Saturday morning kicks off with swimming lessons. Afterwards, we head straight to the Chinese Museum of Art for the Family Dragon Boat Festival. It starts at 12 noon, and we arrive at 11:45am. We are the first ones there. The Bear has the arts and crafts all to himself. Starting with the station to make potpourri bags. Apparently, the Chinese made them to ward off bad spirits. They used garlic and other not so fun smelling herbs. Lucky for us, they have rose petals and jasmine.
The Bear smells the roses.
The Bear chooses his own wrapper and string too.
Ta da!
Then we move over to a new station. Again, all to ourselves.
It's the dragon crown making station. The Bear gets right to work coloring his dragon.
Then he gets into organizing the markers and crayons.
While Daddy cuts the dragon out.
Fitting the crown to his head. Too small - the Bear has a lot of brain to fit into that extra-large noggin of his.
Ta da! And yes, there are even fuzzy balls on the side too.
Daddy is so impressed that he wants to try it on too.
Wandering the gallery - again, all to ourselves. Gotta love New York City where there is so darn much to do that a great event like this isn't too well attended. Though Daddy does remind Mommy that it is nap time after all and that perhaps kiddos are sleeping. Unlike us where we tend to put the Bear to nap kind of late on weekends.
Story time where we learn about feeding the River God rice and why we have Dragon Festival.
Checking out the Lee antiques - the Lees are a veritable old school family who started Chinatown.
Dragon heads. We saw a children's group perform with these masks at the Museum of Children's Fine Arts.
This one in particular scared the heck out of the Bear.
Now for a new station. This time making dragon boats. It's a bit complex with all the folding, so Daddy takes over. And yes, he is wearing the Bear's crown - after all, the Bear is a sharing Bear.
An old Chinese lady makes a caballo for the Bear. And also a bird that moves.
Ta da! Daddy is very proud of himself.
This little yellow guy is that bird I was talking about.
Now time for making zong zi - during story time earlier, this is what the people would make to throw into the river for the River God so that he would help them catch fish.
Mr. Bear chillin'
The Bear and Daddy decorate their zong zi.
Ta da! Reminds Mommy of a rice cake and gets Mommy hungry.
Daddy and the Bear on the walk home.
Alas, we are an hour and a half late for the Bear's nap. Poor Mr. B.
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