Merry Christmas from ADDled Adventures!
Suuki heard this song and decided it was so beautiful that they wanted to sing it. They listened to it a second time and then made the video. They are facing the computer with the lyrics so they would have the words right there for them.
We have been really busy this fall. Here is a video of Suuki singing at Sunny Hill while attending another Kid’s Free Weekend. Once again, their favorite DJ Pat was the Friday night entertainment.
One thing that Suuki is involved in is singing at various events for Veterans. They recently sang the National Anthem when the Veterans marked the 50th anniversary to the beginning of the war in Vietnam with a memorial watchfire at the Piermont Pier(soulful picture of her singing from the local newspaper) and at the MIA/POW Ceremony at Rockland Community College. Without our Veterans we would not be able to enjoy the freedoms that we have each and every day. We should all take the time to thank those in our lives who are true heroes and have risked their own lives to save the lives and freedoms of others.
What I find the cutest about the whole thing is that they are more nervous performing at these events with around 100 people than they were performing at Boulder Stadium with thousands of people. They said they knew how special it was for their PopPop that they did their best and it made them extra nervous. Their grandfather is a former county commander of the American Legion. Their uncle is also active service in the United States Army for the last 14 years.
I first mentioned Sunny Hill last year as a great summer fun place to visit. As we get ready to enjoy one of their Kid’s Free Weekends next week, I realize that it is more than that because you can enjoy it any time of year.
We enjoyed Kid’s Free Weekend this past June which as jam packed with exciting things to do from the brand new Viking Obstacle Race course to fireworks at the lake on Saturday night. Suuki was especially thrilled to have her favorite DJ Pat as the Friday night entertainment. This upcoming weekend will be a special Halloween event filled Kid’s Free Weekend. There will be a costume party, table decorating contest and a haunted hayride. Taking these shorter trips is a nice and more relaxing alternative to the hustle and bustle of a full week vacation.
Here are some of Suuki’s greatest Sunny Hill singing hits from June 2014:
Suuki was in a full panic wanting to have a costume for the New York Renaissance Faire. Unfortunately the Dollar Tree was out of their usual fairy wings so I had to come up with Plan B. Plan B was making my own set of wings. All the items you need can be purchased at the Dollar Tree.
You will need:
2 Plastic clothes hangers
1 Pair of Trouser Socks
1 Package of Gem Flowers
1 Package of Tulle Butterflies.
1 Roll of Tulle any color
1 Roll of Colored Duct Tape
I used the left over tulle to decorate their ponytails into a banded style.
Two weekends ago, the kids and I ventured back in time without the use of a TARDIS. We used our ordinary van to head to the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, NY. Be sure to bring you funny bone with you as well as your wallet. This particular weekend kids were free so I saved $22 by going then. There are several coupons in community magazines which can help you on other weekends. Regular prices are $24 for adults, $11 for children ages 5-12, and children 4 & under are free.
I can recall my summer working as a “Beverage Wench” for the Faire long ago. Back then you had to make sure you had plenty of cash on hand because many of the vendors did not take credit cards. One bonus is that in this day and age, most vendors now have that Square so they can accept credit cards. I came prepared with both cash and cards just to be on the safe side.
If you wish to park close to the entrance I suggest getting there really early. We arrived at 10:15 and had to use one of the lower lots. There is a free bus service from the lower lots to the gate. I made the decision to go the night before which put my little Cos-player into a panic because they did not have a proper costume. I threw together fairy wings which I will blog later and managed to get them feeling magical for the day. As soon as we entered they were greeted by Leonardo DiVinci and asked to find something they loved and draw it for him. We then met the silent fairies. The fairies are all silent because humans do not speak their language.
Suuki’s Favorite Things:
The Fairies, The Fairy Forest, The Fairies, The Magical Fairy Dust Stand, The Fairies, The SKY Chairs, The Fairies, The Maze, The Fairies…..I LOVED EVERYTHING!!!!!
T’s Favorite Things:
Arsene Dupin’s “Magikhana” Show, The Elf Ears Stand, The Dragon both puppets and lizards, The Parrots of the Caribbean, Dragon Chips, Birds of Prey
The most surprising part of the day was a HUGE step for T. He was taken on stage during Arsene Dupin‘s “Magikhana” performance. Unlike his sibling, T is not one for being on a stage. As we went to see his show, T insisted we sit in the front. I reminded him that 2 years ago his PopPop was teased throughout the entire show by the magician. T felt our front row seats on the side were a safe place. Imagine his shock as he was taken on stage to assist Arsene Dupin. If you EVER get a chance to see this man perform, you really must. He is amazing at what he does. His entire show is done without talking. The body language that Arsene uses conveys so much that you cannot stop laughing while his magic tricks amazing you. T was gifted with a free DVD of Arsene Dupin‘s stage performance so his bravery.
Mom’s Tips: Bring a backpack with water bottles, packed lunches, snacks, other drinks, and sunscreen. Unlike other venues you can bring outside food into the Faire. Which is a great thing because at $9.50 for a Turkey Leg, lunch can become REALLY expensive. I compromised and let them share a plate of Dragon Chips at $8. They loved them.
Mom’s Favorite Highlight: The Parrots of the Caribbean
This exhibit was located inside the Birds of Prey area. My entrance fee was a $2 donation to help with the care of the birds and the kids were free. You get up close and personal with Macaws of a variety of colors, Cockatoos, and more. The kids loved how close they could get to the birds. There was even a cute pair of twins that were hugging.
Highlights of the day:
“Kelly” and I have been close friends since the 5th grade. We met for the first time in the 1st grade, we were in Bluebirds together and, when that disbanded in our area, Brownies into Girl Scouts together. We survived camping trips in the winter, road trips to D.C. and Boston. It was at this point we started 7th grade in the very same class that the stories began.
We had special packets made up of stapled looseleaf paper. We would write out great novels during 1st period, switch to read what the other wrote in 2nd period, switch back in 3rd and so on. For an entire school year shared out silly stories with characters ripped right out of our tweenage experiences like General Hospital, V, 21 Jump Street, and WWF(now WWE) wrestlers.
Kelly has recently published her first novel and it is available at Amazon both is e-book format and paperback. I could not be more proud of my friend. So check out her debut novel, Remember Me? by Kelly Janicello.
When I was kid summer meant 2 things: Sunny Hill and The Shore. The Shore is different places to different people but around here it must be reached by way of the Garden State Parkway. We never did the boardwalk vacations of Seaside Heights or Wildwood. Our family preferred the calm that is Long Beach Island.
I can remember the routine of spending the days on the beach and our nights at various activities on the island. While some of the places from my childhood still exist like The Show Place and Bay Village, others only live in my memories like the Tumble Town and Pier 18 Mall. My kids got to experience some of the places I loved last year. I had an LBI first with my kids: dolphins jumping off the coast.
Things You Can’t Miss on Long Beach Island:
Other great places to visit:
At the beach: Playing in the sand and ready to be safe in the ocean.
At the beach: Just chilling with my sunglasses.
At the Beach: Cousin Jimmy turned him into a mermaid.
Marvel Market: Sugared Donut
Crust and Crumb Bakery: Elephant Ears: A Flaky, French Pastry With Brown Sugar & Cinnamon, & Pecans….
Crust and Crumb Bakery: Elephant Ears. Yep, as big as your head.
Crust and Crumb Bakery: Sticky Buns
ReClam The Bay: These clams are in several places to promote seeding clams and oysters in the bay.
Barnegat Lighthouse: View from the top.
Barnegat Lighthouse: View from the bottom up.
Barnegat Lighthouse: View from the top down.
When we moved last year, the bathroom was hideous with tiles that must have been installed sometime during the 60s. I was excited to think that I would have a chance to make my ultimate geeky bathroom. Despite its small size, I wanted the bathroom to scream Doctor Who when you stepped inside. I exhausted my search for Tardis bathroom items and settled on making them myself. Before I could started, some odd twist of fate occurred. ThinkGeek sent out a notice about a new Tardis shower curtain. Within a matter of weeks, I had my shower curtain, bath mat, toothbrush holder, and soap dispenser.
I supplemented all of this with solid blue items that I picked up at discount stores and even a spare piece of wood that came in my sister’s wine rack box.
You can buy these accessories by clicking their pictures below:
Happy 4th Birthday, Lily! (Née: Lady Lilianna Rose)
Sometimes when we are feeling stressed or in need of some extra love. We head over to my parents’ to visit with Lily the boxer. Lily thinks the kids are part of her pack. She is especially protective of Suuki. The minute Suuki goes to play with the little girl at the house in the back, Lily starts barking, crying and racing to come get me because Suuki is not where they belongs. A properly trained boxer is a great family pet. They are very loving and think they are human too. Besides, Lily is just so and snugly. She loves to cuddle, lean, or even sit on her humans as long as she is touching them.
We have a collection of videos that we have made of Lily throughout her 4 years that keeps us smiling when we can’t get over the my parents’ house.
Here are some examples of Lily’s goofiness. You can see all of her videos at Lily’s YouTube List.
ADDled Adventures 