Posts from — April 2011

My car was making a noise. Actually, I didn’t really notice it: Cute W did. This is one of the quirks in our relationship. I joke that I grew up in a household where, if something didn’t work exactly right, we just lived with it. And then, if we couldn’t live with it, eventually we’d call a professional. In Cute W’s home, the slightest alteration of normal–say, a hinge with a teensy-weensy squeak, or a  slightly different purr from the refrigerator–means it’s time to drop everything and investigate, and then fix, the problem. So when he mentioned the car noise, I hadn’t noticed at all. And then I thought, well maybe he’s right. By the weekend,  he was swiveling the steering wheel right and left repeatedly as we drove around, kind of like the car equivalent of doctor-it-hurts-when-I-do-this. Until I was saying, stop already! We’re going on Monday! And he repeated that he couldn’t believe–could. not. believe.–that I hadn’t noticed The Noise.

Of course, getting your car fixed is exactly the sort of dreary chore best left for when the kids are in school. Actually, on my own, I take a pleasant walk over to Barnes & Noble and browse guilt-free. Which I foolishly mentioned in front of the girls. If I’d been thinking, I would have just taken the ride home. Because you get a ride of course. Kind of like the one phone call when you’re arrested. I should have just taken the ride home, but instead I mentioned Barnes & Noble–one of the girls’ favorite destinations–and unwittingly committed us to hours wandering the shopping center.

At the bookstore, I consumed an enormous Frappuccino and read 30 pages into the sequel to the Hunger Games, then cursed myself for making these choices, because I can’t handle the caffeine, and I’m too cheap to buy hardback.

On to the pet store, where I found this ridiculous item:

Um, hello? How many of us have managed to successfully complete our human children‘s baby books? I know, I know: this book is clearly for people who don’t have human children. I thought that it was interesting that it includes a spread about being a “show dog” with spaces for special honors received. So even parents of furry children can feel guilty that they’re not making the most of their beloved darlings’ potential!

At Old Navy, we determined that this season’s sundresses look way cuter on the mannequins than on me. Alas.

The girls were delighted to discover the first dandelions of the season. Annoying and mundane for adults, beautiful and exciting for kids, especially J. The first dandelion bouquet of the season is one of the joys of parenthood.

Besides, I think that we were the only people having lunch at Panera with a centerpiece.

Then it was on to sandals shopping. This caused M quite a bit of sorrow, because she wants wants these sandals very badly. But she’s still size 1 or 2, which means girls’ sizes. Over the weekend, she came home from a birthday party reporting that the 9-year-old hostess wears (and I quote!) “a ladies size 8.” She’s so jealous. I tried to explain that, while the poor shoe selection is a hardship for her right now, her poor friend who’s already a size 8 at age 9 has far more shoe-selection woes in her future.  She remains unconvinced. If anyone has seen similar shoes anywhere, I’d love to hear about them.

Finally,  the girls resorted to making their own fun with a game of creep-around-the-stone-Target-pillars while we waited for our ride.

Incidentally, on the ride back to the dealer, both girls agreed that they preferred the dealer’s car to our own. They argued that we should buy a new car. I would, I agreed, except that I just dropped a few hundred dollars to stop our current car from making noises.

All in all, not the most exciting start to a week’s vacation. Hope you all had more fun.

I have to say, that giveaway was much more fun for me than I expected. I know, in theory, that people are out there reading, but actually hearing from people feels so much more personal. Many comments were funny and creative. . . it made me glad that I’d said I’d choose randomly, because if I’d had to decide, it would have been difficult! So I thank you all for participating.

Between us, we had about 6 clown- or trapeze-wannabes, ten people working with animals somehow (riding elephants was popular, but we not only had a lion tamer, but a lion). Two ringmasters, 2 commenters shooting out of cannons, someone to ride in the motorcycle cage, 3 acrobats, and someone to protest the circus. Plus many people who would just like to go, two very kind comments thanking me for the blog, and a bunch of people who assigned every member of their family a circus job.

One circus-goer reminds everyone that if you do go, you should get there early for the pre-show, because you get to go up-close with the animals. Someone also asked about the elephants on the streets, and I’m supposed to be getting an email with those details to pass along to you.

Anyway, after reading all the delightful comments, I plugged the total number into random.org and the randomly-selected winner of the first Family 4-packs of tickets is . . . John, comment #32!

Yay!

For the second circus giveaway,  another Family 4-pack of tickets for Opening Night at the Circus, which is Thursday, May 5th, at 7 pm, you need to work for an entry, but I’m giving you two possible ways to enter. And also your chances might be a bit better because fewer people will try. You can choose either, or, if you’re super-motivated, you can enter twice.

Entry #1: Go to the playground survey and fill out information about a playground that isn’t already on the playground list. Then, comment on this post to report which playground you’ve done so that no one duplicates efforts.

Entry #2: Share Capital District Fun on Facebook. To do this, go to the Capital District Fun page on Facebook, and if you’ll scroll down, you’ll see in the left-hand column that there’s the option to Share. Click Share and say something nice about the blog or me or whatever. You can share ever if you don’t already “like” Capital District Fun, although you do already have to be on Facebook.  Then comment on this post to report that you’ve shared.

If you choose to enter twice, I’d appreciate it if you’d comment twice, just because it’s easier for me.

These entries are due by Wednesday the 20th at 9 pm.

Phew! Here’s what I’ve found for spring break. As always, please let me know if I’ve missed something. Keep in mind that regularly scheduled events might be suspended this week. In the morning I’ll be posting the results to the first Circus Giveaway and instructions for the next one–I’d hoped to do it tonight, but just listing all of these events has exhausted me.

All Week:

• It’s the Gillette Carnival at Rotterdam Square Mall.
• Wednesday through Friday, kids can go on an Easter Egg Hunt in the Howe Branch Library.
• On Thursday and Friday, Schenectady Museum has extra hands-on activities and planetarium shows.
• The Albany Institute of History & Art has Book Making Art Workshops on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. The programs are from 9 am to noon for 6- to 8-year-olds, and from 1-4 pm for 9- to 13-year-olds. Each 3-hour workshop is $20/non-member, and you can register for them online.
• The New York State Museum has extra activities each day from 1-4 pm, including skits by Drama Kids on Tuesday and planetarium shows for kids 5 and up on Friday.
• I love Steamer 10 Theatre on vacation! I’m listing the different shows for each day.
• The Hyde Collection has Vacation Art Studio Classes, but folks were supposed to have already registered–not sure if they’d let you in or not.

Monday, April 18th:

• Take a Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt any time today at Up Yonda Farm.
• Tanglewood Marionettes present The Dragon King at 10 am, 1 pm, & 3:30 pm at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• Take a Forest and Wetland Walk at Wilton Wildlife Preserve at 10:30 am.
• At 1 pm, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is showing Chicken Run. Drop in.
• There’s an Earth Day Family Festival from 1-3 pm at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. Free with museum admission.

Tuesday, April 19th:

• Look for Signs of Spring at 10 am at Thacher Nature Center.
• There will be a Nature Craft Activity available between 10 am and noon at Wilton Wildlife Preserve.
• Danna Banana’s Rock ‘n Rollercoaster is performing at 10 am & 1 pm at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• There’s a program called Squirrels for Kids at 10 am at Five Rivers. Pre-register.
• It’s Jazz for the free Tuesday at Noon concert at St. Paul’s in Troy.
• At 1 pm, there’s a program designed for young children looking for Nature Shapes at Up Yonda Farm. $4/person.
• From 1-3 pm, go on a Treasure Hunt at Grafton Lakes State Park. For kids 5 and up, registration is required, $3/person.
• Folks from the Scotia-Glenville Museum are teaching about Mysterious Bats at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. It’s 1 pm for k-2, 2:15 pm for grades 3-5. You must pre-register.
• It’s a Magnetic Poetry Bash from 2-3 pm for elementary-school kids at Bethlehem Public Library.
• Elementary-school kids can have some Vacation Week Fun with folks from the Tang Museum at 3 pm at Woodlawn Library. Pre-register.
• Go on a Frog Watch from 7-8:30 pm at Saratoga Spa State Park. Register; it’s $3/person or $5/family. Bring flashlights.

Wednesday, April 20th:

• Roger the Jester is performing at 10 am & 1 pm at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• Build a Nest Box at Thacher Nature Center at 10 am. You must pre-register, and it’s an $8 materials fee.
• At 11 am, it’s the Pilly Soems of Shel Silverstein at Guilderland Public Library for 1st to 3rd graders. Participants must pre-register.
• At 11 am, kids can bring a bucket for the annual Fish Restocking at Saratoga Spa State Park.
• The College of St. Rose has an Earth Day Fair from 10 am ’til 2 pm on the Campus Lawn, and a  Children’s Wellness/Fitness Fair at 1 pm in Nolan Gymnasium. It’s free.
• At Ten Broeck Mansion, they’ll be making Tie-Dyed Easter Eggs at 1 pm. It’s billed as a family-friendly workshop, although young kids will need help. It’s $10/person, and pre-paid reservations are due by the 18th.
• At 1 pm, kids can Build a Soda Bottle Bird Feeder at Up Yonda Farm. Pre-register online; the cost is $12/kit.
• Folks from Creative Dance Arts will teach kids to dance at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. K-2 kids will dance at 1 pm, grades 3-5 at 2:15 pm. Pre-registration is required.
• Schenectady Theater for Children‘s presenting It’s Raining Tamales! at 2 pm at the East Greenbush Public Library. Register online.
• Kids ages 3-10 are invited to a Fancy Nancy Cupcake Party at 2:30 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library. Sign-up is required. Wear your fanciest dress, but bring an apron.
• From 3-4 pm, it’s Cooking Around the World for kids 5 and up at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. Pre-register; it’s $10/child.
• Kids can do a Spring Break Craft from 4-5 pm at the Delaware Branch Library.
• It’s Open Mic Night for teenagers from 7-8 pm at Guilderland Public Library.

Thursday, April 21st:

• Take a Nature Walk at Peebles Island State Park at 9:45 am.
• The Gizmo Guys are performing at 10 am & 1 pm at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• There’s a program on Birding for Kids at 10 am at Five Rivers. Pre-register.
• Kids 8 and up can learn what to do if they’re Lost in the Woods at 10 am at the East Greenbush Public Library.
• At 10:30 am, you can take the first-ever hike on a new trail at Wilton Wildlife Preserve.
• The Albany Heritage Visitors’ Center Henry Hudson Planetarium has a show called Stars of the Pharaoh at 11 am. It’s best for grades 3 and up.
• Schenectady Theater for Children‘s presenting It’s Raining Tamales! at 11 am and 2:30 pm at the downtown Schenectady Public Library. Just show up.
• Kids can participate in fun and games Out and About from 1-2 pm at Up Yonda Farm. $4/person.
• From 1-2:30 pm, participate in a Trout Discovery and Stocking Program at Grafton Lakes State Park. $2/person, $5/family.
• Kids in grades 2-5 can do Math Crafts at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library at 2:30 pm. Pre-registration is required.
• From 6-7:30 pm, teens can participate in a workshop called You Can Do a Graphic Novel with author Barbara Slate at Guilderland Public Library. Pre-register.

Friday, April 22nd:

• Do Self-Guided Earth Day Activities any time today at Up Yonda Farm. $4/person.
• Observe Earth Day at Thacher Nature Center: spend an hour cleaning up, then decorate a canvas bag. $2 material fee.
• Silly Billy is going magic at 10 am & 1 pm at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• In Niskayuna, they’ll have their Easter “Parade” on Friday, April 2nd, at 10 am at the Town Hall.
• At 10 am, celebrate Earth Day by helping to clear habitat for butterflies at Wilton Wildlife Preserve.
• From 10 am to 2 pm on Friday and Saturday, George’s Nursery in Latham will have live bunnies. If it’s pretty you’ll have good photo ops with all the flowers.
• There will be a Lunch Hour Bicycle Parade in Albany near City Hall in celebration of Earth Day.
• Kids in grades 3-5 can participate in Lego Club at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. Pre-registration is required. Use the library’s Legos or bring your own.
• They’re watching Tangled at 3 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• Silly Billy is Dr. Blood at 3:30 pm  at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• At 7 pm, they’re showing Ferngully: The Last Rainforest at Guilderland Public Library.

Do you wear your favorite team’s colors for an important game? Or when you’re behind a car that hasn’t noticed that the traffic light’s turned green, do you say things like, “Okay, sir! Time to go! Move along, please!”

It’s not effective. Probably. Except I feel compelled to do things like that.  Somehow it makes me feel better. It allows me to pretend that I have some sort of control of the situation.

So after today’s miserably cold and gloomy Saturday, it occurred to me that I still had an “Embrace Winter” page over there on the right-hand column of the blog. Well, I no longer embrace winter.  I renounce winter, I cast winter aside with scorn. Begone, winter! And so  I made that page disappear, and I’ve replaced it with a Warm Weather’s Here page instead. Okay, so technically warm weather isn’t exactly here. But maybe if I just keep saying it, it will become true. If you’ve been reading for a while, it’s pretty much old news, but if you’ve only known about Capital District Fun for a few months, this page has a round-up of posts on playgrounds, pools, ice cream, and miscellaneous warm-weather destinations. And of course I’m always looking for suggestions.

Meanwhile, filed under the splendors of the internet, did you already see Tina Fey’s Prayer for Her Daughter? I laughed, I cried. And speaking of cool women, one of the blogs in my Google Reader that some of you might enjoy is Lady Journos! Basically it’s links to an eclectic mix of articles written by women.

Those very kind people at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have shared some tickets with me so that I can share them with you. Hooray!  I’m also excited because one of the things I tend to forget is the free events surrounding the whole circus brouhaha, like when the animals all parade from the train to the TU Center, or other stuff that, hello, I didn’t even realize that they did, like feeding the elephants outside and inviting the public to come watch. So this year I’ll be super-informed and will make sure you know when and where on things like that.

Of course I’m also excited because I  got free tickets for myself, too.  Sometimes people will offer me something, and it’s either not my style, or it’s not fun for families, or it’s just plain yucky. So it’s a rare occasion when I can accept something super- delightful  (like delicious baked goods) that I think many readers will want and enjoy. And as I’ve mentioned before ,we love the circus. In fact, when I sat down at the computer this morning, I was confused for a minute until I realized that M had added some editorial notes to my “to do” list.

Good handwriting, right? I know: she’s a prodigy.

Anyway, I also got a list of facts about this circus tour, like that there are 350 members of the tour, 130 of whom are performers, and they come from 15 different countries and speak 10 different languages. And that they’ve got a nursery, daycare, and school for the families that travel along. And that they’re wearing  3,168,000 rhinestones and sequins in the production. All of which kind of makes me want to join. Except, can you imagine if poor M got train sick, too? That’s no way to live. We’ll have to content ourselves with watching.

To enter to win a Family 4-packs of tickets for Opening Night, which is Thursday, May 5th, at 7 pm, comment once on this blog post by Sunday at 11 pm. You can say anything, but if you need an idea, tell me what your act would be if you ran off to join the circus. I’m going to choose one comment randomly , and I’ll let you know via email by 10 am on Monday if you’ve won. I’ve got a second set to give away, too, but I’m thinking about making people work a bit harder for that set, so stay tuned.  Meanwhile, if  you want to buy tickets because you never win anything, here’s the link. If you luck out, I’m sure that we can find someone to take them off your hands.

We continue to struggle with sickness and long division, but the enforced distracted puttering in the house has at least caused me to get lots of boring household stuff done. I steam-cleaned the living room, reorganized our file system, and “processed” the boxes of spring hand-me-downs, which always feels like an enormous job.

Last night that I mentioned that I meant to get to food questions for the blog, and there are two of them. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I occasionally do a recipe series, like my posts on  Detox Dips or Holiday Deliciousness. So my two questions are:

• Should I do a single page with a list and links to all of the recipes in the blog for easy reference?
• Should I do another series of recipes, like maybe “Go-to Dinners”?

If you don’t care or if you never, ever have any interest in the recipes, just don’t bother saying anything. If a couple of people say “Oh yes please” in the comments to either question, I’ll go ahead with it. If you have a go-to dinner that you think other people would like, I’d love it if you shared it with me via email. If you’ve tried a couple of my recipes and you hated them, you don’t need to tell me. It will hurt my feelings, and I’ll cry myself to sleep tonight. Well, I won’t actually cry. Probably. Unless my “likes” go down on Facebook at the same time, and then I’ll definitely descend into a shame spiral. And yes, I know that this means that I have self-esteem issues. I would like to be less hyper-sensitive and shallow, but I’m a work in progress.

Okay, enough with the interactive-cum-confessional portion of the blog post. Here’s what I’ve found for this weekend:

All Weekend:

• The Theater Project is presenting To Kill a Mockingbird at the Golding Middle School Theater in Cobleskill. $8/adults, $5/students.
• The Gillette Carnival will be in the parking lot of the Rotterdam Square Mall. Rides galore–I’d love to hear a report from anyone who goes.
• Blue Man Group is at Proctors. This show is goofy and fun and billed as appropriate for all ages.

Friday, April 15th:

• Tumbling Tykes in Latham is having an Easter Party from 3:30-4:15 pm for children under 2, and4:30-5:45 pm and 6:15-7:30 pm for all ages. Easter Bunny, activities, and a snack. $10/non-member.
• It’s National Day of Silence to call attention to anti-LGBT bullying, and at the end of the day, gay youth can break the silence at The Egg from 4-8 and/or take a shuttle to dance off that silence at the First Unitarian Society of Albany, both sponsored by GLSEN.
• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• Take an Almost Full Moon Hike at the Albany Pine Bush from 7-8:30 pm. Pre-register; its $3/person, $5/family.
• There’s the last Family Barn Dance of the season at 7:30 pm in Delmar. If you’re interested in doing this sometime, show up for this night, because they’re trying to decide if they should do the series again next year.
• St. Rose Jazz Ensemble and the Empire State Youth Orchestra are having a free concert at 7:30 pm at St. Rose.

Saturday, April 16th:

• Do some trail clean-up at Grafton Lakes State Park this morning.
• The Crossings has an Easter Egg Hunt with Mr. & Mrs. Bunny  from 10 am to noon. The Easter Egg Hunt starts promptly at 10 am, and folks who’ve gone say the eggs disappear quickly. Crafts and snacks, too.
• At 10 am, the Annual City of Cohoes Easter Egg Hunt will be held at George Street Park.  The Easter Bunny will be there for photo ops.
• Faddegon’s Nursery has an Easter Egg Hunt from 10 am to 3 pm.  This event isn’t listed on the website, but I called to check in.
• The Malta Community Center is having an Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt from 10-11 am today, but pre-registration is required (it can be done online) by April 8th. It’s $6/resident, $7/non-resident.
• Take a Hike to High Point from 10 am to noon at Thacher Park. Call to register.
• From 10 am to 4 pm, it’s Civil War Living History Day at Mabee Farm in Schenectady. It’s free.
• From 10 am until 7 pm, its the Kidsfun Summer Expo at Colonie Center. Lots of representatives of summer camps will be there.
• The Town of East Greenbush is hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt’s at 11 am, and they’re asking people to come at 10:30 am.
• B95 has their Annual Easter Egg Hunt at  Clifton Park Center.  Easter egg hunts run from 11 am to 1 pm, divided by age group, with plenty of other activities as well. A friend who’s been to lots of area events says it’s well-run and one of her favorites.
• There are 11 am & 1 pm Planetarium Shows at the Henry Hudson Planetarium at the Albany Visitors Center.
• It’s Little Wonders of Science for preschoolers from 11 am to noon at the Schenectady Museum. Free with museum admission; call ahead to register.
• There’s a Fancy Nancy Tea Party at 11 am at the Mohawk Commons Barnes & Noble. With snacks. Dress fancy!
• There’s a Science Discovery Demo from noon to 12:30 pm at the Schenectady Museum. Free with museum admission.
• From 12-3 pm, Sloppy Kisses in Saratoga Springs will have Easter pictures and a Canine Easter Egg Hunt.
• At 1 pm, take a Forest and Meadow Walk at Wilton Wildlife Preserve. Pre-registration is appreciated.
• It’s Family Fun Day from 1-4 pm at the New York State Museum.
• It’s a Tang Family Saturday from 2-3:30 pm. This is free, but call to register.
• The Hudson Opera House (which, okay, is about an hour away) is presenting Visible Fictions, Scotland Shopping for Shoes at 2 pm and 8 pm.  $10/adult, $5/student. Funny story about free trade, among other things.

Sunday, April 17th:

• Sloppy Kisses will have  a special doggy celebration from 11 am to 2 pm at Clifton Park Center.
• Faddegon’s Nursery has an Open House from 11 am to 4 pm.  There are door prizes, refreshments, and the Easter Bunny.  A friend who tries to go every year says that it’s great and very low-key, and it’s terrific for pictures because of all of the beautiful flowers. This event isn’t listed on the website, but I called to check in.
• The Helderberg Kiwanis Maple Festival runs at the Knox Fire House from 11 am to 3 pm. $8/adult, $5/kids 6-12, kids 5 and under are free. Pancakes, Easter egg hunt at 2 pm, pony rides, and more.
• Jonesville Fire Department (Clifton Park) is holding their annual Easter party from 12:30 to 2 pm. Easter Bunny, light refreshments, and fire truck rides.
• The Saratoga Jaycees are sponsoring an Hop Out Hunger Easter Egg Hunt from 2-4 pm.  Please bring non-perishable food or monetary donation for the local food bank.
• Take a Discovery Hike from 2-4 pm at the Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; it’s $2/person, $5/family.

I’m having one of those nights when there are so many stories to tell, I just can’t choose. So I’ll try to do short versions of a few until you or I get bored and move on.

First, I never reported on our lovely date on Saturday. We went to Cella Bistro and had, among other things, my beloved mushroom salad. Oh my goodness I love that salad. It is so, so delicious. Although with the cheeses and pancetta and the oil, it doesn’t seem like it really deserves to be called a salad. Which reminds me of a time when I went to Colorado visiting some of Cute W’s relatives, and we’d just been eating such an astounding variety of truly bad-for-you foods, and then we went to the grocery store and W’s aunt said that we needed salad, and I was thinking oh yes please! and started walking toward the greens, but she turned the other way and headed for the macaroni, pasta, and potato salads at the deli counter. I should have known.

After food, it was David Sedaris. He was funny, and it was endearing that he was disappointed when we didn’t laugh at one of his lines and so he scratched at it with a pencil. But we did not wait in the colossally long book-signing line afterward because we were on the babysitter clock. It reminded me, though, that I’ve been fortunate in my brushes with Favorite Authors. Just a couple of years ago, Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke at a meeting for Cute W’s work, and he arranged for me to be the book-signing assistant, which meant that I sat next to her and made sure people had their books open to the correct spot to move things along. So I got to listen in to all the patter while vibrating with excitement.

Doris & Me

Years before that, I went to a series of talks that Madeleine L’Engle used to give at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine during Lent. At one, she was leading a discussion of one of her recent books, and I was sitting up front and I answered a question by pointing out one of the passages, and I can’t remember what it was about, but she was very pleased and she asked me to read the page to everyone. Which I did, all the while thinking, “holy crap, I’m reading Madeleine L’Engle to Madeleine L’Engle.” By the time I finished I almost had to put my head down between my knees. So you can see, perhaps, that waiting in a very long line to not even make eye contact seems potentially unsatisfying and tawdry.

Okay! That’s the date. What about today, you wonder? Well, this afternoon included a delightful blend of vomit clean-up and long division! Oh, yes! Poor J isn’t feeling well, and she was  particularly pathetic in the afternoon, so I was sitting right next to her while she was lying on the couch, one hand on her hair, the other clutching a days-old section of the New York Times, when she started to make strange little noises that should have told me that even though she’d only complained of a headache (her eyebrows hurt, is how she still says it, precious thing), in fact we were heading into a new and messier phase of illness. But I was slow to comprehend (or in fact in denial), so both of our outfits, the sofa cushion, the blanket, the rug, her small stuffed dog, her large stuffed dog, and, indeed, my newspaper paid the price. We were still in triage mode when M arrived home, sneaking up and Boo-ing us, which caused me to shriek and J to burst into tears.

From there it degenerated, as M felt compelled to immediately plunge into her homework. She generally finds math pretty easy, but when it’s a new concept she always spends the first day certain that she will never, ever understand how to do this, and she becomes so focused on the existential despair that she loses track of the simplest steps. In this case, the steps were Division, Multiplication, Subtraction, Bring Down, which were explained using the mnemonic device Dirty Marvin Smells Bad. In between trying to figure out how to make the steam cleaner work, getting J fresh bowls, and coaxing M through the steps, I couldn’t help trying to come up with a better device.  Daisies Make Spring Better? Dogs Must Sometimes Bark? Why, oh why, do we have to come up with a mnemonic device that encourages rude, bullying behavior? I didn’t bring this up with M. I’m sure that she’d roll her eyes. And there was plenty of eye rolling and gnashing of teeth as it was. But seriously, even is Marvin is a figment of a math imagination, why not go for a little civility? Or am I being freakish?

Enough. I have a whole entire steam cleaner story, not to mention food-on-the-blog questions, but we’ve got lives to live, right people? And tomorrow is another day.

There are several different fun events coming up to benefit some good causes, so I thought that I’d give you a little time to plan.

Can Football

From Thursday April 14th until Thursday April 28th, the New York State Museum has a special Canstruction exhibition. Ten super-cool designs created with cans, and when the exhibition is over, the cans all go to food pantries. Visitors are encouraged to bring cans along to donate as well.

At noon on April 23rd, people all over will participate in The Great Cloth Diaper Change, hoping to set a world record. Locally it’s led by Sonrise Diaper Service, but it’s also part of a Natural Parenting Expo from 11 am to 2 pm at United Calvary Methodist Church in Latham.

On April 23rd, Danceland in Latham is hosting a fundraising event for Japanese Earthquake Relief from 1-7 pm. Dance, martial arts, and crafts. It’s free, but you better take some money to give.

On Sunday, May 1st, Tree Paad in Malta is hosting a fundraiser for Support One Family, an organization founded by a local mom to support families of children who have vascular malformations. From 10 am until noon, there’s unlimited play, which usually costs $20, available for $12 in advance or $15 at the door. So you save money while feeling all good about yourself for helping families in need.

How crazy it is that my house was too cold today, so I opened up the windows to let some of the hot air in? It worked, too. There were these bizarre gusts of hot air.

We’re loving the excellent weather. The only sad part is that Cute W is out of town, so he missed our outdoor fun yesterday. There’s a creek that runs right alongside our church, so instead of letting the children run themselves into a frenzy indoors (which they often do), everyone skipped coffee and reported outside immediately.

There were signs of spring all over. And there’s just something about mucking around in a creek, isn’t there?

Somehow my kids managed to stay pretty dry, which was especially funny because their friends were soaked and muddy.

There was also wildflower picking, ice cream eating, and grilling outside at my friend’s house, where they took pity on me because I was lonesome for adults. Or possibly because they’re recruiting for a sister wife. It’s unclear. Whatever. I didn’t have to wash dishes.

What a great day, right? And tomorrow the high is in the freakin’ 80s! Yes, please. Don’t start that whole whiney thing, oh, it was too cold, now it’s too hot, boo-hoo-hoo. . . shut up. This is awesome. This isn’t snow. Bring it.

Here’s what I found for this week:

All Week:

• The Gillette Carnival will be in the parking lot of the Rotterdam Square Mall for the next two weeks.
• Blue Man Group opens on Tuesday and continues through the weekend at Proctors. This show is goofy and fun and billed as appropriate for all ages.

Monday, April 11th:

• From 9 am to noon, the Delmar La Leche League is getting together at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• At 6:30 pm, it’s Pajamarama at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Tuesday, April 12th:

• It’s Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s.
• The Mohawk Commons Barnes & Noble has an American Girl Night at 6:30 pm.
• Go on a Frog Watch from 7-8:30 pm at the Saratoga Spa State Park. Call to register; it’s $3/person, $5/family.

Wednesday, April 13th:

• At the Rensselaer County Historical Society, it’s Mornings at the Museum, a preschool story time at 10 am. Watch out: it’ll be dirty.  Register; it’s $5/child.
• At 10:30 am, Rain or Shine, it’s Reading Time at the New York State Museum.

Thursday, April 14th:

• It’s Little Wonders of Science for preschoolers from 11 am to noon at the Schenectady Museum. Free with museum admission; call ahead to register.
• Imagination Movers’ “In a Big Warehouse” is playing at Glens Falls Civic Center at 3:30 & 6:30 pm. I’m pleased to report that I have no idea who the hell they are. The opening act is called Choo Choo Soul. That so sounds rockin’, am I right? Enjoy.
• At 6 pm, Vanderheyden Hall presents the Harlem Rockets Comedy Basketball are playing at Troy High School. $10/adult, $8/kids 12 and under at the door.

Friday, April 15th:

• Tumbling Tykes in Latham is having an Easter Party from 3:30-4:15 pm for children under 2, and4:30-5:45 pm and 6:15-7:30 pm for all ages. Easter Bunny, activities, and a snack. $10/non-member.
• It’s National Day of Silence to call attention to anti-LGBT bullying, and at the end of the day, gay youth can break the silence at The Egg from 4-8 and/or take a shuttle to dance off that silence at the First Unitarian Society of Albany, both sponsored by GLSEN.
• Take an Almost Full Moon Hike at the Albany Pine Bush from 7-8:30 pm. Pre-register; its $3/person, $5/family.