Conversations with a 4 Year Old

Ivy: How old awe you, Mom?
Me: 34.
Ivy: Soon yo' going to die.
Me: What?!?
Ivy (matter-of-factly): Soon yo' going to die, I guess.
Me: No, I'm not! Why??
Ivy: Because yo' 34. That's old.
Me: Um, its not that old. Abuelita didn't die til she was 100. 
Ivy: Dad is old too. He's 35. He's an old man.
Me: Yeah, well, we aren't going to die yet.

Sheesh.

Let's Play Good Idea/Bad Idea!

  

Good Idea: Hitting a piñata at a birthday party.

Bad Idea: Trying on the broken piñata head in the presence of the same children who destroyed it.

Run Plus Fun

I took the girls to Run Plus Fun in Henderson this week, which is an indoor playground, kind of like Child's Play.

The whole thing is set up on three levels where kids can run through at full speed. No worries on the children getting hurt as they come around corners though, because everything is padded. Like an insane asylum. Not that I have ever been in an insane asylum (Yes you have. No I haven't. Yes you have. No I haven't. Shut up! Shut up!). It's what I imagine an asylum would be like.

There is also an area for infants and small children, and a snack area with tables.

It costs $8 per child, and everyone has to wear socks - even the adults, otherwise you will have to buy some of the socks they sell there.

Here are the girls, all excited and ready for some running and funning.
 

There is a pit full of yellow and green balls, and kids can go down a slide and land right in the middle

Upside down lollipops

Is it just me or does this look like a hamster cage?

Here are some fun slides, they go pretty fast but even little kids love it.

These air cannons shoot light weight balls. Yes, I got hit. A lot. But it didn't hurt.

And here is the comfy mom couch, which is configured so you can watch little toddlers in the small kids area.

Overall, I really liked this place. It was very clean and comfortable, and the fact that the kids can run at full speed across the various levels is a big plus when you are trying to get them tired out. The downside was the price. At $8 per child its fine if you have an only child. But just FYI: $8+$8=$16. And $16 dollars is a lot of money for one measly morning of fun. This is good for a special occasion or an occasional splurge, but definitely not as a weekly activity.  I give Run Plus Fun:

Where Have All the Muppets Gone?

Hey, remember when I used actually go places? And review them? Remember when I would totally write about fun places for moms and babies to go in this town instead of relying on my other blogger friends like De Su Mama to review places for me? Do you remember my Muppet Rating System?  If you don't remember, here it is again.

I was visiting another Vegas mom blog with a name very similar to mine and she sure has it together, with a little calendar of local events and everything. I'm not going to tell you what that blog is though, because I am jealous and I think if I tell you then you will leave me for another blogger. Especially one who updates her calendar regularly. There is only room for ONE fabulous "Las Vegas Mama" in this town, thanks.

So here you are, and here you will stay. You and I will be happy here...together...forever. But not in a creepy way where after you die I keep your body dressed in your wedding outfit and prop you up on the couch and pretend to have tea with you. It will be more in the way that you stop following all other blogs and you only read this one. And you check daily, sometimes hourly, to see if I have updated it. Maybe you click the refresh button obsessively a few times. And you always comment because you know I live for your comments.

The truth is that I actually have two places I want to review (where I've already visited), I just haven't bothered to write it up. Of course, in reality I am pretty sure every mom in town already knows about these places and has been there numerous times. This is yet another sign that I am losing my edge. It just goes to show how far I have fallen. I also have two more places/events that I am going to attend in the next two weeks. If you are patient with me, I promise I will get them up so that you can read about something other than my pickled baby.

Tivoli Village

Seeing as how I am a major slacker these days about posting, I am going to give you a special treat. A double treat. Not only do you actually get to read something on this blog, you are also going to get to meet my new Las Vegas blogger friend Vanessa from De Su Mama, who wrote this guest post.  And you get a review for somewhere new, which I have not done in forever. And that is not even hyperbole, it really has been forever. Like, literally. And if you don't beleive in forever just try and remember how it used to take for the bell to ring and let you out of your high school geometry class. Am I right? It was forever.

After you read this post, head over to her blog, give her a "follow", and enjoy her amazing photography skills. And don't forget to give her some comment love!

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Tivoli Village

For the last few years, as you drive down Fort Apache where it turns into Rampart, you would see a large stretch of land slowly being developed into what appeared to be an exquisite Italian resort. It took some years, but Tivoli Village is finally open to our community!

Slow development is nothing new for Las Vegas. My Step Mom used to joke that the State bird was the crane {as in construction crane} because of how often one could be seen in the horizon. But since the real estate bubble popped all over us, the unofficial State bird has gone extinct. Now deserted wastelands of semi-built carcases are found all over the valley. It's kind of sad, really.

Luckily for us, especially those of us on the West side of the Valley, Tivoli made it through to see a grand opening. The West side really needed something like this, and although the development is not 100% open, it is still a welcome source of entertainment for us. My Husband actually attended the grand opening for work. The Mayor and media were there, and my Husband just couldn't stop raving about how beautifully made and designed the property was.

 Tivoli is anchored by the intersection of two pedestrian-only cobblestone streets, which are lined with up-scale, chic vendors {or will be soon; they aren't 100% open as of this posting}. At the corners sit two restaurants with outdoor, cafe-like seating; the kind you find in Europe. On the particular evening we visited, there was a band set up in the center of the intersection. They also had street performers walking around that really elevated the experience to different heights. Diners can sit outside and listen to music, while other visitors stop to watch for a bit before continuing their stroll. Or, you can just get out there and dance like our little music lover did! I really felt as though I was in a European town, enjoying a summer festival.  

 Tivoli's calendar is packed with family friendly events that I look forward to attending, such as weekly Saturday morning farmer's markets by fresh52, pet adoption events, outdoor concerts featuring local talent and so much more! In addition to checking out their website, I highly recommend you "like" their Facebook page. Every week they post their weekend's scheduled of events. I find this extremely helpful in planning out our weekend.

 

Las Vegas is known for the glitz and glam of the Strip, and indeed it is the center of this city. But for those of us that call this place home, developments like Tivoli, which are free of the constant noise of gambling machines and bright lights, is a wonderful alternative. 

 
Tivoli is my family's new Las Vegas hang out! We love it! For so many reasons. If you live in Vegas, or are visiting and want to see our latest and greatest, check out Queensridge's new development situated about 11 miles West of the Strip, near the master planned community of Summerlin. You will likely see this little Daddy's girl walking around... 

Vanessa is Cuban American, married to her handsome African American husband, and mother to their beautiful daughter, Alina. Vanessa explores issues of personal identity, the complexities of raising a bicultural/biracial child and the impact it has on her womanhood. Vanessa is passionate about photography and capturing Alina's every move. Vanessa blogs at www.desumama.com. Of living in Las Vegas, she says, "I love living in Vegas because of the diverse people you come across in your everyday life. Vegas attracts people from all over the country! From conservative to liberal, black, white and every shade in between, Vegas has it all!"

Happy Independence Day!

Today we celebrate the day we gained independence from England by trying to blow up America. Let freedom ring, yee haw!!! Happy 4th of July!

Love our tiny hats. I mean that in the imperative.