Posts from — June 2010

We have just completed what I believe might have been the best weather weekend ever.   I mean:  gorgeous!

Less gorgeous was yesterday’s post, with a variety of humiliating typos.  I really was tired.   I think I fixed them all.  Anyway, it’s our last day of school this week, so we’re shifting into summer.   Here are some fun things going on:

Monday, June 21st:

• Take a Back Pond Hike at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.  Hey!  You could do go hike and then hit the beach!
• The Colonie Town Band is playing at William K. Sanford (Colonie) Library at 7 pm.
• At 7 pm, take a Flowers of the Solstice tour at Five Rivers.  The focus will be on the lore behind various flowers.

Tuesday, June 22nd:

• At 10 am there’s a free movie:  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs at Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady.
• At 10:15 am, there are Preschool Movies at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s recommended for ages 3-6, but siblings are welcome.  It’s a drop-in program.
• At 10:30 am, do a Nature Scavenger Hunt at Moreau Lake State Park.  Another beach opportunity. . . .
• Do some traditional nursery rhymes at 1:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• There’s a concert in the park in Schodack from 6-8 pm.
• At 6:30 pm, The Accents are playing at the concert at the Crossings in Colonie.

Wednesday, June 23rd:

• At 9 am, Make a Splash with a Magic Trunk Show at the Duanesburg Community Center.  Contact the Quaker Branch Library for details.  Free and no registration required.
• At 10 am there’s a free movie:  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs at Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady.
• Take a Spring Overlook Hike at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.  Hey, I’m beginning to think that we should just spend the week there.
• From 2-4:30 pm, there’s a Babysitter Workshop for kids in 6th grade and up at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  Registration is required.
• Rockin’ on the River kicks off in Troy with a U2 tribute band from 5-8:30 pm.
• At 7 pm, go to the Bethlehem Public Library to discuss Eclipse and get psyched for the upcoming film release.  6th grade and up.

Thursday, June 24th:

• At 9:45 am, there’s an informal group hike at Five Rivers.  See the Capital District Family-Friendly Hikes page for details.
• It’s a Lake Ann Hike, this time, at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 10:30 am, there’s a Teen Volunteer Orientation at Bethlehem Public Library.  Registration is required.
• At 1 pm at the Duane Branch Library, it’s the Summer Reading Program Kick-off Party.
• The Mac-Haydn Theatre opens The Secret Garden today.  This theatre is a bit of a drive (maybe 45 minutes for us), but we usually go a couple of times a year for the children’s season in the summer.
• It’s Alive at Five with Boys II Men with Soul Session at 5 pm at Albany Riverfront Park.
• From 5-8:30 pm, there’s a Classic Car Cruise-in in downtown Glens Falls.  Music, cars, & model trains.
• From 6-8 pm, The Lustre Kings play for Concerts in the Park in Ballston Spa.
• Enjoy at Beachy Keen Family Storytime at 6:30 pm at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s a drop-in program.

Friday, June 25th:

• It’s Troy Night Out from 5-9 pm.
• Today kicks off the Old Songs Festival at the Altamont Fairgrounds.

Go to some decent non-chain restaurants, people! Okay, that’s pretty much the rant.  I’m exhausted.  And, honestly, I think my readers aren’t the right audience for this particular rant.  Because, sophisticated folks that you are, you get on the computer and find interesting things to do.  So you’re probably motivated enough to come up with some good restaurant choices.  But when I was chatting with people, I kept hearing the same two answers, over and over:  “We just don’t go out much” or “The only place we go is [insert restaurant from last post here] because the kids will only eat [insert one item on the menu].”  So for those of you who need a lecture on how to expand your horizons, I’ll get to that with The 3 Big Problems with Going Out to Dinner with the Whole Family.

But first, me and my world.

Dining out with kids is challenging.  When M was brand new, our first attempt at dinner out ended with us aborting the mission during the salad course.  But I’d say it’s been easier for us than for many partly just because we’re lucky.  First, I’ve got two girls, and we all know that, generally, your average girl will sit longer and more quietly than your average boy.  Second, my kids act much better out of the house than in.  I really lucked out with this one, and I’ll even sometimes take the kids out of the house specifically in order to ensure better behavior.  From all of us.  One day, when M was 3 and J was 1, things were going terribly.  I can’t remember the specifics of what they were doing, but they were both so awful that 1) I felt quite sorry for myself and 2) I was afraid that I would hit or otherwise abuse them if I remained alone with them.   So I decided to take us out to lunch.  I’ll admit it:  it was one of those crappy chains.  But I was nervous about taking them out to lunch by myself, and this place had crayons, so it made me feel more secure. As soon as we arrived, they transformed into the two most delightful and well-behaved angels you could ever hope to see.  In fact, near the end of the meal, a nice old lady approached our table and told me, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Why, those are the most delightful and well-behaved little  angels that I’ve ever seen.  You are doing a fine job.”  Yay, me!  I was doing a fine job!  Not only had being out in public prevented me from becoming an abuser, I was now a contender for Best Mommy Ever.   Very self-satisfied, I packed the girls up and left our table, and I am absolutely not kidding when I tell you that as soon as we exited the main restaurant and were in the little foyer between the two sets of doors, M began wailing in a crayon-related tantrum.   It was as if she knew that the spotlight had turned off and she could unleash her demonic Little Miss Hyde character.  I barely wrestled her into the car.  But that nice old lady’s warm fuzzies gave me the patience of a saint for the rest of the day.

When we choose to go out to a nice dinner, it’s almost always ethnic.  This is mostly because we’re pretty good cooks.  Pasta, burgers, diner food:  usually I like how we cook it at home better, anyway.  But I’m less skilled with the ethnic varieties.  Oh, sure, I’ll stir-fry or make samosas at home, but it’s never as good as at a restaurant.  Now, if I’m going on a date, we’ll sometimes do Italian or French because it’s nice & fancy with a bottle of wine, but if I’ve got the kids, I’m not going to pay 8 bucks for my kids to eat noodles with marinara sauce.   I’ve actually talked about this before, like when I posted about Mexican restaurants in the area, going out for Thai food, going for Vietnamese food, or going to our local Chinese Buffet.  I’ve got a list of suggestions for you, but first, let me convince you to go, in case  you need convincing.

The 3 Big Problems with Going Out to Dinner with the Whole Family

It’s Too Expensive.

Um, yes.  You’re right.  It is expensive, absolutely.  That’s why it’s my first problem, because I can’t really argue with you there.  But here are a couple of suggestions:

• Skip the little expenses so that you can splurge on a big one.  Instead of going to McDonald’s for lunch three times, go out to dinner someplace really good once.   Or make coffee instead of buying coffee, or make sure that you’ve always got snacks from home so that you’re not shelling out for overpriced snacks because you’re desperate.
• Drink water.  Seriously, especially if you’ve got little kids, get them used to drinking tap water  when you go to restaurants.  All that juice and lemonade and soda adds up, and it’s bad for them, anyway.  If you start early enough, it actually becomes their preferred drink.  Like, when we felt sorry for the girls on a car trip and let them choose soda:  they were all excited, but then they left the soda unfinished and asked for more water.
• Kids can be pretty cheap.  Even the kid-sized portions are often too large for little kids, so you can have some kids just eat bites off your plates.  Kids who are picky eaters can often get by on very basic side dishes (more on this later).  Some restaurants have special “kids eat free” nights–I named a couple in the last post.  It’s always worth it to call up a restaurant and ask if they have special kids-eat-free deals, because if people keep asking they might start to do them.
• There are also those crazy entertainment coupon books–I myself get a migraine just from reading through them, but I have friends who love them.

I’m worried about the kids behaving themselves.

Honestly, you really should be a little bit worried.  You may recall that I told people nervous about bringing kids to the theater that they should just relax, because there would definitely be some kids who were much naughtier?  That isn’t the case when it comes to restaurants.   At Sesame Street Live, the crowd will be safe and friendly.  But in a restaurant, it’s quite possible that complete strangers will watch you walk in holding a toddler by one hand while hiking one of those enormous infant car seats on the opposite hip, and they’ll commence muttering and eye rolling immediately.  Now, it’s not worth getting angry.  Let’s show compassion for these unfortunate curmudgeons.  What a bitter & sorrowful life to lead, when they’re so certain that anyone under 15 is destined to ruin their meal.  What terrible experiences must have transformed them into Judgey McJudgesters eagerly awaiting the first signs of Bad Parenting?  Really, it’s tragic.  Let’s treat these poor souls with compassion by showing them decently behaved children.  Because every time our kids are delightful in restaurants, we are Making the World a Better Place.  We are sending the happy karma out there.  If enough of us do it, we can neutralize these grouches so that they’ll take a deep breath, smile benevolently, and notice how freakin’ cute these kids are.

• Have meals together at home every day.  If your kids are used to sitting at dinner with you & having a conversation, they’ll be able to do it in the outside world.  I have a confession to make:  I don’t really love eating with my kids.  They’re always spilling or asking me to cut their food or telling me long stories or just spacing off in the middle of a sentence. . . it’s just not very relaxing.  I’d prefer to sit by myself and leaf through a magazine & eat.  I often do end up eating on my own for one reason or another.  But we do family dinner, and I think that it makes restaurant time easier.
• Go early.  Almost every kid behaves better earlier than later, and if you go earlier than you’d usually eat the meal, no one will be starving.  The whole restaurant will be quieter, and the people who show up early tend to have more flexible schedules, so they’re more relaxed, while the later lunch or dinner crowd is more likely to be intense.
• Go ethnic.  They’re just friendlier to kids.  Sometimes the restaurants are family businesses and you even see some kids hanging out while they’re parents are working.  But even if there aren’t any kids in sight, the ethnic restaurants tend to have a more welcoming vibe to families.
• Receive food asap.  W & I always joke that the kids are ticking time bombs. . . they could go off at any moment, so let’s get down to business, people!  Strategies for quick food include:  buffet, calling ahead and placing your order before going to the restaurant (not every place will do this, but they’re more likely to if they do take out, they’re non-chain, and/or you’re a regular) or placing an order when you put in your name for a table if you have to wait.  You can also check the menu online at many places (or pick something you know they’ll have, like rice at anyplace Asian) and order it as soon as you sit down.
• Take a walk.   If the kids are going nuts, the adult who loses rock/paper/scissors takes the kid for a walk.  There might be an exciting destination inside (like a fountain or a fish tank), but outside the restaurant is great.  It’s summer, take ‘em for a little walk.  Bring a cell phone so that your dinner companions can call you when the food arrives.

My kids are picky eaters.

This is another problem that really starts with how the kids eat at home.  And I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for six months (oh my gosh!  it’s been six months!) without ever mentioning Ellyn Satter‘s book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense.  This is my very favorite parenting advice book.  It’s the only book in which I feel like the advice absolutely made a difference and helped my kids to “turn out” better.  You know:  so far.   And I found this book reassuring, non-stress-inducing, and effective.  Both of my girls are decent eaters.  Yes, I’d love it if they ate more vegetables, but generally they do pretty well.  But here are some suggestions if you’re trying to branch out:

• One of the main points of the Child of Mine book is that asking/begging/forcing kids to try stuff will just turn into a power struggle, but if you’re eating and enjoying good food, kids will naturally want to do it, too, because they want to be super-cool grown-ups.  Also, they won’t starve if they just eat bread at dinnertime.  So, keeping those in mind, get thee to a restaurant that you’ll enjoy, and if your child only wants bread or rice, well, hey!  More for you!
• You might be underestimating them.  Plus, seeing and smelling the food is a great motivator.  This is why one of my favorite approaches with a new food is a glorious buffet.  Don’t make their plate for them, or at least bring them with you, because I guarantee that they’ll choose things that you don’t expect. I’ll always remember when M asked for raw broccoli at the Chuck E. Chees salad bar.  I’d served sauteed and steamed broccoli and she’d always turned up her nose.  I hate it raw, but it’s still such a favorite that she requested raw broccoli for her birthday party today.
• There are easy, cozy comfort foods everywhere.  I’ll suggest some below, but you can always ask your server.
• Packaging helps.  Your kid might be attracted to vegetables cut into flowers or cute looking items like sushi or stuffed grape leaves.  And any variation on a dumpling is a sure winner for my kids.
• Check the side dishes.  Here’s where you’ll find the very common, inexpensive stuff that will appeal to kids–the basic starch, or whatever is requested so frequently that even the kids are likely to approve it.
• Check the combination appetizers.  You’ll get a smorgasbord to choose from.
• If you’re trying for a starter on “exotic” foods, try going to an Italian restaurant and just order the pasta in a different shape than usual.  Or choose an unusual looking pastry or a crepe.  Something that you cannot fathom that your child could possibly not like.  And then, when they gag on it, keep your poker face and try something else on another day.

So here are some ethnic suggestions (with suggested dishes for fussy kids):

• Chinese, like Emperor’s, Tai Pan in Clifton Park (which has various other Asian fusion dishes–a reader loves it), and the Golden Phoenix (Buffet, baby!).
• Thai, like Capital Thai on Central Avenue in Albany or Bangkok Bistro (which we love). Pick chicken or beef sate–very plain and un-scary for kids.  Plus, if your kid likes to dip, the dips are yummy.
• Vietnamese, like Van’s (Our favorite) or my linh
• Japanese, like Koto (this has the hibachi, cook-at-the-table, which is entertaining, along with a fountain with koi to visit during slow moments).  Chicken tempura is basically chicken fingers.
• For all the Asian restaurants, pick dumplings, fried rolls, noodles, or rice for picky eaters.  For almost anything you can ask for sauce on the side, which makes it easier to pick out whatever’s appealing to your kids.
• Mexican, and I listed a bunch of them.  Our favorite is El Mariachi.  Bombers also has a taco buffet during the week for lunchtime (starting at 11) and all day on Tuesdays in Schenectady.  Off the menu, quesadillas are a safe bet.  My kids always want beef, bean, & cheese burritos.  You can ask for plain tortillas and a side of extra beans or cheese.  Another good choice is fajitas–at many place you assemble these yourself, so it’s like having a mini buffet that your child can choose from.
• Syrian/Lebanese, like Mamoun’s Falafel.  Choose hummus & pita, rice, or kebobs of meat.
• Indian, like Sitar (when I asked the girls their favorite place for dinner, this was it.  If you’re bored while waiting, count the elephants), or Karavalli (also yummy, and a commenter loves it).  My kids love samosas (dumpling-ish) & pakora (with potatoes, they’re like Indian French fries) to start and they’re all crazy about Chicken Tikka Masala.  And of course rice or nan.  And, like our commenter said, you can get a mango lassi to drink right away!

And if you’re just looking for good restaurants in the area–whether or not they offer crayons–you can check out  Metroland’s picks, the Times Union’s readers’ poll or their  reviews, or blogs like the TU’s Table Hopping blog or the Albany Eats blog.

Okay, I’m feeling pretty stupid because I told myself that I’d go to bed early tonight and it’s 11:10 pm.  So I’m not even proofreading.  Please forgive any errors, and if you know about a blogging 12-step program, please let me know.

Happy Dining!

I’ve had a couple of people request restaurant suggestions.  Then  a couple of blogs have been talking restaurants  lately.  At AOA, they’re offering up Albany Jane’s Must-Try Cheap Lunches.  Yum.  I’m considering it a to-do list.  And then at the TU’s Parent-to-Parent they’re talking about Worst Kids-in-Restaurant Behavior.  This sort of post just always depresses me.    But it’s like all sorts of crazy cosmic forces are telling me to do the dang restaurant post.  So I’ve been polling random mom friends about their favorite family restaurant destinations.  And along the way, I’ve made two major discoveries.

Discovery #1:  This groovy mealeo website.  I’ve seen similar sites, but this one actually had plenty of different menus, and it tells you which restaurants deliver:  more than I expected.    Definitely helpful.

Discovery #2: My idea of favorite family restaurant destinations, apparently, is abnormal.  People kept making the same suggestions that sort of made me groan.  A little bit like, Really?  Is that the best you can do?  So, first, I’ll share the conventional wisdom on local family-friendly choices. Then, I will launch myself into one of those mini-rants that I go into every once in a while.  You know, when I’m telling you that you shouldn’t be scared of taking your kids to the theater or that you can breastfeed anywhere.

Okay, here are the frequently-suggested choices for family dining in the Capital Region.  Many of these have more than one location, so I’m just linking you to the main site:

Serve-yourself fast-ish food chains that appeal to kids:

• Five Guys Burgers & Fries–Peanuts while you wait, but they’re everywhere, so it’s not your place if anyone’s got nut sensitivities.  I know that a ton of people love this place; our family doesn’t.  It is so greasy that no matter what we order, everyone feels sick afterwards.
• The Pasta Factory–great options for kids and adults.  The girls and I love this place.  At the Rte. 7 location, kids eat free on Tuesday nights and Mr. Twisty adds to the fun.
• Moe’s Southwest Grill–a favorite to pick up or eat there.  They let kids eat free on Sundays in Clifton Park & on Wolf Road, and on Wednesdays on Central Ave.
• Panera–my kids love-love-love the broccoli cheddar soup.  Even the pickiest eater will be willing to eat a plain bagel or some yogurt, right?

Personal Juke Box at Johnny Rockets

Sit-down Chains that folks consider family-friendly:

• Red Robin–”Delicious mac and cheese”. I have never, ever been here, but several people suggested it as a family favorite.
• Johnny Rockets–Tasty retro diner food with criminally cheerful service and your own juke box–kids love it.
• Bucca di Beppo–”Amazing chocolate cake, and if you’ve got 12 or more, the Pope Room is really fun”.  They serve family-style portions, which can be nice and flexible when you’ve got kids who are picky or who are a little too small or too big to “fit” a kid’s portion.
• Friendly’s–I understand that children love this, but I will always strive to go somewhere else.

Many people also enjoy some favorite seasonal spots for ice cream, hot dogs, and other basics.

You know what?  I’m going to save my rant for tomorrow.  Because it’s after 11 pm.  I mean, even as I started this thing I recognized that it was ridiculous because I’m super tired and we’re hosting a birthday party tomorrow.  So consider this part one.  Tomorrow I’ll talk about where we like to go.  And, maybe I’ll rant a teensy bit.

Hooray!  The sun’s finally coming out!  Good thing, because we’ve got a lot of outdoorsville happening at our house, and I was really beginning to freak out about it.

I am actively working on a restaurant post, so if you have suggestions for good places to take the whole family, I’d love to hear them.

Okay, I missed that tomorrow is Irish Day at the National Museum of Dance from 1-3:30 pm.

All Weekend:

• It’s a bit of a drive, but there’s a Firefighter’s Convention that will include parades on Friday night and Saturday afternoon in Lake George.  If you have a kid who’s a firefighting fanatic, it might be worth the trip.
• It’s Juneteenth, the celebration of the end of slavery, in Schenectady.  Most of the activities take place in Central Park.

Evening of Friday, June 18th:

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• Staging Youths’ Future presents Seussical the Musical as dinner theater.  At 6 pm there’s spaghetti dinner, and the show is at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $15 for dinner and the show.  This is for 6/17 & 6/18.
• There’s a Drop-in Chess Club at the  Guilderland Public Library at 6:30 pm.
• At 6:30 pm, the Saratoga Barnes & Noble will have their American Girl Book Club.
• The Altamont Free Library will have Chicken Barbecue followed by Contra Dancing led by Paul Rosenberg and friends from 6:45-7:45 pm at the Gazebo in Orsini Park.  If you plan to go, you should pre-order dinner to ensure it’s not sold out.
• They’re showing Bedknobs and Broomsticks at the  Guilderland Public Library at 7 pm.  Oh yes, there will be popcorn.
• Brookside Museum is having an outdoor Benefit Concert featuring Gravity at 7 pm.  $15/grown up, kids free, burgers and dogs will be available for purchase.
• Take a Nightwalk at Five Rivers and look for some birds.  It’s at 7 pm.
• Take an Almost Summer Solstice Sunset Hike from 7:30-9 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  $2/person, $5/family.
• It’s Star Watch time at 9 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park.

Saturday, June 19th:

• It’s the Scottish Festival at Fort Ticonderoga all day.
• At 10 am, learn about Wildflower Identification at Five Rivers.
• From 10 am to 3 pm, it’s the Upper Union Street (Schenectady) Strawberry Festival.  Kids’ stuff includes pony rides and a petting zoo.
• From 10 am to 6 pm, it’s Troy’s River Street Festival.
• From 10-11:30 am, learn about Edible and Practical Uses of Plants at Wilton Wildlife Preserve.  It’s free and designed for all ages, but you need to pre-register.
• It’s Planting Day at 10:30 am at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 10:30 am it’s Little Wonders of Science:  Fancy Nancy Sees Stars at the Schenectady Museum.
• From 11 am to 12:30 pm, take a hike and learn about restoration at the Albany Pine Bush.  $2/person, $5/family, and pre-registration is required.
• At 11 am & 1 pm there are Planetarium Shows at the Henry Hudson Planetarium in Albany.
• From 11 am to 3 pm, there’s a World Refugee Day Picnic at Albany’s Washington Park.
• There’s a Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds.  Doors open at 11 am, and there’s a Demolition Derby in the evening.  $10/adult, $5/ kids 7 and up, kids 6 and under free.
• It’s Family Fun Weekend–Saturday only–from 1-4 pm at the New York State Museum.  The theme is Birds and Butterflies.
• At 1 pm learn about Slipperies & Slimies at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology in Troy.  Ages 4 +, pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• From 1-3 pm, you can play Outdoor Games at the Chapman Historical Museum.  It’s $3/child and reservations are required.
• At 2 pm, Rose Kent will be signing her book Rocky Road at the Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza, and they’ll have ice cream tastings, too.
• At 2 pm, go on a Salamander Search at Thacher Park.  It’s best for older kids–8 and up–and they ask you to call to register.
• At 2 pm, you can learn A Dozen Ways to Make Fire Without Matches at Grafton Lakes State Park.  Again, not the best toddler activity.
• At 2 pm, learn about The Green World with hands-on activities at Five Rivers.
• Take a Twilight Kayak from 7-9 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.  A limited number of kayaks are available for rent.

Sunday, June 20th:

• I am doing the 5k at the Crossings.  It will be my first-ever 5k, and I am a bit nervous.  When I first started out running a couple of months ago I was feeling pretty cocky, but my progress has absolutely slowed down.  At this point, 5k is  about as far as I am able to go, period, and the last time I took a serious run I hurt myself a teensy bit.  So send happy-healthy running karma my way, please.
• Eagle Mills Cider Mill & Family Fun Park in Broadalbin opens for the season with a Father’s Day breakfast.  I’d never heard of this place until I saw the notice about yummy pancakes. . . . Anyone been here?  Worth it?
• Get The Dirt on Dirt at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology in Troy.  Ages 3+, pre-register, $2/non-member.  Admission is free for dads and grandpas all day at the museum.
• From noon to 4 pm, it’s Sundae on the Farm at Arnoldhaven Farm in West Charlton.  For more information, check out the TU’s Parenting Blog.
• Take a Father-Daughter Hike from 1-2 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.

J went to a birthday party today at Bumble Beads in Latham.  I hadn’t ever been inside, although I’d peered in one day when we were visiting Hoffman’s Playland, which is right next door.

Party Area Decor

The mom provided snacks, pizza, & dessert.  The store provided the space (a little alcove portion of the store), two crafts per child, and a teensy goody bag with a candy necklace, a honey stick (because of their bee theme), and a coupon.  They also had tiaras and fairy wings available to wear during the party.  The party was 1 1/2 hours.

Supplies for Necklace

Here was a good idea:  they had little felt fabric place mats for each girl to keep the beads from rolling.  I will so use this technique in the future.  The crafts themselves were a little blah.  Both were items that you could have done just as easily by buying basic supplies at the craft store.  I know that the kids were 5- and 6-year-olds, but I want it to be extra messy to do and/or look extra fancy at the end if I’m going to a crafty destination.  Of course, that’s me.  I know that some people will pay significant money just to keep the party out of their own home.

I’m also a little bit freakishly sensitive about the girl party thing:  this idea that little girls want to sit quietly and make themselves beautiful and/or create accessories so that they can be more beautiful.  Yeah, I know that they like it.  And I’m okay with that.  I mean, I made that princess castle cake, right?  But I just don’t like to completely pigeonhole them quite so much.  I want them to be able to run around and laugh and shout, and the space just wasn’t there for the wild abandon that makes a great party.  In fact, there was a hopscotch design on the floor, and J kept on getting up and doing hopscotch.   At one point a few of  the girls started to run in a little circle, and they got pulled back into the quiet activity.   There was plenty of giggling, though.  And the birthday girl is currently nutty about jewelry, so it was absolutely perfect for her.

I think that this would be a terrific destination for an older girls’ party, when they’re at the age when they might just want to hang out and chat and do an absorbing project.  Or even a moms’ night out:  they do grown-up crafts.  There was a tremendously enthusiastic customer buying items who had come back after going to a class for the first time last night:  looks like she’s got a new obsession.

I thought that the party prices (they’re on the website) were expensive, but the items in the shop were priced well.  You know I’m not a shopper, but there were plenty of nice things  for the moms to examine during the party.

Cute Bracelets!

I barely managed to suppress my desire to buy one of the thin turquoise bracelets for M–it’s just exactly her style.  But I’d already completed her birthday shopping.  In fact, now I’m a little bummed that I didn’t go ahead and buy it and store it for some future occasion:  she saw the picture and liked it, just as I predicted.  There were cute gifts.  I also wanted a mood ring for myself.  I’m a sucker for a mood ring, probably because I’m naturally a warm-fingered gal.  So mood rings always tell me that I’m happy & relaxed, and then I’m convinced.  Come to think of it, I’m the same way about most things like that:  I only “believe” in horoscopes and fortune cookies when they tell me that everything’s going to be great.

One scheduling note: tomorrow’s 9:45 am hike listed on my weekly events post has been canceled.

More free summer stuff!

But first, as a public service announcement, I’m issuing a parental advisory.

Moms, you must not, under any circumstances, take speaking children with you into the dressing room when trying on swimsuits.  I know:  it’s such an unpleasant task anyway that it’s tough to use precious “me time” for this. However, it’s important for your self-esteem that you do not bring anyone else into the room with you, especially, for example, a five-year-old who might offer all sorts of kindly-meant comments* such as:

• Oh!  Not that one!  Because did you look at the back?  It looks like your back is saying, “It’s too squishy in here!  I’m too tight!”
• Mommy?  Is that underwear comfortable?  Because it looks like it might be too small.
• Oh!  I like that one!  Except not this part. . . or here. . . or that. . . or the color.  Uh, never mind.
• That one is not a really good idea because your breasts look all flat and squashed down.
• I like this one better than all the other ones, but I still don’t think you should buy it because the other ones were really terrible and this one is mostly good but also a tiny bit terrible.

Ummmm, no.  I didn’t buy anything.

On to the  Summer Events:

At Canal Square in Cohoes, there are Friday night concerts in July and August from 6:30-8:30 pm.

In July and August, there’s the Music Haven Concert Series at Central Park, generally at 7 pm on Sundays.  There’s food there if you don’t have the chance to pack a picnic.

The Grand Street Kids Club is a free summer camp for inner-city Albany kids aged 4 to 12.

This week kicks off the Tuesday night concerts in Cook Park at 6:30 pm.  They run through July and August.

At Clifton Commons Park, there’s music or theater on Sunday evenings at 7 pm, and family-oriented entertainment on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. (The link for this is a huge booklet, so for the concert info., check out pp. 26-27, aka “inside 24-25″)

*Yes, these were all actual comments, alas, and not hyperbole for the cheap laugh. Although I didn’t take notes right then and there, so the quotes  may not be exact.

I’m getting a little bit stressed out.  We’ve got M’s birthday coming up on Friday, which means making a treat for school on Thursday and hosting a slew of kids at our (not terribly exciting) house on Saturday.  Frankly, the weather’s got me scared.  Also, we tend to be overly ambitious with the birthday cakes:  we’re snobby about baking from scratch instead of ordering a sheet cake at the grocery store like reasonable people do.  So there will be some labor involved.   Plus, the following week is the last week of school, complete with half-days and miscellaneous fanfare, and then we’ll be heading off for a week’s vacation with family.   So I am making all sorts of lists and then losing them and making new lists.  And generally fretting.

So I thought that I’d take a moment to remind myself that we are very good at birthdays around here.   And here’s proof, with some of our Birthday Cake Greatest Hits (if you’ve been around long enough, you might recall that it doesn’t always go so well).

Doggie Cake for J's 5th Birthday

J requested a dog.  I was particularly pleased with his tongue: the strip of fruit leather was wonderfully realistic.  I hated the fruit leather/frosting/rainbow sprinkle collar, but J had an Artistic Vision and so we had to go with it.  The dog bone candy was a lucky break.

Elmo Cupcake for M's 2nd

The Elmo cupcakes were adorable & not too difficult:  food-colored coconut, Oreo cookie mouth, frosting/chocolate chip eyes, and the unbelievably perfect Circus Peanut Candy for a nose.  We left a bunch plain for the fussy kids.

Mini Cakes for M's 5th Birthday

M wanted each child to have a mini cake.  This seemed like it would be easy, but it was surprisingly challenging.  They’re just cupcakes frosted all over, but it was a freakin’ pain in the neck.  My mom was visiting for this one and you could tell that she thought that I was crazy.  One of the worst parts is that we’re always working with real buttercream, and it’s always too hot, and so it’s a horrifyingly greasy, sweaty ordeal to frost.  But, if you didn’t know that, you’d just think that they were lovely.  So I will keep trying to forget.

Ponies in the Snow for J's 3rd Birthday

Again with J’s Artistic Vision.  Her birthday’s in early October, but she desperately wanted her ponies to be prancing in the snow.

Princess Cake for M's 4th Birthday

Honestly, I should just print a copy of this photo and pin it up somewhere.  Then, on days when I feel like a crappy mom, I can just take a deep breath and look at this fabulous vision.  I mean, seriously:  I should still be coasting on this brilliant success, right?  The turrets are upside-down ice cream cones.

All of which begs the question, what’s up next?  Well, M wants to go with a pool party ice cream cake based on this little number. No:  we don’t actually have a pool.  This is an inconsequential detail.   Of course J had to plan for herself as well, and her current vision is a Fairy Cake inspired by this little number, except that she would like to include ponies, a stream, and at least one pony drinking from the stream.    Phew!  We’ll see how it goes.  Part of me is grateful that we have more than three months for the Artistic Vision to evolve.  On the other hand, maybe she’ll just think of additional details.

Well, okay.  Maybe you can.

I got a little carried away at the Greenmarket today.  But, oh, the bountiful goodness!  It all looked so fabulous that I had to take a picture.  In fact, you can see M’s silly-banded wrist in the corner of the picture because I couldn’t get her to move any further from the food–she was hovering, waiting to take another apricot.

Yum.

As I rinsed and put food away, the girls conducted side-by-side comparisons of grocery-store apricots, cherries, broccoli, and lettuce vs. the farmers’ market stuff.  The farmers’ market won resoundingly in all four categories.  In fact, the girls were so enthusiastic in their approval of the market lettuce that for a moment, I was deluded into thinging that they might evolve into children who choose to eat greens.  Alas, that fluttery little hope was crushed quickly.  When I suggested that they might eat some later, they looked appalled.  No, they didn’t want to actually eat any more.  It was just fun to do the contest.

Hoping things dry out a bit this week.  Here’s some of what’s happening. . .

All week, you can pick up supplies to make a Father’s Day craft at the William K. Sanford Library‘s Youth Services Desk.

Monday, June 14th

• At 10:15 am, the 3-and-under set is invited to a Baby Playtime at Guilderland Public Library.  No registration is required.
• At 4:30 pm, kids in grades 6 and up will get together to watch Sydney White at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. No registration required.
• I wish that I’d caught this earlier:  at the Albany Public Library, there’s a program called Meet Your Newest Refugee Neighbors from 6-8 pm.  On Monday the guests will be folks from Burma, and on Tuesday, folks from Iraq.  Interesting for older kids and/or homeschoolers, right?  There’s a family-friendly event coming up this weekend.
• It’s Pajamarama at the Bethlehem Public Library at 7 pm.
• At 7 pm, there’s a program called Ready, Set, College! for students who’ll be entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grades at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  Parents are welcome, too, and pre-registration is requested.
• There’s a Classical Music Concert at 7 pm by the Music Company Orchestra at the Crossings in Colonie.
• At 7 pm, the Colonie Town Band will be playing at the Pruyn House Barn.

Tuesday, June 15th

• From 6-8 pm there’s Music in the Park at Schodack.
• Meet Your Newest Refugee Neighbors from Iraq at the Albany Public Library from 6-8 pm.
• The Pipe Kings will be playing at Cook Park in Colonie at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, June 16th

• From 9:15-10 am there’s Music and Movement for Little Ones at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s for kids 2-3 and their grown-ups, and there’s no registration.
• From 10-10:45 am, read about Dust Bunnies and make some of your own at the Bethlehem Public Library.  For pre-k and up.
• They’re doing Katie’s Kitchen from 11 am to noon and from 1-2 pm at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga again.  $15 for non-members includes a parent & a child admission.
• From 4-8 pm, get strawberries and ice cream at the Rexford Fire Station.  $4/grown-up, kids 10 and under free.  This was listed on the Saratoga Events Calendar.
• At 6:30 pm there’s a Voice Student Recital at the Guilderland Public Library.
• There’s a Concert at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

Thursday, June 17th

• 9:45 am hike at the Hannacroix Creek Preserve.  For more information, see the Capital District Family-Friendly Hikes page. This has been cancelled.
• From 10:30-11:30 am, the Little Wonders of Science at the Schenectady Museum today is based on Fancy Nancy Sees Stars.  This program’s designed for 3- to 5-year-olds.
• It’s Jazz on Jay from noon to 1:30 pm in downtown Schenectady.
• It’s Third Thursday Art Walk in Glens Falls from 5-8 pm, with an outdoor showing of Singin’ in the Rain at 8 pm.
• It’s Alive at Five with Gregg Rolie at Albany Riverfront Park at 5 pm.
• Staging Youths’ Future presents Seussical the Musical as dinner theater.  At 6 pm there’s spaghetti dinner, and the show is at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $15 for dinner and the show.  This is for 6/17 & 6/18.
• At 6:15 and at 7 pm it’s the Children’s Circle at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Please sign up–designed with special needs kids in mind.
• There’s a Ranger’s Apprentice Book Club at 7 pm at the Niskayuna Barnes & Noble.

Friday, June 18th

• Do some Stretching with Stuffee from 10-10:30 am at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 10:30 kids can Dig a Dino at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology.  For 4- to 7-year-olds.  Pre-registration’s required and it’s $2/non-member.
• Staging Youths’ Future presents Seussical the Musical as dinner theater.  At 6 pm there’s spaghetti dinner, and the show is at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $15 for dinner and the show.  This is for 6/17 & 6/18.
• There’s a Drop-in Chess Club at the  Guilderland Public Library at 6:30 pm.
• At 6:30 pm, the Saratoga Barnes & Noble will have their American Girl Book Club.
• They’re showing Bedknobs and Broomsticks at the  Guilderland Public Library at 7 pm.  Oh yes, there will be popcorn.
• Brookside Museum is having an outdoor Benefit Concert featuring Gravity at 7 pm.  $15/grown up, kids free, burgers and dogs will be available for purchase.
• Take a Nightwalk at Five Rivers and look for some birds.  It’s at 7 pm.
• Take an Almost Summer Solstice Sunset Hike from 7:30-9 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  $2/person, $5/family.
• It’s Star Watch time at 9 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park.

Is it ever going to stop raining?  Because I’m just so done with it.  I was looking at the many, many events that got completely washed out today.  For ourselves, we engaged in  delightful activities:

Disassembling the food processor for sport. This was W’s idea:  he comes from a family of handy people, and apparently one way that you learn how things work is by actually looking at the different pieces and how they interact with each other.  Huh. M stood there with her eyeballs rolled waaay up into the back of her head, but J was quite engaged.  And, yes, some irreplaceable element had broken last week.  So I was glad to finally get it off the counter.

J and I spent some kitchen time together. She thought it would be a good idea to combine the pink, turquoise, and yellow play-dohs, while I thought it would be a good idea to toss together quinoa, cashews, and chopped broccoli.  Sadly, our results were not nearly as delightful as we’d expected when we began our projects.   So much for creative vision.

Play Doh flower. Because it's too rainy to pick them.

Shopping for today’s birthday party for M’s friend. Because I am a procrastinator.  And then, we carpooled, and in the middle of the party the host called to warn me that when I came to pick up the three children for which I was responsible, they’d all be soaking wet.  And, you know:  sorry.   And I responded, “Three?!?” Because I was only aware of two, and with my cute husband away, this would require some youngster to ride shotgun in our smallish car.  Plus, I’d have to navigate to another unknown house.  So, I spent about ten minutes processing this, and then I had to call back because it occurred to me that perhaps their phone call had been a passive-aggressive attempt to get me to bring dry clothes right this minute?  And that all of the other parents cared more about their children and had sped over to bring dry clothes and warming blankets immediately?  Because, otherwise, it seemed sort of silly to give me an hour of lead time.  Although, come to think of it, I pretty much used it.  After Googlemapping, rearranging boosters, and laying out towels, I arrived at the party to learn that the third child was going home with grandma and my two charges were just a little damp to the touch.  I was profoundly relieved and J was brutally disappointed when we learned that she would not be airbag bait in the front seat.

And then, finally, I snapped. But quietly at least.  You have to understand that, with nursery school over, I’ve lost about six seven quality hours of me time throughout the week.  And my cute husband was gone on Wednesday & Thursday night.  And then he was at a friend’s house watching the World Cup today, and I knew that tomorrow he’d be gone all morning.  So late this afternoon, shortly after J had stalked me into my room one time too many, and at about the same time that both girls were literally climbing all over my body, I decided that I’d go out to dinner.  Alone.   So I left the house, purchased a glossy magazine, and read it while eating Thai food and drinking a beer.  When I arrived home in time to kiss the girls goodnight, M said, “Nobody just eats dinner for that long!!”  But actually, I do.

As you know, I had an off day yesterday.   Really, I generally put together my weekend list, and then I feel pretty good, because as I hear about events from various sources, I can put them into two categories:  1) not family friendly or cheap or fun enough to be considered “fun” by me, or 2) already on my list.

Alas, today’s All Over Albany weekend post kicked my ass.  Oh, sure.  You can try to make me feel better, tell me about how they’re actual journalists who do this as their real job with income and you know, tons of readers, or remind me that they probably were not listening to play-act whining and jumping up from the computer to practice cartwheels and handstands or provide snacks like I was.   But, it still made me feel like a pathetic slacker.  So, I added various updates to the weekend post, and you should check it out again to make sure that you don’t miss anything good.

Here’s what we’ve been doing this afternoon:  water sliding!

Action shot: M loses the boogie board.

M chose this (with a gift card from Grandma) to be the centerpiece of her gala upcoming birthday party, so today we took it for a test run.  It was $25 at Target.  The girls loved it.  I think that I’m going to try to keep put it away until the party to keep it intact.

Okay.  M, who’s never shown any interest in the blog in the past, just came up over my shoulder and read “ass”, then announced triumphantly to her sister, “Mommy wrote a bad word!”  Awesome.  Speaking of body parts, J referred to the lower feminine region today as “vajulva”.  Thus ensued twenty minutes crouched on the floor discussing anatomy, elimination, and reproduction.  You know, I bet nobody from All Over Albany did that today, either!