magpie

Splish Splash Swim Bash at Goldfish Swim School (Free!)

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I’ve been a swimmer from before I could remember. Seriously… I don’t remember learning how to swim, I just remember always swimming. We lived at the pool in the summers (bonus of a mom who was a teacher and had her summers off), and I was on a swim team from age 6 until high school graduation. I think swimming is beyond a sport, it’s a life skill. As you can imagine, I want to pass this love of the water to my kids.

We’ve had Matilda in lessons on and off in the past. But, either the instructor was not good, the water was cold or the times were just so inconvenient that we stopped the lessons. Madman – poor 2nd child that he is – had never been in lessons. That is until Sonali Morris (whom I knew only on Twitter) along with some others said they were opening a Goldfish Swim School nearby. After reading about it we signed up as soon as we could and we were there the week it opened.

Madman and Mark in the Mini2 class

Why is Goldfish different? First of all they are all about lessons. You’re not jockeying for space with water aerobics classes or fitness swimmers. Unlike other indoor pools which are kept cold for competitive swimmers, Goldfish keeps their water a a tepid 90 degrees. Their classes are small since they keep their ratio at 4 to 1 (so far my kids have been in classes with only 1 other kid!). They have a great area for parents to watch the lessons (and free wifi!). Best of all their program works. After 4 weeks of lessons, Matilda has moved up a level because she can do freestyle and circle breathing! She is so excited.

Look at that freestyle! Perhaps we should start planning for the 2020 Olympics?

Movin’ on up to the next class!

We’ve also been to their family swim times because – why not? It’s great fun and they have a ton of awesome pool toys for the kids to play with. 90 minutes in the pool guarantees an easy bedtime. Their facility is built with kids in mind – clean changing rooms and bathrooms, lots of places to stash their stuff, a turtle tank, chalkboard and books galore make any downtime easy to handle. Plus they do parties (which reminds me, I need to get Matidla’s next birthday party scheduled at Goldfish ASAP!).

Are you sold yet? Want to chance to check it out yourself? Perfect! Because Goldfish Swim School is holding a community open house. Come to the Splish Splash Swim Bash on Saturday, January 26 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. It will have a free four-hour open swim session, scavenger hunt, kid-friendly entertainment, photo station, prizes, giveaways, facility tours, snacks and more. You’ll get to met the funny dynamo that is Sonali and the whole Goldfish team. And you’ve got nothing to loose – it’s free and likely to be about 33 degrees outside. Doesn’t a 90 degree pool sound much better?

We’ll be there and we hope to see you too.

Goldfish Swim School
4670 Richmond Road, Suite 100
Warrensville Heights, OH 44128

Disclaimer: I was thrilled to help out with some marketing when Goldfish starting working on their facility because it was a group of local parents starting their own business. I’m again thrilled to help them promote their free community event because we LOVE our time in the Goldfish pool. We’ve been a paying customer since they opened but we are receiving a month of free lessons in exchange for this post. 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. 

Cleveland: Disney On Ice Rockin’ Ever After – Ticket Giveaway

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UPDATE:
Congratulations to Melissa for winning the tickets! Check your email and please respond ASAP!

Please note: I removed comment #1 (from my sister, who did not want to enter the contest) and #20 (received after the deadline). I put the remaining 18 comments in order and Melissa’s comment was #13 of the eligible comments.  Thanks everyone for entering! I hope you take advantage of the discounts offered below and go see Rockin’ Ever After while it’s in Cleveland. 

I can’t wait to surprise the kids this weekend. Matilda has been asking if they’ll ever put Merida from Brave in Disney on Ice (she’s obsessed with Brave) and she doesn’t know that we’re taking her to see Rockin’ Ever After on Friday. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be excited about going to a Disney ice show I would have laughed. But, this will be our 4th one and I love them. And guess what? Merida is one of the stars…

About the show: Get ready to rock out with some of the most magical idols of all in a musical showcase that features the hottest tunes and talent from across the kingdom in Disney On Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After! Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney•Pixar film, Brave, competes to win the heart of headstrong, sharp-shooting Merida, making her ice debut!

Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel. A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn.

And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle’s enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle. It will be a rockin’ remix of royalty when Disney On Ice brings this superstar line-up to Cleveland! 

Where: Quicken Loans Arena
When: January 11-21, 2013

Show Times:
Friday, January 11th at 7pm
Saturday, January 12th at 11am, 3pm, and 7pm
Sunday, January 13th at 1pm and 5pm
Wednesday, January 16th at 7pm
Thursday, January 17th at 7pm
Friday, January 18th at 7pm
Saturday, January 19th at 11am, 3pm, and 7pm
Sunday, January 20th at 1pm and 5pm
Monday, January 21st at 1pm and 5pm

Ticket Prices: $70 Front Row, $48 VIP, $40 VIP, $21, $15
To Buy Tickets: Purchase your tickets here.

Special Discounts:
Use promo code ROCK4 to get 4/$44 on weekday performances (M, W, TR)
Use promo code ROCK25 to get 25% off weekend performances (F, S, Sun)
Use promo code FAMILY and when you buy 4 tickets, you get 4 FREE hot dogs and 4 FREE sodas. (Not valid on Saturday 3:00 pm or Sunday 1:00 pm shows.)
Note: $3 facility fee. Expires on 1/21/13. No double discounts. Not valid on FR or VIP tickets. Limit 6 per order. Not valid on Opening Night.

Win a family 4-pack of tickets!
Leave any comment below for your first entry.
Get an extra entry by tweeting the following “I just entered to win tickets to #disneyonicecle from @kakaty & @DisneyOnIce. Enter here: http://www.kakakakaty.com/2013/01/08/disneyonicecle”  using the tweet button below.
(You can tweet once per day, just leave a separate comment letting me know you tweeted)

Deadline to enter is 6:00 pm on January 10, 2013. Winners will be chosen at using random.org from all the comments on this post. You MUST post a comment for each twitter entry to be counted. Winner 24 hours to claim their prize. Good luck!

I have partnered with Feld Entertainment for several years to promote Disney on Ice shows that come to Cleveland. I received tickets to the show but I was not compensated for this post. 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. 

Kindergarten

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This past August my oldest started Kindergarten and we were thrown into the realm of having a “school-aged child”. It’s no secret that due to her late birthday – 7 days before cut off in our district – that we struggled with the decision of when she would start. In the end, we elected to wait a year and, oh…that was so the right decision for our Matilda. She is far from the oldest in her class (there are several kids 3-4 months older) and she really needed last year to work out some of her anxiety.

Because of that anxiety we spent a lot of time with school staff over the summer (has an a IEP) working out the best environment for her. We visited her classroom a couple of times and she had some one on one time with her teacher in the weeks leading up to the first day.

First official 1st day of school photo 

She was “really excited and a little nervous” on her first day (well, half-day …they have a short 3-day week of half days when K starts. It’s a total PITA for parents).

A bit hesitant now that she’s at school with the other kids

She walked to school with her daddy and I met them there (I had to leave quickly for work). She walked in ready to conquer the world.

She’s got this!

I’m so incredibly grateful for our amazing school system. We actively picked a strong public school district with lots of support and resources when we moved to Cleveland and all those taxes are starting to pay off. I’m happy to say, after 2 months, that she is doing splendidly in school. She loves school days (recess and lunch are her favorites) and is growing in ways I never imagined. She picks up on new things quickly and is eager to share about her day. Thankfully, her anxiety is starting to lessen and, thanks to the support at school, she’s learning to cope with changes much better.

Bonus: another new kindergartner moved onto to street just a few days before school started. They’ve become fast friends.  

 

 

Halloween 2012

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So! OhMommy left and apparently she took my will to blog with her to Chicago. Back in July. Oof. It’s been awhile, eh? No real reason… I’ve got 59.7 blog posts formulated in my head but I never found the time to commit them to paper (screen?). I’ve lot’s to catch up on…little stuff like my oldest starting kindergarten, you know, NBD. But, let’s ease back into this with a photo heavy post, shall we? (if you follow me on twitter/instagram you’ve seen them all, sorry!)

Thanks to the frankenstorm that gave us hurricane-style 70mph winds and waves on a Great Lake of 20 feet, our neighborhood’s trick-or-treat was postponed until yesterday. Let’s not even talk about how fast a post-vacation high can be harshed by losing power for 3 days and having roof/chimney damage that leads to plaster/fireplace/mantel damage.

Tip: a waterproof crib topper under your leak buckets will help to protect your floors (something I wish I didn’t have to learn)

Huge shout out to Emily for opening her home to us while she traveled for work. We had warm beds, hot showers and homemade meals in her adorable house rather than suffering at our 45-degree house. Thanks, Em! (and to Emily’s mom!)

The story of how we got these pumpkins to come. This photo is pre-storm when they were freshly cut. Last night they were 75% moldy goo.

Back to the point… 2012: the year Halloween was in November. Matilda knew she wanted to be an equestrian since probably last Christmas. Since she’s been taking riding lessons anyway she had most of the gear. I did finally give in and bought her a (deeply discounted) real riding coat after I looked for a boys jacket at a few thrift stores with no luck. She also scored real leather riding gloves out of the deal which I justified with the fact that she actually uses them at her lessons. She looked pretty darn cute, even with 2 layers of long johns under her costume.

And lord help the person who called her a horse rider… she would correct you with a quick “I’m an equestrian!”

Madman, my sweet opinionated 2.5 year old, was a monkey. Stuffed into the same size 24 month costume his sister wore just a month after she turned 2. I want to make clear that I didn’t not force this costume on him. He had a choice between a bee (which would have fit him much better) and this monkey (which I didn’t realize was so small until after I showed it to him) and he picked the monkey. Luckily, the coat fit him fine, but the pants were about 5 inches too short so the little feet were just below his knees.

Of course, since I can’t help myself when it comes to making these comparisons, I dug up photos from Halloween 2008 to see my two monkeys side-by-side.

Much to Matilda’s delight, Mark decided to dress up at the last minute by donning his Army fatigues. Let’s pause for a moment  and consider that these were issued to him when he was 18 years old and he still fits into them.

And, even though these really have nothing to do with Halloween, I have to post these photos to show how delightfully weird my kids are right now. Matilda is so into horses that EVERYTHING is about horses. Everything. Her scooter is really a horse named Scarlet and yesterday she found a snow brush which she then used to groom her “horse” for about 20 minutes. She even picked over the horseshoes like a proper equestrian would.

As for Madman, he’s at the age that it’s just a heck of a lot easier to give into his demands to wear what he wants than to fight him. This is why he’s frequently seen out and about in costume:

A walk to the neighbor’s house requires his sister’s riding helmet.

The man of steel enjoys pancakes for breakfast.

Buzz prefers to shop Trader Joe’s in the early morning on Saturdays.

I think I may have my blog mojo back… hopefully there will be more updates soon!

 

 

Weekend Recap: Family Fun in Put-In-Bay (giveaway)

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Back when I posted our summer bucket list I mentioned that I wanted to check out Put-In-Bay since I had never been there. One of the ferry operators to the island saw that post and invited us to visit. South Bass Island suffers from a bit of a party stigma – known as the Key West of the Great Lakes, it has more than it’s fair share of rowdy, drunken stories. So, could a family of 4 have an enjoyable island adventure? We were willing to try.

The Miller Boat Line gave us round-trip tickets for the ferry along with a golf cart on the island (care of Island Bike & Cart Rental) and tickets to some of the attractions at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center. Armed with those, coupons from the web, and a couple of hours worth of internet searching we were off.

Miller Ferry bound, We’re on a boat!

After picking up the cart, which was equipped with a child seat for the squirmy Madman, we motored to town. After a quick loop around we parked and let the kids play in DeRivera Park which is a beautiful green space between the main street and the marina. The park has lots of playground equipment, tons of picnic tables and ample shade. There were even kids doing chalk drawings up and down the sidewalks. I was kicking myself for not bringing a picnic lunch because the park was a perfect spot. We decided instead to check out nearby Boardwalk and ended up in the Upper Deck because we wanted table service. The food was what you’d expect for a tourist place…I can’t complain about my perch sandwich, but it was standard sandwich and fries fare. The Lobster Bisque was indeed very good and Matilda ate most of our bowl. We were disappointed we couldn’t sit outside (highchairs don’t work with the patio tables) but they put us by the windows so the kids could watch the boats come and go, which kept them entertained throughout lunch. Pro tip: check your coupons before you eat. We forgot to use a coupon for a free kids meal here.

DeRivera Park fun

After lunch we headed over to The Aquatic Visitors Center where I might have freaked out a bit about the size of some of Lake Erie’s fish. The kids loved it there – it’s full of fish tanks and some hands-on displays about the fishery and ecosystem of the lake. They also offer free fishing off their pier (equipment provided) and Matilda was determined to catch a fish. After a few attempts she caught a round gobie, much to her excitement. The Center is staffed by Ohio State University Stone Lab students who were patient and very kind to the kids. The best part was when Matilda’s gobie was put into the trough to feed the bigger catfish and pike. She was pretty excited.

Pretty view from the Aquatic Visitor’s Center, Hands-on displays

Fishing off the pier and feeding her gobie to the bigger fish

It was time to head to the main attraction – Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center – which seems to be the hub of kid activity on the island. With our Combo passes we checked out the Butterfly Garden (tip: the nicest bathrooms of the trip were found here), Perry’s Cave and Fort aMAZE’n. As you can guess, Matilda loved it here. She thought the cave was really cool (so did I) and really enjoyed the maze. Madman was a bit of handful but he enjoyed the little antique car display and then just had fun hanging out on our parked golf cart while Matilda and Mark were navigating the maze. Best part – kids 5 and under free for most things here and the combo tickets save you 25% over individual ticket prices.

Fun at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center

Since Matilda was dying to get in the water we drove over to South Bass Island State Park to check out their swimming beach. While it was nice enough we were totally unprepared since neither Mark or I brought our suits. Both kids got in the lake but the rocky bottom and waves got the best of us and we made them get out after just a few minutes. They were not happy but my shorts were soaked and I didn’t want to get wetter. If we had been better prepared, this would have been a nice way to spend an hour our two as it wasn’t crowded, the water was warm and the views of the bluffs were pretty.

After our traumatic exit from the beach we decided to drive past the memorial (which was closed for repairs but opens up again this week) and check out the east side of the island. We got to Scheef Nature Preserve but decided to not get out and walk around since the kids were starting to get tired. We buzzed back past the memorial and went back into town for a snack. After walking around a bit we ended up at the little ice cream parlor at The Candy Bar for an air conditioned break. We thought about riding Kimberly’s Carousel but the kids were’t having it. Around 5:00 the village started to get a bit too rowdy for us (admittedly, we are kind of prude when it comes to our kids who are only 5 and 2) with foul language and scant clothing. Although we had intended to check out the Goat Soup and Whiskey for dinner, which is mid-island and away from the main strip, the kids were D-O-N-E so after another quick romp on the DeRivera Park playground we headed back to the ferry dock.

Overall we enjoyed our trip. There was more to do in PIB than we had expected and I think we will return when the kids are a bit older so we can do things like kayaking and more hiking. Cost-wise, I think a day-trip is on par with a a day a Cedar Point, just make sure you look for coupons (and then remember to use them!). Put-In-Bay’s reputation for being a party place isn’t totally unfounded, but if you get there early enough and leave around dinner time a fun day is in store – there’s lots of history on the island and plenty to do. Plus if your little one is 5 or under almost everything is free. A golf cart is a must with younger kids but I think older kids could handle traversing the island on a bike. Either way, it’s a perfect day trip that’s just a bit out of the ordinary.

Much thanks to @MillerBoatLineand especially their Communications Manager, Katrina, who put up with a lot of indecisiveness as to when we were going to visit. Thanks for showing us another local spot for us to enjoy with the kids!

Here’s the fun part – When we arrived on PIB, the owner’s of Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center gave me 4 Combo tickets to give away to my readers. Just leave a comment below telling me your best PIB story or about your favorite Lake Erie getaway. Giveaway ends June 12, 2012 at midnight. One commenter will be chosen by random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was given 2 ferry tickets, a one-day golf cart rental and 2 Combo tickets to Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center for our trip – a trip we were planning on taking on our own. As always, my thoughts are 100% my own. I only share things that my family plans to attend or has attended in the past, so I know they are worth the visit. 

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.