Author: kakakakaty

Camp

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Matilda just finished with 3 weeks of day camp, and while that seems like no big deal, I’m so very proud of my girl. I’ve been talking about her kindergarten readiness for over 2 years for good reason…she has some emotional issues around new situations (that’s to say she doesn’t handle them well). It’s a big enough issue that we decided her on the cusp birthday warranted another year of preschool. When I heard from Pauline about a small day camp that focuses on outdoor fun along our favorite river it sounded perfect and I signed her up for a 3-week session. We thought she’d know another kid or 2 at camp but that didn’t work out. She was going to camp without knowing anyone. We braced ourselves for the worst…

Day one came and she was SO! EXCITED! for camp. She bounded out the of the car and into the area for her group like it was something she had always done. I watched, as my usually-timid girl introduced herself to another girl and started chatting away. My fears subsided a bit and I headed to work half-expecting a mid-day call. Although she’s been in daycare most of her life, my girl just does not adapt to new situations all that easily. When left in the care of an experienced daycare teacher with only 8 other kids that’s one thing, when leaving her with 3 teenagers responsible for 16 other kids I was a bit worried. No call came that day and when I picked her up she was so happy with her day that she wouldn’t stop talking. There had been bouncy houses, science experiments, baking and a river walk (well, a river SWIM for my waterbug). The fear of the unknown was no where to be seen.

Camp day one: before and after

As one day tumbled into the next she did great. There was fishing and bike riding, hiking and t-shirt decorating. More baking, a photography workshop (all of her photos are of things like spiderwebs and trees), exploding coke bottles, crayfish hunting and fort building. One of the kids in her group got bit by a water snake in the river and Matilda was mad she didn’t get to see it. A day trip to a local amusement park was the highlight of week one and she got to wear her official camp t-shirt.

 A chilly morning start, field-trip day, by day 3 camp caught up with the camper

The end of week 2 was the main attraction – a camp out in tents. We prepped her all week with what to expect and when we returned to camp on Friday night to drop her off she barely noticed us leaving. My baby would be spending her night away from family for the first time ever. In a tent in the woods. Neither Mark nor I slept much that night, always on alert for a phone call to pick her up (the camp has a strict “no forcing” policy – if a kid utters that they want to go home they call the parents for pick-up). It never came. We picked her up Saturday morning, clad in pink and full of grins. Her favorite part of the camp out? “Sleeping on the ground”.

Week 3 was more classes and sessions: fencing, karate, a visit from the bubble lady, a carnival and a fashion show. Frogs were found, more crayfish uncovered and each day she came home in her spare outfit because her 1st one was so dirty. This is also when she learned that camp was continuing on for another 3-week session that we hadn’t signed her up for; she wasn’t too happy with us. But now we know that not only can she handle camp, she rocked it. Next year she’ll be an old pro and attending for all 6 weeks.

With her beloved counselors on the last day

And for me, those three weeks of camp helped prepare me for this fall when I send my first born into the abyss of school with 25 classmates. If she can handle a camp with snakes I think she can handle kindergarten.

Weekend Round Up – Just Add Water Edition (Giveaway)

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Update: Congratulations to commenter 14, Jennifer M for winning the tickets! 

 

On Saturday morning the crew was up early for a Blogger breakfast at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. I was thrilled when I got the invite because although we’ve been to the Aquarium before, it was on a holiday (read: crowded) and the opportunity to explore at a more leisurely pace was exciting. In the first 4 months of operation the Aquarium has had over 200,000 visitors, not bad for Cleveland’s newest attraction. I’m also impressed in how Marinescape NZ Limited and Jacobs Entertainment, Inc. creatively used the existing space and worked to bring new life to the Flats. I’m all for the city re-inventing itself and the Aquarium is a wonderful example on how to do that.

After breakfast with Heather and her girls we got to see a baby alligator up close in an Animal Encounter before we were let loose among the tanks.

The freshwater tanks are close to the ground which Madman loves. He spent a solid 20 minutes running from tank to tank, excitedly pointing and yelling. His favorites are the freshwater stingrays – I finally had to drag him away to see the rest of the exhibits.

 


I’m sure the lobster tank is one of the most photographed exhibits in the Aquarium. It’s above you as you pass from one exhibit to the next and makes great use of the building’s existing architecture. Madman was pretty impressed.

Of course the best part of the Aquarium is the 11,000 gallon touch tank where you can get familiar with everything from sea urchins to cow nose sting rays. Matilda and Pauline’s kids had a great time practicing their “two-finger touch” petting technique with the playful rays.

The final exhibit is the super-cool underwater tube which is the shark tank. Be prepared to make a few loops through this exhibit because each time you’ll see something different. From trying to find all 15 sharks to watching the stingrays “flock” it’s always changing.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is adding great activities and events all the time, including yoga (we crashed the end of the class when we arrived but what a peaceful and relaxing place to practice!), overnights, and a sweet fly-fishing clinic on Father’s Day. If you become a member (passholder) you also get access to extended hours and special events.

Here’s the fun part – the Greater Cleveland Aquarium has provided me with 4 tickets to give away to my readers. Just leave a comment below telling me your favorite fish/sea creature. Giveaway ends June 21, 2012 at midnight where one commenter will be chosen by random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to a Blogger breakfast and free tour of the Aquarium. As always, my thoughts are 100% my own. I only share events that my family plans to attend or has attended in the past, so I know they are worth the visit. 

Summer Bucket List

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Since both Mark and I started news jobs this spring and since we have a Hilton Head vacation booked for October, we aren’t going anywhere major this summer. However, I can’t stand the thought of not traveling during this last summer before Matilda heads to Kindergarten, so we are making plans to do day and weekend trips. I’ve assembled a list of possible destinations & activities that are local (there and back before dinner), day trips (gone all day, home at or after bedtime), and weekend trips (those that require/deserve an overnight stay). Trying to find stuff that will be appropriate for both a 5 year old and a 2 year old can seem tough, but I think I’ve got a good start.

Local
Vermillion, OH
– How can you pass up a town celebrating a Septaquintaquinquecentennial? It’s only an hour away and has old-town charm and great beaches. Sounds perfect for a Sunday afternoon with the kids.

Amish country tour
-Matilda and I have been reading the American Girl Kirsten books as well as Little House in the Big Woods and she can’t grasp what their lives were like. I think a visit to an Amish farm might help her understand. Plus … cheese.

Akron Zoo 
-We’ve never been and I’ve heard good things. Plus we could eat at the Blue Door Cafe which gets rave reviews.

Indians game
-Not a day goes by since the last game that Matilda doesn’t ask to go back. And I want Madman to go to his first game.

MetroParks
– A day and dinner in a park, inspired by Pauline, who totally let us crash the end of her family outing in the park.

Drive-In Movie
– We have a few drive-ins in the area and I have never been to a drive in movie (that I can remember – I’m sure if I have my mom or sister will pipe up in comments). I think it will be a blast to take the kids to one and they can just fall asleep in the car.

There are many more local options, many of which we will do: Parade the Circle, visits to the Aquarium, FarmPark and CBG, Wade Oval Wednesdays, Saturday’s at the Farmer’s Market, Memphis Kiddie Park, river wading/tubing, exploring downtown, festivals… but those have become so much a part of our summer routine I don’t feel the need to single them out.

 

Day Trips
Cedar Point 
– Do you really need an explanation? I grew up going there a couple of times each summer. We went 2 years ago and Matilda has been asking to go back ever since. Fingers crossed that my sister and her kids can come meet us. This might deserve a vacation day so we can go mid-week.

Put-In-Bay
-Can you believe I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life and have never been to Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island? And I would have never thought to take a family there – given it’s reputation for drunken shenanigans. However, the Miller Boat Line has made the case for our visit and I can’t wait.

Toledo Zoo
-The best zoo in Ohio, hands down. Plus we can visit family and our old neighborhood.

Pittsburgh
-We haven’t been to the ‘Burgh since before Madman was born. Plus, we need to make a stop at Ikea so a day-trip to Pittsburgh is in the works. I think we’ll try to hit the Water Steps, the Duquesne Incline and then head over to get a new couch.

Erie, PA
– Erie is just an hour away and makes much better use of their shoreline than we do in CLE. Some hiking, kite flying and swimming would make for a great day. I do have to admit that this trip may be motivated but the fact that I just learned that Erie has a Wegmans and I want to shop there on the way home.


Overnights/Long Weekends*
Niagara Falls
The falls are only about 3 hours away and I’ve never been there! This seems kind of ridiculous. Plus I think it will be fun for the kids to go to another country. Matilda has a passport from a trip when she was a baby but it hasn’t been used since. (this makes me wonder if my own passport has expired…I need to look into that).

Grand Haven, MI
– My cousin and his family live there so it will be a cheap trip and I think a long weekend will be a perfect way to enjoy the area. Bikes, beaches, breweries … I love lake Michigan in the summer!

Geneva-On-The-Lake
– Much like Vermillion above, Geneva-On-The-Lake has that old-timey, beach-resort feel. I was just out there for the first time a few weeks ago for work and the area is both beautiful and charming. It’s close enough to be a day-trip but I think a night or 2 at The Lodge at Geneva would be a perfect weekend since they have a playground, a spray park, bike rentals and easy access to the main strip of amusements.

Chicago
I have to go to Chicago for work in July and we’re thinking of making a long weekend out of it. Neither of the kids have ever been to Chicago and it’s been about 4 years since my last visit. It’s one of my favorite cities so it’s a shame we haven’t been there in so long. We used to go at least once a year. I’m hoping it works out because Chicago in the summer is amazing and we have lots of friends and family there. I’m hoping we can stay downtown in close proximity to Navy Pier and the lake.

Pittsburgh/Idlewild
– I know Pittsburgh is listed above but I think a longer second trip might be worth it. I have friends who rave about Idlewild for young kids and it looks kind of perfect. And, since it’s just an hour away from Pittsburgh I think it’s worth an overnight so we can hit some of the bigger Pittsburgh attractions on the second day. I’d love to go back to the Children’s Museum or check out their zoo.

*Have any of you used a Groupon or Living Social hotel deal? There are some decent ones out there for a few of these locations but I’m nervous to try them. If you’ve had any experience with them, let me know in comments!

Whew! That’s a long list. I’m not sure we will have the time to cross all of these things off our list this summer, but we should never have to say “There’s nothing to do!”

 

 

Weekend Recap (Late Edition)

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Yes, I know it’s Friday. Am I the only one who has to play catch-up all week after a 3-day weekend? I’m not complaining at all. But damn, this week has gone by quickly. This past weekend was one of this tales of parenthood that makes you wonder how we survive it all. I like to call this one Traveling with a Sick Toddler in a Single-Bed Hotel Room. Or How Not to Do It.

I have to preface this recap of the weekend with the tale of the sick toddler. Last Wednesday I got the dreaded “daycare call” and was told that Madman had a low fever and had crawled onto his cot 45 minutes early then promptly passed out. He hadn’t eaten and had acted dazed all morning. I picked him up after nap and he was just a cuddly, tired lump all afternoon. On Thursday Mark and I tag-teamed staying at home with him and by that evening he had still not eaten and broken out in a rash. A trip to Urgent Care later and we had a raging double ear infection (yikes! that wasn’t even on our radar) and either strep or Hand, Foot & Mouth. The CNP who checked him didn’t bother to get a throat culture since she was going to prescribe antibiotics for his ears anyway so if it was strep we were covered. If it was Hand, Foot & Mouth that’s just a waiting game. As Friday progressed we were pretty sure it was Hand, Foot & Mouth and the poor boy was miserable and looked diseased.

So! Saturday was my cousin’s wedding in Columbus – an event my entire dad’s side of the family would be at, including my brother and nephew from Florida. So we headed down to the hotel with Sir Coxsackie and his sister, leaving at nap time in the hopes that someone would get at least 2 hours of sleep in the car. He fell sleep right on cue (with snacks in hnad, watching Clifford). All was going according to plan. That is until he woke up 20 minutes later. And never fell back asleep. Oh boy…

 

Too bad he didn’t stay like this

We arrived at our hotel which was full to the brim of sports teams – apparently there were both soccer and baseball tournaments in the area over the weekend. Yippee. We got the early check-in we asked for but we had single king room, not the double queen we wanted. Turns out ALL the double queen rooms had been booked by the sports teams. Fantastic. We get to the room and throw the girl in her swimsuit and I took her to the pool – we had been promising it the whole day. Mark stayed in the room with Madman, hoping that maybe he’d doze off. After a swim and visiting with some of the family we headed up to get wedding-ready only to find out that Madman had refused to sleep. Yikes.

We arrive at the church literally 2 minutes before the 4:00 PM wedding started … oops! … and I ended up hanging out in the vestibule with Madman who just wanted to run around. He was getting more and more clingy and whiny by the moment but he did have a chance to play with my cousin’s kid for a bit (I was told he wasn’t contagious anymore and I hope that was right). After the pretty and short ceremony we did family photos and more chatting before we headed to the reception. We drove the long way, once again going that Madman would close his eyes for just a few minutes with no luck. At the reception Madman wanted nothing to do with anyone but me. He wanted to be held at all times and was super cranky. In the meantime Matilda was super-excited to see all of her cousins. She was bouncing around like a pinball from one to another and back. She couldn’t wait to dance and see the bride again. Madman held out as long as he could but by 7 Mark took a very tired and cranky boy back to the hotel.

Matilda & her cousin B, my brother with Matilda,
Matilda’s reaction when the bride and groom entered the reception

Matilda and I stayed and she was thrilled that we were seated right where the wedding party came in. She was so attentive to every detail and tradition and LOVED to clink the glasses to get the bride and groom to kiss. Finally, around 8:30 the dancing started. Matilda shook her groove thing for about 3 songs until she declared herself DONE and wanted to go back to the hotel. Apparently the crash after her 1st Shirley Temple was a hard one.

My parents, married 45 years this fall, were one of the last 2 couples dancing during the anniversary dance,
Matilda and the drink of red dye and sugary doom,
Stephen (my cousin) and Sara – the happy couple

Now, remember we are all in a single-king room with a pack n’ play for Madman. Matilda and wade through the packs of 8-9 year old boys roaming the hotel halls with no parental supervision (OMG) and tip-toe into the room at about 10 PM to find the boys wide awake. Madman had not had a single moment of sleep since about 11 AM. Matilda crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep but Madman was running laps in his crib. At one point I saw him try and nearly succeed at climbing out. He FINALLY crashed around 11. Then for the rest of the night I had a 5 year old who thought she was a barnacle attached to my back. That is until she woke up at 2:30 crying about her ear hurting. I corralled her in the bathroom where she cried and screamed refused to take any medicine for a good 20 minutes. I finally got her to take some motrin and she quickly fell back asleep. Of course, even after all of this Madman was up at 7 AM so Matilda got another round of swimming in as Madman and I toured the halls of the hotel.

Sunday morning we spent at my aunt’s house in Columbus for breakfast and more family time before we hit the road back to Cleveland. This time Madman was asleep within minutes and actually slept most of the time, thank goodness. When we got home we did fun things like make a meal plan for the week and go grocery shopping. We did, however, check out Old Carolina BBQ for dinner and it was delicious.

Monday was spent installing our air conditioners to ward off the 95 degree heat, sprinklers and then Mark and Matilda went to a cook out with friends why Madman and I stayed home and watched way too much TV. Then, since Matilda got the sprinkler I pulled out all the sandbox buckets and a big plastic tub onto the drive way and let Madman go to town in the water. Of course, the night ended with 3 window AC units blasting in the bedrooms which meant we were in for a game of “electricity roulette”. If you don’t know the rules you’ve probably never lived in an old house. The game is where you ask yourself “If I turn this on, will it blow a fuse?” Turns out when the item in question is a tiny nightlight the answer is yes. Ahhh – I love old houses. Good thing we keep a stash of a few dozen fuses around. Once that was fixed we all fell into bed for the night.

Hope your holiday weekend was good to you and that your week has gone as fast as mine. TGIF – time to do it all again!

 

Five Year Old Fashion

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Matilda has never been very interested in clothes. She likes playing dress up but has always been perfectly happy with me picking out her clothes. She actually preferred it as she couldn’t be bothered with taking time to pull her clothes out of the drawers. But lately she’s been exerting some control over what she wears and the results are no less than amazing. However, her preferences are mind-boggling and could make you pull your hair out. First of all, she has started declaring some clothes and some colors “too girly”.

For instance… the roll-top yoga pants on the left (Children’s Place) are perfectly acceptable and are, in fact, her favorite pants. However, the roll-top yoga capris on the right (Old Navy) were deemed too girly, too pink and she’ll “never ever ever wear them ever”. Ok then. Let’s move on to shirts….

The shirt she’s wearing (hand me down): “yay! pink heart shirt! I love it!”. The shirt she’s holding (Old Navy): “ewww, gross! I hate hearts! I won’t even try this ugly shirt on!”

Now that you know what I’m dealing with, let’s look at some OOTD photos, five year old-style. I call her spring and summer collection “Hobo Chic”. Please note that all of these outfits were of her own creation after deciding she “hates pink, it’s just way too girly”.

She calls this her “rock ‘n roll” outfit.
Corduroy blazer (thrifted)
Layered tule skirt (Old Navy, 2010)
sliver glitter tights (H&M)
motorcycle boots (Old Navy, purchased for her Halloween Costume).
Please note she’s in head to toe pink.

Pink (!) Wonder Woman shirt (Old Navy)
Black leggings (H&M)
Neon-striped socks (Target)

She picked out these items because they are both navy and white. Little did she know she’s part of the trendy “mixed print” craze.
V-neck shirt and checked rolled-cuff shorts (Land’s End clearance)

 Floral tee (Land’s End clearance)
Shorts (Old Navy, last year)
Socks (Children’s Place, purchased for her Halloween Costume)

Knee-high socks are a favorite. And according to Matilda, are perfect for spring because they “keep you legs warm in the morning, but you can push them down when you need to cool off in the afternoon!”

Pink  bermuda shorts (Old Navy)
Pink, pocketed tee (Land’s End clearance)
Pink Salty Dog sweatshirt (at least 3 years old)

This is the outfit she picked after throwing a fit because I suggested she wear the pink yoga capris pictured above. Yep, you sure can tell she hates pink.

I may chuckle at her outfits and roll my eyes at her preferences but I love my little fashionista so much.

 

Race Weekend Recap

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Week 3 of the weekend recap and my most consistent posting schedule ever. Huh.

How do I wrap up this busy, emotional weekend? I’m not sure, but I’ll try.

This was to be the big Cleveland Marathon Weekend. The one Mark set as his goal when he downloaded the couch to 5k app nearly 2 years ago. The one to commemorate his 40th birthday, which he celebrated a few weeks back. In the last 2 years he has inspired me. He has run consistently, logging mile after mile on the streets of the eastern suburbs. His training went so well he actually ran his 1st marathon last year. The kids and I have become professional race cheerers; getting our practice in at several 10ks and half marathons. But it was all just the preparation for this past weekend. A party was planned, emails were secretly sent asking for support, big plans were made.

Of course, after 2 years of running 4 times a week without fail, he got his first injury. One week after his 20 mile training run he called me during a 12-miler and asked me to pick him up mid-run. His ankle was feeling weird. By Wednesday he was limping and made an appointment to see a doctor. The verdict: nothing broken or torn, but major soft tissue damage in his ankle – a repetitive-use injury, caused by tightness in the calf. The doc said to stay away from running for 2-3 weeks. He may or may not be able to run on May 20th. Over these last 2 weeks, Mark has faithfully iced, rested, foam rolled, stretched and hoped for the best.

——

On Saturday we headed down to Browns Stadium where Matilda was to run the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Red Nose Children’s Run (seriously, that was the official name). She was so excited and even requested a “runner shirt” (tech shirt) like her daddy’s. She picked out neon yellow so she’d be easy to find in the crowd. Apparently she has learned a few things while cheering at all of Mark’s races. The event was somewhat poorly organized and a bit confusing. They started with a speech about war veterans losing limbs from IEDs… not really the kind of thing that’s easy to explain to a curious 5 year old while sitting in a football stadium. There were a few more speeches I didn’t catch because I was busy trying to calm Matilda down after a clown siting. The kids run was sponsored by Barnum & Bailey so of course there was a clown there. The problem is that Matilda is TERRIFIED of clowns. Like, almost to the point of hyperventilating when she sees one. We had warned her, but she wanted to run the race no matter what.

On the Rapid, heading to her race

Anyway, after all the long speeches were done they finally let the littlest kids down on the field. After so much time, all the kids in the stadium were antsy to run and get their medal. Finally, Matilda’s age group was called down. Since the clown was the starter we positioned her as far away as possible towards the sideline.

Just shut up and let my sister run so I can get home for my nap, please. 

He group was running 100 yards – end zone to end zone. She ran super-fast and never stopped. But she also got a late start because she was “hiding behind some kids so [she] didn’t have to see the clown.” She was so excited to get her medal at the end and was happy to pose for pictures.

A running medal, just like daddy

 Mark did a quick test run that afternoon and was still worried about his ankle. Saturday evening I had to work, but my parents arrived for the weekend and took the kids out. After work Mark and I headed down the street for a carb-loading pasta dinner with some neighbors who were running. I then stayed up way too late trying to get party-ready. We were expecting about 30 people on Sunday.

Marathon day started early with Mark getting up around 4 and taking the train downtown for the 7 AM start. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do: try to run the full, drop down to the half or 10k, not run all? I was planning to get up at 6 and wake Matilda up so we could go cheer. The car was loaded with signs, cowbells and pompoms along with snacks and course maps (I told you we’re professionals). Then I got the text at 5:40. His ankle was throbbing, he wasn’t going to run anything.

I know he was disappointed. He had been building up to this for TWO YEARS. People were in from out of town to cheer him on. People had been sending him cards and notes of encouragement. He was, understandably, pretty emotional.

However, something you need to know about my husband…about 3 months ago he quietly decided that his milestone race didn’t need to be about him. He decided to make it bigger and better by raising money in honor of our friend’s son, Aidan, who has Cystic Fibrosis. This birthday, this race, was bigger than “just a race”. We’ve been friends with Aidan’s parents for a dozen years and they have become fierce advocates for the funding and support of CF research. Mark wanted to help. Through the generosity of family and friends – some old, some new, some only known on Twitter – Mark was able to leverage his support network to raise $1300 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

In my book, without even stepping a foot on the marathon course, he won the day yesterday.

Thank you to everyone who donated. Best gift ever. Seriously.

The party was fantastic. Thanks in large part to my parents, the house and backyard were ready for our family and friends to come celebrate. It really was an amazing day. Since our house isn’t finished, with very visual renovations (think bare-plaster walls) in progress, we don’t entertain very often. So it was so incredibly nice to be surrounded by family and friends. There were friends we met back when we were still dating, and friends we have just met this year. The yard was filled with shouts and giggles from a dozen kids throughout the day.

In fact, it was so fabulous to sit and enjoy everyone’s company that I didn’t snap a single photo until the end of the day. But trust me: we shared stories and laughter throughout the day. We celebrated Mark’s running accomplishments past and yet to come. We caught up with old friends and chatted with new ones. And, most importantly we celebrated $1300 raised for CF research.

Dirty, sticky, tired, happy kids. Proof of a perfect day.

Mark, I’m so incredibly proud of you. For how far you’ve come with your running. For teaching our daughter to love running. For using your birthday to support CF and our friend’s cause. I love you. Happy (belated) 40th birthday.

Weekend Recap

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I had so much fun doing last week’s weekend recap, I thought I’d do it again. This weekend was much more tame as we stayed closer to home.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early, as usual, and headed to the Farmer’s Market. Arriving at 8:15 didn’t mean we beat the crowds – the place was, happily, packed. We loaded up our bags with chicken and eggs from New Creation Farms (jumbo eggs, because by 8:30 EVERYONE was out of regular – wow), asparagus, tomatoes, bread from Zoss and a Gray House Pie. We stopped to get some breakfast – a breakfast slider from NCF (I highly recommend) and a strawberry crepe.

Then it was back to the house where Madman helped Mark mow and Matilda ran around like a madwoman. Then, while Madman napped, Matilda and I tackled the weedy front beds. Well, she made mud pies while I worked. I have no idea what the plant below is, but I’ve declared it my nemesis. They always been in the gardens and lawn since we moved in and they grow so fast. I declared war on them and spent a few hours digging up every last one, trying to make sure I got all the roots.

After nap we headed over to one of our favorite spots for an afternoon – the Cleveland Botanical Gardens – where we romped around the Children’s Garden, checked out the new kitchen garden and ran over the paths and bridges. We have a family membership there and we get more than our money’s worth, year round.

Later in the evening we had an impromptu meet up with the Classy Chaos crew at out South Chagrin Reservation. What a wonderful evening. We hiked through the river and played in a clearing. They had been there all day, which is something we need to do soon. We are frequent river waders there in the summer, but a day in the park and a picnic dinner sounds like a perfect early summer activity. Cleveland is incredibly lucky to have our incredible Metroparks – they are just beautiful.

Today I slept in for Mother’s Day today and woke up to 2 snuggly kids along with french toast, bacon and local(!) strawberries. The rest of the day was somewhat lazy with t-ball in the yard, nap time snuggles, more weeding, meal planning for the week and solo grocery shopping. I know, it sounds lame, but I actually like grocery shopping and going by myself is something I enjoy. More time outside, more weeding and a delicious dinner using our farmer’s market buys: roast chicken, roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes with strawberry-rhurbarb pie for dessert. Overall, a great day.

How was your weekend?

Festivals and Tribe Games and Carousels, oh my!

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Like other CLE bloggers I thought I’d do a weekend wrap-up. It has a lot less brunching and drinking, but it was busy and fun just the same. Here’s my weekend recap, parent-style.

Friday night, as soon as Matilda got home from school, I whisked her downtown to Playhouse Square for a performance at the International Children’s Festival. I’m so in awe of our theater district. It was humming with activity on Friday and Matilda was just SO! EXCITED! to go into the buildings with the lit-up marquees over them. We saw World of Rhythm in the glorious State Theater. She LOVED the show and was dancing in the aisle by the end. She’s been talking about it non-stop and drumming on everything in sight. After the show, we walked around the theater and she posed “like a princess” on one of the grand staircases. Then we walked down to Noodlecat, her favorite CLE restaurant, for some ramen and steam buns. The kid loves her ramen.

Our date continued with a long walk back to the car as we admired the buildings (as-seen in The Avengers), laughed at our matching silver shoes and imagined that a bank was actually a giant robot.

Saturday had us at a friend’s First Communion where Matilda peppered me with questions throughout the Mass. She asked everything from why the girls were in veils and the priests were in robes to asking me if they were talking about zombies after John 6:53 was read. Oy, I think it’s time to start looking for a church. She has so many questions. After the ceremony we headed to the party where there was photo booth – BEST IDEA EVER. We had a great time hamming it up for the camera.


Saturday night the Indians had invited us to check out their new Kids Clubhouse. Since it was an evening game, I stayed home with the Madman while Mark took Matilda and her buddy and his dad to to check it out. Mark was floored with how well the Clubhouse was done and of all the amenities they thought of. Biggest bonus points goes to the wealth of family bathrooms available in the space. Matilda is just starting to use the public bathrooms on her own and I was worried about her in the often crowed and chaotic restrooms at the ballpark. Problem solved. They also have cheaper food options (think Uncrustables and organic milk) and, hooray! nice, private, clean nursing rooms for moms of infants. Mark even took a snapshot of the nursing room to text me, knowing how grateful I was when I found nursing rooms when I was still breastfeeding. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a quiet place to nurse and I want to give the Indians a big high-five for thinking of that. Both kids (ages 5 & 6) love the outing – the Kids Clubhouse is perfect for little kids who just can’t sit through 9 innings. Parents can watch the game while the kids play. Kudos to the Indians for adding this area, they really did their homework. Matilda has already asked when she can go to another game.

Playing in the new space, private nursing room,
view of the filed, Mark and Matilda after the game

On Sunday we had our traditional breakfast of buttermilk pancakes. We take our pancakes seriously around here and I’ve perfected the perfect fluffy pancake using this recipe (my tips: beat the egg whites to almost soft peaks. Then fold everything very gently, don’t over mix).

That afternoon I took both kids with me to Mansfield (my hometown) to meet up with my parents for the afternoon. They have been “snow birding” in South Carolina for 4 months and we haven’t seen them since Christmas. We meet them at Kingwood Center, a beautiful garden estate, were the kids could run around and feed the ducks. Then we went over to the Mansfield Carousel for a few spins. It was the Madman’s first time on a merry-go-round and he seemed suspicious of the whole endeavor. Later rides on a bench were enjoyed a bit more. Matilda, the girl who rides actual horses, assumed a stance of holding on for dear life as she rode. My kids are weird.

We got home just in time for bedtime. While we were gone Mark mowed the yard, did ALL the laundry, did dishes and went grocery shopping. Color me impressed.

This week is busy with work stuff and planning for next weekend. How was your weekend?

Playhouse Square International Children’s Festival (giveaway)

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You all know that I love living in Cleveland. From the great food scene, to the low cost of living it really is a fantastic place to be. And, I think, it’s an even better place to raise kids. We have amazing museums, beautiful parks, the beaches at the lake and easy access to both the city and the country for activities.

One of the gems of Cleveland is Playhouse Square. We all know it’s “the second-largest theater complex in the United States (second only to New York City’s Lincoln Center)”. But visiting it is something to experience. We are so, so lucky to have a venue for Broadway shows, dance of all kinds, comedians, classic plays, and more. I love that I can introduce our kids to the theater by taking them to see world-renowned shows downtown.

Matilda at the State Theater for the Nutcracker

 As parents, one of the highlights of our year is the Annual International Children’s Festival. It starts on Friday runs through Saturday. Last year we bought tickets to 3 shows and Mark and I took turns enjoying the shows with Matilda. She was THRILLED to have “date nights” with us and we all loved the shows. The Festival is absolutely perfect for introducing even little kids to live performances (that don’t include Elmo or Cinderella). Shows range from puppets, to live action; from music to storytelling. There is something for every interest and every age. Stages are set up throughout the theater complex and venues vary from the ornate Ohio Theater to the dance studios. Last year, the show I went to had us sitting on carpet squares – perfect for a squirmy kid who didn’t weigh enough to hold a theater seat down and it put us right up next to the performers. Matilda was mesmerized. And from the educational standpoint, it’s great exposure to different ways of storytelling and viewpoints from other cultures.

Planning our day at the 2011 International Children’s Festival

This year we are hitting up shows on Friday evening. However, if your schedule permits, I suggest you check out at least one show on Saturday. “Why Saturday?” you ask? Well, that’s when the theater district is jam packed with activities and workshops that tie directly to the shows. Make a drum, puppet or hat to continue the Festival stories at home. Check out the Artwalk and don’t miss the 14th Street World Stage to get your grove on to live music from around the world. Seriously, spend the whole day Saturday in Playhouse Square. You and your kids will love it.

If you have kids, from ages 3 to upper middle school, there is no reason not to be at the International Children’s Festival at some point this week. And here’s your chance to win. The Festival has given me a four-pack of tickets for World of Rhythm show on Saturday May 5 at 1:30 PM.
There are 2 ways to enter: 1) leave me a comment about your favorite theater experience
2) Tweet this: “I want to win tickets to the International Children’s Festival from @playhousesquare and @kakaty http://www.kakakakaty.com/2012/04/30/icf/”
you must come back and leave me a second comment with a link to your tweet for this one to count. You can use the Tweet This button below but you still have to come leave a 2nd comment.

Good luck! Comments will close at 6:00 PM on Thursday, May 3. Winner will pick up tickets at will-call.

 

Disclosure: I was provided with 2 tickets to one show. As always, my thoughts are 100% my own. I only share events that my family plans to attend or has attended in the past, so I know they are worth the visit. 

One Styling Event (Product Giveaway & Discount)

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UPDATE: Congratulations to Marta! I’ll mail out the flat iron this week.

 

Alternate title…how a hairdryer changed my life.

Several weeks ago I attended an event at Spa West hosted by ONE Styling. It was organized by the fabulous Kimberly of Smitten…in Cleveland (seriously, she is the embodiment of the word fabulous) to introduce us to the ONE Styling and Verge Styling lines of products. First up, if you’re just here for the discount code: get 35% off, free shipping and a free heat mat at ONEStyling.com with coupon code KATY35 valid thru 4/30/12.

It was a fun night of hair styling, cocktails and apps. Since I didn’t have my “big” camera with me I’m going to be lazy and link to the photos from the people that did. Once we learned the history behind the team at ONE Styling we headed to the salon to have our hairs did. I turned over my thick, heavy, straight hair to a stylist wielding the dubious looking Verge Bubble Wand. Honestly, I thought the wand didn’t stand a chance…my hair does not hold a curl for anyone (someday I’ll tell you about the double-chemical spiral perms I got in the early 90s during my quest for curly hair).

But, after 40 minutes or so of curls, more champagne and chatting with the stylist my hair was curly. And, while the curls softened to waves, they held until the next evening. This is unheard of in my hair; curls and waves usually abandon ship after just a few hours.

Freshly Curled

The next night (ignore the dark eye circles)

Color me impressed.

Other ladies tried out the Curl Styx (with interchangeable barrels) and the Epic Flat Iron: all with great results.

The wonderful ONE Styling team sent us all home with a HUGE bag of products to try. Like…ALL THE PRODUCTS…wow, just wow.

Over the past weeks I’ve been trying them out. First up – the Epic Pro Dryer. Also known as the hairdryer that has changed my life. No joke. Like I said, my hair is thick and heavy. It tends to retain water like a pregnant woman on a summer afternoon. On the days I blow dry I give myself 45 minutes because it takes that long to get it to damp-dry. But, the 1st time I used the Epic dryer it was dry in 20 minutes. Dry, like not damp-dry but dry. I was gobsmacked. And every time I’ve used it since then I shake my head in wonder that it takes so little time. The bonus is that my hair is so much healthier and less frizzy since I’ve started using this dryer. I know I got it free, but it’s 100% worth the money.

And, like the dryer, the Epic Flat Iron has cut down my hairstyling time. It heats up to super hot temps super fast. The process of drying and flat-ironing my hair has literally been cut in half by these two products. I highly recommend them both. Seriously, go buy them using the discount code above.

The other product I’ve had fun with is the previously mentioned Bubble Wand. Matilda calls it the “funny bubble curler” and it’s the only time she’s ever let me curl her hair.

Although she has some natural curl, she has stubborn hair like mine, but these curls managed to hold up through a day of play and bike helmets.

Overall I am super impressed by all the ONE Styling products I tried and would recommend any of them to you. A big thanks to ONE Styling, Kimberly and the stylists at Spa West for such a lovely evening!

And here’s my gift for you…I have a ONE Styling Crush Flat Iron (1″) for one lucky reader. Just leave a comment with your best hairstyling tip or trick (it can be anything). Tweet the following for an extra entry (or just use the tweet button below): I want to win a @onestyling Crush Flat Iron from @kakaty   http://www.kakakakaty.com/2012/04/19/one-styling/

Make sure you come back and leave me an comment with the link to your tweet. (total of 2 entires per person). Entries due by midnight eastern on 4/26/2012.

Good luck!

 

Disclosure: I was invited to a blogger event and provided a gift bag full of ONE Styling products. I was not asked to blog about the product or host a giveaway. As always, my thoughts are 100% my own.