Friday Free for All - August 21, 2009

With the economic downturn...recession... generally stinky economy wreaking havoc on everyone's lives, moms have had to show even more ingenuity when it comes to saving money. For many, that means cutting back on entertainment costs and non-essential purchases and for good reason! The cost of a day's outing for a family of four can easily top $150 and that is BEFORE you cave in to the never ending cries to visit the gift shop.

Never fear! Along comes the Friday Free for All! Every week, I'll feature something fun and free (or very nearly so) for families. Sometimes it will be an event. Other times, a great deal. The possibilities are endless!

And, dear readers, if you come across a fantastic freebee happening in your area, I encourage you to share the details in the comments section. After all, the more the merrier!

---------------------------------------
When I was little, my family lived just outside of Manhattan. It seemed like once a week, my mom would pack up my brother and me and schlep us into the city to visit this museum or that. (This lead to a particularly interesting discussion that my parents had with my first grade teacher when I had to draw something that began with the letter "N" and I drew NUDES!)

Now that I have children of my own, I am hoping to provide them with the same kind of experiences (Not the drawing nudes part... the museum part!) and the Chicago Public Library has made it easier (and cheaper).


As part of the Kraft Great Kids Museum Passport program, every branch of the Chicago Public Library has family museum passes available for one week loans. While the rules vary by location, the pass entitles four family members general admission to that particular museum. Available passes include biggies (The Adler Planetarium, The Art Institute, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Children's Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Notebaert Nature Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry) and some off the beaten path (Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum of African American History and the National Museum of Mexican Art).


You do need to show some flexibility in your plans as each branch has a limited number of passes and it is first come, first served. Also, these passes are only for general admission so any special exhibits will require a fee. More information can be found on the Chicago Public Library website.


Not from Chicago? Check with your local library to see if they have a similar program. Boston does! The Twin Cities do! Detroit as well!

Added 09/03/09- Want to visit Chicago museums but are from the suburbs! You aren't left out! Just this week, it was announced that through 2010, the Museum Adventure Pass is available.

Travel Tip Tuesday - August 18, 2009

Welcome to Travel Tip Tuesday. The first of what I hope are many fun changes in store for Mommy and Me (and Me!)

Vito and I love to travel. Love it. Sadly we are broke not independently wealthy so we don't get to do it as much as we would like. The most ambitious trip we've taken was to drive with both girls from our home in Chicago to visit Vito's parents in Arizona and we've done it TWICE. No, we're not gluttons for punishment. Prior to being married, Vito and I both toured as actors with children's theatres and developed a love for the road-trip.

When not traveling the length of Route 66, I enjoy taking the girls out and about on day trips. It is not always easy getting out of the house alone with two young kids but with a little practice and some tips garnered from other moms, I manage and enjoy it in the process.

That is where Travel Tip Tuesday fits in. Every Tuesday, I'll share with you some of the tips that I found (or have been shared with me) so that we can all get out and about and have a good time.

------------------------



This past Friday, the girls and I went to Oak Street beach with Nana. It was the practice day for the Chicago Air and Water Show so we got to watch the Thunderbirds roar overhead while enjoying some sun and sand.


Yes, sand. So much fun to build castles with. Bury our feet in. Dump on our sister's heads... Which leads us to our first Tuesday Travel Tip... How to remove that pesky sand that sticks to your body and hair. Keep a bottle of talcum powder and an inexpensive soft-bristled paint brush in your beach bag. The powder helps to break the seal between the oils on your skin and the sand and the paint brush flicks the sand off of your body.


P.S. While we were at the beach, there was a fundraiser going on for Honor Flight Chicago. Their mission "is to honor and thank veterans - especially now our WWII veterans by bringing them to Washington DC, at no cost to them, for a day of honor." It is a great idea and a great cause. Be sure to check them out!

I'm baaaaack!

Forgive me, readers, for I have been a bad blogger.
It has been 10 months since my last entry...

"Why?" you may ask. Well, things were crazy around here for a while. My husband was searching for a new job. Morgan was in school. Our "Manny" left for a full-time position. I was scrambling trying to keep too many balls in the air and blogging got dropped. Besides, I could keep everyone in the family updated about the girls through Facebook (while playing addictive games like Bejeweled Blitz and FarmVille).

I actually considered scrapping the whole thing and starting over but I just love the name and design of this blog so much that I couldn't bear to do it.

So the question became "In what direction do I want this blog to go?"

The blogs that I visit are mostly Mommy-blogs with a few special interest blogs (celebrity gossip, news, crafts and design) thrown in for balance. Why do I keep going back to certain ones and not others? It's not that they have cuter kids or especially interesting lives. It's that they offer something MORE. A different perspective on parenting. Some good ideas. Regular features. A few laughs.

And that is what I hope to do.

So look for big changes coming!

It's all about ME!

At Morgan's preschool, they have an interesting alternative to traditional Show and Tell days. It's called the "Me Bag" and Morgan just got to experience it.

The way the Me Bag works is that, each Friday, one student in the class is allowed to bring the Me Bag home. That weekend, the child is to fill the bag with items that represent them. It could include photographs, books, pictures drawn by the child and favorite toys. The student brings the bag to school the following Monday and gives a presentation showing their items and telling the class about them.

When Morgan discovered that it was her turn for the Me Bag, she was so excited! She carried the bag around all weekend, taking turns filling it with things, giving a practice presentation and then dumping everything out and filling the bag with completely different items. Every once in a while, she would exclaim "It's my FIRST Me Bag!!!!" as if it were an occasion as momentous as her first birthday, first haircut, her first lost tooth, etc.

As Sunday approached, we knew that we had to nail down the final selections to bring to school the next day. They were:
• Bear Necessities, Morgan's cuddle-buddy and constant companion
• A picture of Mommy, Da, Morgan and Sophie in Arizona visiting Mamah and PopPop
• "Morgan's Book", a photo album created by Nana of her first day as a big sister
• A picture that Morgan drew of Elphaba, the main character in her favorite musical, Wicked
• A picture that Morgan drew of Spiderman which was sure to impress the boys in the class

The day of her presentation, Morgan confessed to having a few butterflies in her stomach. But she had nothing to worry about, her teacher said that her presentation was terrific. I only wish I had been a fly on the wall to watch!

Celebration of Summer

We had a wonderful time last Sunday at the Celebration of Summer at Ravinia. For those of you not from the Chicagoland area, Ravinia is a concert venue specializing in classical music. They are famed for their outdoor pavilion and their inexpensive lawn seats. Many a wonderful picnic has been shared under the stars while listening to fantastic music.


The Celebration of Summer is a free (donation of non-perishable food suggested) afternoon full of children's activities and performances. (In fact, Vito directed a show for Child's Play Touring Theatre that performed at the event.) The lawn is dotted with bouncy houses, balloon artist and craft activites.


There are rides and games for the children as well as an instrument "petting zoo" where kids can get hands-on experience. Performances are happening on various stages throughout the park the entire afternoon.


As you can tell, Sophie REALLY loved the train. I think she rode it about five times.

She also had a great time in the Sesame Street bouncy house. (Morgan, the old pro as inflatables, surprised us all by scaling a huge inflatable climbing wall and sliding down the opposite side without even blinking. We were all so impressed that we completely forgot to take a picture!)

We'll definitely take take next year to attend the Celebration of Summer. And, I think we're going to try to picnic more often as well!

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks...

The girls attended their first Cubs game over Labor Day weekend. It is a rite of passage for anyone growing up on the North Side and, with my cousin and his boys coming into town for a visit, there was no time like the present..

To get the full experience, we took the Red Line from my parents' to Wrigley. Morgan is an old pro at riding the CTA since we regularly took the El to her ballet lessons at Ballet Chicago. She stood in the crowd, holding on to the pole, as if it were no big deal. Sophie, on the other hand, was not a fan of public transportation! When we got off the train, I think that she would have knelt down and kissed the pavement if I would have let her!

Attending a baseball game with two young children certainly is an experience. Between the trips to get cotton candy/hot dogs/peanuts/water/you-name-it, requisite visit to the souvenir shop, trying to keep the kids from bopping the nice lady in front of us with the little bat that we purchased at the aforementioned souvenir shop, and potty trips, I think I watched about 15 minutes total of the game. Sadly, the Cubs lost but we all had a good time nonetheless.

End of an Era

We are marking the end of an era here. We are now a crib-less household. This morning, Vito converted Sophie's crib into a daybed and we have taken the first of many steps away from having a baby in the house.

With Morgan in preschool, we had been taking the opportunity to introduce the freedom of a "big-girl bed" to Sophie during naptime. The first couple of days, she would be out of the bed like a shot and we'd immediately pick her up and put her in the crib. The next couple of days, she became a little more stealthy but ended up back in her crib. Finally, she slept two naps in Morgan's bed and we decided that, with the long weekend upon us, it was time to make the transition.

As you can see... so far, so good. Sophie climbed into the bed and practically put herself to sleep. Of course, we've yet to try and put them down at the same time. That will be a whole new adventure tonight.

Next, I imagine will be to rid ourselves of the pacifier (or "fuss" as Sophie appropriately calls it). Then, potty-training (which Sophie is more than ready for but Mommy is not). All of these little steps, while exciting, are a little sad. It seems like Sophie's babyhood has passed so much more quickly than Morgan's. It brings to mind the lyrics of one of my favorite songs as sung on by Liz Callaway on her album, "The Story Goes On"(It's originally from the musical "Big")

Two months old, he looks up at you
How his smile melts your heart
You want to say, "Stop, time"
Don't move on
Even as you watch that look is gone
Then he's two, such a little man
So alive and so smart
Again you say, "Stop, time"
Stay just this way
But the future comes and he can't stay
Nobody warns you of this parent's paradox
You want your kid to change and grow
But when he does, another child you've just begun to know
Leaves forever
Birthdays fly - 7, 8, 9, 10
Every kid he becomes you clutch and say "Stop, time"
Hold this one fast
But it's not supposed to last
And that time has come and passed
For he's growing
And he has to go