Funny Valentines

 

It’s something to watch a comic master do her thing.

At the beginning of our
cover shoot with this month’s cover subject, Samantha Bee, she struck a few
pretty poses and played along nicely. But as if by instinct, she soon
enough honed in on our main prop—a dozen roses—and milked them for all their
comic value. She even took a fake bite out of one.

I wouldn’t expect anything
less from The Daily Show’s Most
Senior Correspondent—and during our brief time together I got so much more,
including some thoughtful and funny musings on Occupy Wall Street, health care and
the overwhelming generosity of Americans. 

For more on Bee, a Canadian native turned Upper West Side mom of three, I’m going to steer you to the best
possible place: Heather Chaet’s wonderful interview with her
 

Much as Samantha Bee’s engaging
conversation flits between the hilarious and the serious, I think that one of
the strengths of this particular issue of New
York Family
is the varied mix of stories and themes. Above all, I’d
like to recommend the article on talking with your child about sexual abuse. Needless to say, that sounds like a heavy and difficult topic
but read the story; it makes a compelling case that there are ways to speak
about abuse that are age-appropriate and essential for helping children
 prevent any unhealthy touching from adults whom they might otherwise
trust.

Among our lighter fare,
we’ve pulled together a fantastic car seat guide; a neat fashion story
about stripes
for spring; and a helpful guide to a wonderful new
trend in the city: film series for families. And what can we say
about love that hasn’t already been said? I wasn’t sure but four NYC parents
did a terrific job sharing their thoughts, and six local experts
offered advice on how to make a marriage better.

As for myself, I’m going
on my 15th year of marriage, and 12th as a dad—two roles that have brought
untold blessings, lots of good times and laughter, and of course a fair share
of conflict, frustration and anxiety. I’m not sure whether I’ll step up on February
14th, but my own funny valentine deserves roses from me everyday. 

Happy February To
All, 

ERIC MESSINGER
EDITOR

[email protected]

Relevant Directory Listings

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The Ailey School – First Steps and Bounding Boys

<blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div dir="ltr"> <div class="m_-3740164643787738207m_4977048992707393770WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">At The Ailey School, FIRST STEPS offers a structured creative movement curriculum that allows girls (ages 3-6) and boys (age 3), to develop body awareness and control and learn the basics of dance technique. BOUNDING BOYS (ages 4-6) provides a more athletic experience, and an energetic approach to teaching dance skills.</span></p> </div> </div> </blockquote>

Speakitaly NYC

<p>SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.  Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress. </p> <p>Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.</p> <p>Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City… Who doesn’t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history & in the arts?</p> <p>Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor’s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"</p>

Studio E Art Classes

<p>Art, drawing, illustration, painting, and pottery.  Studio E Art Classes for ages 2 ½ to adult offers a creative space to find joy and rest in the creative arts. 7-week sessions are available for all classes, or just drop into a class to give it a try.</p> <p>Studio E Art is a great place to schedule a birthday party, celebration, scout troop activity, fundraiser and more.  Summer camps for children and tweens are available for half or full day in art or pottery.</p> <p>Find a complete list of classes, descriptions, and times on our <a href="https://studioeartclass.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, or give us a call at 631-744-4001</p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bc02a8ce-7fff-3ce7-fefb-13163f0a79b6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e621915-7fff-f490-fe96-ea466c05ebda"></span></span></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-eef1d235-7fff-f52c-632b-0a2c03581014"></span></p>