Category — Dance

Another big weekend, and it’s finally going to get warmer again–wooo, hooo!   I made the mistake of telling J that we’re going to the playground later to play with her friend, whom I’ll call Streppy McStrepGirl, and now she’s asking me approximately every 3 minutes if it’s time to go yet.  Which is making me nutty because if I could only focus on this for ten minutes, I would be done already.  Instead, I am getting up to give J an underdog or to check & see if the ladybug who appears to be dead still is, in fact, dead (yup) or to play a few minutes of tickle tag.  Seriously, if it were not so fabulous out I would have suggested a tv show by now, but I simply couldn’t it in good conscience with this weather.

Bouquet, Tree Swing, & J's Fabulous Poncho

So, here’s the new early (for me)  edition of the weekend:

All Weekend

• St. Sophia’s Greek Festival has food, entertainment, children’s rides. $3/grown up, kids 12 and under free.  We’re talking carnival rides, here.  Hey if anyone goes on Friday or early Saturday, will you let us know how it is so we can decide if we should go, too?  And if you notice what the carnival company is, I’d love to hear, in case they’ll be traveling to other local spots.
• RPI Young Actors Guild presents Once on this Island Friday & Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
• Saratoga City Ballet will be presenting Hansel and Gretel on Friday & Saturday at Skidmore College.  $18/adult, $12/kids 10 and under.
• It’s Family Fun Weekend at the New York State Museum from 1-4 pm.  The theme is dance, including performances by the Ellen Sinopoli Dancer Company, which I’ve recommended before.
• There’s a Monster Trucks Show at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Friday & Saturday nights.  $51 for a family four pack of tickets.  Just, you know, nobody try to make me go.
• The Saratoga Automobile Museum is having its Spring Auto Show this weekend.  $10/person.
• At Columbia High School, there’s free admission to Parade.  But this isn’t a jolly kids’ fest–it’s the story of Leo Frank and the beginning of the Anti-Defamation League.

Friday, May 14th

• From 4-7 pm, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga is having a Parents’ Night Out for kids 3 and older.  $15/child, and pre-registration and pre-payment are required.  The kids will get pizza and you. . . will not have to eat pizza.  You’ll go someplace more exciting for dinner.
• Author Emily Arnold McCully will be at the Guilderland Public Library with a program for families at 6:30 pm.  I was just saying the other day how much I love Mirette!
• At 7:30 pm, the Empire State Youth Orchestra is presenting a Jazz Ensemble Recital at the College of St. Rose.  $6/adult, $3/kid.
• They’re doing a Star Watch at 8:30 pm at Grafton Lakes State Park.

Saturday, May 15th

• In Troy, there’s a Striped Bass Tournament and Block Party.  It’s $60 to actually register for the tournament,  but might be fun to stop by and see the sights.
• At 8 am, take a Spring Bird Walk leaving from the Thacher Nature Center.  Please pre-register.  It’s a good idea to bring binoculars and keep in mind that there may be grown-ups who will be irritated if your children scare the birds away with their loud kid-ness.  I’ll always let you know if it’s a bird thing designed for kids.
• It’s the Albany Children’s Book Festival at The Albany Academies.  It’s free and it runs from 10 am to 3 pm, including a Storybook Parade at 10:15 am.
• From 10:30-11:30 am, there’s Little Wonders of Science program about zippers for 3- to 5-year-olds at the Schenectady Museum.  It’s free with admission, but you’re supposed to pre-register.    I should say that there are tons of kids’ projects on display right now as part of their Invention Convention.
• Any Arthur fans out there?  The real DW is visiting the Malta Branch of Round Lake Library at 11 am.  You must pre-register.
• Take a Wildflower Walk at 11 am at Thacher Park.  Call for meeting place.
• There are Star Shows at the Henry Hudson Planetarium in Albany at 11 am and 1 pm.
• From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm there’s a Sherman Island Kayak Trip at Moreau Lake State Park.  Call for details.
• The Albany Institute of History & Art is trying their First Annual Tulip Tea with seatings at 1 & 2:30 pm.  $22/non-member.
• At 2 pm, it’s Violin at the Young Musicians Forum at the Niskayuna Public Library.
• See the Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood at 3 pm at Trinity United Methodist Church in Albany.  $10/adult, $8/kids 10 and under.  You can also stay for dinner.

Sunday, May 16th

• Phil from Cooper’s Ark Farm will be bringing baby emus to the Schenectady Greenmarket today.  The farm offers educational family fun tours in the summer, so kids are welcome to interact and pet the emus–it’ll get them acclimated for the summer season.  The Greenmarket  runs from 10 am to 2 pm.
• At 1 pm, there’s a Kids’ Ballroom Competition at Schenectady High School run by Dance Crazy.  It’s a suggested donation of $10/adult.  This is why I love doing this blog!! I had no idea that we have our very own local Mad Hot Ballroom!
• From 1-4 pm, there’s a Teddy Bear Hospital at Albany Medical Center in the Choices Cafeteria.  Bring a stuffed friend for a check up along with plenty of kid-friendly activities, and health information for parents.  Their website isn’t updated, but I’ve seen fliers around as well as listings on various calendars.
• At 1 pm, there’s Nest Box Monitor Training at Thacher Nature Center.  This might be a good project for your older kid/budding naturalist.  You can train for your own backyard or to volunteer over the summer at Thacher.  Call for details/to register.
• Capital District Youth Chorale will hold a free concert at Union College at 3 pm.
• At 4 pm, see Fuego! Fuego at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.  A world dance show designed for families.  $15/adult, $10/13 and under, 3 and under free.
• The Northeast String Orchestra will have a free concert at 6 pm in Clifton Park.

If you make it to a playground that we haven’t put on the playground list, I’d love to hear about it.  If you’re new to the blog, I’ll remind you that you can also check regularly scheduled events at What about TODAY?? and you can “like” me on Facebook–apparently the Facebook folks decided that “becoming a fan” was too much of a commitment for many people.  I have to admit–and I’m not proud of this–that I put way too much stock in the FB page.  Occasionally I’ll notice that I’ve gone down a number, and it’s hard not to take it personally when someone’s decided that they don’t like you, after all.  Or, at least it’s hard for me.  Not that you need to pretend to like me if you don’t, out of pity.  I mean, that would be pathetic.  Right?  On the other hand, I wouldn’t know that it was completely out of pity, would I? So maybe you should, and that could be your good deed for the day. . . . Shameless!!  We’d better move on!

I wanted to throw in a quick plug for the Youth Arts Blog at the Times Union because I found a few different events on this one today.  If you like to frequent kid culture, you should follow it.  They list many more items that I do–I tend to cherry pick only those items by older students (because, let’s face it, the high schoolers are going to perform better than the elementary school kids, generally) doing performing arts that seem to either have wide appeal for children’s entertainment or educational value.

Enjoy the weather, everybody!  Going to put J out of her “misery” and take her to the playground!

Phew!  Tons of stuff to do this weekend again!  And beautiful weather!  Woo, hoo!

If you like to use the Tulip Festival for photo ops with your adorable children, All Over Albany says to go now.  The tulips are ready early.  Maybe I’ll get a new header photo?

It’s also Pottery Fest at the Shaker Heritage Society on Saturday & Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.  Lots of art, pottery demonstrations, tours, and music.  $5/person, kids 12 and under free.

And don’t forget that the farmers’ markets are moving outside this weekend!

Saturday, May 1st

• It’s Free Comic Day!
• There’s a free Children’s Fishing Tournament in Ballston Spa from 7-11 am.  There’s also a 4H breakfast.  Check out the TU Blog for details.
• If you’re up for a drive, admission is free to the Hudson Children’s Book Festival in Hudson, NY.  It’s from 10 am to 4 pm.  The website’s got a list of authors scheduled to appear, including Emily Arnold McCully, author of one of my favorites:  Mirette on the High Wire.
• At Cook Park in Colonie, there’s an American Cancer Society Bark for Life dog-and-their-humans walk.  Even if you don’t register for an event, if you’ve got a dog-lovin’ little kid, what a beautiful day to check out the dogs and play at the playground there.
• Kmart‘s doing a Family Fun Fair including games and a bounce house from 10 am to 4 pm.  It’s at the Clifton Park Kmart today.
• At 11 am, take Time Out for Tales at the Bethlehem Public Library.  It’s for kids under 6 with their families.
• From noon to 4 pm, it’s Living History Day, the annual season-opening  event at Ten Broeck Mansion.  Tours, music, food, pony rides, petting zoo, and, they say, MORE!  Cost isn’t stated, but admission is generally $5/adult, $3/kid 12 and under.
• Do some flower crafts between 1 and 2:30 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  $2/person, $5/family, children under 5 free.  Pre-registration required.
• Take a Tree Hike from 1-3 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• It’s Art for All at the Albany Institute of History & Art.  From 1-4 pm, free with admission.
• One of our readers suggested a May Day political rally at the State Capitol from 1-4 pm.  It’s for those who lean left, but you can check the link for details.  Hey, it’s an easy walk over from the art museum, right?
• Elementary-school kids and their families are invited to a Poetry Slam at the Bethlehem Public Library that starts at 2:30 pm.
• Clinton’s Ditch is still playing at Steamer 10 Theatre at 3 and 7 pm today.
• There’s a Teen Anime Convention from 5-10 pm at William K. Sanford (Colonie) Library.  It’s free, but you must have a ticket.  There’s also a Japanese meal for $12.
• At 7 pm, it’s Jammie Time with Cookie Mouse at the Saratoga Springs Barnes & Noble.  That’s right:  a costumed character who will share some cookies and milk with you.  The rational part of me realizes that this is a pleasant, easy little event for you if you’re nearby and have little kids.  Yet somehow I think that if I actually attended this event I might feel like throwing myself off a bridge because it’s such a world away from a hip, fun, pre-kids Saturday night I used to enjoy.  Maybe the solution is to bring a flask of something to mix into your Starbucks?

Sunday, May 2nd

• Kmart‘s doing a Family Fun Fair including games and a bounce house from 10 am to 4 pm.  It’s at the Albany  Kmart today.
• EMPAC at RPI is having a weekend-long animation festival called onedotzero. They particularly recommend the noon screening of sprites, and it’s free for kids and their adult escorts.  Maybe you could stick around for the concert at 2 (see below)?
• From 12-4 pm, there’s an Albany History Fair at Historic Cherry Hill (yeah, I know that their website doesn’t mention it, but I’ve got my sources).  In addition to tours and an historic game, there will be music and Paul Rosenberg of Homespun will be calling dances when there are willing dancers.
• It’s Sheep to Shawl Family Day at the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa.  $2/person or $5/family.
• It’s India Day from 1-3:30 pm at the National Museum of Dance.  Food, music, sari-wrapping demonstrations, and dancing, including a Bollywood demonstration.  They want you to RSVP via internet, and it’s $5/grown-up, kids free.  Have I mentioned that J and I love-love-love to do the Bollywood Dance Workout together?  So fun!
• At 2 pm, the Albany Institute of History & Art has a family program called Point of Contact: An Interactive Look at Native American Culture.  Historical re-enactors will explain about all sorts of artifacts, which kids will be able to touch stuff, including weapons.  Which, they helpfully explain, will be “rendered inert for safety”.  Umm, good!
• At 2 pm, there’s a free Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble Concert at EMPAC at RPI 2 pm.  (Maybe go to the movie at noon first, listed above?)
• At 2 pm, there’s a Spring Nature Walk at Landis Arboretum.  It’s $25/non-member families.
• From 2-4:30 pm, it’s Fair Trade Chocolate Day at Delmar Reformed Church.  Free and designed for families, it will have samples as well as games and hands-on activities.
• The Spencers Theatre of Illusion is performing at 3 pm at The Palace Theatre in Albany as part of its International Family Series.
• The Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra will be performing at the Troy Savings Bank at 3 pm.  $10/adult and $5/student.  There’s more information on the Youth Arts TU blog.

Hey!  I’m having a splendid day!  Check out this weather, you guys!  Awesome!

I woke up and noticed that my five-year-old had once again made her own bed and tidied up her room.  Then I walked downstairs to find the two girls cuddling and giggling together on the couch.  And then I laughed out loud when I saw how W was preparing for our nursery school’s Silent Auction.   When I was packing lunch, M decided that she’d rather have two carrots instead of Easter candy for the last compartment in her lunch box.  Driving J to school, I spotted a nice, sturdy table at a yard sale, perfect for my screened porch area, and on the way home I nabbed that baby for $5!  Yes! I was going to show you a picture of the newly adorable-ized porch, but it really needs flowers in the window first, so we’ll get to that later.  Then I took a run without getting lost and went 5K.  So, I’m ready to go!  And then, I discovered a way to enjoy a new vegetable which almost rivaled my Roasted Cauliflower Revelation.  I mean, this is like the Day of Awesome.

Pickled Daikons & Carrots

Except, that I am shivering and starving at this moment, because I wanted to get this post done so that I could have a relaxing and enjoyable lunch.  So, as soon as I click publish, it’s right back to Awesome.  Okay, are you ready?

All Weekend

• Don’t forget that the Riverway Storytelling Festival continues through the weekend.  There are plenty of opportunities to hear some great stories at a variety of different locations.  Click the link for the schedule–it’s all free.
• New York State Theatre Institute is still showing Orphan Train.
• Washington County has its annual Farm & Fiber Tour.  There are a variety of locations, so check the link for details.

Friday, April 23rd

• There’s another Wild, Wacky Woodcock Watch at 6:30 pm at the Albany Pine Bush.  Pre-registration required, and it’s $2/person, $5/person.
• Do a Spring Peeper (frogs)  Survey at Five Rivers at 7 pm.  Bring a flashlight and wear your galoshes!
• They’re showing The Princess and the Frog at Schuylerville Public Library at 7 pm.

Saturday, April 24th

• Downtown Troy has an Earth Day Clean Up.  Folks are meeting at 8:30 am at the municipal parking lot on 1st Street between State & Broadway.
• Take a Woods Walk with children’s activities at Dyken Pond from 8:30 am to noon.  $15 fee to support the programs.  Or volunteer to help clear the trails between 1:30 and 4 pm.
• Or take a Spring Overlook Hike at Moreau Lake State Park at 9 am.  Short but sometimes steep hike.  Call for details.
• At Thacher Nature Center at 10 am, they’ll have two short films, a craft, and a snack suitable for ages 8 and up. Please pre-register, and it’s $3/person.
• There’s a Mardi Gras Festival from 11 am to 4 pm in Saratoga.  There’s a parade at noon, a street fair, and plenty of food, including Cajun food from the folks who will be opening   Cafe Nola in the next month or so on lower Union Street in Schenectady.
• The New York State Museum’s celebrating Earth Day from 11 am to 4 pm, plus it’s Creative Art Day from 1-3 pm.  Free.
• Learn about cryptology at Crypto-Clue Finders at the Troy Public Library at 11 am.  For ages 8 and up.
• The Saratoga Springs Barnes & Noble has a storytime devoted to Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire at 11 am.
• Take Time Out for Tales at the Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.  For preschoolers and family.
• There’s a Guided Kayak Trip at Moreau Lake.  It’s from 1-3 pm.  BYOB or rent a kayak for $15.  Call to pre-register.
• Learn about Turtles at the Albany Pine Bush at 1 pm.  Pre-register.  It’s $2/person, $5/family.
• It’s Astronomy Day from 1-4 pm at the Schenectady Museum.  $4 + admission.
• There’s a Family History Hunt at Historic Cherry Hill at 1 pm.  $2/adult, $1/child aged 6-11.  Okay, can I say, I just went for more information on their Facebook page, and they’re having a fabulous time there?  They have a Curatorial Curiosities Series–they post pictures of various doo-hickeys from the collection and people try to guess what they are.
• Wilton Wildlife Preserve is hosting a free Earth Field Day from 1-4 pm.  Compare your talents and abilities to those of local wildlife.
• The Albany Institute of History & Art has Art for All from 1-4 pm.  Free with museum admission.
• They’re having an Earth Day Festival from 1-4 pm at Five Rivers.
• At 2 pm, there’s a lecture about Clothing through the Dutch and then English colonial periods at Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer.  Free.
• Park Playhouse Kidz presents Cupcakes and Cabaret, favorite Disney songs performed by 10- to 13-year-old kids at 4:30 pm at the Delmar Reformed Church  It’s $4/adult, $2/kid, pre-order tickets via email: delmardesignsquad@gmail.com
• 518Fever.com is putting on United4Thacher in support of Thacher Park at Proctors.  Kids activities include clowns, puppets, face painting, and more.Free entry, but of course you’ll want to donate to the cause.
• Smuckers Stars on Ice is at the Times Union Center at 7:30 pm.

Sunday, April 25th

• Downtown Albany Restaurant Week begins today.
• The Baby Expo is at The Desmond Hotel today from 11 am to 4 pm.
• It’s Doggie Earth Day at Saratoga Spa State Park.  Bring your dog along to a park clean up from 11 am to 1 pm.
• There’s the 2nd Annual Clearwater Fundraiser from noon to 7 pm at 28 Stone House Hill Road in Coeymans, NY.   There will be barn dancing from 1-2:30 pm, barbecue for dinner, music jams, and a silent auction.  There’s no cover for this event, but of course you’d want to donate.  It’s being advertised as child-friendly.  I couldn’t find a good link for further info. on the event, but I’ve got it in my email if anyone wants more details.
• The Albany Institute of History & Art has a special Art for All from 1-4 pm.  It’s an Iroquois Beadworking Workshop. Free with museum admission.
• If you still haven’t managed to Discover it yet, go to the Albany Pine Bush at 1 pm.  Pre-register.  It’s $2/person, $5/family.
• Schenectady Theater for Children presents The Mermaid of Edam at Stillwater Community Center at 2 pm.  Neither organization lists it on their website, but I swear I’ve seen it listed in muliple places!
• At the National Museum of Dance’s School, there’s a New York City Ballet audition for girls 8 to 13.
• There’s a classical concert at Schuyler Mansion at 3 pm.  It’s $25/adult, $15/student.
• From 5-7 pm at Proctors, there’s dinner and a music program put together by the Empty Bowls Project of Schenectady.  This is a fundraiser to alleviate hunger, and it’s $20/person at the door or $15/person ahead of time.

I just heard that tonight there’s going to be a Family Dance and Scholastic Bookfair at New Scotland Elementary School.  It’s an Earth Day celebration with dances called by Paul Rosenberg.  It’s open to the public and it starts at 6:30 pm.

I’ve been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on Hulu, and one thing that’s killing me is the commercials.  His whole deal is teaching people how to cook and eat real food instead of processed and packaged junk, and the episodes that I watched in the last day or two included commercials for Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials, Gerber Infant Formula, and frozen Lean Cuisine meals.  I mean, okay, I’ll grant you that it’s better than the deep fried donuts with chocolate icing that that poor mom was making, but I still don’t think Jamie would be all that psyched up about kids drinking chocolate vitamin milkshakes for breakfast.

A friend sent me a link to this list of great children’s novels.  It includes many of my very favorites from all time (#2 and #79, among others), but the exciting thing for me is that I’ve probably only read about half of them, so there are so many more to go!  I am a freakishly habitual reader.  I cannot sleep without reading (and it must be either fiction or non-contemporary non-fiction–if I try to read a magazine or read about parenting or current events it just makes me fret the night away).  I also read while brushing my teeth and blow-drying my hair.  This came up with the stylist at my last haircut, and she was amazed and appalled that I did this.  Clearly, the woman takes hair much more seriously than I do.  But, anyway, even though I must read all the time, sometimes my brain hurts, and one lovely solution is to read children’s novels, which are really good but potentially less challenging and faster to read.   In fact, I only recently read #9, #60, & #93.  And I was like, where have I been all these years?  Caddie Woodlawn completely kicks ass. I mean, you know that I love the Little House books (and tv series), but I get the feeling that Caddie could wipe the floor with Laura if there were some sort of pioneer-girl celebrity death match.

Enjoy the weather, everybody!

I suddenly realized that I have our Nursery School Family Dinner and a Grown-Ups’ Potluck Dinner this Saturday.  I hunted down a babysitter that I haven’t used in over a year (not a reflection on her:  we literally don’t get out much), and she miraculously said yes without hesitation.  The two events overlap by half an hour.  Super-awesome.  So I’ll be picking up pizza, preparing a vegetable side, helping to set up the nursery school dinner, then bringing an appetizer and another side dish to the potluck later.  Gosh, it sounds so . . . relaxing.

But really, the Family Dinner is fun, especially since we always have Paul Rosenberg from Homespun Occasions to lead community dancing.  They’re so great for family gatherings that we occasionally overdose on them a bit.  One year we danced with them at functions for our nursery school, our elementary school, and our church.  But if you’ve never had the chance, there’s a Family Dance in Albany this Sunday afternoon.  Once again I’m shocked and awed by the number of things to do over the weekend–I’ll have that list out soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, I’ve been meaning to mention, for those of you who have very young children, that we are in the high season for registering children for nursery school.  So if you’re thinking about nursery school in the fall, now’s the time to call around or visit.  I remember going to a playdate with my then-2-year-old and the other mommy had already researched and created a detailed list of her options.  Wow, that was frightening.  It was just another case of me panicking briefly before it All Worked Out Just Fine.

I only have a few short months of nursery school left, and it makes me sad.  I’m not one of those moms who spends a lot of time missing The Babies My Children Once Were.  I just feel like the girls generally get more interesting and fun as time goes by, so it’s only if I see, say a photo of pre-walking pudge or a video of childish lisping that I feel a little bit wistful.  But I will miss our nursery school–the people and the place were a big chunk of my life for years.  Sigh.

On a Saturday I took J to dance with Ginny Martin. The lessons are wonderful—Ginny is a warm and positive presence, the children are uninhibited and joyful, and, unlike many dance classes, there’s no prescribed dress code except bare feet. I sat with a friend who had two daughters—one attending class, and her sister, who was not yet old enough to enroll. Little sister pulled off her shoes and socks so she could be barefoot like the dancers, and she watched intently, entirely absorbed. It’s true that she’s too young to participate in the class and feel successful (that’s what Ginny would say), and lucky for everyone, she’s still content to watch. But eventually the desire to dance and participate will be overwhelming, and sitting on the sidelines for 45 minutes will be torture.

When you have a very small infant, you can stow the precious child in the infant car seat and carry her around like a rather heavy, clunky handbag.  Your older child can spend some blissful time pretending like that new kid doesn’t exist (oh, wait, was my kid the only one who felt that way?   Why did all the other big siblings cover their babies with kisses?). It’s an excellent transition time. Then, sooner than you might expect, your baby will be grown-up enough to have strong opinions about your activities.

Back when J was a tiny infant, I took her along with me & M to Tumbling Tykes. This was Tykes “old school”, before Stacy bought the place, back when Marcy was usually the teacher. Moms would casually park their infant car seats in a corner and gossip while the toddlers had fun. But at a certain point, leaving the child parked just didn’t seem nice anymore. No problem, I thought, I’ll pop her in the Baby Bjorn.  Now, I don’t know if they still do it, but back then, there was a rather threadbare puppy-dog puppet, Tyke, who would dance about on Marcy’s hand welcoming each child by name, often complete with a kiss. The kids loved it. But the problem was, Tyke only welcomed the paying customers. I could certainly understand Tyke’s position.  And yet.  J was probably only 5 or 6 months old when I realized that she was watching the puppet attentively, looking forward to a sweet little puppy cuddle and greeting, and then watching the fleabag pass her by with no acknowledgment whatsoever. You could see her teensy infant confusion—can Tyke see me? I’m somebody, too, right? It was heartbreaking. And next thing I knew I was forking over money for a “gym” class for a child who could not even walk.

Tumbling Tykes was (and probably still is) a terrific mixed-age activity for the very young set, if you’re willing to fork over the cash. Same with Music Together and similar music programs.  It’s an opportunity for everyone to do something fun together, even if they’re enjoying it on different levels. Singing and dancing together is a great bonding activity at our house—we do a lot of it.   Sure: during class, will you spend part of the time nursing or diaper changing when your toddler urgently begs you to participate?  But that’s how it is all the time, everywhere.

Is it possible that what’s super-fun for your bigger child is just way too much for the infant? Alas, yes. For a little while, I was doing some activity followed by a trip to the wonderful Guilderland Library.  Unlike many of the libraries I’d visited, their storytimes included two of my favorite elements together: mixed age group and the elusive drop-in (instead of registering ahead for a program).  I used to go on Thursday mornings with Miss Barbara, and the reading/music/more reading/film/craft was simply unbeatable. For the first few months of J’s life it was fabulous, and then, without warning, J began shrieking uncontrollably at the end of each storytime.  In the library.  Every single time we went.  We just had to quit going for a while—it was way too stimulating.  A few months later J had matured a bit. We picked up again and everyone could enjoy the activity.

It’s pretty rare to find an organized activity that’s exactly appropriate for both of your kids. They’re probably at least a year apart, and a year means a lot when you’ve only racked up two or three of them so far. And yet your sanity requires that you come up with some things to do. Casual, open-ended activities might work best—of course playing outside is terrific, but it can be tough to come up with stuff indoors. Indoor playgrounds are an excellent option. My girls were always big fans of Joyful Jumpers. Come to think of it, I love it, too, especially because there are comfortable couches for the grown-ups to sit and/or nurse on, and you can eat snacks or lunch, too—a plus now when it’s too cold to picnic. It might be worth it to invest in a family membership at a local museum, especially since many museums have special programs for free or reduced admission elsewhere. For example, as members of the Schenectady Museum, we were able to visit the Boston Children’s Museum and Boston’s Museum of Science as well as Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ–all for free!

Finally, there’s the glorious playgroup. Getting together a good playgroup, even if the ages of the children are pretty mixed, might be the best & cheapest way to keep everybody happy during the long winter.  In fact, it’s well worth its own post, one of these days.

Okay, every single summer, I say to myself that this is the year that I’m going to catch the New York City ballet at SPAC, and every year the beginning of summer flies by and I realize that I’ve missed it again.  I don’t want that kind of heartache to befall you, gentle reader, so allow me to call your attention to the Albany Institute of History & Art’s Hudson River Panorama exhibition, which is closing on January 3rd.  It feels like it’s been there forever, and I still haven’t made it, but by golly I’m going to try.  I even have a free pass!   I figure that if I hit that one and make it to 1609 at the New York State Museum, I’ll be able to give a symposium on the Dutch exploration of North America, or at least make sure my kid’s learning fair display kicks all the other kids’ butts.  No, actually, I’m a history chick, so I love that stuff, and I’ve even walked through 1609, but I had my girls with me, so I was not able to devote the attention it so richly deserved.  I was being dragged to the subway car, again.