Water Explorers, Kanemoto Pool, Longmont Public Library, You've Got it Made

We finished our second round of Water Explorer classes today.  (Go to pages 16 and 17 in the link.)  Our first round was at the Longmont Rec Center.  This session was at Kanemoto Pool.  We start our third round at Sunset Pool on Monday.  I was hesitant about what to expect in these classes.  One of the teachers told me that the main goal of the class is for the kids to learn to stay with the teacher and do what she tells them (instead of looking to their parents for guidance and praise).  In our first class, Spence didn't stay very well for his first two classes, but by the end, he was participating with the group and no longer trying to wander off.  He was the youngest one in the class and did end up in tears a bit - I think he is still getting the hang of preschooler group dynamics.

But in our second class, he stayed with the teacher the whole time and joined in with everything she asked the kids to do, including floating and putting his face in the water and jumping right away.  There were several kids in our second class who had not been in the water without their parents before, and like Spencer in his first class, they had a difficult time staying with the teacher through the first and second classes.  They participated in the third class but didn't do as well in the fourth.  Having seen the way Spencer adjusted, I think that this is probably very normal for the age group, and I understand now why the rec center personnel suggest that kids take the Water Explorer class several times before moving up to Turtles.  I am excited to see how he will do in his third round.

After that, we will take a break from swim classes for awhile.  He is signed up for plenty of other things for the fall - a Friday morning Mommy and Me preschool class called Terrific Twos, a tumbling class, a music and movement class, and a toddler cooking class.  (Not all at once, of course.)  We will see how he does.  When he turns three, several options will no longer be available to us, including the Friday morning preschool class.  On the other hand, he can then take sports clinics, and I am sure he will love that.

One of the great things about taking swim classes through the rec center is that after the class (or before the class, or both), you and your child can swim and play for as long as you like at no extra charge.  Centennial Pool is the only one that doesn't boast this option, as it is really just for swimming.  It has a weight room, but I think that's about it, so after the swim lesson, you are expected to collect your child and take them home.

We took brookies by the Longmont Public Library today.  They have been processing a lot of interlibrary loans for us lately, and I thought they might appreciate the recognition of their efforts.  I think they did - I got a thank you note emailed to me right away.  Brookies are delicious - they have a chocolate chip cookie bottom and a brownie top.  I use the recipe from You've Got it Made, with a slight tweak to the chocolate chip cookie recipe.  (I use white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips, instead of all milk.  It makes a big difference.)

movietickets.com, Pho Duy

Yesterday, I got an email from www.movietickets.com asking if I and up to four of my guests (between the ages of 15 and 54) would like to go see an advance showing of "Country Strong," starring Gwyneth Paltrow.  Of course I like to see free movies.  My husband had no interest in seeing a romantic movie about country music, so he stayed home to put Spencer to bed and a friend joined me for the show.  When we got there, they had just given away the last 2 seats.  We were disappointed until they then gave us 2 free admission passes to anything showing in the theater, other than 3-D features.  We hurried down the hall and watched "The Kids are Alright."  I really liked it - I'd definitely recommend it.  Very smart, very funny.

We were hungry afterwards, so we stopped at Pho Duy.  Great Vietnamese eggrolls, and delicious pho.  The noodle bowls are tasty too.  We didn't realize that they were about to close, but with 2 minutes until closing time, they still seated us and served us a full meal.  Really nice people, and tasty food.  The large noodle bowl is only a little more expensive than the small bowl, and easily feeds two or more people.  (For example, you, your husband who is at home waiting for your leftovers, and your toddler who loves soup.)  I'm grateful to have had such a fun and relaxing day.

B&C Bouncetown, Beth Hensperger

It rained last night and seemed like it might rain this morning.  Spencer had energy to burn, so we went to B&C Bouncetown.  Spencer had a blast.  He has mastered jumping in a bounce house and is no longer even remotely cautious.  Today he experimented with falling on purpose.  He climbed and enjoyed the slides and bonded with the big kids.  It is $8 per child over 2.  Adults are free.  They have nice concession options, including brewed-to-order coffee, but allow you to bring your own food to enjoy in the Birthday Room.  Hours were 10-2 today, but they are open until 7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  There are couches and an exersaucer for the smaller crowd.  The bathrooms could stand to be cleaner, but the ladies' room also includes a real changing table (not the kind that folds down from the wall).  There are coupons for buy one-get one half off in the coupon packets you get in the mail, and they have printable coupons here.  Don't forget your socks - even the adults have to wear them.  If you forget, they have clean socks behind the desk.  The staff are very friendly and helpful.

After jumping for 2 hours, Spence was ready for a good nap.  It was a rainy afternoon, so I made a crockpot of chili, using the Gringo Chili from Beth Hensperger's Recipes for Entertaining.  I love her cookbooks - I rarely make a bad meal when I use her recipes, and have discovered several favorites in her collections.  I think I have almost everything she's written, and I have notes all over the pages.  I don't know why she isn't better known - she is worth investigating.

A good friend joined us for dinner with her little boy.  Spencer was so excited to have his friend over.  He showed him around the house, brought him toys to play with, tried to play with him, and of course tried to steal toys a few times.  He has come a long way, though, and I was proud of him.

Rough and Ready Park, Gateway Fun Park, China Gourmet

We went to a birthday party this morning at Rough and Ready Park in Longmont.  (Happy birthday, Miya!)  This is a fun park - lots of things to do, including a modern merry-go-round and a shallow creek area where kids can throw sticks and tiny rocks.  (I know how much my little one likes that activity.)  The ground cover is wood chips, but there is a sand volleyball court.  It is also right next to a dog park.

We went to Gateway Fun Park after nap time.  Spencer loves golf, so I thought this might be a hit, and it was.  He had a wonderful time.  It is so fun to see that he is old enough now to do things that might be fun for most people in the family.  We found a great coupon for a buy one-get one golf game.  Since kids under 3 play golf for free, it was only $6 for the whole (three person) family to play a round.  We played the windmill side, and I think the castle side might be more kid-friendly.  The windmill blades are metal and very tempting, and there is a lot of water to throw your ball into (sometimes accidentally, sometimes not).  The facility is not new, and the golf course is definitely in well-loved condition.  But since we basically were paying $2 per person to play, we couldn't complain about anything at all.  They also have a firetruck ride-on toy outside the main building (50 cents per ride), which Spencer loved.  They have a great train for $1.50 per ride, which lasted a nice long time and was worth the money.  When Spencer dropped his golf ball in the return bucket, he won a free go-kart ride.  He rode in a two-seater with John and completely loved it.  Afterwards, we watched some hockey at the outdoor court for free.  Not a bad evening for $7.50!

On our way home, we stopped at China Gourmet restaurant.  The restaurant was busy, but not too busy for us to find a great table.  The cream cheese wontons were fantastic.  We also had the beef pan fried noodles and the mango chicken special.  It was nice, but nothing too special.  I appreciated that they offered brown rice as an option.  It is cash or check only - no credit cards.  We probably would go back again.  The food was decent, the portions were ok, and the wontons were delicious.

Centennial Lanes, Serendipity, Nest, House Gifts, Sachi Sushi

It's my birthday today, and to celebrate, we did something that my husband doesn't really enjoy - we went bowling.  Centennial Lanes is having their fantastic Super Weekend '10 today and tomorrow.  From 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., it is only 50 cents to bowl, with 50 cent shoe rentals and 75 cent hot dogs and sodas.  So cheap!  They have bowling shoes down to a toddler size 7, bumpers for those who need them, and ramps for the kids to roll their balls down.  They apparently also have cash drawings and a trip for 2 to Vegas.  We had an amazing time, and my 2 1/2 year old bowled a 114, which I think is pretty great.  (I got a 99.)

They have lots of lanes, a snack bar and a bar.  It is an older facility, but it was very clean and the people were friendly.  Plus, our 75 cent hot dogs came with chips and pickle slices.  For that price, I wouldn't have been surprised if they had charged for condiments or a bun.  We were very pleased.

They are also attracting folks to their leagues, and they offer a youth league starting at age 2!  I am tempted...  Their Little Dippers is ages 2-10 and is offered on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. starting in mid-September.  They have four coaches who will help the little ones, once they are ready; otherwise, it's just $4.50 a game for your toddler to bowl.  (They said most 2 year olds are done after 1 game, and we found that to be accurate today.)

While Spence was napping, I went to Serendipity, House Gifts and Nest.  The shopping was nice, and not having to try to keep Spencer from handling all the merchandise was even nicer.   I liked Serendipity better the last time I was there.  I found the prices to be a bit high this time.  The owner didn't greet me until I had been browsing for 20 minutes, and spent almost all of my visit there talking about how much she resented how her husband misused all her funds for his children and she had sacrificed for years for them.  Not the most relaxing conversation for others to hear, and she and her friend were talking so loudly that I couldn't not hear her.  Also, it was depressing to see how much stuff I have had and got rid of that I could have apparently sold for big money.  House was awesome.  Wonderful consignment, very inexpensively priced, and fantastic house stuff.  I got a really gorgeous pair of shoes for $16.  Loved them.  Nest was fun to browse in and had some amazing things - fantastic scented things, and wonderful vintage stuff.  I wanted almost everything I looked at.  All in all, a great shopping trip.

After naptime, we went for dinner at Sachi Sushi.  We hadn't been here before, and found the reviews to generally be true, although several reviewers mentioned the "worm-hole"-like environment.  I did not find this to be the case.  It is located in the back of the Niwot Market.  Really - you walk through the grocery store to get to the sushi area.  But the sushi area is bright and clean and full of nice tables (not rickety or shaky).  There was a high chair, with a fully functional lap belt.  The reviews had warned that this was a one-man operation, and I definitely found that to be true.  One nice guy who cooked each dish and served it one by one - hot food first, then the miso, then the sushi.  They were out of several of the dishes I wanted to try (the chicken teriyaki, the beef curry), but the owner suggested the Hawaiian style beef dish, and it was great.  Hawaii by way of Japan - no pineapple or anything, more like two meat patties with a tangy tomato-based sauce and an egg.  Hard to describe, but tasty.  Even Spencer gobbled it up.  The miso was not my favorite, but the sushi was fantastic, and cheap!  My definite favorite was the BLT roll - non-traditional but very tasty.  I also picked up a great greeting card in Japanese for my younger sister's birthday.  On the way out, we bought my birthday cake.  We stopped by the park on the way home to let Spence burn off a little energy and then came home for cake.  Such a nice day.

The reviewers of the sushi place were raving about how Sachi Sushi offers real authentic ramen on Sunday afternoons (and only on Sunday afternoons).  I asked the owner while we were there tonight, and he said that they offer the ramen from 11:30-7 on Sundays, and that it is between $9-$11, depending on your choice.  I will have to try that another day - sounds exciting.

Longs Peak Family Practice, La Mariposa

I love my doctor.  Or rather, since my doctor is moving to do rural medicine next month, I love the practice he worked with.  Longs Peak Family Practice is fantastic - helpful, responsive, and quick to work my family in whenever we need.  They remember who we are without having to check a chart.  They are thorough and have very responsive after-hours care.  And if you have an issue, they call to check on you after a day or so and be sure that you don't need to be seen again.  Also, I have never had a problem with their billing.  I mention all this because it turns out that my asthma is back.  I am not happy about that, but I'm really appreciating the care that I am getting in treating it.

Because I'm not feeling well, we went out for dinner tonight.  I'd heard nice things about La Mariposa, so we gave it a try.  (They have a coupon for $5 off a $30 ticket on their website.)  The restaurant was very clean.  The menu was a little small, and kids meals were $3.99 and included a fountain drink.  (99 cents extra for milk or juice.)  My husband had the fajitas and I had the chicken and bean burrito.  It was a nice meal, but not extremely special.  I think I enjoy the food at 3 Margaritas better.  But it was a nice restaurant (did I mention how clean everything was?) and we will probably go back at some point.

Kanemoto swim class, free movies, Chick-fil-A

We started our next round of Water Explorer swim classes today through the Longmont Rec Center.  This time, we are at Kanemoto pool on Wednesday and Friday mornings, before the pool opens.  We know most of the kids in the class this time, and Spence has been taking his lessons to heart - he listened to the teacher and did what she asked for almost all of class.  Really exciting to see!

We finally made it to the Twin Peaks 10 movie theater for the free Family Film Fest.  They offer two different free kids' movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. during the summer.  Today, they offered Clifford's Big Movie.  Spencer loves Clifford, and so we tried it, and I would say that it was an entirely successful experience.  So fun!  The booster seats were all in use, so he cuddled in my lap, and it was just like holding him as a baby, all sweet and kissable, for the entire movie. 

We met up with friends and headed to Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  I love this place - air conditioned, clean, good and healthy food choices, board books as toys, clean and enclosed play place, etc.  After all the activity, Spencer crashed for nap.  I had my sweet little boy back today - friendly, polite and well-behaved.  It helps so much to have mornings like this when we have had a rough day or two - it's a nice reminder that the difficult behavior is just an age or stage, and not the way our lives will be forever.

We're joining the Luna Moms for a Meetup at the Boulder County Fair tomorrow.  I happened to see that there is also a photo contest going on - the best photo of kids loving the fair could win $50.  I think we will try to go hit the rides at the fair tonight, so maybe I can get a great photo then.

Music with Madelyn, Boulder County Fair

We are nearly done with our Music with Madelyn class.  We really love her classes.  They are very high-energy, age appropriate, always involve different instruments and props, and are completely age-appropriate.  We took her younger child class, and it was very different from the toddler class that Spencer is taking now.  He loves it.  The summer classes are being held at Madelyn's home, and after class, she offers organic sliced apples and a chance to romp in her big back yard, complete with swing set, tire swing, large grassy lawn, shade space to color, sand box, and two water features (both shallow and safe).  Spencer really loves this.  She encourages you to bring a lunch or snack and picnic, and doesn't seem to mind if sticks and grass and pinecones and small boats are floated down her creek.  Very worth it.  After class, we sometimes pop over to the Walnut Cafe for lunch (in their S Boulder location) or go to Saver's or the new Goodwill, since they are very close to her.  She is offering Fall classes at the WOW Museum in Lafayette.  We think the WOW is ok, but not the best children's museum ever.  They do try hard and I am glad they are there, so we will think about the classes.  Playing at the WOW is an additional $5 per class, so that is less exciting.

On our way home, we stopped at the Boulder County Fair, which opened to the general public today.  We love the free admission and free petting zoo, but we were not super impressed with the fair itself.  Lots and lots of things for sale, but a complete absence of signage, and none of the people staffing booths could tell you anything either.  For example, where is the kids area where they are making fun crafts?  Where is the petting zoo?  No one knew.  When we found the kids area, at last, it seemed to involve several couches and some coloring pages and crayons.  The craft area in front had some very fun stick horses to be made, and a sign that said they could be made from 11-12:30.  However, the woman controlling the supplies said she was done for the day (although other kids were still making their horses), and walked away when Spencer started to cry.  He really wanted to make a horse.  We will apparently be crafting here at home after nap.  Since she still seemed to have horse heads already cut out and plenty of decorating stuff and another 15 yardsticks (for the horse body) on the table, I am not sure why she suddenly decided to be done, but she did.  Also, she had no badge or sign or anything else to indicate that she was the woman to ask for help.  We stumbled around outside and happened to find the bounce house.  No sign to indicate that it was free (although it was).  Spence was excited to get inside, but it had an open roof, and in the hot sun, it was apparently blazing hot on bare feet.  The black mats for the kids to land on when the slid out of the bounce house had gotten so hot that I could feel them through my sandals.  I caught him rather than let him stand there and he told me that the house was "too hot, needs to cool down."  We ambled around for awhile longer and finally happened to see the petting zoo.  Food was 50 cents, but the exhibit was free.  We got to pet chickens, rabbits, goats, calves and a horse.  Pretty fun, although the poor animals were panting in the heat.  Not much to do about that, I guess.  We looked at the rabbit cages inside for a bit and went home.  The fairway doesn't open until 4, so the rides weren't set up yet.  We will probably go back for those, and we may try the fair again later in the week. 


My husband has been on a business trip for the past few days.  This is very rare, and Spencer misses him keenly.  He keeps asking about Daddy, why he isn't there in the morning, when he is coming home from work, etc.  He's had real conversations with my husband on the phone, which is a big difference from the past.  (Usually he just says "No train today!  I love you, bye-bye!")  But missing Daddy has apparently meant being difficult for Mommy.  Lots of "No!" and "Go away!" today.  Exhausting for all.  I will be glad when my husband comes home tonight and my sweet little boy comes back.