Friday, April 27, 2012

TV Time- what's renewed/on the bubble/cancelled

It figures that almost everything I watch is in danger. WTF- why is no one watching Missing?! We LOVE that show. I was sweating last night with the whole train scene. And then the black-haired CIA chick?? I'm going to be so annoyed when I see it's cancelled. I love Ashley Judd. YES, everything is implausible, down to her always non-sensible shoes, but who cares. The mystery of it all is so fascinating, I even get off the Internet to watch with my full attention.

Let's see- the only sure renewal for me is Grey's Anatomy. Nurse Jackie, Private Practice, Scandal, Southland and GCB are all still unknown. We're still mourning the loss of How to Make It in America in our house. Yet, Bachelor Pad has definite renewal. Don't get me wrong, we're totally watching Bachelor Pad, but in eleventy-billion seasons the Bachelor Franchise hasn't produced more than one couple that made it yet, that crap is renewed in a hot minute when our lovable Ashley Judd languishes in almost-certain-cancellation limbo.

I started watching BFF on NBC (I think) and I liked it. Now I see it's most likely cancelled. HOW do I pick these?? I'm still missing Lie to Me. I saw Dr Lightman's face in the FOX 25th anniversary special last Sunday and felt like it was a slap in the face!! You should've kept Lightman FOX. Tim Roth rocked on that unique, full of chemistry, suspense show. Again, lots of implausibility but I like getting lost in that kind of thing vs half-listening to some reality nonsense. I've been fast forwarding through the white-washed ridiculousness of the snore-fest American Idol. All I want to see is Elise and of course, my boy Phil Phillips. Now that Elise is gone, I'll be watching about 10 minutes total of that 2-hour neutered mess. Phil Phillips for the WIN. If he goes the way of Daughtry in the number 4 curse, I'll be shutting that off for the duration. I can't watch us being "taken to church" vs snoozy Mariah Celine Whitney copycats for too much longer without feeling stabby. Skylar is ok but I got enough country for the rest of my life with Scotty "Howdy Doody" McCreery & Lauren Alaina last year.

Here's all your tv show prognosis information-

http://www.tv.com/news/whats-renewed-whats-canceled-and-whats-still-in-between-2012-edition-28304/

And PS, stop tweeting the actors on the shows asking if a show is coming back. They're usually the last to know anyway and I swear, Google is your friend. If more than one site says it ain't coming back- go with that. (I'm talking to you, cuckoo "Dirty Soap" fans. IT'S NOT COMING BACK).

Monday, April 23, 2012

Dance Camp

Ethan won't be going because he's already enrolled in a regular 5 day a week camp but for any of you interested in getting your child started in dance, Wyckoff School of Dance just emailed me their schedule for the summer. They have "camp" from 9:30-12:30 available. This is especially good for those who waited to sign their kids up for anything and are now shut out of other programs!

http://wyckoffschoolofdance.com/

Updated Summer Wee Program


Les Petites  18-30 Months

Baby learns little dances!  Accompanied by an adult. ($119)

·         6 Weekly Classes              July 9-August 18              Tuesday 9:30



Baby Ballerina 30-36 Months

First steps without mommy ($119)

·         6 Weekly Classes              July 9-August 18              Tuesday 10:30



Summer Fun Dance Camp 3-4 Year Olds

Camp includes many types of dance, including Acro.  Have fun with some of your favorite characters while dancing and playing fun games, creative activities, arts & crafts and more! Showcase your new moves at the end of the week. ($169)



Session 1    June 19-21    Tuesday-Thursday           9:30-12:30          

Session 2    June 26-28    Tuesday-Thursday           9:30-12:30          



Session 3    July 11-13      Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30                          

Session 4   July 18-20       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30                                                          

Session 5   July 25-27       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30                                                                          



Session 6    Aug. 1-3         Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30                          

Session 7   Aug. 8-10       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30          

Session 8   Aug. 15-17     Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30          



Adventures in Dance Camp 5-6 year olds

Camp includes many types of dance, including Acro.  Reinforce dance skills and introduce new ones.  Fun games, creative activities, arts & crafts and more! Showcase your new moves at the end of the week. ($169)

Session 1   July 11-13       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30                          

Session 2   July 18-20       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30          

Session 3   July 25-27       Wednesday-Friday          9:30-12:30          

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Gym Rat

Ethan did Little Gym in Waldwick for a year. I think it was from a little over one year till he was a little over two years old. It was fine, but I felt like he out-grew it. By the time he was two and a half and he went to camp on his own, I didn't want to do anymore classes I had to be in with him. He was a behavior nightmare with me in the room but totally awesome without me. Little Gym didn't seem to have a drop off class when he was ready for one, so I looked into other things. That's how I found his ballet class, which has been awesome. But, I thought I'd also look for some kind of gym class.

At the beginning of the school year in the fall I went to Elite Gymnastics in Hawthorne. A lot of local moms mentioned they took their kids there for swim lessons. I went to their Open House. It's in a weird half residential/half industrial area of Hawthorne. When I walked in the door I was immediately greeted with the strong smell of feet. Ok, it's a gym, I get it. Feet are a big part of that. The main gym, for the gymnasts, looked really nice. I didn't get a chance to really check it out but from what I saw it looked good. BUT, then they sent me to the "toddler area" room and I was actually aghast. I don't have super high standards- Little Gym is no amazing Olympic gym or anything. But this was disgusting. There was some kind of maze/obstical course type thing and it was held together with duct tape. It was equipement taped to random wooden boards. To ME, it looked dangerous. I spent 15 minutes there and ran. That was the end of that.

Recently a friend told me to check out ENA Gymnastics in Paramus. I sent them an email asking if I can do a trial class. They sent me an email back within 24 hours and seemed very professional. Thursday at 10:25 was a go. It's in the same building as World's Gym. I was hoping it would be good because I was hoping to sign E up until camp starts. I went in and the same smell of feet that hit me at Elite hit me here. I don't understand this because My Gym, Little Gym and Gymboree do not smell of feet but whatever. I see it's "Spring Egg Hunt" day. REALLY?? A gym class with an egg hunt? Let's be real too- this was no "spring" thing- Let's call it what it was- an Easter egg hunt. I was SO annoyed, not because I'm Jewish but I'm also sure there was no Afikomen hunt day. But if I'm paying for gymnastics, music, dance, etc, I don't need an egg hunt or other correlating to religious holiday activity. Like the Easter kids won't have enough egg hunting in a few days?

So it was total chaos. E was there for a 3 year old class. I send him into the gym but I see moms going in. I asked the one teacher and she said, "Oh, no that's the Mommy & Me class. E is with me, but we're all doing the egg hunt together.". I sit down in front of the window that looks into the gym. I see E running around a giant gym with no supervision, teachers chatting, looking for eggs. It was a clusterfuck of epic proportion. Then they seemed to break off into groups. I ask some moms sitting at the same table as me if their kids are in the 3 year old class. They told me their children were in the FOUR-FIVE class. What the what, now? Not only were there 3's, but there were the Mommy & Me's and the 4-5's. You could hear the Mommy & Me's singing in one corner which was distracting, and the window isn't a two-way mirror so E could totally see me sitting there. He'd look over and totally lose concentration. I was FURIOUS. I asked the lady at the front desk if it was always this chaotic and she said "Well it's egg hunt day (like I'm a schmuck) and there are always three classes in there at once".

He came out. I got his shoes and socks and asked him if he liked the class. He said NO. That is so unlike him. He likes any class. He's NEVER said he didn't like a class he was in. I said, "No? You sure? Do you want to come back?". He said, "NO!". Then he said he's sad I asked why and he said it was because of me. I was perplexed and asked him what I did. He said I didn't come in there and there were other mommies in there. How was I supposed to explain to him what Mommy & Me is where he would care? And it didn't matter really because we were never coming back. I never heard of something so stupid- having three levels of classes in one gym at once. For anything I don't like at Little Gym & My Gym, at least they have control, only having one age group class at a time. Out of boredom, I looked at their class schedule for the summer too and it's completely inconvenient. Any classes for his age are in the morning. There is not ONE late afternoon class. Obviously we won't be signing up at ENA anytime soon.

My Gym called ME to do a trial because E went to so many birthday parties there in such a short amount of time. The only time I could do it was a Sunday. Sunday works GREAT for me. With one problem- the only class for him is a mixed age class which is ages "Three & a quarter" (I don't know where they came up with that one) to SIX YEARS OLD. I have a HUGE problem with that. It totally discounts working parents to only have mixed age classes like that offered on the weekend. I expressed my concern with the age issue when the woman in charge that day was trying to get me to sign up. She looked up the class roster and told me that the oldest in there, at this time, is five years old. YES, I understand that TODAY there are no six year olds but that doesn't mean next week there won't be. The class is OFFERED to six year olds, so the expectation is that six year olds will sign up at some point. And why would a six year old want to be in a class with three year olds? That doesn't even make sense.

I was disappointed that Sam, the assistant director, who is FABULOUS with the kids wasn't there. There were two teachers, an older woman and a younger one. The younger one seemed fine but I wasn't impressed with the older one at all. Not after seeing Sam in action there or Melissa from Little Gym. Both are very friendly and enthusiastic and really awesome with the kids. That's what you HAVE to be like to be great at this job.

They really give the hard sell too. Basically I heard the older woman tell another mother doing the trial that if she didn't purchase their "deal" right then it wouldn't be guaranteed she could get that deal again. BULLSHIT. Guess what? If I call and want that deal and you tell me I had to buy it that day, I'm done. I highly doubt they're turning down anyone's money. And if they are then that's just bad business. Then they called me EVERY DAY for about five days until I finally answered the phone. Listen, I'd love to send E there. It's IN town, convenient, and Sundays would be awesome. But, it's super expensive! It's $92/month! When I told the guy who called me that I thought it's expensive and his answer was that "you get two classes a week for that". No, you don't. You get a CLASS, and you get a "free play". Well "free play" is having to watch/chase E around on their equipment in a mixed age group. I'm not paying all that money for free play. He can free play in my house. If it was two actual CLASSES a week, THEN it would be totally worth it. But it's excessively expensive in my opinion for one class and one free play a week. Just my opinion. Like I've said before it's super clean and all the equipment is in perfect condition. But it's new- that's what I'd expect.

So, I'm still on the hunt. E is going to camp all summer so it isn't imperative I find another activity. We're keeping ballet/tap at Wyckoff School of Dance for next school year. We're doing it on saturdays once this school year ends since he'll be in school full time. He loves it, he's good at it, it's local and it's not too expensive. Ideally I'd like to find him something drop-off in music, karate, yoga or gym. We loved Aardvarks but we finally had to graduate from that. All their classes are still Mommy & Me and E is just way passed that. His behavior is 1000x better in drop-off classes and I'm fine with that.

There's actually an Open House on April 14th at the Moonlight Dance Studio (Ballroom dancing) at 175 Rock Rd, Glen Rock. I'm thinking of having E go to that and see how he likes it. Can't hurt to try. I'm just not ready for the sport thing yet....

http://www.moonlightdancestudio.org/

http://wyckoffschoolofdance.com/

http://www.thelittlegym.com/WaldwickNJ/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.enaparamus.com/

http://www.elitegymnasticsinfo.com/