Creating Memories & A Marvelous Adventure

I married an incredible woman, she's truly spectacular. But the added bonus of our marriage is that I also got this amazing additional family to boot! I have been blessed with an incredible mother-in-law. Seriously, this woman has the most giving and thoughtful heart. She has welcomed the boys and I into her family with arms wide open and for that I am truly thankful.

GranMarti, as she is called by the grandkids, started a tradition that honestly all grandparents should consider doing with their grandchildren. When the grandchild turns ten she takes them on a "______(Child's name)______ & GranMarti's Marvelous Adventure". The adventure has to have an educational bent to it, which is open to interpretation. A simple weekend away to explore and focus on celebrating the child's birthday and their relationship with GranMarti. Of course the weekend wouldn't be complete without lots of additional treats and ice cream! 

My youngest son, Zane, loves animals. Especially cats. His Marvelous Adventure was created entirely with his interests in mind and was presented to him many months in advance to get him excited about the trip but also to allow him to prepare for it. He would be traveling to three separate animal rescues and at each rescue he had the option of sponsoring an animal. For months he saved his money, storing each dollar earned in an envelope marked for the Marvelous Adventure with also a monetary countdown of how much he and GranMarti determined that he's expected to contribute to the sponsorship.   

Their first stop was Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh NC.

This was one of the cleanest animal rescues that I have ever been to. There were 90 cats in this location and you couldn't smell a one! The volunteers and staff were wonderful, allowing Zane to get into the large enclosures to play with the cats and patiently answering his questions, "which cats are the hardest to get adopted?" (Answer: black), "how long do cats live here?" (Answer- depends on adoptability whether cat has special needs or age). We weren't aware that Zane's questions were his way of processing, in his mind, which cat he wanted to sponsor. He decided, on his own, that he wanted to sponsor Parker. Parker is an older cat that is labeled "special needs" because he has a heart condition that requires medication and a special diet. All of which makes it nearly impossible to find a forever family for him. As Zane told me his reasoning for picking Parker, I welled up with tears. He is such a compassionate little person and I truly believe having a brother with "special needs" has shaped him into the person he is and will continue to become.    

The next stop was Carolina Tiger Rescue outside of Raleigh, NC.

This place was incredible! I recommend everyone go and take a tour. We learned so much in the two-hour walking tour. For example - tigers LOVE the smell of Axe body spray! Volunteers spray telephone books with Axe body spray for the tigers, one of the many ways that they provide stimulation to the tigers within their enclosures. The rescue has a variety of big and small cats that each have a heartbreaking story of how they came to live there. Several are from Texas and Florida where it is legal to have a tiger as a pet! Their stories are similar to the ones that dogs and cats at your local animal rescue would tell, the owners had good intentions but didn't do their research on the breed, the demand, the time, cost and care that it takes to have this animal as a pet. 

The final destination was a Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

Zane and GranMarti learned about sea turtles and the various predicaments that would cause a turtle to spend time in this establishment. Here Zane decided to sponsor a turtle who had frostbite on his shell. This turtle had been at the rescue already for several months and the interns who graciously answered all of his questions said that he would only require seven more months before being released back into the wild blue ocean.

Of course since they were so close to the beach they had to enjoy some beach time too. 

Pass this idea on to your children's grandparents, the children don't "have" to be ten years old. Pick an age and commit a weekend or a day to each child. Make the experience educational, fun and something that the child will enjoy yet hasn't done before. 

This Marvelous Adventure will forever hold a special place in Zane's heart as will his GranMarti! 

Dollar Days at Baltimore Museums Dec 8-9th, 2012

Mark your calendar! December 8th and 9th, 2012 are the dollar days at many Baltimore museums and attractions!

My children love the Children's Museum (picture above in the water room), the science center and the aquarium. All three are listed as participating again this year.

Check the guide to see if your favorite Baltimore destination is participating.

Pack a lunch and make a day of it, visit as many destinations as you can. For a buck it's worth it!!!

Entertaining Kids in the Car

We have a long rode trip ahead of us for family vacation which means I have spent a good portion of my morning surfing the web for resources and ideas to keep the kids entertained. We have never really done a long road trip in a car. When I lived in Seattle and would fly to the east coast once a year to visit family and I would create travel bags to keep the kids entertained on the flight. We do have a DVD player in the car and the boys also have DS games to play but at some point they will tire of both of those items. Shocker, I know! But it's true.
I'm creating car travel bags for each child. Filled with travel games they can play with each other (Sorry, Uno, Go Fish, Trouble), new books to read and little toys to keep themselves occupied.
I found this wonderful resource while surfing the web, MomsMiniVan.com, it is full of ideas to keep kids entertained on a road trip (some are a bit dated...who plays a gameboy anymore?) .
I always create personalized coloring books. Printing pictures that I know interests each individual child, I three-hold punch the pages and insert into a report folder and pair with a set of brand new crayons.
National Geographic Coloring Pages
Superhero Coloring Pages
Printable Worksheets- Yes I assign homework on vacation!
Superhero Powers Matching Game- with answer sheet for the parents.
We are going to the beach so this word search is perfect!

Also on hand will be pipe cleaners, these are my go-to "I'm bored-Mommy!" saver.
Audio books FREE from the public domain- I'm really hoping the kids get into this. I'm going to try Tom Sawyer and The Road to Oz.
I bought these lap trays for the car so they each have a work area to write and do puzzles and to keep track of their stuff.
Do you have any tips or tricks that made a long road trip fun for your kids? Please share in the comment section.

White House 2011 Easter Egg Roll: Lottery is Open

THE 2011 WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL - APRIL 25, 2011 The White House Easter Egg Roll is a tradition which dates back to 1878. The event has grown from a few local children rolling eggs on the White House Lawn to a national event filled with live entertainment, sports, interactive cooking demonstrations and of course the traditional rolling of Easter eggs. The Easter Egg Roll will promote healthy and active living and is designed for children 12 years of age and under.  

When I was 5 or so my parents took my sister and I to the Easter Egg Roll.  I don't honestly remember it, but I've seen the pictures of the 2 of us in our matching dresses on the White House lawn.  Today the lottery is open and though Logan will despise it because of the noise, the crowds etc,  I'm going to apply for tickets anyhow.  It's a once in a lifetime experience!

Click here to apply for the lottery.

Chesapeake Children's Museum

The Chesapeake Children's Museum is another great rainy/winter day spot in the DC area.  It's really geared towards kids under 5 years old with blocks and a train table, more baby dolls than you can imagine, a dress up room that is bursting with choices and a craft center that has all the supplies you need to create a masterpiece.  This is the perfect place to go and let your wee one play while you sit on a bench, an arm's length away and read a book.  Invite some friends to meet you there and have a playdate.  The cost is $4 bucks a person but if you have a family membership to another children's museum that is part of the ACM Reciprocal Program, like Port Discovery, it's free to get in.       

Meadowside Nature Center

Are you a mom/dad in the DC area that has become desperate to find indoor activities for your kids while you wait out the rest of winter?  You don't feel like trekking into the city and Ikea has gotten old, the College Park Aviation Museum is always fun but you just don't have it in you today.  Head over to the Meadowside Nature Center, it's just a quick 25 min drive from the college park/greenbelt area.  Your kids will love it!
There is a room that is great for little kids to get down on the floor and play, filled with puzzles and books and enough blocks to build a decent size structure.  And for the slightly older 5-7 age range there is a very cool magnifier microscope thing (in the same room) with a flat screen tv that projects everything under the lens, this entertained my kids for a long time.  The walls are adorned with small aquariums housing snakes, toads and turtles.  Outside is where the "awesome" is!  In 3 large cages are birds that have been rescued and can no longer live out in the wild; a one eyed owl, a hawk, and the largest bald eagle I have ever seen.  In another section of the nature center kids can dress up in pioneer clothes or climb in and pretend to paddle the Indian dugout canoe.  My boys would agree that the best part was the cave in the Legacy of the Land Exhibit.  Over and over again they went through the cave and down the small slide...some things just don't get old.
As an added bonus once the weather gets nicer there are apparently 8 miles of nature trails to enjoy. And the best part...it's all FREE! 
           

FREE Fall Baltimore

FREE FALL BALTIMORE IS BACK FOR 2010.

Now in it's fifth year, Free Fall Baltimore brings wonderful cultural activities to your doorstep. With more than 300 unique events scheduled, you’ll be able to find an art activity on almost every day of October.

Search out something new this month. Visit a cultural organization that you don’t know; take a class in a new art form; attend a performance of a new group. Here’s your chance to get a taste of the exciting performances, workshops, classes, exhibitions, lectures, festivals, concerts, and tours that are available in our fair city. Try them out in October for FREE!

Just one highlight: The Baltimore Museum of Art is offering Free Family Sundays
Bring your family for fun drop-in art activities every Sunday in October. Test your skills for seeing details, create critters, draw man’s best friend, and sculpt with clay during these entertaining and educational workshops.

Sun Oct 3 2pm – 5pm Construct Creepy Crawlies
Sun Oct 10 2pm – 5pm Craft a Sea Critter
Sun Oct 17 2pm – 5pm Dogs vs. Cats – Draw Your Winner
Sun Oct 24 2pm - 5pm Sculpt Mythical Creatures
Sun Oct 31 2pm – 5pm Family Tour – On the Hunt for Animals in Art

A day at Fort Washington, MD

I grew up just five minutes from Fort Washington, MD. My parents use to take us every Easter morning for the sunrise service. As a child I hated getting up that early but then the sun would start rising, and that moment when it's dark and it seems like you blink and the sky is filled with light in an instant....still takes my breath away. There were all these people of different faiths at the sunrise service joined together, a handful of ministers sharing one podium for one Sunday morning. And even as a child I could feel how spectacular that was.

Later Fort Washington became this secret place that my friend Amy and I would sneak into after dark and lay on one of the grass roofs looking at the stars sharing our dreams of what we wanted to do with our lives. Feeling so grown up for getting away with sneaking into the park after dark (against the rules) and yet small and childish enough to be easily scared at every sound we heard in the dark.

It's nice to come home again, as an adult, and share these places of my childhood with my children. They force me to look at it in a different light. It's refreshing. It makes my heart light.

If you are in the DC area, I highly recommend spending an afternoon here, in the winter it's free but even "in season" it's really cheap to get in. My boys loved rolling down the steep hills, pretending to shoot cannons and discovering all the hidden dark rooms.
Here is a glimpse of our day at Fort Washington.

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

I just did a whirlwind trip to Philly to see Cirque du Soleil. Absolutely amazing show, if you ever have the chance to catch a show...do it! You won't be disappointed.
But before seeing the show my friend Lauren and I bopped around the city in the cold rain, had lunch and went to the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. And boy are they magical!
"Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is a folk art environment, gallery space, and nonprofit organization that showcases the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar. Located at the site of Zagar's largest public mosaic installation, the Magic Gardens includes a fully mosaiced indoor gallery and a massive outdoor labyrinthine mosaic sculpture. The installation, primarily consisting of found objects and contributions from the community, covers half a city block with myriads of tile, texture, and color. A walk through the labyrinth will reveal sculptures from Latin America and Asia, bicycle wheels from local South Street shop Via Bicycles, Zagar's hand-made tiles, and mirrors of every shape and size."=from Philadelphia's Magic Gardens website
Walking through the maze and the building your eyes never stop scanning and trying to take it all in. At times it feels a bit overwhelming and then you spot this message on the wall and you gasp. Yes, inspiration will find you when you didn't know you were looking for it.

Amazing garden paired with an amazing show. Philly I'll be back to see you again.