Posts from — November 2010

We’re leaving “oh-dark-early” in the morning to go to Kansas City, so the day was spent doing laundry, cleaning out the fridge, and–oh yes–dropping hundreds upon hundreds of dollars fixing that problem with my car from way back in the summer as well as the brakes.  Yeah, you probably thought I’d gotten that fixed already, right?  As I was signing my name to the credit card, the friendly man was telling me about how they’d also cleaned the car and they were at that very moment driving it to the door for my convenience, and I told him that for this much money I would also like a chocolate cupcake, please.  No luck.

Anyway, once the girls were home, they were enlisted in packing themselves.  This is what we do for every trip, and they really enjoy it.  They’re always chomping at the bit to get started, and I’m telling them that they have to wait until I’ve finished another load of laundry.   I make a list of items that they need (here I put 5 outfits, 5 pairs of socks, a sweater, etc.), and then I also draw little pictures because J doesn’t read yet.  Then they take it upstairs and I stay out of their way until they declare that they’re done and I make a final inspection. It not only saves me time, but it keeps them occupied and surprisingly cooperative as M helps J with the list and they offer each other fashion advice.

This photo’s bad, but I had to take it after I realized that, for this trip, J was making a  little pictogram checklist, too. So, I found this little Post-It next to the back door.  She’s doing her own personal countdown for the trip.  The far left is an unfathomable symbol that represents dinner, then there’s a star and moon to represent night, the sunshine means once we’re in the airport (this because she’s always sleepy and thinks it’s too bright while we’re waiting to check in), and the final step is the airplane.

Once we’ve completed all the steps, we’ll be on our way! And even the sunshine and clouds will be smiling on us!

I’m cutting it short for the evening, but please, if you think of it, send settled-stomach vibes to poor Miss M tomorrow morning. I know: we travel quite a bit for people who aren’t terribly good at it. But we like our families and none of them live nearby. I keep pointing out houses for sale on my street, and everyone just smiles and ignores me. Don’t they know how fun it is here?!?

I can’t believe that we’re heading into our very last weekend before the holidays kick into high gear.  Which reminds me, if you know of super-wonderful holiday things to do, I’d love to hear about them.

M & I went ice skating this afternoon because she had a half-day for conferences. She wanted to race, which was a bad idea because it was my first time of the season and I was quite wobbly.  I almost had a collision with a ten-year-old hockey dynamo–I threw myself out of his path.  J had a piano lesson–she’s surprisingly good.  We overbooked ourselves a little bit this fall, so we’ve neglected the practicing.  I keep thinking, “Wow, imagine if she actually practiced more than once a week!”

We’ll be heading out of town early Saturday morning.  I’m a little bummed that once again we’re missing the Schenectady Holiday Parade–we’ve never managed to go yet.  Here’s what else is happening this weekend:

Evening of Friday, November 19th:

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• Go on a Coyote Howl Prowl from 6:30-8 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  Pre-register; $2/person or $5/family.
• The Johnstown Holiday Parade will step off at 7 pm.  They’re collecting Toys for Tots.
• There’s a Homespun Barn Dance starting at 7:30 pm at Delmar Reformed Church.

Saturday, November 20th:

• There’s A Taste of Russia Annual Festival and Bazaar on Sand Creek Road in Colonie.  It runs from 10:30 am to 3 pm.
• Drop in for a free Naturalist Hike at the Albany Pine Bush at 10:30 am.
• At 11 am at the Albany Pine Bush, there’s a Hug-a-Tree program, designed to teach kids ages 7-11 basic survival skills if they get lost in the woods.  Pre-register; $2/person or $5/family.
• It’s the Annual Nature’s Thanksgiving at Thacher Nature Center from 11 am to 4 pm.  $5/adult, kids free.  This looks like fun–has anyone ever gone?
• Celebrate a Wildlife Thanksgiving at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology.  Pre-register, $2/non-member.
• They’re showing Little Women at 2 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Annual Gazette Holiday Parade steps off from Schenectady County Community College at 5 pm and continues to Erie Blvd. & State Street.
• There’s a Ziti Dinner fundraiser for the Crux family (the 32-year-old mom of 2 has leukemia.  It’s from 5-8 pm at the Fort Hunter Firehouse (3525 Carmen Road,  Guilderland).  The cost is $7/adults $5/children 10 and under.
• There’s a free Choirfest at 6:30 pm at Joy of Troy church.

Sunday, November 21st:

• The South Glens Falls Holiday Parade steps off at 1 pm.
• It’s Discovery Day at the Hyde Collection–drop in between 1 and 3 pm.
• It’s China Day from 1-3:30 pm at the National Museum of Dance.  $5/person.
• From 2-3 pm, The Children’s Museum at Saratoga is having a Meet & Greet with cast members of the Home Made Theater’s upcoming production of Ramona Quimby.
• Take a Discovery Hike from 2-4 pm at the Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; $2/person or $5/family.
• The Golden Acrobats of China are performing at 3 pm at the Palace Theater.  $25/adult, $12.50/kid.

Okay, I’m catching up a bit, and the holiday panic is subsiding.  I’ve also been rummaging through my email, and I thought that I’d share some miscellaneous news items.

Emack & Bolio’s in Albany wants to make sure that you all know that they do birthday parties.

Candyland Activity & Enrichment Center in Schenectady is doing a Black Friday Drop ‘n’ Shop.  I mentioned another one of these a few days ago.

Crossfit Beyond in  Albany is starting Crossfit for Kids classes for kids ages 3-12.  They’ll be having an Open House on “Keeping Kids Fit for Life” at 9 am on Saturday, December 4th.

The Albany Art Room is offering new toddler, preschool/kindergarten, and elementary school art classes with Jill Wickham (Miss Jill from Delmar). Most of them will be starting at the end of November/early December.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I wrote this stuff in the afternoon, and by the evening I’d gotten grouchy again.  I KNOW!  What’s my problem?   So since I’m not all perky, I thought that I’d share a  couple of other internet funnies.  I’m warning you now, though, that they are  inappropriate. So if you don’t appreciate inappropriateness, or say, the f-bomb,  just don’t click over.  Because I’m too grouchy to have someone chastise via comment or email.  Really, I am.

Okay, here’s a post that made me laugh out loud when I read it, from The Bloggess.  And then I’m just making you aware of Hyperbole and a Half.  Whenever a new post from this blog pops up in my Google Reader, I practically clap my hands, and then I “star” it to save for a special treat later.  I linked to one of my favorites of hers.

Look at this amazingly crafty display someone put up in my kids’ school.  Seriously adorable, right?  I have a thing for felt, I tell ya.

Oh!  And pilgrims, too!

We had a conference with J’s kindergarten teacher today.  Also met with a mortgage guy about refinancing.  Plus two separate non-illness-related vomiting  episodes.  Went shopping for winter boots with M, and she badgered me about the utter lack of Santa Claus until I couldn’t even coyly chirp about how girls who don’t believe don’t get presents anymore.  I just had to throw in the towel, and then she started crowing about the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny and I was like, can we please just stop talking about this?  At dance class, J got confused and ended up sobbing.  Oh, and at dinner I gave J the Heimlich Maneuver because she was choking on her own phlegm and, for whatever reason, chose not to answer me when I repeatedly asked, in an increasingly frantic tone, “Can you breathe!?!”  Turns out that she was fine, but it didn’t prevent us from bursting into tears in a little puddle on the dining room floor.  Rather a stressful day, and I still haven’t started the holiday list, or even the things-to-do-before-we-leave-on-vacation list.  And because I’m an idiot, I have a vet check up appointment for Isis first thing in the morning.

I’m going to work on thinking of something perky and cheerful to share with you tomorrow, but if anyone has any suggestions, you know where to email me.

The dust has settled from the weekend’s family party, and now I’m chugging into full holiday freakout mode.  It doesn’t help that someone on Facebook reported that they’d completed all of their shopping and had strung up lights al-freakin’-ready.   I mean, that’s the kind of holiday smugness you just need to keep to yourself.

On Saturday, we’re leaving for a week-long visit with the in-laws for Thanksgiving.  Which means that when we return, we’ll be in high gear, holiday-wise.  I oh-so-foolishly said that I’d help with a Crafty Extravaganza at my church, and traditionally, the girls and I have a Crafty Girl Party for a few of their friends.  At this point I have no idea what crafty activity we should do.  In the past we’ve done gingerbread houses, mini-trees, and ornaments–any thoughts, people?  Plus last year, we started what we hoped would be our First Annual Neighborhood Caroling Event.  So now I have to ponder whether I can fit all of these items into our schedule and I have to start making a list of people who need gifts.  I’m serious.  I am that completely unprepared.  Plus I will be avoiding Amazon because I’m still mad at them about the pedophile handbook.  Which is probably just as well because they usually screw me on shipping somehow, anyway.

I know, I know:  I’m supposed to be paring down, right?  And I have, a bit.  I haven’t done Christmas cards in years.  They’re just a pain in the neck, and most people are my Facebook friends by now, anyway.  But I love the idea of doing parties and caroling.  It’s just daunting.  And the gifts:  oy.  My mom was always completely prepared, right down to wine bottles attached to the trash can lids for the garbage men.  I am just not thoughtful enough.  I feel like I’m always scrambling.  I realize at the last minute that I thought of the teachers but not the teacher assistants.  Or we go to dance and a bunch of kids are handing over little cards and I’m like,  “uhhh, wow.  Is this really the last class before the holidays?”  Anyway, I know that I should suck it up and start making my “to do” list, but instead I’m going to whine and avoid it until tomorrow.

How about all of you?  Are you on top of things, or panicking, or somewhere in between?

We had bunches of cousins and aunts and uncles here for a birthday celebration last night, and I was thinking that I could make a little checklist of a Successful Family Gathering.  Something along the lines of. . . were there at least 7 different cheeses available?   Did we break anything?  Was a child ill and sobbing before it was all over?  Did anyone leave behind gifts?  Did we drink all the wine, and then drink some more after a wine run?  Did a toilet overflow?  Were there un-planned-for overnight guests?  And random extra relations showing up?  Did I burn anything?  Are both M and J exhausted beyond reason?

Check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check. . . check!

It was pretty tragic, because of course today was beautiful and warm, and we should have been hiking or playing soccer or otherwise frolicking, but instead, we’re just barely able to cope.  Some general lounging and way too much tv today.  We’re basically marking time until it’s reasonable to go to bed.  That’s okay:  tomorrow is another day.

Here’s what I’ve found for this week:

Monday, November 15th:

• Delmar’s La Leche League meets at the Bethlehem Public Library from 9:45-11:30 am.
• Hike the Moreau Overlook from 10 am to noon at Moreau Lake State Park.

Tuesday, November 16th:

• There’s a free concert at noon at St. Paul’s Church in Troy.
• At 2 pm, it’s Preschool Naturalists at Saratoga Spa State Park.  Call to register; it’s $3/person.
• At 4 pm, there’s a monthly book group for kids in grades 3 & 4 at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• Grades 6 and up can participate in a Teen Writing Workshop at 6:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Sign up is required.

Wednesday, November 17th:

• At 9:30 am, La Leche League of Schenectady will be meeting at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glenville.
• The Children’s Museum at Saratoga is having its Cooking Around the World at 11 am or 3 pm.  Pre-payment ($10/non-member) and pre-registration is required.
• At 3:30 pm, kids in grades 3-5 can participate in a Write-in at Bethlehem Public Library.
• At Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, kids in k-2 are invited to A Harvest Celebration at 4 pm.  Please register.

Thursday, November 18th:

• From 10 am to 2 pm, it’s the New York Harvest Maple Festival at the Empire State Plaza (South Concourse).
• At 10:30 am, preschoolers are invited to participate in Little Wonders of Science at the Schenectady Museum.  The theme is Kitten’s First Full Moon.
• At 1:30 pm, kids up to age 6 are invited to hear Thanksgiving Stories at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• Take a Full Moon Hike from 5-7 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Parents are invited to sign up and attend a program called Talk to Your Teens About Tough Issues at 7 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Friday, November 19th:

• Kids in grades K-2 can drop in to make crafts at 11 at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
  

Ever thought about taking the kids to the Thanksgiving Day Parade?  We did it last year and had tons of fun.  I know it’s a bit intimidating, but Cute W and I firmly believe it’s one of those things everyone should do once, and we figured that we’d get it in while the kids were still young enough to be completely dazzled.  If you’ve considered it but wish you had an Action Plan, I’ll tell you what we did.

The parade begins at 9 am on Thanksgiving, and we knew that we’d need to arrive early in order to get a spot along the route, so we drove down to the NYC area the day before and planned to spend Wednesday doing something kid-friendly.

Now, we’re too cheap to spend the big bucks on a Manhattan hotel, and we wanted it to be just-our-family rather than a visit to friends, so we Pricelined a hotel in Fort Lee, NJ.  This is directly across the George Washington Bridge from the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  From the hotel, it was easy to drive over the bridge and park along the red subway line.  You know that I hate driving, and city driving scares me.  But this is relatively easy and low-stress.  We parked near Broadway & 116th Street because we used to live there and know the area well.

On Wednesday, we lucked out.  After going out to lunch, we just happened to choose the American Museum of Natural History because it was a kid-friendly destination.  We were there in the afternoon, and it was not too busy, probably because many people were traveling to relatives and such.  We went to the upstairs cafe, and this was our view:

Ummm, duh!  We completely didn’t put it together that this is where they blow up the floats!  Amazingly, the place wasn’t mobbed, and we were able to get window seats.

We ended up eating close to the hotel and the girls took a little dip in the pool, but it was an early bedtime because we woke up at 5:30 am to head into the city.  We parked on the street again and took the subway and then walked over to Central Park West.  It was surprisingly crowded already. In retrospect, I’d recommend that you plan to arrive at the parade site by 6 am at the latest to secure a spot.  We were bitter because in the past, the wall along the park had been a great place to sit and spectate, but these days the park side of the street is blocked off for bleachers for VIPs.  Or not VIPs, exactly, but PWAMITU (People Who Are More Important Than Us).  We managed to score a little indentation in front of a dentist’s office.  Still, it got a bit squishy.

Reading a story, I was both surprisingly cozy and surprisingly close to strangers' buttocks.

Here are my suggestions for the camp-out-and-parade-viewing process:

1. Limit the kids’ fluid intake.
2. Bring a blanket, camp chair, or something that will mark your territory and allow you to avoid sitting on cold pavement.
3. Bring books.
4. Wear clothing layers.  You could get cold, but you also don’t want to be bogged down holding too much.
5. Bring snacks, but not snacks that will make the kids too thirsty (see 1).
6. Identify a store or restaurant that has a bathroom before you find your spot, and then walk over to Central Park West staying close to the cross street with a bathroom.
7. Don’t forget your camera, perhaps binoculars if you’d like to recognize specific celebrities.  In fact, if I did it again, I might check the website for a last-minute list of celebrities so that I could appreciate it and share the information with my parade neighbors.
8. Try to have more adults than children present.  Because they will be spending time on your shoulders.  Which can be exhausting.
9. Make sure that the grown-ups have charged cell phones in case you get separated.

As you may have guessed, I was stressed out about the whole bathroom issue.  We did have to take a bathroom break, and I brought the girls while Cute W maintained our territory.  I feared grumbling and hostility, but it was absolutely fine.  It’s a family event, you know.  Some people muttered that we were crazy to leave, but I just kept smiling and saying “Excuse me” nicely.  When we actually worked our way back to our place, we followed our original path as much as possible, so folks knew that we had a spot further in.  Some even congratulated us on successfully visiting the bathroom.

The blond head in the foreground is M.

Of course, when you’re watching from the Upper West Side, the parade itself is finished long before the live tv version, which is filming at 34th Street.  See the parade route here for details.  We were on our way out by 10 or 10:30 am.  The farther downtown you go, the slower the parade will pass by.  Since our destination was Thanksgiving dinner in New Jersey at about 3 or 4 pm, the timing was excellent.

It’s a hassle, I agree, but it was well worth it.  You’re making memories, people!

We’re having relatives over for a birthday celebration, and J, who was confused about exactly what we’re celebrating, spent quite a bit of time making a lovely turkey garland for the occasion.  The prospect of getting together has put me into the holiday spirit early, so I thought that I’d share my first holiday recipe.

Thanksgiving kicks off what I like to call Cheeseball Season.  This most wonderful time of the year continues until New Year’s Day.  It’s necessary to impose a strict parameters on the consumption of cheeseball because otherwise I would probably be about 4 sizes larger.  Of course, it also makes this time of year even more special.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz. each–1/3 less fat is fine, fat-free is not as good)
• 10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I like Cabot Extra Sharp)
• 2 T finely chopped green pepper
• 2 T finely chopped pimiento (roasted red pepper)
• 2 T finely chopped yellow onion
• 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2-3 t Worchestershire sauce
• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 2-3 t lemon juice
• 3-4 shakes  of garlic powder
• dash of salt
• ¾ cups chopped pecan (approximately; to roll the cheeseball in)

Directions:

• Let cream cheese soften to room temperature.
• Mix both cheeses.
• Mix in all the other ingredients (except second batch of pecans) and blend well.  It’s much easier to combine everything with your hands than with spoons.
• Form into two balls and place them in rounded bowls.
• Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour (more time is okay).
• Remove, fix the shape, and roll each ball in chopped pecans.

I like to eat my cheeseball with stoned wheat thin crackers or plain crusty bread.  Anything too complicated will detract from the carnival of flavors that are already cavorting blissfully together.  Cheeseballs keep pretty well in the fridge, so it’s a good recipe if you have two close-together parties, although, of course, it’s a Festival of Allergens, so it depends on your crowd.  Once refrigerated it firms up quite a bit, but one of those little spready utensils is still your best bet for serving.  Yummy.

Yep, I know:  I was a slacker last night.  I was a little swamped in the middle of the week, and I was uninspired.  But now I’m all energized:  Cute W and the girls had the day off, so I feel like my weekend’s begun already.  We’re having family visit over the weekend, so we’ve stockpiled a bunch of food and the girls and I spent quite a bit of time trying to whip the playroom into shape (it’s a finished basement, so it’s quite easy for me to just never go down there and notice that the place is trashed).  I’m even caught up with laundry.  And Cute W was an amazingly productive maniac, erasing all evidence of leaves from our property and Fixing Our Doorbell, which is super-wonderful.  Friends know that the doorbell only worked about 30% of the time, but then we’d forget that it didn’t work, and we’d only remember after people gave up and schlepped around and yelled from the back door.  Oh!  I just got up to look at it, and it’s a pretty doorbell, too!  It might be the prettiest thing about the front of our not-terribly-attractive house.  Except for, perhaps, the tree swing, which is quite beloved.  Come to think of it, Cute W’s responsible for that, too.

Anyway, I’m feeling quite content, plus the weekend weather is supposed to be fabulous.  I mean, you know, for November.  If you start feeling chilly, just remember that in April you’ll think the same temperature is fabulous! It’s all a matter of perspective.

Here’s what I found for this weekend.  Please feel free to tell us about anything else in the comments:

All Weekend:

• It’s Harvest Fest at the Empire State Plaza.
• The TU’s Youth Arts blog reports that Aladdin Jr. is playing this weekend in Galway.

Evening of Friday, November 12th:

• From 6-8 pm, Malta Mama and Treepaad are doing a Kidsgiving charity event to benefit To Love a Child.  It’s $12/child, $8/kids 2 and under.
• Steve Songs will be performing at Steamer 10 Theatre at 7 pm.

Saturday, November 13th:

• Lion King tickets at Proctors go on sale today.
• From 9 am to 1 pm, learn about decoding a forest’s history from an ecologist at Thacher Nature Center.  This is really more for adults and older teens–it’s $5/person.
• At Bethlehem Public Library, they’ll be playing board games from 10 am to 4:30 pm.
• From 11 am to noon, there’s a kids’ Environmental Workshop at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At the Albany Pine Bush, learn about Wild and Wiley Turkeys from 11 am to 12:30 pm.  Pre-register; it’s $2/person or $5/family.
• Zoom into Science from noon to 4 pm at the Schenectady Museum.  Activities include different workshops designed for kids ages 8 to 14 at $2/workshop.
• At 1 pm there’s the Baby Sign Language workshop that I mentioned earlier.
• According to the TU, there are Native American Stories & Crafts at 1 pm at Rensselaer Public Library.  Their site has no information on it, though.
• There’s Art for All at the Albany Institute of History & Art from 1-4 pm.  The theme is Shoe Stories.  It’s drop-in and free with museum admission.  Has anyone been to the shoe exhibition yet?
• From 2-4:30 pm, a professional storyteller will tell tales about the Underground Railroad at Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Empire State Youth Orchestra is performing at 3 pm at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.  $20/adult, $10/kid.
• There’s a Community Harvest Dance in Charlton with a Family Dance from 7-8 pm.

Sunday, November 14th:

• At Albany Pine Bush, drop in for a quick, free Naturalist Hike at 11:30 am, or Discover the Pine Bush at 1 pm–for this one, pre-register, and it’s $2/person or $5/family.
• From 1:30-2:30 pm, the Delmar Village Volunteers Fife & Drum will be playing Civil War tunes.  See the Bethlehem Public Library for the listing.
• Uncle Rock is playing at Proctors at 2 pm.  It’s $9/adult, $7/kids 17 and under.  Story Circle’s Tellabration, appropriate for adults and teens, is going on at the same time.
• Halfmoon has a Holiday Parade that steps off at 2 pm.  Anyone ever been to this?  I hear that there are floats and Santa Claus–are you ready?
• There’s a Dance Flurry Family Dance from 4-5:15 pm in Albany.  Suggested donation $5/adult, $1/child.  I’ve already said it, but if you’re kid gets into this, it’s really fun.

Thanks to all of you who kindly commented or emailed. . . I am doing better, thank you.  Not quite normal, but better.  And after a particularly wretched stomach bug, the bright side is hopping on the scale when it’s over–woo, hoo!  Sure, I am dehydrated and haven’t consumed a vegetable for 48 hours, but it still feels glorious!

Anyway, Cute W came home tonight and reported that he’d had an awkward encounter at the office today.  Folks were organizing the Holiday Cookie Exchange.  Yeah, here’s the problem:  W & I would prefer not to participate in any cookie exchanges.  It’s just–not to be rude or anything?  But our cookies rock.  We just like them better than most other cookies.  And if we’re exchanging with, say, 6 or 8 different people, maybe a couple of them will contribute delicious items, but we’ll also get slice-and-bake sugar cookies and cookies that are similar to ones that we make, only not as good.  We’re cookie snobs.  And usually, this is okay.  Because, of course, any cookie is better than no cookie.  So if someone wants to offer me one of their cookies, I’ll absolutely take it.  But if you want me to exchange cookies with you, as if our cookies are equal?  Well, I just don’t want to do it.  I’d rather that you just offer me some money, or maybe some flour or pecans or chocolate chips, and then I can make more of my delicious cookies.

I get into the holidays.  I have specific delightful treats that we make every year.  And of course I will share them with you.  But it’s not time yet.  So I thought that I’d share an idea for a project that could be a lovely little set of (theoretically-inexpensive-yet-priceless) gifts.  Last year, I made a family cookbook.  There are tons of different companies that will help put together a family cookbook, but Cute W and I just made a document on our own and put it into binders.  But now’s a good time to start planning if it sounds like a good idea.  You can ask family members for contributions, or ask people to bring recipes along with them when everyone gets together at Thanksgiving.  Of course there’s email or Google documents, too, but I think that it’s easier to collect items if they’ve got a specific deadline and they don’t have to do much work themselves.

Of course my little project ballooned into a 100-page document.  There were recipes, a smattering of stories, and photographs of food and family members with food (although this proved difficult:  it’s tough to find random photographs of people with food that aren’t unflattering).  The cookbook was appreciated by everyone, but I think I might be enjoying it more than anyone.   Besides, where else can all those pictures of your messy-faced babies be so appropriate?