I know, I'm making up words. It's okay. Better grammar can be next year's resolution.
For now, one thing (on a long list) I'm focusing on is reducing plastic in our lives. That's no easy accomplishment with a house full of kids, and I am certainly not going to spirit away kid-essentials, like Legos or Barbies. Those pesky water bottles, however, are now banished, as are sippy cups and miscellaneous plastic containers from too many sources that have multiplied over the years. Gone.
Klean Kanteen is my new love. These stainless steel bottles come in a range of colors. They offer a few different tops. We like the sports cap just fine. It's made of non-leaching polypropylene (yes, a little plastic, but a safe and reusable version). If your kids are younger, check out the sippy spout. Or, if you really want to go all out, you can get a stainless steel cap and your drink will never touch plastic at all.
Now if I could just figure out how to get rid of the other 50 million pieces of plastic in the house...
We are a gluey mess today, making these rather pretty string ornaments. They look wonderful on our tree, but I think a bowl filled with them would also make a lovely centerpiece for the table. First inflate a balloon to the size you want, and spray it with non-stick cooking oil (this part is very important, and prevents the ornament from collapsing as it dries). We thinned our Elmer's glue (two parts glue and one part water), dunked pieces of cotton string in and wrapped them around the balloon. For younger kids, keep the pieces of string short, but when I did one myself I found it was easier to keep it as one long piece, dunking and winding in sections.
Glitter is optional, but not in our house. The more, the better. Leave the ornaments hanging to dry overnight. The next day they should feel hard to the touch. Just pop the balloon and gently pull it out with tweezers.
A while ago, my mom gave me an old notebook of hers -- the standard Woolworth variety. My mom taught art when I was in elementary school, and the notebook is where she recorded all of her art project ideas. It is crammed full of her neat little diagrams and drawings, with pages of detailed notes on projects she did with her students. My teachers' names are recorded here and there, with notes about which projects were successful, or not.
Frequently, Mom tested projects out with my sister and me first. Her excuse was that it was better to show her students an example done by a "real kid," and that may be true, but the other part of it was that my mom has always, always had art projects going on, and if you hang around her long enough, you will find yourself gluing, weaving, dyeing or painting something. True. Even to this day.
But back to the notebook, I clearly remember making paper birds with the accordion-folded wings. Mine was a gray mourning dove which seems like a strange choice for a first grader, but I still think doves are exquisite. The woven hearts, we will save until February. Oh, and the project with the "broken chards of glass," we may just skip that one altogether.
As I go through the notebook, I hope to share a few projects. Here is the first...
Cut 6 - 2" circles of red paper (cardstock weight). Cut 1 - 2" circle of white paper. Punch a hole on one edge for hanging. Fold all red circles in half and cut a slit in the middle. Place red circles around the white circle by sliding white circles into slashes.
There are so many great patterned papers to substitute for this project. Play around with anything you can find. The scrap booking section of any craft store is a good place to start, but a trip through the recycling bin would work well too. For younger kids, there are a few ways to make this easier. A circle punch makes cutting the shapes a breeze, but kids might not have enough weight to push it down. We decided to work on the floor and step on the punch. Much more effective, and fun.
Need something more challenging? Try this one. 20 circles. Think in groups of five. Thanks, Jess, for reminding me of this one.
One of the things I love about having this blog is the readers' suggestions I get. Recently, a couple of people have emailed me about the Thomas Dixon Aircraft Observation Area. I never would have found out about this place, so thanks Shaina and Mary!
Planes, planes and more planes zooming over our heads. Now maybe I wouldn't be so thrilled if my house were located directly under the flight path, but wow is it fun to watch those airplanes come in for landing. I never realized how close together the landings are. Maybe because on the rare occasion we travel by air, there is always more waiting than flying.
After watching the planes for a while we wandered over to the tot lot for a little climbing and general silliness. There is also a 12.5 mile trail that circles the airport.
Next we headed over to BWI to check out the Observation Gallery. I like this trip because, hey, it's free (except for parking). But also because the most normal places in the world are fun to visit when you are not on a schedule. The Observation Gallery is located between Concourses B and C, but when you are not trying to catch a plane, even the trip from the parking garage to the main building is fun. Moving sidewalks? They are practically like an amusement park ride to my kids and I'm not ashamed to admit that we took a few extra rides, just because...
Once you get to the Observation Gallery, there are exhibits to look at, with real airplane parts, and some things for kids to climb on (an airplane, a train, and a luggage cart). Of course, you could just sit back and watch the great view.
We've been neglecting our kids. Really. Back in the day, when we just had one little tot, we took her to fancy restaurants, and plays, and what not. We patted ourselves on the backs as our well-mannered darling nibbled on ginger at the sushi bar, or politely asked for a drink refill. But somewhere along the line, we slid into the land of chicken nuggets.
My twins think they are in a fancy restaurant only if they get a toy in the deal. Now, don't get all smug. You can only judge me if you have 3 or more kids AND if two or more are under the age of 5. Are we clear on the rules?
So, after a fun trip to the American Visionary Arts Museum this weekend, we headed up to Akbar's, one of our all-time favorite restaurants. There are a couple of things that work in favor of kids here, and one is the crispy papadum that arrives at the table really quickly. Second, and maybe the most important, is the family style of serving here. We ordered three entrées to share: palak paneer, vegetable jalfreji, the tandoori mixed grill, and a couple orders of nan. We had a slightly picky eater with us. He was pretty happy to eat multiple servings of the jasmine rice and nan, but in truth, I saw him nibbling on the tandoori chicken too.
There is enough hubbub going on in the restaurant to disguise the fact that we don't always use our "inside voices" and that's probably a good thing. Either way, by the time we headed out the door, I was holding my head high.
Note: Check out the online coupon for $5 off 2 entrées, or $10 off 4 entrées.
First a disclaimer: My little ole Kid Baltimore blog would not be complete if I didn't cover the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Most of the places we've covered so far are small day trips, and the Aquarium, in my mind is big, big, big. There is a lot of ground to cover, especially for ages 5 and under. For younger kids, we recommend you don't try and see everything in one day. The family membership can be worthwhile if you plan to visit 2 or more times a year.
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We entered the first main exhibit area, "Wings in the Water," and spent a few minutes talking
with one of the scuba-diving volunteers about the dozens of rays and other fish surrounding him. Did you know stingray babies
are called pups? They are born live and measure about 9.5 inches across at birth. Our 4-year-olds were just tall enough to peer over the safety
rails and get a good look at everything. Younger kids will definitely
need a boost.
As we waved goodbye to the rays, we traveled up the many escalators toward the rainforest. My kids stopped at every tank along the way. My oldest daughter decided some anemones looked "like they were wearing pink polka-dotted shirts." At the stonefish display, my entire gang stood motionless for ages staring at this creature that looked like, well, a stone. Every so often it would open its mouth or waddle back and forth and the entire group would gasp. Definitely one of my favorites and I'm pretty sure we saw this guy in a Spongebob episode.
At the top of the spiraling escalators, we reached the rainforest. The kids loved the surprise of suddenly being "outside". Then it was time to descend to the shark territory and I thought my younger kids would be scared, but as we wandered deeper, I noticed my daughter trying to pet one particular shark that was resting close to the glass. Great. Now I know what to get her for Christmas.
There is so much more to see here -- the Australian exhibit, the 4D Immersion Theater. But can anyone resist the dolphins? Especially baby dolphins. Baby Foster, just celebrated his first birthday. The newest dolphin (see the video below) was born in July and there will be a naming contest that starts November 11. I'll keep you posted as I hear more, or check their blog.
A few things to keep in mind when visiting the Aquarium with kids. First, pick a non-peak time
to visit. We didn't have to wait to get in, and the crowd was not too heavy. Second, strollers are not allowed, but they do offer stroller storage
and backpack or frontpack carriers.
I was counting on having a bad day today. It was going to start with a trip to the doctor's office for the twins' four year checkups and that meant shots. Four shots times two. Eight shots altogether. Eight fully justified reasons to scream bloody murder. But for some reason, my bad day didn't materialize. The shots were greeted with little whimpers, but no tears, and the kids ran off to get their stickers and lollipops as rewards.
So anyway, I planned a quiet day today to give us time to nurse our wounds. No day trips, just a stay-at-home-project day. We started with a leaf hunt around the yard, which turned out to be a good excuse to run around outside. After we picked out our favorite leaves, we sandwiched them in wax paper (waxy sides together), placed a cloth on top and I ironed them flat. I knew irons must be good for something.
They look rather nice taped to the windows and maybe, just maybe, they will remind me that we really did have Fall this year. Fall always seems to creep away while I am not paying attention.
A trip to the pumpkin patch is one of those required Fall rituals when you have kids, and I, for one, wouldn't miss it. Never mind that half the time we leave cold, muddy and sometimes crying. Or that I will be the one to lug all the pumpkins back to the car. There is something about a trip to the farm that makes Fall official.
Our trip to North Run Farm was organized by our preschool, so it was nice to just tag along and not have to be in charge. North Run has a small zoo of farm animals to meet, hay bale mazes in two different sizes so that even the youngest ones get a turn, a giant corn teepee, and hay rides out to the pumpkin patch. But their corn maze is their pièce de résistance. This year it is a double maze, skillfully carved into a donkey and elephant. Past mazes, from a giant crab to The Wizard of Oz 's Scarecrow, are pictured here.
For now, the corn maze is a little too challenging for our group and we just take a mini-tour of it. For older kids, it's a must.
410-241-3392
North Run Farm 1703 Greenspring Valley Road Stevenson, MD 21153
The Conservatory at Druid Hill Park is one of those buildings I've passed by so many times, and I've always wanted to peek inside because it has that whole mysterious Victorian thing going on. I guess I just wasn't sure if we were allowed. It turns out that not only are we allowed, but we are also encouraged to wander through the gardens and enjoy the space. As a gardener we passed pointed out, "that's what it's here for." And, it's free (a $2 donation is encouraged).
It was designed by architect George Frederick, and built for the city of Baltimore in 1888. Now the main structure, the beautiful Palm House is, "one of the few remaining Victorian conservatories left in the world."
We entered the North Pavilion and made our way through amazing greenhouses. The Mediterranean House and the Tropical house are lush and wonderful, but it was the Desert House that my kids enjoyed the most. A room full of cacti might seem a bit challenging with preschoolers but I was hoping that with all of their new-found maturity, my 4-year-olds could leave here puncture wound free, and surprise, surprise, they did!
I'm keeping this place in mind to visit again in the winter when I need a mini-tropical infusion. Events coming up here include:
The Chrysanthemum Display: November 8 - November 30 ,2008
The Holiday Display: December 13, 2008 - January 4, 2008
Sometimes we just find a happy spot to spend a few moments and it makes my day. The small sculpture garden tucked around the side of Green Spring Station is one of those spots. I can't quite figure out the story behind why it's here. There's obviously no financial gain to be had by the owners of the shopping mall. That leaves just one explanation. Love. And you gotta love that.
Personally, I think the bull (top) is fantastic and if anyone knows the artist, please, please, tell me.
Green Spring Station 10751 Falls Road Lutherville, MD 21093
Three words. Brown sugar lemonade. I don't know about you, but those high-fructose corn syrup people with their snazzy new commercials aren't fooling me. Yes, I know, I'm exactly who they are making fun of. I get it.
We ordered chicken quesadillas and a Greek salad to share. The "Not Just For Kids" section of the menu has plenty to offer, and check out the hand pressed thin crust whole wheat pizza too.
410-821-1358
Stone Mill Bakery Green Spring Station 10751 Falls Road Lutherville, MD 21093
