Bryce says, “Sorry, my mom can’t come to the phone right now.” He does not tell the caller that his mom is in the bathtub. He is using good manners.

Well, all the little friends might think that the books are obvious, but when one of M’s friends checked out Manners at a Friend’s House I almost laughed out loud. This little girl had walked past a table bearing two kinds of chips, mini-pizzas, a vegetable platter, and pigs in a blanket to rummage on my kitchen counter and steal chocolates hidden under a towel at our Christmas party.  So hopefully between the giggles my daughter, her friend, and other kids will learn a thing or two.

Tonight during dessert, the girls were lamenting the behavior of their opposing soccer team at this morning’s game, and grudgingly conceding that they had a few less-than-shining moments themselves. I said that they should write a book called Manners on the Soccer Field, and they jumped to it with great enthusiasm. Here are some excerpts:

Alison doesn’t kick people’s ankles to get the ball. She is using good manners.

Matthew doesn’t brag about his goal. All he does is smile. He is using good manners.

Jonathan doesn’t play from the ground. He is using good manners.

Lily doesn’t push or shove people. She is using good manners.

Natalie doesn’t call the other team losers when she wins. “Good game,” she says. She is using good manners.

Yeah, it was a rough game. On the other hand, anyone know a good literary agent?

If you’re sad that you weren’t a winner this time, you might want to “like” the Snip-its Facebook page so that you can hear about other discounts or special offers. Or, if you read this week’s KidsOutAndAbout.com e-newsletter, you’d know that there’s another giveaway over there! Speaking of which, if you haven’t gotten around to it yet, go ahead and sign up to receive the weekly e-newsletter.

Meanwhile, if you weren’t distracted with that other story about women’s health that was all over the news today, you might have heard that Friday, February 3rd is Go Red for Women Day to raise awareness about women and heart disease. I just happened to wear red today, but I have two fun links that are heart-related, so I thought that I’d take the opportunity to share.

First, here’s an amusing little official Go Red Video by Elizabeth Banks from Parenthood. I first saw it on Ask Moxie, who is smart enough to answer all sorts of difficult and sensitive topics for mothers and actually embed videos into her blog post, which I remain too technically inept to do myself. Yes, tech friends, this is a cry for help.

Second, do you know that Kina Grannis song Message From Your Heart? I’ve been on a bit of a Kina Grannis kick lately, but even if I weren’t, the song is really quite apt for occasion. But wait, when I went to look for that link, I realized that this video won her a big  Doritos contest for Super Bowl XLII (aka 2008). Okay, I missed that part completely. Where was I? Probably chasing children or hovering in the kitchen because another hot dip had just come out of the oven. So it’s a doubly timely link, for heart health and Super Bowl hype (did you need a recipe?). Gosh, I guess Doritos has been doing these contests for years. Huh. I only notice Doritos these days when I’m rolling my eyes at their obnoxious and sexist ads. If you, like me, are on approximately a 4-year delay when it comes to pop culture, maybe it’s new to you. Kina Grannis has a more recent super-fun jellybean In Your Arms video.

J loves the Message From Your Heart song, but she insists that the “Taking blood and making art” line is really “Taking love and making art.” It sort of fits, I’ll admit, but it’s wrong. This drives me a little nutty. Actually, J gets this from her father. Cute W frequently gets lyrics wrong, and he’s often emotionally attached to the incorrect lyrics. It’s become a bit of a running joke in our family. Right now, the girls love to sing, “I got the moves, Mick Jagger” instead of “I got the moves like Jagger” just because they know it makes me squirm. Hey you guys! That one’s from 2011, isn’t it? Thank goodness for Zumba! I get cardio (heart healthy!) while learning about pop culture. Woo, hoo.

On Saturday, it’s the Saratoga Chowderfest. Okay, the truth? I like chowder as much as the next mama, but I’ve never schlepped to Saratoga for the fest. Luckily, Mamatoga Jenny created a delightful Chowderfest with Kids Guide. If my calculations are correct, she put this together while awaiting the imminent arrival of a baby. Either she’s unbelievably motivated or she was feeling deeply hungry that day. Whatever.  I’m impressed.

There were also a bunch of snowshoe walks, but frankly? It’s not looking good. In fact, Glenville cancelled their Winterfest due to the lack of winter. Sad, right?

I love that everyone’s trying to keep us entertained on Sunday afternoon prior to the big game. There’s a Super Bowl Sunday Family Dance at Saratoga Springs Library , and if you’ve never danced with the Homespun Occasions crew, I think it’s lovely and wholesome fun. Or if you want to test your smarts, there’s a Washington & Lincoln Spelling Bee at the Albany Institute of History and Art . Keep in mind, you guys, that the toy exhibition is still there, so it’s totally worth a trip. Or if you can embrace basketball with the The Harlem Globetrotters at the Times Union Center.

Here’s the link to this week’s KidsOutAndAbout.com e-newsletter.

Here’s a list of what’s happening each day of the weekend:

•  Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

Keep in mind, also, that you have until noon on Friday to enter to win the Snip-its Giveaway.

In any case, I got behind schedule. So, I’m shifting gears for today’s weekend post. I’ve said for a while now that it’s a goal  for me to stop doing the weekly listings as I’ve been doing them. With KidsOutAndAbout.com, I can rely on listings that the different libraries and museums and other organizations create all by themselves. And it’s getting to the point where it’s just silly for me to replicate the work. In a month or two, we’ll have a special report that will allow me to do listings very similar to what I’ve always done, except that 1) I won’t have to work so hard to find the information and 2)  listings will be updated and accurate because they’ve been created by the organizations themselves.

For now, we’ve got a bit of a transition: I’ll highlight what I think is especially interesting or fun, and I’ll link to KidsOutAndAbout.com for events each day.  Hopefully, by sometime in March, I’ll have listings that look quite similar to what I’ve usually done, except that I’ll have extra time to write more creative and fun stuff, too.

The main reason that I started Capital District Fun was that I felt like families really needed easier access to information about all that’s fun in the Capital District. The secret, unstated reason was that I was interested in writing, and I didn’t have any confidence that anyone would be willing to read what I wrote unless I provided a huge amount of information as well. When I started the blog, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep up with it for a whole week. There was never a long-range plan in which I spent years and years typing events in for another weekend post. KidsOutAndAbout.com offers a splendid opportunity for me to ensure that you all know what’s happening while allowing me to focus on the writing that I enjoy so much. In fact, if anyone has any suggestions or favorite posts or topics, I’d love to hear about it, because I’m excited to use this time and energy to spend on writing new and different stuff, for Capital District Fun and other projects.

Thank you, especially, to all of you who have commented or emailed me with kind words since I started Capital District Fun. Your encouragement has made me two things which I didn’t realize, but it turns out I had always wanted to be: a braver person  and a writer.

But yesterday I got some pictures of the girls running around as scantily clad as I would permit. Here’s J rocking the cutest rain boots ever. Stylish girl!

Of course the best part about boots is that you can sneak into them without socks and then “accidentally” fling them off while you’re getting pushed on the swing. J’s looking over her shoulder at one of the boots she lost.

All the comments about people’s hair issues made me feel much better about the magnificent rat’s next that was in the back of M’s hair so consistently that my mother-in-law named it.

Here’s M checking out Winnie the Poo waaaayyy too close to the tv. Do you ever say to your kid, “Hey! Stop doing that! But wait, let me get a quick picture of you, and then you should stop”?

Here are M and Suzy Snarl at Chuck E. Cheese:

And here’s the snarly-haired child getting inundated with gifts at Christmas time:

Finally, here’s a picture of M on a day when I’d successfully combed her hair and gotten it into a ponytail. I can practically see the little thought bubble over my head saying something like, “That child is so freakin’ adorable when I manage to get her hair brushed!”

Looking through the old photos became a time-sucking nostalgia trip for me, of course, but I did at least get an idea for another post coming up later this week. But for those of you who are currently dealing with hair issues. Take a couple of pictures of that bad hair, okay? Because believe it or not, someday you’ll actually miss it.

The winning Capital District Fun reader will win one free kid’s haircut valued at $17.99 and a product gift pack valued at about $30! For the gift pack, our winner can choose three of the following hair products:

• Shampoo (Burstin’ Bubbles or Silly Strawberry)
• Conditioner (No Yellin’ Melon)
• Morning Miracle Mousse Styling Spray
• Funky Spiker Super Hold Styling Gel
• Sparkle Spritz Shining Mist

The Snip-its folks sent us a gift pack, too. I mentioned the other day that my girls especially like the Sparkle Spritz Shining Mist. Today when it was time for me to coax J into the shower, I asked her to please try the shampoo and conditioner, and this increased her shower enthusiasm exponentially. A few minutes after her shower, I interviewed her.

“So, how was it?”

“It smells heavenly. And it was very easy to get out of the bottle.” She tends to have a difficult time with this.

“And did you notice a difference in how it felt when you combed your hair?”

“Argh! I was supposed to comb my hair! I forgot!” Sobbing. I win the Mama Prize again!

To enter, comment on this post and tell us about your greatest joy and/or frustration regarding your child(ren)’s hair before this Friday at noon.* I’ll randomly select a winner, email her/him, and announce it on the blog later on Friday.  The giveaway will be available for pick-up at the Guilderland Snip-its at 2080 Western Avenue.

If you’re entering to win, it’s probably worth your while to go check out the Guilderland Snip-its Facebook page, because it looks like they’ve got special offers and discounts for folks who “like” them.

But if, by chance, there were an award given to the Mommy Who Make Her Children Cry With The Least Possible  Effort, well, I’d be a winner today.

After school, both girls were doing homework when J went and got herself a spoonful of capers. I don’t understand her fascination with capers. Well, yes I do: it’s the salt.  She loves salt. I  generally find her raiding the capers jar and tell her the same thing: “Okay, you can have that spoon, but that’s it. Capers are supposed to be a garnish.”

This time, however, M beat me to the punch with the critique. Hers was a passive-aggressive sniff followed by a more dramatic cough, and, in case her point was not made, an eyeroll-with-nose-holding combination move. So I said, “M, please don’t hold your nose if you don’t like the smell of someone else’s food.” [Shocked disbelief: was that what she was doing? Surely not!]  “I’m serious, honey. It’s not polite. If you really can’t stand the smell, you can move to the other table.”

Instead she ran up the stairs, sobbing.

Impressive performance by a Mama Bent On Wreaking Sorrow and Pain On Her Children, right?

Within 40 minutes, J came trotting up the stairs after of-so-briefly pounding on the keyboard. “Are you finished practicing piano already?” I asked. “Yeah.” “Did you do your songs four times like Mrs. B asked?” Tears, wailing, kicking legs. I calmly noted that Mrs. B wrote the number 4 above her songs for a reason. “You’re clearly too upset now to play well right now, but this is a reminder  for future reference.”

J flung her limbs in multiple directions, wept, and gnashed her teeth.

Brava!

I’d like to thank all the little people. . . .

Here’s what I’ve found for this week. I love additions in the comments, and check out KidsOutAndAbout.com for more ideas.

All Week:

Bethlehem Middle School presents Guys and Dolls, Jr. starting Tuesay and continuing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Monday, January 30th:

• The Family Life Center  on Western Avenue in Albany has Prenatal Yoga from  12-1:15 p.m. and Mommy/Daddy and Me Yoga from 1:30-2:45 p.m.  Call or email Kristen for more information: 518-859-3136 or kmullaney@me.com.
• It’s PJ Storytime at 5:45 pm or 6:30 pm at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. This is a drop-in program.

Tuesday, January 31st:

• It’s Tuesday for Tots at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• Albany Pine Bush has Pine Bush Pups: Sleeping, Sleeping All Winter Long at 10:30 am. It’s free, and you can register online.
• Go for a Beaver Walk in Winter from 11 am to 1 pm at Moreau Lake State Park. This is advertised as a kid-friendly adventure. Registration required.
• From 11 am to 12:30 pm, it’s Preschool Naturalists at Saratoga Spa State Park. Registration is required, and it’s $3/person, $5/family.

Wednesday, February 1st:

• At 10 am, there’s a Snowshoe Walk planned at Thacher Park. Snow’s not looking great, but you can call to see if they’ll still hike.
• There’s a Family Playtime from 10:15-11 am at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• Albany Pine Bush has Pine Bush Pups: Sleeping, Sleeping All Winter Long at 10:30 am. It’s free, and you can register online.

Thursday, February 2nd:

• From 10:30 am until noon it’s Silly Science: Camouflage at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
• At noon, there’s a free film called “What is color?” at the New York State Museum.
• There’s a Family Moonlight Ski planned for 7 pm at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve if there’s snow.  Cocoa & marshmallows by the fire.

Friday, February 3rd:

• There’s a new Snip-Its children’s hair salon opening in Guilderland, and they’re celebrating their Grand Opening all weekend with face painting, a kid’s DJ, balloon artists,  and activities for the kids. They were kind enough to send us some products and the girls are particularly fond of the good-smelling shine spray.
• At 11 am, it’s Story Art at the New York State Museum. Free.
• Albany Pine Bush has its First Friday Hike at noon.
  
• It’s First Friday Albany from 5-9 pm.
• It’s Ballston Spa First Friday  from 6-9 pm.
• Update: this has been moved to March’s First Friday due to the unseasonable weather conditions. Thanks to MamatogaJenny for Tweeting this so I wouldn’t miss it. There’s a Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe from 6-8:30 pm at Saratoga Spa State Park.  Snowshoes available for rent, ice skating, and refreshments are planned (again, we’ll see about the weather!) at the warming hut. This kicks off the weekend-long Saratoga Winterfest.
• At 7 pm, the Siena Saints are playing basketball vs. St. Peter’s at the Times Union Center. $14/adult, $8/student.
• Ballston Spa Middle School students are performing Annie at 7 pm and through the weekend. Tickets are $7.
• Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Theatre for Children is presenting Pinocchio and Treasure Island today at 7 pm and on Saturday. Tickets are $7.
• The Phantoms are playing hockey vs. Norfolk at Glens Falls Civic Center. Tickets are $13 and up.
• The SMSA Community Players present Annie at 7 pm at Wood Theatre in Glens Falls, and again on Saturday at 1 pm. Tickets are $15.

Yes, that’s my butter dish, which was shattered all over the floor when the refrigerator door was opened with the vigor that is only possible when you are a 7-year-old with an obsessive desire for salami while your mother is standing by the door calling to you, “Come on! Please! Let’s go!”

So yeah, that was awesome.

I tried two slow cooker recipes that were limited successes, both from the Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook.  First, I made a Macaroni and Cheese, which was this recipe. This was a decent homemade mac and cheese, and the whole family liked it. I thought that it was a little dull, so I added about a teaspoon of dry mustard, which helped. I think next time I’d throw in a bit of dried milk, too. So:  it was easy, it smelled good all day, and everyone ate it. On the other hand, no one raved about it and it certainly isn’t too healthful. But its a good slacker meal. I have no photos, but follow the link and Erin’s got lovely photos.

Then I tried Iranian Wash-Day Stew.

This one smelled super-awesome all day, and then it was. . . good. It could have been slightly more interesting. I’d make it again and add more tomatoes (not peeled) and some other vegetables.  Cute W and I liked it, J took one look and opted out completely, and M painstakingly picked out the pieces of meat. Also, I should have gotten better bread.

Tonight we made a recipe that’s a labor-intensive but delicious family favorite. It’s sort of homemade chicken fingers, which we call Mrs. Seals’ Chicken after our neighbor in Ft. Worth, Texas, who passed it to us in 1978. It’s a pain in the neck. And a mess (see photo below), but it’s super-yummy, and it’s good hot or cold, so it’s great for a picnic. Not, like, now. But you know what I mean.

Mrs. Seals’ Chicken

Ingredients:

I really need a list. For me, there’s nothing like a good To Do list to keep me on track. If I begin to slow down, I look at my list and it jolts me into action. Or if I want to take a break or eat lunch, I tell myself that I have to check something off the list first. Sometimes I’ll make a list of things I enjoy doing and things I hate doing, and I have to do something I hate (like making phone calls) before I’m “allowed” something I enjoy (like working out or folding laundry with a tv show on). I’m so obsessive-compulsive about my lists that if I find myself doing something productive that wasn’t on the list, I add it to the list just so that I can cross it out immediately and feel proud. I often make a list for the week on Sunday night, and I didn’t this time because we were skiing. Yeah, I know I should make a list now. Absolutely: you’re right. But I’m afraid I’ll freak out over everything that I haven’t accomplished all week. So I’ll continue to write this post. Then, at least, I’ll have something to cross off my list right away.

I need to do a calendar review, which I didn’t do this week, either. I’m terrible with schedules. I don’t know why, but I’ll do crazy, stupid stuff like, for example, forget the time of a lesson that my kids have been attending every week all school year. Suddenly instead of thinking, “We need to leave at 4 for 4:30 gymnastics,” I’ll think, “We need to leave at 4:30 for gymnastics.” I don’t know why I do this, but it’s like my sense of direction issue. If I just make sure to review everything two or three times, I’m usually okay. Also, a calendar review at the beginning of the week throws up red flags, like with last night’s concert, in which: 1) I received two different fliers telling us to arrive at two different times, 2) I realized that M was planning to wear something way too casual and made an emergency shopping trip for slacks, and 3) I thought that I could just blow off the request for reception treats just this once until M arrived home hours before asking, “What are you making for tonight? I hope it’s something good because we all worked really hard.” Dang. I made chocolate chip cookies. Which we couldn’t eat due to the fire alarm. Yet when I retrieved the plate this morning, only smears of chocolate were left.

I need to step away from technology. I have three different emails (personal, Capital District Fun, and Kids Out and About), a Google reader, Twitter, and the comments here on the blog and via Facebook to check. Any one of these  is fraught with peril, because there are invariably fascinating links that lead to items to read that lead to further links to videos I simply must watch. The challenging part, here, is that keeping up with all of that stuff is part of doing Capital District Fun and Kids Out and About. But it can get ridiculous: there are times when by the time I’ve checked the last item on the list above, my emails have been pinging at me for attention again.

I need to set a timer. Actually, I use a timer often already. Right now I have it set to remind me when to start the slow cooker. I often set it to remind us all when we have to leave for whatever class or activity is coming up. I do timed writing and timed workouts pretty regularly.  And when I’m doing something that I hate, I’ll sometimes set the timer for, say, 10 or 15 minutes, and I lie to myself that as soon as the timer goes off I can stop. It’s a lie because once I’m 10 or 15 minutes into something it’s easier just to finish whatever it is (like, say, cleaning the bathrooms or filing). But now I’m thinking that I need to set a time limit on the technology stuff. I have other time-sucks that I need to limit, like when I’m fed up with all of our meals, and I’ll while away a very long time searching for recipes.

Books in the return bin at school

You know what? I didn’t do so badly this week. I grocery shopped, I worked out on Wednesday & Thursday (we’ll see about today), I came up with two pretty good new recipes, those chorus slacks were on clearance for $6, and I’ve kept up with the blog. Plus, I volunteered at the school library, and I chauffered my friends’ cat.

So, anyone got organizational tips to share?

Poor Kitty! He deeply resents his bath and subsequent jail time.

Okay. There’s no avoiding it anymore. Time to go make that To Do List. Well, maybe lunch first.