I can’t seem to post before 11:30 pm this week. I’ve got listings below, but if you’re looking for even more fun, you can also check out this week’s KidsOutAndAbout.com newsletter or click here for my Christmas fun page. And, of course, I love additions in the comments.

All Weekend:

• The Model trains begin at Schenectady Museum.
• The Theatre Institute at Sage is performing Peter Pan at 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday.  $10/adult, $8/students. This continues next weekend.
• Snow White is playing at Steamer 10 Theatre on Saturday and Sunday at 3 pm. It’s $12 at the door or discounted if you purchase ahead or do the Steamer 10 pass.
• The Classic Theatre Guild presents Miracle on 34th Street at Proctors.  Tickets are $17.50/adult, $14.50/students.
• It’s Northeast Ballet’s Annual Nutcracker at Proctors. Tickets $20 to $30.
• Adirondack Ballet Theatre is performing The Nutcracker at the Wood Theater in Glens Falls. Tickets are $16.
• You can have Breakfast with Santa at the Desmond. $20/adult and kids 12 and under free if you donated a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.
•  Disney on Ice’s Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey continues. You can buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com, call  1-800-745-3000 or visit the Times Union Box Office.  Remember that for the Saturday, December 10th show at 7 pm, we’ve got a coupon  code  MOM2011 to save $4 on the $22 or $12 tickets.

Evening of Friday, December 9th:

• From 5:30-9:30 pm, it’s a German-American Advent Celebration at Ten Broeck Mansion. It’s $20/adult, kids 12 and under free.

Saturday, December 10th:

• Learn about A Natural History of Christmas Trees at 10 am at Five Rivers.
• At 10:30 am there’s a Homemade Wrapping Paper Craft at Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; it’s $3/person, $5/family.
• From 10-11 am, kids ages 6 to 10 can do  International Yoga at the  World Awareness Children’s Museum. Included with $5 museum admission.
• Make Homemade Snow Globes from 10 to 11:30 pm at Saratoga Spa State Park. It’s $5/person.
• Santa will be at Troy’s Winter Wonderland from 11 am to 3 pm.
• From noon until 3 pm there’s an Open House at Ten Broeck Mansion. It’s $5/adult, $1/child 12 and under.
• It’s Winter Wonderlark from noon until 5 pm.
• It’s a Candlelight Evening from 3-7 pm at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. It’s $12/adult, $6/kids 7-12, kids 5 and under free.
• Five Rivers. is having a Night Owls and Hot Dogs event at 4 pm, although you were supposed to have already pre-registered, so call first to see if they’ll let you in.
• From 6 until 8:30 pm, a Violin Duo from Empire State Youth Orchestra will be performing at Ten Broeck Mansion. It’s $10/person.
• Take a Moonlight Walk at 7 pm at Thacher. For adults and children over 14.
• There’s a camp-in for groups at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology. It’s $30/child.

 Sunday, December 11th:

• Take a Tree Identification Hike at Saratoga Spa State Park from 11 am to 12:30 pm. $3/person, $5/family.
• Discover the Pine Bush at 1 pm at the Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; it’s $3/person, $5/family.
• It’s a Family Day Festival at the Albany Institute of History & Art, with performances by the Catskill Puppet Theatre at 1 & 3 pm. Free with museum admission.
• At 1 pm it’s a Jr. Birder’s Holiday Votive making session at Thacher. $3/person.
• Santa Claus is coming to Saratoga Automobile Museum from 1 to 4 pm. Free!
• The Empire State Youth Orchestra is performing at 3 pm at the College of St. Rose. It’s $6/adult, $3/student.
• There’s a Family Dance from 4-5:15 pm in Delmar. Suggested donation $5/adult, $1/child.
• Take a Full Moon Hike from 4-6 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• The Glens Falls Symphony is performing at Glens Falls High School at 4 pm. Its $25/adult, $10/student.

M, who was shut out of Girl Scouts in kindergarten, has finally joined a troop. Actually, this marks the girls’ 3rd attempt at joining a troop (M tried one at another school for a bit, J tried this year, but it was way too huge a group for her). So much depends on the leaders, and that is hard work. Her leaders are awesome: welcoming to her, kind to me especially when I screw up and drop her off an hour late (don’t ask), and they do great stuff, including plenty of smarty-pants girl power and community service activities.

M started showing up in October, I think, and she’s already got 4 badges. And I only know this when she happened to bring her sash home after the last outing, because someone who is not me orders and attaches each badge after doing its required enrichment activities. I mean, how much does that rock?

Here’s a favorite tradition they do:  each girl takes a turn bringing Brownie home with her.

Along with Brownie, they get a journal, and each girl writes about what she and Brownie did together. At the beginning of the journal it’s all childish scrawls, and now that they’re 4th graders, it’s much more refined. I love documenting stuff. M made a chart of Brownie’s favorite things and drew an unbelievable portrait of Brownie which I was too unskilled to photograph for you.

At M’s last outing, they brought cookies and sang Christmas carols at the Schenectady City Mission.

With all the time I saved not attaching badges, I whipped up some of our yummiest cookies. M and I agreed that the folks at the mission probably don’t eat nearly enough super-yummy cookies. She was so excited and proud to be a part of it.