Help Valley Mama's - Need ideas on things to do

[Free49]

Hi Everybody - come out come out wherever you are Valley mamas!!

Looking for things to do out here so I stop driving to anchorage to visit friends. We just moved out here about a two weeks ago and I just do not know what to do out here with a very active todder (26 mo old) and the baby (6 mo old). I am heading back to my Dad's house in Eagle River for about a week while the house (sheet rock) gets mud, tape, and texture next week, but then we will be back full time and need some ideas to stay sane. I have walked down our road and of course gone shopping numerous times, but are there any playgroups out here or mamas who are interested in hiking as a group. I am a little leary of venturing out on my own hiking since I ran into bear scat on the road and I had the comfort of an organized hiking group in
Anchorage. Just curious if you guys have any ideas for me. Thanks
Caroline

[BusyMommy]

Hey, Not in the Valley ;) but...

We go visit the Reindeer farm on Bodenburg Loop road and then over to Pyrah's selfpick veggie farm a lot. The kids love it.

Never been to the MuskOx farm but here's that's fun.

ERVC

Mt. Baldy

Oooh, here's an awesome one...the beginning of the Eagle Lake trail at the top of HIland road. The kids hiked up to "the" top; ie. a little bump about 1mile+ up. Really cool. Boardwalk beginning. A bit muddy so don't go right after the rain.

Oh, and the fair's coming.

The town square playground in ER is awesome!!! I bet a bunch of playgroups meet there.

[Free49]

Thanks Holly
I never even thought about the self pick farms what a great idea!
I will stay on the look out and see what I can come up with out here.
Thanks again
Caroline

[Crystal_clear]

The evening LLL meeting is tonight, wanna come? There are some MOMS clubs in Wasilla & Palmer, but too mainstream for me. I get out a few times a week to take the dog for a walk and we go to Wonderland park. I'd love to hike, but I'm in 3rd trimester now and have the usual ligament and back aches. Leisurely strolls are all I'm up for these days. LOL

[Free49]

Thanks Crystal
What is the info on the LLL meeting? Congratulations on your second due soon - completely understandable that you walk and not hike haha! What are those MOMS groups like, just asking an opinion before I try one out (if you dont mind sharing). Really interested in the LLL meetings though. Thanks
Caroline

[Crystal_clear]

Hi Caroline,

The LLL meetings are at the Valley Hospital Plaza in Wasilla where they have the urgent care facility (front entrance on Bogard and rear entrance on Crusey). The one tonite is at 7:30. The info at LLL.org only lists the morning meeting:
http://www.lllusa.org/web/MatSuValleyAK.html
but, we also have an evening meeting that is always the last Wed. of the month.

The MOMS groups just aren't for me. They are the type reading fashion mags, not Mothering. And definitely not AP, so I'm sure you would get lots of advice on CIO and such there. They remind me of my cousin, who is a SAHM that chauffers her kids (youngest is 2) to "preschool" to give herself a break, would never think of questioning her doctor's parenting advice, and whose biggest worry is whether her new cleaning product leaves streaks on the floor. :eyesroll

[happyblessedmama]

I don't live in the valley any more, but we used to! Anyway, there's a mom's group that meets at Sacred Heart in the downstairs of the admin building (not the church) on Tuesdays from 10-12, lots of non-catholic moms go to it and there's not any real religious discussion, just a bunch of moms & kids. A good mix of people there. I think they are meeting at Wonderland Park during the summer at the same times.

I went to a couple of MOMS club meetings, I didn't feel they were especially super mainstream, more bottles than I was used to seeing, but other than that I met some nice AP leaning ladies the couple times I went (couldn't continue because I was just too busy with the boys & the house, etc.). I know they were just starting the Wasilla MOMS club, and the Palmer one was quite large already when I was starting to go (we moved out here in Nov 03).

[BusyMommy]

Just heard of 2 new things to do:

Windsong dairy farm
and
a great castle/fort playground near downtown Palmer

[Matanuska Motherlode]

So I'm a few days late on this thread... :LOL

We've hit the playground over by the Iditapark(?) skate park thingy several times. We've also done story time at the library (Thursday afternoons at 2:30) and have even ventured to the play place at Carl's Jr!

We mainly just sit at home, chase around the chickens and I watch the kids ride bikes. A pretty exciting bunch, huh? :eyesroll

I'd love to meet some more likeminded moms in our area with kids around the same age, but I just don't know where to go.

[BusyMommy]

Queen--there're still a few weeks left of the Tour of Playgrounds. They meet every Weds, 10-12 at a diff. playground around Anch. Big variety but yep, there really are some crunchy crunchy Moms there:) I'm never there on time, but if we go, it's at lunchtime. Lately, we've been going to the beach a lot. sooo hot. But, I'm not home now, so can't tell you where it is today--sorry!


Okay,
Have you guys heard about Babes in the Snow? Again, I'm not home, but I think it's at Prov. and has a lot of workshops on playing w/your kids in the winter and has a gear swap. Think it's Oct 2nd.

And, there's a workshop at a midwives' clinic coming up in Sept. Has some tables and talks that are VERY AP friendly; ie. thinking about vax, natural health care. I know one of the ladies and she's incredibly knowledgeable about homeopathics for kids.