Posts from — March 2010

The girls are negotiating over which movies to take along for the long, long car ride.  I seem to be busily accomplishing nothing.  So you’re getting a slacker post, I’m afraid.

A couple of things for spring break:

The Drama Kids and Kidzart folks have sent emails again about their  Spring Break Camp together.   Here are details:  Monday to Friday 9 am to 3:30 pm at Christ’s Church in Guilderland for grades 1-6.  $210/week.  1/2 day, 3 day, and before/after care options available–call either place directly for more information.

If you’re thinking of going to Steamer 10 for one of their shows (fairy tales, magic, comedy, juggling), you should call them and let them know soon–things will sell out.  And I’ve told you that you should do the Steamer 10 pass, so I won’t go on and on about it this time.

I struck out at dinner again last night.  Lately every main-dish recipe I try seems to be a tragic failure.  This is probably because I keep trying new super-healthy and vegetarian items, because that’s what I’d like us all to be eating.

So, I attempted a Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew.  Part of what made me try it–besides the fact that it contained curry & ginger–was that the Naptime Chef lady said that she was preparing it for her husband while she was away, as if this was a particular item that her husband would appreciate.  Which resonated with me because, generally, when I prepare a vegetarian meal, W is making himself a sandwich within 2 or 3 hours.  So I thought: ah, a husband pleaser!

Well, I was wrong.  First, I should have remembered that if I truly wanted to create a meal especially for W, it would involve a large slab of pork and some Maytag blue cheese.  The man approaches meat with the casual gusto of someone who’s clearly spent exactly zero minutes listening to Alicia Silverstone gush about the whiteness of her eyes.  Second, if I had read more attentively, I would have realized that the blogger was also preparing chocolate chip cookies.  Ohhhhh.

I frequently attempt to mitigate the possible confusion and distress caused by an unfamiliar meal by making some yummy  side.  One of our favorites is to make Johnny Cakes with the Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix muffin recipe and half of a can of creamed corn thrown in.  This is one of my kids’ all-time favorites.  But of course it’s got all kinds of crap thrown in there.   I really do like the idea of just baking bread from scratch instead of buying it, especially now that my fave Pepperidge Farm Nutty Oat bread is no longer available.  Also because, you know, everything’s better if you make it yourself from scratch–better for you, better tasting, blah, blah, blah.   I actually managed to kick the bottled salad dressing habit with my go-to Dijon-Lemon Vinaigrette.   But thus far, the bread situation has eluded me.  Here’s my problem with bread:   I am not a planner.   Day after day, I come up with the notion at 3:30 pm that I’d like to bake some bread, but by then, it’s too late.

This happened again yesterday, so I ended up making some biscuits.  These were greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm, but of course these (totally white-flour) biscuits are best served with a slab of butter and honey.  Thus, you know, completely moving the entire meal from the “win” into the “lose” column for me with my super-healthy-eating goals.

I thought the stew was good.  But, see: this is what happens.  The rest of the family rejects it, and I like it enough so that I can’t throw it away in good conscience, but meanwhile I’m left with, like 10 bowls of something that I’d really only like to eat for three or four bowls. Dang.  So I was sitting there at dinner, musing over which friend or mommy might appreciate some of this stew.  And it occurred to me that if it was vegan, the sunshine committee of my moms’ group might want some for their freezer, because they might have a tough time coming up with meals for the vegan postpartum mommies.  At which point W asked what I was thinking about (just like you want the boy to ask what you’re thinking about, which is why I married him, but in this case I wasn’t thinking about my feelings, alas).

I answered, “I’m trying to remember if this is just vegetarian, or if it’s vegan.”

“It tastes vegan,” he said.  And it wasn’t a compliment.

I know that it was rainy and gloomy all day, but. . . it felt kind of good out.  It felt like warm spring rain, like April showers that will bring May flowers.  Plus, I always remind myself that this English-style weather is excellent for our complexions.  In fact, when I was in high school, my whole family went to France for a week, and we kept remarking on how dewily gorgeous we were all looking.  (Yes, I looked it up just in case, and it is a word. )  And then, on the flight back, my sister pointed out that she could tell that we’d left that Optimum Humidity Zone just by looking at me, because I was already breaking out.  Ah, sisterly love.

But I’m getting off-track.  In preparation for our trip as well as for the spring weather, I did our Semi-Annual Closet Shopping Event today.  We are blessed to have super-stylish neighbors and a super-stylish cousin, as well as my in-laws, who Simply Cannot Ignore A Bargain, and as a result, I don’t have to purchase much clothing.  Really, we end up quite overrun with clothes, but in a good way, because the girls are surprisingly opinionated.  So even though I have a ton of items to “process”, many of them are passed on to another lucky winner in the neighborhood.

The first step is to sort items in complete secrecy by finagling some sort of distraction.  I prefer to weed out my own personal rejects and divide the clothes into likely piles for each girl before they get wind of the operation in order to avoid drama and heartache.  Which, by the way:  for those of you who laugh over how glad you are that you don’t have girl children because you avoid feminine drama, I have to tell you:  it’s not funny!  I hate you!   You hate me!  You think I’m fat!

No, no, no. . . that’s not what I really meant.  What I was going to say was:  I just “get” the girl drama.  Is it worth it, say, to almost start crying because your favorite swirly skirt no longer fits, and now it will be desecrated by your little sister who still wipes her hands on her clothes instead of a napkin and will probably get paint stains on it the first time she wears it to school?  No.  And yet, I think that, in a similar situation, I almost might start crying, too.* So, you know, I can respect that.  It’s tiresome but understandable.

Anyway. . .

Piles for each girl, plus a bag to give away

Here are some of the clothes after the sort and before the girls descended.  Of course then they played peacefully for quite a while, and I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt them.  At the first sign of bickering, I casually mentioned that there was clothes to be sorted and they ran upstairs gleefully.  The glee lasted for about fifteen minutes, and then monotony set in.   There are dramatic moments, of course, like when J covets clothing that M can wear.  Then J holds her breath while M ponders whether to keep it for herself or pass it down.  Every year we also have items that I’m trying to “sell” to both girls that they roundly reject.  This year it was an adorable Gap blue polo shirt with little bees embroidered on it.  Two thumbs down.  Alas.

We also always have a huge assortment of The Most Adorable Dresses Ever.  M rarely wears a dress, and it’s a terrible waste, because she looks fabulous in them.  The turquoise one below was most frequently worn last year, and this year it looks like the orange number is going to be the fave.  J loves dresses and will wear fancy print dresses on any occasion when the mood strikes.

Dress-a-Palooza

I am not a mommy who insists that the beautiful clothes stay clean-clean-clean or that you wear special play clothes in the backyard.  They’re all play clothes: it’s just that some of them are especially pretty.  But what drives me nuts is that inevitably, one of my not-so-favorite dresses becomes The Dress of the Season.  So, for example, last year J looked at her assorted beautiful dresses and, time after time, chose the dress that my mother-in-law had saved from the 70s, when her aunt wore it as a girl.

J's 70s dress

I mean, I’m sorry.  It’s just, you know, not freakin’ Chanel or something.  This is not timeless beauty.  And, on the one hand, a cute preschool girl can make just about anything look cute, but, you know, the truth is that even the Paper Bag Princess looked better in her expensive princess clothes.  OK, you know what?  I wrote this first and then I went looking for a photo of the dress and. . . yeah, it looks pretty freakishly adorable here.  I stand corrected.  But, still!  A little variety, please?

Well, if the weather forecast is to be believed–which, of course, is questionable–it appears that a switch will be thrown when we move out of March and into April.  Rainy chilliness to start the week, then sunshine and warmer weather culminating in a high of 78 on Saturday!  Woo, hoo!  Of course, by Saturday, my family and I will be well into our sixteen hour roadtrip to visit my parents in Savannah, Georgia.  Yeah baby.  Bring it.  Because ten-hour car trips are for weenies.

So I’ll be feverishly packing and organizing.  Because hopefully it will be warmer 16 hours south of here, so we have to figure out if there are spring clothes that fit the girls.  I know one thing:  we’ll be taking the poncho.  About three weeks ago J received a stylish hand-me-down poncho that is pink with sequins.  She wears it when it’s warm, when it’s chilly, and when it’s way too cold, and everywhere she goes she receives compliments.  God help us if we ever lose it.

Once again, remember that lots of stuff has migrated to the What About TODAY? listings of regularly scheduled events.  Meanwhile, there are a few libraries that would like you to plan ahead this week:

• If Clifton Park-Halfmoon is your “go-to” library & you’re around for spring break, check to see if you want to pre-register for one of their April break programs.
• For East Greenbush Library folks, this is the week to register for many of the spring Story Times.  Click here for details.
• For Colonie Library folks, you have to register in person for April break programs.

And now, on to your week full of fun.  Ready?

Monday, March 29th

• It’s After School Special time, exploring different countries at the Voorheesville Public Library from 4-5:15 pm for kindergarteners to 3rd graders.  Sign up ahead of time.
  

Tuesday, March 30th

• The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library will be showing Preschool Movies at 10:15 am.  This is a drop-in program.
• There’s a Preschool Story Time at the Howe Branch Library at 10:30 am.
• At the Mont Pleasant Branch Library, there’s Teen Fun: Create a Gadget Case at 3:30 pm.  It’s for grades 6-10.
• At 4:15 pm,  the Mont Pleasant Branch Library has a Wonder of Wind program for elementary-school kids.
• They’re doing a Full Moon Walk at Moreau Lake State Park from 6-8 pm.  It’s $2/person and you need to pre-register.
• At 6:30 pm there’s a Family Story Time at Niskayuna Library.  Pajamas are welcome for this, and registration’s not required.
• At 7 pm there’s a Let’s Chicken Dance! event at the Bethlehem Public Library, including dancing and some “fowl” stories.  It’s designed for families with kids 3 to 10.

Wednesday, March 31st

• At 10 am, there’s a drop-in Family Story Time for kids 5 and under at the Quaker Street Branch Library.
• From 10:15-11:30 am there’s a Parent-Child Workshop at Voorheesville Public Library.  If you think you’d like to go you should call to register asap.
• It’s Wii Game Night at the Howe Branch Library from 5-7 pm.  For tweens and teens.

Thursday, April 1st

• From 10 am to noon, there’s a Cottage Park Trail Hike at Moreau Lake State Park.  Call for details.
• At 10 am, there’s a drop in Story Time for under 3s at the Rotterdam Branch Library.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Buggy Small Wonders at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology.  Pre-registration required, $2/non-member, for kids 2-5.
• At the Duane Branch Library, there’s Teen Fun: Create a Gadget Case at 3:30 pm.  It’s for grades 6-10.
• At 4:15 pm,  the Duane Branch Library has a Royal Reading program for elementary-school kids.

Friday, April 2nd

• All day long you can create a healthy kids craft at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• It’s Wiggle and Giggle time at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga from 10-11:30 am.  Free with admission.
• At 10:30 am, there’s a drop-in Story Time for kids under 5 at the Scotia Branch Library.
  
• From 11 am to noon, the Honest Weight Co-op invites kids to make and taste some Hip Dips at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• Anytime between 2 and 4 pm, elementary-school kids can participate in a Fit Kids Decathlon, with ten different challenges for mind and body, at the Bethlehem Public Library. Okay, I have to tell you that I’ve had this event on a calendar that I keep for myself to try to organize future posts.  And, for some reason, every time I’d see it, I’d mis-read it as “Fat Kids Decathlon”.  I know:  it’s in completely poor taste, but it just happened every time, and now I can’t even look at the event without giggling.  I mean, that would be a truly inappropriate event.
• The Saratoga Downtowner has a special grandmother-granddaughter event called Tussie-Mussies.  For $159 the two get to spend the night, make a floral bouquet, and have some brunch.

If you’re still looking to commit the time and money to a camp during spring break, I posted on this a while back, and Albany Kid has some more options as well.  If you fear commitment and want to be a wild-and-crazy, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants cheapskate, I’ll have more ideas on that later, I promise!

I’m quite proud of myself because after barely managing to scrape together that playground list, I’ve written myself directions for the future. . . now I can update it in 13 easy-to-follow steps!  Yay, me.   And 13 is my lucky number.  So I’m just feeling good all over.  I’ve also made it easier to find this little gem any time.  I’ve put the Playground List & the Playground Survey on the Big Ol’ List of Links, and it’s also over on the left-hand side, there, along with the link to my Facebook page.   Ahhhh.  I have to tell you, this is very satisfying.   M and I were doing a new 96-piece fairy puzzle this morning, and the puzzle and the playground list were similar processes for me.  First, seemed simple enough, and a lovely idea.  Then, despair when I thought I’d never get the dang thing done, and finally, a thing of beauty made all the more beautiful because just 20 minutes ago I was tearing my hair out.  Hooray.

Okay, enough self-congratulation.

Yesterday we went to Tree Paad in Malta.

The kids had a great time.  We organized with friends and negotiated a group rate, so if you can manage that, oh–you should.  The big attraction was Fort Ballocity.

Fort Ballocity

The kids ran around like maniacs.  They had a wonderful time.  Some of my mom friends also ran around like maniacs and had a wonderful time.  There were also toddlers enjoying themselves, with their moms trailing them and trying their best to shield them from the overzealous “big kids”.  I felt a little bit bad, because usually these moms probably have the place to themselves, so I’m sure that they were not loving our group, which was definitely preschool to elementary.  They do have a separate toddler area–nothing fancy, but safe.

The kids also played a game of Lazer Tag.  It’s not as dark as other places, and they had a few teensy vests.  My children don’t have a great deal of experience shooting guns, so this was new for them.  J enjoyed it, and M was frustrated because she didn’t really understand how it worked, except that she could tell that she was sucking up, big time.  And, yeah–she was.

J also did the Spider Web, because I was being Wimp Mom.

Spider Web

Originally J didn’t want to do Lazer Tag and opted for the Spider Web instead.  Then, of course, when all of her friends ran for the tag, she had a change of heart, and I just didn’t have it in me yesterday to tell her no.  This is partly because the Spider Web just wasn’t terribly exciting.  I’d say it was fun, generally, but paying $3.50 to climb up three levels and slide down a few times seemed a little bit ridiculous.  The Tree Paad folks were very conscientious about safety, which is good, but. . . I just thought that if I were J, I’d have been bummed by my choice, too.

Here’s the thing:  I’m a fan of the all-inclusive resort.  I hate having to pay for separate things.  I just spent the whole visit thinking, cha-ching, cha-ching.  There were also the many token games that you could redeem for fabulous prizes like a Tootsie Roll or a Pixie Stick in a plastic wrapper that would only open if you tore at it with your teeth.  Oy.  I also hate the over-stimulation.  I swear, if I’m in a shopping mall for more than 2 hours I start worrying that I’m going to get hives.  So by the time lunch rolled around, I decided that I had to escape and spread my money to other sectors of the community.  We skipped the food (standard stuff that would make Jamie Oliver squirm–pizza, fries, etc.) and evacuated.

I can see that on a normal weekday, it would be a nice, mellow place to take a toddler who was too little to ask for tokens and Lazer Tag. It’s also a fab-u-lous place if you want to ensure a nap for your kids later in the day.  They were completely exhausted into submission.  I overheard moms talking about how it was the Best Birthday Party Destination Ever.  And my friends who really do enjoy Lazer Tag and chasing their kids around Ft. Ballocity love it.  This is one of those situations where I’ll have to admit that, in spite of the blog, I’m not always the most fun Mommy ever.  It’s not my cup of tea.   My  kids would love to go again, and it’s worth a once-in-a-while trip.  I’ll just make Daddy take them next time.

Phew!  Well, my girls had the day off from school, so we started the weekend early with our first visit to Treepaad in Malta.  We’re all feeling a little overstimulated, but I’ll tell you more about that later.  Right now, we’re deep into Friday afternoon and I know you’re wondering what the heck there might be to do around here.

Okay, please remember that you don’t have to limit your weekend fun to this one post.  You can also check out the regularly scheduled events, special Easter events (I’ve added several since the original post, so it’s worth a second look if you “do” Easter), and theater.  Because this area’s just way too jam-packed with fun to contain it in a single post.

All Weekend

• The Capital District Garden & Flower Show continues at HVCC in Troy.
• It’s another Maple Sugaring weekend.

Friday, March 26

• It’s Troy Night Out from 5-9 pm, but to make it even better, this time there are lots of specially kid-oriented activities, including at the Arts Center among others.

Saturday, March 27

• From 10 am to 1 pm, kids can try out Crayola Presto Dots at their local Michael’s craft store.
• There’s a Wearable Art Workshop at the Thacher Nature Center from 10 am to 1 pm.  This is for kids 12 and over.  It’s $5 and pre-registration is required.
• It’s your last chance to see Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails at Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady at 11 am. $5 tickets.
• It’s Time Out for Tales at the Bethlehem Public Library for the preschool set at 11 am.
• At 11 am, the Barnes & Noble at Colonie Center will have a Golden Book Storytime.
• At 11 am, there’s a Spring Seed Start Challenge at Saratoga Spa State Park (at the warming hut).  Bring your own seeds or use theirs.  Suitable for all ages; $3/person.
• Xs to Os Vegan Bakery (I couldn’t find a website, except Facebook, so this is a review site) in Troy is having a (human) cupcake eating contest to raise money for pitbulls.  Festivities begin at 11 am, and the contest is at noon.
• The Albany Institute of History & Art has their Art for All artmaking from 1-4 pm.  Free with admission.
• Think small!  It’s Nano Days at the Schenectady Museum from 1-3 pm.  Free with admission.
• There’s a Mud Pond Hike at Moreau Lake State Park from 1-3:30 pm.  $2/person.
• Grand Opening of the newly renovated Howe Branch Library in Albany’s South End. Balloon twisting, free books for kids, refreshments. Begins with a ribbon cutting at 1:30 pm.
• From 3-6 pm, Albany Academy is running an International Taste of the World Festival.  It’s free.
• There’s an Almost Full Moon Hike at the Albany Pine Bush at 7 pm.  $2/person or $5/family, kids under 5 free, but please call to register.

Sunday, March 28

• From 11 am to 3 pm, there’s the Helderberg Kiwanis Pancake Dinner, Maple Festival and Craft Fair in Knox, NY.  $4 to $8, with an Easter Egg Hunt at 2 pm and pony rides, petting zoo, and other activities.
• At 2 pm, the Voorheesville Public Library has a Harbinger of Spring Classical Concert.
• There’s a Bluegrass Concert at the downtown Schenectady Public Library.

We’ve got a birthday party, our very last ice skating class of the season (feeling a little sad about that, really. . . ), and a wedding (which shoes should I wear?  and why, why must it be so chilly?), among other things.  Hope you all have fun–and if there’s something really cool, please do tell us about it.

I felt like I needed to update the Theater stuff because I keep hearing about more school plays.  There are a ton this weekend.  So, I’ll let you know about the other weekend events tomorrow, but it was pretty much unmanageable to try to get it all in one ginormous post.

I’d share some clever prose with you, but my sweet husband is working his way through some Tostitos and bean dip, so I’ve got to jump in their before there’s nothing left but crumbs and gas!

Theater around the area:

• The Palace Theatre has Doktor Kaboom! on March 26th (sold out) and Playhouse Disney Live! on April 3rd.
• The Lake George Opera is still presenting The Three Little Pigs.  They’ll be at the First United Presbyterian Church in Troy on Friday night, and at the Wood Theater in Glens Falls on Saturday at 11 am.  These shows are free, people.  FREE!
• Confetti Stage is performing The Boxcar Children at Albany Masonic Hall March 26-28 (scroll down on the home page for details).
• At The Egg, Justin Roberts will be singing on Sunday, April 11th, and the New York Theatre Ballet will be dancing Sleeping Beauty on Sunday, April 18th–it’s a performance designed for kids.  They’ve also got A Year with Frog and Toad showing on March 15th–there’s no option to purchase for this one online, since it’s a school group performance, but any group can purchase tickets to performances like these, so if you’d like to go, get your group together quick:  there were about 30 seats available.

High School Musicals and other entertainment by students (with special thanks to the new-ish Albany Times Union Student Arts blog, which helped me find many of these):

• At Mohonasen High School, they’re performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat March 25-28, with a matinee on the 28th at 2:30 pm.  Tickets are $12/adult, $6/child.
• At Bethlehem High School, Stage 700 will present Once on This Island from March 25-28, with at matinee on the 28th at 2 pm.  $10/adults, $6/students.
• Hoosick Valley High School students will be performing Suessical March 26-28, with a matinee at 3 pm on the 28th.
• Suessical will also be playing at the Scotia-Glenville High School March 26-28 with matinee at 2 pm on Sunday.  $10/adults, $8/students.  Their school link was broken when I tried it, so I linked to the Visit Scotia blog which, if you’re near Scotia, you probably want to know about anyway.
• South Glens Falls High School will have evening performances of 42nd Street March 26-28.
• Galway High School students will be performing Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday at 7 pm and on Sunday at 2 pm.  $7/adults, $5/students.
• Albany School of Humanities students will be presenting A Night with Disney at 7 pm on March 26th & 27th.  $4/adults, $2/students, kids 5 and under free.
• At Voorheesville High, they’ll be performing Bye Bye Birdie at 7:15 pm on Friday & Saturday, and at 2:15 pm on Sunday.  $10/adults, $8/kids.
• The Ariel Players of Troy High School will be performing Once Upon a Mattress on Friday & Saturday night at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $6.
• On Saturday March 27th, the Albany High School orchestra will perform a free concert at 4 pm at Hackett Middle School.

Afrim’s is running a Spring Break Action Camp (multiple sports played for ages 3 to 11–click link for times & prices) and a Technical Training Camp (soccer skills for the 8 and up crowd–9:15 am-12:15 pm at $30/day or $125/week).

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Did you know that there’s a Ramona and Beezus movie coming up in July?  I didn’t, and I’m so excited.  Looks very much like a Li’l Chick Flick, which, really, is right up our alley in this household.  We are all tremendous fans of Beverly Cleary’s.  And with actresses from some of Mommy’s favorite tv shows (Ginnifer Goodwin from Big Love and Sandra Oh from Grey’s Anatomy–which, I acknowledge, has jumped the shark) . . . well, I might not even wait for a gloomy day.  You might just find us all tossing back the Milk Duds and popcorn just as soon as it opens.   Woo, hoo!

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The next session of Music Together from Music Box Arts begins April 12th, and they’ve added a second Troy location.

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I went into a mild Easter freak-out this morning.  We’re so busy this weekend, and we’re taking a family road trip all the way to Georgia for spring break.  So I’ve got to have all of our Bunny supplies jam-packed and hidden with everything else we’ll be stuffing into the back of the car.   Plus, I realized that we hadn’t even decorated eggs yet.

I think that decorating eggs every year is the reason why I still love the smell of vinegar.   We go the traditional route for eggs, even though I see all those super-clever magazine articles and websites about how to make truly gorgeous Easter eggs.  But, you know, we’re not there.  The girls don’t have the patience for any of that, and I don’t have the energy to have some sort of separate Mommy activity on my own (although, let me tell you:  I make a fabulous Christmas wreath every year.  Oh yes it’s true!).  Anyway, I’m fine with the dip-and-dye, although I resent how the various companies act like every single thing that they include is such a treasure.  The magical dye-resisting marker, which is a freakin’ crayon.  The extra-special drying rack, which is actually the cardboard box with the perforated circles punched out.  And, my personal favorite:  twirly tops. Stick a toothpick in the center of the torn-out cardboard circles and you have an exciting new toy!  Hooray!  I mean, really:  it’s like, insulting.  Am I the only one who gets irritated by this?  And how about those shrink-wrap things?  I mean, after my kids have waited for me to boil the eggs, there’s no way that they’re going to relinquish them and wait for me to cook them up again.

So although I approach the Easter kits with exasperation, I have to tell you that I got sucked into the Dudley’s Roll It Easter Egg Decorating Kit that I found at Target.   The teensy-weensy little rollers were cheap and flimsy, but they were also adorable and they got the job done.  And I am so cheap that I rinsed it out to save for next year.  The packets of paint were small, too, but we had plenty to decorate our dozen eggs.

Cheap, But Still Reusable!

But the best part was that it was hands-on craftiness with immediate gratification.  With the dip dye, you spend a lot of time waiting around for your eggs to soak in plenty of color.  With the little rollers, it was easy to make patterns or little dots with bright color right away.  The kit also came with little plastic rings for holding your eggs in place (you can see the egg below’s on one).

M goes for stripes

Are they cheap, cheesy little things?  Well, yes, but they’re way better than using the box with the circles  popped out.  For one thing, I believe that this was the first year that nobody’s wet egg touched anyone else’s wet egg and Ruined It Forever, which is always a hazard when they’re crowded onto the box.

Anyway, if you see egg decorating in your future, I’d recommend this kit.  You know, if you and the kids aren’t going with one of Martha Stewart’s ideas.

Okay, I was procrastinating about this playground list because, really, this weather doesn’t put me in a playground mood anyway.

But when I read the Gazette this morning I realized that I had to do another playground post because this WaterPowerPeace project has got to be just about the coolest thing ever. Basically, it’s about playgrounds designed to harness the energy from playing children in order to generate electricity and provide water in developing countries.  And they’re having a free event at Proctor’s in Schenectady on Wednesday (as in tomorrow, or today, depending on when you’re reading this).  And it started at the local Woodland Hill Montessori School.  Linking this made me realize that I’ve been calling it Woodland Hills since I’ve moved to this area.  Whoops.

Anyway, that’s pretty groovy, right?  On a much smaller scale of grooviness, may I present to you the Playground List? I know that this list is still very short, and it’s not super-pretty. . . but ya gotta start somewhere, people!  So here’s what I have so far.  I haven’t figured out how to link to it on the sidebar yet.  I know:  it’s probably not much more difficult than putting it here in my post.  But since it took me over two hours just to get it from the Google spreadsheet into this somewhat presentable form (don’t ask!), I am done for the night.  I hope it inspires you to try someplace new. . . once we have some decent weather again.  I hear that Thursday is supposed to be lovely.

On a sorrowful note, I have to confess to you that I lost a Facebook fan yesterday.  Apparently there was, indeed, a gum-smacking Hummer driver who was offended by that kvetching post.  I am going to re-commit myself to sending only good karma out into the bloggy universe.  I will try my best, at least.  I’ve been thinking about this all day, and then I accidentally reported on my near-catfight with shovey-Mc-Soccer Mom at the Easter Egg Hunt. . . but that’s it.  I am done.

I am all about the joy.  I am all about the fun.

Everybody ready for Easter?  We’ve sampled many events from year to year.  The Crossings is fun, but as anyone can tell you who’s visited this park on a lovely day, it’s also a bit of a mob scene.  We usually go to Niskayuna’s parade, which consists of a bunch of parents and young kids shuffling slowly around the circular drive in front of the Town Hall.  It’s really more of a mommy chat-fest than anything else, although you can get a picture with the Easter Bunny.

By far my worst area Easter Egg Hunt ever was at Afrim’s a few years ago.  I think that it might have been their first foray into egg huntery, and it happened to be a very cold and gloomy day.  So many people came.  It was an absolute zoo.  I felt a little bit sorry for them because they were clearly overwhelmed.  We stood in an incredibly long line because they were doing several hunts in phases, and by the time the girls had a chance to look, there were basically empty plastic eggs scattered over the flat fake fields.  Many eggs weren’t even closed and a few were broken.  You picked up 3 tragic eggs and stood in another line to receive an Afrim’s pencil and a piece of candy.  I mean, it sucked.  Plus, to make it even worse, I got into this confrontation with another mom.  There were soccer balls rolling all over one area, and I was standing with J when she went over to one and started kicking it.  Well, apparently some other child had been playing with it earlier–neither of us had noticed this–and this little boy came and shoved her.  The mommy ran over and said, “Of course he pushed her!  She stole his ball!”   The mom looked like she might shove me.  So I went through a whole he’s-littler-and-he-doesn’t-know-how-to-use-words-yet and there-are-only-about-twenty-balls-rolling-around, so why don’t we let the little creep boy have this one?  talk.  All said in an overly bright and, if I am to be truthful, passive-aggressive tone of voice.  I got J to suck it up and bring the ball over to him and the mom still looked like she was ready to punch her.  I mean, we were not feeling the joy of rebirth in this springtime celebration.  Anyway, looks like Afrims is charging admission and including more activities, so I’m sure it will be better this year.  I mean, it can’t be worse.

I’ve also heard that Schenectady has a lovely Central Park Easter Egg Hunt, but I wasn’t able to find information on this one.  I’m waiting on a call back.

We've dragged out our Easter paraphernalia. In addition to endless hunts, the girls like to play "Easter Store": one sister arranges the items and the other "buys" her favorites.

Friday, March 26th

• Russell Sage College is running a Community Egg Hunt starting at 5 pm as part of Troy Night Out.

Saturday, March 27th

• At Goold Orchard, there’s breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9 am to noon.  You’re supposed to call for reservations.  $8/adult, $5/kids 4 to 11.  This is on Sunday, too.
• The Crossings has an Easter Egg Hunt with Mr. & Mrs. Bunny  from 10 am to noon.
• At 10 am, the Annual City of Cohoes Easter Egg Hunt will be held at George Street Park.  The Easter Bunny will be there for photo ops.
• From 11 am to 1 pm, B95 has their Annual Easter Egg Hunt at  Clifton Park Center.  They have a bunch of activities and break up their hunt into different age groups.  A friend who’s been to lots of area events says it’s well-run and one of her favorites.

Sunday, March 28th

• At Goold Orchard, there’s breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9 am to noon.  You’re supposed to call for reservations.  $8/adult, $5/kids 4 to 11.  This is on Saturday, too.
• From 11 am to 3 pm, there’s the Helderberg Kiwanis Pancake Dinner, Maple Festival and Craft Fair in Knox, NY.  $4 to $8, with an Easter Egg Hunt at 2 pm and pony rides, petting zoo, and other activities.
• Sloppy Kisses will have  a special doggy celebration from 11 am to 2 pm at Clifton Park Center. They’ll also be celebrating at their store this weekend in Saratoga Springs.
• Faddegon’s Nursery has an Open House from 11 am to 4 pm.  There are door prizes, refreshments, and the Easter Bunny.  A friend who tries to go every year says that it’s great and very low-key, and it’s terrific for pictures because of all of the beautiful flowers.
• At the Schenectady Greenmarket from 10 am to 2 pm, there will be eggs hidden throughout the market.
• Jonesville Fire Department (Clifton Park) is holding their annual Easter party from 12:30 to 2 pm.
• On March 28th, the Saratoga Jaycees are sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Milton Community Center in Ballston Spa.  Please bring non-perishable food or a $5 donation for the local food bank.

Friday, April 2nd

• In Niskayuna, they’ll have their Easter “Parade” on Friday, April 2nd, at 10 am at the Town Hall.
• From 10:30-11:30 am, Joyful Jumpers is having a Dino Day, where kids will stuff a dinosaur (to keep) and hunt for dinosaur eggs, then have some free play time.  It’s $15/child.  You need to pre-register for this one.

Saturday, April 3rd

• The Twin Bridges Rotary will have a Breakfast with the Easter Bunny Fundraiser including a hunt, photo ops, and other activities.  It’s from 8:30 am to noon at the Elks Club on McElroy Road, and it’s $6/adult, $3/kids 6-12.
• From 9-11 am it’s the New Salem Fire Department Annual Easter Egg Hunt.  All ages can hunt, and there are refreshments.
• From 10 am to noon, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt at the East Greenbush Town Park.  Hunt is for ages 2 to 10, free refreshments, DJ, and more.
• At 10 am it’s the Annual Easter Egg Hunt for pre-K to 4th grade residents at the Town of North Greenbush Town Hall.
• Joyful Jumpers has a free community Easter Egg Hunt from 10:30-noon.  Please call Cindy to pre-register at 396-7885.
• Afrim’s in Colonie will have an Easter Egg Hunt from 12-2 pm.  $5/family includes an Easter Egg hunt, Soccer Tots activities, Lazer Tag, and bouncing.
• At 3 pm there’s an Easter Egg Hunt for kids 13 and under at the Johnsonville Fire House on River Road.  It’s rain or shine, and there will be prizes and refreshments.

Know of any other celebrations?  Please pass them along via comments or email.