time we arrived here in NYC, but we finally get a chance to do it this Fall. I have been eyeing the ticket since September but apparently I was too late to get it for October. This event is so popular that we only manage to get the slots we want on the third week of November.

our ticket
The show is held in Van Cortland Manor, one of the historical spots along the Hudson Valley. Historic Hudson Valley is the NGO hosting the event and they surely make sure that this annual event become a memorable one.

The ticket is $25 per adult and $20 per kids (3-17 year old) during weekend, and $20 per adult and $16 per kids (3-17 year old) during weekdays.

We arrived at 7.35 PM, 5 minutes late from our designated time but it was okay. We got the parking spot and couldn't wait to see all those beautifully hand-crafted pumpkins. As the website said, there are around 7000 pumpkins are being displayed.

As we strolled around the main street called Pumpkin Promenade, we were awed by the ambience of the manor.  Bo et Obi just couldn't help shouting in excitement while looking at all those pumpkins. Some are scary, some are funny..they even have the Obama face carved on it!




We walked through the path and stopped at the Pumpkin Zee Bridge. Amazingly, we also saw a giant Sea Serpent there..all made of pumpkins!




But the most beautiful in is the  Pumpkin Planetarium.
It's soooo beautiful. Colors are changing while we walked under the stars.
Pumpkin stars!




As we continued our walk, we saw more incredible statues and figures made of pumpkins, including several type of dinosaurs from Jurrasic Park, giant spider webs, pumpkin stamps, 
and grandfather clock in on of the corners. I also love to see the elaborate Celtic knot carvings which are very detailed.

We finished the trip by taking more pictures with pumpkins and bought some souvenirs.


For sure, it's a great show and if you happen to be in NYC or the surrounding around Halloween time, this will be a great event that you and your family will enjoy.

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze
Van Cortland Manor
525 South Riverside Ave., Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520


New York Aquarium, Coney Island





"Ma, do you know that great white sharks can smell blood in the water up to three miles away?" exclaimed Bo while looking at the Shark sign
"And ooh ma.. Look at that tiny jaw. With sharp teeth! Touch it!" Said Obi while brushing her tiny fingers to the replica of piranhas' powerful jaws.

Bo et Obi happily bombarded me with questions and answer them themselves while we were walking along the Ocean view room at New York Aquarium, Coney Island, that day.

#summerisON!
And how we all look forward to have a lovely summer.

Here in NYC, kids have been enjoying their summer break since June 26. And since we have no summer classes this time, my hubby and I are working on making sure that the kids, and their parents as well :),  have an enjoyable, yet rewarding summer break.

Not that easy though..particularly as I still have to work full time and the UN, somehow, is still packed with meetings.

Nevertheless, whenever we have day-off and weekends, we try to go out with the kids.
During the Lebaran week, we managed to go to the Coney Island. 
Well, first destination here is the New York Aquarium.

Have you been here before?

New York Aquarium is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). As and ID NYC holder, my hubby and I can get 1-year free membership of the WCS which includes, among others, the New York Aquarium, Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo. So can visit those places for free. Cool, right.
As for the kids, as they do not have the ID yet, we still have to pay for their admission.
It usually costs $12 per person older than 2 years, but that day it was only $10.

New York Aquarium is undergoing a major change after the devastating storm Sandy.
They are rebuilding and transforming this place but we still have a lot to enjoy.

Coming from Indonesia, the largest archipelagic state, we pretty much miss the ocean and all its interesting creatures. And at this point of time, New York Aquarium is a prefect place to see those beautiful underwater world and spend some quality time with the kids, while at the same time getting closer and getting to know more about nature's wonder.

There are a few places you can visit and enjoy with your kids.

First, the Glover's Reef. 
This is part of the Ocean View Room, our first stop right after entering the aquarium.
And kids (as well as adults) will surely enjoy those great variety of fish and ocean critters from Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean Oceans and more. Nemo or clown fish are abundant, so is Dory :). Not to mention mantarays and piranhas.


enjoy...
I really love this part as we get to see different types of fish from many corners of the world. My kids got so excited when they saw them so close, found out that piranhas are small yet have super strong jaws.


mantaray, electric blue and more exotic fish

For me who constantly missing the amazing underwater world of Indonesia, this spot is like a tiny home-sweet-home. I let myself immersed in those calming blue water and colorful schools of fish swimming freely right in front of my eyes. I wish I could join them.


the real 'aquarium' in Bunaken, Manado, Indonesia.

Then we also visit the Conservation Hall. And outside the Ocean view room, we have 2 sea cliffs, for walrus and penguins.
Love to see those cute penguins, critters in tuxedo :).
And they make cute noises as well.



What attracts most of my kids' attention is of course the Sharks temporary home. Bo has been smithen by sharks since he was on the 3rd grade. He has a lot of book about sharks and quite knowledgable about this amazing creatures. No wonder he was so happily flipped to see giants sharks in the nearby tank, together with giant mantarays.

the sharks behind the glass...

Before heading home, we watched the show at Aquatheater.
It was so much fun indeed. A 30-minute show with two intelligent sea lions who demonstrated great talents, including dancing, counting and mimicking. Super fun!
Bo et Obi really love the show.






up close and personal :)
You can also enjoy the animal feedings, scheduled at 10.30, 11.45, 1.30, 2.45, and 3.50 PM near the sea cliffs. We missed it because we wanted to see the aquatheater first. They also have 4-D theater featuring Spongebob Squarepants movie. I guess we have to go back here to watch it :).

And don't forget to grab some lovely souvenirs from the aquarium.
This way we can support the the NYAquarium project of rebuilding and transforming this oldest running aquarium in the US.



So, what are you waiting for?
Visit New York Aquarium, Coney Island and have a fantastic time with your loved ones.
We pretty much sure will go back here again :).

New York Aquarium
Surf Avenue and West 8th Street
Coney Island, Brooklyn
(718) 265 3474
For more info, visit nyaquarium.com

Pinky Flamingos at the Bronx Zoo

Flamingo...



Anybody here loves this pink and cute long neck wading bird?
I do..




Saya sukaaa banget dengan burung anggun berleher jenjang yang berwarna merah muda ini. Sepertinya kakinya yang panjang dan leher jenjangnya layak membuat flamingo menjadi bintangnya burung air yang selalu menarik perhatian semua orang. To me flamingo is like the bird princess. Paling tidak buat saya :)

Sudah pernah melihat flamingo dari dekat?

When we went down to Miami, we were planning to see the flamingos. They are pretty famous around the area and there is one specific place where you can go to see them. But we didn't have enough time and we had to choose whether we were going to see the flamingos or go snorkeling at the Key Largo. We chose the later one.

So, we missed the real flamingos there but I managed to grab some pinky flamingo souvenirs from Miami's South Beach :). Then, I also get some hot pot holders and brick-a-brack with pink flamingos adoring it. Super cute indeed.

But still, rasanya belum afdol kalau belum melihat burung yang super cute ini langsung. Saya masih penasaran bangeeet, walaupun tau kalau mau melihat flamingo pasti di kebun binatang dan dari jauh. Well, that should do :). Dan di awal musim gugur yang lalu, kami menyempatkan diri main ke Bronx Zoo. 

Bronx Zoo is certainly one famous spot people   love to check out while in NYC. Zoo is always for the kids as well as adults, so we won't miss it. As you know, NYC has several zoos, including one in Central Park and Queens. But Bronx Zoo is rather special because we have more animals here. So a lot to see and learn at the same time here.


cheeers ;0)

Karena Bapak Udi asyik mencoba downhill bike di New Jersey, kami bertiga berangkat ke Bronx Zoo dengan menggunakan subway yang disambung dengan Uber taxi supaya jalannya tidak terlalu jauh hehehe. Walaupun sudah menggunakan sepatu jalan yang oke, tapi kala itu cuaca lumayan panas. Daripada Bo et Obi sebelum sampai di kebun binatangnya, akhirnya kami duduk manis di taksi yang membawa kami langsung ke gerbang kebun binatang ini.Antri sebentar (dan mama dapat tiket gratis thanks to NYC ID ;)), kami pun langsung menikmati Bronx Zoo dan para penghuninya. Saya juga janjian dengan tante Mpok, teman kerja yang sudah seperti kakak sendiri dan juga tante favoritnya anak-anak.

And Bronx Zoo is huge indeed. It's like entering a big woods and some part of it, especially for the gorillas, looks like a jungle. They have many attractions as well and you need extra tickets to see some of those certain animals. But even the regular ticket allows you to see so many great animals. 

We saw the camels, bears (different kind of them :)), lions, tigers and many kinds of birds. We also saw many types of snakes, lizards and the likes in the special cages. And besides these animal exhibits, you can also enjoy the carousel, 4D-theater and many more with extra ticket.


beberapa hewan yang kami lihat :)

Banyak sekali hewan-hewan yang kami lihat di kandang mereka yang luas. Mulai dari beruang kutub yang senang bermalas-malasan di kandangnya yang adem dan dikeliling kolam air ataupun beruang madu yang besaaaar banget tapi lucuu dan cudly. Juga harimau, singa dan macan yang ternyata memang besar.

Bahkan kami sempat melihat dari dekat program enrichmant untuk salah satu harimau yang ada di sana. Jadi 2 orang pawang memanggil satu harimau muda (yang besarnya minta ampuuun :)) sampai ke batas terdekat pagar pengaman. Kemudian kami melihat latihan singkat ketangkasan harimau tersebut. Anak-anak happy banget melihatnya, sementara saya ngeri-ngeti sedap karena membayangkan kalau harimau itu iseng loncat keluar pagar >_<. But of course it was just my imagination :).


don't get to close..and psssst, be quite :)

But as I said earlier, one of the main reasons we visited this zoo is because Obi and I would like to see the flamingos. We are indeed smithen with its cute pinky feathers as well as its long neck and legs.

Dan kami pun berhasil melihat kumpulan burung warna pink ini meskipun dari jauh.


aren't they cute :)

Kolam tempat flamingo di kebun binatang ini terletak di dekat cafe dan toko souvenir. Dari kejauhan pun kami sudah mendengar suara khas kumpulan flamingo sehingga mudah mencarinya. 


staying around the pinky flocks :)

Such a cute scene..pinky birds flocking together :). Some of them were intertwining their necks. Too bad I only use my smartphone for photos so it wasn't that detailed and close.

Dan karena Bronx Zoo memang luaaas sekali, masih banyak exhibits yang belum sempat kami datangi, seperti jerapah, salah satu hewan kesayangan Obi, dan taman kupu-kupu. So, for sure we will come back for more :).

By the way, as I definitely fall in love with this cute birds, I have found a lovely flamingo skirt as well :). Setelah melihat flamingo di sana sini, entah karena sudah jodoh mungkin ya, saya pun menemukan rok lucu banget dengan motif 2 burung flamingo. Satu putih, satu pink. Asliiii lucuuu :). Lucky me.

aren't it cute...

And it pretty much perfectly matches my pink top :)

the flamingos and I :)

Speaking of flamingo, do you know that this bird only lay one egg each and every year? Only one. Nothing more. Jadi, kalau telur yang ditetaskan flamingo dalam 1 tahun itu rusak atau tidak menetas, maka harus tunggu 1 tahun ke depan untuk telur yang baru. Berbeda dengan burung biasa yang kayaknya bertelur jauh lebih banyak yaaaa setiap tahunnya. Mungkin kalau burung cantik memang agak susah lahirnya :).


Sooo...do you like flamingo too?
What do you like most to see while you visit a zoo?

Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460
Opening hours vary, feel free to check the official website.



Bo et Obi's Open School Week

Last week was Bo et Obi's open school week. As usual, parents are invited to come to school and observe the kids at their class for one hour. Udi and I certainly don't wanna miss it :).



So last Wednesday we went to Obi's class to join others in this ocassion. They were drawing Thanksgiving-related items and coloring them. And Obi chose to draw her purple-and-orange turkey.

gobble, gobble..

In Obi's music class, the kids learned a new song. I forget to ask the title >_< but it's about the hunter walking in the forrest and shooting his arrow to the air. Mrs. Robinson, the music teacher, mimed it and the kids try to guess what is in the lyrics.


We got to meet Lulu as well, the singing giraffe in the class :).

say hi to Lulu :)

It was fun for the kids indeed.
And also us, the parents :).

On Friday, it was Bo's turn.

As for Bo's class, they were working on the latest chapter on their social studies book, about the lives of native Americans. They were making the traditional bird feeder inspired by the native Americans by using cheerios, pancake/maple syrup, and pine cone. 

that's how you do it :)

The picture above is what Bo and his friends made at school that morning.

Simple yet very interesting indeed.
Bird feeder, the American natives way.

ready to hang them..

Using Cheerios (crushed into crumbs), maple/pancake syrup, pine cone and small rope, they started making one by
tighting the rope at the bottom of the pine cone. Set it aside then mix the crumbs and syrup, then spread it all over the pine cone :).
And voilaaa... The bird feeder is ready.

How the kids enjoy this session with their parents. Pounding the tables while crushing the cheerios, mixing the look-oh-so-disguisting gooey syrup with the crumbs, then dipping the pine cone to it... Let alone the messy tables, which, fortunately have been covered by plastic garbage bag.

Once the bird feeders where well dried and ready, they put and hang them on the trees outside on the following Monday.

The day before the teacher has sent a permission slip noting whether the kids have any allergies to the ingredients being used as well permission for taping of video of photography for the school documentations. 

During the open school week, we also have the book fair and Bo managed to get Captain Underpantz comic while Obi got her super Barbie one.

Well, it was quite a fun week for the kids and the parents indeed.

Do you have open school week as well at your kid's school? What activities that you enjoy most during that week?


Kaastengels a la Obi :)


yummy kaastengels

Cooking with kids can be fun!

Well, the kitchen might be messy but the joy of tossing the ingredients, stirring the dough and cracking the eggs is so overwhelming...
At least in my case :)...




Saya seneeeng bangeeet masak dengan anak-anak. 
Soalnya seruuu...dan mereka memang benar-benar bisa membantu lho. 
Walaupun resikonya adalah dapur jadi amburadul, waktu memasak relatif lebih lama dan seringkali hasilnya jadi tidak seperti yang kita harapkan hehehe.
Tapi melihat Bo et Obi antusias memecahkan dan mengocok telur, menakar tepung, atau menambahkan coklat lagi dan lagi ke dalam adonan kue, rasanya mengharukan hehehe. Bahagia melihat muka celemotan dengan tepung dan meja makan yang meriah dengan hasil karya mereka :). Belum lagi kehebohan dengan pernak-pernik memasaknya, mulai dari apron alias celemek sampai cetakan kue yang lucu-lucu :).

Yang pasti, anak-anak bisa membantu memasak dengan tetap memperhatikan keamanan. Safety first...
Jadi jika mereka membantu, ekstra hati-hati dengan benda panas, tajam dan yang berbahaya lainnya, seperti pisau, baki panggangan yang panas, api kompor atau oven dan sejenisnya.

Dan kali ini, kita mau share pengalaman waktu masak kue keju alias kaastengel.
I know..baru juga mulai puasa tapi boleeeh yaaah share resep favorit kami sekeluarga :).


My family really enjoys hearty meals and yummy munchies. As I need to be careful with sugar and preservatives, I usually cook myself. Well, if I arrive from the office a bit late, Bo et Obi can be very handy in the kitchen. But we usually cook a lot during weekends. And sometimes, Bo et Obi know exactly what they want, so mommy has to stand ready :p.

One of our favorite munchies is kaastengel. 
Cheesy cookies..or some might say, cheese stick. 
Kaas means cheese in Dutch and Kaastengel is quite popular in Indonesia, especially for Eid ul Fitr or Christmas.

But since we love them sooo much, we don't always wait for those special moments. 
We just bake them regularly...enjoying the cooking time with my kiddos.
Including now, as we are about to welcome Ramadhan, the holy month..


I was simply laughing out loud as they started measuring the flour and counting the eggs just like the professional chef. Let alone when they start rolling the dough and sprinkle more and more chocolate or spill the butter. 

For sure the kitchen will be a bit messy but we can always clean it :). But the joy of laughing and creating something together is beyond words. 

But don't forget to make sure everything is safe for them. 
Watch out for sharp, hot, and dangerous objects while cooking with the kids.

So, as Kaastengeel or the cheese cookies are ou favorite, we decided to bake them :).

And here's our simple recipe for Kaastengel from Nenek Lilies, my mom :).
Perfect for any ocassion, particularly Eid Fitr, after the holy month of Ramadhan.
Or even now, for your Ifthar or any occassions you like.

Oh my, we haven't even finished fasting for the first day yet :) 

Ingredients : 



Flour 400 gram (or as needed)
Cheese 250 gram or more, grated 

I usually have Swiss Gruyere, Edam and/or Parmesan...you can also use Gauda et Cheddar of course, whatever you love :). I love the matured cheese because it tas really good and smell wonderfully.
Egg yolks 4
Butter 350 gr 

I usually mix Wijsman, the Dutch canned butter that my mom loves to use soooo much, with margarine or buttery spread, such as I Can't Believe It's not Butter :))
Milk powder 200 gram 
If you like..to add the creamy taste) 
Corn starch 100 gram 
For extra crunchy cookies..

For garnish:
Grated cheese 150 gram or more, depending how generous you are garnishing the cookies
2 Egg yolks, whisked and mixed with butter (2 spoonfull)
Clean brush

You will need baking trays, dough roller, cookie cutters and parchment paper.

How to cook 

Here comes the fun :)

Mix the butter and egg yolks well using mixer, then add the grated cheese. Mix them well.
Then knead the mixture with flour and cornstarch, gradually, until they all mix well and become soft, well-blended dough. The best way of doing it is using our clean hands, so you can really feel it. But of course you can always use the spatula or wooden spoon.







Then roll the dough and cut them using cookie cutter you like.

The traditional shape is rectangles but as you can see, we choose the heart-shaped cookie cutters for this.

Place them onto the greased baking trays.



Then preheat the oven to 420 degree F while you brush the cookies with whisked egg yolks and butter and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Some extra sprinkles will be fun :)

Once everything is ready, put the trays  and bake till they are beautifully done for around 20 minutes.

Oh my, it looks yummy indeed :).


What's your favorite family recipe? Do you like cooking it with your kids as well?