Category — Toys

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.

Last year, Cute W came home with Thinkfun’s Chocolate Fix as a Valentine’s Day gift for the girls.

W is always looking for super-strategic games and puzzles, and they are received with varying degrees of enthusiasm. This one went over quite well. First, it’s cute. That scores points with my kids. There’s a booklet with 40 different puzzles, and you’re supposed to follow the clues to arrange the nine “chocolates” in a specific way. It says that it’s recommended for ages 8 and up, but J could do the easiest puzzles last year at age 5 (and I don’t believe that she’s a prodigy). The toughest ones are challenging for grown-ups. It was a nice alternative to even more chocolate.

Thinkfun makes tons of educational games and puzzles. Sometimes they cross the line, I think, and get a little bit too educational. But my kids could not stop playing Zingo. Which is basically Bingo with very short words. It’s one of those games that you play with the kids once or twice and you think, “This is a great game! The kids love it!” And then you play six more times and think, “Okay, it’s getting a little bit tedious, but it’s so educational, and the kids really enjoy it.” And then you play four more times and think, “Holy crap, I would rather jump out a window [Mike Berbligia-style] than play another game of this! Oh, why oh why did I appreciate my life more back when I was childless and I could spend my Saturday afternoons  eating ice cream while reading a magazine?”

Speaking of games, we’re still big fans of Sleeping Queens, by the way. But Chocolate Fix is a great idea for Valentine’s Day. I’m pretty sure that he got it at The Toymaker at Stuyvesant Plaza, although I don’t know if they have it around this year.

Guess who is leaving our household?

That’s right:  it’s the Barbie Island Princess Head! She has never been a particular favorite of mine, and now J’s decided that she’s ready to move on.  She brought her to me saying, “Maybe we could give her to someone who needs some toys.  If they don’t mind that her hair is so messed up.”  That’s some progress for her, actually.  I assured her that I could tidy up the hair, which was one of my exciting household tasks today.  She’s looking lovely, don’t you think?  So lovely, in fact, that I decided to quickly pop her into a plastic bag before J had second thoughts.

My kids struggle to be charitable.  I was thinking about this the other day, when the girls went to their friend’s birthday party.  Virtuous family that they are, they requested donations for Bethesda House in lieu of presents.   M was enthusiastic, and she spent quite a bit of time pondering what items to bring (a selection of kids’ toothpastes and toothbrushes).  But although in theory both girls agree that asking for donations instead of gifts is a good idea, neither of them can bring themselves to actually go through with it for their own birthday parties.  And, really, I can’t bring myself to push it.   Even when an aunt suggested an animal from Heifer International as a possible Christmas gift, the girls lobbied hard for a decorative bowl instead.

We do have a tradition of purging to make room before Christmas.   That generally works quite well, although it’s not always a smooth process.  One year–I think it was year before last–I had a heck of a time.  We were traveling for the holidays, so I was behind schedule when I finally got a chance to bring the boxes of hand-me-down clothes and toys to be donated–I think it was at the Schenectady Inner City Ministry.  The timing was particularly poor because not only was I racing to drop off during the designated drop-off time, but I had both girls with me, which was a significant risk.  Even when they say that they’re ready to part with something, it’s safer to make the item disappear immediately, never to be seen again, so that there’s no change of heart.  In this case, I knew that I had a particularly enticing item.  We’d bought a Barbie swimming pool and a bikini-clad doll for one of M’s friends for her birthday.  Then her party was canceled due to illness, and then it was never rescheduled, and then I forgot all about it, and eventually I had a brand-new pool and doll with no receipt to return them.  To make matters worse, J saw these items  at some point during the months-long process, and oh, how she coveted the pool and doll.  I told her no because we already had a Barbie pool.  I mean, how many freakin’ Barbie pools could a single household possibly need?  J, however, was pining.  The Barbie pool that we had, she argued, was really M’s pool.  J didn’t have a pool of her own! I know:  heartbreaking, isn’t it?

So as I was hustling both of my children into the car with several boxes full of who-knows-what, I was careful to camouflage the Barbie and her pool by placing a huge bag on top of it.  Silly me.  I’d forgotten that M prides herself on being a heavy lifter.  At the airport, in fact, she regularly astounds passers-by with her ability to swing ginormous duffle bags off of the luggage carousel.  So I should have known that my tremendously efficient elder daughter would “help” me by choosing to pick up the one bag that I didn’t want her to carry, exposing Barbie and her pool.  We’re ferrying stuff from the back of the car into the donations place when J bursts into tears because she sees the Most Beautiful Doll Ever  leaving her world.  I’m already feeling quite harassed.  I’m sweating over these boxes, M is practically swallowed up by a huge trash bag full of clothes, and now J is crying as if her heart is broken.  But then, can you guess the reaction?  Because when you’re in the parking lot next to a major charitable hub, there are always people hanging around.    And three or four friendly old homeless guys see why she’s sad and are perfectly nice.  “No, sweetheart!  You don’t have to give away your dolly!” shouts one.  “You take that back, princess!”  another encourages.  “You take it right back!“ Oh, man.  None of these thoughtful men have seen the tremendous supply of beautiful dolls and other fabulous toys in our perfectly comfortable playroom.  But Josie continues to sob and everyone is on her side.  I caved.  I just didn’t see a way out.

To make matters worse, after we all got home, the acquisition of one pool made the girls decide that they needed to get the other pool from where it had been lying, neglected, for months in a pile of leaves in our screened porch.  They wanted to create an entire Barbie resort in my kitchen.   So an hour later I am upstairs packing and I come downstairs to a trail of leaves from the door to the kitchen and a flood in the kitchen.  What a freakin’ disaster.

So, come to think of it, I guess giving away the island princess really is progress.

I’m already getting alerts about spring break camps and even summer camps, so information on those is coming soon.

All hail spring!

Wasn’t yesterday wonderful?  I was volunteering for our after school program, and when that was over, there were tons of us hanging out at the playground.   We tried to head for home, but M started playing with a neighbor, and when J saw that it was a gathering including several kids and two dogs, she was sucked in.  When I finally led them home after 5 pm so that M could do homework, J was waylaid by another neighbor and ended up playing there with a crew of little kids.  When I got home I was rushing to get dinner because I feared that either child could collapse at any time from sheer exhaustion.

And now, look.  It’s over.  It’s cold and gloomy.  Ah, the highs and lows of the season.  I was ruminating on the lows over the last week because I was a little grouchy.  And today appears to be perfect for The Darker Side of Spring.

• Mud and Laundry M has fallen into the mud twice walking to and from  school.  One day she called me from school sobbing a mere 15 minutes after she’d left home.  I rushed over with a change of clothes and a new water bottle, and when I told the ladies at the office why I was there, one of them burst out laughing.  I wanted to annihilate her right there.  I’m sure it was all very cute and hilarious to see my blondie soaked in mud, but could you please refrain from laughing until after I have actually seen her and confirmed that she’s not Scarred For Life?  Because my normally stoic daughter was crying at school as if her world had ended.   So could you, like, get her for me so that she can stop shivering in wet underwear, please?  I know this reaction sounds hostile, but I was in Mama Bear mode.  And, actually, this was all the tempest within.  My exterior was smiling apologetically at interrupting their early morning routine.  Needless to say, there’s been a great deal of laundry at our house–I bet at your place, too–right?
• Garbage Recently at church we were talking about very simple spiritual practices, and one of them was picking up three pieces of trash every time you walk out into the world.  The idea behind it was that it would make you more mindful and observant of the world around you while also doing something for others.  Anyway, J really took it to heart and she’s been picking up trash ever since.  Which, you know, is good.  I want to encourage mindfulness and environmentalism and all that.  But every once in a while I’m like, can we just freakin’ get where we’re going, please?  And of course it’s the worst with the snow melting, because there’s all sorts of yuck that’s been hidden in the snow for months.  For example, I don’t want to get too specific, but apparently someone got lucky just three blocks from my house.  Fortunately, J wasn’t along for that walk.
• Oh, the Weariness It’s all that dang fresh air.  The kids are playing like maniacs.  Which is good.  And then they’re tired.  Which is good.  But your preciously cultivated routines are thrown out of whack.  The non-nappers start napping again.  Dinner has to be moved up.  And, of course, don’t forget the sheer physical exhaustion for the parents.  I was biking with the girls the other day, and they had no interest in stopping, ever.  Oh, the burning thighs. . . .  Which, you know, is good, too, I guess.
• Car Stench You’ve heard me say that there’s frequently a layer of snack debris in the car along with random socks, pens, stickers, etc.   But it’s appeared to be pretty clean lately.  Alas, with the spring sunshine, the car heats up, and that’s when I noticed that sometime between November and March, some sort of dairy product spill went unreported.  Yuck.  I went for the all-out in-and-out car wash with the vanilla fragrance, then drove home with all of the windows open.  This morning J climbed in and said, “It smells like Halloween in here!”–maybe it’s a waxy smell like our Halloween candles?  Anyway, it’s much better.
• The Windows Speaking of my shoddy cleaning standards exposed, there’s nothing like fabulous sunshine to remind you that you really need to get crackin’ on cleaning every. last. window. in. the. house.  Awesome!

But still. Have I mentioned that spring is my very favorite season ever? I am so happy that it’s March!  In celebration, one more picture, taken by M, of the first snowdrops of the season:

M has been honing her nature photography skills in honor of the upcoming American Girl Contest.  I just realized that the contest isn’t merit-based.  It’s just a random choice once you’ve entered.  Part of me is irritated, because I do hate the idea that so many places are so averse to competition.  But let’s get real:  we all know that there are a million insane parents out there who would do the whole project themselves and submit it in their daughter’s names.  So at least it takes the pressure off.  If you or your daughter has any interest in entering this contest, may I suggest not trying to submit it on March 15th?  I’m willing to bet lotsa money that the site will be crashing all over the place.  Oh, crap!  Speaking of love-HATE.  The contest is only for kids who are 8 to 13.  I just realized.  She’s been taking pictures like a maniac.  Oh, I’m so bummed!  I haven’t told her yet. Dang dang dang dang.

I have a bit of a love-hate with American Girl.  Really, I just wish that they were cheaper.  I mean, the stuff is so expensive.  And one thing I hate is when they have these “American Girl” events and all of these girls show up with their dolls, sometimes even dressed like their dolls, and it makes me feel a little bit nauseated.  But the stories are great.  I mean, the girls are all wonderful role models.  The story that just killed me was when Addy was torn between giving her money to help other freed slaves reunite with their family or to “selfishly” buy her mother a lovely gift.  Come on.  And the dolls are adorable, and the accessories are unbelievably adorable.

Speaking of places where you’re likely to see happy little girls toting American Girl dolls, there’s a special American Girl Night on July 14th at SPAC during the New York City Ballet Season.  On July 9th & 16th they’ll have special Family Nights which will include Children’s Workshops, ice cream, face painting, and other fun.   There’s a 10% discount if you order evening tickets before April 15th.

Wow, I started with spring and I’ve come full circle. . . because you know that the best thing about spring is that summer’s just around the corner!  Woo, hoo!

Phew!  It’s exciting to have a little snow after such a barren winter, even if I was scared to drive to the grocery store today.  If you’re thinking of sledding, you’ll find the the post here–please add your suggestions.

We managed to fritter the day away even though we remained housebound.  I was dealing with technical difficulties while the girls frolicked outside.  J sewed herself a teddy bear and took a long midday bath while M continued to play outside.  We played Trouble, which, true to its name, caused quite a bit of it when I sent M’s piece home (she’d managed to sweet-talk J into mercy several times).  We made snow ice cream because it’s required in our household for all 4+ inch snowfalls, and we watched Laura kick Nellie’s butt in a mudfight, because on vacation you get to watch the two-part Little Houses.

But enough about us.  Here are some additions to the February week offerings:

At the downtown Schenectady Public Library, they’ll have Captain Jack’s Magic Show at 2:30 pm on Wednesday.  Drop in for pirate fun, they say.

The Albany Art Room will have a clay open studio from 11 am to 2 pm on Friday.  The cost is $7 per artist, plus the cost of clay.  They ask that you let them know if you plan to come.

Hey, if you’re new around here, be sure to check out the pages over to the right–and welcome.

As, in, I’m toast.  We’ve hosted 12 different relatives, eaten through 4 or 5 batches of magic cookie bars, and been school-free for over a week now.   I was on the phone with my mom yesterday trying to help her Priceline some hotel reservations from her car during their marathon trip back home.  This is a shocking lack of planning for her.  Turns out, my parents had woken up at 4:30 am and just got in the car–without coffee or food–and started driving as if they were fleeing the holidays themselves.  I understand the sentiment, man.  Monday cannot come soon enough.

I’ve surrendered to the holiday chaos.  My living room is littered with Fairy Superstruct pieces and my children are approaching their third hour of an  iCarly marathon and frankly, I just don’t have the energy to intervene.  I  need to purge the house of lingering chocolate and find places for all of those irritating stocking stuffers that Santa thought were such a freakin’ good idea.  And it doesn’t help that my children actually want to play with all of the new crafty stuff–I mean, what was I thinking when I got the Spin Art and a ginormous value pack of Play-doh?  And how about this snowfall pattern?  It’s never quite enough for a decent snowman or sledding or our favorite, snow ice cream.  But it’s just enough to get all of the boots/snowpants/mittens wet and sloppy enough so that they’re scattered on every radiator in the house.

I need some vegetables and some exercise and a routine, stat.  How about you guys?  Is anyone coping better than me?