Seabreeze
One of my favorite places to go in the summertime in Rochester is Seabreeze. Seabreeze is an amusement and water park. It's a great place to cool off or just have fun. There is even a little water park for younger kids. I usually cool off under a huge bucket of water. There is also a circle of squirt guns, which I don't really enjoy as much as the rest of the stuff. I really love the water slides too.
I'm also a huge fan of the amusement park. Older kids like myself really enjoy roller coasters. Some of the best roller coasters are the Jackrabbit, the Bobsled, and the Bear Trax. My brother really has a blast with the bumper cars, too. Rides especially for littler kids include kiddie swings, racetrack, boats, Barnstormers, and Turtles, a little roller coaster.
Seabreeze also usually has regularly scheduled shows for your entertainment. One way to cool off is to take a splash on the Log Flume. There are also carnival games and you can win cool prizes. And when you leave you should have a smile on your face. Sea Breeze is a great place in Rochester to have fun.
--- Morgan Bittner, age 9
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This week for families:
Arnett Branch Library Artist and cartooning demonstration, Wed, July 28, 2:30 p.m. | Scrap Art, Wed, July 28, 2:30 p.m. | Revealing raptors, Wed, Aug 4, 2:30 p.m. Pre-register. | Arnett Branch Library, 310 Arnett Blvd. 428-8114
Arts in Action for Tweens Aug 16-20. For 10- to 12-year-olds, Hochstein School, 454-4596, www.hochstein.org
City Summer Kids Club Mon-Fri through Sept 3. For ages 6-10, various recreation centers, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $50 per week. 428-6767, www.cityofrochester.gov
Cool Kids Thurs, July 29. Jon Seiger and the All Stars, 7-9 p.m. Sagawa Park, Main and Erie Sts, Brockport. Free. 637-3984
Henrietta Public Library Kids are Special, Mon, Aug 2, childe safety ID kits, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. |Jumbles, Tues, Aug 3, grades 1-3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Summer Craft, Tues, Aug 3, 2-3 p.m. | Toddler storytime, Wed, Aug 4, 10:30-11 a.m. | Summer music concert, Wed, Aug 4, 2-2:45 p.m. | 455 Calkins Rd. 359-7093
Icky Bugs Sat, July 31. Bristol Garden Center, 7454 Victor Pittsford Rd, Victor, 10-11 a.m. $12. 473-5130
Kids Café Mon-Thurs through Aug 19. Meal program for kids up to age 17, Church of Love Faith Center, 700 Exchange St, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium 657 East Ave. A Trip to Saturn and Pluto, Saturdays 1 p.m. | The Sky Tonight, Sat 10:30 a.m. | I See The Sky, for ages 3-5, Sat 9:30 a.m.| The Beatles Laser, Sat 10 p.m. | Reserve seats. Tix: $4-$7. See "Movies" section for large-format film showings. 271-1880
Rochester Boys Choir Now auditioning, grades 2-7, Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Ave. 381-9228, www.rochesterboyschoir.org.
Rochester Museum and Science Center 657 East Ave. Surprise! It's Science, through May 2005. | Body Carnival: the Science and Fun of Being You, ongoing. | Rochester's Frederick Douglass, through Jan 2006. | Live Science Demos, Wed-Fri 3:30 p.m., Sat 2, 3, 4, Sun 1:30, 2:30, 3:30. | Hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $5-$7. 271-1880, www.rmsc.org.
Seneca Park Zoo 2222 St Paul St. Penguin awareness day, Mon, Aug 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | BugZoo, through Wed, Aug 18. Hours: daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tix: $5, $4 seniors, $2 kids. 467-9453, www.senecazoo.org.
Seussical the Musical Fri-Sat, July 30-31. Greece Performing Arts Society, Aquinas High School, 1127 Dewey Ave, 8 p.m. $10, $8 students. 234-5636
Strong Museum 1 Manhattan Square. Making America's Music: Rhythm, Roots, and Rhyme, through Sept 12. | Summertime Musical Fun Week, Mon-Fri, Aug 2-6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: American folk music, Mon, Aug 2, 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.; instrument petting zoo, Tues, Aug 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; square dancing, Wed, Aug 4, 11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m. | Long-term exhibits include National Toy Hall of Fame, Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street? and Super Kids Market. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $7; $6 seniors, students; $5 children. 263-2700
Summer Food Service Program Free lunch and breakfast for kids under 18, Mon-Fri, various sites. Call for registration and info. 428-7872, 325-1440
Take Me Out to the Corn Field Sat, July 31. Amazing Maize Maze opening day, meet a Red Wings player, 1342 Eddy Rd, Macedon, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. 315-986-4202
Volunteers of America Universal Pre-K Programs Openings available, for 4- and 5-yr-olds, free to city residents, 100 State St or 214 Lake Ave, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 647-1344, 263-3103
Ditching disposables
When my daughter was born, we used disposable diapers exclusively. Everyone I knew used disposables and I pictured cloth diapering as much more difficult than it actually is. I believed those were the only options.
Then a friend told me about Elimination Communication (EC) --- a practice used worldwide and gaining popularity locally. EC involves learning the signs that babies give before eliminating, and teaching them to associate cues with toileting. Your baby signals her need to pee, you take her to the appropriate place (held securely over a toilet, for example), cue her, and she pees. It's best to begin in the first four or five months, although anytime before one year is standard.
At nine months, my daughter hated diaper changes, and so I decide to give EC a try. I was amazed at how quickly she learned to use the potty. It was easier, cleaner, and even fun for both of us.
For the times when she wore diapers, I chose cloth to encourage us both to be more responsive to wetness. I used flat prefolds with a Snappi (an easy, single-piece fastening device) and washed them myself. Rochester now has a family-operated diaper service, Terra Cotton (978-9081). They can wash the diapers you already own, or rent you theirs if you want to try out different sizes or styles.
I volunteer through DiaperFreeBaby.org as the Rochester mentor, holding free support and information meetings on the 14th of each month (464-0207 or [email protected] for details).
--- Caren Barth