The Radio City Christmas Spectacular deserves it's name!

We left home at 9:30 on Friday morning, and arrived in Manhattan about 11:30 am. We drove down the Saw Mill Parkway into the Henry Hudson, and parked on West 97th Street. I found a great website to locate cheap parking within Manhattan. It was only $17 for the day; a real deal.

We walked one block to Central Park West and took the B train down to Chinatown. When we got off the train we noticed the overpowering smell of fish, and had fun checking out the fish market right there. The live crabs were cool. We had headed down to Chinatown because I was looking for a new setting for my engagement ring. We only got through a couple of stores though before I realized that to continue would not be fair to the boys. So we got some Chinese pastries instead. B and I wanted to eat lunch down there, but R was pretty insistent that we have pizza.

So we hopped back onto the train up to the Rockefeller Center area, and ate at Pronto Pizza. Then we headed over to Radio City for our Stage Door Tour. It was interesting, but certainly not worth even the group rate we were charged (whole thing was set up by a homeschooler here in Connecticut). I was very disappointed to not actually see the real back stage and witness up close the hydraulics the stage uses. They showed us a video. They also had us up above the third mezzanine looking down from a window at the stage while they told us about what we weren't seeing back stage. The boys were more interested in seeing the show which was in progress, than in listening to information about stuff going on behind that stage.

"E, why don't you want your picture taken with the Rockette?"
"I just want this tour to be over."

We had time between the tour and the show, so we headed over to Rockefeller Plaza where the boys played some tag and enjoyed a three dollar pretzel. It was cool to see the scaffolding all around the big tree. We also went into Duane Reade to get some cheap sodas, which we were glad to have done since sodas in Radio City were $4.50!

Radio City did a "check" of our bags which was a joke really, since they said nothing about my camera or the sodas we brought in. I guess they only cared about weapons.

We were happy to run into some friends in the lobby, and made arrangements to meet them during intermission. But there was no intermission, so we did visit some more after the show.

The show itself really does deserve its name. Spectacular is the perfect word. E's favorite scene was the 3D movie of Santa flying around. (They gave out glasses in the programs.) R's favorite scene was the Nutcracker dance starring people in bear costumes. My and B's favorite part were the Wooden Soldiers. I also really enjoyed the use of the screen in the background to make the three rows of Santas look like hundreds in the Here Comes Santa Claus scene. And we all thought the moving stage was very cool - not to mention the ice skaters.

Back when B and I lived in New York, we had gone to the show two years in a row and were really aggravated to have spent that much money on the same show twice. We assumed it would change every year. But it doesn't. I was very happy to hear during our tour that some of the show is new this year, and I was pleased that the changes were great. I was surprised though, on how much of the focus was on Santa Claus. The Living Nativity scene at the end actually felt gatuitous. The boys thought the camels were cool. Click on the photo above to see a larger version.

We did meet our friends in the lobby afterwards, and had a short visit with them before heading back downtown to the East Village for Indian food. B and I enjoyed the meal we had so much last time, that we went back to the same place. During the walk between the train station (subway for all you non-New Yorkers) B remembered he wanted to stop at Pommes Frites to have some fries next time we were down there. While B was in there, the boys and I went two doors down to Love Saves the Day, one of my favorite stores in Manhattan. Hanging from the ceiling right inside the front door was a giant Peewee Herman sitting on Chairy. Peewee was the size of E. The thing was $1200. If I were rich, and I had the room for it, I would buy it. I almost bought the smaller sized version which they had, but it was in the box, and I would have felt guilty taking it out to play with it. So the one I have, with the broken pull-string, will have to continue to suffice. The boys had a great time in that store. R was very intrigued by the small box of gummy penises, but he ended up buying a Pez dispenser of Hammy from Over the Hedge. And E bought himself three action figures, chosen out of a giant box of them.

Dinner at Taj was great. This time there were even two performers, one on some sort of string instrument (no, not a sitar) and one on percussion. After dinner we walked all the way over to the west side to catch the B train uptown. It saved us having to switch trains along the way. The boys played tag all the way, which kept their minds off how far a walk it was.

We took the express train to Columbus Circle and got off to wait for the local. That's when E started doing the "I'm going to pee in my pants any minute" dance, so we decided to exit the subway and look for a bathroom (luckily we had purchased all day subway passes, so paying again wasn't an issue). When we got to the top of the stairs there was a police station (yes, within the subway station). Luckily the cop behind the counter could see that at 10pm a six-year-old dancing in his station really was an emergency and he let both boys use the restroom. New Yorkers really do like tourists.

We headed back to the car and pulled out of the parking lot at 10:20 pm. R was mad when I told him he couldn't listen to his book on tape on the way home, because I wanted him to go to sleep. "But I never fall asleep in the car, sniff, sniff." Here he is "not sleeping" in the car. At least E doesn't live in denial and settled in right away. We got home at 12:05 am; not bad at all.

A "spectacular" day overall. Follow the link at right for more photos.

Our final trip to the Bronx Zoo before our membership expires.

What an exquisite day. It was like a mini vacation. I managed to live "in the moment" for the entire day, right up until bedtime. I did not think about anything except what I was actually doing for the whole day. I did not even turn on my computer at all. How refreshing.

We listened to Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix on the way to the zoo. E brought a CD player with headphones so he didn't have to listen with R and I. He enjoyed music all the way. We parked in a different parking lot than we usually have, one where the actual gate for the zoo was so much closer to the lot. One where the exhibits were so much closer to the gate. I should have discovered this parking lot four visits ago.

We visited a couple of exhibits we had never seen before; Aquatic Birds, Large Birds, and the Aviary. This had been hidden behind the construction area, so we had not gotten to it. During our membership over the past year we visited the zoo four times, and it took those four times to see everything. Not only that, but the construction is under way on a large chunk of the place. Once that area re-opens in the summer of 2007 we will think about becoming members again.

In the Aquatic Birds area we enjoyed seeing the puffins, which we had only seen pictures of before. They had a great exhibit where the water was half way up the glass wall, so we could see what was going on above and below the water. This led to a brief conversation about refraction, which we will have to return to since I have just recently learned the technical reasons behind it.

In addition to the puffins, we also enjoyed seeing some large birds; the owls, eagles and vultures were entrancing. Seeing a real kookaburra was neat too, as were the flamingos.

We enjoyed every ride there. No lines for anything! The monorail was sitting there waiting for us when we arrived.We also enjoyed the Skyfari and the shuttle. E's tooth actually fell out on that. It had been loose all day, and freaking me out with the way it was protruding.
I kept telling him to pull it out, and finally it just came out as he was playing with it with his tongue. He looks so precious with no front teeth now. I can't help but smile every time I look at him.

We spent some time in the Congo area and checked out the gorillas who we hadn't seen since October 2005. The gorillas are one of my favorites to see in the zoo. Check out this shot I took in the Congo area. I am going to win something at the Durham Fair with this baby.

We also looked at the Wild Prairie Dog exhibit which had opened in June and which was new to us. Along the way E had mentioned that he wished he could see some cheetahs, and boy were we surprised to see some along side the dogs! He wished, however, that he could see them run. They are his favorite animal.

We went into the World of Darkness too, where we saw lots of bats and cats and rats, and the only breed of nocturnal monkey. I have to admit I annoyed lots of the creatures with my camera flash, so that we could actually see them!

I must say that of all the times we have gone to the zoo, October is hands down the best. Yes, there were a few school groups. A very few. And some of them used language I would have preferred the boys not hear quite yet. However they weren't very much interested in what they were seeing, so they flew past us through the exhibits and we mostly had the place to ourselves. And they all left by 2:00, so we had three whole hours without them. They probably wouldn't have been there at all if it hadn't been a Wednesday, since "Admission on Wednesdays is by donation".

All the rides are open through the end of the October, as well. And as previously mentioned there was not only no wait, there was no line - literally. Walk up and get on. Everything. Absolute heaven.

We tailgated for lunch. I actually had two lawn chairs in my trunk, for our perpetual soccer games, that E and I sat on, while R fit comfortably in a little nest in the trunk, under the raised hatch of the van. We enjoyed some cold pizza and made up a story about hippos getting out of their area and scaring zoo visitors. We each took turns adding two or three lines to the story, and although the boys tried very hard to have the zoo keepers get the hippos under control, we ended it with lots of screaming and agonizing visitors while the hippos ran off loose in the zoo. I guess the boys were kind of happy when they later realized the Bronx Zoo has rhinos and not hippos.

The parking lot was so close to the zoo! It was so incredibly nice to not have to carry our lunches and drinks in a backpack the whole time. And the car was so close that I was not the least bit tired before the drive home began.

E was perfectly happy all the way in the back with his headphones and his White Castles. R and I got to fly through many of the 24 discs of Harry Potter. (We are now at the climax on 21 and R actually bribes E to let us listen to it, with candy and coins.)

We came home a different way this time too. Rather than go up 95 or 15, we went up 684 in New York, and came east on 84 into Connecticut. It was five miles more, but 30 minutes shorter, and during peak rush hour! Ah, some things we learn late. But we still tuck them away for future reference.

When we got home at 7:00, I pooped out on my recliner in the livingroom with The Witching Hour, which I already read once over a decade ago, and I am totally absorbed in again. It's not that I was tired so much as I needed time alone to unwind. The boys went off and played, and B was kind enough to finish up the Chicken Paprikash which had been cooking in the crockpot all day. I caught the show 30 Rock, which I thought was not worth watching ever again, while B put E to bed. Then he and R watched the Mets game while I snuggled into bed with my book. Once I fulfilled my tooth fairy duties, including writing a very teeny answer to the question which had been written out and left, I actually went to sleep at 10:30! I haven't been to bed before midnight in months. (By the way I have very recently begun to appreciate the correlation between sleep and outlook - pretend there's a little emoticon here with rolling eyeballs.)

An exquisite day. And now that I have identified what it takes to achieve living in the moment, I will be doing so a lot more often. I am resigning from CHN. And I will be focusing on my business again. And my so incredibly lovable children.

Today in Stop and Shop the woman in front of me on line got one of those instant coupons the machine spits out after your purchase. It was $5 off your next purchase, and she gave it to me because she wouldn't be able to use it before it expired.

Karma happens.

A busy October

I've decided not to put out my Halloween decorations this year. Things are just too busy and it is one less thing to do. I'm missing the festive feeling in the house, but am secretly relishing the absence of that extra work. October is flying by in a whirlwind. October is my favorite month, so I'm not overly thrilled about how quickly it is going this year, but on the other hand we are experiencing lots of fun things. I'm missing having time to even record them here. Blogging is my way of pointing out to myself how much learning actually goes on here.

Today B's parents visited. I was so glad to have an excuse to drop everything and clean! The boys even washed many of our dirty walls, after having it pointed out that they were in fact caused by them. They were very helpful the last couple of days, and not complaining about my lack of attention. And I got a clean house for a day at least.

Our visit with Grandma and Grandpa was very enjoyable. We did some apple picking at Lyman Orchards and dinner at Young Young's, an all-you-can-eat Chinese food buffet, which everyone who ever seems to visit us absolutely loves. It's a nice treat for me too, since I don't have to add preparing dinner to the list of things to do when people visit. Anyway, it was a very relaxed afternoon.

What else have we been up to?

Lots and lots of soccer. R is on the all-star team this year, so he has practice Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and two games (sometimes three) per weekend. Add this to E's soccer games on Sunday afternoons.

R is also enjoying his Lego Robotics class at ImagineNation on Friday evenings. The first of two sessions just ended. He and his partner finished creating their robot and learned how to program it on a computer. R was waaay into this. I'll be looking into getting a set for his birthday.

Craft and Swim is going well on Thursdays. It is an hour and a half for me to be alone without hiding.

Monday evenings is R's drawing class. School holidays the past two weeks have pre-empted that though. That actually worked out fine, since this past Monday, Columbus Day, we went to the Renaissance Fair, and didn't have to worry about being home for anything. We were supposed to have gone over the weekend but B wasn't into it, so we saved it for Monday when he was at work. Boy did we have a blast.

E dressed up in his knight costume, and was glad he did, although his cool headdress didn't make it through the 80 degree heat.. His favorite thing was the jousting. R's favorite thing was the human chess game, and mine was the sword swallower, who also removed himself from a straight-jacket and a bunch of huge chains. We also really enjoyed the puppet show; I'm so grateful my children are still young enough to enjoy that stuff too. We had a fabulous day, and returned home with two large wooden swords, which are already showing lots of battle wear. We've decided to go more than once next year, and are thinking about getting season passes.

We are having fun getting to know the Greater New Haven Homeschooolers Group. They already have some classes planned for the Eli Whitney. Unfortunately the 5-8 age group is on a different day than the 9-12 age group, so we'll be passing until next time around, when we will probably be the organizers. We also had a really enjoyable day with them at Lyman Orchards last week, when we got to experience the corn maze, which by the way, is only worth it when you are paying the group rate. It was fun though. The boys are really happy to making new friends. Here are some of them feeding the ducks and geese.
The Tuesday before last we also had fun at our first Science Club meeting, which is a co-op we are participating in with two other families with children E's age. It will be a challenge to keep R interested, but I'm looking forward to trying. The next meeting is at our house this week, so I'll be planning the lesson. We will be meeting on bi-weekly Tuesdays.

The other Tuesdays of each month we'll go to Flippin' Families at the YMCA. They open the doors to their gymnastics center from 12:30 to 2:00 on Tuesday afternoons for kids to play. Full members like us get in free! This was the first week and we were the only ones there. The friends we invited are not members anymore. But I spoke to two of the moms of kids in the Craft and Swim class and hopefully they will come next time. We'll try to talk other friends into joining us too, since non-members only pay $7 for their entire family for the 1.5 hours.

E has been liking his karate class, but I think I'm pulling him out. They are just not teaching any of the non-violent philosophy that I had expected. He didn't seem too upset that he might not be going any more since he "knows enough moves now to fight R". In fact, the two of them were karate fighting yesterday out in the backyard. Now I've learned to be somewhat okay with weapons, since the swords only clash against eachother, but I don't see the value in kicking someone's face in. So I'm leaning toward dropping that.

This week? Tomorrow (Sunday) two soccer games for two children, from 1:30 pm till 5:00 pm. Then in the evening the new CHN website gets uploaded, and I finish up the monthly newsletter to send out. Monday is a birthday party in the afternoon and R's drawing class at night. Then I will be filling an order for 10 fundraising t-shirts which was placed to LuminociTees.com (woo hoo!) Tuesday is Science Club here at our house, and then up to Oakville to Green Planet to pick up our raw milk, then soccer practice from 5:30 to 7. Karate would also be here from 5:45 to 6:45. Wednesday we are going to the Bronx Zoo. Our membership is expiring this month and I want to use up all my free parking passes. R will have to miss soccer practice that day. Thursday is a dentist appointment then Craft and Swim, and Friday is Lego Robotics. Saturday we have one of R's soccer games, a Halloween party, then another soccer game.

I love October...I love October...I love October...I can't wait till it's done!

Thomas Dolby in concert

Okay, it's 1982 and I'm a senior in high school, and this amazing song comes on the radio called "She Blinded Me With Science". I at once become a huge Thomas Dolby fan, and have been ever since. I saw him perform at Radio City Music Hall in 1984, The Ritz in 1988, Roseland in 1988, and this past Friday at The Canal Room in 2006. He actually left the music industry for a really long time, and only returned because he started reading fan forums about him and realized that there really are people out here who would love to see him return.

The concert was amazing. There was one person between me and the stage, so I had an awesome view. The forum was teeny - probably about a hundred people there - so the show itself was really intimate. It was totally excellent to be surrounded by people my own age, who love the music as much as I do. I have to admit there were others there who knew some of the words better than I did too! I also have to admit to being disappointed that he only played 1.5 hours. His songs are long so they were not as many as I would have liked. Nevertheless, traveling two hours for a 1.5 hour show was still worth it. And it was very cool that this time he was alone. In his previous shows he had a full band, but in this intimate setting it was just him and his synthesizers and computer and "tubes and wires."

Here's another song which made it to the charts and which you'd likely know. And my favorite of his songs, which you wouldn't. That synthesizer music is great stuff; for dancing or head music, you can't go wrong with Thomas Dolby.

The boys slept at a friend's house, so B and I were able to have a real night out in Manhattan. I never think I miss the place until I go back there. (Well I don't actually miss Queens, but I do miss Manhattan.) After the show we parked in the West Village and walked over to the east side to have dinner.

Sixth street between 1st and 2nd Avenues has always been the place to go for Indian food; there has always been at least a dozen restaurants to choose from. They had no liquor licenses, so the food was really cheap and you could bring our own bottles in. Well, it's different now. The addition of liquor has changed everything. The restaurant entrances have become quite ostentatious with neon signs and such, and also have "hosts" out front trying to talk you into their restaurants.

We walked along the street peeping through windows at empty places until we found one which was crowded with NYU students. Taj Cafe at 310 East 6th Street was an excellent choice. They have not updated themselves along with all the other places along the street, and frankly they don't have to. The coconut samosa was a definite highlight, and the rest of the food was excellent and reasonably priced.

We really enjoyed eating Indian food in Manhattan in a crowded restaurant at 11:30 pm on a Friday night. Seemed like old times. There are definitely some things about NY which we miss. On 6th Street, and along 1st Avenue, we also saw restaurants which feature Cajun, Thai, Peruvian, and Ethiopian Vegetarian, among others which I now can't remember. And the streets were crowded. A real haven for a night owl light me...

We arrived home at 3:00 am or so, and were very glad that the boys spent the night someplace else, because it meant sleeping late in the morning. Although in the old days 10:45 am would have seemed early, now it was a real treat.

The boys had a wonderful time where they were too, so it worked well for all of us.

A new homeschool group and a return to Netflix

Time today was spent with a new homeschool group: Greater New Haven Homeschoolers. They've only been in existence a couple of weeks, and we are glad to have found them. Participating in group classes is something we've been missing, and we've been having trouble finding that in our area. Now maybe we will have the opportunity to actually utilize the Eli Whitney Museum.

The group is very nice and the boys are both very happy that we are participating. So far it's only been playgroups, but now that there is an interest, there is already talk of field trips. I don't know how many of those we'll participate in, because the boys have always absorbed more when we do that sort of thing on our own, but hopefully some new doors will open to us. About the field trips, I'm guardedly optimistic.

R and I watched Robosapiens today. He is very interested in obtaining his own robot. Note: not creating one, but obtaining one. I'm hoping that his lego class encourages him to change that thought. Thank goodness he does think that robots of this caliber are beyond Santa's capabilities.

We have gone back to Netflix again. We let it go when we got cable, but they really did have some great stuff, so here we are. I can't decide whether to cancel the cable or not, since most of the TV that I watch is on cable stations (History, Discovery Health, Comedy Central and HGTV). Plus R really really adores The Mythbusters.

Netflix also delivered Animal Face-Off: Hippo vs. Bull Shark. This I ordered for E who loves anything having to do with animals. R loved this show too, and both asked if there were more showdowns between animals available. So next we are watching Elephant vs. Rhino.

I'm really glad I decided to return to Netflix. They really do have some excellent programs. Both boys absorb so much by watching TV, so I really want to utilize it more intelligently. The top 10 movies in our queue right now are:

1. Animal Face-Off: Elephant vs. Rhino
2. Extreme Engineering: City in a Pyramid
3. Animal Face-Off: Lion vs. Tiger
4. History of the Chopper
5. Animal Face-Off: Croc vs. Great White
6. Holy Warriors
7. History's Mysteries: The Inquisition
8. The Amish: A People of Preservation
9. A Life Apart: Hasidism in America
10. You, the Owner's Manual: Disc 1

These might get pushed down the queue as time marches on. We may wait to see The Amish closer to springtime, when we plan to go to Pennsylvania again. And a couple of these are for B and I, and not the boys. There are 214 movies in my queue right now - there is great stuff to learn!

The Durham Fair

We had a great time at the fair this past weekend. We went on Friday, and then again on Sunday. The boys enjoyed the rides during the ristband time on Friday morning, but got distracted when we met up with their friends, so it ended up not really being worth the cost. Next year if they want to do rides they will have to pay for it themselves (expect a call, Grandma).

R entered a "Starship Battlestation" into the lego category, which we found out was a very popular theme for young boys. He also entered four photographs, a drawing of a house, and an apple pie (which was too gross to eat after being exhibited all week). He was very disappointed at the number of blue ribbons he received, since he is old enough to realize the meaning of the fact that every item entered gets a ribbon. He won't mind as much when his check comes in the mail though (they receive a dollar or so for each ribbon received).

E entered a castle into the recycled materials category.
One day he saw all the soda cans laying around and said "I'm going to make a soda can castle for the Durham Fair." He worked on it 99% by himself too. All I did was roll the pieces of duct tape so he could use it to hold all the cans together. He did a really wonderful job. I myself was disappointed that he only got a red for it, but he is still young enough to think any ribbon is just great. Next year he'll be working on quantity though, since he was jealous of how many R received. E also entered two photographs, a drawing, and a pumpkin bread, which he was very happy to find was still fresh when we got it back.

I myself entered five photographs and got zilch. Not all the grown-ups get ribbons. For us the competition is real. This is the first time I've ever entered and gotten nothing. It's a bummer. We all agreed that I needed to work real hard taking photos at the fair itself so that next year I can win the cover-of-the-catalog competition. Last night while I was thinking back on it all I realized what the judges are looking for, so next year the photos I take will be more appropriate. Maybe I'll get the cover for 2008.

On Friday we had fun meeting up for lunch with our friends, then watching some of the tractor races, and the pig races together. Some of them even joined us for some free mini-golf in the radio station tent. We had to leave early on Friday though, because R had his first Lego Robotics class at 4:00 in Bristol. He can't miss a class because they build on their project each week, and he would have fallen behind. So afterwards we actually returned to the fair, since it stays open till 11 pm.

As exhibitors we are entitled to discounted tickets for the entire weekend, and that's why we go more than one day. Sunday was not at all crowded the way we thought it would be, but then it did drizzle on and off. We got there around 1:30, just in time for the livestock costume parade. It's been one of our favorite events for a couple of years now. It's lots of fun.
They break it down into age groups, and the adults are actually the most fun. Also cool is that at the end, if they have extra ribbons, they give them away to all the kids who stay behind to ask for them. Both boys got really large ribbons which say only "Durham Fair 2006" on them. They both think they are great.

No good music this year. We did hear one band playing some 70's music while we ate dinner on Friday, but they were just okay. It was disappointing since music on the Main Stage has always been a big part of the fair for us. (It's where R saw Joan Jett and decided he needed a mohawk.) This years headliners were all country music though, which none of us are into.

We stayed till closing at 7 pm on Sunday, so we could take all of our exhibits with us and not have to go back on Monday. We were tired when we got home, but it was a really fun family weekend.

Our Niagara Falls Vacation

Next time I will spend the extra money on a hotel with free internet service so that I can get my blogging in every night. Looking back, I wish I had at least typed it all into B's laptop each night so I could just transfer it over when we got home. Happily, I do still remember it all though. I've got to get it all down before it starts slipping though. Old age is not agreeing with me...

We had utilized the TripTik function on the AAA site to plan our trip. Very very cool. If you are taking a driving trip and are looking for things to do along the way, I highly recommend it.
The green pushpin represents our starting location, the red represents the finish, and the yellow our stops along the way.

First stop on Saturday: The Springfield Museums in Massachusetts. We've been here many times and have always enjoy it.
No matter what's going on inside these four museums though, our favorite thing is always interacting with all of the Dr. Seuss statues outside.

We had dinner at Calamari's Seafood Grill in West Springfield. I found it on the AAA site. I'm so glad I did, because it wasn't the best looking place from the outside, so we never would have chosen it otherwise. But the food was absolutely fantastic.

We spent the night in West Springfield too. A Days Inn. Which didn't have a pool. Big mistake on my part.


Morning two (Sunday) found us driving 45 miles to the Norman Rockwell Museum, which in terms of seeing things, was a definite highlight of the vacation for me. I have wanted to go here for a long time, and am so glad I had the opportunity to do so.

I have made a habit of keeping "picture books" on individual artists in the back seat of our car, for the boys to look through during time spent there. I found a hardcover Norman Rockwell book at the Glastonbury Book Sale for $3 a couple of years ago, so the boys are very familiar with his work, which is incredibly detailed and realistic looking.

The museum offers free guided tours every hour, but it was crowded so we skipped that. Instead, R and I paid for the audio tour, which was excellent, while B and E enjoyed the well-done scavenger hunt flyer they so thoughtfully provide for younger kids. I even bought myself a print. I wanted to spend the $80 on a framed one, but I went for the print only, for $20 and will frame it myself.

We had lunch out of our cooler in the parking lot. I'm so glad I packed that thing; it came in so handy. I didn't even care so much about the money we were saving, but it saved an awful lot of time. Sitting, being served, waiting for a check, etc. can take a chunk out of the day.

After lunch we drove 82 miles to Howe Caverns.
I couldn't gauge reaction to this place while we were there, but when we came home R explained about all the different kind of rocks to Nagy Papa, so I guess he got a lot out of it. He was more enthusiastic explaining it later than when we were there. E got bored half way through, but I wasn't really paying attention because I had my own problems.

The most exciting part of the day for me was when, about half way through the tour, I dropped my eye glasses into the depths below. Our tourguide said he'd inform maintenance about it when the tour was over, but I have to admit it made it difficult for me to enjoy the rest of the tour. My glasses had been in my pocket with my camera (I know I don't take very good care of them) and when I pulled out my camera the glasses came flying out and down. It worked out fine though. One of the off-duty tourguides walked back down with me later, and climbed down to look for them. Luckily they were found!

After all that excitement we drove to the next town over, Cobeskill, and found an excellent pizza place where I had one of the best eggplant parmesan subs (grinders, hero's) I've ever had. Our waitress explained that her grandmother makes and freezes all their food every Sunday. Boy, it was good. Then we drove 118 miles to our Super 8 motel in Syracuse.

Morning three (Monday, Labor Day) we drove 46 miles to the Women's Rights National Historical Park. I had wanted to visit this place ever since we studied the Women's Rights movement with our Time Travelers Club several years ago. This was definitely another highlight for me. We started at the Wesleyan Chapel and then made our way into the visitor center. Not so fun for the boys, but B kept them busy while I absorbed it all. It was powerful stuff; a place every woman should get to in her lifetime.


We skipped the National Women's Hall of Fame right down the street, which had been on the schedule. I couldn't be that selfish. Instead we had our lunch and played some soccer in a park nearby. Then we drove 67 miles to the Jell-o Museum. Yes, there is such a thing, and B had been the one to insist I put it on the schedule. I'm glad I did. It was "cheesy" but it was fun.


After that we drove 70 miles to the Days Inn in Ontario, Canada. When we got there we found a message from some friends. They had gone to Buffalo for a family function and headed to the falls for a couple of nights before heading home. Turns out they were staying in the hotel right across the street from ours!

After checking in, and checking out the pool, we drove around and found a place for dinner. We found a place with a parking lot packed with Ontario-plated cars, but once we ate there we wondered why. Outrageous prices for poor food. Anyhow, after dinner we joined our friends for our first look at the falls. Not all that impressive at night. But it was a great beginning, and we did get to spend some time with friends before they headed home the next morning.

Next morning (Tuesday) we headed across the street for breakfast. The hotel had given us 20% off coupons for the all-you-can-eat buffet. We ate there again the next day too. Food in the area is outrageously expensive, and frankly not worth it.

After breakfast we went to the Skylon Tower which offers a gorgeous overhead view of the falls. We don't have a panoramic camera, but here's two photos put together. It sure was breathtaking, and elicited the oohs and aahs which had been missing from the contrivedly lit falls the night before.

We were very glad that the incredibly crowded streets from the night before, which was Labor Day, had completely emptied. Other than that hour or so that night, we had everything almost to ourselves, just as we homeschoolers love it. And the people we did share space with were all well-behaved adults. It was awesome.

After the Skylon Tower, we headed to the Journey Behind the Falls, which is exactly what its name implies. We walked along the man-made caves behind the horseshoe falls, and looked out open "windows" to the water flowing down.
Next was the Whirlpool Aerocar; an 11-minute cable car ride back and forth over the section of the Niagara River which turns sharply and makes a huge whirlpool in the area where it does. The view was spectacular and we learned about fishing in the area. Apparently fishermen fight for the best spots here.

We headed back to the hotel for a swim and a rest before heading to the dinner theater we had scheduled. Oh Canada, eh? (pronounced aye) was expensive and worth every penny. We had great seats and the boys were the center of attention more than once when the cast came down to interact with the audience. It was goofy and fun and the food was excellent. Going to Niagara Falls? This is a don't miss. However, wait till you get there to purchase tickets so you can utilize the kids-get-in-free coupons in the hotel lobby for a substantial savings. Call or stop in for tickets as soon as you have those coupons though because seating is based on who buys tickets first.

We rushed back to the hotel and watched Rockstar Supernova. R and I had been enjoying it for several weeks, and were disappointed that we couldn't vote. We were happy to have found it to watch though.

On Wednesday we took a break from the falls and spent the day at Marineland, which is Canada's answer to SeaWorld. The marine life was amazing.
We saw a very entertaining dolphin /seal /walrus show, extremely large amounts of Beluga whales being fed and touched by those willing to pay large amounts to do so, and our favorite, the killer whales, who went around their tank splashing spectators. We liked that event so much that we saw it twice. The Beluga whale photo came out the best though. There were so many of them!

We also enjoyed the rides. E especially, who we discovered is a daredevil and is not afraid of anything. R on the other hand, congratulated himself on making it through the very conservative rollercoaster with no minimum height requirements.

There were a couple of animal exhibits that I did not feel good about. One was the black bears who I couldn't help feeling sorry for. I hate seeing animals having their dignity taken away from them, and it especially hurts when those animals are otherwise so independent and proud.

The other group which disturbed me was the deer "petting zoo". Check this out, it is only about a fifth of what was there. I mean, how could this not be disturbing? Even the boys seemed surprised and not sure how to react. It was incredible to see all the deer attack anyone who purchased food to feed them. The whole deer experience was quite bizarre, and when B wanted to go back to videotape it because he had missed it earlier, R and I agreed that it wasn't necessary, that we'd remember it just fine without the video.

We skipped the elk exhibit since we have a season pass to the Bronx Zoo, and because it was so darn far away. Everything was so darn far away. Final crappy thing about this place is that it's way too spread out. Way way way too spread out. In the summer when it is packed with millions of people it probably doesn't feel quite so sparse, but when we had the whole place to ourselves we could definitely see it needed some more attractions between the ones they have. Their website says they are working on new stuff, but until they have that stuff up and running you should just be aware that if you go, you will be doing a lot of walking for three good aquarium shows and some very spread out, but adequate rides. And in the end you will be exhausted from all the walking.

However your children will have a wonderful time if you do not point out the negative aspects.

We were thrilled to find a restaurant called Zappi's Pizza and Subs at the corners of Stanley Avenue and Dunn Street. We finally managed to feed the four of us for less than $30 (and we're talking every meal,) and the food was excellent. B and I split an Italian Veggie sub and a Chicken Parm sub, and the boys had pizza. We were tired so we took our food "home" to the hotel, where we enjoyed it while watching some TV.

Thursday the 7th, our sixth day, we headed over to the New York side. We went up to the Power Vista, which is a must-see for any self-respecting homeschooling family. It is all about how the power of the river is harnessed for hydro-electricity at that site. The woman who normally gives schools their tours was dying to give us a personal tour once she found out we were homeschoolers, and it was exceptionally cool when she brought E and R up in front of a small lecture area and made E's hair stand on end, and R make a handful of styrofoam peanuts fly away when he let them go. It was even cooler when a group of seniors walked by and joined in the fun. What an awesome place and a terrific visit. No photos though; it's all on video.

We headed down to Goat Island next, and all agreed that Three Sisters Island was one of our favorite spots. You could go right up to the river and touch it and really feel the power of the river at its peak before it hits the falls. Extra clothes for E would've been a smart move.

Lastly on Thursday we went to the Cave of the Winds. This is where you can go down beside the falls and actually stand within 15 feet of them. Lots of splashing going on here. Wear the outfit they give you and roll up your pants as high as you can. In fact, do the Maid of the Mist first and keep their slickers to wear here, since those are longer.

This was my and E's favorite activity at the falls (R's was the Skylon Tower, and B never decided) since you could actually stand close enough to feel like you were really under them, and get down "directly" beneath them to feel them beating down on you. Fifteen feet away the power was enormous. It was very cool.

While on the island we also enjoyed the trolley ride which was dirt cheap. In New York the falls are actually a state park, so things they were in charge of were reasonably priced. Had I known that the American side was so nice, we would have planned for more time there. The state park is lovely and we could have definitely enjoyed that more than we did. We wished we had our bikes.

We finished up the New York side with dinner at a place called Jade Garden. Someone on TripAdvisor had recommended it, so we checked it out. Well apparently the person who recommended it has never had good chinese food, because to call this good was a huge error in judgment. Or given the benefit of the doubt, a complete lack of experience. Steer clear of this place.

In the midst of all this fun, during the course of the week we were also enjoying the hotel pool quite a bit. Someone had put bubbles in the jacuzzi, and the boys were just loving that. Bubbles and goggles are a fun set of tools.

They also enjoyed playing some pool of the table sort, since there was a pool table right outside the swimming pool room. Along the way one night we got to see a few fireworks from our room too. R heard them first and we had a nice surprise when we looked out the window. It was a nice surprise since fireworks are only scheduled for Fridays and Sundays.

On the seventh and final day of our journey, we went for a swim and packed up the car. We checked out, but left our car in the (free) Days Inn Parking lot while we walked down Clifton Avenue on our final trip to the falls. R chooses not to read well yet, so he had no idea that he was walking past the Guiness Book of World Records museum, Brick City (a lego "museum") and a museum of criminals. We did enjoy Indiana Jones in front of the wax museum, and some other thing with a giant head which spoke to us as we walked by. The boys also enjoyed perusing through an incredibly well thought-out children's souvenir shop. We did manage to escape without buying anything. Boy that one block is a huge money pit. I'm so glad we had managed to avoid it our whole trip thus far. It must look cool all lit up at night though.

We reached the Maid of the Mist tour right when it opened and were the second boat to go out. Again, no waiting. (This homeschooling thing rocks.) Here is a photo of the boat before us; it had departed from the New York side (they alternate). This tour was a really good one for us to finish on. We saw a beautiful rainbow down there, and the mood was definitely a nice reflective one as we discussed our favorite activities during the week, and why they were.

We walked back up Clifton Avenue, luckily saving gawking-time by returning on the same side on which we had come down. Picked up our car and made our last stop before the bridge back to the USA; the duty free shop to get our tax refund, where we not only got $9 in cash back, but E also picked up a fine camera which shows photos of the falls when you look into it.

The drive home was very long. On the way to Niagara Falls we had alternated time with the DVD player and without, but on the way home we just let 'er rip. I have to admit, the drive there had been quite lovely. I had truly enjoyed seeing miles of corn. And soybeans (I think). I noticed the hawk sitting on the fence post beside the highway. I enjoyed seeing cows the likes of which I had never seen before. And The Goo Goo Dolls and Tom Petty were very appropriate accompaniment. But the drive home was long. Very long.

We actually stopped back at Calamari's in West Springfield for dinner again, and were not disappointed in the food. It was crowded though since it was 8 pm instead of 6 pm as last time. We got home late enough for the boys to have fallen asleep in the car.

All the photos are posted. Check out the links on the right. They all go to the same place, but you can at least see what you're looking for. They are here for you too. Hopefully the links here will work. If not, use the one on the side.

• 9.06 Niagara Falls
• 9.06 Jell-o Museum
• 9.06 Women's Rights National Historic Park
• 9.06 Howe Caverns
• 9.06 Norman Rockwell Museum
• 9.06 Springfield Museums

All-in-all we had a wonderful time. It was the perfect vacation for our family. And since we did not spend money flying, and saved an awful lot on hotels by going off-season, it looks like we will be off on another vacation next year, instead of alternating years the way we had been. Woo hoo!

Depression?

Well I must say that my vacation did wonders for my outlook on life. I had been feeling quite depressed for a while and was concerned that I was falling back into major depression, which I have suffered from in the past. I'm wondering now if it was some sort of Seasonal Affective Disorder, even though everything I find says that's a winter thing. I do tend to get into an extremely bad "funk" about the end of summer when I start feeling totally trapped in the air-conditioned house. I can't take the summer heat and it really brings me down. So perhaps it was not the vacation itself that jolted me out of this, but the weather. Who knows?

In the meantime, my self-involved whining hurt some feelings, and for that I feel very badly. I removed two entries from my blog which never should have been posted. If I had been myself and realized what I was doing, they certainly would not have made it online. It is not until I returned home from vacation and re-read them that I became aware of just how far down I was.

On the brighter side, I am feeling much better now. Autumn is my very favorite season and I feel really invigorated. Also, my blog now has a lot more readers than it did before.

I will blog about my vacation hopefully within the next few days. For now I need to concentrate on the CHN September Newsletter.