Posts from — February 2011

Did you play outside today? It was so wonderful. I was saying to Cute W that I think this has been my favorite winter since we’ve moved to the Capital District, because we’ve really been loving the skiing and ice skating. But even though it’s been my favorite winter so far, I’ll still be glad to see it go! Spring is my absolute favorite season. Yes, I know: it’s not spring yet. But with this afternoon, my spring fever has officially begun.

For those of you who are beginning to wonder what you’ll be doing all next week, the Times Union has a preview of family activities. I’ll be posting by Sunday as well, of course.

Meanwhile, here’s what I’ve found for this weekend:

All Weekend:

• It’s Dance Flurry weekend.
• Creative Arts at Steamer 10 (a student program) presents Honk!, based on The Ugly Duckling through the weekend, and tickets are $15 each.

Friday, February 18th:

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• It’s the annual Full Moon Ski Bowl Party at Gore Mountain beginning at 6 pm. $10 for 2 hours of tubing, with music and other fun.
• At 6:30 pm, take a Moonlight Snowshoe Hike at 6:30 pm at Thacher Nature Center.
• Take a Family Full Moon Walk at 7 pm at Five Rivers.
• The Albany All Stars have a Roller Derby bout at 7 pm at the Washington Avenue Armory. Tickets are $12/adult, $4/kids under 12 at the door and benefit the humane society.
• There’s a free Moonlight Snowshoe Trek at 7 pm at Dyken Pond.
• The Albany Devils game tonight is a Kids-in-Free game sponsored by GE, with one child 12 or under in free for each adult ticket. There will also be kid-oriented activities throughout the game, and the first 1000 fans receive a free t-shirt. More information on the TU’s Parent to Parent Blog.

Saturday, February 19th:

• At 9:30 am, take a Snowshoe Hike at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site. $3/adult, $1/kids under 16. $5 fee for snowshoe rental, but you have to call ahead to reserve.
• It’s the Village of Scotia Winter Fest from 10 am to 2 pm at Collins Park. Ice skating (assuming it doesn’t all thaw), snowshoe & ski demos, chili.
• From 10 am to 3 pm, adults and kids 12 and up can go on a Wildlife Tracking Adventure at Thacher.
• From 11 am to 10 pm, it’s the Ballston Spa Winter Fun Festival. Sledding, skating, and indoor fun at this free festival. Malta Mama‘s got more information on activities there.
• There are Saturday Stories at 11 am at Bethlehem Public Library.
• From 11 am to 2:30 pm it’s the Mac & Cheese Bowl at the Albany Marriott. It’s $15/adult, $5/kids 5 to 12, and kinds under 5 free. Proceeds benefit the Regional Food Bank.
• From 11 am ’til noon preschoolers can learn about Snowflake Bentley at the Schenectady Museum. Free with admission.
• From 12 to 12:30 pm, there’s an “explosive” Light Waves Demo at the Schenectady Museum. Free with admission. It’s on Sunday, too.
• It’s Winter Fest at the New York State Museum from noon until 4 pm. Check the link for a detailed schedule.
• From 2-3:30 pm, it’s Family Saturdays at the Tang Museum of Skidmore College. I heard about these from Malta Mama.

Sunday, February 20th:

• From 10:30-11:30 am it’s Alphabet Soup for preschoolers at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At Steamer 10 Theatre, Theatre des Petites Ames presents Pekka at 11 am and 3 pm. Tickets are $10 purchased in advance.
• It’s the Junior Birder’s Great Backyard Bird Count at Thacher at 11 am.
• From 12 to 12:30 pm, there’s an “explosive” Light Waves Demo at the Schenectady Museum. Free with admission. It’s on Saturday, too.
• Enjoy A Little Sunday Music from 2-3 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• At 2 pm there’s a 2-hour Discovery Hike at the Albany Pine Bush. $2/person, $5/family.
• At 2:30 pm there’s a free Saxophone Concert at the downtown Schenectady Public Library.
• There’s free ice skating at the Glens Falls Civic Center from 3-7 pm in celebration of Hockey Day in America.
• From 3-4:30 the Fetch! Lab is Potion Commotion at the Schenectady Museum. Free with admission. Remember, it’s open on Sundays now.

Recently we went to our friends’ house to try out their new homemade ice rink.

So, first of all? Completely jealous. Seriously, it’s awesome. Unfortunately we have a small, sloping little yard, so no matter how much I pine (and whine), it’s just not meant to be for us.

Smiling, yes, but crying a little bit inside.

But maybe you could try it. You need some very level ground. In fact, if you believe that you already have level ground, you’re likely to learn that it’s not nearly as level as you thought it was. My friends built a wood frame and lined it with a light-colored tarp (you can see both in the photo above). Then they added water. Presto! Okay, not exactly presto, because there appears to be a bit of finesse involved. Like the corner that turned out to be higher than it appeared and the wind blowing the tarp. Not to mention the constant onslaught of new variations on the “wintry mix” with which a rinkmaster must contend.

But the maintenance and improvements of the rink appear to become a rather compulsive hobby. First there was a PVC-pipe water-distribution system. Then a couple of specially-designed PVC new-skater trainers:

The trainer is a revelation, or at least it was to me. If you’ve ever put a brand-new skater behind a bucket or a chair, you know that: a) they tip over sometimes, and b) they encourage pretty bad form, with the skater often hunched over and dragging their feet along behind them. This PVC-pipe contraption is stable and allows those feet to skate under the body as the Skating Gods intended. The picture above is my daughter using a younger child’s trainer, but the handy dad made trainers sized perfectly for his two kids. One of my girlfriends is waiting for the adult-sized version. He explains:

I made the base 30″ x 30″ and adjusted the height for each kid. The angled pieces are equal, so it makes it easy once you have one side figured out for the height.
Here is the list of materials:

(2) 10′ PVC pipes 1 1/4″Diameter
(6) 90 Deg Fittings
(2) 45 Deg Fittings
(4) “T” Fittings

I didn’t bother gluing for easy adjustment, plus the fittings are so tight they don’t come apart easily.

We had tons of fun skating in the backyard. What’s great is that you can go outside just for an hour (or send the kids out) without having to travel at all. A little exercise in the fresh air is sorely needed at this point in winter. And I have to admit that when we skate at ponds, I frequently have a paranoid fear that there will be a break in the ice and at any moment we’ll have to launch into a chain gang, George Bailey style, to fish somebody out.  So it’s nice to eliminate that anxiety and still enjoy the great outdoors.

Here are some of the links that our friends thought were the most helpful:

• BackyardRink.Net
• My Family Loves It
• Rink Rake: this includes a materials calculator and checklist
• Popular Mechanics: this has one set of instructions on the PVC trainer
• Skating Aids on Flicker: this is the image my friend used as a model for the PVC trainer

The rink was terrific, but we already have improvements in mind for next year. We’re thinking a canopy to protect the rink from the elements, twinkling white lights in the trees, and space for a bonfire at night. Guys, could you get working on it, please?

Does anyone make your own ice rink? Any words of advice or encouragement?

As you know, my children take great pride in packing for trips with minimal help from me.  Along with their clothes, they usually pick out just a few personal essentials.

J brought her small flowered case along to Jiminy Peak.

Ever wonder what a six-year-old girl deems essential?

Lambie, Blue Doggie, and Yellow Blankie

Cute, right?

I’m over tired, laundering like crazy, and wishing that I could find my toothbrush.  Meanwhile the 8-year-old is calling for her final tuck-in. Hopefully I’ll manage a higher quality post tomorrow.

If anyone’s looking for a new outing, the Visit Scotia blog posted that Collins Lake is open and well-cleared for ice skating. There are also plenty of opportunities for snowshoeing in the moonlight this week. If you’ve never done it and you can’t make it this week, you should at least put it on your bucket list.

And as always, don’t neglect the regularly scheduled events from my What about TODAY? page.

Here are some things to do this week:

Monday, February 14th:

• The Delmar La Leche League meets at Bethlehem Public Library beginning at 9 am this morning.
• From 11 am to 1 pm there’s a Snowshoe Walk at Moreau Lake.

Tuesday, February 15th:

• The Children’s Museum at Saratoga‘s Tuesday for Tots program is now available from 1-3 pm in addition to the usual 10 am to noon.

Wednesday, February 16th:

• From 10:30-11:30 am, it’s Pine Bush Pups: Dress Like an Animal at the Albany Pine Bush. It’s a free, drop-in program for preschoolers, and it’s on Thursday, too.
• Albany Mommy shared that there’s free pizza at the Guilderland Little Caesars from 11 am to 2 pm.

Thursday, February 17th:

• From 10:30-11:30 am, it’s Pine Bush Pups: Dress Like an Animal at the Albany Pine Bush. It’s a free, drop-in program for preschoolers, and it’s on Wednesday, too.
• At 11 am, it’s Little Wonders of Science at the Schenectady Museum. It’s a free program for preschoolers, and today’s is about Snowflake Bentley.
• At 6 pm, there’s a Sling Babies meeting at Niskayuna Library. Thanks for the reminder, Michelle!
• From 6-8 pm, take a Full Moon Snowshoe at Moreau Lake.
• There’s a Children’s Circle Storytime at Bethlehem Public Library at 6:30 pm. This program is designed with kids with special needs in mind.
• At 7 pm, Creative Arts at Steamer 10 (a student program) presents Honk!, based on The Ugly Duckling. It continues through the weekend, and tickets are $15 each.

Friday, February 18th:

• From 11 am to noon, have a Preschool Picnic at Bethlehem Public Library.
• It’s the annual Full Moon Ski Bowl Party at Gore Mountain beginning at 6 pm. $10 for 2 hours of tubing, with music and other fun.
• At 6:30 pm, take a Moonlight Snowshoe Hike at 6:30 pm at Thacher Nature Center.
• At 7 pm, Creative Arts at Steamer 10 (a student program) presents Honk!, based on The Ugly Duckling. It continues through the weekend, and tickets are $15 each.
• Take a Family Full Moon Walk at 7 pm at Five Rivers.
• There’s a free Moonlight Snowshoe Trek at 7 pm at Dyken Pond.
• The Albany Devils game tonight is a Kids-in-Free game sponsored by GE, with one child 12 or under in free for each adult ticket. There will also be kid-oriented activities throughout the game, and the first 1000 fans receive a free t-shirt. More information on the TU’s Parent to Parent Blog.
• It’s Dance Flurry weekend.

I’ve mentioned sun catchers in the blog before, but we recently made up a new batch, so I thought that I’d share some photos. It’s fun and easy even for a toddler, and my 6- and 8-year-olds were completely engrossed in their sun catcher designs. Of course, adding water means that you can’t place things with absolute precision, because they’ll float around a bit.  You just put some stuff in a container, like flexible take-out containers or silicone cookie molds work. Add some water. In order to hang it, make a loop of string or ribbon and make sure that most of it is submerged. Then put it outside to freeze.

Another good part? You can do this without shopping for anything special. In our case that meant using some random sequins that were left over from an earlier project, or you can use little pieces from nature.

I let the girls add drops of food coloring, too.

Of course, once it gets warmer, the sun catchers will melt, and we’ll have a litter of glitter, but that’s okay. A nice idea is to put different kinds of bird seed in your sun catcher, and then the birds will have a treat on a warm day.

Yesterday I decided to make some maple candy, Laura Ingalls-style. This was mostly for my own mysterious reasons, which I choose not to share at this time, thank you.

The silly thing is, my kids don’t even like maple syrup. I don’t know why. I think they’re crazy. Every time we have pancakes, I curse Cute W for having introduced the girls to his Glorious Childhood Favorite, powdered sugar.  Oh, evil, worthless sugar! You have seduced my children away from an American tradition, a stalwart supplier of iron, calcium, and manganese. But because my husband managed to grow up to be a  healthy grown-up with good teeth, I just have to concede the point. I try to bear it with minimal grumbling.

Even though my kids aren’t enthusiastic about maple syrup, I just couldn’t bring myself to do such a clearly child-friendly project without the children. So first I waited for them to get home from school, and then I realized that my one shining opportunity to do this together was in the remaining  fifteen minutes before it was time to go to J’s piano lesson. I sensed that this might become another case of my ambitions outrunning my actual capabilities. But it was now or never, so I got cookin’!

I’d Googled around a bit, and there wasn’t a clear winner on the “most helpful sites” contest. I liked  Quaker Hill Farm because of its precise descriptions, fondness for historical accuracy, and numerous photos.  Except that then it said: “There is no need to stir, but it must be monitored constantly – literally, don’t take your eyes off the project.” Okay, first of all, that raised my stress level immediately. I just can’t do “constantly” in the kitchen.  Second, if you literally did not take your eyes off the project, you would be screaming about the horrendous pain of boiling maple syrup clinging to your corneas. I take this whole literal-figurative thing seriously.

After a careful evaluation of numerous recipes, I decided to wing it. First, I went outside and filled a square pan with lovely, clean snow.   Then I poured just enough maple syrup–half a cup, tops–into a pot to cover the bottom. It’s expensive, you know, and I’m cheap.

Since there wasn’t much, it started boiling very quickly. I peered at the pot to assess the quality and texture of the bubbles and foam, per the Quaker Hill directions. I became confused and flustered in the attempt. Plus, my interested children were alternating between pressing too close to me and swiping pieces of snow from the pan (as if they can’t find some on their own?). The whole process made me fearful of a Horrible Burning Incident.

After boiling for five or six minutes, the maple syrup seemed ready. I poured it into the pan.

And it was at about this point when true panic sent in, because my children wanted some candy immediately, and I’d run out of places to pour the rest of the maple syrup (which now seemed to be an extraordinarily large quantitiy). Oh, and I realized that we should have already been out the door, heading to piano.

Both girls tried and declared it  “too sweet”. I expected this from M, but J is the queen of the piled-on-powdered-sugar-pancake, so it wasn’t justified at all. I thought it was super-tasty. It was solid but still flexible and chewy, similar to Cute W’s caramel when it’s still warm, but with more maple goodness, of course.

The children, put off by my increasing stress level, fled the kitchen.  Meanwhile, I’d opened my little-used side door and started frantically grooming the snow of miscellaneous natural debris with one hand while holding the steaming-hot pot in the other. I tossed the remaining syrup directly onto the snow outside, all while shouting for J to please get her coat and boots on! Right now please!

After a quick piano drop-off, I returned to the kitchen and found myself eating pretty much every last piece of the maple candy myself. I couldn’t help it. It was so tasty. Half an hour later, whatever remained had melted back into liquid form. I have no idea whether this was because of my slipshod candy-making techniques or because that’s how it would always happen, except that in every other case known to humanity, children flock to and eat the maple deliciousness.

Within an hour, I was finding maple glop on every possible surface of my kitchen and suffering from a profound sugar rush and an upset stomach. We won’t be making maple candy again.

But you might have normal children, and you’re probably more competent than I am. If you try making maple candy,  err on the side of having too much snow set aside ahead of time, and explain to your children about the extreme danger of boiling syrup and exactly when they’ll be permitted to taste ahead of time. And give yourself at least, say, 25 minutes. The finished candy was beautiful as well as tasty, but I was too busy freaking out at the time to document it for you.

We’re very excited at our house, because we’re leaving for Jiminy Peak on Sunday. We went on the same trip last year, too.  Which somehow feels like a million years ago, not just because it was warm and rainy for that trip, but because  I’d just recently started the blog. I created the Capital District Fun Facebook Page while I was on that trip. I was so nervous about it, but my friends pressured me into it urged me on. So I created it and immediately passed the computer to my friend so she could “fan” me and I wouldn’t look too pathetic!

Here’s what I found for this weekend. Please tell me if I’ve missed things! I was working more distracted than usual. I fear that once I’ve gotten some sleep I’ll be kicking myself about forgetting something great.

All Weekend:

• Troy Acting Guild presents Camp Rock: The Musical all weekend. $8/adult, $5/child.
• Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga is presenting Beauty & the Beast through the weekend. Tickets are $5/person.

Evening of Friday, February 11th:

• It’s a Family Fun Night at Colonie Center Mall from 5-8 pm. There’s a Meet-and-Greet with folks from the Albany Devils.
• There’s a Valentine’s Parents’ Night Out at Tumbling Tykes from 5:30-8:30 pm. It’s $25/first child & $15/additional sibling.
• At Rotterdam Square Mall, there’s a Valentine’s Day-themed Kids Club in the food court from 7-8:30 pm.

Saturday, February 12th:

• It’s Winterfest in Clifton Park all day.
• Check out some Winter Birdlife at 9 am at Five Rivers.
• At 10 am there’s a Family Snowshoe Hike in Rensselaer Land Trust‘s newest preserve. It’s free, but you should call as soon as possible to reserve.
• Take a Snowshoe Walk at Thacher at 10 am. Call to register (snowshoes available for rent).
• Play Valentine’s Day Bingo at Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.
• Do some art and turn Trash to Treasure at the NY State Museum from 1-3 pm. This is a free, drop-in program.
• Learn to Ice Fish at 1 pm at Moreau Lake.
• At 2 pm, there’s a Live Mammal program at Five Rivers, but the deadline, alas, was Wednesday. I’m listing it in case you want to call and beg.

Sunday, February 13th:

• Kids ages 2-5 can learn about Love Bugs at 11 am at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• Discover the Pine Bush at 1 pm. It’s $3/person, $5/family.
• At 2 pm, Schenectady Theater for Children is presenting Theodore Roosevelt at the Rotterdam Square Mall. Appropriate for ages 14 and up. $5/kid, adults free.
• From 4-5:15 pm, there’s a Family Dance in Delmar. It’s a suggested donation of $5/adult, $1/child. They’re getting ready for the Dance Flurry coming up next weekend!
• At 4 pm, it’s Albany Pro Musica‘s High School Choralfest XI at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Tickets are $7.

You might be wondering about our plans for February break. As it stands now, it’s very likely that on a daily basis, both girls will be attending the Morning Backyard Snow Adventure Camp. Tremendously thrifty: love it. It’s quite possible that we’ll also indulge in the Full Day Intensive Television Screening Camp. The girls know that this camp is only available once per week, and that payment is required in the form of child labor. Finally, it’s possible that there will be a Double Playdate Camp, but I hope we’ll be able to avoid the High Drama Theatrical Production that conclude camps like these.

Lucky for me, my kids like snow.

But, in case you have bigger plans that I do, here are some more items since the last time I posted about February break.

Maple Ski Ridge has skiing and snowboarding lessons all week long. They’re 90 minutes per day for 5 days for $75. Which is a pretty good deal. Lessons do not include rentals or a mountain pass, though.

Sewing Sisters has several classes for mixed age groups during Presidents Week. Projects include hand warmers, flower corsages, and others, and the cost is $15 or $20 and up.

Clifton Park is having a Winter Wonderland camp for residents ages 5 to 10. It’s $40.

Proctors Winter Adventures

So about half an hour ago I was, uh, sitting down when I reached over and noticed this:

I’m actually delighted with the thoughtfulness and effort, even if the execution wasn’t quite flawless.

Umm, I so need to get one of those light-up suits like they had during the halftime show. Here’s what’s happening this week:

Monday, February 7th:

• At 10 am, they’re taking a Potters Point Hike at Moreau Lake. Hmm. . . wondering if snowshoes are required at this point. Well, you need to call to reserve, so be sure to ask.
• There’s a Mother-Daughter Book Group at 7 pm for girls in 4th grade and up at the East Greenbush Public Library.

Tuesday, February 8th:

• There’s a Tiny Tots program for the under-3 set at Bethlehem Public Library at 9:30 am.
• From 10 am to noon there’s a Sling Babies meeting at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 10:30 am, there’s a Pine Bush Pups: Snow Fun program for preschoolers at the Albany Pine Bush. This is a drop-in program, but it will start on time.  This program’s on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
• At 4:15 pm, there are Cookies and Books for 2nd & 3rd graders. It’s a family book group to discover Geronimo Stilton: Valentine’s Day Disaster at the East Greenbush Public Library.
• Pajama-rama is at Bethlehem Public Library at 6:30 pm.
• A free six-week series of Singing Lessons starts tonight in Niskayuna at 7 pm for women and girls 14 and up.

Wednesday, February 9th:

• Take a Wetlands Snowshoe at 10 am at Moreau Lake. Call for reservations.
• Rain or Shine, it’s Reading Time at 10:30 am at the New York State Museum.
• At 10:30 am, there’s a Pine Bush Pups: Snow Fun program for preschoolers at the Albany Pine Bush. This is a drop-in program, but it will start on time.  This program’s on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday, February 10th:

• From 12-1:30 pm, there’s a free concert at the downtown Albany Public Library by the Albany Symphony.
• There’s a Chocolate Festival from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie. Huh. This is sponsored by a senior living center, so I suppose that they’re expecting retirees to drop by, eat, and read brochures. The question is, if you tote a toddler, will they be gracious or annoyed? Maybe you should invite Grandma to come along. You need to call for reservations.
• There’s a Cross Country Ski Trip for “all skill levels” at 1 pm at Moreau Lake. Registration required.
• At 4 pm, there’s Science Matters: Pressure Pop! at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library for 3rd to 5th graders. Registration is required, and you can do it online.
• At Bethlehem Public Library at 7 pm, there’s a program about Raising a Green Family by someone from Cornell Cooperative Extension.
• There’s a live band playing a soundtrack to the 1968 B Sci-Fi flick Voyage to the Planet of the Prehistoric Women at 7 pm at the downtown Albany Public Library.
• From 6:30-8 pm, Clifton Park has a Cross Country Skiing Lesson. It’s $12/person.

Friday, February 11th:

• There’s a drop-in Preschool Movies program at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 3 pm, there’s a Afterschool Special: Winter Challenge at Saratoga Spa State Park. It’s $5 including snowshoe rental.
• Troy Acting Guild presents Camp Rock: The Musical at 7 pm tonight. It continues all weekend. $8/adult, $5/child.
• Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga is presenting Beauty & the Beast at 7 pm today and through the weekend. Tickets are $5/person.