Posts from — December 2010

Don't forget to go sledding before it all melts!

As you might have expected, it’s pretty quiet this weekend. I don’t know about all of you, but our vacation week has flown by. I’m feeling a bit sad that it’s time to hunker down into the routine for the long, dreary stretch of January-February-March. It’s my least-favorite time of year. My kids are already lobbying to stay up until midnight. I offered to show them a Youtube of the ball dropping last year so that they’d realize what an anti-climax it is.  I mean, seriously. Do you let your kids stay up, or wake them up to see the ball drop? Even when we go to parties, we’re still usually in bed by 11 pm, tops.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve found:

All Weekend:

• There’s a Rock, Rattle & Drum New Year’s Eve Pow Wow at the Crowne Plaza in Albany. Tickets are $10/adult, $5/kids 11-17, and kids under 10 free. If anyone has gone to this before (or goes early in the weekend), I’d love to hear a report.

Afternoon and Evening of Friday, December 31st:

• There’s a New Year’s Celebration for kids ages 3 and up from 12:30-3:30 pm at the East Greenbush Library.
• From 12:30 to 2 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is Ketchup Bottle Rockets.
• There’s a free movie day at Albany Pine Bush at 1 pm. It’s Walking with Prehistoric Beasts.
• At 2 pm, the Wood Theater in Glens Falls is presenting Laura Roth’s Family New Year’s Eve, which is designed for “those people 8-100 who want their New Year’s entertainment early.” Tickets are $20. There’s also a similar show at 8 pm.
• First Night Saratoga begins at 5:30 pm. Don’t forget to visit the Children’s Museum.
• There’s NO Troy Night Out tonight.

Saturday, January 1st:

• At 9 am, it’s the Annual Bird Count at Five Rivers.
• Kids can do a Holiday Bird Count at Albany Pine Bush at 10 am. $3/person, $5/family.

Sunday, January 2nd:

• The Schenectady Museum has a Kids’ Amateur Radio Day from 11 am to 4 pm, a Nanotechnology Program for older kids at noon, and the model trains are still out.
• At 1:30 pm, Motoko Dworkin will be telling Japanese Folk Tales at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts. It’s $5/person and you should reserve ahead of time.

As you may remember, I recently hosted what I call the annual Crafty Girls party.  I started doing this party a few years ago because I liked the idea of getting the girls excited for holiday stuff beyond the presents on Christmas morning and because I like slightly-too-ambitious craft projects. We do it after school, and some kids come straight home with us while others show up a bit later.

Many of the entertaining elements are the same year after year. There’s the obligatory punch bowl. I got this at a garage sale and it might be the best $3 I’ve ever spent. I highly recommend acquiring one if you’re a parent of daughters. The first year I served real punch, but it was too exotic for the youngsters, so now I just serve pink lemonade with frozen raspberries thrown in to make it extra fancy. This year I had a brainstorm and put wine charms on the punch cups, which was festive and functional. 

Then there’s a big platter of vegetables. This is the only food that’s always available, but–oh yes–pigs in a blanket, mini-pizzas, cheetos, and cookies are also served.

But the food isn’t the main event. It’s all about the craft. In past years we’ve decorated gingerbread houses, decorated mini-trees, and made ornaments.  This year, I took a commenter’s advice and went with Snow Globes. This can be a simple craft, and if you Google it up, you’ll see lots of directions using jars and florist clay to make a nice little snow globe. That would have worked great, I’ll bet.

But once again, I was too ambitious. See, I like to do a really nice craft. And so when I saw that National Artcraft sold real, snow-globey snow globes, and that they were cheaper by the dozen, I thought it was a terrific idea. I’d have enough for the girls, plus extras for each set of grandparents, possibly even my neighbor Mary and teachers, depending on my RSVP rate. Of course, the problem is that I had unwittingly taken my craft from the good-enough, cute-for-a-little-kid level and raised it to something that was more fabulous but also labor-intensive. So that, days before the party, I was freaking out over my serious craft problems .

Here’s why. I started off with the idea that I’d follow basic directions like these or these, which would have had me cleaning out a jar, sticking some figurines onto the lid with clay, screwing the lid on, and sealing it with hot glue gun. No problem-o. Or so I thought.

First, Cute W told me that the hot glue gun just wouldn’t work. It’s not flexible when it’s dry, so it would end up cracking and leaking. He came home with silicone sealant, which requires a caulk gun, a big metal apparatus designed to intimidate people who are not handy. Seriously: I’m still congratulating myself over getting over my fear of the glue gun. I managed to avoid handling the equipment almost completely by delegating this job to my ever-helpful friend C. But not before busting a pair of scissors trying to get the sealant tube open.

The next problem was the florist clay, which I was suspicious about from the start, because doesn’t it seem like those figures would fall out if kids are shaking them to get snow to fall?  It turned out that the clay absolutely wouldn’t work for my project because instead of a rigid jar lid, the National Art Craft people provide have given me a much more appropriate and professional flexible rubber stopper. So when I tried to put the stopper on a globe, the whole thing clay-and-figurine thing tumbled into a heap, like this:

Now, that’s discouraging enough. But having such delicate globes meant that I had to be extraordinarily careful about releasing the air as I placed the stopper into the globe so that the water and air pressure together wouldn’t break the glass. Apparently I was only ordinarily careful.

It’s difficult to tell in the picture, but one little penguin flipper went right through the glass. So that water, mixed with greasy silicone, glitter, & small shards of glass, spilled all over my living room table as my daughters looked on in horror and I cursed myself for doing this craft in particular and the stupid party in the first place. It was challenging putting the lids on, and my plan was to put together eight of them while children were flinging themselves around my house.

Do you see, here, that I’m crazy? That it’s better for me to spend too much time writing a blog because at least it prevents me from wreaking more havoc around the house?

Anyway, we gave up on doing the complete craft. Instead, we had the guests choose figures and place them in silicone the way they liked them:

The silicone didn’t just work better than the clay: it also looked more like real snow. Incidentally, the figures are all from Oriental Trading Company. They’re ornaments, but you can just rip off the hooks and you have cute little water-resistant figures. We set those aside.

Then we had the kids just choose their glitter and put them into the globes, which I kept in their styrofoam cases so that nothing would break.

After everyone went home, we let the figures dry for 24 hours, then set up an assembly line to add water and seal them. Which we were doing on Thursday night, the night before Christmas Eve. Like a couple of idiots. Or, really, like one chick who’s an idiot and one unbelievably helpful and accommodating husband.

After my penguin-flipper-bust-out fiasco, I was afraid to do the actual assembly, so I left it to Cute W. He had to gradually and carefully easy the rubber stopper on, letting excess water spill as he went.

On Christmas Eve morning, we used more silicone sealant to attach the globes to their wooden bases. And then we delivered them to our guests who were still in town. I was never so relieved to get rid of a craft. Except that when my friend C was unexpectedly out, I left it on her porch. And then arrived home and Cute W was like, umm, it’s going to freeze and burst. Oh, yeah. It’s a good thing he’s around. I jumped back into the car.

Here he is after a shake-up:

Anyway, I wouldn’t recommend this project for a group party, but the results sure were cute if you wanted to make a gift for someone. I bet that those ornaments are on sale at Oriental Trading right now, too. Some of our glitter appears to float no matter what, which hadn’t occurred to me. So if you wanted to try, do a “float test” with your glitter, or try egg shells as one of the linked directions above suggests.

The girls were happy with the craft, and we supplemented with felt ornaments and fairies, since I had supplies for those. I still aspire to get snow globes made for each set of grandparents, but I need a chance to gather some steam before I can think of facing the project again. Right now I’m still trying to catch up on my post-trip laundry.

We’ve arrived back home, and I was a bit disappointed that there isn’t more snow here. Did everyone see this super-cool time lapse video from New Jersey?

The other day, the TU’s Parent-to-Parent blog had a reader asking what she should do with her 4-year-old daughter for the long winter break. At the time, I didn’t comment because: 1) I was too busy running around, getting ready for Christmas, and 2) they oh-so-kindly linked to their previous post, which had linked to an AOA post that I had written, coincidentally, about what to do with kids over winter break.

But it got me thinking about things that you can do to entertain little kids around the house. And so I thought that I’d share a list. Now, some of these might be way too obvious for you. But I’ve occasionally noticed that when I’m in a bad parenting spot, it is the ridiculously obvious that has helped to solve my problem. So if you are in the particular I-have-a-preschooler-and-we’re-home-bored-and-playing-in-the-snow-only-takes-up-an-hour-of-our-day,-tops parenting spot, here are some solutions for you.

Enjoy the cold weather from the comfort of your warm house:

• Bring a couple of big bowls or buckets’-worth of snow inside and dump it in the tub. Let scantily-clad small child play with snow. Add warm water as needed.
• Bring clean-ish icicles inside. Let child eat said icicles. Remember that you are building a strong immune system.
• Make an Ice Sun Catcher. Basically, take a storage container or pan, add decorating items and something for hanging, add water, and put it outside to freeze. For details, this link and this link have directions and pictures.
• Make Snow Ice Cream. Yummy.

We love icicles.

Putter around the kitchen:

• Bake bread, preferably a recipe for two loaves. For one half, attempt a nice finished product. For the other half, just let child knead and steal tastes with abandon.
• Make play dough or mix cornstarch and water. Here are some recipes. I love corn starch and water, but it’s a complete mess, I’ll admit it.
• Other simple-but-engaging crafts are macaroni necklaces or bean collages. Here are directions on how to color dried noodles–just make sure you choose ones that have big holes and are easy to string. Goya and other brands sell multiple-bean soup mixes, so you can have plenty of variety for crafting at a bargain price. Or just clean out your pantry.
• Let your child smell every spice and extract in your cabinet. Or pick out a selection and ask them to guess what is what.

Go to the usual places, but make it more fun:

• Go to stores where you shop often, but don’t hurry. So if your child always wants to look at the seasonal aisles at the big-box store and you hurry him along, let him linger. Or go someplace with a snack bar that you refuse to buy from on principle, and actually buy the kid a hot pretzel.  Just clarify that it’s a special occasion, and grab a trashy magazine to peruse so you won’t be too bored.
• At the grocery store, let your child pick out any kind of produce that they’ve never tried before. Go home and try it.
• Take a quick walk through a store and surreptitiously take pictures of things with your phone or digital camera. Then show your child the pictures and have her lead you in a search, scavenger-hunt style.
• Go to a store that’s a destination by itself. Read books at the bookstore, look at the pets at a pet store, or push your child on a bike at the bike shop.
• Visit your local library and do something different. This Library Secrets post has some ideas.

Take on a project around the house, or just spend a little quality time, with the kiddo.

• Have a tea party. This can include real tea or not, real food or not, and real or imaginary attendees.
• Make a blanket fort. Get this one started and your child is liable to want to stay there even after you sneak off to get something done.
• Look through photo albums or sort pictures with your child. Either you’ll enjoy the time explaining who everyone is to your child or you’ll actually get something done, but don’t expect both.
• My daughters’ favorite is always tickle monster. They could play that for hours daily.
• Sort through your old magazines and catalogs. Your kids can do cutting-and-pasting with the reject pile. Get them started with a specific idea. They can cut things out that they’d like in their rooms, see how many different animals they can find, get samples of colors to make a rainbow, or find a picture for different letters of the alphabet.

Also, for any of these, you can always invite a friend along for some adult conversation, especially if you’re going nutty.

How about the rest of you? Do you have favorite toddler-to-preschool activities to share? Any favorite projects or activities around the house?

We stayed in Vermont all day today because there was just Too. Much. Snow. to try to go home.

Here’s what I did instead of ever leaving the house:

• Played a marathon game of Loaded Questions
• Retold and heard stories of the courtship of the various family couples
• With my sister, gave every girl aged 10 and under manis and pedis
• Let J watch some Scooby Doo, then consoled her when she realized that she’d missed the sledding outing because she was so mesmerized by the tv that she didn’t hear the invitation
• Ate cheese, cookies, tacos, macaroni & cheese, beef stew, and more cheese, as well as more cookies
• Did a workout from You Are Your Own Gym, my sister and brother-in-law’s new favorite book (and in fact b.i.l. is ordering it for me right now, because he is Very Kind)
• Let M play outside for what must have been 2 straight hours and only spent about 15 minutes of it actively fretting about frostbite
• Listened to some records from a real turntable
• Watched many other people play Kinect for Xbox without being the least bit tempted–I’m just not a video game girl
• Drank about 5 glasses of wine
• Allowed the girls to stay up way too late
• Wrote a blog post, but just barely

Hope everyone else has enjoyed the snow day!

We spent today skiing at Mount Snow, and we’re exhausted. Lucky for me, I worked on December break week ahead of time.  If you’re still looking for holiday lights, here’s that post. And if we get the snow that’s predicted, you’ll want to check out my new Embrace Winter! page–you can always link to it over on the right. We’re wondering if we might get snowed in up north. But since there’s plenty of family, food, and wine, we’re not overly concerned.

Enjoy the week! Here are the activities that I’ve found:

Sunday, December 26th:

• Discover the Pine Bush or take a Cookie Burner Stroll at 1 pm. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 4:30 pm, Proctors will be showing a film of the Nutcracker. Tickets are $15/adult, $10/children 17 and under.

Monday, December 27th:

• Steamer 10 has magician David MacDonald at 10 am & 1 pm.
• Bethlehem Public Library will be showing Toy Story 3 at 10 am and Karate Kid at 2:30 pm.
• At 11 am, there’s an Hola-la Spanish Workshop for kids aged 3-8 at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• The Schenectady Museum will have planetarium shows at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, & 3 pm. $4 in addition to museum admission.
• The New York State Museum has special programs Celebrating Public Health all week. Check the link for the variety of activities. One of them, today, is Drama Kids presenting a skit about eating right and staying active.
• From 12:30 to 3:30 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is CD Planispheres.
• Kids 5 and up can learn about The Science of a Snowflake at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At the Voorheesville Public Library, there’s an American Girl Tea from 3-4:30 pm. It’s for kindergarteners and older, and registration is required.
• At 4:30 and 7 pm, Proctors will be showing a film of the Nutcracker. Tickets are $15/adult, $10/children 17 and under.

Tuesday, December 28th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Egyptian Gods & Goddesses.
• At 10 am, Peebles Island State Park is having a program called Lost in the Woods to teach children basic survival skills. There’s a $2 participation fee.
• Steamer 10 has Catskill Puppet Theater presenting The Willow Girl at 10 am & 1 pm.
• At Colonie Library, there’s a Music & Motion program for all ages at 10 am.
• From 10-11:30 am, there’s a Teen Reading Workshop at the Voorheesville Public Library. They’ll learn skills for reading to young kids–nice babysitter “resume” skill.
• The Schenectady Museum will have planetarium shows at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, & 3 pm. $4 in addition to museum admission.
• The New York State Museum has special programs Celebrating Public Health all week. Check the link for the variety of activities.  Today, learn about nanomedicine and play an interactive video game on a giant screen.
• From 12:30 to 3:30 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is Blow it Away.
• Learn how Amphibians & Reptiles Deep Freeze in the winter at the Albany Pine Bush. There will be indoor and outdoor learning, so dress warmly. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• Kids ages 4 to 8 can learn about Tracking the Trail at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 2 pm, kids 5 and up can play Minute to Win It at the East Greenbush Library. Drop in.
• At 2 pm at the  Colonie Library, there’s a Checkers Tournament for 2nd graders and older. They have to pre-register in person.
• From 2:30 to 4 pm, GE Volunteers will have plenty of hands-on science activities at the downtown Schenectady Public Library. It’s a drop-in program.
• From 4-9 pm, it’s the Annual Kwanzaa Celebration at the New York State Museum.
• Grades 6 and up can participate in a Chocolate Factory activity at 6:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library. Pre-register.

Wednesday, December 29th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Superhero Shoes.
• Take a Winter Trail Walk at Peebles Island State Park at 10 am. Call to reserve a spot.
• Steamer 10 has Andy “The Music Man” Morse at 10 am & 1 pm.
• From 10-11 am, kids up to age 3 can participate in a Romp & Read at the Colonie Library. It’s a drop-in program.
• At 10:30 am, elementary-school-aged kids can participate in a Not-Quite New Year’s Craft-a-Rama at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• At Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, there’s a program from 11 am to noon for 3rd to 5th graders called Science Matters-Chromatography. It’s a messy one, but kids take home a dyed t-shirt. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• The New York State Museum has special programs Celebrating Public Health all week. Check the link for the variety of activities.  Today, learn about Hudson River fish and play an interactive video game on a giant screen.
• From noon to 2 pm, it’s Albany Skatefest. See Albany Kid for more information on this event.
• The Schenectady Museum will have planetarium shows at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, & 3 pm. $4 in addition to museum admission.
• From 12:30 to 3:30 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is Lunar Landers.
• From 1-3 pm, take a moderate hike up the Turkey Trail at Moreau Lake. Call to reserve a spot.
• CMOST members ages 6 and up only can learn about and make a Kaleidoscope at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $5/participant.
• Use old scraps of paper to do some Papermaking at the Albany Pine Bush. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• From 3-4 pm, the Scotia-Glenville Children’s Museum will lead Clothespin Creations for elementary-school-aged kids at the downtown Schenectady Public Library. It’s a drop-in program.

Thursday, December 30th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Walk this Way: Puppets with Attitude.
• At 10 am, kids ages 2 to 5 can read a story and do a simple craft because W is for Winter at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 10 am, learn about Birding for Kids at Five Rivers. Pre-register by 12/27.
• Steamer 10 has the Dan Foley Juggling Show at 10 am & 1 pm.
• Learn about The Life of Eagles at 10 am at Peebles Island State Park. Call to reserve a spot.
• From 11 am to noon, it’s Clothespin Creations at the East Greenbush Library. It’s a drop-in program.
• From 11 am to noon, it’s Scaredy Squirrel’s Not So Rockin’ Almost New Year’s Eve Party from 11 am to noon at the Guilderland Public Library. It’s for kids ages 4 to 8, and registration is required.
• The New York State Museum has special programs Celebrating Public Health all week. Check the link for the variety of activities.  Today, learn about make self-portraits, discuss nutrition with folks from WMHT, and play an interactive video game on a giant screen.
• The Schenectady Museum will have planetarium shows at noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, & 3 pm. $4 in addition to museum admission.
• From 12:30 to 3:30 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is Clothes Hanger Catapult.
• At 1 pm, the folks at Moreau Lake are doing a Red Oak Ridge Hike or Snowshoe, depending on conditions. They have some snowshoes to rent. Call to reserve a spot.
• Learn about Feisty Fisher Cats at the Albany Pine Bush. There will be indoor and outdoor learning, so dress warmly. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 1:30 pm, Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is presenting a program for the K to 2nd grade set called ABCs of the Sky with Planetarium Adventures. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• At 2:30 pm, Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is presenting a program for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders called Constellations with Planetarium Adventures. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• At 2 pm, kids in grades 3 to 5 can participate in a Clues Around the World Scavenger Hunt at Bethlehem Public Library.
• Rensselaer Public Library’s having a Preschool Countdown Party at 4 pm. Babies welcome.
• From 6-8 pm, there’s a Party Game Gala by Guilderland Public Library’s Teen Services. With pizza and dessert.
• At 6:30 pm at the Colonie Library, there’s a Family First Night including a magic show. You must register in person.

Friday, December 31st:

• Wiggle and Giggle from 10 am to 11:30 am at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• From 10 am to 1 pm, it’s the annual Noon Year’s Eve Celebration at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology. Games, activities, party hats, an animal show. Drop-in and free with admission.
• At 11 am, do a CSI: Critter Scene Investigation at the Albany Pine Bush. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• There’s a New Year’s Celebration for kids ages 3 and up from 12:30-3:30 pm at the East Greenbush Library.
• From 12:30 to 2 pm, the Schenectady Museum will have a different free science activity each day of winter break. Today’s is Ketchup Bottle Rockets.
• There’s a free movie day at Albany Pine Bush at 1 pm. It’s Walking with Prehistoric Beasts.
• At 2 pm, the Wood Theater in Glens Falls is presenting Laura Roth’s Family New Year’s Eve, which is designed for “those people 8-100 who want their New Year’s entertainment early.” Tickets are $20.
• First Night Saratoga begins at 5:30 pm. Don’t forget to visit the Children’s Museum.

The children are nestled all snug in their beds, and so begins my favorite part of Christmas Eve: hunting down all the stashed-away gifts and stuffing the stockings. Then a snack and a glass of wine.

One funny thing about this Christmas season: for some reason, neither of my children has been able to remember the word “nativity”. So when they see figures kneeling around a baby in a manger, they point out “the Jesus set-up”.

Merry Christmas!

I’m exhausted from having 8 little girls crafting and frolicking at my house, so I’m not going to provide you with a quality post tonight.

Instead, here’s a conversation that I overheard between M and her 3rd-grade girlfriend. One of their other friends had already left the party, and she’d forgotten to bring home her paper plate full of crafty creations. In fact, I’d missed the parent entirely in the chaos of getting people in and out the door, which seemed peculiar, because there’s usually some of that polite adult patter at pick-up time. Anyway, I continued to clear craft debris while the girls pondered how their friend could have possibly neglected to bring home her gorgeous items.

“Oh, I know what it was,” the friend said to M. “It was her dad who picked her up, and you know how when moms get the dads to do a job? They can do it, but they never really get it exactly right?”

“Yeah,” M agreed. “Her mom would have asked her if she needed to bring home any crafts.”

Before I forget, a local blogger recently took a little trip down to NYC, and she gives you a little walking tour of its holiday loveliness, in case you’re pondering a visit. Her blog is Just One Foot.

For those of you who read about my rice debacle, I thought that I’d give you a Paperwhite Update.  Here they are!

Pretty, right? The ribbon is to keep them together and upright, because they’re very tall.

They’re also quite fragrant. Which is too bad, because I just don’t like the smell of paperwhites. In fact, it’s been a debate in the household. For example, I would prefer to smell silicone sealant than paperwhites, but Cute W thinks that’s crazy. Nevertheless, he brings a scented Christmas candle along when he’s in the same room as the paperwhites, presumably to ward off the scent. Today M declared that the flowers smelled like cauliflower. That seemed far-fetched to me. J thought that was wrong, too. She knew what they smelled like. “They smell like delicious cheesiness!” she declared.

Now that, I understood. It was because I was making Spicy Cheese Sticks.

They’re based on a recipe that my Mom found in Southern Living magazine. They are super-delicious with a glass of wine. Yes, indeed. Anyway, I vary the recipe a bit. The first time I tried to make them myself, I accidentally doubled the cheese. This was even more fabulous, but several of them dissolved into a puddle of oil. Now I overdo the cheese by maybe 1/3 cup.  I also change the nut delivery technique, because I’d rather have chopped pecans scattered throughout instead of pecan halves on top.

Besides, the pecan halves on top contribute to The Problem With This Recipe. The problem, if you follow Southern Living‘s recipe, is that you end up with these little biscuits that look like cookies. Which doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal, except that it’s tough to convince people that they aren’t cookies. I took them to a holiday party and set them on the appetizers table with a little name tag, and someone tossed aside the tag and moved them to the dessert table. And even if you tell someone ahead of time that it’s not a cookie, it almost seems like people are simply not emotionally prepared for their non-cookie-ness. The shape and texture sends some sort of signal to people’s brains so that, when no sugar is detected, their  subconscious is convinced that Something is Horribly Wrong.

So this year, instead of doing biscuit shapes, I measured out scant teaspoons of dough, then rolled them into 4-inch long worms. I also like to add a final dusting of half-and-half cayenne and salt, although I like salty & spicy. Then I baked them for about 7 or 8 minutes.

All that rolling is more labor-intensive, but at least it’s mindless. And these are super-yummy, and a little bundle of these tied with a ribbon make nice change of pace from the tin of cookies (although I absolutely respect the tin of cookies, believe me).  These are, of course, even more delectable right out of the oven.

I was grouchy when I posted last night, and after I hit “publish” I had an attack of remorse that I was whining when I have a cozy, warm house and a healthy family and a gift-buying budget. I’m a lucky girl, even if I’m occasionally too irritable to appreciate it.

But today, oh today, I took Christmas 2010 by the tinsel and bent it to my will. First I discovered that it looks like our planned party craft will be possible, then I shopped at four different stores, finished my stocking stuffers,  got new contacts & had my favorite sunglasses fixed, wrapped 5 presents, did 3 loads of laundry, made another batch of magic cookie bars, made and chilled batter for some other cookies, and delivered a shortbread.  I also oversaw piano practice, multiplication drilling, and the cleaning of two kid bedrooms. Oh! And I finally noticed and watered a dying-of-thirst houseplant, corralled all of our ice skates and much of our ski-wear into bags, and made some tacos. Yay, me!

Seriously, I feel like I’m finally in control of Christmas. And just in the nick of time. Woo, hoo! Of course, when you have a day that productive, something has to fall by the wayside. In this case, there was neither a workout nor a shower today. So I apologize to anyone who saw me on my errands–we all know that I can look better than that. I mean, I usually look better than that, right?

But enough about me, me, me and my world. Are you starting to think about December break?  I did a December break preview post over at All Over Albany. Go check it out.

Also, several places do special camps over December break, and here’s a smattering of them (because I was only up for locating a smattering of them at this time). If you know of others, or if you’ve got feedback on these, please tell the world. Or, you know, the people who read this blog.

• The Arts Center in Troy has a Winter Break Camp that 9 am to 4 pm, designed for 6- to 11-year-olds.
• The Children’s Museum of Science and Technology has a December break camp.
• Afrim’s Action Camp is running over December break.
• Tumbling Tykes has a Winter Break Camp from 9:30 to 12:30 all week for kids ages 3 to 7, and two days for 2-year-olds. Price is $25/day.
• Schauber Stables has a vacation camp.
• In Clifton Park, they’re doing a Circus Theatricks Camp for kids ages 5-14 from 9 am to 3 pm, Dec. 27 to 31. It’s $225.

Finally, I’ve been working ahead on gathering information on what else is available over December break. Some of the items are by reservation only and might fill up, so I’m passing these along early. They’ll be included in the complete list later–I’d usually post on Sunday, but since this week is special, I’m likely to post a complete listing on Friday just so you can plan.

Monday, December 27th:

• Steamer 10 has magician David MacDonald at 10 am & 1 pm.
• Kids 5 and up can learn about The Science of a Snowflake at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At the Voorheesville Public Library, there’s an American Girl Tea from 3-4:30 pm. It’s for kindergarteners and older, and registration is required.
• At 4:30 and 7 pm, Proctors will be showing a film of the Nutcracker. Tickets are $15/adult, $10/children 17 and under.

Tuesday, December 28th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Egyptian Gods & Goddesses.
• At 10 am, Peebles Island State Park is having a program called Lost in the Woods to teach children basic survival skills. There’s a $2 participation fee.
• Steamer 10 has Catskill Puppet Theater presenting The Willow Girl at 10 am & 1 pm.
• Kids ages 4 to 8 can learn about Tracking the Trail at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 2 pm at the  Colonie Library, there’s a Checkers Tournament for 2nd graders and older. They have to pre-register in person.
• Grades 6 and up can participate in a Chocolate Factory activity at 6:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library. Pre-register.

Wednesday, December 29th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Superhero Shoes.
• Steamer 10 has Andy “The Music Man” Morse at 10 am & 1 pm.
• At Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, there’s a program from 11 am to noon for 3rd to 5th graders called Science Matters-Chromatography. It’s a messy one, but kids take home a dyed t-shirt. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• CMOST members ages 6 and up only can learn about and make a Kaleidoscope at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $5/participant.
• Use old scraps of paper to do some Papermaking at the Albany Pine Bush. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.

Thursday, December 30th:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art has three days of classes to take a Vacation Art Break. Classes are 9 am to noon for kids ages 6 to 8, or 1-4 pm for kids ages 9-13. They’re $20 each for non-members. Today’s theme is Walk this Way: Puppets with Attitude.
• At 10 am, kids ages 2 to 5 can read a story and do a simple craft because W is for Winter at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 10 am, learn about Birding for Kids at Five Rivers. Pre-register by 12/27.
• Steamer 10 has the Dan Foley Juggling Show at 10 am & 1 pm.
• Learn about The Life of Eagles at 10 am at Peebles Island State Park. Call to reserve a spot.
• From 11 am to noon, it’s Scaredy Squirrel’s Not So Rockin’ Almost New Year’s Eve Party from 11 am to noon at the Guilderland Public Library. It’s for kids ages 4 to 8, and registration is required.
• Learn about Feisty Fisher Cats at the Albany Pine Bush. There will be indoor and outdoor learning, so dress warmly. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 1:30 pm, Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is presenting a program for the K to 2nd grade set called ABCs of the Sky with Planetarium Adventures. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• At 2:30 pm, Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is presenting a program for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders called Constellations with Planetarium Adventures. Registration is required, and you should do it soon.
• At 6:30 pm at the Colonie Library, there’s a Family First Night including a magic show. You must register in person.

Friday, December 31st:

• At 11 am, do a CSI: Critter Scene Investigation at the Albany Pine Bush. $2/person, $5/family. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 2 pm, the Wood Theater in Glens Falls is presenting Laura Roth’s Family New Year’s Eve, which is designed for “those people 8-100 who want their New Year’s entertainment early.” Tickets are $20.
• First Night Saratoga begins at 5:30 pm. Don’t forget to visit the Children’s Museum.

Alright, I’ve got to tell you: my holiday dreams are just crumbling. We were working on a project for Cute W’s parents, and we’ve just decided that there’s no way it can be done in time for Christmas. Then I was doing a practice round for our Crafty Girl Party this Wednesday, and the craft is a serious problem. It’s not working. I don’t know if I have to come up with a back-up plan. Whatever: it’s ugly. At one point, things were going so poorly that Cute W said, “But it will make a great post, right?” Yikes. We’ll see, but I need some emotional distance before I can talk about it. Plus it was going to be a grandparent gift, too. Oh, and how about this? There was a random unwrapped gift under the tree this morning. Yeah, I don’t know how that happened. Apparently fatigue set in during a wrapping session at some point.

Whenever the stress starts to get to me, I just make another 9 x 13 slab of magic cookie bars. Because as long as there are cookie bars in the house, we’re golden, right? . . . Right?

Here’s what’s going on this week. I won’t be doing any of it. Instead, I’ll be rooting around in the closets looking for all of the gifts that I’ve squirreled away, fretting over my Craft Concept, and trying to keep up with the laundry. But, by all means, you should go and have some fun.

All Week:

• Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany continues  A Christmas Story continues through January 2nd.
• While many regularly scheduled events are suspended this week and next, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga continues its usuals, including Tuesday for Tots, Wednesday’s Alphabet Soup, & Thursday’s Story Art. I don’t usually list weekly events here, but I thought it was worth noting.

Monday, December 20th:

• The Albany Berkshire Ballet is performing The Nutcracker at The Egg at  10:30 am. Tickets are $34/adult, $22/kids under 12. Okay, I have to tell you that there are really, really good seats available for this one. Honestly, I’m having a difficult time restraining myself from having the girls skip school and go to this. So if you’re available, you should go.

Tuesday, December 21st:

• St. Paul’s Church in Troy has their free noon concert, and it’s A Winter Celebration: Songs and Carols of Advent, with the Helderberg Madrigal Singers and The Bleecker Consort.
• At 7 pm, the Wood Theater is presenting Santa’s List, a 45-minute play designed for young children. Tickets are $10 to $15, and the play’s also showing on Wednesday & Thursday.
• At Proctors, Handel’s Messiah Rocks at 8 pm. It’s supposed to be appropriate for all ages. Tickets range from $20 to $60.

Wednesday, December 22nd:

• Take a Full Moon Hike at Moreau Lake at 5 pm. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 7 pm, the Wood Theater is presenting Santa’s List, a 45-minute play designed for young children. Tickets are $10 to $15, and the play’s also showing on Tueday & Thursday.

Thursday, December 23rd:

• Take a Wetlands Walk at Moreau Lake from 1-3 pm. Call to reserve a spot.
• At 4:30 and 7 pm, Proctors will be showing a film of the Nutcracker. Tickets are $15/adult, $10/children 17 and under.
• At 7 pm, the Wood Theater is presenting Santa’s List, a 45-minute play designed for young children. Tickets are $10 to $15, and the play’s also showing on Tuesday & Wednesday.

Friday, December 24th:

• Bring binoculars to help with the Eagle Watch from 10 am to noon at Moreau Lake. Call to reserve a spot.