Happy 9th Birthday, Sofia
My beautiful daughter, Sofia Fromm turned nine years old and we threw her an amazing birthday party at the Brooklyn Bike Park in Williamsburg (318 Kent Avenue). A lot of Sofia’s classmates from Avenues came to celebrate this magical day with her and bike on the asphalt. We had the privilege of ordering from La Esquina and they most certainly did not disappoint. From the grilled corn, to the steak and chicken tacos, to even the house, blood orange, and even jalapeno margaritas the food and drinks were nothing short of amazing – guests were left wanting more. La Esquina is a New York staple for Mexican food and a must for anyone hoping to wine and dine their guest. Mat Hoffman, BMX legend and extraordinaire was there showing kids and guests the ropes when it came to the track and performed some mind-boggling tricks. My daughter was really excited to ride her bike side-by-side with Matt and show him the tricks she could do on the track.
Another great aspect of Sofia’s birthday was Blocks, Trucks, and Art which is the brainchild of my friend, Angela De Vincenzo whos mission is to provide children with time and space to explore with open-ended materials to support and encourage engaged, life-long learners. While building and working with open-ended materials, children engage in sharing ideas, problem solving, negotiating, developing spatial awareness, and creative collaboration. Such skills, which also organically develop social and language skills, are proven to produce our most flexible, powerful leaders and thinkers. The concept of of, Blocks, Trucks, and Art all came form Angela’s son, Luca who had a strong passion for big trucks, especially 18-wheelers, so her and her husband, Jeff Mayer purchased an 18-wheeler which they called, “Big-Mama” for Luca who was born with a cleft palate as a source of inspiration. Their family motto, “Keep Truckin'” serves as a a positive mantra for their little one, Luca as he overcomes many challenges when it comes to his speech. They believe Big Mama is an inspiring work space that can help children learn, and this, combined with Angela’s experience in progressive education, was how Blocks, Trucks + Art was born. Big Mama is literally the vehicle to drive and encourage kids to never give up on their dreams, no matter what their struggle may be.
To keep updated on Mat Hoffman and whats he’s doing please visit his website. For more information on Blocks, Trucks, and Art as well as Angela De Vincenzo and her spouse Jeff Mayer please visit their wesbsite. For more information on the Brooklyn Bike Park please visit their FaceBook and make sure to follow them on Instagram. Check out the story my friend, Crazy Al Cayne on my beautiful daughters party with, “The Condor” Mat Hoffman here.
