Bowling

I just learned about a great free bowling program for kids at www.kidsbowlfree.com. This allows your kids two free games a day all summer long! They also offer a family pass for up to 4 adults, including sitters and extended family members, for a one-time fee of $23.95. This allows them two free games a day all summer, too!

Since my kids are still young, I've signed up for the free bowling for them. I figure I can take them to the bowling alley and help them bowl a game and then we'll be done! This could be a nice thing to do on a rainy day or a day when it's just too hot and we want to be indoors.

Levitt Pavilion

After the long weekend and Lola being sick, I've been sick, too. So, not feeling like blogging lately, but did come across something to pass on.

Yes, I heard Tom Jones was going to be in Westport in June. Rich and I always thought it would be fun to see him in concert. In our usual fashion we decide what we're willing to pay for tix and then see how much they cost. I had already checked and asked him what he'd pay and he said $60. Well, tix are $75 and $95. I'm guessing that's the end of that. When you add the price of dinner and a sitter, it makes for a very expensive night!

Anyway, last year I had heard about the great free concerts at Levitt Pavilion and found the link to this years' calendar:
http://www.levittpavilion.com/Pavilionpages/calendar.htm

Looks like a great way to spend some summer evenings!

Thanks to Jessica for all the great ideas in one of the comment sections. If you're checking out my blog, please leave me a comment so I know you came by. I'd love for this to be a place to give eachother information.

Libraries

I'm really pooped after a long holiday weekend. It was wonderful to be with friends and family at Keuka! Lola had bronchitis last week and I've started coughing a lot today. I hope I don't have it too! I really do need to find myself a doctor, but that's another topic entirely!

While driving through Branchport, NY and passing the local library, I was reminded how great libraries are in general and how really great they are in the summer for kids. This library was advertising "Dumbo" Friday at 6 pm. When I'm up there the week of the 4th we'll definitely be hitting the Penn Yan and Branchport libraries.

When home in Weston, we'll be checking out what the Weston, Wilton, Westport and Fairfield libraries are offering. When I have more energy I'll look up their websites and report back what I find.

Now it's time for my guilty pleasure-"Two and a Half Men."

Newspapers

Today in the Weston Forum I found a goldmine of information! There is a special section called "100 Things to Do"! There are definitely some ideas there that I didn't know about.

Also, on the Opinions page there was an article on summer vacation. It said in a recent study "State of the World's Children 2009: Investing in the Early Years" by Save the Children, things looked grim for America. 'On the fast track to the bottom of the class for industrialized countries, we are falling behind in the resource this study says is most important: human capital.' The idea this article brought up was to expose children to national parks. Since we don't have one here, it pointed out that there is something close in the Branchville section of Wilton, the Weir Farm National Historic Site. I've been meaning to check it out. This is the only National Park Service site dedicated to American Painting.
http://www.nps.gov/wefa/

Trains

Today I had a super-busy day and also a sick kid. Poor Lola has had a cold and now a fever to go with the congestion and cough. She got so cranky and just wanted to sit on my lap and watch Wow Wow Wubzy. While watching an episode about trains, it got me thinking about train outings this summer.

Here is what I've found so far:

Essex Steam Train and Riverboat-Essex, CT
http://essexsteamtrain.com/

Railroad Museum of Northeast CT-Thomaston, CT
http://www.rmne.org/

Danbury Railway Museum
http://www.danbury.org/drm/

Reciprocity

I'm all about getting the info out there for these wonderful museums! Here is the reciprocity list I was able to gather. I believe all of these could be day trips from Fairfield County.

Stepping Stones-Norwalk-my kids love the water room-bring extra clothes
The Children's Museum-West Hartford-kids enjoyed it
Kid City Children's Museum-Middletown-kids enjoyed it-nice town to walk around and have lunch
Children's Museum of South East CT-Niantic-only saw the outside, but it's right near the Niantic Boardwalk, which is fun to walk along
Imagine Nation Children's Museum-Bristol
Lutz Children's Museum-Manchester
Brooklyn Children's Museum
Children's Museum of Manhattan-several friens have said this place is fun

Beardsley Zoo-Bridgeport-nice local zoo-has a carousel
Bergen County Zoological Park-Paramus
Staten Island Zoo

Bronx Zoo-large and wonderful zoo
NY Aquarium-Brooklyn
Prospect Park Zoo
Queens Zoo
Central Park Zoo

Mashantucket Pequot Museum-Mashantucket-fun to walk around Foxwoods and have lunch and play in the arcade while there
N/A

Maritime Aquarium-Norwalk-fun to walk around SONO while in the area
N/A

February "Camp Milliman"

Dress up and painting

Decorating a big box for a fort

Making a pinata

Making and decorating cupcakes

Stepping Stones with Yan and John

Stepping Stones with Gabriella

Chocolate fondue-marshmallows!

The EMS at IKEA




Here are some of the fun things we did over the February vacation. While I was disappointed not to go to Florida, we made our own phone right in our own neck of the woods!