Posts from — January 2010

That’s right, it’s the month of love.  We kicked it off with a little celebration that included a fancy dessert auction, and while I made bids on what would be most delicious to me personally, my ever-thoughtful husband looked at everything and thought, what would most delight my 7- and 5-year-old daughters?  The result:

Sure enough, when J found out that she was taking this little beauty home, she began squealing and jumping up and down in delight.

Anyway, this little event, while fun, sucked up most of our day today, which made me think:  all this blogging is making me feel a little bit guilty.  I see all of these events and I’m simply not taking advantage of nearly enough of them.  Is it making any of you feel guilty?  Do I need to balance this out with tales of my own maternal incompetence so that you won’t feel compelled to enrich your children’s lives each and every day?  Or is it just my own neurotic desire to take on too much again?  Should I seek therapy?

Maybe I just ate too much cake.  Uugh. . . marzipan roses. . . .

Okay, just a reminder that if none of these fabulous activities call out to you, there are always the regularly scheduled events in our brand-new-but-surely-already-beloved What about TODAY? page.  And just in case you think that now I’ve become complacent and am simply lounging on my couch eating marzipan roses, I’ve already made additions to the page.  Because I’m all about bringing you some fun.

Monday, February 1

• The Guilderland Library will be handing out craft kids appropriate for kids 5-10 years old for them to make at home while supplies last.
• At 11 am, The Little Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza will be hosting Storytime with Candy Deisley.
• The Mont Pleasant Branch Library will have a Create a Collage program from 4-5 pm for kids in grades K-5. Registration is required, so check before you go.
• The CORE Church in Troy is hosting free knitting classes for kids from 3:45-5 pm.

Tuesday, February 2

• The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is having two story hours for 4-6-year-olds; choose 10:15 am or 1:15 pm.
• Evergreens are Always Green, preschool program at the Albany Pine Bush, runs from 10:30-11:30 am either Tuesday or Wednesday.  Preregistration is required.
• Discover the Pine Bush is at 1 pm.  $5/family.
• The Bethlehem Public Library is celebrating Groundhog Day at 1:30 pm for kids 3 and up.
• The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is having a Pajama Storytime with Dianne Payette for children 2-6. Choose 5:45 pm or 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, February 3

• There’s a 10 am Family Story Time at the Quaker Street branch library for ages 5 and under.
• At Moreau Lake State Park, there’s a hike from 10 am to noon where they’ll look for evidence of beavers, otters, and other water-lovin’ animals.
• The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library has a 10:30 am storytime for 2-3-year-olds. They specifically say no siblings please.
• Evergreens are Always Green, preschool program at the Albany Pine Bush, runs from 10:30-11:30 am either Tuesday or Wednesday. Preregistration is required.
• The Children’s Museum at Saratoga has a Cooking Around the World program for kids aged 3-6 years old from 11 am to 12 pm. You have to pre-register and pre-pay—check link for details.
• The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library has a 1:15 pm storytime for 3-6-year-olds.

Thursday, February 4

• At 10 am there’s an Under 3′s program of stories and fun for the 3 and under set at Rotterdam Branch Library.
• At 7 pm, the Bethlehem Public Library has Pajama-rama for kids aged 3 to 6.

(early) Friday, February 5 (I’ll post evening things later)

• At 9:30 am, there are Preschool Movies at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• From 10 am to 11:30 am, there’s a Wiggle and Giggle program at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 10:30 am there’s a Family Storytime at Scotia Branch Library for kids 5 and under.
• The Barnes & Noble at Colonie Center has a Welcome Sunshine! storytime at 11 am.

Enjoy.

Wow, when it’s this cold, I just want to stay inside.  Luckily, there’s lots to do this weekend, but the freezing weather and a visit to Mohawk Commons last night reminded me that I have another list I’m working on, which I like to call  “Indoor Desperation”.  You know–for when you must get out of the house,  but it’s cold or rainy and so you’re looking for something indoors.  Now, I already have a list of Indoor Playtime spots on the Big Ol’ List of Links, but some days you just have an hour to kill, or you’re feeling cheap, or whatever.  So if you have suggestions that you think might be appropriate for the Indoor Desperation list, please do email me.

One of my best timekillers-with-little-kids has always been that strip in Mohawk Commons that includes Old Navy, Petsmart, and Barnes & Noble.  Years ago, now, Old Navy had that cute talking dog.  Last night I visited, and they had some groovy game projected on the floor that had kids kicking a virtual ball around.  In fact, one family was so busy playing that I didn’t even get a chance to try it out.  So if you need to kill some time (or you’re dying for a pair of flipflops), Old Navy is your destination.  Then, of course, Petsmart has animals.  With the under-six set, you can spend an hour there, especially if they’re grooming dogs or they have the cats out for adoption.  And Barnes & Noble!  So many fond memories from around the Thomas table.  Like the time I told 3-year-old M that she had 5 more minutes because J had a pooper.  And, like, 3 different adults stumbled over each other to offer to watch M so that I could go change the pooper right away.  Wow, thought I, she must smell extraordinarily bad.  Poor little stinkball.

Anyway, we’re heading out to store up an insulating layer of fat, ourselves.  On Saturday mornings, we usually split up for classes and then spend a little Quality Time and lunch as a date, 1 parent per child.  But this week my cute husband has another engagement, so we girls are headed over to the Golden Phoenix.  While it’s not overwhelmingly authentic, the buffet has kid delights like dumplings and mandarin oranges and jello, while I get some Mongolian barbecue.  And we all appreciate a self-serve ice cream machine.  And J could easily spend half an hour at the little fish pond if I ever let her–it would be great for killing time if we ordered food, but there’s no need to kill time.  Nothing like a buffet for immediate gratification-yum.

Stay warm!

Lately, my husband’s been saying that perhaps a blog intervention would be in order.  It’s true:  I get carried away.  Trying to find upcoming events, for me, is a little bit like going raspberry picking.  In the summertime, I’ll take the kids berry picking and I always have a very difficult time stopping.  I know that I’ve got plenty, and then I see a beautiful clump of them, so I have to just pause one more time.  Meanwhile my children are sweating profusely and sucking on their water bottles for the last precious drops.  And I’m saying, “Yes, girls, I know–but wait!  Look at that one!  And those!  I promise–2 more minutes.”  It’s the same with these events.  Just when I think I’m done, I get an email which reminds me of a scrap of paper and next thing you know, more time has passed.  So, yeah: it’s a problem.  But it’s also fun, because every time I start to gather up events, I begin by thinking that this time, I just don’t have too much.  And every time, I’m surprised by how much is out there.

Okay, first, please don’t forget that Elmo, Grease, and Charlotte’s Web are still in town. If you need details, check out my old theater post. Which reminds me, for the love of God, did any of you go see Hairspray!?!  How was it?

Tonight is Troy Night Out from 5-9 pm.

Saratoga Children’s Theatre is showing You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! at Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs at 7 pm on Friday and at 3 pm and 7 pm on Saturday.

And we’re just getting started.  Here’s more:

Saturday, January 30^th

• The City of Cohoes is hosting its Winter Carnival at Van Schaick Island Park from 12-4 pm. Want to play outside, but that’s too far east?  See the next one.
• The Village of Cobleskill is hosting Cabin Fever Day from 1-4 pm. Cobleskill is about half an hour west of Schenectady.
• At the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology in Troy, they’ll have a Color Fun Lab at 1 pm. It’s designed for kids 6 and up, pre-registration is required, and it’s $2 for non-members.
• It’s Art for All day at the Albany Institute of History & Art from 1-4 pm. Activities are free with museum admission.
• At Troy’s Main Public Library, there’s a program called Russian Food, Folktales, and Fun! (scroll down after the link—it’s on that main page) that begins at 2 pm. It’s designed for families with school-aged children, and you’re supposed to call ahead in order to reserve a spot.
• At Five Rivers, there’s a Water Animals in Winter program at 10 am and a Winter Tracking program at 2 pm. Both are free.
• If you still haven’t made it to see the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company’s Celtic Footprints, you’ve got another chance at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy at 2 pm. $12/adults, $8/kids.
• Northern Lights is hosting a Haiti benefit concert from 3-9 pm. It’s $10/adults and kids 10 and under are free.  Although, perhaps you could cough up some more cash for the Haitian orphans?
• Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center in Northville, NY, is hosting nighttime activities, like tubing, ice skating, and skiing, open to the general public from 4:30-9 pm. This is a drive and tickets will cost $6-$16, but if you’ve seen the ads for this resort (which are everywhere) and you’ve wondered if it’s worth the investment, this might be a good opportunity for a recon mission.
• If anyone was getting excited about the Moonlight Ski/Snowshoe at Wilton Wildlife Preserve, it’s been rescheduled since the weather’s not cooperating.

Sunday, January 31

• At the Schenectady Greenmarket, a master gardener will be answering gardening questions and teaching about winter composting, featuring a vermicomposting bin to show how worms break down kitchen scraps.
• There’s a Family Discovery program at 1 pm at the Albany Pine Bush. You’re supposed to pre-register, and the maximum fee is $5/family.
• The Albany Public Library is showing This Is It at 2 pm. They’re raffling off a DVD, and they’re also encouraging people to dress like Michael Jackson.  Hmmm, sounds fun or possibly creepy.
• There’s a free brass concert at the main branch of the Schenectady County Library at 2:30 pm.

I’m a little bit concerned that, between all of my whining and all of the talk about skiing, some of you might be nodding off in boredom.  Or perhaps the bloggy-voice is starting to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher, wah-whonk-wah-whonka-wahh. . .  So  I’m introducing the latest project that I’ve been working on.  It’s a calendar of regularly-scheduled events.  Once again, I have an unfulfilled vision–I wanted it to look like those cute little pop-up calendars you’ll find everywhere on the internet.  But it’s not really a normal calendar, anyway, and if it were a normal calendar, I don’t know how I’d ever keep up with it.

When I list off upcoming events in blog posts, I try to stick with items that don’t happen regularly–it would get boring to read the same stuff over and over, and it would be a lot of typing.  But you want that information, so it will be over there on the right, under the links–it’s called What About TODAY? This is another piece that I’ll be adding to as we go along, so I’d love additional suggestions.   These are all spur-of-the-moment sort of activities, but if you follow the links, you might find similar items that you can register for in advance as well.

I hope you find something new and fun to do!  And I’ll have weekend activities later today or tomorrow.

The purveyors of spam found me while we were skiing, so I am temporarily moderating comments to ensure that you are not trying to convince my readers that they need bigger, more long-lasting erections.  Argh.

Meanwhile, I have great drifts of laundry that are piled all over the main floor of my house, and my girls and I are all grouchy and exhausted from Too Much Fun.   I had to grocery shop today, and in my so-tired-I-feel-like-I’m-hung-over state, I found myself purchasing instant Thai noodles and two kinds of ice cream.   Meanwhile, my poor husband has to travel for work–he’s gone until late Thursday.  So you’d better believe that tonight’s dinner will be something straight from the freezer.

Okay, I know, I’ve been the slacking blogger lately.  Originally I thought that I’d be home much earlier yesterday, but with the crazy weather, plans changed.

In case you were wondering, yes, it was warm and pouring rain on Monday at Jiminy Peak.  It was monsoon-like.  We took a walk that morning and it was so warm and so wet that I had no hope at all about any more skiing (we had skied a bit on Sunday night, and M & her dad rode the mountain coaster).  Everything was closed, and when we finally found a sign that said “Arcade Open”, my friend went to check it out and saw some guys bailing water because it was beginning to flood.  There was a big group of us and everyone else was more optimistic than me, so I stayed, even though the prospect of just hanging out all day with the promise of only-possibly-skiing-on-Tuesday seemed pretty bleak.

We had a wonderful time. I feared that Monday would be a Day of Television, with 2 tv sets in each suite, but they actually didn’t watch too much.  The kids, who ranged from a 5^th grader to a 4-year-old, enjoyed traveling as a pack from room to room.  For quite a while they were all hanging out in the large balcony area over the hotel lobby while the grown-ups sat just downstairs chatting by the fire.  Whenever the noise level got too high (or disquietingly quiet, for that matter), someone would pop up to check on them.  They also loved swimming—the outdoor pool and hot tub are warm enough to be comfortable, while running out through the chill made it seem somehow forbidden and thrilling. Really, the only drawback was that by the time Tuesday came, everyone was getting tired.

Amazingly, it got colder and they made snow and groomed the hills like crazy, and we had a lovely and warm day of skiing on Tuesday.  M says her favorite part of the super-fun weekend was ski school.  In our group, 2 out of 3 kids enjoyed it.  Both of my girls improved quite a bit.  If I were a regular skier there, I might have been disappointed that so few trails and lifts were open, but since I ski so infrequently these days, it was just fine for me.

But most of all, it was a great deal and very easy for families.  We stayed in the Country Inn for $175/night.  It was a suite with a kitchenette, so the grown-ups had their own bedroom with a king-sized bed and the girls shared the pull-out couch in the living room.  Paying for two nights got us the suite as well as free lift tickets for all four of us for 3 days.  It was right at the bottom of the hill, so we paid $0 for food—we brought everything potluck.  The kids loved “shopping around” to see who had the best snacks.  Yes, we dropped cash on ski school–$110 per child, which included rentals and lift tickets—and on the mountain coaster.  But for me, what I hate is when you’re on vacation and there are all sorts of incidental expenses that you didn’t plan for, and that didn’t happen.  We got four vouchers to make up for Monday, and we can’t wait to go again.

Incidentally, we usually go to Mt. Snow, Vermont, where we have family.  There’s actually a deal this Sunday:  you get one free kid’s lift ticket per adult ticket purchased.

I finally sewed the hole in my down coat!  For the past several weeks, every time I sat down in my car too forcefully, a little flurry of feathers would float around the car’s interior.  It just felt like such a discouraging way to start a trip–somehow it made me feel quite hefty, like the time I sat down in a swing and it ripped right off of the swingset.*  So I’d end up driving off in a huff, and then by the time I’d return home, I’d forget about mending until I was rushing out the door again.

As I’ve said before, I’m cheap, and as I may not have mentioned, I don’t enjoy shopping.   I will easily tolerate things like flying feathers or a broken zipper for weeks or months at a time.  However, I might have to drop some cash on the Zappos website, which I found out about when  I was complaining to my sister about my mutant feet (size 6 1/2 length-wise, size 8 width-wise).  Wow!  You can pick by color/style/size/width/height/etc.,  and then it’s free to ship back and forth, so you can order 3 or 4 pairs to try on and keep the best one.  Of course, it ain’t always cheap, and, knowing me, I would keep the 2 or 3 reject pairs  in boxes in a corner of the room for weeks.

Meanwhile, since I am clearly not your source on style and fashion in the Capital District, perhaps I can suggest  this blog?  It’s new–go visit.

*It was a very old swing.  It could have happened to anyone.  But it happened to me.

So, we’re getting ready to go on a ski trip to Jiminy Peak, where our main day of skiing–Monday–it’s supposed to be in the 40s.  With rain, maybe.  I know.  I was trying to find long underwear and things, and then I thought, if these girls actually ski, they’re going to be hot.  Anyway, that’s what our week’s like.  Here’s what’s going on:

Monday, January 25

• At 11 am, there’s a story time at The Little Bookhouse at Stuyvesant Plaza.
• At the Mont Pleasant Branch Library, there’s a teen scavenger hunt for grades 6 to 10 at 3:30 pm, and then at 4:15 pm, they have Janu-beary: Bear Activities and Fun for kids in grades K-5.

Tuesday, January 26

• All day from Tuesday through Thursday at the North Albany Branch Library, kids 6 and up can make a seasonal craft.
• 10:30-11:30 am free Winter Birds program for preschoolers at the Albany Pine Bush
• Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library has a Pajama Story Time from 5:45 to 6:15 pm or 6:30 to 7 pm. It’s a program for children ages 2-6 with local performer Diane Payette.

Wednesday, January 27

• Plaine and Son is selling $10 ski tickets for Maple Ski Ridge. You can use it for the same night (3-9 pm) or a few select Wednesdays later in the season. Regular price is $20.
• 10:30-11:30 am free Winter Birds program for preschoolers at the Albany Pine Bush
• Will someone please go to Hairspray and tell me how it was?

Thursday, January 28

• Free Burrito Day to celebrate the opening of Chipotle at 22 Clifton Country Road in Clifton Park from 11 am to 3 pm. The first 100 customers after 3 pm will also receive a free t-shirt and a card for another free burrito later. Yummy. If you’re bringing the kids, you should know that the least-spicy of your meat options is pork.
• Apparently they’re on tour. On Thursday, the Duane Branch Library will have the scavenger hunt and bear activity that was at Mont Pleasant on Monday.

Friday, January 29

• 10-10:30 am Stretching with Stuffee at the Children’s Museum of Saratoga
• 6:30-7:30 pm Owl Prowl at the Albany Pine Bush, cheap, but pre-registration’s required

I’ve been going to places like Panera and Joyful Jumpers and seeing all of these people walking around with toddlers who could really use some Capital District Fun.  It’s making me a little nutty, yet approaching them feels at least intimidating and possibly freakish.  So I made some little cards to put on bulletin boards.  I don’t love all of the color choices–still a work in progress–but they’re pretty cute.  Look:

Okay, yes, this picture quality is poor & amateurish, but you get the idea.  The girl is little J, and I used this picture because:

• 1) she’s a cutey-patootie,
• 2) it’s from the back, so it’s anonymous, and it’s outdated enough that this particular little girl is no longer available even if you’re a creepy stalker, and
• 3) she’s actually having fun in the Capital District! It was something festive on Jay Street in Schenectady. . . not sure what, but it was at the end of May and we were all very sweaty.

Here–it’s easier to see this photo to appreciate point #1.  Yes, her head looks a little raggedy, but I am just starting to learn how to do Photoshop in between learning how to do WordPress.  I’ve decided that I’m going to be proud of myself for the smidgen I’ve learned and try to be patient with all the stuff I haven’t figured out yet.  And I know what you’re thinking–she doesn’t look sweaty here.  You also can’t see that she’s in a lumpy pull-up.  That’s the beauty of a swirly sundress.

I am a little bit concerned that M will notice and decide that these cards are evidence that I love J more. I actually had another cute one, of M shooting a basketball while wearing a tutu, if you can believe that.  But it was too tall for the card, and the tutu was a washed-out ballet pink.  My husband briefly suggested that I put out a whole variety, and then the general public could collect them all!! I thought that perhaps he was overestimating just how adorable everyone else thinks we are.  Although, come to think of it, people have been known to buy pet rocks and those troll dolls with the crazy hair. . . .

Well, anyway, now I can just stick these cards on bulletin boards instead of trying to strike up awkward conversations (“Let me tell you about me and my new project!”) with mothers as they struggle to get everyone’s shoes on or open juice boxes or whatever.

Night 2 without the husband and I’m on my third vapid chick flick.  Wore the purple flower barrette to gymnastics and not a single person made a comment, which meant I couldn’t explain loudly that my five-year-old had done my hair.  Earlier grouchiness evolved into an intense craving for a particular chocolate chip cookie recipe. . .  I lost my hard copy and after much angst and kitchen searching and Googling I finally found it.  It’s slightly healthy for a cookie, which means you don’t start to feel really sick to your stomach until you’ve eaten about half a cup of dough and four cookies.  Or, you know, I imagine that’s about how much it would take.

So, first:  YAY!  The Schenectady Public Library‘s having a fiction book sale from Saturday to Monday: $1 a book.  Not as thrilling as the semi-annual bag sale, but not bad.  And if you think I’m being snotty, I really do find the bag sales thrilling.  Next time I swear I’m bringing a cart, because they’re always on a greenmarket day, too, so it’s a juggling extravaganza for me.

Saturday, January 23:

They’ll be making valentines for troops at Rotterdam Square Mall, along with activities for kids like face painting.

From 10 am to 12 pm, there’s a Preschool Fair at Saratoga Springs Public Library.

At the Saratoga National Historical Park, there’s a free Frost Faire from 10:30 am to 3 pm—follow the link and then click the date for more details.

At 11 am, the Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar has a story time about snow for kids 6 and under.

The Children’s Museum of Science of Technology has a program about the science of toys at 1 pm. It’s for school-aged children; you have to pre-register and pay $2.

There’s a free Family Fun Day at Clifton Park Center from 12-3 pm in conjunction with the opening of The Tooth Fairy, a new movie.

There’s a Get in the Game Video Game Workshop at the Schenectady Museum. It’s for big kids: 10 and up, and it’s $10-15. Pick one hour between 12:30 and 3:30 pm.

Sunday, January 24:

The Children’s Guide is hosting a free Winter Festival at Woodland Hill Montessori School from 11-2 pm.  Is this poster everywhere you go, too, or is it just me?

At the Albany Institute of History & Art there’s a Folklore Festival from 1-4 pm. There’s a puppet show at 2 pm.

The Schenectady JCC has a Camp Chaverim Open House from 2-4 pm. There will be free family swimming along with other activities.

Finally, I’ll sound like a broken record to the regulars, but if you’re new around here, it’s worth it to poke around in earlier posts–you can do a search for theater to find more fun stuff this weekend like Dan Zanes and Elmo, among other things.  And if you know about something fun happening this weekend, it’s only polite to share.