Sunthing Special

Hope some publicity helps spur on a big sponsor or two. Also hope that the Derby and its old-fashioned charms can make a comeback in this age of electronics.  

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703763904575196590813462362.html?KEYWORDS=soap+box+derby

It’s never to early to gather ideas for fun! So here are three places you and your kids can cool off for free next summer:
… Wading pools at various playgrounds in Cuyahoga Falls (Valley Vista, Oak Park, etc.). Better for toddlers, but if it’s a super hot day it’s a great place to cool your feet.
… Fountains at Cuyahoga Falls Riverfront Square. The water’s cold and it can be kind of scary for the little ones when the water starts spouting. Concessions are available. Bring empty plastic cups – kids love to put them over the holes and watch them pop up when the fountain erupts.
… Water Slide Day at Northwest (Akron) Family Recreation Center. Designed for ages 3-7, there were three of these this summer.

Spotted today, around noon … a fox! Think he was headed to Lock 3?

Polar Bears - Pittsburgh Zoo

If you like zoos at all, you must go to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. Why? There’s a new polar bear exhibit where if you’re lucky, like we were, you get to see polar bears swim over you!! Too cool! The animals are so up close and when we were there, on a cloudy/rainy/windy/hot/chilly day, they were all so active! Watching the gorillas alone was amazing — it truly felt like you were visiting long-lost relatives. The kids loved the playground areas, plus there is a log ride, a safari jeep ride, a carousel, a train ride (the train wasn’t working the day we were there, though), swinging rope bridges … Everything is just really well done, and best of all, if you’re a member of any other accredited zoo, you can get in FREE. That alone saved us $54! Just make sure you have the right directions so it only takes you 2 hours to get there from Akron instead of, uh, 3-1/2 hours. Ooops!

Gorilla - Pittsburgh Zoo

You can learn something new every day, and I’ve recently learned how to paint store windows! I’m having a blast! I’m doing the windows of the new RadAir complete car center in the Valley, across from Papa Joe’s. It’s not finished yet, and I’ll post a picure when I’m all done, but if you’re in the area, check it out! It’s nothing fancy – a big car, tire tracks, words, road signs – but it offers a freedom I don’t find painting on a canvas. I think it’s the fact I can just rub off my work and start again – if only it were that easy to correct mistakes in other areas of life!

UPDATE: This is what the windows looked like when they were done. They were like this for most of the summer, then last week I drove by and saw the store (but not garage) windows have been cleaned off. Good thing I wasn’t too attached to it! 

I highly, highly, highly recommend the Signing Time series of DVDs to learn sign language. I bought my first DVD about three years ago, and was quickly hooked. Each volume in the original series dealt with a certain topic (“my day”, “my neighborhood”, “time to eat” etc.). The DVDs are designed for kids age 7 and under, but really, they’re fun for people of all ages. Our family learned so many signs so quickly it was amazing. Will the DVDs teach you to converse in sign fluently? No, but you will be surprised how helpful learning different signs (like “potty”) can be. It is also very helpful for babies who can’t talk yet. Our youngest used about 50-75 signs correctly before she was even 2. The woman who co-created the series is a story in herself - a truly amazing, caring and talented mom of two children with special needs. In the past several years a ton of new products have become available, including a series just for babies. I have lent the DVDs to friends but won’t give them up yet – they are definitely a resource I intend to go back to from time to time.