Fun times with Mimi, Auntie Joey and Koa

The much anticipated mid-April event that the B-Hive had been looking forward to for quite a while was now here!!!  We always love when our Vermont family comes down to visit.  The cousins get along so well and have such a great time together, and it is so nice to catch up and hang out with Mimi and Joey.  The only downfall with their April trips these days is that our boys are getting too big and now have school.    Joey and Koa's Spring Break unfortunately does not coincide with ours, and Max, Sam and Jack had to miss precious time with their awesome cousin to go to school--bummer!  Oh well, they made up for it as soon as they got home, cramming as much fun into an evening as possible. 

We did let the boys skip school one of the days so that we all could do something special together--Paul even took work off!   We decided to go to the zoo this year.  It had been several years since we had been, and I was rather impressed with the improvements and renovations that had been made.  The weather was gorgeous, the first trees and daffodils were beginning to bloom, and the day was perfect.  I think everyone had a great time!

This superhero was tuckered out--fighting crime at the zoo is hard work!

This happened to be our last night with the Vermonters, and since we got home so late we decided to order dinner in--Chinese food for Mimi, Jack and Sam, Pizza for Koa and Jack, and Sushi for Max, Sam, Paul, Joey and Me.  We were all happy!!

Easter Weekend NY Trip

The boys' spring break coincided with Easter weekend this year.  Instead of a full week, they get an extra long weekend (Thursday thru Monday off).  We definitely wanted to go somewhere fun to celebrate their break, and at first we tried for Washington, DC.  We hoped to get a tour of the White House, but after contacting our Legislator and filling out all kinds of paper work, we were denied.  Apparently that is a super busy weekend at the White House and even if it wasn't, to get a tour you must submit the requests months in advance, not mere weeks as we tried to do.  Too bad we are not planners!  Oh well, we decided to table our trip to DC and instead head back to NYC.  The boys love it there.  The only bad thing was that Uncle Muck and Auntie D were in Vieques and would once again not be there for our visit.  This is a bummer since it is so fun to see and hang out with them and the boys just love them.  But, other than not getting to spend time with Marc and Deleah, the B-Hive had a wonderful time in the Big Apple.

This is the view of Freedom Tower as you walk out of Marc's building.  Being there is so cool!

We took the boys to dinner at the Peking Duck House in Chinatown.  We ordered the specialty--the peking duck!  To serve it, the waiters bring it in whole after it is cooked and carve it table side.  Our boys are so adventurous--they loved their meal and tried everything! 

Of course we had to spend some time in Times Square--the boys love coming here and seeing all of the billboards and building and bustling crowds.  But mostly, I think they like the huge Toys R Us we always find ourselves in... 

We enjoyed a sushi night! 

On Easter Sunday we took a nice stroll amongst the crowds of people over the Brooklyn Bridge.  This was really neat, especially on the way back toward Manhattan with the amazing views of the city. 

When we got home late Sunday night, the boys were thrilled to discover that the Easter Bunny had come and left them with treats and fun surprises!  The light sabers in particular were a huge hit!