August 2008: Things to Do With Your Family & Kids Around Boca

Boca Mom's List of Activities for August, 2008.

Brought to you by: bocamom411.blogspot.com

Please call to verify times and to check for cancellations. If you have an event you would like to add, email me. Check back often for updates as events will be added/deleted to this list. Let me know how I’m doing by posting a comment.

We hope to see you around town!

Sundays-Fridays, 2:30 p.m. Feeding at the Tanks at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. 1801 No. Ocean Blvd. Call 338-1473. All ages. Witness a feeding frenzy at the tanks filled with sharks, sea turtles, and fish. No fee.

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m., Feeding at the Tanks at Gumbo Limbo. All ages. No fee.

Friday, August 1, 3 p.m., Nanny Gingerbread at Downtown Boca Raton Library 200 NW Boca Raton Blvd. (2nd Ave) Call 393-7968. Sugar & Spice & everything nice. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Friday, August 1, 3 p.m., Healthy Herb at Spanish River Library, 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd. Call 393-7582. The expert in food, fitness & fun. Ages 5 and up. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Friday, August 1, Yes Concert at Hard Rock Live. Purchase tickets for this event thru Ticketmaster.

Saturday, August 2, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Saturday Story Times at Downtown Boca Raton Library AND at the Spanish River Library All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Sunday, August 3, George Michael at Bank Atlantic Center. Tickets must be purchased for this concert. Call: 954-835-8000. You gotta have Faith! Back in concert after all these years and an unfortunate bathroom incident.

Monday, August 4, 10-11 a.m. Sing Song Story Time at Sugar Sand Park Community Center. Adult must accompany child. Free.

Monday, August 4, 7-7:30 p.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Tuesday, August 5, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Spanish River Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free.

Tuesday, August 5, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! 5000-B Coconut Creek Parkway, Pompano. Call: 954-344-9727. Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Bounce, slide, climb and play on the giant, soft, fun-filled interactive inflatables. Wear socks.

Wednesday, August 6, 4-5:30 p.m., Family Jump Time at Pump it Up! 5000-B Coconut Creek Parkway, Pompano. Reservations recommended. Call 954-344-9727. $8 per person. Play on giant, soft, fun-filled interactive inflatables. Wear socks

Thursday, August 7, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Thursday, August 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Teens’ Movie Mania at Downtown Boca Raton Library. Movie title TBA. Ages 13-17. Free pizza & soda provided.

Thursday, August 7, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library 200 NW Boca Raton Blvd. (2nd Ave) Call 393-7968. Music, stories, and songs. All ages. Adult must accompany child.

Thursday, August 8, 1-5:30 p.m., Farewell to Summer Reading Open House at Downtown Boca Raton Library 200 NW Boca Raton Blvd. (2nd Ave) Call 393-7968. Free!

Thursday, August 8, 8:30 p.m., Movie Night, Free Willy, Sunset Cove Amphitheater, 12551 Glades Road. (subject to change due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances)

Saturday, August 9, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Saturday Story Times at Downtown Boca Raton Library AND at the Spanish River Library All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Sunday, August 10, 11 am, Morning Movie Madness at Sugar Sand Community Center. Tickets MUST be purchased in advance. Call: 561-347-3948. Cost: $1 per person (includes popcorn & drink). “Treasure Planet”. Jim Hawkins takes a journey across the universe aboard a majestic space galleon. He and his crew battler a supernova, a black hole, and a space storm.

Monday, August 11, 7-7:30 p.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library 200 NW Boca Raton Blvd. (2nd Ave) Call 393-7968
Music, stories, and songs. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Tuesday, August 12, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Spanish River Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free.

Tuesday, August 12, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Wednesday, August 13, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tweens Movie Mania at Spanish River Library. Ages 9-12. Movie titles TBA. Free pizza & drinks provided.

Wednesday, August 13, 4-5:30 p.m., Family Jump Time at Pump it Up! Reservations recommended. Call 954-344-9727. $8 per person. Wear socks

Thursday, August 14, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child.

Thursday, August 14, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Saturday, August 16, 7-10 p.m. Peter Blum Family YMCA presents Live in concert the "Silver Beats" a Beatles Tribute Band. Sunset Cove Amphitheater. For ticket information, call (561) 237-0940 or stop by the YMCA.

Monday, August 18, 7-7:30 p.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Tuesday, August 19, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Spanish River Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free.

Tuesday, August 19, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Tuesday, August 19, 2:30, Learn About Spiders at Daggerwing,
Reservations Required. Call: 629-8760 Are spiders insects? Ages 3-6, $4 per participant.

Wednesday, August 20, 4-5:30 p.m., Family Jump Time at Pump it Up! Reservations recommended. Call 954-344-9727. $8 per person. Wear socks

Wednesday, August 20, 7 p.m. Open Mic Night at Willow Theater at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail. Registration is Required. Call: 561-347-3948. Ages 12 & up. 20 singers and stand up comedians, get your 5 minutes of fame!

Wednesday, August 20, American Idols Live at Bank Atlantic Center. Tickets must be purchased for this concert. Call: 954-835-8000. I’m so glad David Cook won! (Sassy loves Florida local Sayesha Mercado)

Thursday, August 21, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child.

Thursday, August 21, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Firday, August 22, 7:30 p.m., Night Hikes at Daggerwing. Reservations Required. Call 629-8760. Take a walk through the swamp and learn some special adaptations of nocturnal animals. You are sure to see an owl! Bring bug spray and a flashlight. $3 per person.

Monday, August 25, 7-7:30 p.m., Drop-In Story Time at Downtown Boca Raton Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free!

Tuesday, August 26, 10-10:30 a.m., Drop-In Story Time at Spanish River Library. All ages. Adult must accompany child. Free.

Tuesday, August 26, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Wednesday, August 27, 4-5:30 p.m., Family Jump Time at Pump it Up! Reservations recommended. Call 954-344-9727. $8 per person. Wear socks

Thursday, August 28, 10-11:30 a.m. Pop In Pre-K Play Time at Pump It Up! Ages 2-6. $8 per child. Wear socks.

Saturday, August 30, 6:30 p.m., Slightly Stoopid with Pepper & dub masters Sly & Robbie, Mizner Park. Tickets may be purchased at www.Livenation.com or Ticketmaster.

And now, a word from the Hubby . . .

Boca Mom has allowed me a guest appearance. Who am I? Well, some would call me “the Mate”. Let’s just dispense with the formalities and call me Hubby. Make sense? Cool.

I’m really quite honored. This blog is her own doing, her oasis, her escape, if you will, from the craziness that envelops our house on a daily basis, and from work (she’s a lawyer – I never win an argument). At the least, it’s therapeutic for Boca Mom. At best, it provides valuable resources for others and enriches all of our lives with local news and info about activities and ideas on how to spend quality time with family. No, it’s more than that! (Can ya tell I’m proud?) If I may be so bold, it’s her attempt at reaching out and making Boca and South Florida, in general, feel more like a community – getting the word out about plenty of good wholesome activities.

Speaking of good wholesome activities, we’re reaching the end of summer - August! Everything seems to slow down right about now in the hot summer sun, and there’s a graceful transition. The transition from summer camp ending (mental note: time to get Meatballs with Bill Murray from Netflix). Retailers are putting water tubes and sunscreen on clearance sales, and replacing the empty shelf space with Halloween costumes and Christmas ornaments. (Um, NASA just announced today there is evidence of water on one of Saturn’s moons – is it too early for retailers to sell Saturn moon shoes?) Last but not least . . NFL training camp begins!

NFL training camp is officially ranked as the third-most dreaded day of the calendar year for wives. Yea, it’s true. Don’t believe me? I’m not Dave Letterman, but here’s a slice of the list:

#5 The day after Thanksgiving. Leftover dishes to clean and Black Friday shopping. ‘Nuf said.
#4 Doctor check-ups. Good luck getting little kids to gleefully accept a fate of inoculations.
#3 The day NFL training camp opens – self explanatory.
#2 The day before the wedding anniversary and the anticipated anxiety of hoping this is not the year the Mate you chose decides to forget why tomorrow is a special da.
#1 Your hubby’s birthday. You know. This is typically the night of the year he expects major penthouse-style acrobatic maneuvers

The day NFL training camp opens is the start to a months-long buildup to the Super Bowl. Ahem – I’m a NY Giants fan, so yes, I am gloating. You remember that night in January, 2008, right ladies? The one where big blue stole the championship. Boca Mom was very pregnant with Sweet, and I was hoping that she would not go into pre-term labor during the Super Bowl.

In your twenties, the Super Bowl was an excuse to head over to a friend’s place, kick back some drinks, eat tons of Doritos, gossip over who is dating who, vote on the best commercials, and enjoy a pretty decent halftime show. Fast-forward to your 30’s and 40’s and it’s the night when you run around the house trying to get the kids to bed while Hubby sits in front of his T.V. (whatever T.V. is the largest, best T.V. in the house situated in front of the most comfortable seat in the house). He’s likely to have one hand on the remote, guarding it piously like the Pope cherishes his cross – and the other hand on an assortment of foodstuffs packed with flavorful calories and typically offset by generous amounts of spirits.

So, if your Hubby is not an NFL fan (sorry, but college football doesn’t count), then Congratulations. You will have one more Sunday for full blown family activities. Furthermore, for non-NFL fans, take this moment to thank him your husband. That’s right! Get off your computer and give him a big ‘ole hug. He’s yours on the weekends and there is no need to worry about becoming a football widow.

To those of you ladies who feel like football widows 8-9 months out of the year – I say, join the party! In the spirit of Boca Mom, I say, go to your nearest sports website and figure out the upcoming schedule of your hubby’s favorite team. Then, you can already have a head-start on what you’ll be doing almost every weekend without your hubby for the next 9 months while pro-football is on television. See, I just figured out the itinerary for Boca Mom for the next 9 months! Hmph, somehow I just can’t envision that working out. On second thought, let’s keep coming back to this site and let Boca Mom do what she does so well. Let August be August. Let retailers put up those early decorations for Christmas. Let the kids get ready for the start of school. I’ll be spending my 3-4 hours of “me-time” each Sunday for a good chunk of the year, and be thankful that I have a wife who is so amazing. So patient (with me, anyway). Thank you all for indulging me. Go Giants!

Grand Unleashing of Canine Cove Dog Park

While this blog posts mostly family activities and information, I recognize that dogs can certainly be part of the family. I personally grew up with a poodle named Peppy, who was my surrogate sibling - one that never talked back or stole the last frozen snicker bar, was always pining for a snuggle, and readily licked up all the crumbs from the floor.

Sassy has been bugging us for a dog lately. But I have crushed her hopes of inviting a 4-legged friend into our home by telling her that unless she is ready to walk the dog and pick up the poop, adopting a dog is not in the cards right now. I work full time, and have to get Sweet and Sassy ready in the morning. I can't imagine the chaos a dog would add to the mix, and applaud all of those who manage it.

Anyway, South County Regional Park has announced a "Grand Unleashing" of a new dog park. The Grand Unleashing is set for Saturday morning, July 26, 8:30 to 11:00 in South County Regional Park. All dogs welcome, no matter the size. To get there, go 2.5 miles west on Glades from 441 and turn right into the park just past the firehouse. The event is sponsored by Petco and Petsmart. Have a barking good time!

Grand Opening on July 11th of New Teen Club in West Boca

Boca Mom feels compelled to advise moms of older kids about a new teen club opening in West Boca Raton called Static!

Frustrated by the lack of places for teenagers to go in West Boca, David Case decided to open Static!. This club hopes to become the first step toward providing teenagers in West Boca (and of course, other teens from nearby areas) with a place of their own to go.

The grand opening of Static! will take place on Friday night, July 11, and every Friday night thereafter. Doors open at 9 pm. The grand opening on July 11 will offer FREE ADMISSION to the first 100 teenagers who arrive before 10:00 PM. Thereafter, the cost of admission will be $20 – or $15 with a copy of any newspaper article about the new club or its promotional postcard. Static! will be hosted by the Boca Dunes Country Club, which is the home base for owner David Case’s Catering by David. Located in the southwest corner of West Boca, go east on Sandalfoot Blvd. from 441. Turn left at the second stop sign to 1400 Country Club Drive. Or call 561-470-7250 ext. 112.

Static! will vary the dance format from week to week. The grand opening will feature DJ D-Lee, who offers a mix of hip hop, reggae, techno, and much more. Live band entertainment will be provided on subsequent Friday nights. Static! will cater to high school age teenagers. The setting is a country club atmosphere in a secure environment, overseen by a PBSO Deputy Sheriff. The space has only one entrance and exit, which will add to the owner’s commitment to provide good security.