Archive for the ‘Kid Entertainment’ Category
Summer stampede stalls to a stroll
Ah, there's that sweet summer smell of latex.
Did you know that when Edgar Ellington invented water balloons he was trying to solve ‘trench foot’, a disability that many soldiers acquired during WWI and WWII? And here’s what today’s people did with that invention.
Am I the only person who hasn’t heard about a zedonk?
I find this word highly entertaining, and am attempting to insert it into my everyday vernacular. My husband is finding it highly annoying. Mission accomplished!
You should check out this little wildlife refuge gem.
This 126-acre educational park houses roughly 130 animals. During our visit we saw an albino Eastern grey baby kangaroo named Lolli, a two-toed sloth, lemurs galore, a pot bellied pig, zebras, a porcupine named Pooka, a rare blue-eyed camel and of course, the ZEDONK!
Check them out on World’s Dirtiest Jobs! (*Spoiler alert: The host, Mike Roe, gets nipped by a lemur!*)
And now for a few gratuitous family photos at the wildlife ranch.
Zedonk, all!
Paluxy River, Glen Rose, Texas
1. Choose a rock that is round and smooth.
2. Stand at the edge of a calm body of water.
3. Hold the rock horizontally, with your index finger curling around the flat edge that faces down.
4. Aim the rock a few inches above the water.
5. Throw the rock with a sidearm, so that your hand moves past your waist giving it the magical spin as the rock leaves your hand.
6. Count how many times the rock jumps across the water.
In what parallel universe are bowling shoes not toxic, the food menu includes more than nachos and Pabst Blue Ribbon and the entire experience is not bathed in smoke? Such a place really exists! Maybe you already know about such a world, but the closest I’d come to a bowling alley was watching The Big Lebowski, idolizing The Dude. Wait a minute, if you didn’t click that link, you’ve already missed out on the fact that there is an event called Lebowski Fest. Truth.
Fast-forward through movie talk, we discovered this bowling nirvana at Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Dinner Lounge at the Village of Fairview. Don’t get me wrong – these types of haunts usually freak me out with their perfectly ironed pants and fancy martini flavors. Maybe this is the suburbia talking, but it was fun.
The way it’s designed with bright reds and blacks and oversized bowling pins and 1950s-esque lighting satisfied the aesthetics-hound in me. I guess they were trying to reach the ‘everyone’ demographic, because the music selections were bizarre: it ranged from Biz Markie to Hank Williams. I cannot figure their rhyme or reason, but it’s okay. Who goes bowling for the music experience?
The culinary choices have veered far away from cheese fries and nachos, while those do still make an appearance on the menu. Our table sampled edamame, sliders, pizza and fries, so we remained pretty true to the blue-collar roots. (Minus the edamame) Other choices include thai shrimp quesadillas, spicy ahi-tuna sushi, mahi mahi fish tacos and three-pepper calamari.
I’m no bowling master, but I enjoyed sampling a different colored ball (I mean weight) on each turn. I got lucky a few times and managed two strikes. Which didn’t mix well with the other gutter balls. And the shoes! The staff does not require you to exchange your shows for a pair of sparkling new bowling shoes. Is that a bygone tradition? (Probably one better left in the past, actually.)
Apparently, after 8pm Splitsville is working to keep the gangstas out. Their dress code reads: No sunglasses/hats/beanies(?)/bandanas/cut-off shorts/baggy or oversized clothing/long shorts/shorts below the knee or athletic wear. Whew. Okay, that just answered my question. The Dude would not be allowed inside sporting his usual outfit. “Man, that’s just like, your opinion.”
Much fun was had at Splitsville, mocking each others’ brilliant bowling abilities and dancing to the oddball music. You should check it out sometime. Just don’t wear your beanie.
Tourist attractions have always made me cringe. There are the unending lines, bad fashion statements and usual stereotypes fully represented. There’s also the germ festival and overpriced, everything. When planning a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas, (the resorts are spread across North America, including Canada, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Ohio) the thought crossed my mind that we would be spending the night in a tourist trap.
I was wrong.
Glen Rose, Texas: A Summer Fairy Tale for Fossil Hunters, Families and Fireflies
Traveling with young children is always a gamble. Hunger, fatigue and mood swings can transform a lovely family affair into a catastrophic meltdown. Smart parents pack heavily, stock up on snacks and plan a road trip around naptime. Brilliance! A more risk taking family tosses a bag together, throws time schedules to the wind and just dares a car full of little people to cross the cranky border. Unfortunately, that second description usually fits my mothering style. I try to prepare, but inevitably, manage to show up lacking a critical shoe, baby wipe or very important stuffed gorilla. Supermom packing abilities aside, I’ve got mad detective skills and an ability to discover the coolest kid-friendly destinations. With the help of my dear friend and (more organized) neighbor, Rachael Steward, we recently visited Glen Rose, Texas, home to 13-million year old dinosaur tracks dinosaur and a fantastic getaway called Country Woods Inn, where carefree childhoods run free.
A kinder, toddler version of this guy’s site, who was recently awarded his own TV show. America!
I’ve been collecting these for the past two years (2009-2010) from my little quote generator.
“Mamas don’t like burps.”
“I’m trying to move the clouds and its not working and I’m getting frustrated.”
“When you’re angry your heart gets smaller and smaller. And when you’re happy, it gets bigger and bigger.”
“Butterflies can’t drive because they have short arms.”
“I know a lot of stuff, and that’s why they call me the expert.”
“Mama and Daddy, you have to be polite to each other. That’s how it works.”
“Mama, you forgot my jacket. Now you’ve got some explaining to do.”
“I always wanted a baby brother. I wished for him, and then we went to the store and bought him.”
“I’m going to marry Sophia. But I have to grow up first. And wear fancy shoes.”
“Why do people cut down trees? They can’t do that — they will be sad when there are no more trees. The next time I see them cutting down a tree, I’m going to tell them to stop!”
While fiddling with the scale: “I’m now going to see how much my eyeball weighs.” Hmm…results were inconclusive.
“How do words come out? I know. The brain tells your mouth what to say and the words fly out.”
When banging his chair back and forth on the kitchen floor. “I like it. It make me happy and more musical.”
Chris and A. watched “Enter the Dragon” last night. When I asked Aidan about the movie’s concept, he informed me it was about ‘kung food.’ Good to know, grasshopper.
During a conversation about Earth Day: “We recycle our trash so that the Earth won’t get sick. But how do you know when the Earth is sick? I never hear it coughing.”
“My brain does what it wants to does what it wants to do. You can put that on your website.”
“It’s not a party unless there are birthday hats.”
A: “Do birds have brains like ours?”
Nana: “They do have brains, but they are tiny to fit into their tiny heads.”
A: “If they have tiny brains, then they have tiny ideas. I have a big brain, so I have big ideas.”
“Hey C, It’s time for our Mr. Potato Heads have a con-ver-sation.”
“I love all of my people.”
“Superman does not clean his room; he saves the world.”
It’s not a secret that I’m into retro. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I dig old-school hip hop, and know the words to “The Boys in the Hood” and “911 is a Joke.” I’m gleeful about a dated T-shirt or our not-so-recently reupholstered 1950s couch. I accept my weirdness.
So when I chose Sandy Lake Amusement Park for Aidan’s 5th birthday party, I knew a carnival-like atmosphere would be center stage. As long as the typical creepy clowns didn’t make an appearance, I was good.
Turns out, the place is a little kid party paradise. For a minimal fee, we scored a covered pavilion with about seven free picnic tables. We were allowed to bring foods from home, (nothing commercial) which meant our cupcakes and juice boxes didn’t cost three times what they should. We decorated modestly, consumed said sugar, wrangled seven wild kids, opened presents, then headed for the time machine of all amusement parks. (Proprietors Vickie and Frank Rush and Suzy and Tom Self are the third generation of ‘hands-on’ managers who purchased Sandy Lake in 1971. Their children and grandchildren represent the fourth and fifth generation that are involved in the family business.)
The park’s best feature is the large selection of rides for the wee ones. Boats, UFOS, race cars, merry-go-rounds, miniature golf course, trains, paddle boats, horse rides and in the summer, a full swimming pool. It’s well-contained, and not overwhelming, like many amusement parks.
There’s a refreshment stand with the standard carnival fare: hot dogs, nachos, BBQ sandwiches, snow cones, etc. When one party member requested onions for his nachos, the refreshment stand lady responded, “Well, we’re out of onions. But don’t you have a hot date tonight? You probably didn’t need those anyway.”
Quick-witted service is always a plus, as is the well-maintained grounds and lack of freaky carnival people. (I enjoy a weird character along with the best of them, but there’s something about the gleam in their eye when you’re flailing around helplessly on the Tilt-a-Whirl that is bothersome.)
Speaking of twirling, Aidan and I took a spin on a set of crazy swings, similar to those at Six Flags. *Note to self* Just because you’re tall enough for a ride does not mean that you should ride it. Aidan was gripping the bar, screaming for the ride to stop. (Or maybe that way me?) I later convinced my dad to ride the Octopus, (sometimes referred to as the Spider) What began with joking references to ‘hurling’ ‘retching’ and ‘barfing’ quickly devolved into a concern that I would soon be covered in his lunch. Disaster avoided, I learned that it’s not wise to spin right after consuming greasy snack bar cuisine. (Just like that swimming myth.) Maybe there is something to those old sayings after all.
(Insert that clanky circus music here.) It was a magical (humid) day, celebrating my oldest son’s fifth birthday with friends, family and the carnival people. (Forgive the upcoming pun) You too should give it a (wait for it)…whirl.
**For those of you interested in carnival lingo, click here.**