Disney on Ice Treasure Trove

So we did it again...as a Field Ambassador for Feld Entertainment, I took the kids (sans Daddy) to the latest and greatest Disney on Ice show called Treasure Trove. We had great seats on the lower level, but I noticed the kids in the floor seats had an improved interactive experience. I think I'll check on the prices for those seats. The kids on the floor got selected to participate in the show and even when in their seats, many of the characters would skate by and interact with them...my kids were jealous!

As far as Disney shows go, Treasure Trove was ideal for my family. My five-year-old son and his buddy loved The Incredibles and the Disney "classics" like Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Goofy. The first act was Alice in Wonderland and of course the ever-so-fun "unbirthday" party. They sang "Painting the Roses Red" and out came the somewhat spooky Army and Queen of Hearts. Captain Hook followed and of course Peter Pan and the crew were "Following the Leader" to the delight of the crowd. The girls perked up as Tinkerbell flew in from high above and the set ended with "Yo Ho, Yo Ho...Pirate's Life For Me" and lots and lots of Tink's powerful pixie dust.

The second half of the show went by so quickly with the drama and jubilee...such a great variety! The Lion King is a Disney on Ice mainstay, and they performed the usual family faves like "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." And in true Disney dramatic fashion, they ended by completing the "Circle of Life."

The Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was popular with most of the parents in the crowd...and I had forgotten that Snow White was the first-ever full-length animated feature film...no wonder all the nostalgia! The entire audience sang along to "Whistle While you Work."

Both Aladdin and The Little Mermaid were very magical...Aladdin with the flying carpet and energetic music and The Little Mermaid with the black light/glow in the dark costumes.

All this at one ice performance is hard to believe...but the final acts were what really grabbed the interest of my three-year-old daughter (the boys were twiddling their thumbs just a bit here!). First of all, my daughter is obsessed with Rapunzel and they did a great job of reenacting the "frying plan over the head of Flynn" scene. They ended this act with "At Last I See The Light" and all of those magical paper lanterns from the film were flittering through the "sky." Simply delightful for the little girls!

I just love the Princess and the Frog, and was very excited that they included a Princess Tiana act this time around. The music of New Orleans had everyone clapping along and smiling.

My daughter wouldn't let us leave, because the final act was just too good to be true. ALL of the Disney Princesses back on the ice with their partners and other Disney "couples" skating to "Someday My Prince Will Come." We couldn't go until Belle, Rapunzel, Tiana, Mulan, Aladdin, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the rest waved us out of the arena!

Disney on Ice continues to be a family favorite in my house, and yes...we'll go again. But maybe next time, floor seats!

How To Enjoy Disney on Ice

Last night, I took my two kids to Worlds of Fantasy, a Disney on Ice show: http://ow.ly/1evcY. One of the reasons I took my son and daughter to a Disney on Ice (finally!) is because this particular show has programming that appeals to both genders. Not to force stereotypes, but as expected, my son really enjoyed the Cars and Lion King performances, while my daughter loved the Little Mermaid and Tinkerbell.

For those of you who have children that love the Disney Princesses (we're not there yet), the Tinkerbell program was the entire second half...so you get your full dose of fairies. The premise of the Tink portion was that she needed to deliver Spring to the world. The fairy dusted rink was full of flittering fairies and butterflies floating through life-size Spring blossoms.

Classic Disney fans will enjoy the intros by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy (by "classic" I mean anyone that's not a Pixar or Princess freak). The first half of the show includes Cars, Little Mermaid and the Lion King, and the segments seem to get progressively longer as the night goes on (which is fine because the Lion King has more substance than Cars anyhow...though my 3 year old would disagree). The lighting and special effects were really cool, especially during the Little Mermaid and Lion King. There was a part during Lion King where the Buffalo are chasing Simba and his Dad, and the animals look nearly real...moving quickly across the ice in multi-dimensions.

Overall, this show is great for boys and girls alike and children starting at 18 months through tweens. My kids (nearly 4 and 2) thoroughly enjoyed it, and only became fidgety during the intermission. Bring snacks to keep them occupied, and awake...after all, they can sleep in the car on the way home.

And don't be surprised if Tinkerbell is so infectious that even your 3 year old boy is screaming for a Tink toy on the way out!

How To Make Sense of the Vaccine Craze

National Influenza Vaccination Month is coming up: January 10-16. This year it will continue its focus on the importance of performing flu vaccinations even after the holiday season, but also making sure everyone receives the H1N1 vaccine specifically.

Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has just released the 2010 Pediatric Vaccination schedule. And guess who made her debut? If you shouted "H1N1," you got it! Find the most up-to-date guidelines on the AAP's new parenting website: http://www.healthychildren.org/.

Over the Holidays some new literature surfaced on "best practices" of childhood vaccinations. There was discussion on whether or not you should decline combo doses, and many medical professionals believe #1 that there is no increased risk with combo doses and #2 that it is much more comfortable for your child to receive less "pokes." Keep in mind, many of the physicians would benefit from your return visit and the extra $15 co-pay, so I'm pretty sure if they felt differently, they'd promote their own business and have you back.

Also, if your first inclination is to use pain relievers prophylactically when your child is scheduled for immunizations, you might reconsider. New research suggests that using fever-reducers such as acetaminophen before or soon after a vaccination may actually reduce its effectiveness. Researchers maintain that the low-grade fever may be a sign of your child developing antibodies and building a proper immune response to the jab. However, if your child gets a spiking fever following certain immunizations, you should always call your Pediatrician. If you are unsure what to expect following shots, ask your doctor.

How to Communicate

The non-profit parenting organization that I volunteer for, Golden Gate Mothers Group (http://www.ggmg.org/index.html), has revolutionized large group communication.



Many moms (like myself) spend two to four hours each day catching up on their Yahoo! Groups forums, shopping online, and updating their social status on Facebook or Twitter. With GGMG's new communication solution on https://www.bigtent.com/ I will be able to do most of my online tasks in one place! Yipee!



The people at BigTent like to refer to their service as a "dashboard for your community involvement." I like to think of it as an online master planner where I can connect my volunteerism with my involvement at my kids' schools and more. The forums are similar to Yahoo Groups! since you can check all your forums by logging in to one place, but the capabilities of BigTent go far beyond.



Some of the extras BigTent provides are:

event calendar (collect RSVPs and no need for Evites)

manage memberships online (and volunteer duties)

collect dues or event registration fees online

email blasts to members (especially helpful for event or news posts)

group news (basically a group blog)



I like the fact that I can merge the information from all my groups that I belong to on BigTent.com. For example, I only have to manage one event calendar. With the click of a button I can see everything I have coming up, no matter what group it was originally listed under. I can check a box to populate my BigTent calendar with all my BigTent group activities, deadlines, etc (and just as easily I can uncheck and list them in their original separate calendars again).



All in all, I feel BigTent will do 2 things for our 4000 mommy members at GGMG: free up time and help our membership develop a deeper connection.



Kudos to BigTent for a great development and GGMG Board of Directors for taking our organization to the next level.

How to Terminate California

Wow, all the waiting...and waiting...and waiting...for what? Education was the hardest hit AGAIN. So what the heck required all that deliberation?

In brief, here is what Arnie arm wrestled folks in to signing:

* Education spending -$9.3 billion.
* Health and human services -$3 billion.
* Government spending -$1.7 billion.
* State employees pay -$820 million.
* Prison spending -$785 million.
* Vetoes -$489 million
* +$1 billion shifted to state's general fund from other state accounts.
* +$1.4 billion from delayed payroll and health premium payments.
* +$3.5 billion from tax withholding and other changes.
* +$2.2 billion borrowed from local governments and the State Highway Account.

So what I see here is: 1) California schools will be taken off life support and now will be officially dead, mental illness and criminal activity will be on the rise, and Gavin Newsom better hold on REAL tight to the SF purse strings because the Governator is coming for our "rainy day fund." Yikes!!!

How to Walk Like an Egyptian

*photo of Canopic Coffinette from the deYoung Museum

If you don't have plans to escape the city for the Fourth of July weekend, head over to Friday Nights @ the deYoung Museum. Celebrate King Tut's return with free family programming this Friday July 3rd. Follow the trail of gypsies in Wilsey Court complete with a live performance from Stellamara and dancers Miriam Peretz and Hannah Romanowsky. Children get gilded with foil art from 6pm-8:30pm.

Beyond the free activities, tickets are required to visit the museum galleries, and special exhibit tickets are available for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs (which include admission to permanent exhibits).

Before you go, make sure the kiddos get a glamour shot next to the large TUT sign out front. It will look really cool at twilight.

How To Get Around SF

74X CultureBus (http://www.sfculturebus.org/) is a brand new, eco-friendly way to visit the city’s cultural centers and is especially convenient for those that live near one of the four stops: Yerba Buena, Union Square, Civic Center or Golden Gate Park. Tickets are $7 per adult (valid for 24 hours), $3 for Fast Pass holders and free for children four and under (cash only). 74X CultureBus runs every 60 minutes daily from 10am to 5pm and the ride is less than 40 minutes across town. Added bonus: discounted admission for California Academy of Sciences ($3 off) and de Young Museum ($2 off) with ticket stub.

How a Girl Should Comeback

Yay! No Doubt is embarking on a reunion tour.

It seems so long ago that I attended my first No Doubt "performance" (if you can call it that) at CSU Fullerton in a little sunken stage area near the dance studios. I stumbled upon them by accident, yet I remember that day pretty vividly.

It was one of the most amazing music experiences I've ever had (live horns, and no sound system!). All my wife beater and Dickies punk-ska days followed, and much later my slow and incomplete adoption of the Harajuku girl/L.A.M.B. ploy. Though, the latter may be considered Gwen's schtick (rather than No Doubt) and my non-compliance shouldn't be counted against me.

One of my most memorable No Doubt shows was the Bradley Nowell (of Sublime) benefit show at the Palladium. This is probably because I LOVED the tracks that Brad and Gwen sang on over the years...they were just varying degrees of raw talent and complimented each other well.

So here we are in 2009, Gwen and the boys offered a little No Doubt reunion sneak peek on the Today Show (a show worth little else): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNNFqYnu5AE.

No Doubt are so cool, they are actually offering a free download of their entire music collection to each ticket holder. This is a genius marketing tactic, as it will get concert-goers even more pumped for the show. And anyone who follows (worships really!) Gwen knows how in to the audience she is, always prompting a girly sing-along. How can people join in if they have to dust off their No Doubt CDs to "practice" in advance? Not needed, get your files downloaded ASAP to your iPod, iPhone, or whatnot and start re-learning those lyrics today! I wonder if it truly is their entire No Doubt discography? I haven't had a chance to download yet...

Anyhow, guess I better get some cool gear at H&M or somewhere else really one-time wear-ish...I don't know where the doc martens, white tanks, etc are anymore and they probably wouldn't fit anyhow! But I sure am looking forward to July 25th at Shoreline. http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/404693/

How to move on

Last Friday I was afforded the opportunity to attend Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi's press conference at my son's preschool, Holy Family Day Home http://www.holyfamilydayhome.org/ in San Francisco (yep, that is ME with the curly hair and red glasses next to her!). HFDH was chosen in part due to its century long history of supporting low income families in our city. In addition to enrolling private pay students, HFDH secures government subsidies for over 85% of their students who come from low income homes. It is alarming how many families are considered "homeless" that attend the program (somewhere around 20%).

Speaker Pelosi shared with us that over $2 billion will go towards child care from the recently approved economic stimulus package. California will receive about 10% of these funds, or $200 million...which we really need. Hopefully these funds will start flowing around April, and will prevent a hike in child care tuition for the families that need it most. Really all families would benefit from keeping tuition hikes at bay, with unemployment STILL on the rise, not just subsidized families. Click this link for the SF Chronicle story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/28/BAKF166L71.DTL&hw=nancy+pelosi&sn=010&sc=295

Other approvals affecting San Francisco:

$100 million to rebuild Doyle Drive (the rest of the $1 billion needed was previously secured)

$10 million for MUNI 3rd Street Light Rail

$8 million regional water recycling program

$1.9 million for Transbay Terminal

$1.75 million for Presidio Heritage Center

$951,000 SF biofuels program

$950,000 for GG Bridge movable median barrier

$476,000 for upgrade to Chinese Hospital

$333,000 for SFSU training programs for health professionals

$238,000 for the Glide Foundation

I understand that Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are under pressure and scrutiny for these earmarks, but they account for about 2% of the total spending bill. They will create jobs, and allow projects like Doyle Drive to finally be completed. It seems pretty ridiculous that the $1 billion project has been on hold all this time waiting for $2 million. And quite frankly, I am sick of watching the horrifying commercial on what will happen to Doyle if we have an earthquake.

The jury is still out on this stimulus package, and I think the amount of money this recovery will demand is nothing short of monstrous and threatening. However, as we have learned in the State of California...doing nothing can be just as costly. I have my fingers crossed...

How to ruin a good thing

Last time I checked 1) San Francisco has effortlessly lived up to our "Only in San Francisco" tagline and 2) we are in a down economy and really need some "cheap thrills." Well, don't count on Bay to Breakers for that in 2009. The editor (aka "fearless leader") of GGMG newsletter (which I write features for) just informed me at tonight's meeting of Bay to Breakers "new improvements and policies." Their language is pretty strong considering "improvements" are based on interpretation and are therefore largely subjective. Thoughts?
http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/main_home.html

I can't even fathom that the Castro Halloween event has been cancelled two years in a row (http://www.halloweeninthecastro.com/). They say it is gone for good, but I am in denial. I only went once (and I was preggers, so no drinky poos), but I have never laughed so hard in my life. Pure shock value. And...that event was just one of those San Francisco happenings that make this city so unique and raw. I have always been proud that SF is diverse and that you can go do your professional duties by day, you know...your "real job"...yet dip in to the craziness that is SF at night. Of course, this doesn't occur much for me now that I have two little ones under the age of three. My life is much more linear. But I like the option to get crazy if need be!

While I refuse to say goodbye to the Halloween festivities that are SF history, I can let go of B2B. As a matter of fact, I am already embracing my change of heart. This year, I won't stand on my balcony watching the passersby and thinking to myself "next year I MUST sign up, and run with the kids, and a keg too!" Really, without the nudity and alcohol, Bay to Breakers is just another opportunity to get or stay fit. And let's face it, the booze and lack of clothing were the only reasons I ever entertained the idea to begin with! Now, I just need to figure out where I can be that day instead, don't want my car to get blocked in the garage.

How to go quickly and quietly

I hope I don't have any babystyle gift certificates lying around anywhere...just heard news on GGMG that http://www.babystyle.com/ swiftly went under. No public announcement, no viral heads up, just gone. I called their Burlingame store, and the phone number was disconnected "ring, ding, ding, we're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service." And No, I don't feel I have reached this recording in error.

Their website is even less detailed http://www.babystyle.com/: "We're sorry but we have suspended operation of our site." We're sorry too, and where the hell have I been? I will say that there were whisperings of trouble a year ago, but nothing hinting at the website and Bay Area store closings http://venturebeat.com/2008/03/24/babystyle-the-baby-retailer-files-for-bankruptcy-victim-of-misguided-investors/.

Rats! I really liked babystyle and would have loved to take advantage of any liquidation sale offered. I always said they had the best and softest layette and basic cotton for kids (I like This Little Piggy Wears Cotton too http://www.littlepiggy.com/).

For me, this really is a sign of the times. I thought babies were "big business" and the obsession with baby gadgets and gizmos, better known as keeping up with the Jones', was unwavering...guess everyone is pinching pennies now. Yikes!

Hang on to your hats everyone...remember Mr. Toad's Wild Ride @ Disneyland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Toad? Yes, he was replaced by Winnie the Pooh, but his spirit lives on. And unlike most major airlines Mr. Toad isn't hurtin' for passengers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j86Eb3toGIM

**Update: Turns out Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disneyland is alive and kicking (or "rollering" to be exact). Only the Floridian version of it was turned in to the Original Poo others refer to as Winnie. Another reason why Cali rocks over Fl...no offense!
http://www.ocweekly.com/bestof/2008/award/best-ride-at-disneyland-258477/

How to say "Goodbye" when you really mean "Good Riddance"

I feel for Cindy Sheehan, I really do. I appreciate her stance on the war, and try to be empathetic to her losing her son. I will (hopefully) never understand what she feels. I will say, however, that more often than not she is far too progressive for my tastes. But this is AMAZING, and if I had $100 laying around and a closet that wasn't already full of my husband's old trusties, I would be ALL OVER THIS. Later...George Bush...we couldn't have survived another day!

https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1590/t/4043/shop/shop.jsp?storefront_KEY=141

Learn to be Eco Friendly

Of course, there are many ways to be more environmentally friendly. It seems like a daunting task, and often times making the changes require a considerable price hike up front for savings of resources AND personal savings in the future. Most people would agree, that it is best to stop stressing about making EVERY single change, and to do what you can.

For my part, this holiday season, I plan on shopping homemade and vintage. Check out http://www.etsy.com/buy.php for tons of homemade goods. I have been on the prowl for customized mommy jewelry (I have a gift card that is burning a hole in my pocket, and may start incurring fees if I don't use it soon) AND homemade Christmas decorations (I really need a new tree skirt).

Happy shopping, and remember (contrary to Kermit the Frog) "It's Easy Being Green"

Learn from the Non-Mommy

Before I react to something that has been done or said to offend me, I always pause to consider why someone would do or say such a thing. It is very helpful to forgive, if you can try to understand why something has occurred. Of course, being an eternal optimist, I usually give everyone way too much slack.

So last night, my family and I were out to dinner. A quick meal at the gourmet food court in Westfield San Francisco Centre http://westfield.com/sanfrancisco/. I ran off to get my choice in cuisine as Aaron and Adam decided on Japanese food. I got beef and noodles at Out The Door (new website coming: http://www.outthedoors.com/) and a very strong Vietnamese coffee, YUM!

It was at Out the Door where I was verbally abused by the "non-mommy." It started when I was ordering and her rather attractive hubby walked over and admired Jamison in the ERGO baby carrier. Jamison couldn't have cared less, as she was nodding off. The husband went on and on about what a beautiful baby she was. After a few minutes, his wife who was quite attractive came over. He continued to gush, and she was not as interested at all. He said "Honey, isn't she adorable" and she hesitated with a non-enthusiastic "Yeah, she is cute." I had to say something now, it was getting awkward. I asked "Oh, do you have any children?" She said "No" and I said "Oh, well that means you have some time to enjoy yourself still."

I was trying to highlight the positives of being childless, since her husband was still admiring Jamison and I was still feeling weird. And then, she said it...and I struggle to understand why any woman would say something like this. She piped in (even when I was ALREADY trying to make her feel good about herself) "Oh yes, I have plenty of time." And as she looked up at me with a menacing smile, she continued "I can even put on make-up and blow dry my hair." Ew...how hateful!

As I headed back to my family, I struggled to walk for a moment in her shoes. Maybe she really wants kids, and can't. Maybe she doesn't want kids, and can't stand them. Then Jamison woke up and stared in to my eyes, and simultaneously Aaron and Adam came in to view. They were smiling and enjoying Japanese food together...I thought "You know, I don't care why she would say such a thing. I would rather be make-up free with my naturally curly, air-dried hair any day, if I can continue to have moments like this with my family." It is so worth it...

Learn to laugh with your kids

As I sat there trying to nurse my infant daughter, my son decided he needed to crawl right up next to us. We never need to turn on the TV, because my 2 year old is all the entertainment I need. Adam proceeded to include me in his imaginary world.

Adam: "Look over there Mommy, the for fust aminals"
Me: "What are you saying Adam?"
Adam: "The for fust aminals are over there by the bookcase"
Me: "Ah, the farm animals are over there?"
Adam: "No Mom, the forest animals"
Me: "Oh, forest animals (now I am laughing). What kind of animals are there?"
Adam: "Um, a bear. A deer"
Me: "Oh, I see"

As I am trying to focus on feeding my daughter, Adam starts in to a full fledged conversation with his forest animals, and he is almost in hysterics.

Adam: "Stop forest animals, that is my cake"
He repeats this several times then "Mommy, tell them that's Adam's cake"
Me: "Stop forest animals (now this is getting real crazy) that is Adam's cake"
Adam: "Stop animals, stop!!. That's mines, that's Adam's cake"

Adam is getting louder and louder, and more upset by the moment. His sister, Jamison, is having a hard time focusing on nursing because Adam is going crazy. I am laughing so hard, I can't blame Jamison for being distracted from eating.

Adam: "Aw man (Adam finally calms down, now he speaks slowly). The forest animals ate my cake"
And he finishes off like any son of mine would "Dammit"

I am now rolling with laughter. And I vow, I must buy a journal to write down these wonderful, and hilarious jaunts into make-believe my son takes me on.

Learning how-to myself...

I have a ton of information to share, and will be updating my site much more frequently, once I figure this blogging life out! I have a domain name where I will eventually move, so stay tuned for more info.