A Military Friendly Guide to Exploring Pittsburgh

Since coming to Pittsburgh just last Summer we've had to adjust to living in a different part of the country. Moving and traveling isn't new to us, but it does take a while to get adjusted to a new place to call "home." Our first Summer in Pittsburgh, though we had many days of great weather, was spent house hunting and exploring the area for the best neighborhoods and schools. This Summer we've been able to explore and enjoy a lot more of the city's outdoor activities. Many of which offer great military discounts;) Take a look at some of our favorites below!

• Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
The zoo offers FREE entry to any active duty military member everyday with a photo ID! While this is a great deal, it doesnt include the whole family. So we purchased a very reasonably priced Family membership for only $85. This includes 2 adults, and 2 kids and is good for one year from the purchase date. This is probably one of the places we visit the most. On a nice day, we pack our lunches and head to the zoo, our son loves it! It has more than paid for itself, considering single admission is $14! 

• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
During the Summer months between Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Pittsburgh Children's Museum offers FREE admission to military families and up to four additional guests. This is part of the Blue Star Museum program that many museums nation-wide take part in. This is a great way to keep your kids busy in the Summer, and keep them engaged. Also a great way to check out museums in your area before choosing to buy those yearly passes.

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Another one of my son's favorites! He loves to see all the dinosaur bones and even dig for bones himself in the children's area. This museum also participates in the Blue Star program. They also offer great family memberships that include access to the Carnegie Science Center and the Andy Warhol Museum.

• Frick Park-Blue Slide Playground 

Out of the several parks that we've visited around Pittsburgh, this is one of the whole family's favorites. It's a great place to take the whole family including the dog. With a large off-leash area and several wooded trails, there are several options for exploring and hiking. My son's favorite part is the popular Blue Slide which he can slide down for hours. Unlike any other playground slide, this is great fun for all ages. Just dont forget to grab a piece of cardboard to sit on as you slide down. 

 

 

• Idlewild and Soakzone

We made our first trip here this Summer and the whole family had a blast! It's definitely a must for Western PA residents. Giant Eagle has some great sale days throughout the Summer, such as "buy one, get one tickets" and even a car load deal. Just pay $99 for a carload of up to 8 people to get in the park making it less than $15 per person! They also offer $8.00 off the regular admission price of $29 for Active Duty Military members. Don't just trust my opinion, Idlewild has been named "Best Kid's Park in the World" and "Best Park for Families" several years in a row!

 

• Triple B Farms

The local farms aren't just for the Fall. Triple B Farms, among many of the other local farms in Western and Central PA have great Summer festivals and Summer Day Camps for the kids. There is always fresh produce to pick yourself, or available for purchase in their market. Check their website for their harvest schedule and activities. Don't forget to come back in the Fall!

 

• Spray Parks

This is such a great way to cool off and have fun during the Summer, and the best part is that they're FREE! I grew up in the hottest, smallest, most rural desert valley of Southern California. And even though the beach was only an hour and a half drive away, I wish we had other ways to stay cool locally. There are several of these fairly large spray parks throughout the Pittsburgh area, and some just recently built. Pack a lunch, grab the sunblock and towels and spend your afternoon at the spray park. Check the Pittsburgh Citiparks website to find a spray park in your neighborhood.

• Baseball/Football Games 

You can't come to Pittsburgh without heading to a ball game of sorts. Whether you go to a Steeler's game at Heinz Field, or a Pirate's game at PNC Park you're bound to have a good time. PNC Park is a great family stadium and has a great view of the city. Not to mention the Pirates are currently in first place which should ensure a good game! As a Steeler's fan, I may be a little biased when I say there's nothing like going to a Steeler's game, but there really is nothing like going to a Steeler's game! Because tickets can get pretty pricey, I recommend checking StubHub or other ticket exchange sites to purchase tickets. We have found some great deals AND great seats, especially for pre-season games. 

*Just a reminder if you can't make it to a game, don't forget to check out the FREE Steeler's Summer Training Camps in Latrobe. Great opportunity to see the players practice up close, and possibly get some autographs. (My son got Troy Polamalu's autograph, yes I might be bragging a little) :) They also have several activities and games for the kids to play and enjoy. 

Whether you're a Pittsburgh native or just visiting the area, you can be sure to have a good time enjoying a few of our favorite activities just mentioned. We've only lived here a year, so we are always looking for new things to do and new places to explore! 

 

 

Do you have a favorite and inexpensive place to visit in Pittsburgh? Please share your favorites, I'd love to hear your feedback!

Weather, You Like it or Not

It's unofficially known as the "End of Summer," Labor Day is upon us and I can't believe how quickly this Summer has flown by. Our first Winter in Pittsburgh lasted for what seemed like an eternity. I've spent these Summer months trying to defrost and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine that my Southern California roots so highly need to survive. <That's not an exaggeration either. Although, since becoming a Navy wife (in 2007) and moving away from home, I've never craved Southern California sunshine and beaches more than now.

What's slightly more disappointing to me is all the RAIN we had this Summer! Sure, someone who's lived in Seattle for 5 years may be used to a little rain, but a light drizzle doesn't compare to the downpours and street flooding we've dealt with this year. Our first Summer in Pittsburgh wasn't nearly as wet and wild. 

When the sun did come out, with probably a high of 87 for the warmest temp of the year, we spent our days outdoors. While native Pittsburghers complained of the warm temperatures, I couldn't help but enjoy the Summer I knew would'nt last, even if we did have to deal with humidity. I knew the rest of our family was suffering in the Southern California desert with average temperatures above 110°!  

Rain or shine, we did manage to have some enjoyment this Summer. A list of some of our favorites can be found here. It's a bit of a bittersweet feeling for me with the return to school and the end to swimming pools. I have always looked forward to the Fall, with all the spicy warm smells, boots and sweaters, and of course the highly anticipated FOOTBALL season... and YES we are Steelers fans! But knowing that another Winter is shorty behind, I'm not as ready to jump for joy at the end of Summer. 

As I look out my window it's yet again raining, which explains our lack of plans for Labor Day weekend. Despite some of the unfortunate weather, we still have another Summer of memories in the bank that we will enjoy forever. Part of what I've learned through moving is no one place is like the other, nor is one place technically better, each place has something to offer and should be enjoyed for what it is. As a military family, we have always enjoyed the adventure and taken in each opportunity to get out and "explore." So, even though I vent about my frustrations of unfortunate weather, we always find a way to enjoy the day through the inevitable. Because the rain doesn't last and neither do the days... whether we like it or not. 

To Kindergarten, or Not to Kindergarten? A Mother's Toughest Question

It's that time of year again! Amongst all the hustle and bustle, some excitement and some tears about going Back to School this Fall. The Fall season is one of my most looked forward to times of the year. The weather begins cooling off, not so hot and (hopefully) not snowing yet. The leaves start to change, the highly anticipated Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks, and all the outdoor crafts, activities and trips to the local farms. It doesn't get much more relaxing than this. But, I have to say, this has been one of the most stressful times of the year for me so far in 2013.

My son Aiden, who is now 5 years old as of a week ago will be returning to school again for his 2nd year. Let me take it back a year when we were new residents of Pittsburgh in 2012, just before he started his first year of Preschool. I couldn't hide the tears with the realization of how fast my only child was growing up. Seeing the excitement on his face, I also couldn't help but be excited for him as well. This was one of those bittersweet "proud mommy moments".

                              

 Weeks went by and he still had the same excitement for school. I have to admit, I was slightly envious that his teacher had the opportunity to enjoy his presence and was teaching him much of what I thought I should be teaching him. Shortly after those first few weeks, his teacher pulled me aside and told me he was having some problems with another student in the class and was imitating some of this student's inappropriate behaviors. (name calling, language, hitting) I let it go the first time saying in my head, "this is something all kids do." Right? He's adjusting to the social aspect of school and it'll eventually pass. I couldn't help my frustration with this other student who had my son repeating some of these behaviors. Aiden, myself, and my husband had several discussions about this issue and while Aiden seemed to completely understand what he was doing wrong and what he could've done differently, he continued to butt heads with the other student and ONLY with this student. I met with his teacher, tried to figure out exactly what was going on so that we could get to the bottom of this and try to correct it.

We tried a few things, including separating the two, and creating a chart for all of Aiden's good behavior, and rewarding that behavior. Eventually, most of these issues had subsided but I was also realizing that not only was the other kid the problem, but my kid was a bit of a disturbance. I volunteered to help out during classroom activities when all I could hear from the opposite end of the room was my kid being a goof ball and putting on a bit of a clown act to make the other kids laugh. This seems fun and cute and all, but unfortunately this was during an activity. I wasn't surprised that my kid was the class clown. He was always putting on shows at home and my husband and I were the bad parents who laughed at his nonsense joking that he'd be a great actor/comedian one day. Oops! His teacher assured me that this was VERY common in boys and that he highly enjoys socializing in school but struggles with differentiating between play time and learning time, part of which could be blamed on his age. (Being one of the much younger ones in the class with a late August birthday.)

Despite some of the conflicts with this other student, and the goofiness, I have to say Aiden did very well in school. He's always been a quick learner and pretty advanced for his age. He learned his whole alphabet in sign language, learned to write both uppercase and lower case letters, he was socializing, he was creating, he was being a kid! So why was I so worried? Why was the next year going to be so hard?

                              

This summer we stayed as busy as possible, staying outdoors, getting together for play dates, and even continuing to work in his workbook and reading. He did turn 5 last week as many of the schools were already returning to school, he did mature some, he did A LOT of learning, and at the end of this Summer he is already reading and sounding out words, as well as doing some basic math. So after last year, and considering what he learned this Summer, how do I know if he's ready for Kindergarten or if he'll be challenged enough in pre-K? 

                    

After alot of discussion with my husband, and several arguments we decided that we'd have him repeat a year of pre-K before starting him in Kindrgarten next year, and here's why; I've read the articles, heard the often unwelcomed opinions of other moms, and taken in the advice from teachers, etc. I'm not worried about him being unable to learn, but I do often think of how his actions and "immature" thought process may affect him in the long run. With him being at the very bottom of the age group, I worry about the possible pressure he may face in those dreaded high school years. I worry that he'll imitate the behaviors of older students to fit in. I worry about him fitting in as a follower because he's significanly younger rather than leading. Let's face it, saying I'm a bit of a worrier, is an understatement. Age 4 has been a difficult age for me to deal with disciplining and I want him to gain more control of the independence he so craves, in an appropriate way. I want him to understand more about how his decisions create consequences, which is something he failed to understand a year ago. He KNEW what was right, but acted before thinking and realizing the possible consequences. 

I do worry that he won't be as challenged in Pre-K, but that's where I come in. That's one of the luxuries of being a stay-at-home mom;) I will continue to take part in his after school learning to challenge him with games, books, and other activities as well. I do often go back in my head to wonder if I'm making the right decision. As a mother, all I want is what's best for my son in the long run. It's difficult enough making decisions that affect your life, but making decisions for your children is a whole other challenge! 

I'd love to hear your feedback! Please comment if you have any similar experiences to share. 

Catching up... Summer Time!

I've been away for far too long. This is a much needed personal update and blog post. Ahh, it's finally Summer now and we are definitely trying to enjoy the warmer temperatures. After going through our first Pittsburgh winter I have to admit, I've never craved sun more than now!

I've been keeping pretty busy with my tutu business Maddie Bear's Tutus. I have my Facebook page up and running along with the Etsy shop. Things aren't perfect yet, but I've had a great response and customers have responded in a such a positive manner, that it only encourages me to continue.

With my son Aiden out of pre-school on summer vacation, I've also been keeping him busy just as he's kept me on my toes. We've been doing many of the parks around Pittsburgh, going swimming, baseball games, children's museum, zoo, festivals, etc. He also recently attended Vacation Bible School at the church/school we attend. Not to mention all the sports he plays, SHEESH! He's busier than me and has a bigger social circle than I do.

One of our most recent outings was when he headed down to Point State Park for the Three Rivers Regatta on the 4th of July. It's was such a perfect day, sun was out, the rain (surprisingly) stayed away, and we got to see an amazing fireworks show! This was our 2nd Independence Day in Pittsburgh and we've had a blast each time!

Among the fireworks were BMX shows, (which the kid loved) boat races, dog shows, many yummy food vendors, and the fountain that seemed to be the [2nd] main attraction. Our last minute decision to head downtown seemed like a good one because, our part of town on the East end stormed pretty badly! :( Here's to quick thinking!  

The Summer is quickly passing and we will continue to enjoy it in the weeks to come. Until next time, stop wasting time and head outside! 

The longest fireworks show ever (at least that we've seen) :) 

Aiden and Daddy having a snack. 

Watching the boat races from the bridge. 

The 3 of us. 

-Yvonne Copeland