 Photo: Courtesy of the Artist and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival
written by Jen #supermom People who don’t live in NYC often wonder how we city folk survive without grass, trees or a yard for our kids to play in. Prospect Park IS this for us! And there is always so much going on in the park that we can enjoy with our families. Here are a few ways we can take advantage of this gorgeous place we’re so lucky to call our backyard this summer. Nothing beats listening to great music with your family at an outdoor concert. Watching our little ones really FEEL the music, dancing so freely in the summer breeze…while picnicking in the park with friends! It’s the best. On June 11th at 4pm Dan Zanes will be performing at the Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival at the Bandshell. If you are not already familiar, this guy has been playing music for decades, including a performance on Sesame Street (YouTube “Jump Up”, it’s a favorite), and has a Grammy among many other awards to show for it. For this concert, he’ll be honoring author Ezra Jack Keats along with the Tada! Youth Theater. You won’t find more fun family music, and bonus: it’s free!http://www.bricartsmedia.org/events-performances/bric-celebrate-brooklyn-festival/dan-zanes-lead-belly-project-tada-youth-theater Looking for a fun way to spend time together and perhaps include a bit of exercise? How about a family bike ride? You can rent from an array of bikes, from traditional 2-wheels to a 4-wheeled, 6-person Double Surrey at LeFrak. You can rent them hourly or for the day. What an amazing way to spend the day with your family…exploring the park on bike paths – perhaps see something in the park you have never noticed before (that STILL happens to me after 8 years living in Park Slope)! http://lakesidebrooklyn.com/activities/biking/ Also at LeFrak Center at Lakeside, one cannot forget the splash pad. Over 20 water jets pumping at once while you groove to fun pop music. Another bonus to the splash pad is that there is a great cafe on site to replenish all the energy you burned chasing your little one around in the water. The Bluestone Cafe has very decent food and picnic benches to enjoy it on. Stuffed Avocado salad, Mediterranean tuna wraps and chicken tenders are a few of the popular menu options. Cannot think of a better way to cool off and have fun on a hot summer day! http://lakesidebrooklyn.com/activities/splash-pad/ And last but absolutely not least, there’s the ridiculously tasty array of food available every Sunday at the Smorgasburg!!! Through October 23rd from 11am to 6pm, enjoy food from over 100 different vendors: http://brooklynflea.com/markets/prospect-park-smorgasburg/ Few of the favorites include: a homemade Nutella “Ring-Ding” from Duane Park Patisserie, a pile of sticky rice from Bamboo Bites in mango, chicken satay or coconut ….to maple bacon on a stick. Buzzfeed compiled a list of must-eats here, so you can plan out your next pig-out session (helpful when surrounded by so many choices)! https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliareinstein/smorg-2016?utm_term=.apY3jdX10#.pcOqNeGXd In addition, we cannot forget the ever-fun carousel, the Prospect Park Zoo…and of course those wide open fields and hills for Sunday picnics and playing ball with our children. Happy Summer Everyone!!!
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  written by Jen #supermom
Anyone who is a patient of South Slope Pediatrics is surely familiar with Taima Lopez, the most nurturing and kind nurse that greets us at our appointments. Whether it be weighing our babies or administering those dreadful shots, she does it all with a smile while keeping our nerves at bay. Her genuine compassionate nature and strong work ethic make her such an invaluable part of our practice. Lets get to know her a bit more in this month’s interview! SSP: We all know you as the most gentle and caring nurse at South Slope Pediatrics. Can you share a little more about yourself and your family? I am a nurse at South Slope Pediatrics. I consider myself to be a self-motivated and compassionate person. I have 3 kids: my oldest is 19, my second youngest is 13, and my baby is 19 months. SSP: Can you tell us about your job and what you do? My job here at SSP is to obtain and document vitals, do eye and hearing exams, and lead and hemoglobin tests on the children. I obtain basic patient information and transmit this information via an electronic medical record for the doctor to perform his medical assessments. SSP: How long have you been at the practice? What were you doing before coming to SSP? I have been with South Slope Pediatrics since 2013. Before coming to SSP I worked in a private school, training nursing students. SSP: What led you into the medical field and why did you decide to become a nurse? What led me to this field is that I enjoy helping people in need. This is my biggest satisfaction. SSP: What interests you most about nursing? What interests me most about nursing is how a simple act of kindness can make a change in someone’s day. For example, just holding a persons hand and letting them know it’s going to be OK. Just being there for them makes a difference. SSP: What is the most challenging part of your job? Why? The most challenging part of my job is vaccinating children. At the moment of injection it is painful for them. They don’t why we are doing it and that it’s for their own benefit. SSP: Do you have a special experience that has helped shape you as a nurse? My special experience that has helped me as a nurse is having kids of my own. I can relate to parents and their concerns. SSP: You are always smiling. You are full of positive energy and it helps each of our little ones (and us parents) when we have to come in for shots. What’s the secret??? 🙂 My secret is that I enjoy and LOVE what I do and knowing it’s for a good cause. My positive attitude I thank God for. My kids and my family are my inspiration, my strongest motivation to strive for continuous improvement. Also, working with Dr. Cao, Matteo, Dr. Wilson-Taylor and the whole South Slope Pediatrics team has been a very rewarding experience, one which has promoted professional growth.  written by Jen #supermom
It’s May and summer is just around the corner (woohoo)!!! The weather is finally going to stay warm, mangos and pineapples are in season, trees and flowers are in full bloom and there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for our families to enjoy in Brooklyn. Here are a few of the local events for both the teeniest and the biggest “kids”, aka the parents! * Mini-Matisse Bring Your Own Art Weekend (Private Picasso’s Art Studio, 237 5th Ave): Ground Floor Gallery has teamed up with the dynamic art studio for kids, Private Picassos, for this year’s Mini Matisse Weekend! Drop by Private Picassos to have your child make their one-of-a-kind masterpiece and then BYOA (Bring Your Own Artwork) to Ground Floor Gallery, a few blocks away, to hang it on the gallery wall, snap a photo and leave with a mini-Matisse goodie bag! May 7th and 8th, 10am-6pm. From $5 – $20, depending on the medium. http://www.privatepicassos.com/public-classes-events/2016/5/7/mini-matisse-bring-your-own-art-weekend * Book Event: The Secret Subway (NY Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights): Science meets art meets New York City History in The Secret Subway! Step back in time and discover the amazing, true story of NYC’s very first subway with creators Shana Corey and Red Nose Studio. Participate in interactive, hands-on pneumatic power demonstrations, see how the book’s three dimensional art was made, and more! May 13th, 1:30-2:15pm. Ages 5+. http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/pdf/Children_Family_Programs.pdf * “Tree/ Boom/ Umthi” (BAM, Fisher Hillman Studio): South African physical theater company Magnet Theatre uses image, song, and the body to tell the story of a human relationship with a tree – and the changing of the seasons. intended especially for young viewers, this delicate, inventive work is performed in three different languages. May 14th – 22nd, tickets $12. Ages 2-5. http://www.bam.org/kids/2016/tree-boom-umthi * Touch-a-Truck at PS 295 (18th St between 6th and 7th Ave): Touch-a-Truck, NYC’s favorite family street fair, is returning to PS 295! At this unique street fair, NYC kids and their families will get up close and personal with a wide variety of emergency vehicles, construction equipment, vintage vehicles, and other cool rigs. Food trucks, bouncy houses, music, crafts, free activities, and more round out the day – including a South Slope Pediatrics Babyspace!!! Touch-a-Truck Brooklyn is a fundraiser to support academic, arts, and enrichment programs at PS 295. May 14th from 12-5pm. $8 per person. http://www.ps295.org/pta/touch-a-truck-2016./ * The Fabulous 5th Avenue Fair (5th Ave between Sterling and 12th St): Music, local food and drink from your favorite 5th Ave restaurants and bars, art, local shopping, rides, vintage cards and more. May 15th from 12-6pm. http://allaboutfifth.blogspot.com/ * Spring Into Stories: Brooklyn Public Library Children’s Author and Illustrator Festival (Central Library, Dweck Center): Meet an all-star line-up of Brooklyn children’s book authors and illustrators, and enjoy hands-on art, lively presentations, music from BPL house band Lost in the Stacks, and more. May 21st from 11am-4pm. http://www.bklynlibrary.org/central/spring-into-stories * The Wizard of Oz (Puppetworks): L. Frank Baum’s American classic with an original song score. Adapted for marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. Suggested for ages 3+. May 7th – Aug. 21st on Saturdays & Sundays @ 12:30 and 2:30pm. $9 per child, $10 per adult. http://www.puppetworks.org/ * Family Bowl (Brooklyn Bowl, Williamsburgh): Looking for something to do with the family on a rainy day? Whether you’re a pro or your ball tends to spend most of its time in the gutter, all skills and ages are welcome! Enjoy delicious food by Blue Ribbon and some local brews while you’re there. Every Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm. $25/lane for 1/2 hour. http://www.brooklynbowl.com/event/1079923-saturday-family-bowl-brooklyn/ * Fleece Festival (Prospect Park Zoo): At the zoo, a master sheep shearer will help their sheep lose their winter coats in preparation for summer. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on 5/21 and 5/22 they’ll have wool working demonstrations, crafts, music and, of course, sheep! And it’s all free with zoo admission. http://prospectparkzoo.com/events/14 * Families First Annual Spring Carnival for Kids and Tots (Baltic St. between Court and Clinton): Sponsored by Families First, the day is a celebration of family and community for families of toddlers to kindergarten-aged children. The Carnival features the kids’ favorites: pony rides, two bouncy houses, face painting, tattoos, mini-carousel, carnival games, arts & crafts, a bake sale and balloons. There will also be a book sale. May 21st from 10am – 2pm. http://mommypoppins.com/event/families-firsts-annual-spring-carnival-for-kids-and-tots |
Jen Valu
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