I hate to admit it, but I have become a snob.  A children’s clothing and toy store snob.  With three kids, I have absolutely had it with toys comprised of no fewer than five hundred tiny plastic pieces that invariably find their way under my feet. No more!  I’m putting my foot down and investing in far fewer, but higher quality, toys and clothes for my kids.  To that end, I’ve been scouting out stores in Fairfield County where you can find some inventive, sturdy, and long-lasting toys and clothes for your brood.

As I tunneled out of my driveway yesterday, snow shovel in one hand and hot coffee in the other, my neighbor called over to ask if I had signed up for summer camp yet.  I dropped my coffee, swore (only a little swear, really), and realized that, despite the snow and ice, summer is coming!  This year, I am determined to sign up for camps early to take advantage of the early registration discounts.  The Mommy Poppins CT Summer Camp Guide has tons of great camps listed. Here are some others that we are also considering:

Roses are red, violets are blue, Fairfield County’s abuzz...with Valentines events to pursue!

Clearly my poetry leaves much to be desired, but you get my point.  There are lots of Valentine’s events for kids to participate in over the next two weeks.   To my mind, outsourcing both the sugary projects and the gluey, sticky projects is always a good idea!

I”ve always thought it somewhat ironic that our kids celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by taking a day off from learning.  But alas, Congress has once again failed to consult me when composing the list of federal holidays, and so school is indeed closed on Monday.  Therefore, come Monday morning, this family will honor Dr. King by happily lounging in our jammies and eating pancakes.   Not only that, we’re hoping to check out some of these great area events this MLK Jr. weekend! Just in case you are in Harford County check out these MLK events there too.

With the last of our Tootsie Pops headed out the door from Halloween, we are looking ahead to Thanksgiving.  The New Haven area has a variety of interesting, fun and kid-friendly holiday events…so we’ll be hopping on the Merritt Parkway and heading to New Haven for some Thanksgiving fun!

Oh, Sandy...what a week!  Much of Fairfield County is struggling with no power, limited resources and road access, and perhaps, most difficult of all, NO SCHOOL!!!!  With 5 days of no school down, and most likely several more to follow, my kids - and I - are starting to climb the walls.  

Now that we can safely leave our immediate neighborhood, we'll be hitting some of our favorite spots.  Below I've listed some parks, playgrounds and museums that are open, as well as some that have closed until they are restored to full operations. Our hearts go out to those who have lost more than power and a few trees in this storm. Life goes on and we hope that this list can provide a semblance of normalcy for those who are in desperate need of it.

Chug – a –Chug – a…BOO?  This Halloween train concept is a new one for me, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to check these out with my kids.  Last year my 4 year old and I took a Metro North train from Stamford to Greenwich (a ten minute ride) and she thought it was the greatest outing ever.  Wonder what she’ll think about some of these Halloween train adventures?

Where has the summer gone?  School starts next week, and the kids and I have only conquered about half our summer plans.  With just a few days of summer left, we will be taking an afternoon to enjoy the shore – from the water, this time!  Given I don’t know my port from my starboard, or my fore from my aft, I’m sure I’ll be a sight to behold on the high seas. 

Lots of Fairfield County establishments offer cruises, boat rentals, or sailing lessons: