Do you homeschool?

This was posted on a mom's group and might interest you if you're a homeschooler!

Hi there, My name is Ann and I homeschool in Longmont. I'm planning a homeschool fair on August 31. Basically, we'll gather to share information with families interested in homeschooling. There will be curriculum to peruse, catalogs to take, talks by families in the community about what their homeschooling world looks like, answers to questions and kids playing in the park.

I belong to NICHE homeschool group which is an inclusive, friendly, active group. We have a wide variety of families with different lifestyles, philosophies, homeschool plans. I'd love to meet up with some mamas who may consider homeschooling. We have active members from newborn to high school and everywhere in between.

DETAILS
When: Fri, Aug 31 11:00
Where: Willow Farm Park 901 S. Fordham
For more info: Longmonthomeschoolinfo@comcast.net

Boulder County Fair

The Boulder County Fair runs August 1st through the 11th at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. There are so many events - pancake breakfasts, art shows, concerts, tractor pulls, battle of the bands, flower show, carnival, and all things livestock related! :) Visit www.bouldercountyfair.org for more details! Their website is a bit, well, hard to navigate, so here is a direct link to ticket information. There are kick-off events this weekend - the Chuckwagon breakfast is from 6:30 to 10 am this Saturday (the 28th) at 4th and Kimbark. It's put on by the Twin Peaks Rotary Club and costs $5 for adults and $3 for kids (age not specified). There's also the parade on Saturday which starts at 10 am and runs through downtown Longmont. Here's a link showing the parade route.

Family Day is Wednesday, August 8th, which means kids under 12 get $2 admission and discounted carnival tickets. There will be junior art exhibits, storytellers, animals, toddler driving school (that sounds...interesting!), music and a pedal tractor pull.

Have you been to the Boulder County Fair before? I'd love to hear what your favorite events are, especially which ones your kids enjoy most!

Longmont United Hospital Teddy Bear Clinic

As seen on page B4 of today's Daily Times-Call, there will be a Teddy Bear Clinic/Safety Fair put on by Longmont United Hospital Pediatrics on Saturday, August 4th from 10 am to 2 pm at the Day Surgery Center at LUH (1950 Mountain View Ave). The ad says "Please bring your teddy bear (or stuffed friend) with you to learn about bike safety, discover tips on satying healthy, and familiarize yourself and your child with the pediatric care at Longmont United Hospital. Doctors, nurses, health care professionals and volunteers will record height and weight of children and "diagnose" the child's bear (or stuffed friend). All bears (or stuffed friends) will receive TLC, bandages, splints and/or stitches if needed. Tours of pediatrics and an ambulance will be available, and if you like, we will check you child car seat too. Prize drawings every hour for bike helmets, bear clothes and more. For more information call 303.485.4184."

My son is completely into doctors, nurses and ambulances so this sounds like fun!

Last outdoor movie this Saturday

The last movie in the Longmont Outdoor Cinema season is this Saturday night. They're showing Night at the Museum. If you haven't been to this great event, GO! My oldest son and I were able to attend 3 of the 6 movies this year and all were spectacular. The Longmont Film Festival and their sponsors definitely deserve big kudos for putting on this great family event!!

What can I do to help you?

I see that this little web page of mine is drawing quite a few visitors, which is great! What information are you looking for? What else can I tell you that would make your visit to this blog a better experience? My goal is to provide information that will help moms in Longmont, Colorado connect with each other and with area events. Any suggestions on other info I could provide is more than appreciated! Leave a comment below!

Mosquito spraying starts July 19th!

The City of Longmont has contracted to begin spraying for mosquitoes on Thursday, July 19th, beginning at 8:30 pm. Each and every street in the city is scheduled to be sprayed that night so you may want to take some precautions with your kids - don't let them play near the trucks or better yet keep them inside with the windows closed during and after the spraying! Their website says the fine mist is safe for humans but why breathe it if you don't have to? See http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/news/pr/2007/SprayingtoBegin.htm for more info.

Birthday party locations

My family doesn't really do big birthday bashes for the kids, at least not yet :) I wonder at what age kids start asking for big parties with friends? Anyway, I thought it might be useful to list some ideas for birthday party locations throughout our great city! Note: some might be time of year/weather dependent, of course!

Centennial Pool (indoors)
Longmont Recreation Center (indoors)
An outdoor pool (Sunset, Roosevelt, Kanemoto - all outdoors)
B & C Bouncetown
St Vrain Memorial Building
Reserve a shelter at one of the many parks
Crackpots - Paint your own Pottery Studio
Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA
The Painted Poppy - make puppets, jewelry, decoupage, and more!
Blissful Family - puppet shows, storytelling, crafts, music
Airborne Gymnastics

Do you have more ideas? Where do you like to have your kids' birthday parties? Who makes the best birthday cakes? Do you know of a great clown or other performer for kids' parties? Leave a comment and share the info with others! :)

Got bug spray?

Yikes! Mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus have been found in Longmont. Protect yourself and your children by avoiding being outside during dusk/dawn hours, wearing long sleeves/pants and applying bug spray often. Check out this story from the Associated Press:

BOULDER (AP) - Nearly twice as many mosquitoes are carrying the virus that produces West Nile disease in the Longmont area this summer.

The number of mosquitoes with the disease is up 170 percent so far this summer and it looks like it's getting worse. This week's count is up 237 percent compared with the same week last July.

Boulder County health officials say infected insects can travel up to 20 miles so it's possible more diseased mosquitoes could start showing up in other areas.

Two human cases of the disease have been identified in the state, one in Logan County and the other in Cheyenne County.

Nationally, a total of 26 cases have been reported in 11 states. South Dakota leads the nation with seven.

(Copyright Associated Press, All Rights Reserved)

Renewable energy

Ok, so this post is a little different than previous ones in that it's not an event or activity for your child, but it still relates to them. After all, we want them to enjoy the Earth and all its beauty as much as we have, right? Did you know you can sign up for renewable energy from Longmont Power? Here's the blurb from this week's city newsletter:

"Enhance our environment by subscribing to Longmont Power & Communications’ renewable energy. Using as little as 100 kilowatts of renewable energy per month for one year is equivalent to planting a half-acre of trees or not driving a gas-powered car for a distance of 2,400 miles! Learn more about enhancing our environment by subscribing to LPC’s renewable energy at www.ci.longmont.co.us/lpc or by calling 303-651-8386."

It adds a tiny bit more to your electric bill - 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour so just $1.50 extra per month per 100 kilowatt hours. You can find out how many kilowatt hours you used last month on your bill. Sign up! An extra $1.50 (or more if you can) will make a difference! If we all take small steps we can change the world!

Rhythm on the River

Rhythm on the River is this weekend - Friday July 13th and Saturday July 14th! This is a great outdoor event for kids - it is mostly free and there is so much to do! Park at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and ride the free, stroller-friendly RTD shuttle to Roger's Grove. Then you can listen to great music, eat some yummy food from local vendors (bring $ for this!), create some art, bounce on the jumpy castles, walk around the community sponsored booths, or just people watch! We're looking forward to the Children's Fishing Tank and, if we can get out of the house early enough, the hot air balloons! Check out the website at http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/rotr/index.htm. See you there!