The Bright Lights of Broadway with "Matilda", Shubert Theater, NY, NY

"Matilda the Musical" 

The Shubert Theater

225 W. 44th, NY, NY

One of the most important reasons for living in the "Big Apple" is the access to one of the world's most amazing performing arts scenes. It has been a good year for us both with the kids "Spider-Man, Turn off the Dark" and without "Of Mice and Men" (ok Spider-Man was not that awesome, but James Franco surprisingly was). 

We racked up playbills this year like we owned the place.  But by far the best performance  has been this adaptation of the amazing Roald Dahl book, "Matilda."

Perhaps you are living on another planet and never experienced "Willy Wonka" or "The Witches," but if you have, you know that there is no greater children's author dead or alive. "Matilda the Musical" did not disappoint (and I hate musicals and book adaptations in general). From the fantastical moving "scrabble" set to the nine year old lead that nailed it, our boys were equally inspired to tryout one day for the "Great White Way."  So whether you're in town for good or the weekend, make it out to see this show before it's too late!

Smorgasburg, Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, NY

Smorgasburg

Pier 5

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn, NY

I go to great lengths to avoid Williamsburg and to even further ones to explore Brooklyn Bridge Park with the boys.  So when I heard the one reason I ever ventured into hipsterville was now next to the bridge, I was sold. 

Our kids are evolving into foodies.  I know it's obnoxious, but I kinda don't care. Even before they hit the new Ample Hills stand, they ventured through Nic's bud's place at Ramen Burger, then onto the Lumpia Shack, some sticky rice at the Bamboo Bites stand and then we threw in some Bunna's Ethiopian iced coffee and Thai street roti for me and a Thai iced tea for mommy. 

We had also gotten really excited for the new features at Pier 2 this season. We desperately wanted to get our rollerskate on, but they were washed out.  So instead we old-schooled it with some shuffle board and bocce, free of charge. 

We even managed to get mommy and her preggers belly in in the action to earn a stop back at the food carts for blackberry People's Pops, bubble tea and delicious limeade. Hey, bocce is thirsty work!

Ample Hills of Deliciousness; Ample Hills Ice Cream, Brooklyn, NY

Ample Hills Creamery

623 Vanderbilt Ave  Brooklyn, NY

Houston, we have a problem.  And her name is ice cream.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good scoop of toffe heath or fresh strawberry.  But I married a icecreamaholic.  And what happens when you mix my recessive genes with her dominate sugartastic ones; a kiddo that loves the stuff.  "What do you want to do for your 8th birthday Sydney?"  "I want a party at Ample Hills, the best ice cream shop in the world!"  How does a parent say "no" to that?

Before opening this Prospect Heights bastion of the new "Brooklyn" cool, Brian Smith was a published Sci-fi author and producer for the Sy Fy station.  Clearly, giving up monster movies for cream was a genius career move.  Sydney got to go back stage to see the magic at work.  What makes that "cracked caramel" so good?  How many egg yolks go in that "egg nog" flavor? (uh, yeah 10!)  "I'm sorry, did you say the 'Munchies' has ritz, potato chips AND pretzels?"  He got to ride the ice cream bike, as did all of his friends.  Props to our friend Emily S ("Emily's Homemade" cookies, amazing!) for pioneering this outing in our circle, it was amazing AND delicious.

We used to walk the twenty or so minutes there every once and a while. It was a good buffer.  Today I discovered that they have an outpost at Pier 4 in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.  But then, on the way home I was reminded of something terribly sinister that I had read this spring.  There is now an Ample Hills factory and shop just down the street at Union at Nevins.   Oh no!