New York Botanical Garden

Guest Blogger - Daddy (from January 5th)

Today, I got to join Ryan on his first school bus field trip - What a great way to kick off the New Year and get back in to the swing of things!  It was hard to say who was more excited about the trip - Ryan, me or Nicole.  It was pretty cool watching Ryan climb in to the school bus (I know, very cliche) - he looked like such a big kid.

Ryan's buddy for the day was Rowan and the two boys had a blast on the bus ride.  

Our destination was the Botanical Gardens, a place we often talked about visiting but never did.   There was a special train show at the Gardens that was ending the following week, so the trip was perfectly timed.  My instructions from Nicole for that morning were easy - bring gloves, a hat, and take lots and lots of pictures!  When we got off the bus, we were greeted by the tour guide and as she explained the plan for the day, Ryan said "Do you think I could go see some of the trains now?"

  As we walked through the park to get to the train exhibit, Ryan and his buddies were sure to stop by every pit stop just to check things out.  We were definitely lucky that the weather was great - it was one of the nicest days so far this winter.

The gardens were more impressive than I thought they would be - even during the offseason, there were still plenty of exhibits and activities for the class and other visitors.  This spot was one of our favorites because the "hungry little caterpillar" was one of the many bedtime books we would read to the boys and this critter looks just like him.

Before we were able to view the train display, the tour guide had us camp out by this Christmas tree to be sure that no kid would be left behind.  Of course this was the perfect opportunity to TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES.  As a group of some 20 -25 kids lined up, all the parents snapped photos like amateur paparazzi - clearly I wasn't the only one with instructions that morning.  It was great to stand there and watch all the kids laughing and just goofing around.

The indoor exhibit was unbelievable- the attention to detail in each display was really incredible. Perhaps the most impressive to the displays were the Statue of Liberty and the model of Ellis Island, - both are made of leaves, sticks and natural plants found on the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.

To say that the exhibit hall was crowded would be an understatement.  I tried to lead the way and act as crowd control so that the kids could get close to the action.  I am not sure if Ryan or I really knew what to expect from the gardens that day, but once we saw the trains and could hear their bells and whistles we felt right at home. 

Everything that was on display in the exhibit was all natural (with the exception of the trains of course).  If you look carefully, you can see a Subway car cross this bridge overhead as we made our way downtown.

With the help of Ryan pointing the way you can almost make out the Number 1 of the Thomas tank engine train.   Percy, Oliver, Mighty Mac, Emily, Gordon, Bulgy, and the other really useful engines did not make the trek from Sodor.

This picture alone all but guarantees that Nicole and I will be planning a trip next year with both boys.  Ryan was so excited throughout the day and would keep saying "I am having great havior"

What a Motley Crew...

The next picture is somewhat ridiculous however 1. Nicole picked the pictures she wanted me to write about, 2.  I took it because I had a picture quota to meet and 3.  I thought that this would be a bizarre family photo if we were all made out of cookies. 

p.s. Nicole does have a red purse that looks just like that one.

After the kids were all jazzed up from the train exhibit,  it was time to learn about plants and the differences between ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and something else - I am not sure and I was not paying attention.  The class was very interactive: each student was given a piece of each spice and was told to crush them using a regular mortar and pestle.

Finally, after a very full morning, it was time to head back to the bus and back to school.  It was a great day and I hope I get to go on another field trip soon.  As for writing on this blog, this may be my one and only guest blogger entry. I will leave the writing to Nicole.