Graphic Design in Manhattan

Once a week I get to feel like a real New Yorker as I commute (by myself!) to Manhattan for a graphic design class. Some weeks I think wow, I am really bad at this stuff and I should just never do it again. But other weeks I am proud of something I have done. Our teacher is great and teaches us about seeing art in all things, then applying to our work. He has been teaching us good work methods and helping up get jobs done fast. I don't know how well I have done at that last lesson; we keep getting assignments piled on before the last one is even finished! And I don't usually have the million hours I would want to work on a project (something about having a baby who wants to jump on your laptop.

Here is a picture of my teacher giving a photography demonstration:

He is a cool Italian guy from Brooklyn. It makes me laugh when some of us students have a hard time figuring out what word he is saying, because his accent is so strong!

I have not really finished any projects, but here are some samples:

Big-boy Bed

Ever since he could roll, one of Charles' all-time favorite things to do is to roll/plop/crawl/run around like a crazy-man in his bed/bedroom. Especially at night time when we are trying to calm him down and put his pajamas on. I think it has become part of our night-time routine. 

This is a movie of some nap-time fun a few months ago. I thought his hair was pretty silly.

When we got home from Christmas break, Charles figured out how he could climb out of his pack and play. So he got a big-boy bed. We have really had to be creative in figuring out how to get him used to this new freedom (before we would just throw him in the pack and play and say goodnight). Our doors are kinda old so he can open them.

One tactic was to lay down and fall asleep. 

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't:

Precious:

We even got doorknob covers, and those worked for a few days - long enough for him to learn to go to sleep on his own in his bed. It didn't take him long to overcome that obstacle, and he enjoys running out to greet us a few minutes after we put him down. Luckily we only have to put him back one or two times and he goes to sleep. Usually snuggling with his (stuffed animal) puppy.

How to lose weight: Move to NYC

You will have to walk everywhere. Like allllll the way to the corner:

You will eat delicious healthy fruit (i.e. mango) that you buy from street vendors at parades:

Stroller + Baby combo must be carried up and down subway stairs (usually 2+ flights)

Yep, that stroller. Imagine the muscles we are forming . . .

(note: we love taking walks with this heavy-duty stroller that our friends are so nice to let us borrow, but we have since purchased a lighter stroller  for subway or bus-intensive travel. . .)

When you go to the grocery store, bringing a wiggly baby and a small cart reduces the amount of food you end up buying. 

Equals you probably eat less. 

Joshua is pictured here working out in the NY subway with sleeping-baby-weight on his back. 

Joshua's other trick is to stay really late at work so you just skip meals entirely. 

Does wonders for the waistline.

(just kidding, mom, we pack him extra food...) 

Charles always looks out for us - makes sure we don't eat too much of those sugary cereals.

Charles makes sure to stay fit even when it is too cold to go out to the park and climb up and down the slides:

Another weight-loss-NYC-style tip is to take your kid and a stroller and a few bags to the zoo, where you will end up pushing the bag in your stroller and chasing the kid (plus some of his buddies) around the lily pond. Really gets your heart rate going good. 

These are our secrets. Come spend a week with us in NYC and you, too, will lose weight. 

And just increase your all-around cool-ness.