So here we are arriving at Lincoln Center at about 10:15pm last night.  The opera crowd had mostly dispersed, which means the show must have started at 7 and not 8, but there were still a few stragglers walking across the plaza.     The fun got going in earnest as we walked over to the steps that lead up to the plaza which is surrounded by the Metropolitan Opera, the NYC Opera, the NYC Ballet and Alice Tully Hall.   Maya started jumping into the frame as I tested the night setting on my camera to see what it would do with the ambient light.  Most of the pictures have more Maya than Ben, because she quickly opted to just be in the photos rather than take any herself.   Ben was taking photos and jumping around for me as well.     We entertained a few people as we spun and jumped and ran, taking flash photos and laughing hysterically at some of the results.   This one to the left is Maya’s favorite.  She looks transparent and her hair is flying up.

I did feel obligated to get one ‘real’ shot of the front of the Met.  Such a gorgeous place, and at night the Chagall paintings are displayed to perfection.

And then there is the front of the Met as you might see it if you are spinning around and happen to take a photo in the middle.  I was pleased with this because the lights are fairly symmetrical despite my very unscientific method of shooting.

The next photo after the blur of lights was taken by Ben, and I think it’s one of the best of the night.   A friend on Facebook called it “The Scream”.    By this time we had the plaza to ourselves, except for the night security guards.    It’s really fun to be in a place like this, which I associate with crowds of theater and ballet goers, and to be the only people there.  Like a private playground.

After we’d been on the plaza for a while, we went back to the steps.  I started having the kids jump or run down the steps and through the frame of the photo.  I was sitting down for this so that I would catch the street lights behind them.   I love the one of them running down the steps.  You can’t really see Maya because she is behind Ben, but they both look almost transparent, like ghosts.

And finally I had the kids stand still while I ran by with the camera, taking photos as I went.  Ben very cleverly took one of me while this was happening, and I like it a lot.   Isn’t it cool how you can see the blur of my hat, but I am basically in focus?

The last photo is one I took while running.  It’s kind of cool – a sort of double Maya and a dark headless shape next to her that is Ben.   We got a couple of ‘headless’ photos, but they weren’t as good as many of the others.

Nothing like a late night outing to restore sanity, humor and good will.  I highly recommend it.

And now about my boots.  This has absolutely nothing to do with unschooling, in case you were wondering.   I’ve had the same winter boots for 7 years.  They were Columbia boots, waterproof and warm and I loved them.   Up until today, they’d shown almost no sign of wear.   But I guess I wore them just one time too many.   We had snow this morning, so when I went to Pilates I put them on.  Upon arriving at the studio and taking them off, I felt something give.  I looked down to see that the leather upper had pulled away from the rubber lower part of the right shoe.   As I was taking the left boot off, the same thing happened.   And the Columbia logos on the back, which were inset into the rubber, both fell out leaving holes that went right through to the lining on both boots.   When I got home,  a huge crack had developed across the instep of the right shoe, which was not there when I left the Pilates studio.   It was like the shoes hit a self-destruct button and that was it.   I’ve never, ever had something like that happen before.   This morning there was hardly a scratch on those boots, and this afternoon they literally fell apart in my hands.

So needless to say, I ordered new boots this evening.  If the next pair lasts seven years, I guess I really can’t complain.