Posts from — July 2010

J’s been wanting her ears pierced since M got them done last fall.  Now, I’m not one of those mothers who feels strongly that their daughter’s virgin ears have to reach a specific age (Does anyone know that Eddie from Ohio song, One Thousand Sarahs?  Sarah’s  got pierced ears and “all the mothers said her mother was a slut and we couldn’t pierce our ears ’til we turned 12 no matter what”).  Slutty or not, I’m okay with early ear piercing.  But I’m not about to squander extraordinarily valuable parenting capital.  So when M started asking, she had to “prove herself” by showing that she could brush & floss & shower and remember other various hygiene tasks each day.  It was a snap for her, and she was ready within a couple of weeks.  I lowered the bar for J (since she started asking two years younger), and all she had to do was stay in her own bed.  Still, it’s been a struggle.

Remember the Feel My Thirst post about J climbing into bed with me?   Yep, it was waaaay back in February.  The princess sofa solution helped, but we’ve had a long-standing challenge that if J could spend a series of consecutive nights staying in her own bed, she could get earrings.  For the first month or two after this offer was put on the table, she didn’t even try it.  But she’s been working in earnest for several weeks now, even falling off the wagon once when she had only two more nights left on her special “J’s Earring Chart”.   Oh, that was a sad morning.  But at last,  she’s finally made it!

Before

Today we went to the Piercing Pagoda at Colonie Center to get her ears pierced.  Yeah, I know:  I’m anti-mall.  But the girls only have one set of ears each, so I want someone who’s got an abundance of experience.  J happily chose little gold flowers with coral-colored centers,  and then. . . actually, she didn’t breeze through it like M did.  I’d told her that it would hurt, but M had argued that it was more surprising than painful, and I guess J had believed her sister more than me.  So, when it actually did hurt, she was a little stunned.  She cried.  It didn’t help that we happened to have an audience–a family wanted to watch, which didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.  Umm, yeah, that was stupid.  It clearly hurt, and J took a walk to try to compose herself, and one of the little girls followed her, wanting the scoop on the entire experience.  On the other hand, if the other mom’s goal was to postpone the ear piercing process a little longer, well . . . mission accomplished!

After (I know; it's blurry, I am not a skilled photographer, and my subject became impatient)

Part of my own willingness to pierce young is because my ears were pierced in kindergarten.  This was a result of a Traumatic Event.  I was with my big sisters at our local community center watching The Shaggy D.A. when I went to the bathroom.  Two nasty teenage girls refused to allow me in because they were convinced that I was a boy.  Or, because they were nasty and decided to pretend that they were convinced that I was a boy.  But, really, I did look boyish:

Exhibit A: Katie in the mid-70s

It’s quite possible that most people who saw me were confused.  So when I went straight home, in tears, bladder bursting, my mom decided then and there to take me to get my ears pierced the next day.  Because in the quaint 70s, boys just never had pierced ears.  Later, even with the earrings, I was still mistaken for a boy, but with less frequency and vehemence.  After playing the title role in our 6th-grade musical, Tom Sawyer, an elderly couple asked me my gender.  Perhaps their eyes weren’t good enough to read the program?  Couldn’t they just have asked me my name and made a wild guess based on “Katie”?  Seriously, at what point do adults forget adolescence enough to think that such a question is a good idea?  You know, they make button-down shirts difficult, but I’ve been grateful for my breasts from the start just because they cleared up confusion the way earrings never could.

Anyway, after the piercing, it took J a good ten minutes to fully recover.  M & I started to walk into Claire’s, and J refused to enter, on the grounds that all of the earrings reminded her of the Recent Horrifying Piercing Incident.  By the time we walked out of the mall, though, she was gravitating to each & every mirror to catch glimpses of her sophisticated self.

I have a couple of items that I missed back when I did the week’s post.

First, the Nisky Dixie Cats will be playing at the Niskayuna Town Gazebo tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm, and The Rogues will be playing rock and roll on Thursday at 7 pm at the gazebo.

The Homespun Occasions folks will be doing a Family Dance Concert at 11 am this Thursday in Congress Park in Saratoga Springs.   They are absolutely super-fun for all ages.

Speaking of music, Ruth Pelham’s Music Mobile will be at Schenectady’s Central Park at 10 am on Thursday.  I wouldn’t click if I were you:  there’s the Music Mobile theme song, and I couldn’t find the information on the website, but I promise that I saw a flyer.  This is a good event for younger kids:  songs, usually a simple craft that involves some music participation.  Alas, Tiny Tot Land remains closed.

I also should have mentioned that Friday afternoon kicks off the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.  This is a bit of a drive, but it’s quite a family-friendly event.  Part of me wishes that I could bring J to play some more tambourine, but we’re in desperate need of a quiet weekend at home.

Also on Friday, Hamilton Hill Arts Center is hosting Gospelfest at 6 pm at Jerry Burrell Park in Schenectady.  (another musical link!  hope you’re not reading this at work!)

Finally, and I’ve said it before, if you are a music junkie, you should really be following Nippertown.  They’ve got links to tons of free music series.  They’ll do a post when they hear about something, but then at the bottom they’ll link to all of their “Real Good for Free” posts, so it’s worth it to take a look to make sure that you’re not missing out.

I do my best to keep up with as many as I can, but I’ve got to tell you:  this summer has not been as relaxing as I’d anticipated.  There’s so much going, both around the Capital District and at our house, that lately I’ve been finding myself posting not when I run out of things to list, as I would in the past, but just because I’ve run out of energy and can’t possibly list everything out there.  So if there’s a library or museum that you particularly enjoy visiting, you might want to get on their email lists as well ask checking the blog.  This site is, of course, a work in progress, so hopefully I’ll be able to come up with ways to keep you up-to-date without going nutty myself!

So, remember on Saturday night, when it was pouring down rain & there was lightning & thunder & high winds?  Guess what we were doing?  Camping!!

Lucky for us, it wasn’t hardcore, back-to-nature camping, but backyard camping!  Our friends host an annual party that brings people from as far away as the Carolinas.  This is hosted by their parents who live nearby-but-rural  enough to have free-range chickens.  Although the chickens were cooped up for the weekend due to the many guest dogs roaming about.  They were actually pretty bitter about it.

An Angry Chicken

Their super-fun family also included us on our winter trip to Jiminy Peak, so we are pretty much ready to adopt them as our in-town grandparents.  Besides Mary, of course.

Grammy Gave Tractor Rides

We had some deliciously excellent food.   There were volleyball games and bubbles and washers games and the kids managed to pop two different Slip ‘n’ Slides.  Then some more deliciously excellent food.

Yummy.

As evening fell, the music started.  Alas, I have no musical talent, but between the various guests there were drums, guitars, mandolins, and plenty of singers.  J picked up a tambourine and sat among the jamming grown-ups, patting it earnestly.  It was pretty adorable.   My prediction: there will absolutely be a tambourine purchase in the next few months.  And not some bright plastic thing, either.  Something gen-u-wine.  I’m going to have to pay better attention to family jam events from now on.

It was all going quite well and the fireflies were just coming out when suddenly the storm came.  People continued to play music while various camp chairs (and our super-cool camp couch) and music cases were shoved under a tent.  Many children were sobbing in terror and rushing inside the house.  M was completely unfazed, and J was sobbing because she wanted to roast marshmallows.  We stayed near the campfire waiting it out.

J feels the rain from under a tent.

The storm passed, we finally perfected a golden-brown marshmallow, and our tent stayed nice and dry.

Between the house guests and the camping, we’ve all been pretty wiped out at our house.  I’m sorry for the atrocious typos that I’ve found in the last few posts–you know I’m usually better than that.   We have no major plans for the next week, so it will be nice to recover a bit.  Still, it’s been tons of fun.

Phew!  So much is going on this week.  Here’s what I’ve found:

All Week:

• Don’t forget that there’s plenty more going on at William K. Sanford (Colonie) Library and Albany Public Library.
• The Clifton Park Not-So-Common Players are performing Once Upon a Mattress in Clifton Commons at 7:30 pm from 7/22-7/25.
• It’s the Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa from July 20-25.
• The Schenectady County Library has a puppet show version of Rumpelstiltskin showing at various branches throughout the week.

Monday, July 19th:

• Take a Nature Trail Hike at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.  Or Learn How to Cast at 10:30 am.
• From noon to 4 pm it’s Dino Day at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 1 pm, it’s Library Tots, a drop-in program for 0-24 months at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 1:30 pm, kids can choose a building project to do with the Home Depot at the main Albany Public Library.  Call to register.  If this appeals to you but you can’t make it, remember that both Home Depot and Lowe’s offer occasional Saturday workshops in-store.
• At 2 pm at the Delaware Branch Library, kids 6 and up can learn about buying healthy foods, and they’ll decorate their own cloth bag and make a healthy trail mix snack.  Sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-op.
• At 2 pm, there are programs for elementary-school kids at the Mont Pleasant, Glenville and Rotterdam branches of the Schenectady Public Library.
• The Colonie Town Band will be playing at 7 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.

Tuesday, July 20th:

• At 9:30 am, take a Luzerne Mountain Trail Hike at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• From 10 am to noon it’s Summertime Tots at the Children’s Museum of Saratoga.  This is an outdoor, drop-in program geared toward younger visitors.
• Do a Scavenger Hunt at noon at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 1:30 pm at the Albany Public Library, kids can do a craft with folks from the Tang Museum.  Call to register.
• There are crafts for ages 6 and up at 2 pm at the Pine Hills Branch and the North Albany Branch of the Albany Public Library.
• At 2 pm, kids can participate in a songwriting workshop with River Jack Z (as in Zucchini) at the Guilderland Public Library.  Tickets are required.
• At 2 pm, it’s Dazzle Dogs at the Niskayuna Public Library.
• At 3 pm, it’s Twinkle, Twinkle, What’s That Star? at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  For ages 4 and up, pre-registration required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• From 3-4:30 pm, kids in grades 3-6 can participate in Guess What I Collect? at the Crandall Public Library.  Pre-registration required.
• There’s a Friends of Guilderland Athletics Family Fun Night from 4-10 pm.  I found this on Fit Albany.  $2/person.
• At 7 pm, The Tichy Boys are playing at the Town of Brunswick Community Center.

Wednesday, July 21st:

• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• At 2 pm, kids can get crafty at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library on New Scotland Avenue.
• From 2-4 pm, it’s an Ice Cream Extravaganza at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $4/person.
• At 2:30 pm, Matthew McElligott, author of the Blackbeard the Pirate series, will be talking and signing books at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Sign-up is required.
• At 6 pm, kids in grades 6 and up can do a little Teen Tokyo at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library with Japanese animation and yummy Pocky.
• The Audiostars will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• Cavanaugh and Kavanaugh are playing at 7 pm at the Green at Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Zucchini Brothers are playing at 7 pm at Clifton Commons Park in Clifton Park.

Thursday, July 22nd:

• Take a Walk in the Woods at 9 am at Thacher Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Color Fun! for kids 3 to 5 at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 11 am, kids K-3 can Make Music with Lisa at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  You must pre-register.
• At 1 pm, there’s a free event for kids 5 and up at Schuyler House–they can dress up in Colonial clothing.  I heard about this on the New York History blog.
• It’s Craft Day at 1 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 2 pm, get Artrageous! at Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  It’s free, and recommended for kids in K-4.
• At 2 pm, Domino the Great will be performing at Crandall Public Library.  Registration is required.
• 3rd to 5th graders can make Neon Tees and Visors from 2-4 pm at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• Eddie Money is playing at Alive at Five at Albany Riverfront Park.
• Kyle Miller is playing at 5 pm as part of the Acoustic Sidewalk Series in front of Arbor Hill Library.
• Dan Berggren is playing at 6 pm in Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa.
• At 6:30 pm, there’s A Beach Bag Full of Stories at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s a drop-in program for young elementary school kids.
• Keith Pray is playing at 6:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.
• At 6:30 pm, Hair of the Dog will be playing at the  Schaghticoke Town Hall Gazebo.
• Marty Wendell is performing on the lawn of the Malta Community Center at 6:30 pm (it’s on page 9 of this link).
• From 7-8:30, 4th- to 7th-grade Percy Jackson enthusiasts can participate in Half Blood Camp at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration required.
• The Scotia-Glenville Community Band will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

Friday, July 23rd:

• At 10:30 am, there are Stories for Families at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 11 am, kids can design their own water wheel at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• There’s a Game-a-thon at the Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.
• At 11 am, Something Fishy’s Going On for 4- to 6-year-olds at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the Milk Mustache tour is at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
• At 2 pm, kids in grades 2 and up can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 2 pm, 1st- and 2nd-graders can see Troll Attack!, a story told in Lego pieces, at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• At 2:30 pm, they’re showing Alice in Wonderland at Bethlehem Public Library, with popcorn.  This one’s PG and I’ve heard it’s a little creepy.
• At 4 pm, kids in grades 1 to 5 can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Duane Branch Library.
• It’s Parents’ Night Out at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga from 4-7 pm.  For $15 per child, you can drop them off and go have yourself a date!  Pre-registration and pre-payment is required.
• The Ron Cremisio Band is playing at Canal Square in Cohoes at 6:30 pm.

I’ve cooked some tasty new dishes in the last week, so I thought that I’d share.

First, regular readers know that I’ve been experimenting with more vegetarian and vegan options which are generally received with groans of disdain.  However, I tried a new dish that W likes.  In fact, it’s the first time I’ve successfully prepared a quinoa dish that he enjoys!!  Woo, hoo!!  I got the recipe here, although I was intimidated by all of the super-food-aware speak and slacked off a bit.  For example, instead of soaking and dehydrating raw cashews, I just. . . threw some cashews in.  And instead of “Celtic or pink Himalayan sea salt,” I went with salt.  Or, actually, I didn’t even have to add any, because of the roasted and salted cashews!

So mine looks a little different from the picture with the recipe (I also added some black olives in this version).  But I have to tell you:  it was super-tasty.  And an excellent potluck sort of dish, because it’s pretty and it’s good at room temperature and it’s vegan.  Incidentally, my children had no interest.  They’re anti-quinoa, too.  Which I really don’t understand, especially since M will sneak cold, cooked brown rice or barley out of the refrigerator as if they’re some sort of illicit pleasures.  It remains an uncommon item on our table, and always causes W to practice, “KEEN-wah, right?  Or is it Kee-NO-ah?”  Still, even if I haven’t achieved YumUniverse greatness, we’ve made progress.

When I’m not aspiring to be more vegan-ish, I’m aspiring to enjoy fish more.  I genuinely like shrimp, musels, and lobster, but everything else I tolerate at best.   I had made this tilapia recipe once before, and I’d enjoyed it, even though I’d blown off one of the main ingredients:  the green peppercorns.   I just couldn’t bring myself to shop for 1 1/2 teaspoons of something for an untested recipe.  When I tried it again this week, I decided to throw in a couple of additions.  First, I sliced up 4 or 5 crimini mushrooms and put them in the pan before I added the tilapia.  Then, I added a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to the broth mixture.  And at the end, I added a tablespoon of capers.  Mmmmmm.  It was truly delicious.  I was eager to continue eating, and a little bit sad when it was over.  I think I’ve finally found a non-shellfish fish recipe that I love.

Then, still high from my improvisational success with the fish, I took a stab at a new stir fry with some coaching from Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express.  I just checked this book out of the library, and it’s great for people who basically know how to cook and don’t mind a little experimenting.  There are just short little paragraphs telling you what to do, but without any measurements or specifics.  I made Shrimp with Toasted Coconut, which had a sauce of coconut milk, some soy sauce, curry powder, and fresh cilantro.  I became a bit overzealous and added some red pepper flakes and lime juice, plus just about every vegetable I found in the fridge.  This is actually a problem of mine:  whenever I stir fry, I just pull out whatever vegetables I can find, and then I end up making enough for eight people, even though my kids will probably only pick out the baby corn, water chestnuts, and maybe the carrots on a good day.  Anyway, the result was yummy-yummy-yummy:  it really looked and tasted like something we’d order at a Thai restaurant.  Even better than eating delicious food is eating delicious food that you just quickly and easily made up.  Now that’s satisfaction!

I finally made it to the Albany Art Room!   I’ve been wanting to visit ever since I found out about it while working on my Big Ol’ List of Links.  Today we were planning on meeting W for lunch in downtown Albany with our out-of-town friends before saying goodbye to them, so it was the perfect opportunity to get a little artsy.

Basically, you pay $7 per hour per artist, and let the kids have at it.  The walls have different completed objects to provide you with inspiration, and the shelves are packed with paints and brushes and paper and fabric and play-doh and beads and pompoms and all sort of materials for projects. It’s great for anyone who wants to encourage a little creativity, and especially for those who are squeamish about having all that creativity splattered around their own house (although you know I don’t fall into this latter category:  W is still grumbling about the cooked egg that’s permanently adhered to our driveway).  Anyway, all four kids–we ranged from an 11-year-old to 5-year-old J–crafted happily for the full hour, and they could have stayed there another hour, easy.

Of course, there’s a small store and a few items that you have to purchase separately.  M wanted a little wooden doll (you can see hers in progress and a completed dolly below), and our oldest artist, Lizzie, painted on a real canvas.   Altogether I dropped a bit under $20 for two kids doing art for an hour each, plus two wooden items that the girls painted to bring home.  Now, you know I’m cheap, so this was a bit of a drag.  But it  didn’t give me quite the same yucky feeling that I’ve complained about at other pay-as-you go locations.   First, because it’s actual stuff that they’re purchasing to take home, and second, because I didn’t feel like I was being fleeced.  For example, when J immediately jumped on the lovely little wooden birdhouses that would have doubled my cost right then and there, Karen from the art room showed her the many other options, including the teensy treasure boxes which were  cheaper and more manageable for her attention span, anyway.

And herein lies the charm beyond the oodles of supplies available:  a friendly person to encourage and instruct your kids while still letting them do, pretty much, whatever.  You & the kids tidy up a bit, but any serious paint scrubbing is left to others.  You’re also more than welcome to help yourself to whatever you or your child needs to create their art.  So it’s a comfortable, casual atmosphere, but much more relaxing than the same projects would be if you tried to do them at home.  It seems like a good destination with friends so that the grown-ups can chat while the kids create.  Although there are enough cool-looking projects that you’ll be tempted to do some grown-up art as well.

The Albany Art Room has memberships available as well as classes for kids and adults.  They also do birthday parties, and I ran into a reader who’d had a birthday party there, and she said that it was great.  There are even parties for grown-ups.  Seriously:  how’s this for a baby shower idea?  Everyone makes onesies together, or each guest makes a small canvas or frame with coordinating colors or stencils for the nursery?

Canvas, glitter & sequins.

They’ve got parking available (wish I’d noticed before I’d parked a block away), and there are sandwiches, wraps, or Mexican food very close by, making it an easy outing.  This is a bit pricey to become a weekly outing for us, but we’ll definitely be coming again.

Wondering what’s up with Central Park’s Tiny Tot Land?  Here’s an update.  Meanwhile, here’s what’s going on this weekend:

All Weekend:

• Annie Get Your Gun continues at the Park Playhouse most nights at 8 pm.
• For BBQ fans, this weekend is the Troy Pig Out on Saturday and Sunday.
• Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Schenectady has its Festa, including food, music, and rides.

Friday evening, July 16th:

• It’s Art Night in Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• Saratoga Children’s Theater is showing Annie at 7 pm.
• They’re doing a Star Watch at 8:30 pm at Cherry Plain State Park.

Saturday, July 17th:

• There’s a Children’s Triathlon at Grafton Lakes State Park at 9 am.
• For kids 8 and up, there’s a 10 am  Dream Catcher Workshop at Thacher Nature Center.  Call to sign up, and it’s $5/person.
• At 10:30 am, 3- to 5-year-olds can learn about rockets at Little Wonders of Science at the Schenectady Museum.  Pre-register.
• Kids can watch a free children’s opera of Jack and the Beanstalk at 11 am at Crandall Public Library.  Sign up is required.
• At 1 pm, kids 5 and up can learn the Science of Ice Cream at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology.  Pre-registration is required and it’s $2 for non-members.
• At 2:30 pm, Bethlehem Public Library will have Oh la la!, a bilingual French-English story time for kids 6 and under.
• In Malta, there’s a Concert and Rodeo for the Cure to benefit breast cancer research.  $50/adults, $30/kids.
• From 6-8:30 pm, the Powers Park Concert Series in Troy will include a Neil Diamond Tribute.
• Go Star Gazing at Thacher Nature Center at 9 pm.

Sunday, July 18th:

• From 11 am to 4 pm, it’s Open House at the Saratoga Race Track.
• It’s GE Kids Day at the Empire State Plaza in Albany from noon to 5 pm.
• It’s Youth Day at the Glens Falls Elks Club.  Free, from 1-4 pm.
• There’s an Old Time German Day Picnic in Albany from 1-7 pm.  $3/adult, kids free.
• At 1 pm, plant lovers can learn more about plants to attract butterflies at Thacher Nature Center–this is free, seems a bit grown-up-focused.
• From 1-3:30 pm, it’s Irish Day at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga.  Irish music, food, and plenty of dance.  Reservations recommended and it’s $5/person.
• It’s Polish Family Day from 2-7 pm in Albany (it’s near-ish Crossgates).
• The Red Stick Ramblers are playing at Central Park at 7 pm.

I was busy all day, and we have guests spending the night–four little girls are piled up in J’s room.  So I’m wimping out and sharing another blog with you instead.  Saratoga Woods and Waterways has lovely photographs and descriptions of local natural wonders.  Recently, there was a whole series of cute pictures of a baby robin.  The first robin post was actually while I was on vacation.  Originally I’d set it aside in cases I needed a wimp-out post for that week, but then I realized that vacation involved a great deal of leisure time, and I had plenty of time to cook up posts.

I’ll do my best to have the weekend post up by tomorrow night as usual.  Until then, try to stay cool!  And, you know, arid.

Ah, nothing like a cleansing rain in the summertime.  Was anyone else finding themselves irritable this afternoon, when it started to rain, and it was still hot and sticky?  I’d been sure that the rain was going to mean sweet release from all of that humidity, and then. . . it wasn’t.  So frustrating.  When it finally began to pour and cool off while I was cooking dinner an hour or two later,  I could barely restrain myself from pounding the counter and shrieking “Yes!  Yes!”  a la Sally/Meg Ryan.  Oh, rain, rain, you are so good.  I think I love you.

I don’t share a lot of face shots of the girls, but this is from–wow!–five summers ago, so they’re entirely different kids now.  Clearly the girls enjoy a good summer rain as much as I do.

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J had an exciting field trip to Hannaford today as part of camp.  She learned about vegetables and came trotting home with a Guiding Stars bag.   On another day of camp, M went to Petsmart, where she had the chance to hold a gerbil, a lizard, a parrot, and a frog.  She just said no to the ferret.

All of which reminded me that, if you’ve got young kids, say toddler to young elementary school, you can arrange visits to all sorts of local businesses for fun.  With various moms’ groups or our nursery school, we’ve taken tours of Price Chopper (look at the lobsters!  walk in the big freezer!), Panera (make your own loaf of bread!  sample some cocoa!), Coldstone Creamery (see how they make waffle cones!), and the airport (see firetrucks & airplanes! and you’ll still see me walking around with my PABA-ful official water bottle).  Unlike many outings to museums or orchards, these are generally absolutely free!  Now, it will vary from location to location and manager to manager, but many clever managers know that sucking up to a bunch of parents for an hour or two during the slow period before the lunchtime rush pays untold dividends in good karma and profits later.  So next time you’re looking for something entertaining to do with a group, give a business a call & see if you can arrange a little visit.  If it’s food-oriented, you might want to ask about food choices ahead of time.  Case in point:  J and her group did so well on their “nutrition test” that they won a prize:  a big bakery cake.  Couldn’t they have gone with berries or something?

Of course the granddaddy free tour of them all is no longer available–did anyone ever take the Krause’s Candy tour?  It was super-fun, offered two days a year I think, with activities,  sample after sample, and the occasional prize basket. I remember that one year one of the girls balked at putting on the hair net, which was absolutely required for entrance.  And I was standing there at the door thinking to myself, “For the love of all that is good and holy, child, do not keep me from the free chocolate.  Verily you shall know my wrath!”    Fortunately for all concerned she bowed to the intense peer pressure before I had to go all Crazy Mommy on her.  Anyway, I think that the tour was so popular that it just got to be too much for them.  Still, every July, I mourn its passing.  But I suppose it’s just as well if I’m going to grouse about nutrition, right?

Anyone else been on a tour of a business with kids that they’d recommend?

Really, who doesn’t like butterflies?  Every summer, Farnsworth Middle School students run a Butterfly Station that’s a great trip for kids. It’s open from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 1 pm, until August 13th.   They set up an enclosed habitat on the school grounds so that you can walk among the butterflies, and inside the school there are butterfly displays, books, and crafts.  It’s free, but they accept (and deserve!) donations.

I’ve taken the girls, and it can be a little bit hot and crowded (there’s no air conditioning at the school).  My suggestion would be to pack a lunch, arrive at 10 am sharp to look around, and then go play on the playground (because, also, who doesn’t love a new playground?) and have a picnic lunch before lulling them in your air-conditioned car for the drive home.

Now, if you’re feeling slightly more ambitious, why not try to raise a butterfly yourself?  It’s fairly easy, super-educational, and unbelievably wonderful to watch the transformation.   Of course you can order those kits, but it’s much more rewarding to find a butterfly in the wild!   And by in the wild, I mean, in random weeds anywhere.  Perhaps this sounds intimidating.  It did to me.  Luckily, one August I happened to have lunch with friends at Jumpin’ Jacks in Scotia, and a friend who is a much cooler mom than I am (patient, super crafty, etc.) was there with her kids.  And right there on the hill was a big bunch of milkweed, which is what caterpillars-who-will-be-monarchs eat.  Pretty soon we’d found a baby caterpillar and some extra milkweed to take home.  The lucky thing about milkweed is that if you break it, it oozes a milky-looking substance.  So if you suspect a plant is milkweed, you can break a leaf to check it out.  For the rest of the summer, M was identifying milkweed hither, thither, and yon.

Our caterpillar, who had escaped and climbed onto some nearby potted basil.

Keeping the butterfly was easy, although I was definitely surprised by how much poop such a small creature can produce.  Really, taking care of two children, a husband, and a cat takes me to about the limit of my caregiving abilities.  Having additional biological functions to monitor and clean up was almost too much for me.

The basil was getting worryingly wilty, so we taped the stem to the nearby lamp.

Oh, but the excitement when it finally formed a chrysalis!  The chrysalis starts out opaque/green, then becomes iridescent and increasingly translucent.  Click on the picture for a closer look. . . .  Neat, huh?

Brand-new. We weren't sure how long it would take, so we just carried the whole lamp outside.

And then when the butterfly came out!  And we were fortunate to be home and aware when the butterfly emerged, which gave us plenty of quality time while the wings dried off before we were ready to set the butterfly free.  We’re talking serious rapture here.  It was a memorable experience.

"Our" butterfly explores the perennial garden before flying away.

If you’re interested in trying this out, there are plenty of resources online.   This Mommy Blogger has a great post with photos about raising caterpillars to be grown-up Monarch butterflies.  Or check out Monarch Watch, where you can learn tons, order caterpillars if you can’t find them on your own, or look at photographs of milkweed.  There’s also Butterfly School, which has nice step-by-step instructions on raising butterflies.