Helpful Mom

As I was perusing the events listings on Kids out and about as I do occasionally looking for fresh ideas of things to do with the girls I came across a couple that I really liked, which are good ways to introduce theatre to young kids.

The first two are FREE and would be great even for the youngest kids because it’s puppet theater.  Just make sure if your kids can’t sit still for long that you sit close to an exit so you can beat a hasty retreat in case Jr decides he no longer wants to sit in your lap but get his hands on one of those fun looking puppets.  The info is as follows:

Friday, February 6 from 10:30-11:15am at the Gates Public Library.    The Catskill Puppet Theater will delight all with their musical melodrama, The Villian’s Mustache.  Colorful 2 1/2 foot tall puppets with animated mouths will perform in this fast paced show.  Registration required, call 247-6446.

Enchanted Kingdom Puppet Show

Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Enchanted Kingdom Puppet Show
Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
Cost: FREE

Age Groups: 4 - 5 years, 6 - 8 years, 9 - 12 years, All Ages, Family
Description: Come to the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 2:30 pm for Art Miller’s Enchanted Kingdom puppet show. Join Cinderella, the Frog Prince, Little Red Riding, the Big Bad Wolf and Puff the Magic Dragon in their search for clues in an enchanted library. This free, musical, mystical puppet show is sponsored by the Children’s Center and will appeal especially to kids who are between the ages of three and ten and their families.
Contact: Children’s Center
Phone: 585-428-8150
Address: 115 South Ave.
Rochester, NY 14604-1896
Web: www.libraryweb.org
Email: ChildRef@libraryweb.org
Extra Information: Pre-registration is not required.

The other idea is for a play of Cinderella that is adapted specifically to be entertaining to for young children.

Cinderella

Date: Friday, February 27 - Sunday, March 1
Time: 10am/12:30pm; Sat/Sun: 1 & 3pm
TYKEs (Theatre Young Kids Enjoy)
Cost: $14 per ticket
Categories: Music, Reading/Stories, Shows, Shows (participatory)
Age Groups: 4 - 5 years, 6 - 8 years, 9 - 12 years, Teenagers

Performed by adult professional actors

A musical adaptation of the classic tale about a kind-hearted girl who is forced to work as a servant for her slightly wicked stepmother and jealous stepsisters. Sure we know how it ends (happily ever after!) but this story, often regarded as the most popular fairy tale of all time, is sure to be a delight for the whole family!

Public Performances:

Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1 & *3 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 1 at 1 & 3 p.m.

*Interpreted for the hearing impaired

Tickets available on-line at: www.tykestheatre.org or by calling

461-2000 ext. 235

Discounts available for subscriptions and groups of 10 or more!
Contact: Gina Donahue
Phone: 461-2000 ext. 235
Address: Jewish Community Center
1200 Edgewood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
Web: www.tykestheatre.org
Email: tykes@rochester.rr.com
Extra Information: Pre-registration is not required.

So perhaps as our winter wears on you may find yourself looking for something new to do with your kids as I do on this evening, and perhaps one of these ideas have peeked your interest.  And if you don’t live in our area take a look into your area libraries as they offer a wide range of free programs for young kids through the year.  And many community groups offer theatre programs for young children a few times a year.  Enjoy!

If you are looking for some family fun this Christmas look no further than the Garden Factory in Gates, NY.  This is a yard and garden store much like a Gro-Moore farm during the spring, summer, and fall months, but come Christmas time it’s transformed into a family center.

Last week my girls wanted to go to the zoo!  It was less than 20 out so in an attempt to do something different I suggested going to a couple of Christmas stores to see the decorations.  Some simple FREE fun that didn’t involve much effort, I just looked up the locations of a couple stores dedicated to Christmas decorations.  I laid out the ground rules before going in to each store so there would be no begging or things broken.  Look with your eyes, not with your hands, and we are NOT buying anything so don’t ask, and stay with mom or else you will have to ride in a cart.

That said we had a great time.  They marveled at the trees and various angels, Santas, deer, and bears that were lit up, moving, or singing.  Katrina couldn’t help but hug the purple decorated tree we came across, since purple is her favorite color.  But our absolute favorite store was the Garden Factory.  I had seen ads for it last winter but never made it so was curious to check it out this year.  I knew that somewhere they have a huge model train set but we took our time exploring the entire store before finding it, I hadn’t mentioned it in case we couldn’t find it.  There were whole rooms with nothing but poinsettias and Christmas wreaths, decorations and lights.  The girls delighted in the large selection of wind chimes and the stuffed birds that play the authentic bird calls.  We checked out all the decorations and garden statues and then we found it… The room with loads of beautifully decorated Christmas trees, huge garden fountains, and a HUGE train setup.  Not just one train but more like 5 or 6 sets all set up together in one huge display.  I find these model train sets fascinating because of the attention to detail is amazing.  They have whole little towns set up with tiny people, cars, animals, you name it they have it.  And the girls could watch the trains go round forever.  It was nicely set up for kids too because all the way around it’s boxed in with fencing, but then they would have steps up to a platform where the kids can stand up and get a good view of the trains going around.

And beyond that is all set up for their Holiday Family Fun activities which includes: a child sized train for rides, bounce house, turbo tub, speed slide, mini ferris wheel, firetruck playfort, and make your own ornaments for kids.  Now this is not free and is only open on weekends but it sure looked fun and I’m hoping to fit it in before Christmas sometime.  It’s for ages 2-10 and most of the rides cost 2 tickets, which are either $0.50 each or 25 for $10.  It began the weekend of Thanksgiving and continues through Christmas.  The remaining weekends are Dec 13 & 14, and Dec 20 & 21 from 11am-4pm.  The model train will be set up through Dec 27, closed Dec 25.  And on those weekends from 12-4pm Santa will be there for pictures and taking wishes.  And while you are there it’s a great place to pick up a precut tree while your kids are playing.

The Garden Factory is located at 2126 Buffalo Rd, Rochester, NY 14624

It’s that time of year…time to pick out the family Christmas tree.  Our family has gone to a tree farm for years and cut down our own tree.  When we moved from Penfield to Henrietta we had to find a new place to pick a tree since the place in Webster we had gone to for years was now 45 minutes away, a long way to drive with a tree tied to the top of our little Geo.  So we had to search and we finally settled on one that is not very far from our home at all.  It’s Remelt’s Tree Farm on East River Rd in Rush.  They offer precut or cut your own trees in a variety of types of trees.  What’s nice is they charge a flat fee depending on the type not on size.  Since we have vaulted ceilings in our living room we usually were getting a 10 ft. tree for $25-30!  They have hayrides out to the fields and saws to cut your tree, they’ll come pick you and your tree up and bring it out front where they will bale it for free and help you get it on your car if necessary.  On certain weekends there are also free Trolley rides, operated by the New York Museum of Transportation.

This year we’re considering trying out Stokoe Farms, where we go for their pumpkin patch.  They are opening this weekend on Friday from 9am-5pm.  They too have hayrides and free baling, but in addition they are offering a straw fort, live Nativity scene, bonfire, and their Country Christmas Shop and Reindeer Reststop Restaurant.  Open fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9am-5pm, Nov 28th-Dec 21.

On opening day Santa Skydives in to check on his reindeer!  It’s Friday Nov 28th at 1pm(raindate Nov 29th).  Santa will also be there Dec 6th and 13th.  Located at South Rd in Scottsville.

I just read that Disney World is going to offer a free ticket to you if you visit on your birthday during 2009.  It has to be on your birthday and you have to bring an ID that shows your date of birth.  You can check out more details at Disney.  This offer is valid for either park in Florida or California, so if you were thinking about a visit to Disney with your kids next year this could a great deal.

WeePeats Children’s Consignment Event at the Dome Arena on Calkins Rd in Henrietta.  September 27 & 28 $3 admission, ages 18 & up.  They sell anything and everything for kids! Saturday from 9am-6pm and Sunday is 50% off sale from 10am-2pm.  Quality, like-new kids stuff at 70% off retail.  Toys, baby equipment, books, DVDs, clothes-newborn~junior sizes.  If you find their ad in the Shopping Bag and bring it with you you’ll receive  $1 off admission.

And the Ronald McDonald House Charities annual garage sale is in October.  This is the biggest sale in our area hands down!  I stumbled across it a number of years ago and now eagerly look forward to it each fall.  This year it will be in the former Dick’s Sporting goods store across from Walmart in Henrietta, and they will fill that whole place up completely!  I will donate stuff so I can get tickets to their Donors on sale on Wednesday night from 6-8pm, there will be people in a line wrapping the building, it looks like the morning after Thanksgiving! Then I go back Saturday morning for the 50% off sale to scope out what is left before going out to wait for the $5 bag sale that starts at 12:30pm.  I used to go with my family when I was pregnant and my mom and I would fill bags and my dad would take them to pay for them.  It was a crazy family event.  I pick up kids clothes and shoes and store them in boxes marked by sizes in our shed for the future.  Toys, of course, books, craft supplies, videos, if you want it they have it, and of course those things you didn’t know you were looking for ;P

When is this great sale you ask?  The donor sale is October 22 from 6-8pm, Thursday Oct 23 10am-8pm, Friday is 20% off from 10am-6pm, Saturday from 10am-12:30pm is 50% and they close and reopen for the $5 bag sale from 1-3pm.(the bags are BIG ones)  They do accept credit cards if the purchase is above $20.  If you are interested in donating check their website for dates and times.  In return you will receive 2 tickets to the donor sale.

Bank of America is offering free admission to over 70 museums on the first weekend of every month all year long with your Bank of America card.  It runs through April 2009.  Wheither you are lucky enough to live in one of these cities or you are planning on vacationing in one it’s a great deal worth taking advantage of.

Well while I’m already recommending you sign up for memberships in the vein of saving money I’ll tell you about this deal that I received in the mail yesterday.  The Rochester Museum and Science Center is offering if you sign up by the end of January 2009 you can save $10 on your membership(new ones only)  and if you are already a member you can sign up to have your yearly membership automatically renewed by credit card and they will take 10% off the annual fee.  That would mean that if you are a new member signing up for a family membership you will only pay $69 for the year which will allow your and your husband and ALL your kids in for free unlimited admissions to the Museum and Science Center, all the Giant-screen films, Strasenburgh Planetarium star shows, Cummings Nature Center, and over 250 other science museums.  Also you will receive a $5 discount on all RMSC adult and youth classes and 10% off all purchases at the gift shop.  And part of your membership may be tax deductible.

When you compare that to admission prices of $9 for adults and $7 for kids 3-18 yrs old.  You can see how after only 2 visits you will break even, or if you were going to add a planetarium show to that perhaps in one vist depending on how many of you there are.

My kids love going to the Science Center.  There are lots of fun hands on activities for kids of all ages to play with wheither they like science or not.  It’s a great way to sneak in a little learning while having fun and getting out of the house, and it’s a great refuge in the winter weather.  A couple of the kids favorite things to do there is the water and sand table.  It’s this raised metal table just full of sand and sand toys with various spickets to run water through it so you can create rivers and moats and ponds to your hearts content.  And they have these water proof type vests for the kids to put on over their clothes, and there is a handwashing station right there to clean up when you are finished.  Katrina loves the climbing structure they have which goes up from the first floor up to a second floor loft where they can play and then come down the stairs to where you are waiting.  I personally don’t like the way they can be out of your sight even though I know there is no other way out for them and the room at the top has a clear glass wall so you can see in, but you can’t see in the stairwell unless you are in there waiting, but with two kids… And one of their other favorites and mine is the dinosuar dig.  It is supposed to be a replication of what a real dig would be like.  The kids have to wear goggles(they look hysterical which is why I love it) and they are given brushes to discover bones buried in dirt(looks like kitty litter).  The girls love it and is definitely their favorite thing to do since they both love dinosuars.  (I recommend wearing sneakers because with sandals the kids keep wanting me to empty the rocks out over and over and over)  We usually only go for 1-1 1/2 hrs and we rarely make it off the first floor because they love playing with the things there so much!  There is a lot more to discover upstairs too.  We have made it to the Mezzanine level which has a great room for those of the younger set.  The room has all kids of hands on exhibits about electricity but also has an area dedicated to KNex which you can build with and purchase your creation if you wish when you are finished or you can just put it all back if you like.  That way you can play with KNex without having to purchase them for home, or see if your kids like them enough to buy for home or not ;P  Or if your kids are younger like mine they have giant sized tinker toys and various other building toys to place with.

Ahhh…Vacation erh, Staycation has come to an abrupt end.  Preschool starts tomorrow and my moms group, WOW-Women of Worth, starts up again.  But back to the point, we had an awesome week.  In fact we have decided to try and do this every year.  Joel gets three weeks vacation and of course we can’t afford to go away for three weeks so if we take an at home vacation for a week we can still go away somewhere too!  We spent almost nothing for the entire week which was fun because when the kids asked for fries or something we were able to say yes because it would end up being our only expense for the day.  How did we manage that you ask?  It’s because we have memberships for the kids museum(Strong Museum of Play), Seneca Park Zoo, and the Science Museum which allow us unlimited visits for free for an entire year.  We always join because not only can we get into our local museums but also hundreds of reciprocal museums, zoos, and aquariums around the country.  So we very quickly save hundreds of dollars.  And to cut down on the cost of those memberships we request from family members that instead of buying Birthday or Christmas presents that they would chip in on our memberships so it’s a gift the entire family can enjoy and it’s sure to be used.  Also there are discounts on a number of the membership fees such as employee discounts or membership drives that offer % off the annual rate, and some will offer a discount on rejoining by a certain date to cut down on those reminder mailings.  Memberships also give you discounts off extra tickets if you bring friends and family, you can purchase add a guest memberships when you sign up which allow you to bring one extra person with you each time you go if you like, discounts in the souvenir shops and restaurants.

So for example earlier this summer we went to Boston to visit a friend and we were able to use our Strongs membership to get into the kids museum there for free.  And we were able to use our Science membership to get in free there as well, likewise we used our zoo membership there too.  Which means on those days we only had to pay for meals and lodging.  It’s a great deal and we have been using it for years.  What can I say we are thrifty nerds ;P

Anyways over the week we did the corn maze, beach, zoo, science museum, my mom watched them for a day, and on Saturday we went to Seabreeze Amusement Park for the day.  It was Xerox employee days so it only cost us $10 each and Mikayla was free because she’s still 2.  It was so much fun, Joel has never been to Seabreeze ever!  And I grew up going there every summer.  I loved how much fun it was for the girls to get to ride and ride and the giggles of glee made it totally worth it.  We are talking about getting season passes in the years to come because we would definitely get our moneys worth out of it.  It’s a smaller park but that means lines aren’t that long so you can ride and get right back in line and ride again.  And when the kids get bigger you can go two different directions without being that far apart.  I was disappointed that some of my favorite things to do like the fun house are no longer there and have been replaced with newer rides.  It’s funny going back for the first time in over ten years to realize how much smaller it really is than I remember as a kid.

Staycation was a smashing success.  Yes I still did the cleaning, laundry, and dishes, and most of the cooking.  Although I was able to guilt free order dinner a few nights since we were on vacation.  I’d say we spent less than $200 for the entire week, including gas.  And there are still a number of things we had talked about doing that we didn’t fit in, so we are already working on a list for next summer.  Maybe we’ll send you a postcard.

Have you heard of the hot new vacation spot?  It’s got all the amenities of home because it is your home.  It’s a staycation.  There are benefits and drawbacks to a vacation at home.  With two young preschoolers driving more than 6 hours away from home is just crazy!  It will take more like 8 hours to make that 6 hours and if they are tired it can feel like much longer.  As they’ve gotten older it has gotten better since they can sit still longer than when they were first learning to walk and couldn’t be pinned down for anything.  So the obvious pro is no long drive there and back which of course means saving dollars on gas and meals on the road.  Which leads me to the next pro/con, saving money on meals.  By staying home you can make your own meals saving lots of money by not having to eat out.  This can be both a pro and a con since that means you have to do the cooking on your vacation.  Of course most vacations I end up cooking anyways since we try and get a place with a kitchenette so we can save money by making meals.  But there are things you can do to make that staycation cooking easier, by either making meals ahead of time that all you have to do is reheat, use prepared foods, or eat out for the main meal of the day since you don’t have to pay for a hotel you’re still saving money.  Another way to save some work on your home vacation is to use paper products so you don’t have to wash all those dishes on your vacation.  Of course with all the time you save driving or flying gives you extra vacation days to play with and of course there’s no packing, unpacking, buying the things you forgot to pack.

With little kids that are on fairly strict schedules involving naps staying home is a great thing.  We have attempted three different vacations in the past with our girls as babies and toddlers with mixed results.  It’s always been hard to get up and rush out because you knew you had to back to nap by 2-3pm or you would have a huge meltdown on your hands.  And not to mention the times we actually tried to all sleep in one hotel room together.  Trying to get your girls on different schedules to fall asleep in a new place and then you have to tip toe around the room til you want to go to sleep.  One time we rented two adjoining hotel rooms and still had to separate the girls by putting one in the bathroom!  Our most successful vacation was last year when we rented a beach house in Rhode Island which had three bedrooms so everyone had their own room and the girls had a yard to play in and they had a VCR to play their veggie tales in.  But going back to the topic at hand, by staying home we can keep them on their regular schedule so we are all happier and more rested.  There isn’t that feeling of we have to see and do everything because we may never be back here again.  And it’s fun to take dad along to see the places that I take the girls to all the time but he has never been to.  And there are lots of things to discover together too.  You don’t have to worry about getting lost or have unexpected tolls or parking charges.

There is of course the pitfall of wanting to clean your house and do laundry, and grocery shopping, paperwork, etc.  But you can set it all aside if you like, even hire a maid service at the end of a week from some of the money you saved by staying home.  Or you can clean it yourself and splurge on a massage or mani/pedi out of the money you saved.  You can put your mail on hold if you want to avoid paperwork during your break and turn off your phone or set it to go straight to voice mail.  And if you can let laundry go for a week while you’re on vacation surely you can let it do the same thing at home.  But if you’re like me you’ll still do all of the above because one of the things I don’t like about going on vacation is all the catching up afterwards.  But this way my husband is around to help wrangle the kids while I work so I do get a break too.

And of course you can get a babysitter at home because you already have people you can trust to do it.  That is always been the hard thing about vacations is that 24/7 with your family and not even being able to go on a date with your husband.  But by staying home you can have friends or family watch them while you go out for dinner or for a day so you can go do something fun for adults that you couldn’t do with the little ones, like white water rafting.

Another great thing is the kids have lots of toys to play with where you are staying ;P And you can afford to buy something special for them to play with with the money you saved.  I was able to pick up a used bouncy house for my moms group but have set it up for the kids in the backyard for the week and they are loving it.  That definitely beats a hotel with a pool.  Of course I heard of one family that did a staycation who used some of the money they saved to buy one of those small snap set pools for their yards.  So that money saved will bring entertainment for years to come.

So today we went to something we haven’t done for a while and were able to take family with us which made it even more fun and less work.  Many hands make light work, it’s so true.  We went to a corn maze or a maize maze as some call them.  We have gone before but haven’t gone in a few years because it can be a lot of walking and with toddlers it can be too long for them since they don’t get it.  But we thought this year they were old enough, and I think they did great.  Of course the one we went to has a lot more than just a maze, it has goats you can feed, all kinds of playground structures, a variety of smaller mazes of different types to try out, a trike grand prix, jumping pillow, huge slide, and more.  So we got there early before the maze even opened and spent a hour doing all the activites before going into the maze.  The maze itself took us about an hour and a half to walk and we had fun.  Now keep in mind we took our jogging stoller with us so the kids could ride or walk depending on how they were doing.  That also allowed us to bring drinks, food, and our trusty travel potty for that emergency pitstop when you are lost in a field.  And don’t forget your sunscreen because even though you think you’ll be shaded by corn you’d be wrong.  The paths are wide enough for our double jogger stroller if that gives you an idea so most of the time you aren’t in the shade.  And of course by the time we were done with all that walking we decided that we’d earned ice cream which they of course sell, along with a variety of other things.  All in all we had a great time, the girls loved it and took great naps when we got home.

Where did we go you ask?  It was Long Acre Farms, in Macedon, NY.  Every year they have a different theme to the maze which if you had an aerial view you would see a picture in the maze such as this years theme of fitness that you can see pictured.  There is a cyclist, runner, swimmer, weight lifting, and the heart beat which is the way out.

Maize aerial view

The maze is divided into squares which you can find a mail box located in each square which will have a mail box with squares on the map to help you find your way out.  There are also different colored sections to help you visualize where you are in the field, like the heart beat was red, and the water was blue.  There a couple bridges that you can go above the level of the corn to give you an idea where you are.  Also they give you very tall flags and a team name so they can tell where you are at all times and you can “flag” down help if you are hopelessly lost or have to go to the bathroom or whatever.  You can either get a worker have you walk you out or they can give you hints to help you on your way.  They also have trivia questions along the way in case you were getting bored.  But most people are too busy trying to beat the record time ;P  All in all it’s a fun family outing for all ages.

Prices run from $6.50-$10 depending on what activities you choose-either an all in one combo or just maze and of course the ages of each person.    Open Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun from 12-6pm.  There are many corn mazes popping up around the country since it’s a great way for farms to earn extra income.

Today the moms group I lead met at Springdale Farm in Spencerport, NY.  The farm is definitely on my kids top five favorite outings list.    Upon arriving the first thing you come to is the play ground which is great when you are meeting friends, that way your kids are occupied while you wait for everyone to arrive.  The farm is free to visit, although they do set up a petting zoo during the summer months which costs $1 per person and is free for under 2yr.  Once the kids are done on the playground they definitely have animals on their minds so we head straight for the petting zoo.  This is the star feature for the kids and we usually spend the majority of our time there.  They have goats, sheep, and shetland ponies

Climbing the hay bales at Springdale Farms

roaming free for you to pet and feed(there are quarter vending machines with food).  My favorite time to visit is in the early spring when all the animals are having their babies.  When I took the girls in April we were able to pet 3 weeks old goats!  Sooo cute!  The goats are bigger now but still very cute and friendly, not crazy like at some petting zoos I’ve gone to.  One we’d gone to the goats would butt you out of the way so they could eat straight out of the vending machine!  But not here, there is plenty of hay around so you don’t even need to buy feed.  Although one of the goats was set on proving the point that goats will really try to eat anything, it tried to eat one of my friends shirts, and tried to chew on my girls stroller!  Anyways they also have various breeds of chickens in pens in the petting zoo area and a pair of turkeys too.  They have also created a pyramid out of hay bales which the kids and kids(er goats) can climb on and through as they’ve made tunnels under it to crawl through.

Once your kids have finally had enough of petting and feeding the animals you can go check out the other barns.  One of which you can go upstairs in to check out some hands on learning displays about life on a farm.  Or you can walk around the large pens which contain more sheep, horses, and the

Katrina and her best friend David at Springdale Farm

biggest pigs you’ll ever see.  The one pig weighs in at 1000 pounds!  There are also a pair of peacocks and  lots of bunnies.  Once the kids have had enough of animals we move on to the beautiful gardens, there is an assortment of them which are labeled and divided up nicely to help teach the kids about where food comes from.  They have a “pizza” garden which grows tomatoes and onions, and garlic, etc.  And there are vegetable and berry gardens, and a cute play area surrounded by tall plants like sunflowers that create a hedge around it.  Then you see a green house which you might think about skipping, which I did the first number of times we went and then one day my girls followed a butterfly inside and discovered a sand table inside!  They love it and I usually end up finding a chair and watching them play for a half hour til they decide we should go see the animals one more time before heading back out to the playground again.

There is also a working dairy farm on the farm which you can tour for an additional fee if you are interested.  I have taken the girls once to see it and found it very interesting because they have this amazing automated system for milking the cows that washes them, milks them and monitors their

Mikayla feeding the baby goats

production all by itself.   I will definitely take the girls again in a few years when they are old enough to understand what they are being told, but they enjoyed it simply because they got to see cows and newborn calves.  Tours are available Monday through Saturday at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Cost is $3 for Adults (ages 12-62), $2 for Youth (ages 3-11) and Seniors (age 63+) and free for Kids (ages 2 and under).

The farm itself is owned by Monroe County so it’s a county park but Heritage Christian homes leases it

to provide jobs and training for people with developmental disabilities.  Springdale Farm is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Please note that the farm is closed on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.