Hanging out at TMNT Pizza Van Tour NYC

So this week my son got an afterschool surprise that combined this favorite things. Food and Toys!

For weeks now we've followed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle's Pizza Van during it's 10 City Tour collecting toys and sharing FREE pizza. This month the Turtle Pizza Van came to New York City and of course we had to be there!

I'm so glad we caught the van during it's last stop, because my son really wanted to donate a toy so another child can have a present for the holidays. As soon as we arrived, my son added his toy donation to the toy drive bins.

It was nice to see the bins filling up with toys from people also coming to see visit the Turtle's Pizza Van.

My son was excited to joined the pizza line and also receive his free pizza slice. After receiving the slice, he could customize it with Turtle-inspired toppings like sprinklers, marshmallows, gummy bears and chocolate!

Sadly for him, I said no to the added topping since it was end of the day and no extra sugar allowed. So he enjoyed his pizza plain and simple.

But don't feel very sorry for him. He received a Turtles Pizza Van goodie bag filled with lots of cool items including TMNT themed chapstick (pizza scented) a hat and a copy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie which became available on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD.

I don't have to tell you what movie we enjoyed that night.

Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie package included two reversible masks featuring all four signature colors. My son loved wearing the mask for one of his favorite turtles while we enjoyed a family movie night.

Race Fusion at Hip Hop Nutcracker

We loved seeing the The Hip Hop Nutcracker at United Palace of Cultural Arts today.

My son loved the dance moves. I loved the fusion of different cultures and music.

Where else can you meet iconic Kurtis Blow and hip hop dancers of asian decent. I look forward to seeing the show next year.

Visiting the Bronx Zoo with Penguins of Madagascar

We were invited to visit The Bronx Zoo for a Penguins of Madagascar NY Event. The day was filled with fun activities, learning experiences and of course some spy action with the Penguins of Madagascar!

Note: I was invited as media to this event. Admission to the Bronx Zoo and Events are courtesy of DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

Since it was still close to Halloween my son wore a costume to meet the Penguins. The costume I chose for him? Men in Black of course. I'd say it was a good choice.

Our day started with Breakfast, Arts and Crafts, Face Painting, and Meet and Greet with the Penguins of Madagascar.

After meeting the Penguins of Madagascar, there was a break for a dance party and then lunch!

Then the fun turned educational with a visit to the Bronx Zoo Madagascar exhibit. While there we learned about leaping lemurs, hissing cockroaches, cave-dwelling crocodiles and more about the one-of-a-kind wildlife found on world's fourth largest island.

We ended our Bronx Zoo visit at their Penguin Exhibit, where we learned more about Penguins life in both the wild and captivity and watched a live private feed.

photo credit: courtesy of DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox

The group even received an up close and personal intro to one of the zoos resident penguins. He was a good sport considering that all of us had cameras out taking photos of him.

After a morning and afternoon at the Bronx Zoo, with the Penguins of Madagascar, the group was excited to attend an advance screening for the Penguins of Madagascar movie. We can't say too much about the movie (no spoilers) but I can say you're going to be very touched by the storyline.

Is there action and espionage? YES. Are the penguins still being their humorous selves? YES.

But the movie also offers new characters, a different level of humor and a major plus with the back story about how the team first bonded and what keeps them bonded together. You're going to enjoy the Penguins of Madagascar movie!

Celebrating 40 years together

Celebrating my 40th birthday with my son. Such a special moment after a crazy hard year of my life.

Indeed happy birthday to me! I'm ready for my 40s to be fabulous!

No breakfast drama at camp

So we came to camp early for breakfast. The cafeteria is filled with asian families. I'm the one black mom.

No one notices LOL.

I'm always amused by how the asian community accepts me as a black mom to a half asian child. No drama. Just another mom and child having breakfast.

Our unplanned playdate with Taye Diggs

Yeah so me and Taye Diggs. Playdate in the park. Unplanned but still very real. Life has such a funny way of bringing people together.

After a movie event, I took my son to the park to burn off some energy. While he was enjoying a wheel apparatus, I notice this father and son walking over to that section.

I thought to myself, OMG he looks like Taye Diggs! but then thought...nah no way

Then I looked at the kid. I know very well what Taye Diggs son looks like because he's biracial like my son. There was no way that was not Taye Diggs son, hence me having a "OMG that IS Taye Diggs" moment.

As I sat there trying to stay calm about my celebrity sighting, Taye was busy spinning my son and his on the wheel. All Normal. Like any Father on the playground would.

It was actually a nice scene....until other people notice that was Taye Diggs in the playground and started coming over. Oh no, paparazzi!

At that point, I walked over (quickly), tapped him on the shoulder and thanked him for spinning my son on the wheel. He smiled, said no problem and continued with his son.

As I walked my son over to another playground area, I thought how lucky he was to have a few moments on a celebrity play date. Little did I know our play date wasn't over.

As any parent knows, kids don't stay in one area while at that playground. So the boys ended up meeting again. And so did Taye and I.

Now, I'm no stranger to meeting celebrities and for goodness sake Taye is trying to have normal afternoon with his son. So I'm trying give him space, but the kids playing together thing means we keep being in the same area.

But the thing about being a celebrity, even on the down low, is that people will follow you. Hence again with the playground paparazzi.

So sadly I had to end my unofficial play date with Taye and his son. But before I did, I asked for a photo. I tried NOT to but after all those minutes together....come on! I needed proof!

So I asked him nicely to pose with my son and he was VERY nice about it. Once again I thanked him, collected my son and then made our way out the playground towards home.

As you can imagine, it was nice to meet Taye Diggs but it was more amazing to see him being a normal father and sharing that moment with his son and mine....and me *grin*

First Korean language class

My son loved his first Korean language class. His teacher was awesome with him.

And so begins life trying to raise a bilingual child.

Tired bus ride

After 2 days of back to back blogger events and dashing around the city, my son is DONE.

Knocked out sleeping.

I'll soon join him.

Bedtimes stories, his long version

So I asked my son to tell me a bedtime story tonight. What was I thinking?!

His bedtime story has so many animals and adventures! At this rate his story will be a 3 part mini series!

Blasian at dinner odds

The odds we'd meet another blasian while having dinner tonight? 100% She's Japanese/Polynesian/Black and a really sweet girl.

We had a good convo about asian and black families and how cute my son is. LOL