Summer 2011 Week 2

We are very fortunate to have a lot of friends in NYC. The weather was incredibly hot and humid here and it was tough for us Californians who are not used to the humidity. My girlfriend, AnnBritt, has two lovely boys who are just a year under my two boys. We decided to meet up in Central Park at a Waterplay area. My boys were so excited. Since it had been so hot, they were energized to know there was a waterpark at Central Park (CP).

We met up on CPWest and 70th. We walked into the park and had a snack/breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien, mid-Park at 69th Street. You have to walk into the park to find it. Delicious croissants and real lemonade!!! Everyone was very happy. Then off to Adventure Playground. It was closer to 67th, but really a nice little walk with the kids on a beautiful Sunday. We slapped the sunscreen on and let the boys go. My boys liked having their Keens because they didn't slip climbing on these concrete structures that were wet from the water features there. They had a blast and Annbritt and I had a chance to catch up! It was a great day for all!!!

After all that playing, boys were ready for a snack and so off to the ice cream truck. They seemed to enjoy it...who wouldn't? Fabien loved his Spiderman Popsicle!!! Is it because his dad works for Spiderman, The Musical????

Summer 2011 Week 1

I like to take all the clothes out right away once I arrive and get them into drawers, etc. I think it helps the kids feel more settled sooner.

NYC is so much fun. As I had mentioned in a previous blog, it's a great city with a lot of free events!!! Here's a great link: http://timeoutnewyorkkids.com/things-to-do/147883/free-summer-events-for-nyc-kids-and-families-august?package=147881

Since my husband was in Hair, The Musical, we had a great opening nite. We invited our friends, Jeff & Bob, to the opening and opening party. It was so much fun!

Prior to this, we went to Junior's for dinner. It is a great place to eat casually. I love their pastrami sandwiches and the reuben's are pretty outstanding. My oldest thinks their NYCheesecake is the BEST!!!!!

We also so saw that the Discovery Museum was having an exhibition on Harry Potter and Pompeii. Since my oldest son finished the Harry Potter Series, he is excited to see this exhibit. More later!

Summer 2011 travel day

Well, well, it has been a while since I last blogged. A part of the reason was that my husband has been able to come home every 6 weeks so my boys and I haven't had to travel as much this time around......until now.

My husband's job has brought us here to NYC for the whole summer!! What a great time and great experience for my boys. The last time we were here (my last blog of NYC) a lot of my pictures were locked up in my SD card from my camera and therefore, I didn't have any photos to post. Not this time!!! I made sure of it.

Let's talk about getting here first because I think all caretakers want to know the ins and outs of travelling with children. My boys are older now and can carry a lot of things on their own; however, guidance is still at hand. Because we were not vacationing for only 2 weeks or less, I had to really plan how to pack. We are here for 2 mos. I made sure we had enough clothes for at least 1 week. The good thing about the summer months are that the clothes are lighter. We were blessed in that my sister lives in Edgewater, N.J. and so it was great when she offered her place for us to stay. That saved a lot of money. Also, it was great for her to spend time with her nephews. If we didn't have anyone here, we would have rented an apt for the 2 mos only because with children, a kitchen is a good thing. They are hungry at all times of the day when they are playing hard outside.

First things first! With all the new regulations, how do I make sure I don't go over on the weight of the suitcases and get penalized by having to pay more. My girlfriend's suitcase (who was heading to NYC as well separate from us) was overweight and she had to pay $85.00. I decided I would ship shoes and any books that my kids were reading and/or working on. With only a $35.00 UPS shipping charge, we were good to go. I only packed some walking shoes. I did make sure that my box went out 1 week prior to our departure.

Both boys have backpacks and we filled those with non-liquid snacks, DS player (great for those long 2 hour waits), a book, and sketch pads with pencils. Oh yes, they had headphones. I love the ones from Sony because they fit children's heads and they were only $10 @ Target. They also fit into the planes earphone jacks. Perfect, eh?

We flew out of SFO and the beauty of flying Continental which has been merged with United is that SFO is United's hub. This is a good thing because they have great places to eat after the security check. Yes, they are pricey, but at least there are a lot more things available to you when you're in a pinch. Also, SFO has water bottle refilling stations. My children carried their empty Sigg bottles and we filled them up with water after security rather than paying $5 for a bottle of water. This is a great idea for SFO!!!!!

Continental is our favorite when we fly into Newark, NJ. Why???? Well, Newark Airport is Continental's hub and so once again, lots of restaurants and stores when you're in a pinch.

Another important point, since my kids are staying here until 3 days prior to when school starts, I am keeping them on a West Coast time schedule. Not so tough since my husband doesn't get home till later anyways, but something to think about to avoid the jetlag back home.

Disneyland and Palm Springs

I apologize for being absent from this blog. I teach during the summers and I bit off more than I could chew. However, we did decide to go back to Disneyland this year since our youngest felt "cheated" last time. He was not tall enough to go on all the rides. This time he's tall enough and excited to experience all the rides.

We have a lot of friends in Los Angeles and a lot of friends who perform for Disney's Aladdin. We were excited for our "mini" reunion and to see the show that we missed last time. First and foremost, it was the deal we received for our trip to Disneyland. Through conversations with other moms, they all suggested www.getawaytoday.com . They said it was the best place to get great package deals for Disneyland. I gave it a try and with my many charts on comparative pricing, they WERE the best! For a great price, we received 5 nights at a hotel across the street from Disneyland and a 5 day pass to the parks. But wait.......included is also  hotel parking ($14/day) and transit passes on their bus/shuttle system AND 2 backpacks for the kids, lanyards, and 2 pins. My kids love to collect pins. The BEST was the breakfast buffet included every morning. When there are children involved, I always seek for that "breakfast included" deal. It makes everything so much more convenient and less expensive.

We chose to stay at the Red Lion Inn which was at the suggestion of my cousin. They were there over Memorial Day and said that the renovation was very nice. We decided to give it a try since it was only a 5 - 10 minute walk to the front gate of Disneyland. The rooms were very clean. The beds were really wonderful. The front desk was really helpful. To my surprise, I received a call the next morning after check in from GetAwayToday and they just wanted to know if everything went well and if I had questions I could call them anytime. Now THAT's hospitality!!!!

As before, we did the ridemax.com program. We originally were only going to spend 3 days at Disneyland, but the package included 2 extra days for the price of 3 so we didn't have to rush as much. Nonetheless, the World of Colors was the place to be at California Adventure. This is similar to Fantasia on the Disneyland side. However, ridemax informed us that a fastpass was needed. We waited in line at the gate of Ca. Adv. starting at 9a.m. I know that that park opens at 10a.m. so we decided to sit and eat some more of our breakfast snacks. Lo and behold, one of the employees said they were going to open the gates at 9:30a.m. We didn't know this was going to happen and after I asked the employee, they said they will do this on occasion. So, I don't have a method or pattern as to when they do this, but it cut our 1 hours wait at the gate to only 30 minutes and this was worth it since our kids are 9 and 6y.o.

Apparently, everyone else was there to get the fast pass for World of Colors. Now, we wanted the 1st show because our kids wouldn't be able to stay up for the later showtimes. As we entered the gate, 3 Disney employees yelled, "If you want a fast pass to World of Colors, please stay behind us!!! Anyone who passes us for the fast pass will be refused." My initial thought was: 'really? how will they know?' Well, Disney always has their magic even with security. By the time we arrived at the fast pass booths for the World of Colors, there were 8 other Disney employees monitoring the crowd and was turning away a bunch of high school kids who "jumped" the line. A parent behind me kept clapping. I didn't blame her as we followed the rules and stay contained for safety purposes and for our kids.

Then it was Ca. Adv. for most of the day. We were able to go on just about every single ride with not much longer than a 15 minute wait. It was really a good day and our kids had a great time. We went over to the Disneyland side and had a great time with not much wait as well. Then after dinner it was back to Ca. Adv. to line up for our entry time. Our suggestion: go to the area that says "you will get wet here". No one goes there and the wettest you get are a few sprinkles from the fountains. I can't even say they were sprinkles. It was like a mist. You will be up close and personal to the pyrotechnics and Bellagio-like water dancing.

The next day was spend at Disneyland since we had a Magic Morning pass (you get in an hour earlier than the public). This is when you are so thankful that the breakfast is just downstairs. We spend the whole day there and I have to say, we didn't really follow the ridemax.com protocol. Since we had so much time there, we didn't feel rushed. We did spend the WHOLE day there. Yup, something like16 hours? Crazy, eh? We had our picnic blanket with us so we would have our boundaries when we plopped ourselves down for the Fantasmic 3 hour wait. I know it sounds crazy, but what is even crazier is that there were people before us setting up for the wait for the Fantasmic show. While one waited at the picnic blanket, I went and ordered dinner to go and brought it back to the blanket for a great dinner. People squeezed their way in no matter what boundaries you had up, but in the end it was great. We all enjoyed Fantasmic and we thought it was better than the World of Colors.

The following day was spent as our "mini" reunion with friends in L.A. and friends in the Aladdin Cast. The show was very well done and the theater was beautiful. My husband who is a techie even thought the automation was very good for a 45 minute show. We had VIP passes and that was only because we had our friends in the show. However, I think every seat in the house would have been great! We did go on the new Toy Story video game/ ride in Ca. Adv. I think this is the ride to hit first when you are there. There is no fast pass for this ride and the line is long and slow. It is a fun ride. It's just a long wait.

By the end of the week, we were done with Disneyland. The shuttle bus passes came in handy on those nights when the kids were just too tired to walk anymore. We didn't blame them. Our feet were tired! So, it was nice to have the shuttle available to us when we needed it.

Then we were off to see a very good friend of the family down in Palm Springs, Ca. Yes, we know it's hot, but we love it because the kids love swimming in the hot weather and our friend is such a talented pianist that we are always entertained.

We also went on the tram up to Mt. San Jacinto National Park. This trip was definitely worth. It is a bit pricey for an 11 minute tram ride, but it is absolutely breath-taking. The kids loved it!!! The tram rotates as well so you get a full 360 degree view. Show your AAA card if you are a member, and you get a discount. They won't ask you for it. You will just have to show it to them. It was at least 35-40 degrees lower than Palm Springs (113 degrees in the summer in Palm Springs). A lot of fun and we had a great picnic while we were up there.

A fun trip!!!

Great place for kids to have fun and get tired!!!

I haven't been to this place yet, but it looks like a lot of fun. If your child is 7 y.o. and older, you can leave him/her here as a drop off and for a $10 fee, your child can stay there for up to 3 hours. Of course, waivers must be signed and all.

Check this out!
Adventure Playground is 31 years old !

   Adventure playground information at the Berkeley Marina

   Directions to the Berkeley Marina         Adventure Playground is one of the Marina Experience programs   and   has been written up as a top 10 playground in  National geographic. It was  voted the Best Creative Play space in Diablo magazine.  YELP has rated us 4 out of 5.  We have been written about in the Chronicle, the Boston Globe and Newsweek as one of the Top 5 play spaces in the country.
To get back into more  Marina Experience web pages click here    CLOSED:if it is raining.Closing earlier on July 20th at 4:00 for staff meeting   Open:  Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Summer hours end Aug 20th. Monday- Friday 9 a.m.-5p.m. 
    Summer programs- Check this link for our Marine bio and boating classes.
Adventure Playground July activity calendar here! Fees: FREE for four  children or less if they are accompanied by their responsible adult . Every adult must sign in on the waiver at the entrance for themselves and their children. Small individual families are invited to play without reservations.
PLEASE- Multiple families and friends who plan to meet and play in the playground, need prior reservations if together the total number of children they bring is 5  or more -you are considered a group.  Weekend days are very popular and the only way to keep it safe  is to limit the numbers.  Supervise your children carefully and ask staff how you can help. Please, No groups from daycare programs, you need reservations and to pay the fee.( see below) Scholarships are available. Scroll to the bottom of the page for group reservations information and costs .
           
History and background 
The Adventure Playground at the Berkeley Marina was opened 31 years ago in 1979.  It is a wonderfully unique outdoor facility where staff encourage children to play and build creatively.  Come climb on the many unusual kid designed and built forts, boats, and towers.  Ride the zip line or hammer, saw, and paint.  By providing these low risk activities Adventure Playground creates opportunities for children to learn cooperation, meet physical challenges and gain self confidence. - Pictures of a fort building project.  The concept for Adventure Playgrounds originated in Europe after World War II, where a playground designer studied children playing in the "normal" asphalt and cement playgrounds.  He found that they preferred playing in dirt and lumber from the post war rubble.  He realized that children had the most fun designing and building their own equipment and manipulating their environment.  The formula for Adventure Playgrounds includes Earth, fire, water, and lots of creative materials. 


Let me know how things work out. I will have to bring my kids there soon!!!!

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

This was a very special trip for us. We had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan and stay there for a whole month while my husband was working there. This was a major trip for us and for me. As you know, my husband travels ahead of us and so I'm usually travelling with my kids alone. Was I nervous? Yes! My only thought was how in the world do I keep them occupied for a 12 hours flight!!!

Well, first things first. I had to book a flight. I have had many friends and family members who have flown to the Far East via United. After doing my research, which means "asking around" for opinions, it was determined that if we were to fly transcontinental, go with an international airline company. It was unanimous that the "other" airlines were better in service and comfort. Now, I'm not trying to knock down the adage, "Go American all the way", but when it comes to comfort and service for a long flight and by MYSELF with my kids, I had to go with the foreign airline. The recommendations were: JAL, Singapore Air, or Cathay Airlines. Since I didn't want any layover, we chose JAL. I am SO happy we went with JAL (Japan Airline)!!!! When we arrived at the airport, JAL's employees saw that I had children and they immediately opened another check-in desk just for us and took us right away. We had NO WAIT!!! I was thrilled as I had a stroller/carseat, carry-ons, luggage (large since we were away for the month), and my other child holding my hand. It was crazy-making. However, their service was so impeccable it eased my nerves. They noticed I checked off that my children were allergic to nuts. They asked how much and sat us accordingly. Apparently, some children are so allergic to nuts that an open bag of nuts next to them will send the poor child to an anaphylactic shock. Fortunately, my children aren't that bad, but the employees were rearranging the seating to insure safety for my children as well as for them (I highly doubt they wanted an incident up in the air).

Our hotel was already set up for us due to my husband's work. This was nice as I typically arrange that as well.We stayed at the Capitol Tokyu Hotel. It was very nice and as extravagant as it was, it was small. I think this is very typical of Japan and of course, we Americans are used to space. Nonetheless, it was very, very nice. They knew I had a baby with me so they set up the crib in the room for us as well. There was always hot water available to us to make tea. We had a little refrigerator which is always nice. There is an outdoor pool which was really great since we were there in July and it's very hot and humid in Tokyo this time of year. Here is something that I just found out about the hotel....it's being remodeled and will be open in the Fall 2010. This hotel is centrally located in the Akasaka area near the Prime Minister's Official Residence. From the hotel lobby it's directly across the street from the subway/trains. Remember, the trains are ON TIME 99% of the time. If you miss one, have no fear, another one is coming along in a few minutes. The transportation there is extremely efficient and CLEAN.

My next step after booking our flights was to research the places that are children friendly and family-oriented. One of the books I really enjoyed and was most useful was called Kids' Trips in Tokyo.
We went to a lot of places this book suggested and they were all great!!!! We also learned some of the cultural nuances i.e. don't eat and walk (kids can up to a certain age; I don't know what that is, but you use your best judgment), don't blow your nose in public, take a small wet towel and put it in a plastic bag that can be re-used as your "wet wipe" for the day. There are a lot more, but it felt good to fit into the culture AND get a really good feel for how people live day to day.

One of our memorable stops was a day at Kamakura. It's an hour train ride from Tokyo. Definitely a place where you would want to bring your stroller. The strollers aren't great for the hikes up the steps, but I had a Baby Bjorn and my husband had the hiking pack where he could carry our youngest. We would just park the strollers in the stroller parking area and hike up. Our oldest did not tire out. He was so excited to see all the views and met so many other kids, that he didn't get tired. This town had ocean views, temples, and beautiful green rolling hills. The Kid Trips in Tokyo book gave us plenty to see without having to go temple to temple which would have bored our kids. We stopped at the Great Buddha. This place is astounding! The Great Buddha was completed in 1252. The statue ranks as Japan's second-largest bronze Buddha. It weighs 124,478 kilograms, stands 11.25 meters high. It is truly awe-inspiring.

After the Great Buddha, we went on to Hasedera, one of easter Japan's most popular temples, that houses an ancient gilded Kannon. Our oldest met another boy and they became fast hiking friends meandering through the temple and it's views of the ocean and valley.

Kamakura's main sopping street has a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and candy stores. Everything is neatly wrapped and beautiful. Even when cashier bags your treasures, they are beautifully wrapped. Very fun!

Stay tuned for our next day trip in Tokyo!

NY, NY part cinq

A part of our City Pass was to see the Empire State Building. It was a glorious day and so we headed to Chinatown for some Dim Sum and then quickly went over to the Empire State Building. It was great to have our City Pass because we, once again, went to a shorter line; however, it was still long wait. So, you can imagine what the other line must have been like. It's become such a tourist trap with the pictures you are sort of forced to take because it's a part of the line....I know, silly, eh? This is the kind of place where they show you the pictures at the end of the tour.

Once we got through all of that and made our way up, it was busy and beautiful. The sites were gorgeous and we also had the opportunity to get the audio tour as part of our City Pass. The kids were able to re-cap from our trip on the previous day and see Staten Island, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the Washington Bridge and beyond. The audio tour was fascinating and definitely worth it. The last time I was at the Empire State Bldg. it was at night. I thought it was just as beautiful as it was during the day. A lot less people, but mind you I was up there during the colder months. I also bumped into Seal, one of my favorite singers, who was cuddling up to a tennis star (obviously, this is all pre-Klum).

By the time we were done with the Empire State Building, it was late afternoon and getting close to dinner. The kids were hungry so off we went to a really fun restaurant for the kids. This place is called Mars 2112. It's a space-themed restaurant with a little "ride" before you get to the restaurant. The wait staff were all aliens, there was a little video game room, and the decor was interesting as well. The food was okay. It's a place where the kids enjoy the atmosphere and the adults live vicariously through them. Would we go there again? Probably not, but a good first timer place. It is very similar to the Rainforest Cafe just a different theme. I think the Rainforest Cafe has better food. Another place that was suggested to us was the Jekyll and Hyde Restaurant, but after looking at the website and its description we decided it was a little too scary for our little ones. Definitely a place to check out for adults!

Once again we had a full day and the kids were ready to rest.

Here are some other places that we never got to, but with more time, we would have liked to have seen or experienced.

• Sony Wonder Technology Lab - It's a free interactive museum where sci-tech workshops reveal hidden talents; where feature screening inform visitors, sparking more curiosity all the while.
• Central Park Zoo - 6.5 acre zoo with polar bears, penguins and sea lions. Check out the Tisch Children's Zoo where little ones can pet domestic animals, feed them treats, and explore the enchanted forest.
• New Victory Theater - "NY's Theater for kids and families"; 500 seats and 15 productions to choose from at any given time. Circus acts, puppetry, dance performances, plays, and comedy shows. There are always shows to accommodate every age group.
• Alice's Tea Cup - When children want the royal treatment, head to whimsical Alice's Tea Cup. With quirky cakes and an assortment of teas, this shop is the best place in New York to throw a tea part. The water is twice filtered and boiled to 180 degrees precisely, then used to make international teas, ranging from Grank Keemun to Numalighar. Little pirncesses will never forget the eccentricities.
• Bronx Zoo - The Bronx Zoo’s world-class exhibits such as Congo Gorilla Forest, the Wild Asia Monorail, Tiger Mountain, and our newest exhibit, Madagascar!, get you eye-to-eye with massive crocodiles, majestic tigers, and inquisitive gorillas.

Please report back if you have some new experiences. We're ready to go back!