MTE reviews: Sesame Place 2013 Season

Disclosure: I was provided complimentary admission tickets for my family to attend the opening day of Sesame Place's 2013 Season. All opinions expressed here are my own, based on my life-long love of Sesame Street and our experience in the lovely park environment. 

We traveled for a total of almost six hours in the car last Saturday for this season's opening day at Sesame Place. If you're within a few hours' ride of Langhorne, PA, and you're looking to blow the mind of a young child you love, I would highly recommend Sesame Place, the only theme park based on the fabulous PBS show that has been entertaining and educating young children for over 40 years. This summer, children and families will enjoy the combination of amusement park and water park rides aimed at preschoolers to older elementary school aged kids, along with three shows every day in the park and opportunities to meet the furry residents of Sesame Street. In addition, some big names in the children's entertainment biz will be there, too: Laurie Berkner, Imagination Moveers, Caillou and Max & Ruby!

That's the stuff that any press release can tell you, so now that you've got the basics, let me share with you my impressions and some pics of our fabulous visit on a sunny, but cool late April day. I'll start by saying that my kids aren't all in the prime age range for Sesame Place, but we didn't give JAM much of a choice, so he was along for the ride. It may not be cool to say, but I think he was a little bit excited for he remembered the fun that he had on some of the rides back in November 2011, when we were invited to preview Sesame Place's holiday experience: A Very Furry Christmas. While JAM is 12 years old and past his Sesame Street viewing age, even he was singing a happy tune at the end of the day. "This morning I was asking myself how I got dragged into this, but I have to say, that was a pretty awesome time." I'm going to attribute that to a high number of rides on the rollercoaster.

Here's the thing, this isn't a huge park, but that actually appeals to me, because I'm not really looking for a huge park experience. There are enough rides and attractions to keep the kids busy all day, especially if you bring bathing suits and utilize both parts of the park. At the end of the day, you won't be completely exhausted from walking miles and miles, and some areas allow for extended play rather than just a short ride.

The logistics that you need to know:

• Parking: There are three options for parking. General ($15), Preferred ($18), and VIP ($30). Anything past General should just be called Sucker Parking, because no matter where you park even in General, you're not going to have a super-long walk. Don't pay the extra money, and consider even a walk from the furthest part of General Parking just an excuse for an extra Elmo-shaped pretzel during the day.
• Food: According to the park's FAQ page, no outside food is permitted. I'm a rule follower and all, but even the guy who checked our bag told us that coolers are allowed as long as they're no larger than 10"x10"x12" and that you can have food in them. Seriously, I saw tons of folks unpacking sandwiches, drinks and snacks from their bags and eating at the many picnic table areas around the park.
• Discounts: If you're a local PA resident, or if you have a friend who is, be sure to check out the various retailers that offer discounts. Sesame Place is so cool that they even tell you about these discounts on their own site!
• Exit and Re-entry: If you need to leave the park to get something out of your car, be sure to have your hand stamped so you can re-enter the park. You can also actually leave the parking area and come back in without paying again if you hold on to the receipt they give you when you pay for parking upon entry. We opted for a local restaurant for lunch, and this allowed us to drive down the road and come back without dropping another parking fee.

Now let's talk about the park's most fun features. The highlights according to my kids (and maybe for me and Hubby, too):

• Vapor Trail: We were not inside the park's gates for more than two minutes before JAM (12) and Pudge (5.5) were dragging their dad to the line for the Vapor Trail. Red (almost 7), wasn't as gung-ho, but the boys did this one multiple times throughout the day. Somehow, even though even a mild roller coaster makes me terrified, I ended up doing this one at the end of the evening with Pudge, who wanted "just one more time," and whose father said, "I'm officially old, because I can't do that one more time today." The very first ride of the day was even recorded for memory:

• Nets 'n' Climbs: This is one that the whole family can get into, as there are tons of grown-ups climbing-- and even rolling around-- up in these nets. There's a lovely shaded area with picnic tables where parents can sit while their children explore up above if they're not the cargo net types. Our kids are old enough that we were comfortable sending them up there after telling them where they could find us. When we didn't see Red for a while, Hubby went up to look for her and found her up in a tube area laughing with a newly-made friend.

• Elmo's Cloud Chaser: For days, all Red could talk about was "the big swings," and she was thrilled to take several rides on this, her favorite ride. Soaring around, looking at the other rides from way up high-- this is a fun one, for sure!
  

• The Count's Splash Castle: Yes, we went to Sesame Place in April. Yup, Sesame Place is in Pennsylvania. And finally, you are correct in thinking that PA in April is not usually a hot and humid kind of environment. But, my children did indeed experience some of the water park features that were open on the day of our visit. We had decided to pack their bathing suits and towels for the day, but we didn't tell them this of course, because we thought it was HIGHLY unlikely that they'd get used. But by midday, when we saw that some of the water park features were open, including Big Bird's Rambling River and The Count's Splash Castle, we thought we'd offer it up. Even though it was only in the high 60s, all three children accepted the offer enthusiastically, to say the least. JAM ran off to enjoy the lazy river (an area in which we had witnessed a teen floating while wearing a sweatshirt earlier in the day), and Red and Pudge joined a small mass of other insane children in the splash area, which they lovingly compared to the fort area they enjoyed so much at Great Wolf Lodge last winter. I, however, stuck my feet in a few times and declared us all horrible parents. The children's joy and my disbelief for the experience made for some fun Facebook fodder to fill the time while they played. After a while, they reached their breaking point, and we called the water park portion of the day to a close. 
  
  

• Neighborhood Street Party Parade: Who doesn't love a parade? Even the oldest among us had plenty of smiles and laughs as the whole Sesame Street Gang danced and sang down the middle of the park in the early evening parade. Red and Pudge got excited over high fives from Ernie, and even JAM might have sung along to some familiar songs. But Hubby and I got the biggest laughs when we realized that Pudge's growing complaints about having to stand in one place were so in line with the piped-in voice of Oscar the Grouch, who spoke in between song parts to tell us all to scram and made it clear that he, too, wished for the parade to come to a close. (For what it's worth, we chalk up Pudge's grumpiness at this time to be the direct result of hunger and exhaustion, not a reflection of the awesomely fun parade itself.) Oh, and in the parade, even some of the lesser-known Sesame Street characters get highlighted, like one of my favorites who has an awesome name-- Prairie Dawn! (Loved my surprise from Hubby, too-- a plush Prairie Dawn of my own. If only I still had my old stuffed Grover from childhood, I'd have my two favorite Sesame Street pals together!)

• Silly Sand Slide: Okay, if you've read far enough to get to this point, then you're in for a little secret treat. After the parade, we were heading to the exits to call the day to a close, and then Pudge remembered that he wanted to try one more area before we left. Hubby said they looked at this area earlier in the day, and there was something that he thought I would get a big kick out of here. This play area near some of the water park features is meant for the younger crowd, but the slides themselves weren't what attracted my wacky family. Just take a look at this picture first, then I'll get to the explanation:
  

This was, by far, my favorite part of the day. Honestly. Maybe it was because we were all feeling a bit loopy from hunger, but this giant net of yoga/exercise balls was the most fun thing to play on ever. The park was clearing out as it was about 30 minutes from closing, and we spent a good fifteen minutes hurling ourselves at the balls and bouncing back down, laughing like maniacs. I'm pretty sure that Hubby and I had more fun than any child who had visited that area all day. Wanna see?

Okay, maybe no one will laugh at that as much as we did, but I'll tell you that we were a source of much amusement to the young attendant on duty that evening. He even gave us the highest compliment a couple of late-thirty-somethings can receive after bouncing around like lunatics. "You're like the coolest parents I've seen here all day. Most parents just stand around and watch. You guys are fun!" You're damn right, buddy. Fun is what we are.

We enjoyed several other rides including the Blast Off (which made me laugh uncontrollably out of embarrassment at my inability to NOT scream when we dropped), Grover's World Twirl (teacups + crazy fast spinning = nauseated parents), and Monster Maze (an area in which our children may or may not have been on their best behavior). Red and Pudge were saddened to see that they had grown too tall for some of the attractions they had enjoyed a year and a half ago, but that's okay. My big kids' loss is your little ones' gain!


So, as you can hopefully see from my words of praise and photographic and video evidence, Sesame Place makes for a fun day for the whole family. And trust me, if you head up to the park for a day, make sure you don't miss the balls. Bounce away, my friends, bounce away!

Ready to sweep the clouds away again sometime soon,

i don't know how they do it...

... really just translates to, "I can't do it anymore."

I really don't know how other families pull it all off, because I'm barely keeping my head above water these days. The logistics and technicalities of our days have finally settled into something that is at least predictable, if not easy or smooth. We wake up early, leave the house early, and come home late. We rush through our time together quite often, and we have to live with a strict routine. Many mornings see me with the tablet displaying the bus tracking page so I can give Pudge real-time updates. "We have 9 minutes until the bus comes. You need to brush your teeth and use the bathroom NOW!"

Although it can be physically exhausting, the biggest challenges do not lie with the logistics of our day-to-day life. For me, it's more about the emotional drain. Years ago, when I first started teaching preschool in a laboratory school setting, I would say to myself that I would have to find a new job once I had young children of my own. I realized pretty early that the amount of mental energy and spirit that I gave to the children in my class left me with very little remaining at the end of the day. I think it might be hard for someone unfamiliar with our school setting to imagine exactly how much we juggle every day. I've had to deal with enough people's perceptions that I "just play with kids all day" to know that the misconceptions are plentiful. Suffice it to say that although our students are "only" three, four, and five years old, there is a vast amount of planning, documentation, assessment, and communication responsibilities in our jobs. We are professional educators, and our workload is not at all light.

I would go home to my husband at the end of the day and have the ability to just crash, physically and mentally. My work day would end when I left the building on some days, though often enough, the lesson planning, report writing, parent communication, and so on, would come home with me for evening work.

Then I had a child, and I discovered new levels of exhaustion that I had not known before. Juggling baby and work was a challenge, for sure. It didn't help that my own mental health took a steep dive with depression and anxiety challenges. But, I kept at it, and once we got through some child care missteps, we got into a groove. Five and a half years later, we had a second. More bumps, and life got trickier. I moved to part-time work, which helped bring some balance to life. I looked forward to the two days a week that I was home with the baby, and half-days in the classroom were more manageable than full days.

Then I got pregnant with a third, and I threw in the towel. It wasn't an easy decision, because dropping a portion of our income (even the tiny portion that a preschool teacher makes) when we were adding another human being to our brood seemed ridiculously stupid. But, at the end of the day, the numbers worked in favor of that decision. Since two children under two in child care would have eaten up almost my entire income, the decision was made in the best interest of our family.

But two falls ago, when Pudge was old enough to attend my school, logic leaned toward me returning to work. The children would be in school, so I should start to once again bring home some (lean, or perhaps best described as the not-as-tasty turkey-) bacon. Worry weighed me down-- worry about how our life would change, worry that the logistics would kill us/me, worry that there just wouldn't be enough of me to go around.

This second school year is 10.5 weeks from its closing, and I can look in the figurative rear view mirror and see how much of that worry was indeed manifested in real life. These years of my return to teaching just happened to correspond with our oldest's entry into adolescence, middle school, and the most challenging educational period in relation to his ADHD that we've experienced yet. Just when he needed more support, there was less time and energy to give it.

While the logistics have been managed, they're exhausting and expensive. And back to that mental toll. It's catching up with me big time. It hasn't been the easiest school year, and the amount of mental energy that I expend this year in my classroom throughout the eight hour day is unparalleled in my previous eleven years teaching. By the time I see my own children in the late afternoon/early evening, my head is pounding, and my patience is already worn quite thin.

I seriously don't know how other people do it. It's hard not to be frustrated or even resentful that the vast majority of my spirit is going toward other people's children at the expense of my own. I wish I were a stronger person who could manage this better. I really don't know how other people do it.


Already looking toward summer,

that which keeps me away

Life is so busy.

I just can't find the time.

Even sleep is a rarity these days.

All of the above generic statements may sound boring and passe, but they only scratch the surface of what life has been like lately. I'm not even sure what I mean by "lately," only being sure that this feeling of slowly sinking in the quicksand that is Monday through Friday has been around for a while now. Saturday and Sunday bring little respite, logistically. Emotionally speaking, the weekends get even more challenging.

It's been a time of high emotion in these parts, that is easy to say. Negative emotions that are taking their tolls on each of us individually, and collectively as a family. The details themselves are not fodder for a public blog post, even one that will likely be seen by only a few. But I turn once again to the tapping of the keyboard to make sense of the swirling mess that's in my head.

One theme that is in a constant loop in my thoughts is of disappointment. I feel as if I've become weighed down by disappointment, all piled upon my spirit. Each week there seems to be a new disappointment, usually not too different than the one before, or the one a couple times before that. While I understand there's a natural stupidity to the adolescent years, it baffles my mind to watch the repetition of mistakes and bad choices and lies, even if they're smallish and mostly inconsequential. It's daunting to think that we're just getting started down this path of the teen years.

I guess I never prepared myself for the disarming feeling of being disappointed in one's child. Sure, I've been angered, even to the escalated degree of pissed off, and I've certainly shed more than a few tears in relation to this adventure called parenting. But the disappointment, this trumps it all. For almost thirteen years, I've questioned almost every decision I've made when it comes to being a mom. I know that I've done some things well, and I know that I've dropped the ball big time in other areas. But when I fully realize how disappointed I am in my own child, I feel like a complete failure as a parent. These are thoughts that a parent is just not supposed to have, it seems to me.

Right now, our family's life is in a rough patch. I have hope that it will indeed get better, but I'm realistic, too, so I imagine that we haven't even seen the toughest stuff yet.

As I sit here on the last evening of my spring break, my mind needs to shift from home back to school, and I'd be lying if I said that I was looking forward to the return. I'm not, plain and simple. This past week was fabulous in that I got to put the full force of my energy in the direction that I wanted-- my family and my home. I worked for days on intense spring cleaning, and I made areas of our home more organized, efficient, and attractive. The physical environment is important to me, especially in times of high stress, because it provides an external sense of calm, even if my head is a mess. This week, there was less rush each morning and evening, and less of the negativity that goes along with that usual hurry-hurry-hurry mentality. This week was healing for me.

Eleven more weeks of the old routine before I can once again return to the focus on my family again for the summer. They need it, and so do I. I need to find new ways to be the parent I want to be, to come to terms with my emotions about parenting an adolescent who will likely provide challenges in coming years that I can't even imagine right now. Once I find a bit more of a balance in my life, I can once again find the time to do the things I love, especially returning to more regular blogging, which I have enjoyed for years, but has gone to the wayside in the last few chaotic months.


Onward and upward,


image Dark Clouds by MALIZ ONG courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

diary of a newly resolved flosser

December 31, 2012:

This is it. This is the year for me. The year of better dental hygiene. Sure, I've always been lucky enough to have pretty great dental health, minus that one cavity in childhood. But ever since that cavity got a little hole and needed to be refilled this fall, I'm starting to think that my lucky stars are changing course. I've got to get better about doing what I know I'm supposed to be doing. The next time I go for my regularly scheduled appointment (every 6 months!), I'm going to be able to look that hygienist in the eye and answer confidently and truthfully, "Why yes. Yes, I have been flossing regularly! Every single day in fact!" Viva la New Year's Resolución!

January 7, 2013:

Woo-hoo! I made it through the first week-- seven straight days of conscientious flossing then brushing before heading into bed at night. One night, I even was all the way tucked in before I realized my mistake, and I hauled my lazy ass up and got to flossing. Yeah, go me! This just might be the new year's resolution that actually sticks.

January 14, 2013:

Okay, mildly freaking out since it's been determined that the filling replacement didn't work, and I need to get a crown on that tooth. I can't even get through a googled article about the procedure without dry heaving and feeling faint. Thankfully, the dentist remembers all too well my reactions during the filling replacement last fall, so he's given me some medicinal options for alleviating my anxiety. Let's hope they work. Anyway, other than my freakout about my first major dental work, the flossing is going wonderfully. In all honesty, there was a night that I passed out from exhaustion and didn't even realize that I'd missed my nightly dental routine until the next morning when I was brushing. Sigh. No one's perfect. 

January 21, 2013:

Today's the day. I've got the Ativan in me, and I'm looking forward to the gas mask that will take away all of my awareness of the drilling and shaving and other awful sounding action words that will be going on in my mouth this morning. I've got to remember, in all that drug-induced haze, to ask about how the crown will affect my new flossing routine!

January 31, 2013:

One month, baby! Okay, I missed two days total. I'll admit it, but otherwise, I'd consider this first month a raging success. I never could believe it when they used to say it to me all the time at the dentist's, but it does actually start to hurt less when you floss regularly. Imagine that! And, since the dentist told me that I could keep on flossing as normally even the day that the crown was put in, I've been going strong. Bring on month two! (Oh, and side note... I'm figuring that the soreness that comes and goes around that tooth will dissipate over time...)

February 6, 2013:

I'm getting a little worried that it's starting to hurt again to chew on the tooth with the crown, just like it did after the filling was replaced. I cannot emphasize how much I don't want to return to the dentist. 

February 8, 2013, lunchtime:

Ooh, this sandwich is good. Yummy rye bread, with just a few embedded seeds. But... they are a bit big, aren't they? And then. Goddammit! That one hurt when it crunched under the tooth. Bah. I can't deny it anymore. I've got to call the dentist again. Love that they're only open Monday through Thursday. That's convenient. Sigh. Guess I'll be on the phone at 8 am on Monday morning and then have to figure out some time off. Fun, fun.

February 8, 2013, bedtime:

La la la. Getting the floss out, getting the toothbrush ready. Oh, it's going to feel so good to lie down in bed tonight. The kids have friends here for a sleepover, and they're delightfully fun and gentle children who behave so much better than my own. It's been a fun night, so let's get this dental business done and then off to bed. La la la. Flossy flossy... uh... uhh... did that just move? Oh my god, what is happening... aaarrrr... blehhhhh... my crown fell out!! It's in my hand!! I just popped it off when it was loose there on my tooth!! I have a tiny little exposed tooth nub, and I'm freaking out!! Oh, there are the tears, there's the heart rate elevated in terror. What is this going to mean? Dammit dammit dammit.

February 11, 2013:

Well, it was quite a weekend, that's for sure. After conversations with the dentist, and attempts at temporarily cementing the crown back in myself (OUCH!!), the final decisions were made-- Monday appointment to reaffix the crown, unless there are signs of infection/inflammation, which will cause further dental actions to need to be taken which include words I don't want to record let alone think. In the meantime, I spent the weekend drinking my sustenance, in the form of Safeway knock-off Ensures (which seriously aren't bad at all), and chewing very small pieces of very soft foods on the other side of my mouth. Bottom line: I'm hungry as hell, and now I'm scared out of my wits, too. Thankfully, that initial script for Ativan still has a couple more pills, so one or two of those will be my anxiety-reducing friend today. The first emergency appointment that was available is at 11 am, so it's going to be a long morning of worry and empty-stomach hunger. Please, please, please... let the regluing work!

Lessons to be learned: 

• Don't get cocky about your dental health even if you are finally getting into the best hygiene routine possible. 
• Apparently, one can be accused of flossing too aggressively, even though I'm pretty sure I simply slip the floss in between teeth and then pull it out again, in the same exact manner as the hygienists have always demonstrated for me.
• I'm trying not to take it out on the floss. He was just doing his job, in his minty-strip way. Don't worry, we'll still be tight, even though I haven't touched the stuff since Friday night when it knocked my crown out! We'll reconcile soon enough... for all my other teeth at least.
• The jury is still out on the question of finding a new dentist. I'm not sure how common this all is, but I'm a little leery after the cavity refilling didn't "take," and then the crown falls out within 18 days... might be time to look for a new dentist. But, this guy is so conveniently located, and the kids' awesome pediatric dentist is in the same practice, so we can't leave altogether. Decisions, decisions. Let's see how today goes.

T-minus an hour and a half until I'm sitting in that damn chair again. Think clean reattachment thoughts for me, will ya?


I want to be sedated,

Post-script, two hours later. 

Good news: The crown popped out cleanly and could fit right back in. YAY!

Bad news: Even an Ativan is not going to keep me calm enough to not acknowledge the extreme stabbing pain that occurs when the solutions and materials touch the part of nerve that is exposed while trying to replace the crown. BAAA!

Good news: A little numbing action can take the bit off of that, just enough to where I can keep my crying to a slow stream and not a snuffling sob during the procedure.

Bad news: Even though the dentist is kind enough to wipe my eyes with my spit bib, I still feel ridiculously childish and ashamed. These tears are out of my control.

Good news: The dentist is optimistic. He said there were no overt signs of infection or inflammation, but I tell him about the effect that the first four antibiotics have had on the soreness in my gums, so he agrees that I should finish the round of amoxicillin. (I really don't like the idea of starting an antibiotic and not finishing its course.) He says that I can eat today, but should stick with soft things and relegate all chewing to the opposite side of my mouth still. By tomorrow late morning, I should be able to eat as normally, though I'm seriously reconsidering all food items based upon their crunchy levels... I may be somewhere below tortilla chips for a while now.

I hope I have no additional dental drama for quite a while. I know that I'm still insanely lucky that my experiences have only been of this scope, but I don't think I have the constitution for anything more serious. Fingers crossed!
 

that which went unblogged in 2012, part 2

As the year wound to an end, we happily packed our bags for one last trip. We hadn't been able to do many even short trips this past year due to busy work schedules and low leave balances, but we were thrilled when we could make one work right after Christmas. Since Santa had opted to gift the kids with an experience instead of a bunch of toys that would need to get crammed into an already full house, we found ourselves packing up swimsuits and goggles in late December. (And some of us found ourselves shaving again...)

Since Great Wolf Lodge is just down the road from my in-laws' house, the trip was a combination of water park fun and celebrating the holidays with the grandparents. Near the last minute, we opted to leave on Friday evening, rather than Saturday morning, in an attempt to get ahead of a storm system making its way towards us. Funny how we missed what might turn out to be the most significant snow our area will get all winter!

With that earlier arrival, we did a little bit of back-and-forth with the lodging. One night at grandparents was followed by one night at GWL, and then we returned to the gracious and accommodating grandparents' for the remainder of our visit.

This had been our family's first ever trip to GWL, and by the end of our first hour in the water park, we all had our hopes up that it wouldn't be our last. What fun we had! We had forgone all the package "deals," and just reserved a room with two beds and one pull-out, and then we took advantage of the grocery store down the road and our room's refrigerator and counter space. Who needs to spend insane amounts of money on lunches when you can take a break from the park and head back to your room for sandwiches, fruit, and snacks? We had a simple dinner out at a chain restaurant nearby, and started our next morning with breakfast in our rooms, too. I'm certain we saved a load of cash that way, and we laughed at the prices of the snack bar in the park!

 The wide view of our room, with three tired out swimmers at the end of our first day.

I'm happy that we'd waited until now to go to the water park, because I think Pudge is finally at an age where he could take full advantage of the park's offerings. And that he did, I tell you. He may be only five years old, but he was as gung-ho for every ride as his twelve year old brother! Red seems a bit more cautious, like her dear old mom, but all of us always found something that we enjoyed, and we split up when some rides wouldn't work for the whole group. We logged in about five to six hours the first day, and at least three or four hours the next, too. By the end of our time there, all of the rides and features were tried out by at least one of us!

We took a ton of photos during our time in the park on the second day. Here are some highlights:

 The three wackadoos in their festively colored swimsuits from Santa, ready to start day two. The enthusiasm is palpable.

 Red crossing the lily pads/monkey bar ropes. Our little girl loved this!

 JAM rocking the surf simulator. He tried this a couple times over the course of our visit.

 Even though Pudge was technically not tall enough for this ride, the lifeguards let him go twice. His first time elicited applause from everyone waiting in line, because he stayed in the surf for quite a while without getting washed back up!

 Red and I really enjoyed some relaxation, either here in the wave pool or in the beloved lazy river.

The orange and turquoise slides were used countless times by us-- never a long wait and always a fun little splash.

Thankfully, there is no photographic documentation of our family's ride in the big four-person slide. After dinner the first night, JAM didn't want to return to the water park, so while he stayed in the room and played on the computer, the littler ones came with me and hubby for a little more fun. Unfortunately, the whole night ended with both of them in coughing fits, and Red even made a little pukey deposit on the deck by the family hot tub. (So, so sorry to the folks who had to witness that!) Anyway, before the humidity got to everyone and the coughing began, I was convinced to try out the big ride, and let's just say that my terror was a source of great humor. Apparently, my expression whilst screaming my head off in the giant tunnel was freaking hilarious. Sure.

 

Before heading home, we were happy to spend some time with the grandparents, and no one puts together a fabulous dinner like my mother-in-law. New Year's Eve saw us snacking and hanging out, playing some games, and relaxing until the ball dropped. The festive NYE gear has been around for a long, long time... possibly having originated when we rang in the new year 2000 together! 

 Pudge is incapable of not being a goofball in front of the camera.

 Red chose to get all dressed up for dinner and NYE festivities.

 JAM pondering his new LEGO creation after dinner.

 Hubby opted for comfort over fashion this NYE. 

 Only one of us intended to be winking in this photo, but my eye never seems to be able to help itself in a picture.

The happy crowd ready to ring in 2013.

It might have taken to mid-February to feel like the previous year was sufficiently documented, but so be it. These first two months of this year have been as much a whirlwind as ever, but I'm starting to get hope for a light at the end of this crazy, crazy tunnel. We shall see what joys 2013 brings!


Never too late for blogging,

that which went unblogged in 2012, part 1

I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but somehow I blinked and it went from Winter Break to mid-February. All of my wonderful intentions of a blogging resurgence in the final days of 2012 went unfulfilled, and the recent day-to-dayness of life hasn't allowed for much of anything "extra," which is definitely how any writing opportunities are categorized these days. Between work and family, the stress levels seem to be trying to explore uncharted levels as of late, and sadly, any hopes I once had about documenting my family's life and my perspectives on it in the moment have needed to be majorly adjusted.

But sometimes, I just can't let it go. It doesn't matter that these words aren't terrifically meaningful to anyone besides me. It's not about the page views or the reach, but about making some experiences real again to me someday by being able to look back upon the images and the thoughts from the time. So, even though the delay is greater than I like, I'm happy to finally get a few thoughts down on record.

I'm sure I could go back to any month of 2012 and find plenty of unblogged fodder, but for the sake of my already challenged memory, I'm only looking so far back as the fall.

That final weekend of September has, for several years now, been my favorite weekend of the fall, and possibly of the entire year. The National Book Festival gives all book lovers an opportunity to get close to the authors and illustrators who bring joy to their lives. Having the honor of receiving a press pass for this annual event makes me ecstatic, and I was thrilled to represent 5 Minutes for Books at the Festival, bringing a little extra oomph to my reviews of books like Creepy Carrots and Because Amelia Smiled. And now for the images that made me smile:

 

My companions for the first part of the first day. As much as they love books, they don't yet *love* sitting in the audience while authors talk about their books, so this wasn't an all day event for them.

Peter Brown drawing, and imitating, one of his Creepy Carrots. Listening to him speak from our first row seats was a great way to start off day one.

 Adam Rex and Mac Barnett perform (more than read) their crowd-hit Chloe and the Lion. They were so good that even though it was just JAM and me at this point, we both were cracking up!

 JAM indulged me and waited in the "backstage" area so I could get an unofficial minute or two with the hilarious Mac Barnett. I had no interview questions, but just wanted to shake this funny guy's hand.

While JAM and I went from one author talk to another, Red and Pudge went on a monster bike ride with their dad all over Washington, DC. Even though we live only a few minutes down the road, I think we'll always be a bit tourist-y in our wonder at being in the capital city.

  

Due to hubby's brilliance and awesome Priceline skillz, we spent the night in DC, which allowed me to enjoy both days of the festival. After a dinner out and a swim in the hotel's indoor pool, everyone was ready for bed. But only after we enjoyed a newly purchased Bear Has a Story to Tell by the incredible Philip C. and Erin Stead, (who I sadly missed seeing at the festival).

 

JAM and I geared up for a fun day two together.

 Day two was to involve a bit less running around, and I was happy to fit in one extra author talk. Ed Young delighted me with his quiet humor, and he made me love Nighttime Ninja even more than before.

 

Though I missed his talk, I loved having the opportunity to chat with David Ezra Stein about his newest (at the time) book Because Amelia Smiled. I was impressed with his thoughtfulness and openness about his writing process, and I couldn't help but gush about the extreme fun I have reading his Interrupting Chicken with my kids and students!

 Then there was Amy. Oh, how I adore Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Her books and her incredible multimedia projects always blow me away, and I wish this woman could bottle her creativity, because I'd buy it by the case.

 When it came time to meet up with Amy Krouse Rosenthal in the media tent, I was beside myself. I'm fairly certain I wasn't even coherent at some points, and she was gracious enough to not only allow JAM to sit with us during the interview, but she also involved him in the conversation. We took turns photographing ourselves with our new friend, and these smiles are documentation of pure joy.
 

 As we drove home, 2/3 of the kids crashed from the utter exhaustion that follows two days of nonstop fun. 

Hubby made sure to document that they were not the only ones who passed out in the car that late afternoon.

Four months may have passed since this wonderful weekend, but my memories are still crystal clear as if it was yesterday. September in DC will always mean The National Book Festival to me, and once again, the Library of Congress served up a fabulous experience for all of us.


Fondly reminiscing,

Hippie Crack from baked & wired

It's been a while since I've done any sort of reviewing on here, and though I've had more opportunities in the last six months to accept product offers in exchange for sharing my opinion, I've passed on them all. I made a decision to be more particular about product reviews, limiting it to the products or companies that I already use or frequent.

That brings us to today. There is a super cool bakery/cupcake shop in Georgetown that we've frequented a few times and simply adore-- baked & wired. We don't get down to Washington, DC, as often as I'd like, but if we find ourselves in Georgetown, we make sure to grab some cupcakes. As a result of one of our birthday trips there for said cupcakes, my mother-in-law became a huge fan of their biscotti, too. She's even had them ship it to her in Virginia-- she loves it that much!

We were first introduced to baked & wired by some good friends. The wife of one of their college pals is one of their bakers, and I fell in love with her red velvet cupcakes at a party before I ever stepped into the shop. I don't think she's been involved in the production of every cupcake I've eaten from there, but they've all been amazingly delicious, so I'm a huge fan.

Now baked & wired is breaking new ground. New crumbly, oatsy, granola-y ground with a funnily named product that is as delicious as its name is creative.

Hippie Crack:

In the words of the folks who bring you Hippie Crack: 

Our homegrown granola is dangerously addictive and perfect with milk, yogurt or all by itself!

A combination of oats, slivered almonds, and coconut all toasted up and mixed with dried tart cherries, apricots, currants, cranberries and honey. It’s also available without fruit.

Now, truth be told, I'm not a big fan of some of these ingredients, but that's more of a statement about my own extreme picky eater issues than any statement of product quality. While I have opted to pick around the fruit and the almonds, I have been LOVING the pieces of granola. Most of the "granola" that I've been exposed to has been in the form of those packages of two crunchy bars, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this granola doesn't damage my teeth. It's just a bit chewy, and a bit sweet, and it's definitely awesome in yogurt.

Remember my baked & wired biscotti-loving mother-in-law? Well, I shared a big bag of Hippie Crack with her, and she gave it two thumbs up, too! In our family, baked & wired can do no wrong.

If you're interested, Hippie Crack is available for online ordering! But if you find yourself in the neighborhood, pop into baked & wired at 1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW (between 30th and 31st street, just south of the canal in Georgetown) and give Hippie Crack a whirl. You can leave with a big bag (about 16 ounces) or a little bag (about 7 ounces).  And while you're there, you're going to want to pick up a cupcake or a dozen, too. Trust me.

**Disclosure: I was sent a big and a little bag of Hippie Crack for reviewing purpose. All opinions expressed are wholly my own.

If you want to hear another blogger's perspective, check out Elaine's post on The DC Moms:  New On-the-Go Snack from baked and wired


Snack-happy,