There's Always Time for Good Music

Dan Zanes is a favorite of our family, ever since we saw him perform at the New Victory Theater in Manhattan, and our then 2-year-old went crazy for the music. He's appearing again in our area, including at a concert this weekend in Englewood at the Bergen PAC. Visit his website and you can get a discount

You can also catch him Saturday, May 8th, at a special concert at the Met.

He's very hip, he understands kids, he learned Spanish so he could understand and perform songs in Spanish and he celebrates multiculturalism. Oh yeah, and the music rocks. Literally. The holiday concert last year at the New Victory was a celebration of the holidays from many different cultures and backgrounds and was so beautiful it made me want to dance and cry at the same time.

Reading for the Gender Conscious

Like most parents of young children, I sometimes find myself obsessing about how well or how fast my kid is learning to read. I recently learned that March is National Reading Month, which makes sense, since in the past few weeks parents everywhere were invited to schools to read stories (and in some cases, celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday - also in March!).

But in my mind, March has always been Women's History Month and on the 8th - International Women's Day. So when I think about reading, I think - especially this month - about the gender messages my daughter gets in the books she reads. I just find all too often - still - there are just so many stories (and movies and shows and their spin-off related books) where the leader or the main character or the one-who-solves everything is always a boy or a man.

That's why I love shows like Word Girl on PBS - and yes - she has some spin off books. Well, at least one, where she takes on a crazy robot. We love reading that because it combines two of my daughter's favorite things - words/ word play and robots! How could you go wrong?

Of course, we read stories every day at home, hang out in bookstores and the library. But we also have a secret treasure trove downstairs at grandma's house. Because my mother saves everything, had four kids, and used to teach disabled children in NYC's public schools -- she has an amazing collection of books. Looking for something on dinosaurs? space? the Vikings? weird science experiments? She's got 'em. Some of the tomes in her collection are these really old books you can't find these days - especially ones about gender - like a classic called "What is a Boy? What is a Girl?' which features really nice black and white photographs and explains that boys can cry, cuddle baby dolls, etc., and girls can be strong and have really short hair. We love reading that one too.

My mother also has a great eye - recently she brought home a second-hand book for us that she found at a shop in Manhattan. It's called The Cats in Krasinski Square (By Karen Hesse) and takes place in Warsaw in 1942. It features a brave young girl who becomes part of the Jewish resistance. What a marvelous, inspiring story.

So in this month of reading and women, I'd like to say - thanks Mom. For taking me to the International Women's Day March in Manhattan many years ago, and for always reading to us, filling the house with art books and poetry, and reading with your granddaugher.

So "Sue" Me

There were about 800 things on the family "to-do" list this morning, but with the sun shining so nicely we had to get outdoors. A quick drive got us to Liberty State Park - and the enormous Liberty Science Center. That's the place to go if you want to come face-to-face with Sue - the best T-Rex skeleton ever found.

Sue is only in town until March 14 and she is definitely worth the trip. What we liked best about it is that you can really see it - just get right up close and marvel at that massive jaw! those huge teeth! the giant joints of the legs! The other activities and explanations they have in the exhibit are all good too.

After a checking out a few other exhibits, we bought tickets for the "simulator ride." For $5 each, guests choose one of several programs and climb in a vehicle that looks like a cross between a small space ship and a car that sits on hydraulic lifts. My daughter chose "Solar Coaster" and rode into space, zooming through the planets. From outside, I could hear squeals of joy.

We didn't stay for too long though, because we had to leave time to play outside at Liberty State Park where lots of tots where exploring the playground.

One final weekend note - Jersey City's First Fridays are finally beginning to offer more events for kids. Last night we checked out a few galleries, and heard live kid-friendly music at Made With Love (where there was also face painting). Ahymn Espresso Bar & Cafe up the street also had another musical duo - although they were playing adult music. For sitting patiently through two songs, the kid was rewarded with a nice purple balloon. Very uplifting.

Snowflakes, Apple Crisps and Maple Syrup

All this snow means time for some new crafts - so the other day I showed my daughter how to make snowflakes inside to match all the ones outside that were falling thick and fast.

We folded blank white paper into squares and then cut designs into them - pull them open and - poof - snowflakes to delight any small child (although I was rather taken with them myself!).

For extra fun, we lay them out on cookie sheets, put them on the dining room table and let her put glue down and cover them in silver glitter and silver glitter glue. They looked charming and we strung them up with some thread. While she was doing that, I flipped through an old copy of Edible Jersey magazine where I found a receipe for an apple crisp, which we quickly made for a nice winter dessert.

Still, we didn't want to stay inside forever, so last weekend we made a trip to the Tenafly Nature Center. This is a great resource for local families looking to get outdoors and hike on 380 acres of unspoiled land. They have a number of trails, a large pond and a cozy center where kids can check out snakes and turtles and lots of nature books. We have been there many times but we hadn't ever been to one of their programs. Some friends met us there and we were happy to introduce them to the Nature Center.

The program we attended was on Maple Sugaring. (You can see all their programs here - they are doing the Maple program for the next two weekends.) Kids get an explanation of how maple sugar is made and how trees produce sap. Then you tromp outside and see one of the maple sugar trees they've tapped and all the sap collected in the big metal bucket. It was a beautiful day, standing under a blue, crisp sky almost knee deep in snow. Some parts of the program are a bit slow for the smaller children, but for the most part held their attention and was interactive.

If you are hungry afterwards there are plenty of places for lunch. We often head back towards Englewood and stop at the Jackson Hole diner (I used to be addicted to their turkey dinner specials and milkshakes) or Baumgarts (where they have homemade ice cream and a huge menu).

(Photo from Tenafly Nature Center.)

Book Shop Lust

I've been traveling lately, which means of course I leave room in my suitcase for books. When work took me to Santa Barbara, CA for a conference recently, I took an extra day at the end to visit my father up the coast.

The town of Santa Cruz is famous for its boardwalk (great for kids), beautiful beaches, natural wonders and of course, surfing. But whenever I visit we have to make a stop at Book Shop Santa Cruz. It's a huge, progressive bookshop with the personality that's missing in our Barnes & Noble emporiums.

Bookshop Santa Cruz also has a BIG children's section and over the years we my daughter has played there on an old wooden rocking horse and sat on her grandfather's lap while looking at books. This time I found an illustrated edition of The Secret Garden. But what I also adore about this bookstore is that they have a small section of USED children's books which is just great. I loaded up on a bunch of paperbacks last time. This time I found a hardcover of Olivia which made a nice gift for my daughter when mommy finally came home and unpacked her suitcase.

This past weekend we were on the road again, traveling to Woodstock, NY for yet another conference. While my husband romped around in the snow with the kid, I went to Woodstock. In between sessions I dashed in and out of the towns wonderful shops. Again - here is a place with personality. There is no Starbucks here - but a warm, friendly and busy Bread Alone shop where we filled up on chai and coffee and admired the baked goods. They also have a terrific bookstore called The Golden Notebook (named after one of my all time ever favorite books). Next door to that - there is an entire second Golden Notebook devoted to children. Two minutes on the threshold and there were about 65 things I wanted to pick up for my daughter including - flip books (I got one called How the Whale Developed Through the Ages), books on Passover (including hard to find sticker books for the Jewish holiday), Fancy Nancy books, and more. They also had a great selection of toys and games and fun stuff. I also got a little drinking glass with fairies all over it.

Of course, here at home we have plenty of bookstores still worth exploring, including the lovely Books of Wonder in Manhattan. If you've never been, I recommend going when they have a story time session - their readers really get into it. In Jersey City, the newish shop Jack's on Jersey Ave. has a selection of books and has recently started some storytelling sessions and will be offering author events in the future. You can follow Jacks Toy Shop on Facebook.

When Mom is Too Sick to Cook

At the end of last year, I was at a friend's party in downtown Jersey City when a huge platter of warm empanadas were served. When I asked where they came friend my friend smiled. It turned out she had driven all the way to the Heights to pick these babies up. At $1 a piece I'm told they are the best, well-priced empanadas around.

Of course, we're no strangers to Rumba's since we live in the neighborhood but usually we are just dashing in for a cup of their fantastic coffee to go. (The wait staff somehow almost seem disappointed when I tell them I only want one sugar.) This warm, Cuban restaurant is extremely popular and never empty. Sometimes we'll get a roasted chicken dinner to go when we are having a busy night. Occasionally I've taken my daughter in on an early Saturday morning when dad is sleeping in. She gets a buttered roll and mom gets coffee. Here is a link to the menu.

Last week I was laid up with some strange flu-like bug and all I wanted was chicken soup and orange juice. Too weak to even contemplate dragging myself to the store and then into the kitchen, I walked into Rumba's and came out with an enormous container of chicken soup and another huge to go cup of FRESH squeezed OJ from Rumba's awesome retro-looking machine.
I paid $10.

There was plenty to satisfy the munchkin for dinner and it was just the right elixir for mom. Of course, I wouldn't mind if a Jewish deli opened nearby where I could get a nice matzo ball soup (because driving to Englewood or Tenafly is just too ridiculous when you are sick), but Rumba's can do right by you - whether you are sick or not, any day of the week.

A Trip to Brooklyn and... Kidville Comes to Hoboken

We were supposed to head out of town this weekend,
but our friend dislocated her knee. So instead of a long drive to Hunter Mountain, we headed over to
Brooklyn with flowers and a get well card. Before stopping over in Park Slope, however, we made a
visit to the fabulous Brooklyn Children's Museum
www.brooklynkids.org.

After visits over the holidays to several crowded museums (not to mention any-day-of-the-week in Manhattan's packed kid spaces) this museum was a delight. It has undergone a major renovation and felt spacious. The Totally Tots exhibit (pictured above) was big hit, with lots of things to bang and build, climb and discover -- not to mention a wonderful, big water table that tiny kids could play in but which also delighted the 5 year olds there. Even the cafe wasn't too crowded. The museum has a lot to see and do, with thoughtful spaces for really, really little babies and a terrific library where we looked at books and played (half a game) of checkers with over-sized pieces.

An upcoming exhibit on the Gullah people (slaves brought from West Africa who lived on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia and are known for preserving a lot of their African culture and distinct linguistics) looks like it will be great. The museum also had some great literature available about teaching children to read.

After that it was a quick drive to see our friend in Park Slope. There are plenty of great places to shop and dine here, although we stayed in and had a leisurely dinner together.

The day before our trip over the East River to Brooklyn, we took advantange of the nice weather and headed down to Hoboken for a walk on our side of the Hudson. We got there early enough to swing by the Grand Opening of the new Kidville Annex in Hoboken. (www.kidville.com/Hoboken/home/default.asp)

It's a great space, inside the old video store at 1202 Shipyard Lane, just a few doors down from the entrance to the King's on the river side entrance. (There is no cafe here, but there is a Starbuck's around the corner). The place was mobbed with parents and kids. There were crafts, a live music performance and lots of lots of sweaty kids bouncing on the fun, padded gym equipment. You can check out their class listings online. They will also offer a camp program and, of course, another space for birthday party gatherings.





Photo credit: Brooklyn Children's Museum