Category — Movies/TV/Pop Culture

J stayed home from school yesterday. She had a headache and stomachache, and when I tried to move her along in the morning, she just walked right upstairs and climbed back into bed. So she was out. Last night we fit in a soccer scrimmage and a harvest dance for M, I dropped off a huge carload for a garage sale, and poor J arrived at our bed in 1 am begging for more drugs.

Today M had two different soccer games, so Cute W and I traded off between sick duty and soccer duty. I scored the indoor game.

Meanwhile, Cute W took the opportunity of a sick day to have a mini movie festival, and he knew exactly what to show. J came home from Disney World with a new and beloved possession:

Do you see what this is? It’s a baby Ewok!! What a weird thing to sell! What a weird thing for J to choose as her new life’s companion. . . .

The girls have seen the first Star Wars movie, and in spite of Cute W’s repeated suggestions, they’ve never shown particular interest in seeing more. Suddenly, though, J wants to see the real Ewoks.

They’ve now completed the trilogy–M grudgingly and J with great enthusiasm. Until one of the Ewoks died.  J took it hard, M teased her and was reprimanded, and there were tears all around at bedtime.

Awe-some.

At least there’s an extra hour for rest tonight.

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.

Here’s another guest post, this from my Big Sister B! I was completely surprised and grateful when she sent it to me. Our mutual niece is the one who inspired my daughters’ devotion to Taylor Swift, and I’ve mentioned that I’m a fan, too. You can tell that my sister works in the apparel industry because she casually uses the word paillettes. And if you’re wondering, Taylor’s not touring anywhere near us for now, but I’ll let you know if she plans a trip to the Capital District.

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), Taylor Swift is doing a big U.S. tour this summer called “Speak NOW.” I only know this because my sister and her daughter, my ten-year old niece, invited me to come with them to her Pittsburgh concert. It would mean a fourteen hour round trip drive for them and another hour either way for me. An overnight stay. On my birthday, which would leave my empty nest husband alone on Father’s Day.  I said yes, yes, yes  without hesitation. Not that I am a great big Taylor fan. But you have to practically be living in a cave not to be aware of who she is, even if, like me, you have no little girls or teens in your immediate universe. She’s pretty and sparkly, she plays a number of instruments and writes her own songs, she  seems very respectful of her fans and her Mom and unlike so many pop star girls lately, she hasn’t been caught in any embarrassing situations, sued her parents, gotten pregnant, been arrested or shown us her tender bits getting out of an SUV.  And my niece was SO EXCITED! I was honored to be asked to  come along.

Our Taylor calendar, hanging in the playroom

It was GREAT! There were 52,000 screaming but well-behaved fans at Heinz Stadium. The ratio of female to men was at least 20 to one – the outnumbered men for the most part either the coolest dads ever or sheepish boyfriends. Many of the girls and their moms, and even the toddlers, were dressed in their version of Taylor Swiftness – red lips, cut off denim shorts or flouncy sundresses with short cowboy boots and straw cowboy hats. Some times this worked for them. Sometimes not so much but we tried not to judge. We did not dress up like Taylor but  we did enjoy eating greasy pizza for dinner and watching the costumed fans swirl around us as they queued for souvenirs or overpriced junk food. Two of our favorite fans were little girls – maybe seven and eight, both in matching dresses totally covered in spangly paillettes – one in silver and one in gold, with black calf length boots and curly long blonde hair and red lips  – JUST like Taylor – if Taylor shopped at Target.

Well, Taylor did not disappoint! Even though we were up in the nose bleed seats and Taylor looked like an itty bitty sparkly nymph skipping around way far below us if we weren’t watching the big screens they thoughtfully mount on either side of the stage –we were engulfed and carried away by the world of Taylor. She sang her heart out and there were aerialists and ballet dancers and tap dancers and beautiful costumes and fireworks and love love love all around. Taylor gave it her all without a trace of irony or a hint of cynicism. Twice, she took long walks through the pitt of the stadium, wading through the ecstatic crowd. As a grown up old enough to be her mom, I worried for her safety.  And her guilelessness  and openness was paid back by her fans.  Even the most blasé looking clusters of teenage girls, who effected studied sullenness or boredom during the three (THREE!) warm up acts  sang along soulfully and sincerely to Taylor’s songs. The eight year old standing swaying  in the row below us  reached over at one point to hug her mom sitting next to her – she was overcome with the joy of Taylor. So were we.

Our niece and Taylor

My niece was totally transfixed. My sister and I were so happy to be there with her.  We all had a fantastic time and a great adventure. Overnight in Pittsburgh for Taylor Swift has to  be one of my favorite birthdays ever. Who’d have thunk it?

If you have a chance to go see Taylor, you should definitely  go. Here are a few hints:

• Bring a great deal of money – you will have to buy a number of souvenirs and they aren’t cheap. We  thought the commemorative book for $30, which was printed on really nice paper, came with a poster, had 3D photos and glasses, gave you the play list and some coupons to get MORE STUFF LATER – was really a good deal. My niece spent all the money she had saved since Christmas (I was impressed with that!) and more that she borrowed from her mom.
• Buy your stuff early. By the end of the show, most everything was sold out.
• Don’t forget your binoculars. Wherever you sit won’t be close enough.
• Bring your cell phone so you can text Taylor  (yes, you can!) and also all your friends moment by moment action along with photos of you THERE!

And if you go and decide to wear a dress with metallic paillettes, pink cowboy boots and a sequined cowboy hat and top it off with really RED LIPS (even if you are six) don’t worry, you won’t be overdressed or alone.

We went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus last night. An excellent time was had by all.

So, first: I’m sticking with my recommendation to get there early, and I’m going to have to go with as close to one hour ahead as possible. By the time we were in the arena at 6:25 pm or so, there were lots of people, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. What I hadn’t realized is that the pre-show is pretty much over about 20 minutes before showtime, because they need to clear the floor and set up.

Busy, but not a complete mob scene.

I thought that it was a great idea to have circus clothes for kids to try on (you can click on the picture above  to see it better). My children decided that they were too sophisticated for that. There was a juggler surrounded by vast numbers of people, but we managed to get close to the very fun ring that included some dancing, followed by acrobats and an elephant.

The ring was surrounded by a rope as well as a little cushioned wall for people to sit on, and one thing I really liked was that the crowd was great about sort of shuttling the children forward so that they could see. It was a bunch of people who had come for their kids, and so around me, everyone was polite, friendly, and kind.

My go-to-the-bathroom-at-the-end-of-the-preshow strategy worked great: no lines. Of course, my children were completely freaking out that they might miss the start of the show, even though we were back in our seats with 5 minutes to spare. Clowns had been performing the whole time, so they felt like they’d missed out, but it was nothing compared to the hoopla that followed.

They paraded in with a crazy circus train that included performers, puppetry, mermaids, and tricked-out Segways, and it was so overwhelming and motion-filled that I briefly feared that M would get sick. Nope, not at all. Both kids were entranced. Prior to the circus, Deb from Kids Out and About had gushed about the unbearable hotness of ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson. Repeatedly. Apparently he charmed her in an interview on one of their earlier tours. So in the midst of the hoopla I was also checking for my own personal hotness report. From up in the stands, I’d have to say that he was upstaged almost immediately by the men of the trio Ulaanbaatar Ballerina. In Johnathan’s defense, I must point out that it’s much easier to communicate hotness at long distances when you’re shirtless and in spandex. I have three or four jokes now that I’ve considered and rejected because they’re simply inappropriate when reviewing a family show.

Ah, hem! Where was I? We wished that there had been a dog act. That was J’s favorite last time. There was an assortment of other animals, but they just didn’t thrill us as much as a small dog hopping around in a tutu. During the tiger act, you could almost catch the tigers rolling their eyes and muttering under their breaths resentfully. The saving grace was when two tigers began nuzzling each other while waiting for their turn to do tricks. That charmed us all.

Sky-High Ice Gliders

The humans offered a variety of unbelievably fabulous stunts. Of course, with so many, folks tend to lose all perspective. I mean, seriously, where else can you watch someone walk over flaming broken glass and there’s barely a peep out of the audience? Or you see a guy do flips on stilts? I thought that it was interesting that the biggest applause always accompanied mistakes or failed attempts at something. Cute W thought people were trying to be polite and encouraging, but I argued that it was because we forget how hard it is to do all of this stuff, and the mistakes remind us.

We loved it when the motorcycling Torres family came out and took off their helmets, and one closest to us shook out her long girl-hair.  We love-love-loved the Barnum Bouncers.

We have new revised wished-for jobs for our family: M would like to do the trapeze like The Flying Caceres, while J would like to divide her time, working both as a Barnum Bouncer and as the woman who rides under Alex Petrov. We agreed that the Body Benders had a tough job, J pointing out that “they poke holes to breathe because if they didn’t then they would be dead.” (Click the link and see the 8th photo to see what she means).

There were plenty of souvenirs and food treats, and I tried to keep track of some prices just so you’d be emotionally prepared.  Many snacks were combined with a memento, so you’ll drop $10 for a snow cone in a plastic clown mug or $12 for three big puffs of cotton candy and a yellow hat that looks like it should come with a curious monkey. There are those ungodly spinning light-up things that only people who are insane or grandparents would consider purchasing. The grandpa behind us bought one for his toddler granddaughter, and he handed the vendor a $20. “Two more” was the answer. He coughed up the singles, then joked to me that he’d been expecting a ten back. No such luck. However, it was possible to eat for not too much money. There were caramel apples for $4 and a crazy s’more-on-a-stick item that J chose for $5.

Okay, back to more logistics. It’s a mob scene. Avoid leaving the arena area during intermission if it’s possible. Seriously. It’s crazytown. If you remember where the bathrooms and exits are, you’ll probably have better luck moving around the seating area. The show itself ran just over 2 hours. By the end every child in the place was completely exhausted and overwhelmed. If you’ve been planning to stop for groceries after the show, change the plan. Seriously.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time. My friend, who’d never been to a circus before (!), loved it and said she’d officially recommend it to any circus first-timers.  I hope that my ticket-winning readers went and had a good time.

Want to go? For tickets, here’s the link.

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.

Cute W worked late last night, so we slacked off, skipped the bedtime stories (in spite of their schedule), and watched the red carpet arrivals for the Oscars instead.

This was the girls’ first encounter with the Oscars, and their questions and comments were pretty amusing.

I said that I thought Jennifer Hudson looked great in her dress, but M disgreed: “I don’t like the way the dress is. I just don’t like how you can see her boob cracks.” Well, yes. It’s a new term for me, but point taken.

J didn’t understand the whole award concept. While explaining, I said that each winner was going to get a statue that they call “Oscar” who looks like the gold one that people were posing near (Jennifer’s photo works to illustrate this one, too). “Ohhhh,” J breathed. “It’s going to be really hard for people to take them home.” I had to explain that they got smaller, trophy-sized guys.

We all oohed and ahhed over Anne Hathaway’s first dress, and the girls were excited because she was practically the only celebrity that they actually knew, since they’ve seen  The Princess Diaries. They were paying close attention to the tv chatter, and when they heard that she was hosting the evening, one of the girls asked, “You mean she owns that whole place?”

Of course, I thought that the show started at 8 and it wasn’t until 8:30, and I’d already promised that they could watch the opening schpiel before heading to bed. By 8:45 pm I was mightily regretting that I’d let them watch any of it because it was so late, and my stress level combined with their overtiredness to create one extended crying jag. Or it would have been extended, if they hadn’t fallen asleep within five minutes of their heads hitting their respective pillows.  Funny: I’d promised them that after the opening act it was all completely boring, but then I sort of wondered if James Franco had heard me and was doing his best to prove me right. I thought that the most entertaining part was the Twilight bit at the end of that silly song.

Phew!  So much is going on this week.  Here’s what I’ve found:

All Week:

• Don’t forget that there’s plenty more going on at William K. Sanford (Colonie) Library and Albany Public Library.
• The Clifton Park Not-So-Common Players are performing Once Upon a Mattress in Clifton Commons at 7:30 pm from 7/22-7/25.
• It’s the Saratoga County Fair in Ballston Spa from July 20-25.
• The Schenectady County Library has a puppet show version of Rumpelstiltskin showing at various branches throughout the week.

Monday, July 19th:

• Take a Nature Trail Hike at 10 am at Moreau Lake State Park.  Or Learn How to Cast at 10:30 am.
• From noon to 4 pm it’s Dino Day at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 1 pm, it’s Library Tots, a drop-in program for 0-24 months at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• At 1:30 pm, kids can choose a building project to do with the Home Depot at the main Albany Public Library.  Call to register.  If this appeals to you but you can’t make it, remember that both Home Depot and Lowe’s offer occasional Saturday workshops in-store.
• At 2 pm at the Delaware Branch Library, kids 6 and up can learn about buying healthy foods, and they’ll decorate their own cloth bag and make a healthy trail mix snack.  Sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-op.
• At 2 pm, there are programs for elementary-school kids at the Mont Pleasant, Glenville and Rotterdam branches of the Schenectady Public Library.
• The Colonie Town Band will be playing at 7 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.

Tuesday, July 20th:

• At 9:30 am, take a Luzerne Mountain Trail Hike at Moreau Lake State Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• From 10 am to noon it’s Summertime Tots at the Children’s Museum of Saratoga.  This is an outdoor, drop-in program geared toward younger visitors.
• Do a Scavenger Hunt at noon at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 1:30 pm at the Albany Public Library, kids can do a craft with folks from the Tang Museum.  Call to register.
• There are crafts for ages 6 and up at 2 pm at the Pine Hills Branch and the North Albany Branch of the Albany Public Library.
• At 2 pm, kids can participate in a songwriting workshop with River Jack Z (as in Zucchini) at the Guilderland Public Library.  Tickets are required.
• At 2 pm, it’s Dazzle Dogs at the Niskayuna Public Library.
• At 3 pm, it’s Twinkle, Twinkle, What’s That Star? at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  For ages 4 and up, pre-registration required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• From 3-4:30 pm, kids in grades 3-6 can participate in Guess What I Collect? at the Crandall Public Library.  Pre-registration required.
• There’s a Friends of Guilderland Athletics Family Fun Night from 4-10 pm.  I found this on Fit Albany.  $2/person.
• At 7 pm, The Tichy Boys are playing at the Town of Brunswick Community Center.

Wednesday, July 21st:

• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates and Wallace and Gromit and Bee Movie at Clifton Park.
• At Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady, this week’s free 10 am movie is Hotel for Dogs.
• At 2 pm, kids can get crafty at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library on New Scotland Avenue.
• From 2-4 pm, it’s an Ice Cream Extravaganza at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $4/person.
• At 2:30 pm, Matthew McElligott, author of the Blackbeard the Pirate series, will be talking and signing books at the Bethlehem Public Library.  Sign-up is required.
• At 6 pm, kids in grades 6 and up can do a little Teen Tokyo at the new Bach Branch of the Albany Public Library with Japanese animation and yummy Pocky.
• The Audiostars will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.
• Cavanaugh and Kavanaugh are playing at 7 pm at the Green at Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Zucchini Brothers are playing at 7 pm at Clifton Commons Park in Clifton Park.

Thursday, July 22nd:

• Take a Walk in the Woods at 9 am at Thacher Park.
• Regal Cinemas’ free movies at 10 am.  For this week, it’s Arctic Tale and Shrek the Third at Crossgates.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Color Fun! for kids 3 to 5 at the Children’s Museum of Technology.  Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
• At 11 am, kids K-3 can Make Music with Lisa at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  You must pre-register.
• At 1 pm, there’s a free event for kids 5 and up at Schuyler House–they can dress up in Colonial clothing.  I heard about this on the New York History blog.
• It’s Craft Day at 1 pm at Moreau Lake State Park.
• At 2 pm, get Artrageous! at Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  It’s free, and recommended for kids in K-4.
• At 2 pm, Domino the Great will be performing at Crandall Public Library.  Registration is required.
• 3rd to 5th graders can make Neon Tees and Visors from 2-4 pm at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• Eddie Money is playing at Alive at Five at Albany Riverfront Park.
• Kyle Miller is playing at 5 pm as part of the Acoustic Sidewalk Series in front of Arbor Hill Library.
• Dan Berggren is playing at 6 pm in Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa.
• At 6:30 pm, there’s A Beach Bag Full of Stories at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.  It’s a drop-in program for young elementary school kids.
• Keith Pray is playing at 6:30 pm at the Crossings in Colonie.
• At 6:30 pm, Hair of the Dog will be playing at the  Schaghticoke Town Hall Gazebo.
• Marty Wendell is performing on the lawn of the Malta Community Center at 6:30 pm (it’s on page 9 of this link).
• From 7-8:30, 4th- to 7th-grade Percy Jackson enthusiasts can participate in Half Blood Camp at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration required.
• The Scotia-Glenville Community Band will be playing at 7 pm at Freedom Park in Scotia.

Friday, July 23rd:

• At 10:30 am, there are Stories for Families at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 11 am, kids can design their own water wheel at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• There’s a Game-a-thon at the Bethlehem Public Library at 11 am.
• At 11 am, Something Fishy’s Going On for 4- to 6-year-olds at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• From 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the Milk Mustache tour is at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
• At 2 pm, kids in grades 2 and up can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Scotia Branch Library.
• At 2 pm, 1st- and 2nd-graders can see Troll Attack!, a story told in Lego pieces, at the Guilderland Public Library.  Registration is required.
• At 2:30 pm, they’re showing Alice in Wonderland at Bethlehem Public Library, with popcorn.  This one’s PG and I’ve heard it’s a little creepy.
• At 4 pm, kids in grades 1 to 5 can just show up for Pop Art Experience at the Duane Branch Library.
• It’s Parents’ Night Out at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga from 4-7 pm.  For $15 per child, you can drop them off and go have yourself a date!  Pre-registration and pre-payment is required.
• The Ron Cremisio Band is playing at Canal Square in Cohoes at 6:30 pm.

Holy crap! Just when you were saying, please, somebody deliver me from this heat and rescue me from my sweaty, messy house, and just give me something besides the pool to do so that I can give the kids a break before their eyes turn permanently bloodshot and their hair turns green due to overchlorination, guess what’s happening this weekend?

Proctors is having their (first annual) Animation Festival!  With a huge range of child-friendly features, and $3 tickets! Or $15 if you just want to spend the whole time (from the 10th to the 16th) there!  Which I’m tempted to do!  And on Monday & Wednesday night they have Oscar-Nominated Shorts, which I always want to see in a theater, and so I think I might have to see if I can drum up a babysitter.

Or just stay home & run the sprinkler. Done.

Here’s what else is going on this weekend:

All Weekend:

• From July 7th to 11th, the Family Players of North-Eastern New York are showing Seussical the Musical at 7:30 pm at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland.  If anyone goes, will you fill us all in?
• Annie Get Your Gun continues at the Park Playhouse on Tuesday the 6th at 8 pm.
• The Tioga County Fair continues through the 10th.
• Keep in mind that we’re now into the super-short Ballet Season at SPAC.  I desperately want to go when it’s not so freakin’ hot, but we have such a packed calendar that I don’t know if we’re going to make it. . . .

Friday evening, July 9th:

• From 5-10 pm, it’s Schenectady County SummerNight in Downtown Schenectady:  music, activities, and fireworks.
• It’s Family Night at SPAC.  Before the NYC Ballet’s performance there will be activities for kids beginning at 6 pm.
• At 6:30 pm, there’s a drop-in Chess Club at Guilderland Public Library.
• At 7 pm, they’re showing Pollyanna at Guilderland Public Library.   And yes, there will be popcorn.
• Take a Ghost Walk through Saratoga. $10/adult, $5 kids 7-11,  This is every Friday through the summer.
• They’ll be showing Monsters vs. Aliens at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland at 8 pm.

Saturday, July 10th:

• From 10 am to 6 pm there’s a Wags and Whiskers Family Fun Fair at Maple Ski Ridge.  It’s a free fundraiser for the SPCA, and pets are invited, too.
• Fossils Rock! at 10 am at Thacher Nature Center.
• It’s Countryfest at the Altamont Fairgrounds.  $40 at the door, kids 10 and under free.
• From 10 am to 5 pm, there’s Art in the Park in Congress Park in Saratoga.
• The Town of Wilton is having a Community Day from 11 am to 9 pm.  Food, music, rides, ponies, fireworks.
• Learn about Karner Blue Butterflies at 11 am at Albany Pine Bush.  This park gets really very hot.  I’ve got to recommend against this one for today.  Cal to register; $2/person, $5/family.
• The Delaware Branch Library is having a free Summer Splash Party from 1-4 pm–they promise wet and wild fun outside, including a free bounce house, misting tent, and water slide.
• At 1 pm the Schenectady Museum is doing a preschool-oriented planetarium show.  $4 in addition to museum admission.
• At 2 pm Andy the Music Man will be playing at Henry Hudson Town Park in Bethlehem.  Free, with a bounce house, too.
• At 3 pm & 7 pm you can see Steps to Suffrage: Musical Youth Drama at Boght Arts Center in Cohoes.  $6/adults, $5/students.
• The Powers Park Concert Series in Troy kicks off with a Cryin’ Out Loud Dance Party from 6-8:30 pm.
• Ernie Williams will be playing blues at Freedom Park in Scotia at 7 pm.
• There are Poets in the Park from 7-9 pm in Washington Park on Saturdays in July.

Sunday, July 11th

• Take a Native Plant Tour at noon at Thacher Park.
• There’s a Kids’ Puppet Show from The Puppet People at Freedom Park in Scotia at 7 pm.
• Running the River is playing at 7 pm at Clifton Common Park.
• Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra are playing at Music Haven at Schenectady’s Central Park at 7 pm.

Yeah, I know.  It’s a lot of heat.  You know it’s bad when you spend an inordinate amount of time on fan placement strategy.  We have two window A/C units, and it’s not enough.

For those of you who are new-ish to the blog, I thought that it might help to get you oriented with some beat-the-heat favorites.

• Water. The post on Getting Wet has pools, beaches, spray fountains, streams, etc.
• Frozen Delights: Even if you read the original Signs of Spring post about seasonal spots opening for ice cream and grill-type food, I’ve been gradually adding links to other blogs, so it might be worth a look-see again.  Or if you want to stay home and/or be nutritionally virtuous, here’s a Smoothie Recipe.
• Movies: At Regal Cinemas at Crossgates and at Clifton Park Center, there’s the free Family Film Festival series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (and Thursdays at Crossgates) at 10 am.  At Bowtie Cinema in Schenectady, there’s a Kid’s Club Film Series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays  at 10 am from June 22nd to August 18th.  Not free, but cheap:  I love Scotia Cinema.  I did a post on Drive-ins, too, but it’s too hot for that!
• Indoor Fun: Go to the Library.   There’s a post of Secrets of the Libraries as well as a list of my favorite Girl Power picture books.  Or go to a Bowling Alley.  Check out Small-bany and you might even get to go for free.  Or go ice skating–sounds chilly, right?   Albany Kid put together a list that includes several rinks available year-round.  Check out the Big Ol’ List of Links for sections on  Indoor Playtime Geared for School-Age Kids, Toddler Play Activities, or Museums.

Have fun, and drink plenty of water!

Hey!  We’re all exhausted from excessive cousin fun and sporting crispy noses in spite of 4 or 5 (or more) sunscreen applications today.  The week for us:  more of the same.  The week for you?  Actually, there’s quite a bit happening:

Monday, June 28th

• From 10 am to 4:30 pm, it’s a Kickoff for Summer Party at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• From 10 am to 11 am, Sylvan Learning Centers in Clifton Park is hosting a free Kids Can Cook Seminar.  Register online.
• At 1 pm, Andy the Music Man will be performing at the Ballston Spa Town Hall.
• At 2 pm at the Glenville or Mont Pleasant Branch Libraries, kids in grades 1-5 are invited drop in to the summer kick-off program Make a Splash.
• At 6 pm, the Glens Falls High School Band will be performing at the Crandall Park Band Shell.
• At 7 pm, the Colonie Town Band is playing outside at Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners Circle, Albany.

Tuesday, June 29th

• 10 am free movies!  At Bowtie this week it’s Alvin & the Chipmunks:  The Squeaquel, for Regal Cinemas today it’s Charlotte’s Web at Crossgates and Madagascar 2 at Clifton Park.
• At 10:30 am, Andy the Music Man will be performing at the main  Schenectady Public Library.  It’s a drop-in program.
• There are a ton of afternoon kick-off celebrations of various branches of the Schenectady Library for elementary school kids, including events at Niskayuna, Duane, Rotterdam, & Hamilton Hill.
• At 2 pm, they’re kicking off the Teen Summer Reading Club for grades 6-11 at the Duane Branch Library.  Today’s theme is Zombie Fest.
• There’s a Family Story Time at 6:30 pm at the Niskayuna Branch Library.  It’s a drop-in, and pajamas are welcome.
• At 7 pm at the Guilderland Public Library, they’re kicking off summer reading with an Uncle Brother concert.  Tickets required.
• At 7:30 pm, go on a Firefly Watch at Five Rivers.

Wednesday, June 30th

• At 10 am, kids in grades 1-5 are invited drop in to the summer kick-off program Make a Splash at the Quaker Street Branch.
• 10 am free movies!  At Bowtie this week it’s Alvin & the Chipmunks:  The Squeaquel, for Regal Cinemas today it’s Spirit:  Stallion of the Cimarron at Crossgates and Planet 51 at Clifton Park.
• At 11 am, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library is hosting Bubble Trouble, a program for kids who’ll be entering kindergarten in the fall.  No registration is required.
• From 1-5 pm, there are games for teens at the Guilderland Public Library.
• At 2 pm, they’re kicking off the Teen Summer Reading Club for grades 6-11 at the Quaker Street Branch.  Today’s theme is Game Day.
• It’s gospel music for Rockin’ on the River in Troy at 5 pm.
• At 7 pm, there will be a Drum & Bugle Corps competition at East Field in Glens Falls.

Thursday, July 1st

• There’s an all-day Red Cross Babysitting Course that starts at 9:30 am at Schenectady Central Library.  Ages 11 and up, and you must pre-register.
• 10 am free movie!  I meant to double check this–it appears that the Crossgates Regal Cinemas has an additional movie today, but I’m not calling them from vacation–if someone does and wants to fill us all in via comments, that would be a nice favor.
• From 10 am to noon, kids 2 to 10 can learn about Bountiful Bugs at Dyken Pond.  $3/child or $6/family.
• At 10:15 am, they’re showing Preschool Movies at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library.
• From 2-3 pm it’s Artrageous at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.  For kids in grades K-4.
• At 2 pm, elementary-school kids can study Pond Organisms at the Duane Branch Library.
• At 3 pm, drop in for crafts for all ages at the Hamilton Hill Branch Library.
• The Gin Blossoms are playing for Alive at Five in Albany.
• The Sand Lake Kiwanis Summerfest kicks off tonight with amusement park rides opening in the evening (this was on their tentative schedule; you might want to double check).
• The Ballston Spa Community Band is playing at 6 pm at Wiswall Park as part of their Summer Concerts in the Park series.
• It’s Lego Night at 7 pm at the Mohawk Commons Barnes & Noble.

Friday, July 2nd

• Local residents will be admitted free to the Albany Institute of History & Art on Fridays all through July and August.
• There’s Stretching with Stuffee at 10 am at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At 10:30 am, there are Wiggly Water Wonders at the Scotia Public Library–suitable for families.
• At 10:30 am, the Mac-Haydn Theatre will be showing Cinderella.  This is a bit of a drive, but we’ve gone several times.  There’s a school with playground nearby, so we usually bring a picnic lunch for afterwards.
• The Sand Lake Kiwanis Summerfest continues with amusement park rides opening at 11 am and continuing into the evening.
• At noon there’s a concert in front of the Albany Public Library as part of the Acoustic Sidewalk Concert Series.
• At noon, take a hike at Albany Pine Bush and look for Blue Karner butterflies.
• It’s First Friday in Albany from 5-9 pm.
• It’s First Friday in Ballston Spa from 6-9 pm.