Happenings for Monday March 28 - Sunday April 3, 2011

28 Monday
10:30am-11:30 Story time at the Amsterdam Library
- The Ballston Spa Education Foundation (BSEF) is holding its annual Taste of Ballston Spa 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the HVCC TEC-SMART Campus located on Hermes Road in Malta. Admission is $30.00 per person or $55.00 per couple. There will be a mix of appetizers, main dishes and desserts to choose from showcasing local specialties from area restaurants.

29 Tuesday
- 11:15am-12:15 Story time at Canajoharie Library
- Tuesday for Tots: Telling Time 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga. Cost: Free with Museum admission, drop-in. This is a special time for our younger visitors to gain preschool readiness skills in a fun and social environment. Join us anytime between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm for playdough, crafts, games and friends!
- Taste of Home Cooking School Coming to Saratoga Springs. 7:00 PM. Maple Avenue Middle School

Cost: $10. Taste of Home Cooking School show, presented live . Doors open at 5 p.m. During this interactive two-hour event, you'll watch top culinary expert, Michael Barna, demonstrate 10 new recipes you can easily recreate in your home.

- Kindermusik with Miss Lisa. "Family Time" returns with a new unit. "Our Kind of Day" is chock full of music, movement, activities, hands-on instruments & story-time centered around the daily routines of young children. Perfect for families with children between newborn and age 7. Tuition includes home materials for you to keep: 2 instruments, 2 books, 2 CDs of music from class, Family Activity Book & a domino game. Pay for 10 weeks and receive 2 extra classes FREE! send a facebook message (Lisa Russo, Schenectady. Profile photo is a Kindermusik logo). Time(s): 9:45AM. Location: St. George's Episcopal Church. Phone: 377-7733. Email: vocalisea@verizon.net
• GCSD Elementary School Art Show Installation
Also Wednesday. The elementary schools install their annual Art show in
the Helderberg (Large) Meeting Room. Free. Guilderland Public Library,
2228 Western Ave., Guilderland. For information call 456-2400.
• Mommy ’n Me with a Jewish Twist
Moms and babies are gather for Jewish stories, songs and play, 1:30-2 p.m.
Bach Library,  455 New Scotland Ave. For information, contact Devora
Mathless at 227-1770.

30 Wednesday
-Alphabet Soup 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga, 69 Caroline Street Saratoga Springs. Cost: Free with Museum admission, ages 3+. Join us for our fun weekly program, Alphabet Soup! Starting with the letter A, each week we will learn a new letter of the alphabet through crafts, games, stories, songs and more.
- Learn to Play the Bagpipes and Drums Open House. The Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band will be hosting an Open House, Wed, March 30th at 7:00 p.m. to welcome new and interested bagpipers and drummers. Ages 8-16. Location: Celtic Hall, 430 New Karner Rd Colonie, NY. Contact: Maureen Connor 5183746034
Email: maureen.e.connor@gmail.com.
- Legendary entertainer (actor, comedian, author, playwright, producer, & musician) Steve Martin will make an exclusive appearance at the Palace Theatre at 8pm for "A Conversation with Steve Martin". In this exclusive event, Martin will talk at length, impromptu, before a live audience. The evening's conversation will be led by a moderator and will include a Q&A segment where audience members will have an opportunity to engage with one of the greatest entertainers of our time in an enjoyable and intimate audience-interactive format. Come with your questions and share in the fun with one of the country's most loved and respected performers.
• Rain or Shine ... It’s Reading Time
Preschoolers can read a story with museum staff and visit a special
exhibit to learn more about New York, 10:30-11:30 a.m.. Free. New York
State Museum, Kids Cove, Empire State Plaza. For information, call
474-5877 or visit www.nysm.nysed.gov.
• Teddy Bear Sleepover
Local performer and educator Diane Payette will lead the story time
program, which will feature stories, songs, and a craft about bedtime.
Bring your stuffed friend for bedtime stories and songs, 6:30 p.m. Plan to
leave your buddy overnight for pick-up the next day in the Children’s
Library. Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park.
For information, call 371-8622.

31 Thursday
- Story Art. 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga, 69 Caroline Street Saratoga Springs. Cost: Free with Museum admission. Reading together is always better, so please join for an exciting new story each week. We'll use our imaginations and the story to inspire art projects that explore different media and styles.
- The Children’s Circle. Stories, songs, crafts and toys for special needs children and their families, 6:30 p.m. Call Jennifer Hanley at 439-9314, ext. 3031, with questions about a child’s specific needs. Bethlehem Public Library, 451
Delaware Ave. Delmar. For information, call 439-9314.

1 April / Friday
- April Fool's Day or as my daughter likes to call it "Joke's Day" <3
- Stretching with Stuffee. 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga.Cost: Free with admission.Stuffee will join us to facilitate exercise through silly songs and stretching. This gentle program will promote imaginative movement and flexibility.
- Katrina Trask Childrens Consignment Sale. 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. American Legion, 34 West Ave., Saratoga Springs. Huge selection, great prices, excellent quality of childrens items.

2 Saturday
- Amsterdam High School Chorus Vendor Fair. 10:00AM-4:00PM. Admission ~ $1.00 at the door. Many area vendors!!
- ''Spring Fling'' Dress Up Dance. 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Malta Community Center, 1 Baybury Drive, Malta. Cost: $8.00 Malta Residents $9.00 non-residents. Kids 4-10 bring your favorite adult on a date for an evening of DJ music,dance lessons and dancing, snacks and a craft. Dress in your finest...lots of photo opportunities!!! Pre-registration required. Call 899-4411 for details.
- Tang Family Saturdays. 2:00 PM. Tang Teaching Museum. Programs include a brief tour followed by a hands-on art activity. Suitable for children ages 5 and up with their adult companions.
-The Navy Band Sea Chanters is the United States Navy's official chorus. The ensemble performs a variety of music ranging from traditional choral music, including sea chanteys and patriotic fare, to opera, Broadway, and contemporary music. THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. To obtain your FREE tickets to this event visit the Palace Theatre Box Office at 19 Clinton Ave, Albany, NY during regular business hours. For more information please call the Palace Box Office at 518-465-4663.
- Fleeing Flea Market. Lake George Forum, 2200 State Rt. 9, Lake George. Crafts, Garage Sale items & Antiques.

 

3 Sunday

- Fleeing Flea Market. Lake George Forum, 2200 State Rt. 9, Lake George. Crafts, Garage Sale items & Antiques. 

- Double H Ranch Eggstravaganza. 9:00 AM. Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark, Queensbury, New York. Cost: $100 per family of 4 (members) / $120 (non members). Event to include Breakfast, Children's Activities and Silent Auction. Complimentary Admission for all guests into the Waterpark. Egg Drop - watch your egg race around the lazy river! Remainder of the day at your leisure.

 

Walter Elwood Museum April Break

The Walter Elwood Museum has its list of events posted for the April Break Camp. The theme is Earth Day. Sign up early because space is limited!

NHTSA New Car Seat Safety Regultions

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued new recommendations for childhood restraints (ie. car seats). Pretty much, you are supposed to keep your child in a seat for as long as that seat allows.
From birth to 2 the child is supposed to be in a rear facing car seat. The NHTSA is recommending that you keep your child facing the rear position for as long as possible, until the child has outgrown the height and weight maximum for the car seat. This is particularly important because of the child's fragile spine and neck development. Never put a rear facing car seat in the front seat when there are active air bags. Once the child outgrows the height and weight maximum for the rear facing seat they are ready to move to a forward facing seat (anywhere from 2-3years).
Keep your child in a forward facing seat with a restraint for as long as the seat allows. Meaning once you switch your child to the forward facing position keep them there until they outgrow the seat, which will be around 7 years of age. Once the child outgrows the forward facing seat with restraint they can move onto a booster seat.
Children ages 8-12 should remain in a booster seat in the backseat until a seat belt properly fits them. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Children ages 13 and under should always ride in the back seat.
Always make sure you check your car seat manual and vehicle owner's manual for proper installation and safety information regarding the car seats. You can also visit this link for Child Safety Seat Inspection Site Locator. An absurd number like 98% of car seats are installed wrong. It is extremely important to contact your local police or fire station or visit a car seat inspection clinic to make sure your seat is installed correctly. We went and both of our seats were installed wrong. The clinic will install your seats for you and even give you a new seat if they don't think yours is safe enough.

Local Events March 23-27

 23 Wednesday
-WCSS Presents the 4th Annual DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT - Final team registration will be held on Wednesday, March 23 from 530-730pm at Crystal Ristorante.
Adult teams: $100 - Kids teams: $5 per child.
Saturday March 26th is the date of the tournament - Lynch Middle School 
- 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga Alphabet Soup! Starting with the letter A, each week we will learn a new letter of the alphabet through crafts, games, stories, songs and more.


-Take a Spring Overlook Hike from 10 am until 12:30 pm at Moreau Lake. It’s $2/person.
-3:30 pm, it’s T is for Turtle at the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology. This program is for kids ages 2 to 5. Pre-registration is required, and it’s $2/non-member.
- 6:30 pm, there’s a free Jazz Concert at Albany’s Bach Branch Library.


24 Thursday
• Parent Workshop: Multiple Intelligences
Professor Donna Brent of the Skidmore

College Education Studies Department
will give a talk on the theory of multiple intelligences in children,
3:30-4:30 p.m. Museum staff will provide supervised play and care for
children, age 18 months and older during the session.  Cost is $10 for
members, $15 for nonmembers and includes museum admission for one child and one adult. Saratoga Children’s Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga
Springs. For information call 584-5540 or visit
www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org.
• The Children’s Circle
Stories, songs, crafts and toys for special  needs children and their
families, 6:30 p.m. Call  Jennifer Hanley at 439-9314, ext. 3031, with
questions about a child’s specific needs. Bethlehem Public Library, 451
Delaware Ave. Delmar. For information, call 439-9314.
• FETCH! Lab: Under Pressure
Also held Friday and Saturday. Sharpen your engineering and design skills
when you use one sheet of paper to construct a support for the weight of
a book, 3-4:30 p.m. Free with museum admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady
Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For information, call 382-7890 or
visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
- Family Storytime at 11 am at the East Greenbush Public Library.
- 12:30 hike at Moreau. $2/person.
- 10:30 AM to 11:00. The Children's Museum at Saratoga.Reading together is always better, so please join us Thursdays for an exciting new story each week. We'll use our imaginations and the story to inspire art projects that explore different media and styles.
- 4:00 PM to 5:00. Explorations in Art. The Children's Museum at Saratoga. $12($2 per class) or $6 for members ($1 per class. 
Each week of this six week workshop series we will explore different periods of art history, artists and media.



25 Friday
• Teen Film Fest
Screenings and People’s Choice voting for  documentary and
technical/experimental/animation entries, 6:30 p.m. All are  welcome.
Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave. Delmar. For information, call
439-9314.
• Family Movie Night
Family-friendly films in the Helderberg (Large) Meeting Room, 7-9 p.m.
Free. Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Ave., Guilderland. For
information call 456-2400.
- 10 am Annual Garden and Flower Show at Hudson Valley Community College. It’s $10 at the door, kids 15 and under free.
- Eagle Watch at 10 am at Moreau Lake. $2/person
- Niskayuna Girl Scouts are holding a Juliette Low Nickel Carnival at Craig Elementary School from 6:30-8:30 pm. No admission, and games cost a nickel.
- 7:00 PM The voices of the season seem to come alive at dusk to proclaim the end of winter. Join us on an outdoor search for geese, peepers, woodcock and other sounds of a spring evening to hear whether spring has sprung. Albany. Is it Spring?
-10:00 AM to 11:30. Wiggle & Giggle. The Children's Museum at Saratoga. This is a special time for younger children to learn what they can do with their bodies through structured group activities and guided free play.
-1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Health Fair. The Shenendehowa Adult Community Center, 6 Clifton Common Court, Clifton Park. 
Vendors this year will include the Saratoga County Public Health Nurses with free cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure screening. This will be a great event with lots of information about a wide variety of health related issues.
 





26 Saturday
- WCSS presents the 4th Annual Dodgeball Tournament. Lynch Middle School, Admission $3 adults, $1 kids, kids under 5 free.  9:30am-Noon, kids tournament, 12:30-7:30pm, adult tournament.
- Spring Cleaning book sale! Featuring used books, art prints, rare books, cookbooks, gardening books, kids books, music, movies, and more! Canajoharie Library. 1-4pm
• Family Fun: Maple Sugar Open House
Twirl a drill, pound a spile, inspect the sap flow in our sugarbush, smell
the sap boiling down into syrup in our evaporator, and take a maple taste
test, 1:30-3:30 p.m.. Come anytime to visit the round-robin education
stations. Free. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar. For
information call 475-0291.
• Teen Film Fest
Awards Ceremony and screenings of  winning films and honorable mentions,
6:30 p.m. All are  welcome. Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave.
Delmar. For information, call 439-9314.
- Annual Garden and Flower Show at Hudson Valley Community College. It’s $10 at the door, kids 15 and under free
- Maple Weekend. 110 locations NYS wide. Celebrate everything maple from syrup to snow cones. Events vary per location.
-9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. New York Safe Boating Course. Where: Great Upstate Boat Show, Queensbury. 

Cost: FREE ADMISSION.The Eastern New York Marine Trades Association is offering two FREE New York Safe Boating Course in Lake George, NY. If you have a boat and are over the age of 14, law requires you to hold a safety certificate! Take advantage of the convenient location!

- 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Slush Cup at West Mountain.

Spectators are Free. 

Don't miss the Slush Cup at West Mountain! The Annual pond skimming contest and cardboard sled races. 

- 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Craft Fair. Where: Galway High School Cost: FREE ADMISSION

Just in time for Spring! Enjoy a craft fair hosted by the Galway Lioness Club. 

- 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Where: Walkers Farm, Home and Tack, 5565 State Route 4, Fort Ann, NY

Cost: FREE ADMISSION. Girls Day Out at Walkers! Preview and save on new spring styles! Pamper yourself with a massage from Michelle Armstrong of In-Harmony Therapeutic Massage for a promotional price. Sample health and beauty products. Have your hair and makeup done by a MaryKay consultant for a promotional price

- 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 20th Annual Fine Woodworking Showcase. Where: Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway. Cost: Adults $10.00 / Under 12 Free. The biggest show of its kind with all kinds of wood and wood-related vendors and a 7,000 Sq Ft gallery of fine woodworking!

-2:00 PM. Tang Family Saturdays. 

Where: Tang Teaching Museum. Includes a brief tour followed by a hands-on art activity. Suitable for children ages 5 and up with their adult companions.

27 Sunday
- Spring Cleaning book sale! Featuring used books, art prints, rare books, cookbooks, gardening books, kids books, music, movies, and more! Canajoharie Library. 1-4pm
• Movie Day: ‘Over the Hedge’
A scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into
helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that
popped up while they were hibernating, 1-3 p.m. Rated PG. Free.
Pre-registration required. Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New
Karner Road, Albany. For information call 456-0655.
- Annual Garden and Flower Show at Hudson Valley Community College. It’s $10 at the door, kids 15 and under free
- Maple Weekend. 110 locations NYS wide. Celebrate everything maple from syrup to snow cones. Events vary per location.
- - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 20th Annual Fine Woodworking Showcase. Where: Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway. Cost: Adults $10.00 / Under 12 Free. The biggest show of its kind with all kinds of wood and wood-related vendors and a 7,000 Sq Ft gallery of fine woodworking!
-8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Vischer Ferry Fire Co. Pancake Breakfast.Where: Station 1, 360 Riverview Rd, Rexford. Cost: Adults $6, Kids 5-12 $3, under 5 free.Pancakes, eggs made to order, homemade apple sauce, sausage, home fries, toast, beverages
- 12:00 PM. Childrens Auditions for Two NYC Ballets Performed During SPACs 2011 Summer Season. Where: National Museum of Dance School of the Arts.Cost: FREE.Gariele Whittle, NYC Ballet Childrens Ballet Mistress, and Dena Abergel, NYCB Assistant Childrens Ballet Mistress, have announced the auditions for two NYCB childrens ballets being performed during SPACs 2011 Summer Season.
-1:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Italy Day. National Museum of Dance. Cost: $5 admission, free for museum member. Come join us for a wonderful afternoon.
- Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan will be at The Palace Sunday. If you use the code "ANIMAL" when buying tickets, 20 percent of the proceeds will go to the Animal Protective Foundation in Scotia. tickets start at $35.75 - 7 pm

Peaceful Valley Maple Farms

 The tapped trees and the lines that ran the tap from the trees to the tanks

More lines.

 View from the carriage ride. Full house of cars and the steam from the sugar shack.

 The horses pulling the carriage turning into the parking lot. The restaurant/gift shop/sugar shack.

 The sap being boiled into syrup and the man behind it all.

 Boiling sap

 Adding wood to the fire. We could feel the warmth from where we were standing when he opened the door.

 Sap. The lines from the trees go into buckets or tanks to collect the sap. Looks just like water!

One forty gallon blue barrel of sap makes one gallon of syrup. Amazing!

Today, my family visited a local "farm" for Maple Weekend. We picked Peaceful Valley Maple Farms because we had been there last year for breakfast and we all enjoyed it. Breakfast this year was even better! They normally serve breakfast Saturday 7 a.m. to Noon and Sunday 7 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.,  with extended hours as needed. We got there today around 11:30am, the parking lot was packed and we were nervous that we had missed breakfast. I had DH run in before I even parked to make sure they were still serving. He came back out and said he put our name in and it would be a twenty minute wait. 
So, I parked the car and took DD1 out to see some stuff. They had carriage rides going and she was excited to do that. DH stayed with DD2 in the car because she was sound asleep. Attached to the dining area is a little store and attached to that is the room where they make the maple syrup. We went in the store and looked into the room where they were making the syrup, then we saw people going in the room from outside so we bought some tickets for the carriage ride and headed outside. As we were walking out I noticed a little stand set up with free samples. We got a fresh homemade corn fritter and poured fresh syrup all over it and some sausage to dunk too, DD1 loved the sausage. We grabbed a piece for Daddy and brought it out to him, but DD1 said how much she loved it and Daddy let her eat it. DD2 was just waking up and the carriage was heading back. I asked how much longer for the table and the lady told me the people were done eating but hadn't gotten up yet, so maybe 15 minutes. DH told us to go on the carriage ride and the lady said she would hold the table. 
DD1 loved the carriage ride. It was about a 20 minute ride up the road showing all the tapped trees and the tank that collects the sap and their barns and fire wood. When we got back from the ride DH was sitting at the table with DD2 waiting for us. Said he had been there pretty much the whole time and DD2 was doing surprisingly well. After we arrived they took our drink order and we waited about ten more minutes for our food. 
The food was AMAZING!! Even better than I remember from last year. Everything is brought out family style on plates and cooked fresh brought out piping hot. There were over medium eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausage, ham, corn fritters, home fries, and your choice of drink either coffee, water, juice, hot chocolate, or milk. Perhaps the best french toast and home fries I have ever had, the corn fritters drowned in syrup were amazing as well. They give you decent sized portions and I think you can order more, which I think we might have if we hadn't gotten there so late. They were cleaning up the kitchen and there was only one other table in there as we were finishing up. We were so full and had eaten so much, but the food was that good. It was $9.00 per person with children 5 and under being free. 
After we finished up with breakfast they took us out to see how sap was collected. A line ran into a bucket and just drips until the bucket is full. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Incredible! They have a reverse osmosis machine that they use to take out most of the water out of the sap before they boil it to take the rest of the water out to make the syrup. They use a wood fire underneath the sap to heat it to boil to make the syrup. They use the water that gets taken out from the reverse osmosis machine to clean the floors and the steamed water to clean their utensils that they use while boiling the sap. 
We went on a final carriage ride before leaving, which I am so glad we did because for some reason the first one we went on the guide didn't go. DH said after the first carriage left, the lady came out and said, "they left already?" The whole time on the carriage ride I was thinking to myself how nice it would have been if the driver could have been telling us what we were seeing. Makes sense now. 
The second carriage ride the owner went on with us and explained to us about the tapping of the trees and the wires and the tanks and the whole process that the sap goes through to become syrup. It was a very educational and fun family morning. So glad we went. 
Peaceful Valley Maple Farms is open through Mother's Day and then reopens for Father's Day. They are only open on the weekends for breakfast, the hours posted above. Next weekend they will have free quarter horse rides.
Maple Weekend continues tomorrow and then again next Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th.

Bus for Friends

So, I'm going through the pictures on my phone to get the ones off that I took today at Maple Weekend. I decided to scroll through all the pictures and I find this one:

On February 26, we were out car shopping. We need a bigger vehicle for when DD1 has friends over and we go somewhere; three car seats just do not fit in the backseat of our car. DD1 says, "I can fit a ton of my friends in that bus!" I chuckle to myself. Then, I look over, there is a bus in the lot. She wants the bus.

Weekend March 18- 21

18 Friday
- Cappie's opens today! Amsterdam
- The Second Annual Saratoga County 2011 Restaurant Week! 10-day celebration of Saratoga County restaurants, you'll find three course fixed price meals for $20.11 at over 20 participating restaurants until March 27.
• Stretching with Stuffee
Program promotes imaginative movement and flexibility. Come dressed to
move, 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Free with $6 admission. Saratoga Children’s
Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs. For information call 584-5540
or visit www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org.
• Teen Film Fest
Screenings and People’s Choice voting for action and comedy entries, 6:30
p.m. All are  welcome. Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave. Delmar.
For information, call 439-9314.
• Family Movie Night
Family-friendly films in the Helderberg (Large) Meeting Room, 7-9 p.m.
Free. Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Ave., Guilderland. For
information call 456-2400.
-   Junior League’s American Girl Fashion Show. Albany Country Club. Tickets are $35.




19 Saturday
- Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser. Price Chopper Amsterdam. Gary Koz will be locked up until he raises $1000 just inside the main entrance. Stop by and show your support by making a donation.
- A Night of Entertainment, featuring The Bel Aires as well as a sampling of local talent, will benefit the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA), 6:30pm to 10:30pm   This fundraising event will be held at The Elks Lodge on Fourth Avenue in Amsterdam.  Doors will open at 6:00 pm with complimentary appetizers, raffles and cash bar. $25 per person in advance available through Friday, March 18^th only.  On Saturday, March 19^th, any remaining tickets will be available at the door only for $30.

 - Fulton-Montgomery County Home Show Craft Fair. Broadalbin-Perth High School. 10am-5pm. Free Bouncy Bounce, Child ID's Compliments of Fulton County Sheriff's Dept., $3 Admission - Children under 10 free. www.byckids.com
-Maple Weekend. 110 locations NYS wide. Celebrate everything maple from syrup to snow cones. Events vary per location.
-Hummingbird Hills Winery season opening and food drive to benefit Fulmont Community Action Agency,  11am-6pm.  The Winery is located at 1442 Burtonville Road, Fultonville.  Join owners Kimm & Ken Shick for free wine tastings & goodies.  Also bring your canned goods and non perishable items to donate.
- Enjoy a delicious breakfast at Johnny Rockets including scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, coffee and juice, to support CROP - Community Responding to Overcome Poverty! 100% of proceeds will benefit CROP Walk 2011. 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM
- Who doesn't like MINI GOLF? Fantastic, family-oriented mini golf fundraiser. For the second year, transforming the Library into an 18-hole indoor course that winds through the stacks and down the stairs.
• ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’
Opera to Go, Lake George Opera’s program for children, presents a
retelling of the beloved fairy tale for young audiences of all ages, 2-3
p.m. Free. The Huxley Theater, New York State Museum. For information,
call 474-5877 or visit www.nysm.nysed.gov.
- Interactive program identifies stars, planets, comets and constellations in the night sky and the tools and techniques for becoming an amateur astronomer. Geared for skywatchers ages 8 and above. Henry Hudson Planetarium
• Family Fun Day
Visitors can make-and-take a craft and enjoy exciting scavenger hunts to
discover artifacts and specimens throughout the museum based on the theme ‘Salem Art Works: Building Beautiful,’ 1-4 p.m.. New York State Museum, Albany. Free. 474-5877. www.nysm.nysed.gov.
• Family Fun: Maple Sugar Open
Twirl a drill, pound a spile, inspect the sap flow in our sugarbush, smell
the sap boiling down into syrup in our evaporator, and take a maple taste
test, 1:30-3:30 p.m.. Come anytime to visit the round-robin education
stations. Free. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar. For
information call 475-0291.
• An Evening with the Mad Hatter
A whimsical evening of dinner and entertainment at the Saratoga National
Golf Club in celebration of the Children’s Museum. Tickets cost $75, $140
per couple. For information call 584-5540 or visit
www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org..
• Little Wonders of Science: Cat in the Hat
Introduce children ages 3 to 5 to the wonders of space with “Cat in the
Hat: There’s No Place Like Space” and a craft, 11 a.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
• Science Discovery Demos: It’s Electric
Also Sunday. Learn all about electricity, noon-12:30 p.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
-   Junior League’s American Girl Fashion Show. Albany.  Tickets are $35.






20 Sunday
-Maple Weekend. 110 locations NYS wide. Celebrate everything maple from syrup to snow cones. Events vary per location. 
- Fulton-Montgomery County Home Show Craft Fair. Broadalbin-Perth High School. 10am-4pm. Free Bouncy Bounce, Child ID's Compliments of Fulton County Sheriff's Dept., $3 Admission - Children under 10 free. www.byckids.com
-Hummingbird Hills Winery season opening and food
drive to benefit Fulmont Community Action Agency,  11am-6pm.  The Winery is located at 1442 Burtonville Road, Fultonville.  Join owners Kimm & Ken Shick for freewine tastings & goodies.  Also bring your canned goods and non perishable items to donate.
• Classical Music Concert
ESYO`s Youth and Repertory Orchestras to perform, 3 p.m. Cost is $20 for
adults; $10 for seniors and students. Troy SavingsBankMusic Hall. For
information, call 442-3995 or visit www.albany.edu/pac/ or www.esyo.org.
- Sugaring Off Sunday starting at 8:30 am at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. $8/folks 13 and up, $4/kids 7 to 12, kids 6 and under free, and the price includes breakfast.
-  12-2pm all Pottery Barn Kids will host a special story time with activities and a  reading of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
- Kure For Kristen will support a local third grade student that has recently been diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. The Parting Glass, Saratoga Springs, New York Cost: $10 donation, 3-8pm.
- Raising Dough, "the menu that gives back" is a unique way to work with our guests to support not-for-profit organizations on a monthly basis. This month the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY will be featured in the Raising Dough Program at Pasta Pane, 18 Park Ave, Clifton Park, NY, 4pm. Regular menu pricing.



21 Monday
 -Story Hour at the Library. 10:30am Amsterdam Free Library
• Baby Bounce
Storytime for families with babies ages 6 to 18 months and caregivers,
10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Ave.,
Guilderland. For information call 456-2400.

-Free cancer screenings to men 50 and older and women 40 and older who do not have health insurance. Screenings may include mammograms, breast and pelvic exams, pap tests for women 40+, and colorectal cancer screening kits for men and women 50+. Bassett Mobile Coach, Amsterdam Hannaford Please contact Suzanne Hagadorn to PRE-REGISTER at (518) 841-3726.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

The Leprechaun came and was quite sneaky around here. He wrote on our walls, walked on our walls, tipped over our kitchen chair and stools and DD2's horse and piano. He wrote on our mirrors secret messages, drew shamrocks on the mirrors, sinks, walls; he colored our water, our toilet water, our flowers' water, drew smileys on our toilet paper and our paper towels. He even left DD1 some green milk and green cinnamon rolls and a green bagel and green doughnuts. He also left her some gold coins and a piece of green chalk and a note that said "Better Luck Next Time" in her leprechaun trap. He made a mess of green on the floor in front of her trap too. He went to her school and messed up all the chairs there and wrote and climbed on the chalk board! What a busy, sneaky little guy ;)

Summer Camp Expo

Saturday, April 16 there will be a KidsFunSummer Expo at Colonie Center from 10am-7pm. Over 40 representatives will be on site from a wide variety of summer camps located in and out of state. It's free admission, but they do recommend that you register ahead.  To be eligible to win any of the giveaways and to get a free KidsFunSummer tote bag, you must preregister at the link above. There will be camp like activities going on all day, a free bouncy bounce, Radio Disney, and pictures with the Easter Bunny and some superheroes amongst other stuff. I preregistered my family just a few minutes ago. See you there!

Consignment Sale

Pass It On Children's Consignment Sale.
March 15-18th

Over 20,000 Sq. Ft. , 525 Consignors!

Albany Academy Fieldhouse

Publish Post

First Milk Delivery!!

So excited!! Our first milk delivery just arrived on our porch. I feel like I am living back fifty years or so. We put a cooler out on our porch this morning and I heard some rustling around a few minutes ago. This is what I find:

I am so excited! My DH is going to be even more! This is all organic milk from organic grass fed no antibiotic or growth hormone injected dairy cows. The eggs are organic too. We got this delivery from Duncraven Farms. They also deliver cheese from a local cheese shop, Palantine Cheese. How awesome is this!!

We had visited the Mohawk Harvest Co-op a couple times. The last time we visited we bought some milk, which was from Duncraven Farms with their contact info on the top of the bottle. We decided to forgo the middle man and contact the farm ourselves. I am so happy we did. The co-op is not the closest to us and we decided that his prices were way too high to shop there anyway. I was really disappointed on our last visit when he talked me into "The best tasting Cinnamon bread in the world.. makes the best french toast.. fresh baked that morning.. we even do our own cinnamon french toast dance... we had it three times that week". The price of the loaf of bread was $4, he did give it to us for $3.50, but it still wasn't worth it. We got home and the next morning I made it as french toast. Upon slicing into the loaf there was one tiny line of cinnamon that ran along the bottom of the loaf that you could barely taste. I was utterly disappointed, especially for all the jazz he gave me about it because I was hesitant at the store, and for the price I could have bought a loaf of bread at Panera. We went to Panera the next day and they were selling cinnamon raisin bread that looked 100x better for the same exact price and Panera is not the cheapest. Needless to say, I don't think we are going back to the co-op.
So, anyway, stoked to find out Duncraven Farms delivered milk right to our doorstep, along with eggs and cheese! Whoohoo! Can't get much better than this, and it's organic!!
I'm on my way to cutting the grocery store out all together in my life. It will be so much healthier for my family, I'll be supporting the local farms, and it will probably be cheaper. ;)

Maple Weekend

March 19-20 and March 26-27, 10am-4pm each day is Maple Weekend at about 110 locations across New York State. Visit the link to find a listing of locations broken up according to county. I hope to visit at least one of these locations next week and perhaps take a drive out to western new york to visit a couple more the following week!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey are coming to town!!
Celebrating their 200th birthday with the biggest birthday bash in circus history!!
May 5-8 at the Times Union Center
We have been to the circus for the last three years and enjoyed it a bit more each year! The last two years they have had a preshow; go an hour early and you get to go down in the ring and see the performers do special little shows including watching an elephant paint a picture. Definitely a fun filled time for kids of all ages.
Save 20% off on tickets with the code: KIDSEXPO

Amsterdam Day

Yesterday my family enjoyed a very "local" day.
We started the day out enjoying cinnamon rolls from our local Price Chopper bakery. They were on sale last week for $1.99 for two giant rolls, I bought two packages. My DD1 normally loves cinnamon rolls so I bought them especially with her in mind, she ate none of them. She always picks out the Entemann looking cinnamon rolls; I figured it out, she loves the frosting, not necessarily the cinnamon rolls. So, DD2 and I enjoyed them for breakfast anyway. I am sending the leftovers to work with DH tomorrow.
We planned to visit some local farms and make the final decision on what CSA we are going to join for the summer. CSA- Community Supported Agriculture- you pay a farm a fee before crop season and each week you get a box full of fresh produce from the farm. We are undecided between two farms because one is close to us and says they use all natural growing but the other is certified organic and about a half hour ride away. I would prefer to go the certified organic route but am not sure I want to commit to a half hour ride every week during the summer with the two kiddies.
We did visit the farm which is closer to us. The lady was extremely helpful and friendly. She was more than happy to let us come and meet her and show us her animals and inside her barn. DD1 was very excited to see the animals but a bit put out that she didn't have any cows for some reason. DD2 seemed to be very alert and interested in all the animals and the sounds too. It was a bit loud in the barn, especially near their "market hogs".
After leaving the farm, a few miles up the road was the Mohawk Valley Spring Farmers Market at Alpin Haus on 5S. I wanted to go here in hopes of getting some fresh vegetables. I don't know what I was thinking, considering there is still snow everywhere. I was expecting a little stand set up with a couple farmers selling their crops. Boy was I wrong. The whole hallway in Alpin Haus was filled with different tables set up of farmers selling their stuff, mostly meats. I would say there were eleven or twelve different "vendors" there including the SPCA with a few cats in cages. There was a table full of maple syrup goods, a bakery from Johnstown, three grass fed meat farmers, a cheese place, an Amish baker, a grass fed goat farmer, an alpaca yarn lady selling yarn and hats, a soap table, a bakery/store specializing in gluten free stuff, and a lady selling drawings and bags. I was highly impressed. I don't remember the names of all the stands and I don't want to show favorites on the site, so I just generalized in descriptions. I did grab a flyer for the next market, but I think it's in the car; I will post the information for it closer to the date.
We had planned to head out to Palantine Bridge to visit the other farm we are thinking about for the CSA after leaving the farmer's market. There is also a cheese plant we were going to visit while out there and a dairy farm. The cheese plant happened to have a representative working at the farmer's market and the CSA farm said they couldn't meet with us so we decided to hold off on that trip.
Instead, we went to the Book Hound on East Main St. This is a cute little store. Upon walking in you see the owner sitting at his desk beside a nice warm fire in a room filled with books. There are three other rooms, I believe, also filled with books. We first visited this store a few months back at the Amsterdam Winter Mixer. Prior to the mixer, we didn't know the store existed and had never walked on E. Main St, just driven down sometimes to try and beat traffic at the lights. At the mixer, we bought a few books and decided we liked the store, we liked his prices, and my DH now reads his blog. Browsing the website for the Book Hound briefly, I didn't see a link to his blog. Anyway, a cute store with good deals on used books. We even got an adorable  little red rocking chair that my DD1 instantly fell in love with upon first site.
After leaving the Book Hound we took a ride up route 30 to visit the Blue Hen. I had been wanting to visit here for a couple years or so but never really mentioned it much to DH. Once I mentioned it recently, he got real excited and said he had been wanting to go and check it out too. We tried to go a few weeks ago on a Saturday, but they closed at 4 and we got there too late. It's a cute small store filled with beautiful, expensive, handmade Amish hardwood furniture. The stuff is gorgeous, but a bit out of our price range. We weren't really going to shop for anything anyway, we were just curious as to what was in there. They also sold some Amish baked goods. The lady here was also extremely friendly, she took us into the barn to see their new baby two week old calf, which was already about 100lbs.
After the Blue Hen we went to Ponderosa Steak House where DH and I ate about three days worth of calories in less than an hour. I was against Ponderosa
After Ponderosa, we went home to relax a bit. All in all, I would say we had an eventful Amsterdam day!

Area Happenings March 12-20

12 Saturday
- Brave the cold and head for The Snowman ice cream in Troy.
• Family Fun: Who Lives in a Tree?
Stories, a walk in the woods and crafts will lead us to the answer to the
question of who lives in a tree, 2 p.m. Parent and child must accompany
each other. Register by March 9. Free. Five Rivers Environmental Education
Center, Delmar. For information call 475-0291.
• Mom’s Night Out: Mosaic Cafe
Moms everywhere are invited to enjoy refreshments and learn how to make a
mosaic tile, 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $10. Held at JERNY, 199 New
Scotland Ave, Albany.
• Plant a Flower Day
In the first part of this two-part program, participants learn about the
natural history of the Albany Pine Bush ecosystem, the challenges the Pine
Bush faces today and how to help. Participants will be given the
opportunity to plant and raise one Pine Bush native plant, 11 a.m.-noon.
The second part of this program will be held May 21. Pre-registration
required. Cost is $3 per person, $5 per family and free for children under
5. Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, Albany. For
information call 456-0655.
• Science Discovery Demos: It’s Electric!
Also Sunday. Have an explosive visit and learn all about electricity at
this educator-led science demo, noon-12:30 p.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
• Our Bodies, Our Earth…From Space
Challenger Learning Center of Tech Valley hosts an afternoon of space
science and research, 4-6 p.m. Free with museum admission: $5-$7.50.
Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For information, call
382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
- It’s Winter Raptorfest in Ft. Edward, which is about an hour north of us. Birds of prey, sleigh rides, and more. Free.
- From 10:30 am to noon, an I Got You Babe Yoga class begins at Orenda in Schenectady. It’s for babies crawling to 24 months.
-Moreau Lake State Park, there’s an Ice Fishing Clinic from 11 am to 3 pm. Call to reserve, and it’s $2/person.
-The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off in downtown Albany at 2 pm.
-Free Teddy Bear Concert by the Capitol Chamber Artists at 2 pm at the First Congregational Church at Albany. Selections of Bach & Mozart presented for children. Bring your teddy bear!
-2 pm, hear Irish Tales with Marni Gillard at the Troy Public Library.
-It’s a Tang Family Saturday from 2-3:30 pm. This is free, but call to register.
-They’re having a Family Sing-along at the main Albany Public Library from 2:30-3:30 pm.
-At 7 pm, the Empire State Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Music program has a free public recital at the College of St. Rose.
-  Sand Lake Center for the Arts has an Irish Music Concert billed for all ages at 8 pm. It’s $16/adult, $10/children.
- 9am-1pm. Mohawk Valley Spring Farmers Market.  Alpin Haus Sthwy 5S Amsterdam, NY 12010
-  The Antique Fair to benefit the 1747 Historic Nellis Tavern will be held in the Arkell Museum Great Hall. $4 admission includes refreshments. 25 dealers featured and the appraisal booth is $5 for 2 items.Canajoharie Library



13 Sunday
• Yummy Sunday
Eat your “art” out and play with your food by making funny faces with
broccoli hair, tomato heads with celery smiles, banana bugs and more,
1-2:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per child; adults are free. Arts Center of the
Capital Region 265 River Street, Troy For information, go to
www.artscenteronline.org or call 273-0552, ext. 222.
• Fix it Right Club
Learn how to build something unique with the Friendship Circle, 2-3 p.m.
Cost is $25 and includes a “Fix it Right” apron for each child. Phillip’s
Hardware, 235 Delaware Ave., Albany. Call Liba at 438-4220 to register.
• Summer Camp Fair
Event lets families explore camp options for their children this summer
with more than 20 camps expected to have booths, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
McDonough Sports Complex on the Hudson Valley Community College campus, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy.
• Classical Music Concert
Empire State Youth Orchestras’ Wind Orchestra and String Ensemble, 3 p.m.
Cost is $8 for adults; $5 for seniors and students. Location to be
announced. For information, call ESYO at 382-7581 or visit www.esyo.org.
• Saratoga Reads!
An afternoon of crafts and stories that explore the themes of this year’s
Saratoga Reads! book selection, 2-3 p.m. Free with $6 admission. Saratoga
Children’s Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs. For information call
584-5540 or visit www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org.
• St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
Drop-in family program for ages 3 and up that will include stories,
sing-along songs and maybe a visit from a leprechaun, 3 p.m. No
registration is required; siblings welcome. Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public
Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park. For information, call 371-8622.
• Family Dance
Participatory contra, square and international folk dancing and singing
with caller Paul Rosenberg and live string band music by Tame Rutabaga.
All dances taught and no experience or partner needed, 4 p.m.  Donation is
$5 adults and $1 children: $1. First Congregational Church, 405 Quail St.,
Albany. For information, call 482-9255 or go to www.danceflurry.org.
- It’s Winter Raptorfest in Ft. Edward, which is about an hour north of us. Birds of prey, sleigh rides, and more. Free.
- Schauber Stables, Ballston Lake, is having a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Kids hunt for lucky shamrocks, and those who find them will have get free pony rides. The event continues all day, but activities are divided by age, so check the website for details.
- Sugaring Off Sunday starting at 8:30 am at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. $8/folks 13 and up, $4/kids 7 to 12, kids 6 and under free, and the price includes breakfast.
- From 10 am to 2 pm, Hudson Valley Community College is having their annual Summer Camp Fair. Free, with Radio Disney, a bounce house, and free public ice skating for an hour at the beginning among other activities.
- There’s a Mosaic and Stained Glass Workshop at Thacher Nature Center appropriate for ages 14 and up. $40/new participant.
- There’s a St. Patrick’s Day Kids’ Club at Rotterdam Square Mall‘s Food Court from noon to 1:30 pm. Face painting, balloons, and other activities.
- Make and Take a St. Patrick’s Day item at the Schenectady Museum between 1:30-2:30 pm.
- 2:30 pm Beat the Snow Concert at the Schenectady Public Library.
- Irish Family Festival from 3-7 pm at the Saratoga Elks Club. Donations $5/adult, kids 12 and under free.
- The 2011 Canajoharie Concert Series opens with a musical tribute to Canajoharie performed by native soprano Gayle Snyder Ross and baritone Phil Eisenman accompanied by Jerry and Gail Exline.  The concert series is held in the Great Hall of the new Arkell Museum at Canajoharie. Canajoharie Library
- Need to find your kids a summer camp this year? Head over to Hudson Valley Community College's Summer Camp Fair on Sunday. Free skating in the ice rink from 10 to 11 a.m.! 


14 Monday
• Pi Day
Pie tasting, math fun, prizes, raffles, 7 p.m. Pie-baking contest
information available in the library and online at www.bplkids.org;
application deadline March 7. For all ages. Bethlehem Public Library, 451
Delaware Ave. Delmar. For information, call 439-9314.
- Toddler Story Time. 11:15-12:15pm Canajoharie Library




15 Tuesday
• How the Wind Roars
Family Program a featuring stories, songs, and a craft about the wind,
6:30 p.m. Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton
Park. For information, call 371-8622.
• Mommy ’n Me with a Jewish Twist
Moms and babies are gather for Jewish stories, songs and play, 1:30-2 p.m.
Bach Library,  455 New Scotland Ave. For information, contact Devora
Mathless at 227-1770.
- The Children’s Museum at Saratoga's Tuesday for Tots program is now available from 1-3 pm in addition to the usual 10 am to noon.
- Story Hour. Amsterdam Library. 10:30-11:30

16 Wednesday
• Cooking Around the World
Send your taste buds on an international adventure by cooking up
kid-friendly recipes from around the world, 3:30-4:30 p.m. For ages 5 and
older. Cost is $10 per chef; drop-off optional. Saratoga Children’s
Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs. For information call 584-5540
or visit www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org.
- Open Mic Night. Coffee Beanery. 128 polar plaza, Amsterdam, NY 12010


17 Thursday
• FETCH! Lab: Eat Like a Bird
Also held Friday and Saturday. Learn how a bird’s beak type relates to
what it eats and where it lives, 3-4:30 p.m. Free with museum admission:
$5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
• Little Wonders of Science: Cat in the Hat
Introduce children ages 3 to 5 to the wonders of space with “Cat in the
Hat: There’s No Place Like Space” and a craft, 11 a.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
- The Inman Center will once again be offering Ray's Famous Corned Beef Sandwiches to benefit the Inman Senior Center. Eat in or take out available. 11am-5pm. A generous helping of corned beef or ham on deli style rye bread with mustard, horseradish, pickle, cole slaw and chips. Hot homemade soup available for eat in only. Take out orders of 10 or more please call in advance. Delivery available on orders of 5 or more sandwiches. Call 842-3815 to order.

18 Friday
• Stretching with Stuffee
Program promotes imaginative movement and flexibility. Come dressed to
move, 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Free with $6 admission. Saratoga Children’s
Museum, 69 Caroline St., Saratoga Springs. For information call 584-5540
or visit www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org.
• Teen Film Fest
Screenings and People’s Choice voting for action and comedy entries, 6:30
p.m. All are  welcome. Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave. Delmar.
For information, call 439-9314.
• Family Movie Night
Family-friendly films in the Helderberg (Large) Meeting Room, 7-9 p.m.
Free. Guilderland Public Library, 2228 Western Ave., Guilderland. For
information call 456-2400.
-   Junior League’s American Girl Fashion Show is next weekend. Tickets are $35.




19 Saturday
• ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’
Opera to Go, Lake George Opera’s program for children, presents a
retelling of the beloved fairy tale for young audiences of all ages, 2-3
p.m. Free. The Huxley Theater, New York State Museum. For information,
call 474-5877 or visit www.nysm.nysed.gov.
• Family Fun Day
Visitors can make-and-take a craft and enjoy exciting scavenger hunts to
discover artifacts and specimens throughout the museum based on the theme ‘Salem Art Works: Building Beautiful,’ 1-4 p.m.. New York State Museum, Albany. Free. 474-5877. www.nysm.nysed.gov.
• Family Fun: Maple Sugar Open
Twirl a drill, pound a spile, inspect the sap flow in our sugarbush, smell
the sap boiling down into syrup in our evaporator, and take a maple taste
test, 1:30-3:30 p.m.. Come anytime to visit the round-robin education
stations. Free. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar. For
information call 475-0291.
• An Evening with the Mad Hatter
A whimsical evening of dinner and entertainment at the Saratoga National
Golf Club in celebration of the Children’s Museum. Tickets cost $75, $140
per couple. For information call 584-5540 or visit
www.childrensmuseumatsaratoga.org..
• Little Wonders of Science: Cat in the Hat
Introduce children ages 3 to 5 to the wonders of space with “Cat in the
Hat: There’s No Place Like Space” and a craft, 11 a.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
• Science Discovery Demos: It’s Electric
Also Sunday. Learn all about electricity, noon-12:30 p.m. Free with museum
admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium.  For
information, call 382-7890 or visit www.SchenectadyMuseum.org.
- Fulton-Montgomery County Home Show Craft Fair. Broadalbin-Perth High School. 10am-5pm. Free Bouncy Bounce, Child ID's Compliments of Fulton County Sheriff's Dept., $3 Admission - Children under 10 free. www.byckids.com
-   Junior League’s American Girl Fashion Show is next weekend. Tickets are $35.
- A Night of Entertainment, featuring The Bel Aires as well as a sampling of local talent, will benefit the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA), 6:30pm to 10:30pm   This fundraising event will be held at The Elks Lodge on Fourth Avenue in Amsterdam.  Doors will open at 6:00 pm with complimentary appetizers, raffles and cash bar. $25 per person in advance available through Friday, March 18^th only.  On Saturday, March 19^th, any remaining tickets will be available at the door only for $30.

20 Sunday
• Classical Music Concert
ESYO`s Youth and Repertory Orchestras to perform, 3 p.m. Cost is $20 for
adults; $10 for seniors and students. Troy SavingsBankMusic Hall. For
information, call 442-3995 or visit www.albany.edu/pac/ or www.esyo.org.
- Fulton-Montgomery County Home Show Craft Fair. Broadalbin-Perth High School. 10am-4pm. Free Bouncy Bounce, Child ID's Compliments of Fulton County Sheriff's Dept., $3 Admission - Children under 10 free. www.byckids.com
- Sugaring Off Sunday starting at 8:30 am at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. $8/folks 13 and up, $4/kids 7 to 12, kids 6 and under free, and the price includes breakfast.
-  12-2pm all Pottery Barn Kids will host a special story time with activities and a  reading of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

"Waiting for Superman"

I watched the documentary Waiting for Superman this week. If you haven't seen it, I would definitely recommend it. It was a bit slow, but it was a documentary. I was a bit infuriated after watching, inspired, and motivated.
Did you know that once a teacher is tenured there is really nothing they can do to get fired? An extreme of the situation is that there is a room where sex offending teachers go to in New York state and sit and play cards and read and get paid their full salary because they can't be fired.
Teachers are just about the only profession that are not paid based on performance. A teacher can neither get a raise for doing a job well done or a pay decrease for performing poorly. Also, schools run on a system of the last teacher in is the first teacher fired. Even if that last teacher in is the best teacher in the school and there are some that don't teach well because they are tenured. Some teachers have the attitude of "I am getting paid whether you learn or not, so I will just sit here and read..." <- a summarized quote from the film.
The reason for all of this is teachers unions. They are so strong and powerful that not much can be done to change anything because of their control. Teachers unions are the biggest campaign contributors, having the government in their pockets.
Something needs to be done to change all of this. I want my children taught by teachers who want to be teachers and are doing their job teaching my children. I have heard of a teacher in my child's school who other teachers say "shouldn't be a teacher" or "I would not let him/her teach my children if they were in this school". Those were direct quotes from another teacher. Some parents are transferring their kids from the school because they are afraid their children will get this teacher. She's tenured, so she can't be fired.

Here is a link to some local Amsterdam schools and with this link you can find out how your school's test scores compare with others:  Education Nation Scorecard for Schools. I was not very impressed... When I went to a PTO meeting and asked about it, I was told "if you don't like it, transfer your children to another school". I was told this by someone on the PTO board.

Here is a link with some ideas for you to get involved with your school, with changing the system, or just to take action and do something:   Get Involved Locally.

Text "POSSIBLE" to 77177, they will text you back asking for your zip code. Once you supply them with your zip code, they will send you a voucher for $15 to use towards helping a local school. You can use the voucher at this site:  An online charity connecting you to classrooms in need.

Take the pledge to watch Waiting for Superman and text "POSSIBLE" to 77177. Help yourself get educated about our education system... or lack thereof.

Strange Toddler Behavior

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/strange-toddler-behavior

My home page is set to parenting.com.
Today when I logged on the computer, I see "The Rod" picture (first group, lower left).
AHAHAHAHAHA!! Hysterical!! My daughter loves to do this, she is also "the twister"!! These pictures are sooo funny!!! And, so is the rest of the article; have a look! http://www.parenting.com/gallery/strange-toddler-behavior
The second group of pictures are about adults acting the way kids do. So funny! Thank you parenting magazine for brightening my morning!!

Pictures taken from the parenting.com site, thank you!

Hannaford Kidz Expo Success!!

Another amazing, but exhausting, day at the Hannaford Kidz Expo. I love doing stuff together as a family. :o)
Our favorite highlights of this year's expo would be ArtsPower’s production of Harry the Dirty Dog in the Swyer Theatre in the Egg and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clowns. My daughter was disapointed she didn't get to do American Idol with Fox23 news this year but unfotunately this year we were on a time schedule. We had a birthday party to go to at 2:30 so we couldn't stay the whole day. We were there four and a half hours and we still didn't get to do everything, that's how much stuff there is here folks. 
When we first got there Fox23 news was still setting up their cameras, when we next walked by their booth was swamped. At one point we asked how long and there was a twenty minute wait. For a five year old a twenty minute wait can be an eternity (for a 30 year old it may be even longer!) So we distracted her with a smoothie and and headed over to see the clowns! 
We had to wait to get into the circus room too so we walked next door to see the snakes. My daughter touched every snake and reptile in the room! My youngest stared at them all and pushed the older one out of the way reaching out her little hand to touch them too. I didn't let her because there were signs and sanitizer everywhere saying to wash your hands after touching the reptiles. I am not too keen on regular hand sanitizer, I believe more in soap and water, so I decided to skip letting the baby touch the reptilians. 
I, too, would have liked to stay longer and check out more of the cool things going on like the Schenectady Museum Planetarium or Rock Band 101 by StarFish. But, all in all, it was an amazing time well spent with my amazing family!

Amsterdam Youth Soccer

Registration is now open for Amsterdam Youth Soccer through the Amsterdam Youth Soccer Club (AYSC). Kids are grouped according to age with a range from 3-12 years old. All games are played Saturday mornings at the Amsterdam High School starting April 30 - June 18. You can register online at www.amsterdamsoccer.org or in person at the Riverfront Center on Thursday, March 3 from 6-8pm or Saturday, March 12 from 9am to noon. Team sponsors and volunteers are needed.

Local Youth Commissions

I have heard of a couple Youth Commissions that put on events for the local kids. I know there is one in Tribes Hill and Fort Johnson. The Youth Commissions do things like pay for the kids to go to the movies, bus trips to the circus, and provide holiday parties for the kids.
To get a hold of the Tribes Hill Youth Commission I found these numbers: 829-7146 or 829-7022
The Fort Johnson Youth Commission has a webpage and a facebook page: click here for the Youth Commission webpage and here for Fort Johnson Youth Commission Facebook page or you could call Darlene Roe at 842-3426. 
Know of anymore Youth Commissions are groups for the local youth, contact me or leave a comment below.

Hannaford Kidz Expo

This Saturday from 10am - 5pm at the Empire State Plaza in Albany is the annual Hannaford Kidz Expo. We have went the past two years and had a blast each time. There is so much to do - magicians, face painting, puppet show, plays in the Egg, soccer through Affrims, reptile exhibits, vendors, food, story times, bounce houses, the list goes on. The event stretches through most of the concourse area including the meeting rooms. The best part - it's all FREE!! You do have to pay for any food you may want, but you can always bring your own. We will definatily be attending again this year to make it our third one! My eldest loves to sing karaoke at the Fox23 booth and a few weeks later we get to watch her through their website and share the link.