Matial Arts, Fitness, Self-Defense, What a Deal!

I spent a long time today talking with Ann Arbor College of Martial Arts and asking lots of questions. As the conversation went on, I got more and more excited, and was no longer just thinking of signing my daughter up, but myself as well. So with that and the help of today's Ann Arbor.com deal, my daughter and I are both signed for two months of unlimited classes. Not only is this (currently) such a good deal, it is such a great idea for all families to do. The knowledge gained will last a life-time and may just save you or your child's life.

They explained to me that their youth program works on two different topics. First being, a good attitude about being fit and healthy. Secondly, protecting yourself from scary situations - whether it be a stranger grabbing you, what to do in case of a fire, how to handle yourself in traffic, etc. The classes start for 4 year-olds and goes up from there, with a new theme being introduced each week. My daughter will be in the youth martial arts class class and I will take the adult version. However, they have many different classes to choose from, one will surely fit your needs.

As for the deal today, the unlimited is awesome! You can come whenever you want. You don't have to do the exact same day every week (as often my kids just aren't up to getting out of the house some days) - or, you can go as times in one week as you wish.

It's located by the UofM football stadium. All of the employees are very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, as I just learned very quickly firsthand. They encourage you to come look around and even do a free trial class. I don't think these are classes you can go wrong with. The information learned is life saving!

It's definitely worth checking out (and I think they have a referral program, so let the studio know you heard it from me!)

Check AnnArbor.com for a great deal to Ann Arbor College of Martial Arts or give them a call direct to learn more.

Dexter Restaurants


This list comes from the Dexter Patch, but I wanted to make sure I always have it handy for myself, as well as my readers...

Feel free to leave your own review of these places.

Italian Dinner at DUMC

Not only did we get a delicious, and a super-friendly meal tonight at the Dexter United Methodist Church, we feel good that we helped support Habitat for Humanity!
We went just before 5pm for an early dinner. There were only a few other people there already, so we were able to take our time with the kiddos choosing our food in the buffet line. My husband and I each paid $9, but our two Little Ones (under age 5) were free. We had our choice of cheese or pepperoni pizza from Classic Pizza, penne or spaghetti noodles, alfredo, marinara, or meat sauce, Italian sausage, chicken, or meatballs, and then breadsticks, salad, dessert, and lemonade, milk, water, or coffee. The volunteers did a superb job taking care of us and by the time we were done eating, the place had gotten pretty busy.

Before we ate, we had a chance to walk around the auction room and my thought was to come back and bid when we were done. However, that did not happen. My youngest daughter started crying and everyone was growing impatient, wanting to get to Grandma's house, so unfortunately, no bidding happened this year. They had some great stuff though and I wish I had gone back. There was beautiful artwork to hang on your wall or even to wear, gift certificates to places like Knights Steakhouse, Aubree's Xtreme Bounce, Studio 3 PAC, etc, etc. The kids section had toy cars, Easter baskets, dolls, coloring items, and a lot more that my daughter was asking if we can buy.

From AnnArbor.com...A Dexter Tradition: Feb. 25 Italian dinner and silent auction will benefit Habitat

At least now I know what it's all about and how it works. We will be back next year and I'm already thinking about what we can make as a family to donate for the auction!

Musicians in the Making!

Yay! I am so happy to have a music class being offered in town for Little Ones! I saw it listed on Studio 3 PAC's website last fall, but there was no way we could take it, considering the only time they offered it was early afternoon, which was right in the middle of my toddler and preschooler's naptime. However, they are now offering a mid-morning class, so we will be able to try it out next month. They are offering a free trial class next week and 50% for all of March. You (and I) can even get a bigger deal if you tell them that you heard about the class from me! :) Here's the info I was sent in email, although I see it has also been updated on their website...

New music opportunities at Studio 3 PAC!
Do you have a child who loves singing, moving and exploring new sounds?

Musicians in the Making (ages 2-5)
Wednesdays from 10:45-11:30am
and Saturdays (Time TBA - based on interest)

Try it FREE the last week of February and 50% off the regular $40 per month tuition rate all through March!!! The class starts February 29th, so sign up today!!

Classes are taught by a certified K-12 music instructor and include:

Songs to Sing and Dance To
Instruments to Play
Music Games
Occasional Story Time And More!

Register in person or online at studio3pac.com, and please call or e-mail us with any questions or to be put on the list for a potential Saturday class!

Run N Play!!!


I just read this article, Chelsea Community Hospital Offers 'Walking Wednesdays' Program in Dexter, and as much as I love the idea, I am not sure how family-oriented it is. I did the running and training for a 5K program in Ann Arbor before kids, but had to start my own stroller program once the girls came along. And then from there, I began my own Run N Play Meetup Group. The group encourages families to motivate each other to be healthy role models for our children - but not to leave the kids at home - to bring them with us!!! When the weather is nice, we rotate through the different local parks and will start off with a walk or run (with or w/o strollers), and finish up at the playground. Besides running, we also go hiking, skating, swimming, bouncing, on canoe trips, etc, etc. The idea is just to get out of the house and be active as a family. We've been doing it for a year now, all different days and times to accommodate as many busy schedules as possible, and all who participate are having a great time. Go ahead and check it out. We'd love to have your company and support!

Tour Your Local Fire Station

My three year old is very much into role playing emergencies right now. "Mommy, tell me a story about Dora getting hit by a car." I don't know how she got started on this, but my husband and I have taken her interest and worked good lessons (i.e. what to do when approached by a stranger, calling 911, "Stop, Drop, & Roll," not eating too many treats, holding hands and looking both ways in a street, etc) into all of the stories we tell her about Dora and Diego's (made up) accidents.
I looked up our local fire department's website last week and saw that they give tours. I called to inquire and they said come on in any time and they will modify the tour to fit our group. With that said, I called our friends and made arrangements for this afternoon.
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by several very friendly firefighters. They seemed just as excited to have us there as we were to be there (I guess it had been a slow day so far). They let the girls climb through the different parts of the truck, gave them hats and coloring books to take home, turned the lights on the truck (said they would do the siren too, but figured it might scare the little ones), showed us the different hoses and special camera, answered all of our questions, and even showed us how they come down the pole!
It was a great experience and I highly recommend checking out your local station and getting to know the wonderful people that protect us every day. Here is the link to the Dexter Fire Department and the Ann Arbor stations.
Here is a fun website to learn about Fire Safety from Sparky the Fire Dog!

Happy Valentine's Day!


Enjoyed blueberry heart pancakes for breakfast and Qdoba's deal for dinner!

Made a "Love Tree," similar to this one from one of my favorite bloggers, "The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman..."

Daddy Daughter Dance. Have you been?

I think my husband and 3 year old daughter would really enjoy this, but my husband is not so sure. He'd love to take her, but is worried she might get bored quickly, dance 5 minutes and say she's ready to go. In which case, the $25 doesn't really sound worth it and then maybe we should just hold off until she is older.
What are thoughts on this? Have you participated in the past? Are there things to do besides dancing? It sounds like they get a huge crowd. Is it managed well? Is 3 too young?

Here are some of the details from OnlineDexter.com...

Dads and their little sweethearts (ages 3 and up) are invited to an evening of fun! There will be a DJ with music and dancing, plenty of cookies and punch, and a treat bag for each girl. Bring your dad, step-dad, grandpa or uncle! This has been a very popular event in Dexter! The sixth annual Daddy Daughter Dance will be held in the Creekside Gymnasium & Cafeteria. We ask that you wear rubber soled shoes (not black rubber) to the dance. You are welcome to bring socks or slippers to put on if you are not wearing the appropriate shoes for the gym floor. There will be a photographer at the dance for those who wish to purchase a picture. The photograph is not included in the registration fee. Registration closes on Friday, February 17. Due to the popularity of this event, the dance is open only to dads/escorts and daughters who have registered by February 17.

DATE: 03/03/2012
LOCATION: Creekside Intermediate School, Rooms: Cafeteria, Gym
TIME: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Java Jungle Deal

In an email sent from Jungle Java...


PASS BONUS BUYS!

Purchase your 3 Month Pass now

and receive BONUS month for FREE!

Mention this offer at the time of purchase

and receive 4 months for the price of 3!

One Child- $60

Two Children- $93

Family- $125

(family means same household)

Unlimited Lazer cave add $10 per child

Not valid on after 3pm passes

New pass purchases only

Offer expires February 29th, 2012

Live! Birds of Prey

Saturday, February 18, 2012, 11am

Hudson Mills Activity Center

$3/child, $5/adult

Hawks, owls, falcons and vultures will be visiting from the Howell Nature Center. (The picture is an eagle from our Alaska trip.)

http://www.metroparks.com/calendar_item.aspx?ID=2434


My family has attended many of the Hudson Mills children programs and enjoyed them all.

Australian Outback Adventure

School is out Friday, February 17th.

Stop by the Dexter District Library at 11am for a Live Animal Program for all ages!

(The kangaroo picture is from our Australia trip.)

Parent Night Out!

Looking to get some extra time in with your honey the week of Valentine's? Having trouble figuring out what to do with the kids?

Let them have some fun while you get your special time...
on Friday, February 17th from 6:00pm - 8:30pm, the Michigan Academy of Dance and Music will be hosting another Parent Night Out for ages 3- 12.

For $15 ($10 in advance), your child will enjoy pizza, snacks, crafts, games, and learning new dances. This is open to the public.

We dropped my daughter off last time and she had a blast! The staff does a great job. We will definitely be attending as often as we can!

Yay for No Delivery Fee from Aubree's Pizzeria!

Save Some GREEN in February!

For all of February, you can LEAP over the delivery charge at Aubree's Pizzeria & Grill!

This is great news for us, a busy family that lives a little ways out of town! We haven't had delivery in years, but that's going to change this month with this deal!

Discovering Dexter

http://www.infomi.com/city/dexter/
We are a family of four whom recently moved from Ann Arbor to Dexter. My husband grew up in Dexter and I in Ann Arbor. You would think that from our history here, we would know all the things this area has to offer, but we continue to learn something new every day! We've seen a lot of things change and grow over the years and have decided this would be a wonderful place to raise our children and to discover all that the area has to offer for families.
I can and will post a lot about things to do in and around the Ann Arbor area as events come up or we try out new places, but we need your help in teaching us what you know about Dexter and it's own surrounding areas. Feel free to email us at yesdexter@gmail.com with suggestions and/or offers that we can share with our readers!