GotchaBaby

March 9, 2011October 28, 2012

Transformers: See Them With Your Own Eyes (and so much more: A TCMIndy Ticket Give Away!)

**Updated: 6:06pm: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to comment #26, Jennifer on winning the tickets!***

It’s not secret that my family members are huge fans of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. I mean, really, it’s the largest children’s museum in the world and it has some seriously cool exhibits. I love bringing the kids down for even just a couple of hours, to explore and enjoy all the museum has to offer. The kids know the museum well — they start getting excited when they see the dinosaurs outside the museum. They are always on “hat watch” — because they know the dinosaurs will have on Halloween and Christmas themed head gear during those seasons. Last weekend when we were there, MaM was wondering if maybe she’d see some shamrocks or bunny ears on these giant reptiles.

I secretly can’t wait until we go again. This Friday, the museum is going to out-do itself and every boy within a million miles is going to go NUTS from now on whenever they enter the Welcome Center. Why, do you ask?

BUMBLEBEE is going to be a permanent part of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis!

Bumblebee, as every Transformers fan knows, is one of the good guys. He’s constantly trying to impress Optimus Prime, his leader, and took a star role in the latest Transformers movie. Also? Kids LOVE Bumblebee. My own kids are constantly on the look-out for bright yellow and black cars and shout, “Bumblebee” when they see one.

Walking into the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and seeing the 17ft tall, 1 ton movie prop? That will rock their world!

Bumblebee will be unveiled at 10:30am this coming Friday (yes! March 11), in conjunction with the special Members-Only Sneak Preview of the new exhibit, Incredible Costumes.

Now for the giveaway-

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis would like to hook one reader up with a four-pack of admission tickets to see Bumblebee for themselves. If you are able to attend the unveiling Friday, you will also be on the VIP list to attend the Incredible Costumes Preview (the exhibit won’t be open to the public until Saturday, March 12). Otherwise, the admission tickets will be waiting for you at Will-Call on a date of your choosing.

To enter, all you need to do is tell me about a favorite family outing of yours — either now, as a parent, or as a kid. Be sure to fill in your email address on the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. Because the premiere is Friday, I will pick a winner at 6pm Thursday (that’s tomorrow, March 10).

Thanks for entering, and good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this giveaway– I just really like promoting this amazing institution!

March 9, 2011

40 Bags in 40 Days

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season for Christians all over the world. Some years I approach Lent with a gusto, and plan and plot to make the season count. Other years, I’m sort of annoyed at the whole idea, reluctantly eat tuna on Friday, and go about my merry way.

In December 2010, I made a point to make Advent count. Last night, I was thinking about doing the same for Lent.

This morning as I was scrolling through my Facebook page, I came across a post on 4th Frog that gave me the Lenten inspiration I didn’t know I was looking for. No, I’m not giving up my couch like Amy is. I am, instead, focusing on the idea of 40 Bags in 40 Days.

The idea is simple — each day, focus on filling a bag (or box, or whatever) on things you no longer need. This could be a bag to pass onto a friend (kids’ clothes, hello), a box of items for Goodwill (do I need three slotted spoons? really? three?), or a bag for the trash (holey socks, old rags, even pillows die sometimes). On the surface, it appears to be a de-cluttering project in the name of Jesus.

I am hopeful that it will be so much more.

Think about how being weighed down by stuff feels. Right now, there’s a closet I’m avoiding because it’s unmanageable. It’s unmanageable because I haven’t gone through the toys the Fox has out grown. I’m holding onto toys he’s long forgotten about and has no use for. By facing them, I will a)create space in the closet for toys he does use and b) pass on the toys to children who will appreciate them (for 3.2 seconds, but hey, then it’s up to their mom to pass them on). I will also eliminate the mental kick I give myself every time the kids go toward that closet, and the cursing (sometimes mental, sometimes out loud) when I attempt to find something in there. And anytime there’s less cursing, well, I like to think I’m a little closer to God.

I’m hoping it will also be a chance to talk to the children about what I’ve been doing all along with their clothes (and to a lesser extent, their books and toys) — passing them on when they are done to someone who can use them. Every season I pass bags on to cousins and friends and my favorite family-friendly charity. (In addition to providing adoption services, the agency supports women who choose to parent, as well as families in the area who are struggling to provide for their children.) MaM is certainly old enough to become a part of this process, especially if we start with items she no longer likes.

My thought is that I will have no problem filling the first ten to twenty bags. After the half-way point though, I think the decisions are going to become a lot harder and a lot more personal. But that’s what Lent is all about, so I’m moving forward with the plan.

March 6, 2011

Pieces of the Puzzle

I’m getting used to things being up in the air. To having our house on the market (it’s been a year, basically), and therefore not having answers to a lot of other things, like, “what school system will MaM be enrolled in in the Fall?” It’s taken some time, but I’ve become pretty OK with it.

It feels good to be moving forward, even if the whole “when will the house sell” is the great unknown. I know when it won’t be selling — it won’t be selling today. I went for a long (1/2 marathon) training walk, and noticed there was a text from BgK.

“Did you know there was a showing today?”
Crap. No. No, no I didn’t.

Then I looked at my voicemail. The listing service called 45 minutes before said showing and had left a message. The agent and the people walked right in, throwing BgK and the kids for loop. They didn’t stay. Oops.

Moving forward and fitting the puzzle pieces together:

We’re pursuing the public school district in which we live right now, and the way the district is set up actually works in our favor should we sell our house after the school year starts. Our local district has split into the East side and the West side, and there’s school choice within each side. So if she starts school, and then we move within our side of the district, she can stay where she’s started.

I also think we’ve found the right preschool (!!!) for the Fox (usually, I call him Junior here, but on FB we call him the Fox and it’s really cute). We’ll know in a few weeks if he’s been accepted, and if he has been, then we’ll officially have more a of plan than we have had for months.

This is the first summer in awhile (2007, to be exact), that we’ve had to have summer daycare for the kids, and we’re making headway on that too. The Fox can stay at his current daycare until preschool starts. MaM can attend a local daycamp between kindergarten graduation and first grade (!!) starting.

Now if we can just unload this house……..