Now is the time to get your nectar feeders out of storage, cleaned and filled. The hummers and orioles will be returning to the area soon. My girls and I love watching the hummers dart around the yard and the orioles have been nesting in the tree above our garage for the last several years.

It's easy to make your own hummingbird nectar. Just bring a cup of water to a boil and disolve a 1/4 cup of sugar into it. I make batches of 7 cups or so at a time and store it in the fridge (good for a week). I've heard that you don't need to boil the water -- they say it's not necessary, but I do it because it helps the sugar disolve.

As for the orioles, they like sugar nectar too. I believe they prefer something that is less sugary (or is it more sugary? ) than the hummers, but I feed them both the same and they gladly suck it all up. My Oriole feeder (from Wild Birds Unlimited) also has space to put a glob of grape jelly and to spear and orange half (Orioles LOVE jelly and oranges).

I have a couple of hummingbird feeders too. My favorite is the one that hangs right on the front window. Hummingbirds are not afraid to feed that closely to people, though they will fly off if you startle them. My girls get a kick out of them coming so close. But, I think the cats enjoy it even more. They stand there and "chatter" their teeth and swish their tails as if they had a chance of catching a hummer.

If you've had trouble attracting hummers, do what I did and buy a nice hanging fuscia or a basket of pink petunias and hang it right next to your feeder. If there are hummers in the area, they'll find your feeder pretty quickly when they zoom in to sip nectar from the flowers.

One last bird note: Put that old dryer lint to use. I set out baskets full of dryer lint each year around this time along with bits of string and cloth. Providing nesting materials will encourage birds to build in your yard. They love pet hair too. I once found a sparrow nest (I think it was a sparrow) that was completely lined with my Yellow Lab's white hair.

If you live anywhere near the Wintergreen Gorge Cemetary -- take the kids for a walk there soon. The first of the goslings are now waddling around at the pond there. I just noticed them yesterday & the girls and I stopped to sit and watch them for a bit today. Mom & Dad Canada Goose are taking care of their fuzzy brood of four. I run/walk near the cemetary frequently and I love to watch the goslings each spring. There have been as many as 35-40 goslings at once (born to several sets of parents) and the pond becomes a nursery.

Last night we saw a baby heron in the gorge in our backyard when we took the girls on a creek walk.

I love spring.

Get out there and enjoy it today!

The neighborhood cats (ours included) turned our daughters' sandbox into a giant kitty litter box at the end of last year. It was our fault. We left the cover off. And, cats will be cats.

So, a complete sand replacement was necessary this year.

I thought it would cost $10 or so.

I spent close to $30. Who knew sand was so expensive?

I started my sand search at Kmart where I passed on their 50 lb. bags of sand for $3.19 because I thought I could find a better price. Well, not quite. Harborcreek Wal-Mart didn't even have play sand and I wasn't about to waste a gallon or two of $3 gasoline to check prices at Lowes and Home Depot. I ended up buying it at Valu Home Center where I paid $4.97 a bag (60 lb. bag).

I drove home slightly irritated at the cost of sand, but it was hard to be grumpy yesterday in the sunny warmth of a 70 degree May day.

I gave the sandbox a good scrubbing and filled it up with fresh sparkling sand and the girls played in it for hours yesterday afternoon.

When I called them in, my dark-haired 2yo had so much sand in her hair she was blonde.

I managed to comb most of it out, but (even after showers) I'm sure there's probably a good 1/2 pound of sand in each of their beds now.

Nothing like sand in your bed to signal the start of another great summer season.

I'm a wanna-be artist, but I have no natural talent. Turns out, I don't need it afterall. All I need is the ability to follow directions and locate numbers.

I saw this in one of the umpteen-million magazines I subscribe to and thought it was cool enough to share.

You can paint your own masterpiece with Koko's Paint by Number Kit ( www.painbynumberkit.com). Just send or e-mail a favorite family snapshot and you'll get back a color-coded canvas, customized paints and brushes.

There are two types of canvas -- artpaper canvas or cotton canvas. Prices start at $43 for an 8x10 on paper canvas.

It takes two to three weeks from reciept of the order to get your canvas back. Which is perfect timing for all the upcoming summer events -- Father's Day, weddings, graduations, etc.

Paint-by-numbers ... Even a no-talent, wanna-be artist like me can handle that.

Here we go again. As soon as the white stuff is gone, the orange stuff appears. You know the blaze-orange barrels, cones, flashing arrows and threatening signs (Constructione zone: slow down -- or we'll fine you $4,356.87).

They've been working on 12th Street this week. They were setting up at 12th and Sassafras when I came into work at 7:30 a.m. Yeah, that's right, they were SETTING UP at 7:30 a.m. -- just in time to piss off all the morning commuters trying to make it to work by 8 a.m.

How many of you were late this week?

The construction bottleneck just adds to the annoyance already caused by lights at every intersection on 12th Street.

As I was waiting at the 17 red lights and construction bottleneck on my way to work this morning, I remembered that when I was child, I actually used to dream about one day driving to work on 12th Street (because it was the biggest street in the big city...hey, everything is big when you're 10). I envisioned myself as an important businesswoman in an expensive suit and a great car, zooming up 12th street to my plush corner office where I'd drink coffee and have important meetings.

Most of my childhood aspirations came from watching "Who's the Boss?" (I wanted to be like Angela -- the ad exec. who drove a Jag) and my own mother (who always looked so pretty when she dressed up for work).

24 years later, I am indeed driving 12th Street to work and drinking coffee, but I'm not wearing an expensive suit. I'm not an important businesswoman and I drive an old GMC Jimmy filled with carseats and cheerios. My "office" can hardly be called plush (nor is it technically an office) -- though I do face a corner... cement block with no windows, but a corner nonethless.

Not what I had envisioned when I was 10, but exactly where I belong at 34. I'm happy with my life, my choices, my job, my car, my wardrobe and my cement block wall.

If only I could do something about that 12th Street commute.

I've got an attitude t-shirt problem. I'm always tempted by them at Kohl's and Target. You know...those tiny vintage-looking t-shirts that say things like "I'm not opinionated. I'm just always right," and "It's all about me," and "When I snap, you'll be the first to go," and "Blah, blah, blah...just shut up."

They make me laugh and some really do express my feelings. And, really what woman wouldn't want to put on a t-shirt that says "Yeah, I'm a bitch, what's your point?" when they're having a bad day. Really, could there be any clearer message?

I have resisted purchasing any of the t-shirts. I admit to having had them in my cart or basket a time or two. But I always put them back when that little voice in my head reminds me that no self-respecting 34-year-old mother and professional woman should be wearing a little t-shirt with words stretched across her decades-old chest.

Last weekend, an atttitude t-shirt caught my eye on the clearance rack at Wal-Mart. It said "Teach me the rules. I'll show you how to break them."

If ever there were an attitude t-shirt that fit me, that was it (not couting the ones with swear words). One thing that I know for sure about myself -- that few other people realize -- is that I almost always get my way. I'm not pushy, I'm not mean, I'm not demanding or blatant about it. I'm subtle, I'm relentless, I can be patient (really, I can) and I'm not afraid to bend (or break) a few rules along the way.

Sometimes I even break my own rules. Like, the one about 34-year-old professional women not wearing attitude t-shirts.

I'm going to buy that t-shirt this weekend because rules were made to be broken.

And I've got an attitude problem.

Church has been a part of my life from the very beginning. I was raised Lutheran and we went to church every Sunday -- if not "big" church we at least had to go to Sunday School.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of Sunday School (where we always made cool crafts), confirmation classes (where I would hold Ron Peterman's hand under the table) and Camp Lutherlyn (where all the girls had a crush on the counselor from Sweden).

I drifted away after I was confirmed in high school. I drifted back sometime in college and started going (pardon the pun) religiously. I even taught Sunday School to 1st and 2nd graders for several years.

I'm not sure what happened to cause me to fall away again. It was probably a combination of reasons: I didn't like the new pastor, I was sick of being asked to do everything, I was angry at God for slowly killing my sister-in-law and it interfered with my marathon training schedule. I became an Easter-and-Christmas church-goer.

But, with my kids getting older, I'd been feeling that I needed to get back to church because I owed it to them to teach them about God. I decided to try a Lutheran church near our house -- Prince of Peace. Many of our neighbors go there and I immediately felt at home when I walked in the door.

It would not be the slightest bit peaceful to take both girls -- a 2 year old just cannot be expected to sit quietly for an hour. So, it's just been me and my older daughter and we've been going every Sunday since January (give or take a Sunday or two) and I've really been enjoying it. It's nice for the two of us to have some time together and it's peaceful there.

I had forgotten how I often found the answer to my problems in church. At the risk of sounding like some Bible-banger, church helps keep me grounded and reminds me to be the person I want to be. It's easy(for me anyway) to get caught up in the meanness of the world ... to turn bitter, angry and hateful toward the people who hurt me ... To hold grudges and lose faith in humanity... to see the worst in people instead of the best.

I've been stewing over something my MIL said two weeks ago. Harboring all this anger and resentment. I'm ashamed to say I was even taking it out on the husband -- finding it hard to be nice to the person whose family was pissing me off. I was being irrational, but it had hurt me to the core (again). I knew I had to find a way to get over it -- get past it and move on.

I found it at church Sunday. A sermon in which the message was to pray for those who hurt you because they too are hurting in some way.

And, then it all became so clear and I let the anger go.

Pastor Cox summed up the sermon at the end with these words: "Speak peace. Do peace. BE peace -- because that is what we -- as Christians -- are called to do."

Regardless of whether you're a Christian or not, that's a message we can all have faith in.

I work 4 10-hour days so that I can have Mondays off with the girls. We try to do something fun on those days -- not just catch up on housework and errands. We're limited in what we can do right now as my older DD is in preschool until 11:30 and younger DD naps at 2 p.m. That leaves us a window of 2 and 1/2 hours or so, but it's plenty enough time to go to the zoo or the park.

One of our favorite things to do is to head for the bayfront -- it's easy now with the new eastside connector. We get on the connector by our house at Penn-State Behrend and we are in downtown Erie in 15 minutes or so. We stop at the main library to get our weekly books and videos, cruise around the dock to look at the ducks and then head over to Liberty Park where we have a picnic in the grass overlooking the lake. After lunch, we play at the park.

I always forget that it's cooler down there by the lake and it is perpetually windy. The grassy area near the amphitheater is large and tree-free. Which makes it the perfect place to fly kites as I saw one smart mommy doing with her two daughters yesterday afternoon.

We brought my kids kites this year and we've only had a couple of occasions to use them at home, but next time we go to Liberty Park, we'll be bringing them along.

Another couple of bayfront tips for moms: I'm not sure if they're open yet, but there's a nice miniature golf course on the bayfront and the concession stand at the Bicentennial Tower has all kinds of kid-friendly lunch foods -- hot dogs, soft pretzels, icees, popcorn and much more. They also have kid-size soft-serve cones with candy "eyes" on them for a $1 or so.

And, be advised that you're not allowed to feed the ducks and geese at the dock. I suspect you're not supposed to feed them at Liberty Park either, but there's no one there to yell at you, so go there if you're hell-bent on feeding the birds (do so at your own risk, though, the seagulls are obnoxious).

After reading my attitude t-shirt blog the other day, a co-worker sent me this email:

Heather,
I just read your most recent blog...and thought I would add fuel to your fire for funny message tees. This site -- www.cafepress.com -- is awesome and has a t-shirt with sayings for every occasion and every personality. But beware...if you get addicted...you'll spend half your paycheck on t-shirts.
:) Holly

Today is the first day I've had a chance to check out the site and -- indeed -- it's addicting. I could surf it all day, but...well, I have this job they pay me to do here, so....I better get back to that.

Did you realize this Sunday is Mother's Day? Have you bought anything for your mother (and your MIL), yet? Why not give her a hand decorating her yard with a concrete stepping stone with her grandchild's hand or footprint on it?

If you don't have kids, make one with your mom's favorite grandpet. Don't laugh...I've done them with my dog and cats. The dog didn't care. The cats are still pissed off.

Stepping stones are a great last minute gift ideas for grandmas. They are fairly inexpensive (A.C. Moor had a flyer in the paper yesterday advertising their stepping stone kit for less than $10), kids enjoy making them and they last for years.

I make a stepping stone with my kids every year on their birthday -- pressing their hands into the stone and then I add their name & age with special plastic alphabet stamps for concrete (available at A.C. Moore). Now, I have a path of stones showing how their tiny hands have grown over the years.

The kits are probably your best buy since they have everything you need -- the concrete and the mold -- and they give you complete instructions. They are not hard to make, but be aware -- especially if you're working with a baby -- that they will never be perfect.

Here are a few tips:

1. Follow the package instructions for mixing the concrete exactly. The water ratio is important -- too runny and you'll wait hours and hours for the water to evaporate. If it's too dry -- the concrete will harden before you can finish your project.

2. If you're working with a baby -- two people are required. One to hold the baby and one to press the hand or foot into the concrete. I'd suggest using feet with anyone under 1 -- otherwise, they do what kids who put their hands in goopy stuff do -- they scrunch their hand (and try to put a handful of concrete in their mouth).

3. Let the concrete set a bit before you press anything into it -- if the hole fills right back in, it's not ready yet. Give it a few more minutes.

4. You will NOT be able to move the mold for several hours while it dries. So...be sure to work where you can leave the stone for hours (a corner of the garage is always a good place). If you move it, it will crack -- trust me...been there, done that.

5. If you don't want to invest in the alphabet stamps, you can write their name in the stone using an bent paperclip. Rather than trying to write like you would with a pencil -- make the letters with a poking motion (otherwise, you'll get ridges of concrete on the side of the letter).

6. Feel free to embellish -- you can use stones, beach glass, sequins, faux jewels ... just about anything you want to push in there.

7. If you don't have room to write the year on the stone, stick a 2006 coin (penny, dime, whatever...) in the stone.

8. Work ahead. They require 24 hours of dry time....so you gotta do this by Saturday morning if you want to give it to Grandma on Sunday.

I eliminated butter from my diet years ago. To be honest, it wasn't much of a sacrifice for me -- I never really cared for butter or the taste of butter. But, there were a few things I did like butter on -- toast, grilled cheese, corn-on-the-cob, air-popped popcorn.

That's why I was thrilled when I discovered spray butter earlier this year. A couple of women in the office use it on their popcorn and bagels, one day I snuck a look at the back of the bottle and realized it had no (or almost no) fat and calories.

My head started to consider the possibilities -- I could actually have toast with butter on it again? Popcorn with butter? And....not have my waistline suffer? I bought a bottle and have been spraying it on all my favorites for months.

Now, Hungrygirl.com comes along to spoil the fun. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...in the category of "if it seems to good to be true it probably is" -- here's what HungryGirl had to say about those no-calorie spray butters:

"Zero calorie butter spray actually has calories.

Sure, if you use the recommended "serving size" (a couple of sprays), I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray is fat and calorie free. But when you use a more realistic portion, the calories and fat rack up. The average real serving is about 15-25 sprays, which contains about 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. And obviously, the more you spray, the more calories and fat you add. The numbers are still fairly low, but this butter substitute certainly does have calories. And fat. So be careful!"

Spoil sports.

Looks like it's back to dry toast and garlic-salt popcorn for me.

Thanks to Paul Nelson and the Waldameer crew I had a great Mother's Day this year. Waldameer kicked off the summer season early -- before their traditional Memorial Day opening day -- and opened this past weekend from Noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There was even a coupon in the newspaper that gave Moms free admission when they purchased a child's admission. After that, each admission was buy one, get one half-off.

Always a sucker for a good bargain and aching to spend some time on Mother's Day doing something fun with my girls, we hightailed it out of church and got to the park by noon so we could spend a few hours before making the rounds to our moms' houses.

It cost $37 for four of us for a Waldameer Ride-O-Rama (Waterworld doesn't open until this weekend). Kelly, who's always been tall for her age, is now officially over the 42" mark, so we had to pay the higher price ($16.95) for her. At first, I thought $40 was kind of steep -- especially when you throw in $4 a gallon gas that we burned driving all the way to the peninsula from the East county -- but it didn't take long for me to think it was worth every dollar. (And, hell...$40 wouldn't have gotten two of us into Splash Lagoon! )

It was sprinkling here and there and kind of cold, but we had a blast. The girls rode ALL the kiddie rides and, to my surprise, many of the ones they were afraid to ride last year -- like the Kiddie Roller Coaster and the Frog Hopper. We even took them on the Wacky Shack ride. Kelly was able to ride the dodge 'em cars since she was tall enough. Little sister Lauren -- who is much shorter, but way more adventureous -- threw a fit because she couldn't ride. I confess to warding off a full-blown late-afternoon tantrum with a bright pink bag of cotton candy.

The best part about the whole day? There were NO lines! We didn't wait for one ride all day and, often, my kids were the only ones on the ride. When we rode the giant ferris wheel, we kept moving the whole time ... no stopping and starting to let other riders on and off.

My husband and I, noting the meager attendance, wondered if Mr. Nelson would choose to open early again next year. He likely lost money this weekend -- there were probably more employees there than visitors (at least in the few hours we were there). But, he made this Mommy (and Daddy) and two little girls very, very happy.

For once, I had a Mother's Day with ups and downs that were worth the price of admission.

I logged on to www.Steelers.com sometime last fall to see how much tickets were for the home games. My husband was a big Steelers fan & I caught the fever last year. I thought I could just go and buy tickets and shuffle off to Pittsburgh. Well...no. Turns out individual game tickets are only sold for a select few weeks in MAY and I was a god five months too late for that.

So, this year I was on it and kept on eye on the Steelers site. Sure enough, they posted a press release late last week.

Note that you can only buy 2 tickets for 2 games, you must pay by check, you must mail your request in and they are sold on a first come, first served basis. I have no idea how many people send in for tickets or how many people get them. I don't know if I'll get tickets, but...for $55, I had to try.

I'll let you know if I score any tickets.

If you're interested in trying to get tickets (they would make great Father's Day gifts!), here's the official press release:

Steelers Individual Game Tickets Available For 2006 Season

PITTSBURGH — A limited number of individual game tickets for the Steelers 2006 home games are available for purchase through mail orders.

Fans may buy two tickets for two games and may request the game or games they would prefer to attend. Requests will be filled on a first-received, first-served basis. Ticket orders will be filled with the best available seats, which may include single seats. If the requested games are unavailable, substitutions will be made for available games unless the order specifically requests no substitutions.

In addition, only one order per household or business firm will be accepted. Any number over that allotment will be considered a duplicate order. Orders will not be mailed to post office boxes.

The price will be $55 for each ticket plus a $2 fee on the total order for mailing and handling. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Pittsburgh Steelers and can be mailed to the Pittsburgh Steelers Ticket Department, P.O. Box 6763, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Please do not send cash. Phone, credit card, hand-delivered or fax orders will not be accepted.

Steelers 2006 Preseason Schedule

Date Opponent Time (TV)

Saturday, Aug. 19............. MINNESOTA........................................ 8 p.m. (KDKA)

Thursday, Aug. 31............. CAROLINA.......................................... 7:30 p.m. (KDKA)

Steelers 2006 Regular Season Schedule

Date Opponent Time (TV)

Thursday, Sept. 7.............. MIAMI................................................. 8:30 P.M. (NBC)

Sunday, Sept. 24.............. CINCINNATI......................................... 1 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, Oct. 15................ KANSAS CITY..................................... 4:15 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, Nov. 5................. DENVER.............................................. 4:15 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday, Nov. 12*.............. NEW ORLEANS................................... 1 p.m. (FOX)

Sunday, Dec. 3*................ TAMPA BAY........................................ 1 p.m. (FOX)

Thursday, Dec. 7............... CLEVELAND........................................ 8 p.m. (NFL Network)

Sunday, Dec. 24................ BALTIMORE........................................ 1 p.m. (CBS)

I can't even remember the last movie I saw at an actual movie theatre -- I think it might have been Shark Tales -- the animated fish story with Will Smith.

Not only does it take a sitter and advance plans to see a movie, but it takes more than a few bucks. I'm cheap. I hate shelling out $20 to see a movie I can own (or rent) on DVD for a few dollars. Frankly, there aren't many movies I'm willing to pay top dollar for. And I have trouble sitting still for that long.

But, Tom Hanks is one guy who can pry open my wallet and inspire me to settle my butt into a seat at Tinseltown. My ETN book club read the Da Vinchi Code last year and I am eager to see the film adaptation. A friend and I planned to go see it on Sunday afternoon, but when checking the Cinemark Web site for show times, I noticed that Tuesdays are Bargain Night -- all movies after 6 p.m. are matinee prices ($5.25 for adults). Sweet.

Tuesdays are also bargain day at the Cinemark Dollar Theater (behind the mall) with 75 cent admission all day.

AND...this is cool Mommies -- Mondays they offer Reel Family Time (at the dollar theater) where admission prices are just 50 cents per person for family parties of 3 or more. On that night, they also have a Kiddie Combo special at the concession stand with a box of popcorn and 12 ounce soft drink for $2.50. You could spend less than $10 for admission and snacks for the kids. Double sweet.

BTW -- for really popular movies (like the Da Vinchi Code), it's best to buy your tickets in advance. You can order them online (for an additional 75 cent service charge) and pick them up in a kiosk in the lobby of Tinseltown before the show. This doesn't mean you can show up five minutes before the movie -- well, you can, but you may not be able to sit next to whoever you came with -- because seats are offered on a first come, first served basis. For the big movies, there is often a line forming an hour to 45 minutes before the show. Get there early for the best seats.

I'm not big on cooking or baking, but being female means I'm usually the one asked to bring food to a party or donate something to a bake sale. I begrudgingly fulfull my wifey/womanly/motherly duties and come up with something homemade. I could buy something, I know, but... remember, I'm cheap. So, I end up making something that doesn't require cooking skills -- like a relish tray or watermelon -- or something that requires little effort -- like crock pot recipes that require opening a few cans and hitting the "on" button.

Several years ago, I saw a recipe in the newspaper for chocolate covered pretzel sticks. Mmmm...I thought, chocolate and salt -- two of my favorite food groups -- all in one fun snack.

I have been making them for every single holiday and bake sale, party and event since then. Kids love them. Adults love them. They're easy to make. And, can be customized to any event or holiday by choosing different colored chocolate or candy sprinkles.

WHAT YOU NEED:
1. Pretzel rods
2. Chocolate melting discs
3. Candy sprinkles (optional)

WHAT YOU DO:
1. Cover a table or counter with wax paper.
2. Melt chocolate according to package directions (50% power...stiring often). I melt mine in a 4.5-inch melamanie cup -- which is the PERFECT size to roll the pretzels in.
3. Once chocolate is melted completely (stiring is vital), roll one end of the pretzel rod in the chocolate. Shake the pretzel rod gently and tap on the side of the cup to remove excess chocolate.
4. Lay it down on the wax paper and shake candy sprinkles on top.

That's it! They dry in a 1/2 hour (or less).

TIPS:
* I buy melting discs from A.C. Moore (yeah, the craft store). They're available in a variety of colors and flavors (dark chocolate, white chocolate, mint) and are often on sale for $1.50 a bag.
* One regular-size bag of melting discs coats two bags of preztel rods.
* A.C. Moore (and other craft stores) sell special pretzel-size bags to bag them in -- making it easy to give them as gifts or lay them out on the bake sale table.

Below is a photo of Patty MacDowell holding some chocolate-covered pretzels. This photo is from our Erie Times-News archives and ran with the recipe that I read in the newspaper in December of 2003.
Patty MacDowell submitted a recipe for chocolate covered pretzels to Desperation Dinners.
Image

Have you heard the latest on Britney Spears? I know..I know..you don't care about the spoiled has-been pop princess, but I've got a point, so bear with me.

Straight from the Us Weekly Web site, here's the scoop:

"Britney Spears nearly dropped her 8-month old son Sean while exiting a New York City hotel this afternoon. Holding her son in her left arm and a drink in her right hand, Spears tripped on her wedge espadrille sandal sending Sean’s head flying backwards, his baseball cap falling to the ground. An unidentified man walking beside the singer helped her regain her balance and Sean was unharmed."

This is just the latest in a series of parenting mishaps. Brit's son recently took a tumble from the high chair while in the care of his nanny and, trying to escape from photographers, Britney recently drove with her infant son, unrestrained, on her lap.

Now, I have to say I don't care much for Britney. She married a playa' that left his 8-months-pregnant girlfriend to be with Britney. What does that say about his character? Note to Brit: Leopards don't change their spots. What kind of a huband did you think he was going to make?

But, the mommy in me is starting to feel sorry for her. We all screw up. We all make bad decisions. We've all tripped. We've all yelled at our kids. We've all made threats we regret.

Now, imagine that being front page news.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Heather closes screen door on toddler daughter's fingers!

EXTRA, EXTRA: Heather runs to bathroom and forgets that office door isn't closed, 6 mos. old daughter tumbles down flight of stairs.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Heather fails to recognize symptoms of penicillin allergy until infant daughter is covered with welts.

Once, after telling my wise girlfriend, Liz, about some heinous parenting mistake I had made, she reassured me that every mother has at least 10 of those rocking-the-kid-on-the-floor-weeping-moments when you just keep repeating "mommy's so sorry, mommy's so sorry, mommy's so sorry."

You know, like when you don't realize they crawled under the leg of the rocker you were sitting in and you rock over their little hand. Or, when you hit them in the head with the car door.

Or you trip over your espadrilles while you're running away from the paparazzi carrying your son and a starbucks latte.

I wish the media would lay off Brit. She's just another mother doing her best to raise her kid and keep her lousy marriage together. Cut her some freakin' slack.

They shouldn't criticize her until they've walked a mile in her espadrilles.

We've decided to get the kids some new wheels for their birthday this summer. They've outgrown their toddler bikes and trikes and are ready for some real two-wheel fun (four wheels counting the training wheels).

I've spent my weekend running around town looking at bikes and prices -- a 12" for my younger DD and a 16" bike for older DD. If you're in the market for some new bikes for the kids -- I can save you some gas money.

Once again, Wal-Mart has the best deal. I hate to keep shopping there, but...damn...if no one else is going to compete, well, then, Wal-Mart it is. Their bikes are not only cheaper (by as much as $5 to $10 for the same EXACT bikes that you can find at Toys R Us, K-mart and Target), but they come assembled -- for FREE. Toys R Us actually adds $10 to the price of the bike to put it together (and the price of the bike is already $5 o $10 over Wal-Mart's prices). For instance, the Dora bike I had my eye on for my younger DD is $59.99 at Toys R Us, $69.99 assembled. At Wal-Mart, it comes assembled for $49.88. Ditto with the older kids' bikes.

So, apparently, it's Wal-Mart for the summer wheel deals.

For parents with younger kids, there is no better amusement park deal than Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom in nearby Aurora, Ohio. It's big, fun, clean and surprisingly uncrowded and affordable.

We took the girls there last year and had a BLAST. There are lots of kiddie rides (about 8 to 10), an entire water park with a giant kids play area and a lake full of ducks to feed.

I just received their 2006 brochure in the mail and they've actually lowered their admission prices. Now, it's just $24.95 for adults and $9.99 for kids under 48" tall (kids 2 & under are free) and seniors. This is the price for BOTH parks. And discount coupons are often available (I think I got some from my credit union last year). At $10 per kid -- it's cheaper to take the kids to Geauga lake than it is to Waldameer/Waterworld.

Some things to know if you decide to go:

* You have pay for parking ($9), but...keep an eye on the Erie Times-News' inserts -- they often have flyers that offer a free parking coupon. I clipped one out of the Val-Pack coupon pack three or four Sundays ago.

* You can buy beer and wine coolers in the park (reasonably priced too). This was a big selling point for my husband.

* You are not allowed to bring your own food into the park, but you can go in & out of the park, so you could tailgate -- which we did. If you decide not to tailgate, bring lots of money because it is highly expensive to eat there. Except for cotton candy -- which, according to the park's web site -- they are selling for just 25 cents all this season.

* There is a water fountain play area in the kid's area. You may just want to dress your kiddo in their suits and water shoes and put a shirt and shorts on top (don't forget sun hat & sunscreen! )...otherwise you may be dressing and undressing them all day.

* If you have little kids and you're planning to go to the Waterpark, bring a wagon. It is a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG walk (along a really pretty boardwalk) to the waterpark.

* Leave your kids' water wings at home...the lifeguards are adamant that they cannot wear them. Which was pretty annoying to me...because I had to try to keep a 2-year-old within arms length the entire time. She slipped and fell under the water three times before I finally just gave up and left the water park. I'm not sure how they would've felt about a lifejacket, but...I suppose they wouldn't have allowed that either. They frown on floation devices of any kind because "they're not safe." Well...I disagree, but...

* It took 90 minutes to get there and was fairly easy to find. They offer driving maps on their web site at www.geaugalake.com

* If you're a member of AAA -- check with them for adult admission discount tickets.

* Smoking is very limited in the park (yay! ) and is not permitted on rides, while waiting in line for rides, anywhere in the kids area, anywhere in the indoor restaurants, gift shops or water park.

* There are lots of great adult rides too -- including several roller coasters.

We're definitely planning to visit the park again this year -- probably in August when it will be nice and hot enough to visit the water park.

BTW -- we went on a Friday or Saturday in July last year and were shocked at how seemingly empty the park was -- we rarely waited more than a few minutes for any ride -- that goes for kiddie rides and adult rides. Maybe everone was in the water park that day (it was a very hot day).

Hourly employees -- like me -- at the Times Publishing Company still get paid with paper checks. The rest of the world (it seems anyway) has gone to automatic deposit, but...we still get checks every Wednesday.

I hate to complain about getting a paycheck, but it's annoying as hell to have to go to the bank to deposit it each week because, as you know, bank hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days. Since I work from 7:30 a.m. to after 5:30 or later, I stand no chance of making it into the actual bank.

So, I have to deposit my check using the ATM. Fine. Except that -- for WHATEVER REASON -- an increasing number of Northwest Savings Bank's machines will not take deposits. This includes the brand new bank they just built in Harborcreek across from Giant Eagle.

I happened to be in the bank one Saturday several months ago and mentioned my frustration to the teller and asked her why the machine didn't take deposits. She didn't have an answer for why, but she did tell me that you can put your deposit in the Night Deposit Box and they'll process it first thing in the AM!

Who knew?

All you have to do is fill out your ATM deposit envelope (grab a stack next time you're at a machine that does actually take deposits!) and stick it in the night deposit box. The bank will send you a receipt a few days later.

Takes the hassle out of dealing with those pesky paychecks, dosen't it?

I've been noticing the strangest thing on the city sidewalks when I take my daily lunchtime stroll -- tables and chairs (and people sitting in them).

It's something I have seen in other big cities and always envied. Erie's summers are so short-lived that we really should make the most of every single nice day. I always figured that Erie business owners didn't want to make the investment and bother with sidewalk dining for the few weeks we can actually eat outdoors.

Well, thank God for the DID (Downtown Improvement District) -- a group of downtown retailers who've banded together to collectively market downtown Erie. Not only has DID brought some kick-ass fun downtown and improved the reputation of downtown Erie, but they've encouraged downtown businesses to offer outdoor seating -- making it cool to be seen having a good time.

In some of the other cities I've been to -- including Atlanta, Chicago and New Orleans (before the flood, of course) -- all the coolest restaurants have outdoor seating. Many in Atlanta and New Orleans have means to open the entire front of their establishment. Those are the restaurants that we always wanted to (and did) eat in. There is just something wildly cool about eating outside and enjoying the summer sun and fresh air.

Well, lo and behold, both The Cellblock (State Street, next to papermoon) and Peccadilo's (on 10th across from the Baldwin Building), have both recently installed giant garage-like doors that allow them to expose the entire front of the restaurant/bar. I don't know why, but now I really want to go sit there. It's inviting, I guess.

Here are -- to my knowledge -- the best places to enjoy an outdoor lunch in the city (or, at least, those places that offer outdoor seating):
1. Calamari's
2. Bertrands
3. The Plymouth Courtyard
4. Pufferbelly
5. Peccadillos
6. Smuggler's Wharf
7. Dobbins Landing (obviously, this is hot dogs and popcorn fare, but...it still counts).
8. Jrs on the Bay
9. Rose Garden Cafe

So, take some friends and go enjoy a meal outdoors -- sit on the sidewalk where you can see and be seen. If you really try, you may even think you're in a big, happening city.

But, then again....maybe you already are.

The new Tom Ridge Environmental Center at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park opens today and I can't wait to check out the Sunset Cafe (yeah, I've got lunch on my mind lately). I'm not big on going out to eat -- it aint easy being a calorie-conscious, semi-vegetarian. I can count (on one hand) how many times I've gone out to eat in the last month, but I have been excited about the new TREC cafe ever since I got an email from the Presque Isle Partnership in early April.

According to the PIP e-newsletter, the TREC cafe will offer breakfast, salad bar, a kids cafe (with kid-friendly fare), a coffee bar and desserts. The also promise to have HEALTHY selections in keeping with the "green theme" of the TREC.

Yeah, right, I thought. I've seen the so called "healthy" foods at other restaurants that still have 25 grams of fat and 456 calories. But, the cafe's menu looks promising with lots of salads, grilled chicken and whole grain breads and wraps. Even, gulp ... imagine this at a cafe ... fresh fruit that is not scooped out of an industrial-size can of fruit cocktail.

PIP says the chef behind the cafe is Kal Darres, the owner of Erie's Petra's Restaurant on W. 8th Street. Kal says he'll focus on nature and health when creating the menu for the cafe.

They even offer a beach basket deal -- "a basket filled with an assortment of wholesome sandwiches, snacks, fruits and beverages that is perfect for a family day at the beach," says the PIP e-newsletter.

As a harried Mom who has enough crap to pack for a beach trip without packing lunch, I'm hoping this cafe lives up to the hype.

And, oh...yeah, there's this whole other 60,000 square foot, $31 million visitors' and research center that houses the cafe. We're planning to check that out too.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

You can't ask for a better Memorial Day weekend than we just had. Hot, sunny weather -- for an entire long weekend in Erie, Pa.? It happens rarely, but when it does, it is sooooo sweet.

What a way to kick off summer. I love that in Erie we can go from winter to summer in 48 hours. From mittens to bikinis in one week. Bam.

We went to Presque Isle for a beach day on Sunday. Before we loaded the wagon into the car, we had to clear it of the blankets, gloves and hats that were in it from last weekend's Zoo Parade.

Yes, it was just last Saturday that we were shivering on State Street, clutching coffee and watching llamas, goats and big men in little cars zoom down the street. It was so cold that we decided not to go to the zoo after the parade.

8 days later, there we were sweating it out on Beach #6, clutching water bottles, slathering on sunscreen and watching the girls play in Lake Erie.

Some -- including myself -- complain about the schizophrenic nature of our weather, but really we wouldn't have it any other way.

I did it. I've found the Holy Grail of summer fashion -- the perfect pair of shorts. My quest ended on Monday at New York & Co. in the Millcreek Mall where they had their "Riverside Park Short" on display in the front of the store. They were on sale for $16.50 and came in six colors -- tan, stone, blue-jean, white, olive and black.

I tried them on and rushed back to grab three pairs in stone, tan and black. I really wanted the blue-jean color, but they didn't have my size.

And, speaking of size, ladies, you'll be happy and flattered to know that most of New York and Co. sizes run small. That's right...you size 8s can probably wear a 6, 12's you'll probably be a 10 at New York & Co. Gotta love that, sister.

Anyway...back to the shorts.

They're flat fronted, pocket-less, pleat-less and really flattering. They sit on your hips (they don't fit at the waist), but they're NOT the low-rise, butt-crack-baring hip-huggers every cool teenager is spilling out of. (They are shorts, though -- they fall about mid-thigh. So, if you prefer a longer short, you may not like them).

These are the perfect shorts for grown-up fashion-conscious women who just want to be comfortable, cool and stylish. And, at $16.50, you can afford to buy a few pairs.