newhavenbaby.com

Bye NewHavenBaby! Hello AlmostVancouverKindergartener!

2008-06-23T22:54:00.004-04:00

As NewHavenBaby has so quickly become AlmostVancouverKindergartener, I haven't renewed the subscription to the web hosting on the main site. Thanks so much everyone for reading and emailing and supporting NewHavenBaby.com these last few years!

Newhavenbaby.com turns three.

2007-01-17T23:34:00.001-05:00

Especially since this upcoming month also marks newhavenbaby.com's third anniversary. I'm not blogging much anymore: my time is now spent with certain a newhavenpreschooler and a bunch of universityofnewhavenyoungadults, but the calendar and playgroups are updated, and I love to post events and ideas on the blog if you send them my way.

More news:
The talk forum will soon be replaced by a Yahoo group. Original newhavenbaby fans might remember it. The current talk forum is being besieged by spam, which makes me nervous, so I will be transferring the infomation back over. I'll post more information (and a link) as I have it.

And who is Kack?
Well....newhavenbaby himself, although not named Kack by his loving parents, has decided that he prefers and, quite strongly, insists on being introduced as Kack. Guess who gets to be called Mrs. Mallard?

Looking for newhavenbaby.com

2007-01-09T22:18:00.001-05:00

So the web site...
apparently el cheapo domain registrar, registerfly.com, I use is in hiding, and newhavenbaby.com is in limbo somewhere while everything is sorted out.
You can read about it here: www.registerflies.com.

Alas....

Happy Halloween

2006-10-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

...from a friendly newhavenbluemoose!

An autumn family concert in Hamden

2006-09-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

HAMDEN. Family Concert - Cajun and Zydeco musician and story teller

"Papillion". All ages $5, Friday, October 13, 7:00 p.m. Miller Library, 2901

Dixwell Ave. Hamden, CT 203-764-9416.

(: Thanks Anne for the email.

More summer music...

2006-07-25T15:01:00.000-04:00

I forgot about the free family concerts in Hamden...

here's the scoop:
Hamden Parks and Recreation Family Summer Concert Series at Larry’s Playground / Bassett Field (corner of Waite Street and Ridge Road)
Recording for inclement weather: 287-2588.
CONCERTS BEGIN AT 6:00 P.M.

Wednesday, July 26th
Chris Rowlands

Wednesday, August 2nd
Carrie Johnson Davis

Wednesday, August 9th
Blue Trail

Wednesday, August 16th
Wayne from Maine with Jimmy James the Koonga Boonga Man

Wednesday, August 23rd
The Sunshine Road Show

For more information about the performers, click on the Events link from here.

Yale Summer Carillon Concerts

2006-07-23T20:45:00.000-04:00

Looking for a nice, casual, easy Friday night activity sitting outside with a baby and a bottle of wine? Want to be home by bedtime? Look no further.

Summer Concert Series 2006
The Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs is excited to annouce that the Summer Concert Series is back!
July 21 Marcel Siebers - Cuijk, The Netherlands
July 28 Yesol Huh & Christina Jacovides - Summer Carillonneurs, Yale Guild of Carillonneurs
August 4 Ellen Espenschied Dickinson - Stamford, CT
August 11 Janet Tebbel - First United Methodist Church of Germantown, PA
August 18 Trevor Workman - Bournville, England

New links to local bloggers

2006-07-13T20:49:00.000-04:00

I just added some new links to the right to local newhavenmamabloggers.

La Vie en Rose is written by a newhavenmama who is now living in France. Her writing is fun and interesting, and illustrated with beautiful portraits---and I'm always checking in to read more.

The newhavenmama who writes Maternal Digressions is collecting " anecdotes and stories of the kind of uninhibited behavior displayed by others towards pregnant women and mothers." I too was a, um, little, abashed by how public my belly became while newhavenbaby
had taken up residence there. It sounds like a great project.

Lazy days

2006-06-26T21:55:00.000-04:00

Summer is here and we are definitely in summer slacking mode.

I keep thinking we'll blog more of adventures, but then blogging time turns to ice cream time or
playdate time or gardening time or just generally enjoying a newhavensummer time.
So, dear newhavenreader, if you could, please sign up in our TALK forums and spread the news of any special events that are on your agenda especially keen to other newhavenbabies. We appreciate the help. I'd hate for anyone to miss out on something funtastic because we are being so lacksidasical in our summer bliss.

The calendar is current as far as playdates and story hours, but call ahead if it's your first time to make sure the meeting place hasn't changed for the summer months.

And, of course, check the blog archives for our reviews of last summer's events.

And, now to plan your fireworks picnic somewhere near new haven this weekend, head no further than this list at WTNH.

Happy Summer

2006-06-04T15:45:00.000-04:00

We've been on vacation, but as soon as we settle back in, we'll be back to posting some updates.
Hope everyone is having a happy and sunny summer.

newhavenbabybottoms

2006-05-13T23:33:00.000-04:00

Talk about a good cause...

Do you know about the New Haven Diaper Bank yet? Because if you don't, you should.

This organization distributes about 30,000 diapers a month to newhavenbabies who need them. By purchasing diapers by the truckload, they substantially reduce the cost and are able to provide more diapers per dollar.

What can you do? Click here for donation or diaper drive information...or better yet, consider volunteering on one of the planning commitees for the Walkathon this October. Are brochures, press releases, and poster design right up you alley? Might I suggest the marketing committee?

For more information, contact Joanne by emailing information@newhavendiaperbank.org

Happy Mama's Day!

2006-05-13T23:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Mama's Day
to all you
NewHavenMama's
out there!

And special Mother's day wishes to a couple of newhavenbabygrandmas in Texas! (: Wish we could be there to give you a hug.

Peabody Plant Sale

2006-05-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

So I think we will be at a birthday party...if the guest of honor accepts my very 
late RSVP...but if you are not at the ArtWalk in Westville this weekend, how about this?
5th Annual Butterfly & Bird Plant Sale
Saturday, May 13 at the Peabody Museum

New This Year - Gardening Seminars11 a.m. & Noon (details below)

Visit this popular Peabody event--outside under the big tent--for
great buys on plants and shrubs that will attract wildlife,
butterflies and birds to your garden.  Experts will be on hand to
answer questions and explain how to create special wildlife havens.
They will also lead two seminars on enhancing wildlife habitat and
attracting butterflies to your yard.

Native as well as nonnative and non-invasive perennials, annuals and
shrubs that provide nectar for adult butterflies, food for butterfly
larvae, and seeds and berries for birds.  All proceeds support
educational programs.

For the Kids:  A fun planting activity will keep the children happily
occupied while parents shop.

For more information on Peabody events and exhibits, visit
www.peabody.yale.edu or call the infotape at (203) 432-5050.

On our agenda...

2006-05-03T00:36:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, we haven't been doing much lately besides playing in the flower garden, and hanging out at the park and catching up with everyone we haven't seen all winter.

But, I had to update with our May weekend plans. After a very boring April, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed:

Bethesda Tag Sale and children's fair May 20th
Art Walk in Westville May 13th
Open Farm Day at Common Ground Farm May 6th
Leila Day Spring Fair May 20th
New Haven farmers market begins May 20th in Wooster Square

I know that there was a Children's preschool sale about this time last year...

What else is on your agenda?

Fuel-ed Up

2006-03-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

Lately, we've fallen into a nice rhythm of familiar places, but all the tables at our #1 coffee spot were full this morning, we thought it might be nice to try something new.

Into the car and to Wooster Square we went for coffee at Fuel. We opened the door to find a couchful of baby-to-be knitters, so this may turn into a baby hangout yet. (: We'll have to sneak some Dr. Suess on to the reading shelf next to e.e. cummings next time we stop by.
Our Cafe Au Lait (not on the menu, but happily accomodated) was delicious, and newhavenbaby and I shared a chewy, perfectly-toasted Everything bagel with fluffy cream cheese. Just what we wanted. The barrista flirted with newhavenbaby, and he insisted(!) on presenting her with a green construction paper St. Patrick's day heart in appreciation.

The scoop:
Easy street parking. Even easier stroller access after a walk through Wooster square across the street. There is space between tables, and there was lots of room to manuever and stash a stroller. I didn't see a highchair. Unisex bathroom is up about 5 stairs, and no changing table.

FUEL is located at 516 Chapel St., New Haven, CT. Phone is (203)772-0263. Current hours are early morning to 2:30pm.

St Patty's Day, already?

2006-03-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

I just realized that the New Haven St. Patty's Day parade is coming up in less than a week---March 11th.
We've taken newhavenbaby for the last two years---both cold, blustery days---to see the firetrucks, drums, fifes, bagpipes, and revolutionary war reinactors(?).

The scoop:
A whole lot of semi-drunk, but super-friendly, observers. Get downtown early to get a good spot on the curb. And expect to wind that stroller through some crowds, and around some folding table bar set-ups along the parade route. The parade begins at 1:30 "sharp."

The New Journal

2006-02-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Newhavenbaby ravaged the newpaper/free magazine stand at Atticus the other day during lunch and brought me a treasure, the February issue of The New Journal.

I enjoyed perusing, but three interesting articles really grabbed my mama attention: a short narrative about experience with the children's building downtown, an article on midwifery in new haven, and the editor's reaction to the Louise Story controversy about stay-at-home mothering.

Dads can do this too, Kaz

2006-02-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Kindermusik Update

"This is an exciting week! We are hoping to start two to three new early childhood music classes at Center for the Arts at Christ Church-New Haven (CACC) (www.centerarts.net).

Classes currently listed, potentially starting this week:
Our Time Classes (18 mos. up to and including 3 years old): Wednesdays at 10:15 AM and 5:15 PM
Village Classes (newborns up to and including 17 mos. old): Wednesdays at 9:30 AM and 4:15 PM
Musical Horizons (4 to 6 years old): Thursdays at 5:00 PM
Please view the class description for your child's age group at www.AHigherNote.com.

A new class offering later this spring!
Family Time - read more about this fantastic, all-family class at http://ahighernote.com/ahn_child_km_family_time_(newborn_and_up).htm

Please call Kendra Mack, Director of CACC, at 203-787-3195 to express your interest in enrolling. "

TWO (!) new playgroups on the calendar!!

2006-02-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

Haven't found your niche yet? You have two new places to look. Two playgroups are new to the weekly line-up; here's the scoop:

monday afternoons
BABIES @ the IC. Beginning Feb. 13, 2005 from 2pm to 4pm.We will meet at the wonderful new building of theInternational Center for Yale Students and Spouses at 421 Temple Street. Bring a baby playmat and some toys for your little one.
"For expectant parents and new parents with a child or children from 0-15 months of age to meet and socialize with other parents and to chat about issues of parenting, child development,pre-natal and post-natal care, the Yale Health Plan, baby gear,baby sitters and anything else that comes to mind?"

tuesday mornings
"St. John’s Episcopal Church is pleased to announce that a weekly Baby and Toddler Playgroup will begin on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. The playgroup will meet at the church...Anyone caring for a baby or toddler is invited to attend, and nonmembers of St. John's parish are welcome.
St. John’s Church is located at 3 Trumbull Place, at the top of the Green in North Haven. For more information or directions, call 239-0156."

And the art work above? Notice the artist's choice of contrasting colors in the bold vertical lines and strong horizontal patterns of dots? All this in just a few short minutes during last week's toddler art class. (:

Daddy Diapering in NYC

2006-02-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Planning a daddy-baby trip to Manhattan?

Today's NYT had an article about changing tables in men's restrooms, with a nod to Greg from Daddytypes and his google map of men's restrooms in the city with baby changing facilities.

Wendy Wasserstein

2006-01-30T14:38:00.000-05:00

I was very sad to read about the death of Wendy Wasserstein, a Pulitzer-prize winning playwright. She was only 55 years old and leaves behind a small daughter. She was a single Mom and wrote about her pregnancy and the premature birth of her daughter in "Shiksa Goddess."

"Learn" to "Read" and "Learn"

2006-01-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

I missed Read. So, it's back.

Learn is Learn and Read is Read.

I realized how often I use the Read links to the libraries nearby. I really missed those.

Art Class!!!

2006-01-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for our recent "Guide to Infant and Toddler Enlightenment" is newhavenbaby's participation in his very first class: New Explorers at the Creative Arts Workshop.

I don't know who enjoyed our first class more: him or me?? We were happy to see a familiar face in the class, one of newhavenbaby's neighborhood friends.

The scoop: the class takes place in a kid-sized studio: kid-size tables, chairs, easels, cubbies, you-name-it. The class is set up so that the students can choose from several activities over the course of the hour. The paints and easels are always available (newhavenbaby was thrilled to see these!), then there are collaborative and individual projects led by the instructor. I was amazed at the supplies available in the art studio for the kids.

Our first class project was to mix up sparkly snow dough together, and then we each got a big lump to roll, shape, cut, and decorate. Newhavenbaby and I rolled and cut out these cookies when we got home with out bag o-dough and "cooked" them for a few days in his play kitchen.

We can't wait to see this week's project!

"Read" to "Learn"

2006-01-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

I just switched the "Read" page on newhavenbaby.com to a "Learn" page.
Why? Well, frankly because I liked Betsy Branch's article on local preschools so much I couldn't bear to take it down---so I created a spot for it.

The read links are still there, including links to local libraries and books we love.

My next project: adding all the restaurant reviews to the eat page. I have sooooo many that I have been putting off the update. And if you have any favorite restaurants that aren't on there, please let me know!!

Generation Pad Thai

2006-01-18T14:10:00.000-05:00

As Pad Thai is newhavenbaby's favorite treat, I laughed to see today's installation of NYT recent series of modern parenting articles: Generation Pad Thai. It really amazes me to think of all the different types of food that newhavenbaby has had in his short two years that I didn't have until I was in college (or after!).

On his list of other favorites:
Chicken Curry from anywhere (Thai Taste is the current favorite)
Goat Kadai from Swagat
Bagels at Lulu's (how could I leave this one off the list)
Sushi from Jerry-san's
'Spicy Shrimp' and Dim Sum from the York St. Noodle House. Which reminds me, we loved the new York St. Noodle House. But if you go, don't invite any friends, as there is only one high chair.

And I'm not sure how to interpret the NYT reporter's assumption at the beginning of the article that the farmhouse cheese was for the parents and the cocoa puffs for the kids. In our house, chances are that the fancy, healthy cheese is for newhavenbaby, and the sweet, sugary snack is for us!

[thanks daddytypes for the link]

Everybody's favorite monkey

2006-01-13T21:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday's Barnes and Noble / Yale Bookstore noon story hour is newhavenbaby's favorite monkey: Curious George. We heard a rumor that Curious George himself is going to be at the Yale Bookstore story hour tomorrow, but we weren't able to confirm it with his agent. We hope it's true, because we are waiting to leave on our trip to see newhavenbaby's cousin until AFTER the story hour (technically, we are headed downtown with suitcases packed in the trunk).

The scoop: Noon, lower level in the Children's section. "Come to a Curiously Great Party to celebrate reading and learning through stories and games featuring everyone's favorite monkey (and soon-to-be movie star), Curious George. Refreshments served."

Hope to see you there.

And in the meantime, there's a trailer for the movie due out next month at curiousgeorge.com

Preschool Update

2006-01-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in the possibility of sending your little one to The Children's Preschool next year, plan to attend their annual Open House this Saturday, January 7, between 9:00 and noon. Bring your little one -- the kids get to play, while the moms and dads get to talk both to teachers and to current parents, ask lots of questions, & check the place out. They're located at 608 Whitney Avenue in New Haven (near intersection with Highland), in a converted carriage house behind the Unitarian church there (itself housed in a big old house). Call 777-2491 if you have questions.

New Year in New Haven?

2005-12-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have the scoop on area New Year activities that are toddler-friendly? My parents are tempting me to go to Boston's First Night this weekend which features an impressive amount of morning and afternoon activities for kids. I am trying to figure out if there is any New Year excitement around here.

Amoxicillin memories

2005-12-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

I just realized it has been almost two weeks since my last post. Getting finals and research papers graded was a little more hectic than I anticipated. The biggest news around here is we have been quarantined to the house all week with a nasty cold, and newhavenbaby got his first ear infection over the Christmas weekend. Poor kid. His strawberry-smelling amoxicillin sure brings back memories though...ironically, very comforting ones. My dad even accused me of faking the same cold so that I could start taking newhavenbaby's medicine. If I start complaining of ear pain, some one should be suspicious!

Now, I need to call newhavenbaby's grandma and tell her about the ear infection before she reads it here. Ooops!

Busy days ahead? Check out The Children's Table.

2005-12-14T00:25:00.000-05:00

Brendan McCarthy, owner of the Children's Table, contacted us recently to let us know about home delivery of nutritious children's meals in the New Haven area. It sounds delicious(!) especially knowling that they use seasonal and local fruits and veggies as well as hormone-free milk, cheese, and eggs. John Tureene, former Executive Chef and Director of Sustainable Dining at Yale, is also involved in the project.

Here's a sample day:
Breakfast Ronnybrook Peach Yogurt, Dipping
Waffle
Snack- Blueberries
Lunch Chicken Fajita, Avocado
slices
Snack- Strawberries
Dinner Corn meal encrusted
Rainbow Trout, Wild Rice, Boiled baby carrots, Peach

Hungry yet? Mention newhavenbaby and get 50% off your first two weeks. We like Brendan already!

Celebrate the season---Achoo!

2005-12-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

Apparently, my immune system hasn't been pushed to its max in the last few years, because this Fall, between taking a toddler everywhere in creation and handling essays from 2 classes of college freshman, I seem to be catching every cold in the city. UGH!!

I had to pass up a invitation from a colleague to take newhavenbaby back to the Shore Line Trolley museum on Saturday. The scoop: "Santa is on the Trolley on December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18. Your fare is good on all streetcars for the entire day. Cars run frequently throughout the day. The first car of the day departs at 10:30AM. Last car departs at 4:30PM. The museum grounds are open 1/2 hour prior to the first car and 1/2 hour after the last car. " See our blog post for more scoop about the trolley museum.

And, we have it on our calendar, but haven't seen it yet: the Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park. As a been-there-done-that Dad described it: it's a "Safari of lights" that's well worth going to (thanks, Tad!) . The scoop: no stroller needed, as you see all the lights from the comfort of the family roadster. Cost is $10/car and proceeds go to Easter Seals Goodwill of CT. I think it would be an excellent place to drive a teeny tiny fussy baby after dinner to get him to go to sleep while you and newhavenspouse enjoyed some quiet time out of the house. (:

We hung out downtown for dinner on Thursday night last week (for Pad Thai at Thai Taste--yum!) and were really impressed with how festive the downtown was. There were hundreds of luminaries lighting up the shadowy side of the Green, Santa Claus was on the corner waving to cars, and shops were open and busy. We had a lot of fun, and the Green looked beautiful.

One a day until Christmas

2005-12-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite holiday activities when I was little was opening those little cardboard doors on the advent calendar to claim my daily piece of chocolate. I was thrilled to see them at Trader Joe's for 99 cents--so, with great ceremony, I presented newhavenbaby with his very first advent calendar.
Day one was yesterday. In the morning, we opened a little door, shared a delicious little chocolate. In the late morning, newhavenbaby begged to open another little door. At noon, newhavenbaby pleaded. Before nap, he cajoled. After nap, he whined. Before dinner, he asked and asked: "little door, another little door."
Apparently, one door a day is way too much to ask of a 2-year-old. Come to think of it, it's almost too much to ask of a newhavenmama. Chocolate, anyone?

The Corderoy Club--where was my invite?

2005-11-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

So it's not really about New Haven or babies, but I couldn't resist posting a link about a truly dear friend from high school being mentioned in the New Yorker for her talk about the origins of the word corderoy.

"Betsy Franjola, the fabric manager for Karl Lagerfeld, delivered a history lesson, citing competing claims about the etymology of the word “corduroy”: one story has the term originating in seventeenth-century France (corde du roi: the king’s cloth), and another traces it to thirteenth-century Manchester, otherwise known as Cottonopolis."

Congrats Bets!

Holiday lights (before dinner)

2005-11-29T21:35:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the annual New Haven Holiday Tree Lighting extravaganza. And, if you go, go early.
We showed up about 6 last year---just in time to catch the tail end of a spirited children's singing performance and then relative empty darkness. I wasn't exactly comfortable.
The scoop from last year:
Santa hung out in a decorated mobile 'porch' thing. There was a pretty long line, and I was hesitant to plop newhavenbaby on some old man's lap on the Green so we skipped it. There was a small 'ride' thing set up where your (non-baby) kid could hop on a mechanical polar-bear-on-roller-skates contraption and go around in a circle a bunch of times.

If I wasn't teaching tomorrow night, I'd be going again with my camera ready. But, I'd be sure to get there at 4 or 4:30---and I'd force DH to escort us this time instead of meeting him on campus after we had our fill of Christmas lights.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

We're on vacation this week. We hope you have a happy and very thankful thanksgiving, and we'll be back wandering around New Haven in no time.

Hey, Yalebabies

2005-11-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

Yale has just announced some hefty (and impressive!) new initiatives in regards to child-care on and near campus, including a new center, expansion of the child-care centers in the area " to provide services that address the unique needs and schedules of Yale families," financial support for a campus cooperative child-care center, scholarship assistance at Yale-affiliated programs, and (my favorite!) expanded informational resources. Does this include acquiring or supporting a hip and snazzy dot-com site that parents in new haven are already familiar with?

Today's Yale Daily News also included an article about Yale participating in a program with Columbia University to help married professors find positions for their professorial spouses within commuting distance.

Did I already say 'impressive?'

Taxi!

2005-11-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

I had always wondered what the carseat norm was regarding taking babies in taxis, and yesterday, as my car decided it would rather go to the repair shop than to class with me, I had an opportunity to ask an expert---the taxi driver.

His answer: most people with small babies bring the carseat with them. Older babies and small toddlers sit on laps a lot. Older toddlers are sometimes buckled in to the regular belts. He also said that you can request a carseat from the operator (777-7777) when you call, and they will send a driver with a seat if one is available. Interesting, right?

EDITED TO ADD: (see daddytypes.com for a related discussion about NYC car services)

Support during the postpartum period

2005-11-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog so I thought I would begin with an issue that I think is so important for the woman who has just given birth, whether it is her first child or her fourth. Support! You can never have enough. Support is found in your husband, mother, sister, best friend, neighbor, co-workers and even older siblings. As a postpartum doula, I work with new moms every day and see how important it is for them to have someone to lean on, someone who they can count on for physical help, emotional help or just to have someone who will listen to them. A new moms life has changed drastically overnight and not every woman is prepared for these changes, or you may be prepared yet totally overwhelmed. This is all natural and very common to feel so overwhelmed by everything that is going on around you and also the physical changes that are taking place in your body. This is the time to ask for help, or except it when offered. If someone offers to care for your baby so you can go upstairs and take a much deserved nap, say YES! You can't do your baby or partner much good if you are exhausted. The United States is one of the only countries that expects a woman to bounce right back to pre-pregnancy mode immediately after the birth of her baby. Some countries feel the new mom needs to rest and be taken care of from six weeks to up to six months. Now that's what I'm talking about!!!!!
Please comment on any issues you may want to hear about or discuss concerning the period after birth to about three months. I hope to make this a regular blog for important issues for the new mom. Thanks, Linda

The Blog newhavenbaby.com: Introducing Linda

2005-11-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

Places to Go, Things to See

2005-11-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

One good turn deserves another, and as I just discovered a peak in traffic due to some new links from the Yale Child Study Center sponsored Web site: parentsfirst.net, I thought I'd send a link back.

One of our favorite places for ideas on snowy and rainy days is the "places to go, things to see" link on the parentsfirst site. Categories include: Explore!, Airplanes, Orchards, Tricycles, Art, Measuring...should I go on? In fact, I found the trolley museum for newhavenbaby's birthday ride by clicking on Trucks, Trolleys, Trains and Transportation. Almost all of the activites listed are things you can do at home or nearby.

The other place I love to lurk for ideas when the park is too wet, cold, or windy is
Enchanted Learning (thanks to newhavenbaby's grandma for the link!). Don't click on the link unless you have a lot of time on your hands.

Oh, and a new favorite for online learning: Starfall is a homeschooling resource. It is more for older kids, but newhavenbaby thinks he can read and I don't want to tell him any differently!
Fisher-price has some neat and educational baby/toddler games as well. Newhavenbaby's current favorite is 'Shapes'.

Ignoring my baby

2005-11-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

Poor newhavenbaby.com has not gotten much attention from me lately as I am paying lots and lots of attention to cranky, teething, he's-definitely-two-now newhavenbaby himself.
My apologies.
So, what's new? not much.

We took 3 toddlers, and parents, to Royal Palace last Monday and, after an initial feeling on my part of being overwhelmed, had a great time.
We took 3 toddlers, and parents, to Swagat on Thursday and were overwhelmed again (sadly, dinner finally began with just one toddler left at the table and the other two on their way home with their daddy).

My stories don't even compare to this.

Yikes!

Good Karma

2005-11-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

So I got a terrible haircut on Friday...technically, it was a very well executed haircut; emotionally, it wreaked havoc. I looked like a politician, instead of the hip mama I hope to be.

Today, I'm feeling better as I just got back from Karma to have my haircut touched up. I called this morning and spoke to Cheryl, the owner, who graciously finangled her schedule to squeeze me in 2 hours later. I took newhavenbaby with me, so I packed a bag full of anything and everything I could find that might hold his interest for 2 seconds.

Karma is a funky little salon in the lobby of the beautiful Taft building downtown. The chairs are old barber chairs, the music is hot, and I didn't imagine babies would be, well, welcome. But, as soon as we walked in Matt, the salon coordinator, offered to show a movie (Shrek, who newhavenbaby recognized from his box of Cheerios) which is the rarest of treats for newhavenbaby. Matt even sat down between appointment calls and kept newhavenbaby company on the sofa for the 15 minutes or so it took to unfrumpify my hair (thank you, Cheryl!!!).

I wouldn't say I would recommend bringing a baby with you to Karma(why should you---you deserve a little pampering by yourself!), but I would recommend the excellent treatment I received. So nice!

Karma is located at 263 College Street, New Haven. Phone is (203) 777-6333. Just tell Matt that newhavenbaby sent you. (:

Halloween hijinks

2005-11-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else fall prey to the masked East Rock candy thieves? I caught one dumping our neighbor's bowl of candy in to his backpack. Hrmph! Newhavenbaby better not behave like that when he grows up!

Speaking of poor newhavenbaby, he has been sick all week with a virus, so he didn't get to go trick or treating this year. We're thinking about taking him one night when he feels better, so don't be surprised when we come knocking at your door.

Story hour at Atticus

2005-10-27T15:46:00.000-04:00

I just found out about their weekly story hour for kids (3 and up): Saturdays at 11am. This weekend's line-up includes Saint George and the Dragon (Margaret Hodges), George Shrinks (William Joyce) and Sheila Ray the Brave(Kevin Henkes).

This Sunday (10/30, 11am) there is also a special Halloween Story Time: Trick or Treat (Bill Martin), Cinderhazel(Deborah Norse Lattimore), and There's a Nightmare in my Closet(Mercer Mayer0.

Atticus is located right across from the Yale Art Gallery, on that strip of Chapel where I always feel underdressed . The children's books there are really well selected: from our favorite Bill Martin and Eric Carle to Curious George to a latin translation of the Cat in the Hat (Cattus Petasasus).

Twice this week, we have ridden a loop around downtown on the trolley with a stop there to share a bowl of black bean soup (which comes with a generous portion of their famous ciabatta bread), and I just now realized that I have yet to post my Atticus review on the eat page, so here it is:

Atticus has take-out service at the counter, or table service inside. There is one high-chair, but there is also enough space to pull up a stroller by some of the tables. The unisex bathroom has a changing table (which, incidentally, seems to be mounted higher on the wall than most. I guess it would be nice for a tall newhavenbaby's daddy?).
Stroller-rating: easy enough if you go in the middle door. Avoid the door by the coffee counter, unless you are only getting coffee / take-out. The tables on that side of the restaurant are pretty close, and it does get crowded. The children's section and the contemporary fiction are at street level.

Atticus is located at 1082 Chapel St. Phone number is (203) 776-4040.

Oh Moka, how I crave thee...

2005-10-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby and I stopped by Moka recently to get our afternoon chocolate fix. We had been planning (and dreaming of chocolate) for months, but that downtown construction on Orange St. makes me a little crazy. That said, we finally chose a day with some extra time to drive around the block a few times. And, oh, the chocolate...

We shared a Portlander crepe for lunch, and we (yes, we) sipped on an iced Azteca chocolate. The Portlander was fabulous, the service was good, and the Azteca chocolate was an interesting surprise. I imagined a mexican-named chocolate drink described as spicy to have that scrumptious cinnamony, dark-chocolaty flavor and ended up with red pepper swirling around in my cup. Not the best choice for sharing sips with newhavenbaby in my opinion, but he loved it just the same.

The scoop: order at the counter, and a server brings your order to you when it is ready. Baby-friendly service seems to be a high priority, and the server cheerfully brought an extra plate (and lots o'napkins) for newhavenbaby to share my lunch. There is a high-chair stashed behind the counter, just ask if it is not offered to you. There are also several comfy couches to sink into. We chose a table by the window, and newhavenbaby played with his matchbox cars while he watched the real cars whiz by. Stroller-rating is an A+, and the unisex bathroom is easily accessible.

I also heard a very reliable rumor that it is a nice toddler-friendly place to hang-out in the quiet afternoons after the lunch rush. Make sure to get on the email list for weekly "333" specials (3 hours starting at 3 o'clock: a special drink and a ‘treat’ for $3.00 with a copy of the email from that week). Email mokanewhaven@yahoo.com, and tell Duncan that newhavenbaby sent you.

Moka is located at 144 Orange St (on the one-way between Elm and Chapel), New Haven, CT 06510. Phone is 203-752-0052.

Halloween starts tomorrow...

2005-10-26T12:48:00.000-04:00

On Thursday (10/27), the city of New Haven celebrates with the mayor's Halloween Parade. Newhavenkids will be dressing up as their favorite literary characters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the New Haven Book Bowl, a reading incentive program. We missed the parade last year, but saw all the buses parked downtown and the costumed newhavenkids climbing back in.
What a cool idea to have everyone dress as literary characters. That's a party I wouldn't mind having an invitation to...

The parade starts at 10:30am on "marching from the corner of Temple and
Chapel Streets, up Chapel to High Street to Elm Street and back
to Temple. There will also be ten school bands joining in to keep
the beat."
More info? 946-7821 or infonewhaven.com

Thinking about preschool?

2005-10-20T23:11:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that there's more to finding a preschool than just taking newhavenbaby to the door and signing him up.
In the first installment of our new feature, contributing editor Betsy Branch gives parents of newhavenbabies hot tips for selecting the perfect pre-school for their budding scholars.

Ceratopsian Countdown

2005-10-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

Our kids are going to be the only dinosaur fans in America who look at one of those hulking herbivores with horns and bony frill and chirp “Torosaurus!” instead of “Triceratops!” They are, in fact, related but different creatures, and if your kid winds up going through a dinosaur stage, the fine distinctions of frill size and configuration will become meaningful. In the meantime, I’m just glad that soon the anguished anticipation of certain young personnel will be sated… the gorgeous new Torosaurus sculpture at the Peabody is scheduled to be officially unveiled on Saturday at 11:00. Free activities (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) on just the right scale for the tot set are promised: digging in sand, tossing beanbags, and so forth. When your little one asks, “But how did they make it?”, forget the confusing poster on the way to the Discovery Room and head straight for the website, where sculptor Michael Anderson talks about the process and a totally cool series of photos shows how it came about.

We may head down Sachem, after we’ve satisfied our Torosaurus yearnings, and cross the street over toward the School of Management, in front of which grow several horse chestnut trees. The little guy and I already had one satisfying little horse-chestnut-hunting expedition in the rain last week; we washed the mud off them at home and spread them on a towel to dry. There’s not really anything constructive to do with them, as far as I can determine (unless you’re interested in promoting a revival of the fading British pastime of conkers), but I still find them irresistible.

Farewell, Xanadu

2005-10-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has whiled away a rainy day in the cozy comfort of Xanadu Family Center in Hamden, trailing little ones from one room full of toys to the next while chatting with mom (or dad) friends, will be as sad as I was to learn that Xanadu has closed its doors for good. I was planning a visit there to check out the new site on Hartford Turnpike when I heard the news from a friend. The Xanadu answering machine message now says, "It's unfortunate that we have had to close due to financial reasons and will not be reopening."

After the big move to the new location this summer, the center had shifted its focus somewhat, downplaying the drop-in lounge aspect and concentrating on upgraded class offerings, child care, and its new preschool component. Before my little guy started preschool, we spent a lot of time at the old site, and made some great mom-and-kid friends there. I liked the flexibility of being able to come once in a while or take a class every week, and the babysitting option was very handy. Xanadu filled a real need... I guess the problem was figuring out how to make it pay. We're sorry to see you go, guys.

Jerry-san's Sushi Bar ---YUM!

2005-10-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

So we may have a new favorite restaurant...

We decided that we have had good luck in West Haven lately, why not try sushi there too. Driving up to Jerry-san's we were a little apprehensive, as it seemed to be smack dab in the middle of an Infiniti car lot. However, our apprehension was short lived as we were welcomed inside by the super-friendly staff. The restaurant was relatively empty at 5:45 when we got there (but full with a wait at 7 when we left), and they seated us at table in a nice baby-friendly corner. Newhavenbaby ordered for himself ("Rice, please.") We also ordered a new treat for him, cucumber rolls, and he amused himself by taking bites out of each little roll, one at a time. The waiters brought him a pretty cup with a stirrer/straw and went out of there way to talk to him, give him extra ice, and make sure he was happy.
The restaurant seemed to be a nice mix of families and couples, and we saw a big bowl of kid-rigged chopsticks at the server station. The atmosphere was warm, casual, and comfortable. We really had a nice dinner.

Jerry-san's Sushi Bar / Daiko Japanese Restaurant is located at 400 Derby St. in West Haven. (203) 392-3626. It is a little ways down past the Yale Bowl, coming from New Haven. My deluxe sushi dinner (10 pieces + tuna roll) was $18.50, hot saki $3, newhavenbaby's cucumber roll was $3.50 and his daddy's red and white sushi was $16.

Rain,rain, go AWAY

2005-10-14T19:18:00.000-04:00

...because we have been cooped up in this house way too long.

Supposing it may stop raining tomorrow, East Rock Park is having a fall festival from 11am-3pm with crafts for kids. It is geared toward school-aged kids; I would guess that activities could be toddler friendly with parent supervision. It sounds like a lot of it may be indoors, but make sure to call ahead before you set out tomorrow.

"The East Rock Fall Festival consists of arts and crafts activities at College Woods (at the pavilion and the ranger station) - including pumpkin painting, button making, and beading projects. New Haven's portable climbing wall will be here in College Woods as well. There was also supposed to be a Canoe New Haven component in the Mill River, but due to the heavy rain and the river at flood stage, the canoeing has been cancelled. I believe there is a tractor drawn hayride scheduled for the summit, and the Trowbridge Center will be open for visitors."

The Trowbridge Nature Center is open most Thursdays and Fridays. Newhavenbaby had a great time decorating a fall leaf for the wall decoration last week. There were hawks on display, as well as live fish, turtles and a snake (or two?) to look at. Newhavenbaby's favorite activity, however, was getting little cups of water from the water cooler.

Contact info:
Tom Parlapiano, Naturalist
Trowbridge Environmental Center
East Rock Park
946-6086
http://cityofnewhaven.com/parks/ranger/eastrock.htm

Mothers & More of Greater New Haven

2005-10-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

Rosanne recently contacted me about a new Greater New Haven chapter of Mothers & More, a national not-for-profit support group for mothers, and she was nice enough to answer a few of our questions:

Rosanne, how did you get started with Mothers & More?
I used to be a member of Mothers & More in Utah, I recently moved to CT and there wasn't a chapter in this area so I decided to start one.
What kind of activities do you do together?
Playgroups, Moms & Tots activities, Coffee Club, Mom's Night Out, Book Club, and montlhy meetings.
When and where are your meetings?
Our meetings are generally held the 2nd Tuesday of month at the Arden House in Hamden, 850 Mix Avenue, 7:30 pm. Our first meeting is on October 18th.
What is your favorite part of the group?
Meeting other moms, offering support to eachother, getting a night away from mom duties once in a while, and getting the kids together to make new friends!
Where can newhavenmamas who are interested get more information?
Email me at mothersandmoregnh@hotmail.com, or visit our website at http://mothersandmoregnh.tripod.com/

A short ride to the Shore Line Trolley

2005-10-12T22:55:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Newhavenbaby turned 2 (!!) this weekend. We had hoped to repeat our birthday apple-picking trip from last year, but this icky weather forced us inside. Serendipitously, we ended up at the Shore Line Trolley Museum, near the Tweed airport in East Haven. Newhavenbaby has a new fascination with trains, and a search for train activities at ParentsFirst site led us to the museum. Newhavenbaby has not stopped asking to go back since we got back in the car at the museum to go home. He has been harassing his daddy to take him on the "green trolley" (aka the downtown New Haven electric trolley) since he recognized it yesterday from his carseat view.

The scoop:
The people who worked at the museum were very friendly. There is a small exhibit inside to look at while you wait for the trolley to arrive. The trolley ride is 3 miles long and winds through some beautiful marshlands to Short Beach and back. The trolley makes a stop at what we called "the Roundhouse" where you can climb around in beautifully restored trolley cars. The conductor/tourguide was interesting in a Steve Buscemi kind of way. We had our lunch inside on the trolley station benches. I didn't ask if food was allowed, but no one stopped us either.

Stroller-rating: leave it in the trunk! The museum is small enough to carry or chase your newhavenbaby, and you won't need a stroller on the trolley. Newhavenbaby got a little heavy at "the Roundhouse" until we abandonded the tour group and let him and little c climb the trolleys with wild abandon. I don't think you'd have much luck with a stroller there anyway---the ground is gravel and you cross lots of tracks. One of the buildings has stairs (and a box of rusty saws at toddler level!), and the passageway in one of the other buildings is very narrow.

The trolley museum is about 5 minutes down I-95 to exit 51. There aren't clear signs along the way, so make sure to copy the directions from the Web site. Check hours too; the museum is usually open on the weekends. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children 2 and up, and free for children under 2.

"Elimination Communication"

2005-10-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

According to the Times, parents a few years from now will no longer be using diapers. They will learn to toilet-train their children when they are a few months old. The article goes on to say, "Most important, they say, is an increased emotional bond with the baby, forged by the need for the parent to pick up on subtle signs and act on them quickly. Proponents of the practice use the phrase 'elimination communication.'"

There has been some talk in the press that American Moms are too child-centric, ignoring their careers, leisure time, etc in favor of the progeny. My advice to stem the tide of insanity is the following,
"THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO THE TIMES!!!"

Duck soup? I'll trust you on this one.

2005-10-04T23:15:00.000-04:00

At a baby-centric cocktail party recently, L. shared a find in Hamden to add to our list: Duck Soup Cafe . She liked the little low counter with crayons and toys where kids could sit and eat and play.

My plan was to try to get there before I posted about it, as it is on the way to Sleeping Giant State Park and Brooksvale Park in Hamden--both places I have been planning on taking newhavenbaby this fall. Since L.'s little boy is very frequently sporting the same shoes as newhavenbaby, I know she has good taste, and I'm posting it now in hopes that we will get there soon.

Duck Soup is located at 3584 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT.
203-281-SOUP(7687)

Going to Visit Our Friends the Goats

2005-09-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite places to take my little animal-lover is to Hindinger Farm in Hamden. It’s an easy trip from New Haven, and I can load up on gorgeous, delicious super-fresh local produce while supporting a family farm. His favorite part, though, is grabbing a bag of goat crackers and marching out to the big enclosure to see who’s hungry today. Four female goats keep one another company there, and usually they fall all over themselves – or shove one another out of the way – to avail themselves of the cracker bounty. Every once in a while they’re not hungry, for reasons that even the farmers don’t seem to understand. This either pushes my little one to greater heights of encouragement (there’s nothing like watching your kid croon, “Would you like another one, sweetie?” to a bearded creature with big teeth), or induces him to toss me the bag and go hang out for a while in the toy cars waiting nearby. I lounge on the picnic bench while he drives us to New York, unless it’s been raining, in which case I’ve learned to swoop down and say, “Oops, cars are wet, let’s go inside now.” There’s even a handy Purell dispenser for use after goat feeding.

When we finally manage to drag ourselves away from goats and/or automotive splendor, we head back inside to load up on the latest of what they’re picking. As we head into October, you might still find peaches just this weekend, and corn for probably another week, as well as prune plums, apples, pears, and tomatoes; later in the month the broccoli, cauliflower, and collards will come in. They also head to regional farmers’ markets regularly to fill out their stock with other produce they don’t grow or don’t have in yet. You can get milk and cheese, maple syrup and jams and jellies, and pies and ice cream as well. Last time we went my little guy was thrilled to see baby pumpkins – he remembered getting our Halloween pumpkins there last year, and he’s been asking about them ever since strawberry time. The stand stays open well into the chilly months, with seasonal wreaths available later on. Get on the email list (write to lizzyjerry@aol.com) and they’ll send occasional messages about seasonal changes in hours and about whatever good stuff’s coming up next.

The little guy likes to pick out the ears of corn for me, and he’s learning not to grab more green beans at a time than he can get into the bag without spilling. We tend to pile up our purchases little by little near the cash registers while we explore things together, and the folks who work there are very cheerful and flexible about this. They chat with my kid and ask about him if I don’t bring him along. Before we go we make sure to visit the bees working in a glass-fronted hive next to the jars of local honey. Last time we noticed pollen on some of the bees’ legs. He was surprised, and wondered how the bees could get outside to where the flowers were. (Look just under and behind the hive for the vent pipe we found.)

How to get there from New Haven: Take a left from Dixwell Avenue onto Benham Street (across from a huge construction project involving many satisfying earth-moving vehicles, a little before you get to Hamden High School). Stay on Benham – very hilly -- until you reach Dunbar Hill Road; there'll be a church on your right. Turn right. You’ll pass a small fire station on your left immediately after making the turn. When you reach a stop at a Y-shaped intersection, bear left. Just a bit farther on, the farm, 835 Dunbar Hill Road, (203) 288-0700, will be on your right. Open Tuesday to Friday 9 to 6, Saturday and Sunday 9-5, closed Mondays. Note: closed Tues. Oct. 4 -- they're going to Pennsylvania that day "to get unusual decorations".

Doesn't fit...toddlers and symbols

2005-09-30T09:57:00.000-04:00

I have been doing some layperson research on toddler understanding of symbols lately. I keep reading that toddlers don't understand symbolic representation---but newhavenbaby seems to and I'm sure he can't be only one. One example, he knows the capital and lower-case letters and the sounds they make, and he understands that the letters make words that he can't read but that I can. And he knows that the words stand for things. Chances are I'm just probably not understanding symbols the way they are being studied by child development experts, but I'm working on it.
Anyway, here's daddytypes.com's recent entry about a study that appeared in scientific american. I have a couple of baby-related blogs that I read daily, and daddytypes is quickly becoming a favorite. This article has me planning some symbolic experiments of my own for a certain unsuspecting newhavenbaby.

But my favorite part of the research: " [W]e recently used different types of books to teach letters to 30-month-old children. One was a simple, old-fashioned alphabet book, with each letter clearly printed in simple black type accompanied by an appropriate picture--the traditional "A is for apple, B is for boy" type of book. Another book had a variety of manipulative features. The children who had been taught with the plain book subsequently recognized more letters than did those taught with the more complicated book. Presumably, the children could more readily focus their attention with the plain 2-D book, whereas with the other one their attention was drawn to the 3-D activities. Less may be more when it comes to educational books for young children. " Surprise?

October Events at East Rock Park

2005-09-28T20:34:00.000-04:00

Some of the walks are really nice while your newhavenbaby is still sling-able and you need some fresh air to recoup.
Here's the schedule, but you should probably call ahead to make sure:
Trowbridge Environmental Center at East Rock Park
Dan Barvir, East Rock Park Ranger
Tom Parlapiano, Trowbridge Naturalist

Public Programs – October 2005

6th (thurs) 5-6PM Introduction to Hawks & Hawk Watching
7th (fri) 9-11AM Fall Birdwalk
10th (mon) 10AM-4PM Holiday Open House
14th (fri) 9AM-Noon Trail Work Day
15 th (sat) 11AM-3PM East Rock Fall Festival
10AM-2PM Canoe New Haven – Mill River
19th (wed) 8-10AM Hawkwatch at Lighthouse Point Park
20th (thurs) 4-5:30PM Mill River Nature Walk
27th (thurs) 8-10AM Fall Birdwalk
28th(fri) 10-11:30AM Giant Steps Hike

Registration for programs is requested by the Park Ranger Staff for planning purposes. Contact us at 946-6086 for directions, more information, and to register for these programs.

All programs meet at the Trowbridge Environmental Center and are free to the public except as noted. The Trowbridge Environmental Center is located on the corner of Cold Spring & Orange Streets, opposite Wilbur Cross High School.

The Trowbridge Environmental Center is open to the public Thursdays & Fridays from 10AM to 5PM, and at least one Saturday each month for programs. The main entrance is adjacent to the picnic pavilion in College Woods.

Yale Moms-to-be in the NYT

2005-09-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

I was intrigued by the headline from this article in the NYT when I saw it from the busy (me, C, little C, and newhavenbaby vying for space) window seat at Lulu's. A gentleman sitting outside was reading it, but the fog from our baited breath on the windowpane blocked us from reading the small print. And, of course, newhavenbaby was getting restless.

The great thing about being a girl these days is that you can make your choices the way you want to make them. Our mamas and their mamas have worked hard and opened the doors to let us to decide what our priorities will be, instead of letting those awful, terrible societal pressures decide for us. Thanks ladies!

Next thing you know, Future Homemakers of America will see a revival of college chapters and more ivy league colleges will start issuing Masters degrees in Home Ec (they existed, really! My mom has one.).

Many Women at Elite Colleges Set Career Path to Motherhood [daddytypes.com]

The weekend of all weekends!

2005-09-22T14:17:00.000-04:00

This weekend, in addition to the standards---noon storytime at Barnes and Noble, Saturdays at 2 at the children's museum, the farmer's market at Wooster Square---there is so much going on we may not even have time to get it all on the calendar.

Budding art lovers...the Yale Center for British Art is celebrating the reinstallation of the permanent galleries with activities on Saturday and Sunday

Mini-sports fans...Yale kicks off the football season on Saturday

Film buffs and tiny hipsters...the Film Festival New Haven is sponsoring a toddler to age 7 screening of shorts at Bar (of all places?)

Baby Sinatras...the place to croon this Saturday is West Haven's Italian Fest

Shoppette-aholics...you must already know about the Chapel St Sidewalk Fair downtown New Haven this weekend

Preschool Philanthopists...The Tommy Fund Annual Family Day and Run (or Stroll)
for the Kids is this Saturday

As newhavenbaby is, of course, a well-rounded mini-renaissance man of sorts, we have no idea where to start this weekend! Hope everyone has a great one!

Raspberry Jazzberry Razzamatazzberry

2005-09-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

Raspberries are definitely in season at Bishops. We tried to go last week, but the heat of the afternoon was too overwhelming. This weekend we heard a rumor that the picking was just right, so off we went.

The field that was open for picking yesterday afternoon was half sunny and half shaded by some trees, and we picked and picked until newhavenbaby's belly was full. Luckily, there was a donation jar at the cash register (the "sin bin") for newhavenbaby's berries, and we took the other 2 lbs home. A woman at the berry patch suggested freezing them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. This morning, J. suggested making raspberry coulis. Yummm.

There is just something so luxurious about raspberries, especially hundreds and hundreds of them. I don't know how Bishop's is possibly going to find enough berry-pickers to pick all those berries that newhavenbaby didn't have a chance to put in his little belly.

The Fan

2005-09-18T23:18:00.000-04:00

I learned about a new restaurant in Woodbridge the other day called The Fan. Alison sent me an email about it (Thanks A.! It's nice to meet you!), and we are excited to try it.

Alison's review: "The Fan is great for kids: they have some kind of game always playing on their flat screen TVs and highchairs, booth and table seating, crayons with coloring books, a toy with all the kids meals and a decent kids menu, that you don't have to ask for! My 2 year old son loves going there! They also bring nacho chips to the table for everyone with house-made salsa that's the best I've ever had (we get sour cream for my son though!) And a somewhat secluded area for parties, etc. They also pop fresh popcorn for the "bar," but because you can smell it in the dining room, I've asked for some and they're always very generous with giving us a basket! The food is good, I don't see a lot of little kids there, but a lot of people I know seem to leave the kids home when they go to a typical "sports bar." Unless you're sitting in the bar, it is very kid friendly!!!! And so is the help!
Their desserts are house made as well and some are pretty darn good and HUGE~such as the ice cream sandwich with homemade chocolate chip cookies! It's big enough that 4 people can eat it!"

What I think newhavenbaby will be most excited about is the "build it yourself sundaes."

And while I was searching for the restaurant online, I found this: a $25 gift certificate for $10. Anyone tried these from Amazon?

The Fan is located at 12 Selden Street in Woodbridge.

Discovering Machu Picchu -- no strollers allowed

2005-09-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby and I headed to the Peabody yesterday to see the sights of the Incan Empire...and well, lets just say the Incas are a lot more interesting to this newhavenmama than they were to this particular newhavenbaby.

There are no strollers allowed in the exhibit area. A kind guard showed me where I could park the behemoth we drive. The first part of the tour of Machu Picchu is a 7-minute movie in a little 2 row theater. Luckily, we were the only ones there (4pm is usually pretty sparse). Newhavenbaby did sit quietly on the bench playing with trucks while I watched. Needless to say, it would be pretty darn easy to make a bother out of yourself if there was anyone else there.

The exhibit is nice: makeshift stone walls, manequins acting out daily life of the ancient Peruvians, and everything breakable was behind glass. Nevertheless, newhavenbaby was pretty much bored out of his little mind and ran around in circles pushing the button on one of the interactive displays over and over again. I'm planning on going back, but this time dragging his daddy along to entertain him in the Great Hall of dinosaurs while I spend a little more time in Machu Picchu.

So if you go...
try a weekday afternoon if you can,
be prepared to abandon the stroller ,
and bring some toys if your newhavenbaby isn't a movie-watcher
...or just skip the new exhibit all together and have a blast identifying birds on the third floor.

To Edgerton Park

2005-09-09T13:39:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite parks in New Haven is the quiet and peaceful Edgerton Park, off of Whitney St. near Hamden. There are two events in the upcoming weeks at the park.

This weekend, Sept. 10-11, is the New Haven Folk Festival. Many events are free, including an afternoon of family entertainment on Saturday.
12:00pm-1:30pm
Children's Concert with Sally Rogers (special guest Ellen Greist)
followed by The Roger's Barn Circus and a free crafts area for kids
1:30pm-4:30pm
Amy Gallatin (cowboy songs and bluegrass)
Causeway (up-and-coming singer/songwriter duo)
The Elm City Girls Choir
John Whelan (legendary Irish button accordionist)
and there will also be food, crafts, exhibitors, and other vendors nearby.
For more complete info, visit the Web site or call 877-9-CTFOLK.

Next weekend, Sept. 18, is Sunday in the Park, an English Country Fair. There will be "Pony rides, Children's Games, Silent Auction, Book Sale, Boutique, Fresh Produce Sale, Live Band Music by Tuxedo Junction, Morris Dancers, Ash Creek String Band, Scottish Highland Bagpiper, Climbing Wall, lots to eat at picnic style tables AND MUCH" according the to Web site.
We enjoyed the white elephant and book sales last year.

no pizza for you!

2005-09-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

So we had a terrible experience at our favorite casual greek salad and pizza stop on York St. We got there around 5:30 to a 1/3 full restaurant. The waitress/hostess seated us in the WAY back (she had to move a trash can so we could reach the table) underneath a speaker in this little bitty back room with 3 booths and no other customers. We requested a table closer to the front, which she seemed fine with, sat down and waited and waited and waited and waited... and watched the new people arriving and being seated around us and getting their drinks and placing their orders and then we waited and waited...

Newhavenbaby ate a plum we had brought with us, and then half of a blueberry bar I dug out of the bottom of the diaper bag, and we waited. A waitess passing by told us a couple times that our server would be "right with you." Finally we decided that newhavenbaby would probably not be content sitting in his little booster seat long enough to give us time to eat since he was already full, so we left. They were very kind to us and flirted with newhavenbaby on the way out. I'm not really sure what was going on, but I think it will be a while before we go back. It was very odd.

We ended up having a delicious crisp greek salad at Clark's on Whitney and splitting a gyro and fries three ways. Followed up by a slice of cheesecake. Yum.

Donate for Hurricane Relief

2005-09-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

I am sure that you all have been following the terrible events in New Orleans and the rest of the coast. As you know, many Moms and babies were affected. Here is a list of organizations that are participating in relief efforts:

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
1-800-HELP-NOW.

Catholic Charities USA
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/news/katrina.cfm
(800) 919-9338

United Jewish Communities/Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund
http://www.ujc.org/
212-284-6944

United Methodist Committee on Relief
http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/
800-554-8583

Chalk-talk

2005-08-29T14:28:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a few weeks since I had a conversation with the owner of one of my fave mama/baby hangouts about appropriate baby (hence mama!) behavior. The conversation had been spurred by a recent visit by some renegade toddlers who 'decorated' the walls and furnishings with markers and chalk while their mothers apparently did nothing to curb the inappropriate behavior.

Newhavenbaby and I go to a lot of non-baby places where he is frequently the only (or one of two when he brings a date!) baby there, and we leave if he seems to be disturbing anyone unneccesarily. We even leave my fave mama/baby hangout, coffee-in-hand frequently, because he gets restless and there are 2 or 3 other groups of people there enjoying the day who I am mortified to be disturbing.

Regardless, the conversation got me thinking about parenting in public places like restaurants. What do you do when babies or toddlers aren't acting appropriately? How can a business cater to the baby-set and ensure that the mama-dada-set keep them in check?

It seems like there should be a better way than this... Right?

via bloggingbaby

Dog (and Cat) Days at the Peabody

2005-08-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

We had a lot of fun this morning at the Peabody's Dog and Cat day events. The highlight was the sheep herding demonstration on the lawn---the sheep kept getting tangled up in the plastic fencing during the demonstration, which is apparently very exciting to an almost two year old.

Inside we met Handsome Dan, and newhavenbaby practiced his bulldog pout, and we made tiger masks which he didn't understand how to use at all. Newhavenbaby was thrilled to get his hands on some child-sized (and blunt-tipped!) scissors. There was also a table to make feathery cat toys, and several games to play.

The music "freestyle" was going on when we left---a little bit strange in this bloggers opinion---with a woman dressed in red, white, and blue polyester dancing to a disco song with her dog, who kept trying to run away.

The Dog Day event continues tomorrow (Sunday) from 12-4.

Book-a-holics

2005-08-25T15:46:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby is a bookworm and a half, so we are always on the hunt for new books. Newhavenbaby and his Dad found Rap-a-tap-tap today at the library (Thanks Myra for the rec!), and we have a whole list in the wings from the daddytypes.com Book Review Contest.
I was even inspired to write my own review of newhavenbaby's current fave, Madlenka.

Pilot Pen

2005-08-24T21:07:00.000-04:00

I went with a few co-workers to Pilot Pen tournament today (sans the baby). It was a pretty interesting experience. Unfortunately, the woman that we were rooting for, Meghan Shaughnessy, lost to another player. There were several kids in the crowd, all above the age of 4. They also have an interactive playzone for kids, which looked pretty fun. My friend's four-year old was having a great time. She got some autographs, and was cheering really hard.

SWAGAT = casual deliciousness

2005-08-24T10:18:00.000-04:00

I am adding another few restaurants to the Eat page, but I thought I'd highlight this one here too.
We have been craving Indian food for months, so went to Swagat last night for dinner. One of our former neighbors (thanks Ian!) had recommended it a while back. We drive by it all the time on the way to Shoprite in West Haven (best cheap produce we've found), but it's always the wrong time of day to stop for food.

The food was delicious, and served in cool metal cups, plates and bowls. We ordered dosa to start (heavenly!), chicken saag, and a lamb dish that's I can't remember the name of, and bread. Newhavenbaby loved the spicey basmati rice and the dosa with chutney. Newhavenbaby and I split the kahlfi for dessert while his daddy drank sweet Indian coffee. All for about $25. Next time we decided we are going to order a vegetable dish--and maybe some extra spicy rice for newhavenricemonster. Or we'll come back at lunch and try the $4-7 lunch specials.

The decor is sparse, there are only about 6 tables. Two highchairs---one plasticky and one the standard wood restaurant variety. We were the first dinner guests to arrive at 5:30pm on a Tuesday night, but by 6:45 there was only one table left.

Swagat, 215 Boston Post Rd West Haven, CT 06516 (203) 931-0108 (nestled in a little strip of shops on the right before you get to that funky campbell st / fountain st intersection)

The effect of work on your kid

2005-08-22T13:26:00.000-04:00

I am a working Mom, so I am always on the lookout for research on the effects of work on kid's development. I came across an interesting new paper that relates to this. Apparently, having Mom work benefits (or at least does not hurt) disadvanatged youths, but does hurt "advantaged adolescents." For more details on the paper, go to SSRN. The paper's author is Christopher Ruhm.

Out-of-house Guests

2005-08-21T22:44:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby's grandparents came to see us a few weeks ago during our big move, and they stayed in Westville at a guest house that was listed on one of the Yale travel pages. We missed having them nearby, but our guestbedroom / babybedroom was a un-navigatable sea of cardboard boxes. We loved their help with newhavenbaby while we were setting up our new home.

Here's the scoop from newhavenbaby's grandma:

"We really enjoyed our stay in Margaret's beautiful home. Visiting with Margaret was a real treat, as she had so many interesting stories to tell, as well as old time family recipes. We felt completely at home. She is so kind. I feel like I've left behind a good friend. The last two nights we were there two other guests arrived. The lady worked for the United Nations in Haiti. Again, we enjoyed visiting with them and we gained insight into their very busy lives. Margaret's bed and breakfast made our stay in NewHaven very memorable, and we hope to stay there again in the future. If you call to stay there, tell Margaret "Pat" sent you!"

61 Alston Street
Margaret Saars
203-397-8962

Cranky, Critical and Sane

2005-08-19T08:16:00.000-04:00

It's my last weekend at my summer internship and hubby took the day off to help pack up while I went to work. The thing is, baby T was thrilled to see daddy and celebrated by tossing routine out the window! Both baby and hubby got underfoot as I was scrambling to get out of the house on time, which led me to blow a gasket, which got hubby wondering why he had taken the day off, which made me wonder whether he really was helping etc...

At work and at school, I'm in control, cool as a cucumber, unflappable and chilled! At home, Monday to Friday, I'm a pressure cooker, hissing gently, with the occasional loud steam releasing yell. On weekends, I try to chill out - but it's challenging to just "let it go!"

It goes deeper than that ... As a single mommy through the week, I'm wound up tight and constantly on guard, relying on my wit, sanity, energy and strength to keep baby and myself well looked after.

On the weekends, I have the liberty to drop my guard and relax but it's the hardest thing to do! Suddenly, I don't know what to do with my excess guard dog type energy. In theory, I should just allow poor hubby to be the daddy and take over, but the guard dog rears it's head. "You didn't fix the cereal right, you didn't put him on the potty the right way." Or the unkindest jab of all..."He's upset, it's because you don't know how to handle him."

This conversation goes on in my head every weekend...
Critic: He's doing everything wrong
Sane:So, let him figure it out.
Cranky: I wish he'd just let me show him exactly what to do
Sane: Hey, it's not likely that your method would work any better.
Critic: Whaddya mean... Of course it does, haven't I perfected it.
Sane: ay carramba! Get a drink, read a book, go for a walk, take a long shower - let them work at it.
Cranky: yeah, like that's going to happen! The minute I try to do anything it will be "mommyyy", "Babe! Where is the milk./diaper/clean clothes..."

Some days cranky wins, and those weekends are highly forgettable. Other days sanity wins and we have a great time!
I'm trying to work out the right mantra to handle this... Maybe when I'm back in school or maybe when I've graduated and we're all living under one roof, maybe it will be different.

It's a choice we make as to which persona will dominate the day - somedays it's so hard to do the right thing and other days life is so zen! My hope is to evenutally send cranky to a dark closet and let sanity be the ruling force in my life...

This weekend I'm going to be sane, enjoy the weather and pack. If cranky starts rearing her head, I promise to go for a walk and work off that cheesecake I ate last night.

Have a sane, fun weekend ya'all.

QS

Baja Mexican Restaurant

2005-08-17T11:11:00.000-04:00

Coming from Texas, we really start to miss a nice plate of tacos and enchiladas.

Last night, we took newhavenbaby to Baja, on the Boston Post Road in Orange. They have lots of highchairs, and a super-friendly waitstaff. And newhavenbaby loved the orange slices that the kind bartender brought over while we were looking at our menus.

Baja has something that our Texas joints did not: a salsa bar that includes 3-4 different types of salsa, pico de gallo, and pickled jalapeno peppers. Much better that the standard little bowl for us to fight over. These days, newhavenbaby will eat just about anything as long as he can dip it in something else, in this case his broccoli (brought from home to snack on while we waited) was garnished with a very mild orange salsa.

I had the combo #2 (taco, rolled taco and enchilada--yum!), hubby had a burrito, and newhavenbaby had a side-order of spanish rice to go with the pieces of shredded beef from my taco. The fish tacos are also excellent, fyi.

Baja is located at 63 Boston Post Rd. (near the new Target, across the street for Lowes). 799-2252

Orange St. Market--you made my day!

2005-08-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

So, I have to gloat a little bit about the article in today's New Haven Register.
I LOVE it! Especially because you can see newhavenbaby's bellybutton in the photo.

And I was thrilled to walk into Orange St. Market early this morning, and instead of my every-day friendly "Hello!" or "How are you?" I was greeted with: "So, how many papers do you want today?" I couldn't decide whether I wanted to buy them all, or to leave as many as possible for other people to read about newhavenbaby.

Where else can I go today...

Hellooo

2005-08-11T17:10:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I am the newest contributor to NewHavenBaby.com and would like to say hello to you all.

It's almost term time and I am in the middle of the last frantic few weeks of wrapping up my internship, organizing my move back to New Haven and gearing up for classes.

I am a full time MBA student at Yale and will be entering my 2nd and final year at school this fall. I am also a full-time mommy (and I dare anyone to reduce this shift to part-time!) to an adorable little 1.5 year old boy.

It's been a tricky, crazy year juggling business school and a baby but I've learned to plan my days with military style precision making backup plans and back ups for the backups. In the middle of this juggling act I learnt the art of keeping my kid suitably diverted while I tried to get h.w done, attend a group meeting, take a phone call and make dinner all in one go.

In acquiring suitable distractions for the brat, I became very passionate about toys. I have developed my list of "must haves" and "must nots" in toys and would love to share the lists with you. (note this list is very pertinent for a 1-3 age range)

"Top 5 Must Haves"

View Master (Fisher Price)- old technology, but super fun and inexpensive.
Mega Blocks (Mega Blocks) - we have lots of fun building towers and knocking them down.
Baby Tad (Leap Frog) - plays a bunch of songs and is pretty entertaining.
Big Yellow dump truck (indeterminate make) - my kid rolls it around the house.
Cardboard boxes and dinner spoons - the fun a kid can have with these is incredible.

I will share my "Must not" list the next time and in the interim would love to hear from you about your favorite toys!

Have a great week!

QueeniSreeni. :)

Nice to meet you!

2005-08-11T10:09:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate to have a really nice conversation with a interesting, delightful and successful journalist and newhavenmama (now newhavengrandmama!) yesterday. Sandi Kahn Shelton called to write an article about newhavenbaby.com for the New Haven Register (check us out next Monday! Newhavenbaby and I also had a lot of fun getting our pictures taken for the article).

In addition to writing for the NHR, Sandi's "Wit's End" column appears in Working Woman and excepts have been collected into several books. I must say, her observations about life with kids really have me giggling.

I was also excited to find a new novel to add to my ever-growing reading list, What Comes After Crazy? Especially one that takes place New Haven!

And Sandi, if you are reading this, please do stop by when you are in the neighborhood...

Haircuts and Tootsie pops

2005-08-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby had a grand time last week getting his hair cut again at Phil's Hair Styles on Wall St.

The first hair cut was a few months ago. That wasn't all that pleasant for either of us, but newhavenbaby was more than thrilled to receive his first chocolate tootsie pop 3 snips, 4 howls, 7 dollars and 25 teardrops later. I must admit, I was a little horrified at the wisdom of letting newhavenbaby have this new super-sugary treat, but....

This time, 4 months later, when I took him back for a trim before his grandparents came to visit, they were out of lollipops. Apparently, in newhavenbaby's superb recollective memory hair cut had already become equivalent to lollipop. Newhavenbaby's own words "no lollipop, no haircut." So we went home.

His dad took him back the next day with a back-up tootsie pop from the Taft drugstore. Newhavenbaby was again not thrilled with the whole procedure until the lollipop appeared. Now, he has been asking to go back for a hair cut almost every day since!

AND he looks so cute with his little boy cut.

Phil's hair styles is at 82 Wall St. We heard a rumor that the barbers there have cut the locks of more than one former president. Maybe more than one future president too?

File under Smart-mamas

2005-08-07T20:55:00.000-04:00

We've recently added some new mama-centric links to our ever growing list of favorite spots on the Web:

literarymama---recently cited as a Best of the Web pick on Forbes.com. There is more to read there then I will ever have time for.

Brain, Child -the magazine for thinking mothers

If you find a local newstand bookstore that carries Brain, Child please send us a note. I've hit Barnes and Noble on Broadway and in North Haven, and browsed the giant selection of magazines at News Haven without success.

In search of Art

2005-08-05T21:54:00.000-04:00

We finally made it to the Yale Art Gallery this summer...it had been too long. We hit the British Art Center first, but the 'animal room" was being cleaned and the top two floors were undergoing some renovations, and newhavenbaby and his friend were not excited at all about the naval portraits.
The Yale Art Gallery was fun, but our favorite red Calder mobile in the American galleries upstairs had been taken down, and Duchamp's snow shovel was apparently back in storage.

Not to be completely outdone with our carefully arranged field trip, we decided to take advantage of the summer weather and visit some outside sculptures nearby. Newhavenbaby was facinated with Calder's Gallows and Lollipops in Beinecke plaza. We'll be heading back to the museums once the fall weather drives us back inside and the summer renovations are over.

BTW, the BAC and the Sterling Library/Cross Campus ladies rooms both have nice quiet sofas for calming or nursing your newhavenbaby. (:

All moved in...

2005-08-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

Sorry we haven't been around much, but we are now all situated in a brand new apartment on a beautiful street with the friendliest neighbors....can I say more?
Newhavenbaby likes his new room (and new toy room!), and we are having a great time watering the flowers in the front yard.
Now to settle back in to our little home in cyberspace...We've missed you!

Swimming/Water Parks in CT?

2005-07-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

This mama has a new reason to go swimming with her toddler. I just bought a brand-new Speedo at a bargain price ($49) at the Swimming Outlet in New Haven. Since we do not belong to any sort of a country club/gym/YMCA, we need to explore other less obvious opportunities to exercise the swimsuit. (Also, my kid is pretty excited about water at the moment). I have been searching the Internet, and I found two places nearby: Quassy and Lake Compounce. Both are located on lakes and have swimming. Both are supposed to be old school parks that are baby-friendly. Has anyone been there? Any other swimming opportunities/public pools?

New new newhavenbaby contributors

2005-07-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

Be on the look out for posts from a few new 'faces' here at the newhavenbaby.com blog.

Our city-wide search has netted us some new contributors, and we look forward to hearing their stories.

Cheers!

A new coffee hangout: Book Trader Cafe

2005-07-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby and I have not been to Book Trader Cafe in a while; lately we've been staying within easy (i.e. lazy) strolling distance to home.

But today, I am sitting outside on the patio, tapping in to someone's unsecured wireless connection and drinking an excellent latte with, gasp, whole milk. Newhavenbaby's daddy sent me off today sans newhavenbaby with a $8 book credit, which I will probably spend on a book for newhavenbaby (we've gotten a few of our fave's here: Ten to Tango, Polar bear What do you hear?, Jamberry), so I am enjoying some quiet time while I scope the place out for the inevitable trip back with newhavenbaby in tow. I had forgotten how much we like to come here!

The scoop: indoor and outdoor seating, the patio seems great for a possibly loud and definately curious newhavenbaby---and you can get to it from the sidewalk without having to navigate with the stroller inside, one high chair. Book Trader serves coffee's, muffins, bagels, delicious gingerbread (yum!) and freshly made soups and sandwiches. And although you will have to ditch the stroller to fit through the hallway to the restrooms, there is a changing table waiting for you when you get there.

We have been putting off a trip to one of newhavenbaby's favorite spots nearby: the Yale Art Gallery, because I'm afraid with his new mobility and curiosity he will head right for Duchamp's snow shovel and carry it off an around the gallery. Or try to climb on one of the pillars for a closer look at Caligula's head. Maybe tomorrow...

An added bonus for branching out of my normal stomping grounds is that I got to see some people I don't see very often: Hi Leonardo! (:

Still stuck on blueberries

2005-07-18T14:28:00.000-04:00

...and the blueberries will soon be stuck on newhavenbaby, and his clothes, and under his nails and...

We just got our email that the Bishop's Orchard blueberries are ready for picking starting tomorrow (July 19)!!!
The scoop: "Picking hours may change due to availability or weather conditions, so please call our special PYO Info line at 203-458-7425 just before coming.The blueberry season will last until very late August and we expect to be open most days. The price is $1.65 lb when you pick 5 pounds or more. Containers are provided. "

We took newhavenbaby to Lyman Orchards for his birthday last fall to pick apples, and though he wasn't sure about it at the time, he LOVES to look at the pictures from the trip. Maybe this year he will be able to reach the blueberries "all by himself"!

If you are interested, here is a directory of CT PYO farms.

Have fun, and send pictures!

Blues Berries and Jam and Green Beans and Raspberries

2005-07-14T10:09:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby had a great time yesterday at the Blues Berries and Jam concert and Farmer's Market downtown in Temple Plaza.
We headed that way to find some fresh green beans for our Wednesday mamas and babies dinner for a delicious (and super-easy) recipe we found.
The farmer's market is sponsored by cityseed (same as the Saturday Wooster Square affair). It started at 9am, but by the time we got there at 11:45, the 5 or 6 vendors still had lots of veggies to choose from.
The music started at noon, and newhavenbaby enjoyed sitting in the chairs set up on the lawn, snacking on raspberries, raw green beans and ciabatta bread, and swaying to some excellent blues guitar playing.

Car seats in question

2005-07-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

The authors of Freakonomics published an interesting (and thought-provoking) article, "The Seat-Belt Solution," in yesterday's NYT Magazine about the effectiveness of car seats for older toddlers and young children.
Wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about bringing the darn car seat on vacation. Or moving it to another mama's car to ride together? Seems to good to be true....but wouldn't it be nice.

Thanks to C. for the hot tip!

Mom's Clubs

2005-07-10T20:41:00.000-04:00

Some one sent me an email asking for more! more! links to Mom's clubs and gatherings. I have listed what I know on the calendar, but I am on the hunt for more.

If anyone has groups they know of or belong to and love, please send me a note or post a comment below and I will publish them all on the site. I know there are mama's out there that would love the chance to get together, myself included! Think of newhavenbaby.com as your own perosnal mama recruiter (smile!).

Here's what I already have in my bookmarks:
Playgroups in CT
CT moms at Babycenter.com
SAHM group
myplaygroups.com

New Web Host!

2005-07-07T11:23:00.000-04:00

Fear not...for those of you who have had some trouble with slow-loading (or no-loading) pages on the site this week, your troubles are over. We have switched servers and should be good to go.
Thanks for using our links for your Amazon, Target, Babystyle, and Gap purchases and supporting newhavenbaby.com!!

Hamden Family Fun Summer Concert Series

2005-07-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

The Hamden Parks and Recreation Dept sponsors an annual series of family concerts that begins TONIGHT!! The concerts take place on Wednesdays at 6pm at Larry's Playground (Bassett Park) in Hamden.
This year's line-up:
July 6 Wayne from Maine
July 13 Mark Rust
July 20 TBA
July 27 Dr. Ya-ya's Gumbo Party
Aug 3 Les Julian
Aug 10 Blue Trail
Aug 17 TBA

For more information: 287 - 2579. Recorded info (rain locations, etc): 287 - 2588

Thanks to David for the email!

In case you were busy...

2005-07-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

Just in case you (were at the park, having lunch, feeding lunch, starting a nap, ending a nap, reading a book, ...) and missed it....

"If you are a new parent you know how difficult it is to travel around with a little one. A new web site has been launched in New Haven to help guide you through the maze of what to do when you are out with your baby. Holly salmon, the proud mother of http://www.newhavenbaby.com/, joined us on News Channel 8 at Noon today."

Newhavenbaby, et al.

2005-07-05T23:01:00.000-04:00

Hamdenbabies, Ansoniababies, WestHavenbabies, Cheshirebabies, NorthHavenbabies: tell your mamas and dadas we need you!!

Newhavenbaby is looking for a few hip stay-out-of-the-house mamas and dadas to become contributing editors on the blog.

If....
you love to write
you love to be the know-it-all of the bunch
you love to be out and about

then
you may the perfect contributing editor!

This is a great opportunity for people who are interested in pursuing a writing career as you never know who is looking. All it takes is one person in the media to scoop you up as their next feature writer. And if your contributions lead to advertising on the site, we would be thrilled to send a portion of the proceeds in your direction.

To apply, please email us a short bio about yourself during your next available nap-time. We will choose our new contributing editors in the next few weeks.

Add this to the Monday Night line up:

2005-07-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

We really enjoyed seeing Les Julian at the Arts and Ideas Festival last month, and we are excited to see him on the summer line up for the North Haven library's Monday evening Picnic and Performance series.
Here's the scoop:

"Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy a free performance each week on the library lawn.(Performances will be held indoors if the weather is inclement. Seating is limited. No food in the Library.) Mondays 7:00 - 8:00 pm. All ages.
July 11 Les Julian - Singer and Songwriter
July 18 Wayne from Maine - Music for the "Young at Heart"
July 25 Tom Callinan - Songs of Land and Sea
August 1 Bill Shontz - High-energy entertainer
NO Registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the North Haven Library."
Thanks R. for the info! Hope to see you and the new little one soon.

newhavenbaby in the news...

2005-07-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

...and on the news.

The pseudo-secret identity of MamaHolly will be revealed this Tuesday!

Set your clocks for 12:40 on Tuesday (July 5) afternoon and tune in to WTNH (ABC-Channel 8). I have been invited to make a guest appearance on News Channel 8 at Noon to talk about newhavenbaby.com. Fame or anonymity?---well, I guess now everyone knows which one I choose.

Newhavenbaby will be staying at home...hopefully taking his ever-elusive nap!!

Fireworks fans rejoice!

2005-06-30T14:30:00.000-04:00

If you like fireworks, you are in for a great weekend. There are fireworks displays scheduled in around the area all weekend: from Friday night in Hamden, to Saturday in Orange or Wallingford, to Sunday in West Haven, culminating in a Monday night celebration at Long Wharf park in New Haven. And if you miss all those, Guilford's celebration is scheduled for next Saturday, July 9.

What we know:
"The City of New Haven presents its annual fireworks display in New Haven Harbor with an Independence Day celebration for the entire family on the waterfront of Long Wharf Park. There will be free activities for children, a diversity of live musical performances on two stages and food from local restaurants and vendors. Fireworks begin at dusk.Monday, July 4th, 2005 .
Long Wharf Park
Long Wharf Drive
New Haven, CT
203-946-7821 "

There is live music scheduled from 6:30pm.

Lots more information is available:
http://www.kc101.com/fireworks.html
http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/parentsfirst/calendars/calendar-familyevents.html

UPDATE: The Carillons AREN'T coming....

2005-06-28T20:53:00.000-04:00

OH NO!! Thanks to a kind email from a kind carillonneur (Thanks Christina!), we found out that there will be no carillon concerts this July; Harkness tower is under renovation.

We did get some scoop on a great event next summer:
"From June 20-23, 2006, Yale will host the annual congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, a professional organization of carillonneurs. The event will feature many concerts by respected carillonneurs as well as talented young performers. These will all be open to the public. This will be in addition to the resumption of our annual summer series, which will begin at the conclusion of the Congress. A detailed schedule for the Congress will be posted as we begin scheduling events this year at www.yale.edu/carillon/gcna2006."

Anyone else have some free time on Friday nights all of a sudden? Carillonneurs, we'll miss you!

The Carillons are coming....

2005-06-27T23:20:00.000-04:00

This Friday, July 1, marks the first carillon concert of the summer by the Yale University Guild of Carilloners.
Newhavenbaby had a great time last year, and we were hooked after hearing Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain echoing off the walls in Old Campus.

Here's the official scoop:
The 2005 Summer Concert Series begins on July 1 due to the renovation of Harkness Tower and the Yale Memorial Carillon. Please contact the Summer Carillonneurs, Christina Meyer and Tiffany Ng, with inquiries. All concerts begin at 7 PM. They are free and open to the public, and last approximately one hour. Seating is not provided, but audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to the listening area in the courtyard of Branford College, on High Street between Chapel and Elm. An indoor listening space will be available in the event of rain.

Our modus operendi:
After grabbing a program guide at the official listening spot in the Branford College courtyard, we usually head back outside the courtyard in the grassy area right underneath the tower, so newhavenbaby can run wild without disturbing the more serious carillon listeners. We usually bring lots of treats, inlcuding a bottle of wine for us and a sippycup of milk for newhavenbaby. Or if we laze away our Friday afternoons, we stock up at Gourmet Heaven or Au Bon Pain on Broadway and head over. Newhavenbaby inevitably ends up staying out a little later than usual, but we bring his pjs for the walk home. When we're lucky he is asleep in the stroller by the time we get back.

We hope you like it too. Stop by and say hi. We're the ones with the toddler who is up past his bedtime.

Do-it-yourself-baby signs

2005-06-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

I've recommended these books to so many people I think it might be time to recommend them here as well.

Newhavenbaby was a little late getting started with the baby signing thing, but I think we must have introduced them just in time. We picked the bedtime book up at the library downtown when newhavenbaby was about 14 months old. He looked through it on his own, and when I sat down with him about 5 minutes later, he was showing me the signs that the babies in the book were doing. I think it is the real photos of the babies that got his attention, but whatever it was, it worked. We bought the other versions soon afterwards.
He has started talking now, so the signs have disappeared from his communication efforts, but he still loves to make the animal signs along with the babies in the book.

Arts and Ideas---our favorites

2005-06-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

Newhavenbaby is really enjoying the Arts and Ideas festival downtown.

Our favorites so far:
Tuesday's Les Julian concert on the family stage
Oil Drum Art Workshop

Today we had pizza and sat (and danced and ran and crawled) on the Green during the lunchtime concert. There are also afternoon concerts on the family stage, but they are during newhavenbaby's naptime so we have only been to one.

The Oil Drum Art Workshop was a lot of fun, and we are supposed to get an invitation in the mail to see newhavenbaby's drum on display this fall. (: