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Summer is flying by. It seems like the last day of school was a week ago, not two months ago. Although the end of our carefree summer days is coming to an end there is still plenty of fun going on around the Denver area.
SHARK WEEKEND
It’s Shark Weekend at the Denver Aquarium. In our house this is a BIG deal! The Aquarium with be having special shark themed events on Saturday and Sunday. Shark feedings, shark facts, shark scavenger hunts, shark crafts, and even a chance to touch a shark. You don’t want to miss this great event.
Downtown Aquarium Denver
Denver 700 Water Street, Denver, CO 80211
Friday, July 31 – Saturday, August 1
Adults (12-64) $15.99, Children (3-11) $9.99, and Children (2 and under) FREE
Sign up for their email club and get a coupon for buy one get one free admission!
Model Train Show
If your child dreams of being an engineer or just loves to play with trains this is must do for this weekend. The Lionel Collectors Club of America’s 40th Annual Convention is going on this weekend and they are have a model train show that is open to the public. They will have over 100 tables full of trains for you to ooh and aah over, and for those on the hunt they will even have trains to purchase. A great way to spend the afternoon with your little train enthusiast.
Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel
4900 South Syracuse Street, Englewood, CO
Saturday, July 31 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Adults pay $5 admission; kids under 18 will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.
The Knack: Free Family Fun Event: Summer Fun
Bring the family, beat the heat and join the fun and create something Mother Nature will surely love. (I believe they are making summer scrapbooks for this event, but details are subject to change). Your kids will love the opportunity to create something to take home with them. Go green with Crayola® Black Markers. Make your mark on the environment with Crayola’s new eco-friendly markers. The black marker barrel represents items manufactured with recycled plastic and the same superior quality.
Your Local Michael’s Craft Store
July 31, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Designed for ages 4 and up
This event is FREE!
Target Tuesday Night at the Children’s Museum
Head on down to the Children’s Museum for a great night of family fun. Explore their many exhibits and creative play areas. They offer fun for the entire family.
The Children’s Museum of Denver
2121 Children’s Museum Drive
Denver, CO 80211
Tuesday, August 3, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
This is a FREE event!
This week Lakewood CO Macaroni Kid is having a great contest. We are giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to the Festival Playhouse’s production of “In Search of the Wizard of Oz” by the Ault Family on August 13th. A great family play with new and old friends. Inspired by the original this is a perfect family event. To enter simply send me an email caras@macaronikid.com that says “Take Me to Oz.” You must be a subscriber to win.
For a complete listing of all of the great things going on in the metro area check out www.lakewoodco.macaronikid.com Macaroni Kid is a weekly e-newsletter and website that highlights events and activities for kids and their families in the Denver metro area. For families who work and play here, it has become a go-to source for the latest and most comprehensive information about family activities. We regularly feature family-friendly products, services and websites, book and music reviews, community news, “just for Mom” ideas and other content we believe is of interest to moms.
Elitches was nice enough to give us 4 passes to the park to see Choo Choo Soul on Saturday. Even though the kids had been before, it was my first time there. DH grew up in Lakewood, CO and had spent many a summer at their old location, but he’d never been to the current location either. We packed up the kids and the sunscreen and headed out the door!
When we got to the park we found out they had also given us 4 ride passes! These are great! You get to go up the exit and be the next in line for the ride. We used them for Disaster Canyon about 5 or 6 times. That was Tbone’s favorite ride. We also hit the Twister II, a super old, super squeaky roller coaster! T and I had a blast on that one. Next was Cartman’s choice. He’s still a little nervous of the roller coasters so he pretty much stuck to the kiddie area. We did get him on the Tilt-a-whirl, which he loved last year with his Uncles, but this time i seriously thought he was going to hurl all over me. After that he went with tamer rides like the teacups and airplanes. We even got Chewy on the teacups and semi truck ride before he hurled everywhere (more on that in a bit).
Cartman had Daddy ride the trucks with him too. I’m sure he was thrilled about trying to fit in there!
I tried to convince T to ride the Half Pipe, Boomerang or Mind Eraser with me, but he said “No Way!” I’m sure if his friends were there and wanted to ride those he would have braved them, but he didn’t have to pretend not to be scared around just his Mom. 
By now Chewy was getting hungry so I stopped and got him some fries. No big deal, it’s one of the only things he can eat with his multiple food allergies. Only, I didn’t read the JUMBO sign right in front of my face that read “Warning: Fries are cooked in Peanut Oil”. (You can tell where this is going can’t you?!) So he’s chewing away on them and starts to gag, but that’s not uncommon for him with food. 
We take the fries away from him thinking they are too thick and go on to the concert! The older boys didn’t want to go to the show (even though they know ALL the words to ALL the songs AND I’m pretty sure T has a crush on Genevieve) so they took Dad to go find some slushies and play arcade style games. Chewy and I went in and he was all excited for all the kids dancing and the loud music! I was excited for DC, the super cute DJ guy! *wink wink*
The show started and all the kids were loving it! Everyone was excited to learn that they are coming back to Disney and recording new music! DC was breakdancing and even joined the crowd to dance with the kids. 
Later on, he pulled some kids (and an unsuspecting dad) onto the stage to show of their moves! The crowd was loving it! Unfortunately, that’s when Chewy decided to throw up all over himself, the stroller and the ground. 
I thought he was choking on another piece of french fry and took him to the bathroom to get cleaned up. We missed the last couple songs of the concert and I was bummed. After I got Chewy cleaned up, we met back up with the older boys and DH and headed for a couple last rides. Chewy, Cartman and I were headed to take on the Ferris Wheel, while DH and Tbone rode Disaster Canyon a few hundred more times. While in line for the Ferris Wheel Chewy started gagging and throwing up again! I called DH to have him meet me by the exit and see what was going on. That’s when it hit us both. The Peanut Oil! D’uh! He wasn’t previously noted as being allergic to peanuts, but this pretty much made us realize that he is!
We hit the gift shops on the way out (’cause ya’ll know I can’t pass up a good gift shop!!) and carried our kids, giant stuffed turtles, dogs and dino’s to the car. Man were we tired! All in all, besides the vomit comet known as Chewy, we all had a blast! The weather was perfect, the crowds were too insane (as long as we had those ride passes!) and the concert was super fun! The kids are already asking when they can go back!
This is my FAVORITE recipe. One I’ve changed and modified over the years. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does!!!
Recipe: Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 packet McCormick’s Meatloaf Seasoning (don’t try french’s brand, only McCormicks!)
1/2 med – large onion, chopped
1/2 cup quick oats
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5×9 inch loaf pan.
2. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
4. Bake, covered in preheated oven for 1 hour, then uncovered for 15 minutes or until juices are clear.
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Trying to get in a good workout…
As you can tell, he’s all buff and stuff and ready to hit the town! GTL Baby!
SUMMER IS IN SESSION! Along with family vacations and trips to the zoo, General Mills is teaming up with Nickelodeon´s The Penguins of Madagascar to bring the action-packed adventures of summer to your very own breakfast table.
Inside specially marked boxes of General Mills cereals, you´ll “commence operations” with one of five characters from The Penguins of Madagascar; Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, Private or King Julien. Each participating cereal contains one character launcher with mission details outlined on the back of the box including:
Each character is unique and has their own specific role, and together, they´re a team with lots of character. With five character launchers to collect, make a splash this summer and try to successfully complete all of their missions.
We received this Family Fun pack of toys, DVD and cereal. We were so excited that it happened to be Trix, one of the only cereals that Chewy isn’t allergic to! 
Cartman was so excited that he opened up all the little penguin toys and then had me make popcorn and He and the other boys settled in for a Penguins Marathon with the DVD! They LOVED it! Our favorite Penguin is Rico. “Ka-boom?”
You can win a prize pack for your family! It’s easy to enter! Simply leave a comment below with your favorite Penguin and a catch phrase of his. Contest will end on Wednesday, July 28th at 11:59pm MST. Winner will be chosen by random.org.
Disclosure: General Mills and Nickelodeon provided my with the prize pack, information, and additional prize pack through MyBlogSparkTM. No monetary exchange was made.
On Monday night, my daughter asked me what time we were going to leave on Tuesday. I told her “the crack of dawn.” So when my alarm clock went off at 6:15 on Tuesday she came running in, yelling “MOMMY!! It’s the crack of dawn!! We have to GO!!” So I kicked the hubby to wake him up so he could help me load up McLovin and get out of Dodge.
The day started out uneventful. Really. Have you seen Northeastern Colorado? Not a lot there. The kids asked to stop and go potty a few miles away from the Nebraska border. We stopped at the Colorado Welcome Center where the kids learned “you CAN’T poop in a teepee.” Thank you, Grandma!
Truly, I can’t complain about the kids on the drive. They were rock stars. A bit loud and wild at times, but they did really well. I can complain, however, about the song they chose when they decided to start singing. It wall started when someone asked “will there be waffles at the hotel?” And that’s when it happened.
“Do you like waffles? Yeah! We like waffles!
Do you like pancakes? Yeah! We like pancakes!
Do you like french toast? Yeah! We like french toast!
Do do-do-do, can’t wait to get a mouthful!”
And just in case you’re not familiar with the tune:
They would sing it for a while and get bored with it, until the toddler would burst out with “WAFFLES!” and then it would start all over again.
We saw lots of cool sights. One of our favorites was the crop dusting planes. We saw them several times. The first one flew super low over the highway and scared us a bit until we realized what it was. after that it was fun to watch them swoop in low over the field, loop back up and come back for another pass.
On the way into Iowa, the big kids got the toddlers going on telling everything he saw “bye bye.”
Say bye bye car! “Bye bye car!”
Say bye bye tree! “Bye bye tree!”
Say bye bye bridge! “Bye bye bitch!”
Say bye bye corn! “Bye bye cor-un!”
That game was super fun, and super hysterical…until the next morning at breakfast when the little darling burst out and yelled bye by to the bridge. Check, please!
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are all a bit of a blur. It was a lot more of the same. Waffle song, toddler swearing unintentionally, Steak n’ Shake and lots and lots of farms. Finally, Thursday morning, we crossed into Pennsylvania. Which is exciting, because it’s almost New York. The kids asked for another potty break (there were lots of these, I should have documented them all) and I told them okay. As soon as we see a rest stop. It was 40 miles into New York. Oops. We stopped at my old favorite ice cream shop in Rochester, where the toddler met some ducks. Guess what THAT sounded like??
But now, we’re here. Northern New York, farm country, my old home week. Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa, Sally the dog and Gretzky the cat. Wonder what trouble we can get into here….
Another day, another way the kids torture play with Hot Rod. This morning he was given skateboard lessons. I think he did pretty well. Tony Hawk, watch out for Tony Tortoise!
The Rubik’s Slide is a HOT new toy this summer! It’s debuting on QVC tomorrow for purchase as part of QVC’s Christmas in July Sale this Saturday, July 24th at 10:00 a.m. ET and Sunday, July 25th at 12:00 a.m. ET for just $17.64. It will also be available through QVC.com. You should get this before it sells out! I’m pretty sure this is going to be a MUST have for Christmas this year.
Rubik’s Slide combines the simplicity and fun of casual games with fast-paced, brain-busting cubing. Players begin each puzzle by checking the goal pattern and then sliding the lights into the correct pattern by twisting and shifting the top panel. (Much like the slide or “fifteen” puzzles from years ago). Featuring more than 10,000 puzzles, Rubik’s Slide includes two different types of play. Players can see how many puzzles they can solve in Free Play mode or race against the clock to complete a series of 10 puzzles before time runs out in Lightning Round. Rubik’s Slide includes multiple levels of difficulty with easy, medium and hard puzzles built-in, so anyone can join in on the fun. Appropriate for ages 8 and up.
This weekend is packed full of great events for the whole family. From cowboys to dragons (boats that is) and spaceships to Choo Choo’s, Denver is exploding with family fun. Don’t miss out on a second of it!
Friday, July 23 through Sunday, July 25 – Buffalo Bill Days
This is the biggest event of the year in Golden. Scheduled every year for the last weekend in July, it starts on Friday night with rides and vendors in Parfet Park. On Saturday morning, the Volunteer Fire Department provides a fund-raising pancake breakfast. A big parade through the downtown area follows, with many Golden businesses and non-profit organizations participating, plus a few organizations from the surrounding metro area. A big stage in Parfet Park hosts live music all weekend.
Time and Place: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Friday is open from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm) Parfet Park 10th and Washington, Golden, Colorado Saturday, July 24 through Sunday, July 25 – Dragon Boat Festival
Set sail for summer at the Dragon Boat Festival! See brilliantly decorated dragon boats race in this exciting event. Enjoy music, cultural exhibits and delicious Asian food!
Time and Place: Sloans Lake Park , Edgewater, Colorado 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 24 through Sunday, July 25 – 1st Annual Edgewater Children’s Festival
At the main event will be vendors, not-for-profit booths, bar-b-q, horse rides, face painting, bouncy all things that make children happy! They will also be giving little ones hard hat tours of the play area of “The Village at Edgewater”.
Time and Place: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Edgewater, Colorado On 25th Avenue from Sloan’s Lake to Fenton Street. At the parking lot on 25th and Sheridan.There we will have flags and signage directing people to the East end of 25th and to Memorial park on Chase street, where we will continue with children’s activities in the park. From there a three block street closure from Chase Street to Fenton Street.
Saturday, July 24 – Choo Choo Soul at Elitch Gardens
All Aboard! Experience a great musical adventure aboard the Choo Choo Soul train, with Genevieve and DC. Travel to exciting lands like the land of numbers and alphabet land where kids can enjoy dance and play to the beat of this urban music sensation as seen on Playhouse Disney.
Time and Place: 5:00 pm Six Flag Elitch Gardens, Denver, Colorado
Cost: Concert is included in the price of admission to the park
Saturday, July 24 – Lowe’s Build and Grow
This project is out of this world! Bring your child to Lowe’s and they can build this UFO! Includes stickers and a blinking light!
Time and Place: 10:00 am -11:00 am at all Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores
Cost: FREE!!
For a complete listing of all of the great things going on in the metro area check out www.lakewoodco.macaronikid.com Macaroni Kid is a weekly e-newsletter and website that highlights events and activities for kids and their families in the Denver metro area. For families who work and play here, it has become a go-to source for the latest and most comprehensive information about family activities. We regularly feature family-friendly products, services and websites, book and music reviews, community news, “just for Mom” ideas and other content we believe is of interest to moms.
