Monthly Archives: September 2010

Long Island Port Washington/Oyster Bay line Emergency going home plan (from Manhattan)

It is already the second time LIRR failed since we moved to long island.
Here are the back up plans going home:
1) Subway alternative… Take #7 train to flushing. Then take Q12 (final stop Little Neck) N20/N21 (some ends at Great Neck, but some goes to Manhassett, Roslyn, Glen Cove, Greenvale, Old Westbury Hicksville).
2) If LIRR partially functioning… Port Washington line and Oyster Bay line can be backup of eachother, N20/N21 connections Great Neck of Port Washington line with Roslyn, Old Westbury etc of Oyster Bay line.
If LIRR Montauk line is functioning, take Montauk line to Lynbrook, then N25 to Great Neck, then other buses from Great Neck, if needed.
3) Express bus… Take QM3 from middle town to Little Neck.
34 St & 3 Av
34 St & Park Av
34 St & Madison Av
35 St & 6 Av
6 Av & 41 St
6 Av & 44 St
6 Av & 48 St
6 Av & 55 St
57 St & Madison Av
57 St & 3 Av
There are only three afternoon shuttles. click for schedule :
4) China town van… Go to Chinatown, enjoy a dinner and take a van Chinatown-Flushing. ticket is $3. Then take Q12 or N20/21.

#7 train is the best backup. Other alternatives are more vulnerable to traffic chaos after the storm.
If LIRR is not functioning, show your LIRR monthly pass and you should be get free ride on #7 train, M12, N20/21 and QM3 bus. (tried everything except QM3)

5) Just stay… Find a place to have a drink, stay with a friend in Manhattan, enjoy your night.

Books by Leo Lionni

Here’s another author that I like, and he had written multiple Caldecott winners.  To name a few of my favorite: “A Color of My Own” teaches the young (and old) about the inner peace; “Swimmy” tells a smart tale about the insignificance of size; “Alex and the wind-up Mouse” lets us realize the importance of being ourselves;  “It is Mine” is a suttle tale about sharing.  Also, the simple language made a lot of his books excellent choices  for the budding readers.

Leo Lionni at Amazon

As always, Amazon will donate a small portion of the sales through links on our website to The Little Fir Foundation.  Thank you for your support.

读书看画

以前， Darby 读书，尽管读的是chapter book, 也要盯着插图看半天。总觉得她看书太babyish了。  这几天， 与Darby 一起读书，发现她对插图观察得还真细致， 能与内容联系起来看。 先是读中文书”仙女蜜儿” , 插图是一个长发女孩子在荡秋千。 没读那章的内容时，她问为什么画了个长发女孩，孟小乔是短发的。 我打发她的问题道：大概画错了。 后来读到：“孟小乔记得图片中的长发女孩在荡秋千的时侯， 头发是高高飘起的。”， 她恍然大悟：“噢，这是孟小乔的imagination.”

今天读一本英语书”The Secrets of Droon”, 封面上好多怪物。 当她读到“Khan, the purple, pillow-shaped king of the Lumpies”,  她高兴地翻到封面， 指给我看， 原来这是个“king of the Lumpies”。 后来又读到“Two fierce, red-faced warriors”, 她又figure out 出俩个怪物。

Girl’s Figure Skate Blades

I have met many parents in the ice rink who look for the first figure skating blades for their daughters.
Here my two cents to share:
Skating boots need to be comfortable, and at the same time provide enough support to the ankle. For non-skater, you can start with a cheaper and softer version. For more advanced level, you probably need the boots to be harder and supportive. There are different made of blades themselves also. Some blades are harder and last longer. However, as the child outgrow skating blades very fast, it is probably not the biggest consideration unless, the child is a really good skater.
Riedell and Jackson are two popular brand names that fits a beginners need a budget.
Riedell 10: My daughter’s 7 year old friend has it. She is a really good skater and I feel she should get a better version than this. However, she seems to be performing really well still in this verion:


Jackson Softec: This is a more comfortable verion fo Jackson:


Jackson Mystique: My daughter is learning spinning and jumping. This more expensive version is made with harder leather and provide more support for her.

American Athletic: This is a cheap brand name I can find. I have never tried it. But it should fit the beginner’s need with low budget.

There are what is called “convertible” skate blades that can adjust for feet size. Those one never fit the children’s feet very well so I don’t suggest anyone to buy it.

My Bike and Bike Trailer

My Bike:
I bought from Sports Authority for $299 and really liked it! It is very comfortable but also have gears for 7-speed to adjust to the small hills in my community.
When I bought it I couldn’t find a cheaper version on Amazon. Now it is so much cheaper and there is no shipping fee!

My Bicycle Trailer:
Actually I bought the bike because I want to bike together with my kids in the trailer with me. After I got my bike and trailer, several people asked me where I got the trailer. It can be a trailer, stroller or a jogger. Here you are:


I also bought the light to make sure me and my kids are safe at dask:
I bought from Amazon for $29.99 with free shipping. Now it is $22.25 without free shipping.