Tommy and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Day

Friday has long been known as the favorite weekday of adults nationwide. With most jobs coming to a weekend siesta on Friday evening, it's not wonder that spirits are often high all day long in offices everywhere. Today has been thoroughly enjoyed not just by Brooklyn's breadwinners, but by the Explorers at 2: Cool for School as well, with Thelonius announcing to Lyouba in between crafts, "I love my school!" The star of today's storytime was in a different mood altogether in the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. While reading the story about a little boy who wakes up on the wrong side of bed to find a world in which nothing goes right for him, Amy prompted the Explorers to find out what constitutes a bad day for each of them. While Thelonius predictably said that a bad day for his older sister can often mean a bad day for him, and Lena said that she has a bad day when her mom is cranky, Tommy surprised everyone when he told his teachers and fellow Explorers that a bad day for him is when "dad gets really mad and throws food on the floor!" While we know that Robert loves to cook, we didn't know his passion for food had such a dark side! Tommy's imagination is truly a thing of wonder!
Parents of toddlers and lovers of Bill Cosby know too well that kids do indeed say the darndest things, and it is a major job perk for all of our teachers to have the pleasure of hearing many such statements firsthand. 2: Cool for School's Tommy is the source of so many hilarious utterances that it sometimes difficult not to laugh when Tommy is around. Before storytime today, after Amy asked the tots to "Open your ears and zip up your mouth" in order to hear the story, Tommy made a zipping motion, stopped in the middle of his mouth, pointed to the side of his mouth that he hadn't "zipped" and said, "This part is still open. If I close it I won't be able to talk." And indeed it was, as Tommy continued to chatter his way through the rest of the books that were read!
For most people, one of the pleasures of moving is the opportunity it affords one to explore a new neighborhood: the restaurants, the book stores, even the grocery stores in a new place can seem exciting and promising. The crew at Explorers Club, housed in our new location at 110 Schermerhorn spent today exploring their new neighborhood, and they loved what they found! Cobble Hill Playground was the site of some very active imaginations today, when Gayla, Brittany and Natalie took the Explorers to play in the sand box before lunch. As neighborhood regulars know, the playground is home to a giant dolphin statue, which Simone, lover of creatures real or pretend, was feeding "fish" made from sand. After enjoying the crisp fall air, it was time for the Explorers to enjoy some real fish of their own: delicious broiled salmon from Brooklyn Fare. Now that's a catch!
We are so excited to continue discovering treasured spots in our new neighborhood, and we are just as excited to share a new neighborhood treasure that will be emerging in our previous temporary location at 399 Atlantic Ave. Beginning next week, Kisha's loving and creative husband Chris, dad to Haven and Shelton, will be launching his new holiday pop-up store! The space will act as a store and showroom for independent designers, and the collection will be merchandized and curated by Christopher Gandsy. The showroom will feature apparel, jewelry, accessories, shoes, lighting, toys and more. A boutique holiday market without the trek to Union Square? Yes, please!