Day Camp for Everyone!

It is now officially summer, although summer weather’s been making an appearance on and off for the past few weeks. Summer time means a lot of different things, and now that I’m a mom to a near first-grader, summer means day camp and swimming lessons. Earlier this spring, I waded through the sea of options for MaM. It’s been two weeks, and it’s going well, which is a huge sigh of relief (today’s sunburn and lost glasses not withstanding).She’s come home tired and happy every day, and she’s even run into a few kids she knows from church and from school. She’s loving the rock climbing and swimming every day, and doesn’t even mind the imposed “quiet time”. She went to sleep tonight with dreams of their field trip to the zoo tomorrow.

Not all childcare plans pan out the way you hope, though. and that is why I’m interrupting this blog post with a PSA:

The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis offers programs for kids of all ages. I had the chance to speak to YMCA rep, Tangela Floyd, on the importance of the services the Y provides. She told me that their main goal is to keep kids of all ages busy while school is out. The YMCA is a dedicated to being accessible to all, so their fees are based on income, and financial assistance is available. Kids enjoy swimming, games and many other activities, all designed for them to have a happy and healthy summer, while their parents know they are in a safe environment. We talked about the challenge of finding a place for kids in the summer when parents are at work, and how it’s not easy. The Y can even accommodate young teens, because, as Tangela said, some twelve year olds can stay at home by themselves, and some really can’t. If you are finding that you need to make some childcare arrangements for the summer, see what the Y has to offer! There are still openings in their various camps around town.

Fine print: This is the first in a series of posts on what the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis has to offer. Next week, I dive into their Aquatics programs.

Staycation 2011: Kahuna Style

This past weekend BgK and I enjoyed a short weekend at home, sans kids. I dropped them off at Camp Grandma Friday afternoon.

If you know us, you know we didn’t actually stay at home– we just aren’t programmed that way.

First, we carbed up at The Cheesecake Factory Friday night.

Second, we woke up before the chickens to participate in the inaugural Carmel Marathon and Half-Marathon. Many moons ago (like 6, 7, years ago), I did the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I don’t remember it being quite as taxing as it was this time around, but hey, I finished. Since I don’t really run, I was happy with my 16:10 mile pace (athough I would have been happier in the 15 minute range…). BgK attempted the marathon, and was kicking butt right up til he wasn’t. He got bumped off the course at mile 24, which was really disappointing. I still say he did the damn marathon.

Third, we went to our friends’ house to recover from the marathon and eat fantastic steak (nom, nom).

Fourth, we went on a cruise down the White River via the Perseverance II. What, you didn’t know you could cruise down the White River? It’s true. The Broad Ripple Boat Company has cruises every weekend, and is available for private charter. We boarded with some of our favorite people and had a blast.

 

After all of that, I fell into bed at 9:30pm, and slept for nearly 12 hours.

If there ever was a time where I needed a weekend to recover from my weekend, this would be it!

Beef and Boards Presents: Cinderella

“MaM, guess where we’re going tomorrow?”

“Where?”

“We’re going to go see Cinderella on the stage.”

“Really? On the stage?”

“Yup. Does that sound like fun?”

“Yes. I will need to wear my princess dress to go see her.”

Last night, MaM broke out her Snow White dress (and Sleeping Beauty slippers, if you must know) and she and I headed out to enjoy an evening performance of Cinderella, which is playing at Beef and Boards through July 1.

I really wasn’t familiar with the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s version of Cinderella, but oh my goodness, this should be the version of Cinderella kids get to know and love. Nothing about it is scary, and the stepfamily is comical and clueless, not mean and vindictive. It’s a feel-good take on the classic fairy tale, complete with musical numbers.

MaM and I arrived at Beef and Boards as the dinner buffet was starting. After being seated at our table, our server took care of our drinks, and we were invited to the buffet. The buffet has something for everyone, including chicken fingers. There was plenty of time to enjoy dinner before the buffets were cleared from the stage and the sets went up to start the show. Our server took our dessert order before the house lights went down, and it was served during intermission (ff you like to enjoy an adult beverage during your theatre viewing, the full bar can easily accommodate).

Last night’s crowds was filled with five year old princesses just like mine, with a few prince charmings thrown in for good measure. The larger-than-life stepsisters (done with creative casting), the magic possessed by Cinderella’s godmother, the perfect in-time dancing of the ensemble cast, and a surprise entrance by the godmother (maybe she really is a fairy?) during the finale made the show delightful from start to finish. Once the show started, I heard a few little girls say, “hi Cinderella!” as the she made her entrance, but other than that, every kid in the house was mesmerized.

I admit it, I was too.

MaM’s favorite part was, predictably, Cinderella. Her jaw dropped as Cinderella’s rags were transformed into her ball gown. She watched intently as Cinderella danced with the prince. She clapped when Cinderella appeared in her wedding dress. My favorite part though, was the entrance of the Cinderella’s horse and carriage. I don’t want to spoil it, but the entire contraption was magical, right down to the softly dancing foal.

All in all, it was a magical evening, and if you’ve got a little princess of your own, I recommend taking her to go see the show! (It’s suitable for young princes as well) The show plays Wednesday-Sunday most weeks, including a 1pm Wednesday matinee that could be just right for families with children (we arrived shortly after 6pm for dinner, the show started at 8pm and I carried a sleepy MaM to the car just before 10pm).

In addition to shows  meant for patrons 3 and over (children under 3 are not able to attend this show), Beef and Boards also presents children’s theatre. These hour long productions are for all ages, and feature a snack rather than a full buffet. Pinocchio will be presented as the next children’s theatre piece, starting in October.

Disclosure: I was provided tickets to enjoy this production in exchange for my honest review. The opinions here are expressly my own.