Posts from — July 2011

I know. I didn’t post last night. The girls have been going to bed later during the summer, and it’s wreaking havoc on my blog schedule. So I thought that I’d try a morning post for a change of pace.

I’ve had a great morning! Lately J has not been wanting to go to camp, but this morning was smooth as could be. M slept in until I woke her up at an unheard-of 8:30 am (is it those room-darkening curtains?), and I feared that she’d feel rushed and J would be weepy. But no! They happily dressed for special days at their respective camps (J was a cowgirl for Wild West Day, M was a pirate for Halloween in July), even negotiating who would get the red bandana without escalating into High Drama. Then sweet big-sister M walked J to camp, because J’s been acting fine all morning and then losing her nerve as soon as M’s out the door. So I not only avoided drama, I experienced Beautiful Sisterly Love.

In other morning news, I’m a massive creature of habit, and one of them is that I’ve been an obsessive oatmeal eater for years. For a long time I’d eat 1/2 cup of oatmeal made with skim milk, 2 chopped dried apricots, some frozen raspberries, some walnuts, and a tablespoon of my “breakfast blend” of wheat germ, flax seed, and wheat bran. Super-healthy, in theory, but a lot of food. I wake up hungry.  More recently I dropped it down to 1/3 cup and skipped out on the apricots, but I’ve still been thinking that I just have to do more veggies and protein in the morning. Protein because I can really tell when it’s missing, and veggies because who doesn’t need more veggies. But it’s been a struggle to find something appealing.

I think I’m finally having some success. I’m eating one egg, an egg white, a handful of spinach, and whatever random vegetables or beans I have around, and some salsa.

Except, I don’t know, this looked better in person, I think:

Today it was red pepper, a couple of mushrooms, spinach, black beans, and salsa. It’s seriously a massive amount, a heroic amount of vegetables. And it’s not bad. I thought of this partly becauseThe Profussor recently did a post on making eggs in the morning, basically telling readers that it’s easy to make eggs and that they should avoid the microwave. And this was easy, actually. Except that I hate to clean egg pans. Would you believe that I don’t own a cast-iron skillet? I know that you’re shocked. It should probably go on my birthday list (hint, hint, family!). Right now I’m at the stage where I don’t exactly savor my breakfast, but I feel tremendously virtuous and I don’t gag (this is not a joke–there have been some gag-worthy egg white concoctions in my past).  So it’s a step in the right direction, and I’m optimistic about my breakfast future. Although I’m open to suggestions, if anyone has super-healthy breakfast recipes to share.

And best of all, I located some old writing that I’d done for the now-defunct CBS 6 blog. There were a couple of essays that I’d written that had disappeared into the ether, and occasionally I’d pine for them. So I might run a few of them in the near future. I’m hoping that the very few stalwart readers who were actually around and bothering to follow the links back in 2010 will forgive the repetition. . . right? right?

I dropped by GE’s Kids Day in downtown Albany today before rushing home to watch soccer (No. I don’t want to discuss it.), and it was a delightful event. Seriously, if you’ve ever gone to the Tulip Festival and thought, gosh, this would be more fun if there weren’t All of These Freakin’ People, then this is the event for you. I feared–and perhaps others did, too–that the hot sun slamming against all that white concrete would make it horrible. In fact, the girls stayed behind to go swimming with Cute W. But most of the activities were on shady little patches of grass that I hadn’t noticed before. Plus, free pony rides!

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, who skips an event with ponies to go to a non-pony event? Apparently, many people, because it was pretty quiet while I was there. There were several bounce houses, performers, and experiments with cheerful GE helpers, making it an excellent destination for, say, the 10-and-under set.

Here’s what I’ve found for this week:

All Week:

• There are Valleycats games  Monday through Wednesday.
• The Colonie Library has lots of  summer programs all week.
• It’s the Saratoga County Fair July 19th to 24th.
• The Troy Library has several programs–click the link or check comments below for details.

Monday, July 18th:

• It’s a drop-in Tot Time from 1-2 pm at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. For infants to aged 24 months and their caregivers.

Tuesday, July 19th:

• Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady is showing Ramona and Beezus for free today and tomorrow. Doors open at 9:30 am, movies are at 10 am.
• Regal Cinemas in Crossgates is showing Alpha and Omega and the Tale of Desperaux  today and tomorrow at 10 am. Tickets are $1.
• Learn about Animals Around the Globe at 2 pm at the Guilderland Public Library.
• At 10 am kids 3 to 7 can learn about A World of Music at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library with Lisa Russo. Registration is required.
• Kids 8 and up will work together to make Balloon Race Cars at 3:30 pm at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology. Register, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 6 pm there’s a free concert at Troy Riverfront Park.
• TS Ensemble are playing at 6:30 pm at Cook Park in Colonie.

Wednesday, July 20th:

• Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady is showing Ramona and Beezus for free today. Doors open at 9:30 am, movies are at 10 am.
• Regal Cinemas in Crossgates is showing Alpha and Omega and the Tale of Desperaux  today at 10 am. Tickets are $1.
• Ruth Pelham’s Music Mobile will be at Central Park in Schenectady at 10 am. This is a free, kid-friendly concert.
• From 2-4 pm, there’s a Storytelling Workshop led by Albany City Council Member Leah Golby at the Albany County DA’s Community Justice Outreach Center at 11 Clinton Avenue. Reserve a spot by emailing cab@albanycounty.com. There’s another tomorrow, and two more next week.
• It’s Alive at Five at Albany’s Riverside Park.
• The Audiostars (party rock) are playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• There’s country music at the Town of Niskayuna Gazebo at 7 pm.
• The Zucchini Brothers are playing at 7 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).
• There’s a concert at 7 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Thursday, July 21st:

• At 10:30 am it’s Bubble Science at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. This program’s for ages 6 and up. Pre-register; it’s $2/non-member.
• It’s Jazz on Jay at noon in Schenectady.
• From 2-4 pm, there’s a Storytelling Workshop led by Albany City Council Member Leah Golby at the Albany County DA’s Community Justice Outreach Center at 11 Clinton Avenue. Reserve a spot by emailing cab@albanycounty.com. There are two more next week.
• It’s Alive at Five at Albany’s Riverside Park.
• Sonny and Perley are playing at Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa at 6 pm.
• There’s jazz at 6:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.
• There’s folk music at 7:30 pm at Tawasentha Park.
• The Not So Common Players are performing Cinderella at 7:30 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).

Friday, July 22nd:

• It’s Free Ice Cream Day as part of the FANS Summer Series at 1 pm at Kelley Park in Ballston Spa.
• The Not So Common Players are performing Cinderella at 7:30 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).

The Too Tall Stilts Guy at GE's Kids Day

J was riding her bike this morning! She still needs practice, but she’s conquered it! Maybe it’s the helmet. I’ve successfully re-curtained the girls’ rooms.

I’m always taking random photos that could be blog posts so that I can share them on nights when I’m feeling lazy and uncreative. Like (you guessed it) tonight.

I’ve said before that I’m not above using stores as entertainment destinations when it’s too cold or hot or rainy to be out and about. Recently I went out with a coffee with a friend at Mocha Lisa’s in Clifton Park Center, and her daughter had a blast exploring New York Toy & Hobby. Turns out it was their go-to hangout all winter. Because, what kid doesn’t love a toy store? But it was even better, with fun extras like a bunny!

The staff was both kind and patient as the customers tested the merchandise, wheeling around doll strollers and bouncing on the mini-tramp.

They also had tons of games, including plenty of our favorite, Gamewright games. Plus a nice selection of independent-store type toys. If you’re checking into going for a visit, the store’s Facebook page seems more helpful than the website.

We’ve had errands to run with the girls all week, but I’ve been procrastinating. Every day was too beautiful to go to the store. And finally, we ran out of days, because M had to pick out a birthday gift for a friend. Even before we’d remembered the birthday, I’d been promising the girls new bike helmets for more than a week. J is still struggling to ride her bike. Honestly, she is riding her bike. She just doesn’t believe it. So every time she realizes that she’s riding, she panics and stops. But she’s trying, and M is a wonderful coach, encouraging her with unbelievable patience and kindness. Plus, their heads are bigger.

As long as I had the girls along at Target, I decided that we should hunt for some light-blocking curtains. J, in particular, has been grouchy from waking up too early. At some point we tried a dark sheet, and it’s really helped, but it’s not too pretty:

And, you know how Target is. I managed to come up with a few additional items. When we got in, some lights were flashing, but we ignored them and started shopping. We had tentatively chosen some curtains when there was an announcement to leave the store. Dang. Apparently, there was some sort of emergency.

We wandered over to Bed, Bath, & Beyond to see if they had better curtains (they didn’t), and when we exited, hopeful that we could go back to Target, there was another truck! Yowza.

So we went into Payless, where J tried on some tap shoes and gave a little show while the salesgirl indulgently looked on. Another peek outside, and we were still Target refugees. And the pool was calling and calling us. The firefighter I consulted predicted another ten minutes, so we headed to Famous Footwear. The girls fell in love with some slippers on clearance and decided that they were worth their own money. Usually they beg me to buy something, and I point out that they can afford it with their piggy bank money, and they decide it’s not worth using their own money, and the matter is dropped. This has happened countless times. Not today.

Finally, we got back into the store. Good thing, because we’d wasted too much time. The pool was calling. We rushed to finish.

We rushed too much. We were driving home when I realized that we’d forgotten the freakin’ bike helmets! The girls were teasing me  because I had written the helmets on the stupid list, but I forgot to check it twice. I reminded her that they were the ones who wanted the helmets, anyway.

We turned back, and then M couldn’t find one that she liked.  At this point she was torn between a new helmet and the pool, but I was relentless. We headed to Plaine & Son where she found a satisfactory helmet in about two minutes. We finally made it to the pool by 4:30 pm.

Oh, and tonight, I was hanging the new curtains during the girls’ bedtimes, and I realized that several panels were the wrong lengths. So I guess I’m shopping again tomorrow. I kind of hope it rains.

I’m still barely recovering from our travels. It’s pretty pathetic, really. A couple of examples: the other day, J was dancing around outside the upstairs bathroom while M showered. “Why don’t you go downstairs?” I asked. “I’m waiting for a place that’s not quite so spidery.” Sure enough, just about every corner of the bathroom was occupied by its own spider and web. J held it for two more minutes while I tossed our 8-legged friends out the window.

Then this morning, I realized that I’d forgotten my CSA pick up. I drove to the farm from a slightly different direction, and I managed to get lost! I mean, if there exists a label for directionally disabled people, I deserve a diagnosis. I had my GPS, but suddenly I couldn’t even remember which street the farm was on. I had to call my friend to talk me through it, and this isn’t some out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere place, it’s firmly nestled in suburbia.

But I made it! I managed to wash & eat a freakish amount of green vegetables today, plus I made pesto and a bean dip to use up some herbs. I even knocked things off of my non-vegetable-related “to do” list. So I might be catching up, finally.

Used these all and more (the berries were easy)!

I’m so glad to be home for the weekend, I can’t even tell you. But I don’t want you to be bored. Here are some things that I’ve found for this weekend:

All Weekend:

• The Not So Common Players are performing Cinderella each night at 7:30 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).
• It’s the Troy Pig Out.
• There are Valleycats games each night Saturday through Wednesday.
• The New York City Ballet continues at SPAC. Keep in mind that most of these performances are GE Kids in Free.

Evening of Friday, July 15th:

• It’s Schenectady County Summer Night from 5-10 pm. The Puppet People, music, fireworks, and more.
• It’s the Howlin’ at the Moon concert at 7 pm Mabee Farm in Schenectady.
• Go on a Full Moon Hike at 8 pm at Up Yonda Farms. $5.
• At dusk, learn about Insects at Night at Thacher Park. It’s free, but call to register.

Saturday, July 16th:

• There’s a Children’s Triathlon at Grafton Lakes State Park at 9 am.
• It’s Thacher Park’s 10th Anniversary! Music, refreshments, and plenty of nature starting at 10 am.
• At Five Rivers, it’s Watchable Wildlife: Birds of Prey at 10 am.
• It’s Canalfest at Mabee Farm in Schenectady from 11 am to 4 pm.
• At Five Rivers, it’s Watchable Wildlife: Skunks at 2 pm.
• Wylder (mostly Motown) is playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• Go Stargazing at 9 pm at Thacher.

Sunday, July 17th:

• Take a 2-hour hike at 9 am along Red Oak Ridge at Moreau Lake State Park. Call to make a reservation. If I were you, I’d bring a swimsuit and stay a while.
• Spend the morning (starting at 9:30 am) helping to clear an invasive species at Thacher Park, and they’ll reward you with a treat in their Parsnips and Popsicles program.
• There’s an free Open House at the Saratoga Race Course from 11 am to 4 pm. Games, pony rides, music, and more.
• The Valleycats are offering a free clinic called Baseball 101 from 12-1:30 pm. Actually, they’re calling it “Baseball 101″ for Mothers and Children. Which just seems like a really stupid title. I mean, what marketer came up with that? No matter how much a mother does or doesn’t know about baseball, it sounds insulting. Of course, I did just accuse local dads of not caring about ballet, so I suppose I can’t cast stones. If you go, they’ll give you a free ticket to the evening game.
• From 12- 5 pm in it’s  GE Kids’ Day at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
• Go on a two-hour Discovery Hike at 2 pm at Albany Pine Bush. Honestly, if it’s hot, I would skip this and wait for a cooler day.
• At 2:45 pm it’s Women’s World Cup Finals, baby!
• It’s country music at the Town of North Greenbush‘s Gazebo at 6 pm.
• There’s a free concert at Central Park in Schenectady at 7 pm.
• Brian Patneaude Quartet (jazz) is playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

We finally made it to SPAC to see the New York City Ballet!

I’ve been meaning to go for years. They’re here, for what? Two weeks or so each summer? And every year I’m either away on vacation or it’s storming on the night I planned to go or something else ridiculous happens to thwart my cultural appreciation aspirations.

This year my clever and motivated friend invited me along to American Girl Night (sponsored by Emma Willard School). Even though we were tired from our weekend away, I couldn’t pass up a free ride with excellent company. The more the merrier! Also driving and navigating intimidates me. Because I’m a bit of a loser.

My friend was rewarded for her motivating karma with a brand-new American Girl doll, Kanani, the girl of the year, for her daughter! We weren’t even at the raffle area, but M was, along with her friends, and she ran to alert her.  It was thrilling for all of them.

New Doll, Happy Winner, and J to left

Besides the raffle, Cute W just asked me, what makes it an “American Girl” night? There were three crafts (stickers on a cardboard visor, ribbons to tie onto a ponytail holder, and a lei to assemble),  tasty treats (sugar cookies and snow cones), and terribly popular photos taken in photobooths from the Saratoga Photobooth Company. Also little bags and magazines. All included with our lawn tickets, which were $20/grown-up and $5/child.

We had an excellent time. J had her buddy L, and M ran into some friends. The actual ballet, for them, was an afterthought. But I’d go again.

If you want to go, here are my suggestions for extra fun:

• Understand that other girls will bring their American Girls, possibly wearing matching outfits doll-girl outfits, possibly very overdressed with heels, while others will be in shorts. That’s okay. Embrace it and do as you wish.
• Pack camp chairs even if you don’t want to sit in them because when people set their chairs directly in front of your blanket, you will resent them. You will wonder how they can sit directly in front of your six-year-old. Let go of this resentment and, instead, bring camp chairs or an extra blanket for a buffer zone.
• Snack in the car as you drive to arrive at 6 pm. But don’t eat all of your snacks/dinner yet.
• Snag a spot, and then, if you’re there early, head for the photobooths first, because those are the longest lines.

Waiting at the photobooths

• Then, after that, eat some free treats.
• By 7 or 7:30 pm, you will hopefully have scooped up all possible AG swag, so settle yourself down and eat some dinner on your blanket.
• The ballet starts at 8 pm, and this is when your older child will realize that she never got a string for her lei, and your younger child will think that possibly she needs to throw up, either because of snow cone excess or the desire to stay happy for her friend instead of consumed with jealousy about the Kanani raffle prize. Well, okay, that won’t happen to you, but something will happen, because the kids were unbelievably overstimulated and now they’re. . . less so. J kept saying, “They need better scenery!”
• So, really, my suggestion would be to bring along someone who doesn’t care about the ballet to take over at this point (perhaps your husband?) so that you can watch the dang ballet.
• Really, come to think of it, your husband would also be good at helping hold all those AG dolls and bags full of crafts before the show, too.
• And then coordinate with some friends and when the ballet starts, the people who are interested in the ballet can slip over to another blanket very far away from your children’s blankets.
• Also, in that case, bring wine. Hopefully you’ll have a friend who is pregnant to graciously drive the grown-ups home at the end of the ballet.
• And if you don’t plan ahead, with the division of labor and the wine and all, maybe you should all just leave at intermission (about 10 pm). Because 2 out of 3 girls who drove home with us were asleep before we hit Ballston Spa.

We extended our weekend away and only arrived home a few hours ago. I have a ton of accumulated outings for the blog, but no energy to go into them tonight. Luckily we have a couple of weeks of absolutely no travel, so hopefully I’ll be able to catch my breath and catch up with everything else soon.

Meanwhile, I recently wrote an article on area alternatives to your “home base” pool for Kids Out and About. I’ve been helping with the Kids Out and About weekly newsletter, too, so if you haven’t signed up for it, you should.   There’s a yellow box in the lower left where you can sign up.

We arrived home and noticed that it’s freakin’ hot in our house. We only have two window AC units, both downstairs. We manage okay with fans upstairs, except that it’s usually still a little too warm for the girls at bedtime. With M’s foot issue and the hot weather last week, I established what turned out to be a dangerous precedent. Usually I tell the girls to hop in the shower if it’s extra hot, but when the shower wasn’t an option, I ad-libbed. I let each girl lie down on the kitchen counter with her head hanging into the sink, then sprayed each head with the faucet sprayer, beauty-parlor-style, for a quick cool-down. I didn’t think much of it (obviously), but they thought it was the Most Fabulous Activity Ever. Apparently, it tickles.

So now I think they might want to do it every evening for the rest of the summer. It means that I have to actually finish all of my after-dinner clean-up, but their shrieks and giggles are absolutely worth it. In fact, now they like to do each other, but I still have to stand guard to cut them off before things deteriorate into a full-on water fight.  Also to keep their flailing bodies from crashing off the counter.  But they get so much joy out of it, and it only takes a couple of minutes. Also, it’s cheaper than more window units.

Sorry that I’ve been such a slacker. Yesterday we visited the National Zoo, today it was the National Museum of American History. In fact, this morning I was standing in front of the Greensboro Lunch Counter trying to explain its historical significance to M when she interrupted me. “Mom,” she said. “Stop explaining it to me if it’s going to make you cry.” She had me. I am such a pathetic history geek.

In between, there’s been copious eating and drinking and staying up too ate for everyone. Hope you all had fun this weekend, too. Here’s what I’ve found coming up this week.

All Week:

• There are several programs at the Bethlehem Public Library, including a kick-off of Kindergarten Boot Camp on Tuesday at 1:30 pm for rising kindergarteners.
• The Colonie Library has lots of  summer programs all week.

Monday, July 11th:

• At 2 pm, elementary-school kids can learn about Wild Weather at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. It’s $2/non-member.
• There’s a home Valleycats game at 7 pm.

Tuesday, July 12th:

• Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady is showing Marmaduke for free today and tomorrow. Doors open at 9:30 am, movies are at 10 am.
• Regal Cinemas in Crossgates is showing How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda  today and tomorrow at 10 am. Tickets are $1.
• At 2 pm, it’s Music and Stories from our African Heritage at the Guilderland Public Library.
• At 6 pm there’s a free concert at Troy Riverfront Park.
• Mixed Company are playing at 6:30 pm at Cook Park in Colonie.

Wednesday, July 13th:

• Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady is showing Marmaduke for free today. Doors open at 9:30 am, movies are at 10 am.
• At 9:30 am, kids ages 2 to 5 are invited to a Kindermusik program at Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady. It’s free, but call to register.
• Regal Cinemas in Crossgates is showing How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda  today at 10 am. Tickets are $1.
• Ruth Pelham’s Music Mobile will be at Central Park in Schenectady at 10 am. This is a free, kid-friendly concert.
• It’s the Albany Institute of History & Art’s ‘Tute for Tots is doing Q-Tip Painting for 3- to 5-year-olds. It’s 10-11:30 am, it’s $7/non-member and you can register online.
• From 10:30-11:30 am there’s a Garden Workshop at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• Circus Smirkus are performing at the Saratoga Race Course at 1 pm & 7 pm today and tomorrow.
• Kids ages 12 to 15 can do a workshop on Shape and Form from 1-4 pm as part of the Albany Institute of History & Art’s Summer in the City. It’s $20/non-member, and you can register online.
• Go Artrageous at 2 pm at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. This program is designed for elementary-school kids, and it’s paper beads.
• At 3:30 pm  it’s Blue Brew for kids ages 8 and up at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-register; it’s $2/non-member.
• There’s a concert at 6 pm at Halfmoon‘s New Town Park.
• SIRSY (alternative rock) is playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• There’s light jazz music at the Town of Niskayuna Gazebo at 7 pm.
• There’s a concert at 7 pm at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Thursday, July 14th:

• It’s Jazz on Jay at noon in Schenectady.
• Circus Smirkus are performing at the Saratoga Race Course at 1 pm & 7 pm today and tomorrow.
• It’s Alive at Five at Albany’s Riverside Park.
• Marty Wendell is playing at Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa at 6 pm.
• There’s classic rock music at 6:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.
• The Guilderland Town Band is playing at 7:30 pm at Tawasentha Park.

Friday, July 15th:

• Face Vase is the Albany Institute of History & Art’s Thursday Art Workshops. For ages 6 to 8, it’s 9 am to noon, and for ages 9-11 it’s 1-4 pm. It’s $20/session for non-members.
• At 10:30 am, the Puppet People are doing a Puppet Show at Round Lake Auditorium. It’s free, designed for ages 4 and up.
• At 1 pm, the Puppet People are doing a Puppet Workshop for kids ages 7 to 12 at Round Lake Auditorium. It’s free.
• Watch Ratatouille at 2 pm at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 3:30 pm it’s Science 101: Parachutes & Helicopters at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. This program’s for ages 5 and up. Pre-register; it’s $2/non-member.
• It’s Schenectady County Summer Night from 5-10 pm. The Puppet People, music, fireworks, and more.
• It’s the Howlin’ at the Moon concert at 7 pm Mabee Farm in Schenectady.
• The Not So Common Players are performing Cinderella at 7:30 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).

Hey. We’re in Washington, DC. Yes, it’s a little bit too much travel too quickly, but it couldn’t be avoided. Hence my tardy post. Also, perhaps some slacking tomorrow.

My children were keeping me humble today. Four actual quotes, all today:

• M: “What’s that on your shirt?” [answer: streaks of deodorant]
• M: “What’s that on your chin?” [answer: a pimple, and thanks for noticing]
• J: “Mommy! You’re supposed to say excuse me when you toot!”
• J: “Mommy, I’ve noticed that since we came back from Lake Placid, there are a lot of cobwebs around here.”

Ah, aren’t they adorable? At least they don’t read and comment on the blog!

M’s doctor’s appointment went better than I feared and not as well as I’d hoped. She’s healing nicely and is cleared to go swimming, while wearing water shoes, starting Monday. I’m anticipating a chilly, rainy day on Monday.

Here’s what I’ve found for this weekend:

All Weekend:

• There are Valleycats games each night.
• It’s Cherry Plain State Park’s Campers’ Weekend.
• The Schenectady Museum has a new Cowboy Astronomy Show.
• It’s the Shaker Summer Craft Fair in Albany.
• It’s Canal Days at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.
• Junior Olympics Track & Field Championships at RPI–see comment below.

Saturday, July 9th:

• They’re doing Geocaching for Beginners at Max Shaul State Park from 10 am to noon.
• Schauber Stables is having a Family Fun Day from 10 am to 3:30 pm.
• From 11 am to 4 pm it’s the Wags and Whiskers Family Fun Fair at Mabee Farm in Schenectady.
• The Town of Wilton is having a Community Day & Parkfest beginning at 11 am in Gavin Park.
• The Delaware Branch of the Albany Public Library is having a Summerfest–it’s listed as all day, but it sounds like the main event is 1-3 pm.
• At 1 pm it’s Twinkle, Twinkle, What’s That Star? at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. This program’s for ages 4 and up. Pre-register; it’s $2/non-member.
• There’s a free Andy the Music Man Concert at 2 pm at Henry Hudson Park in Selkirk.
• The All-Paul Show is playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

Sunday, July 10th:

• The McKrells are playing in the Town of North Greenbush‘s Gazebo at 6 pm.
• It’s Contra Dancing Night at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• There’s a folk concert at 7 pm at Clifton Commons Park (at this link it’s page 12 of 24).

A reader asked on Facebook:

I would love some reviews of the pools at Saratoga State Park. Which is better? Are they typically crowded? Worth the drive from Schenectady? Appropriate for 1 year-old, 3-year-old, 8-year-old? Tips from other moms?

I’ve never gone swimming there (and won’t, of course, today)–anybody else have advice to share?