My little Karate Kid

Even though it's actually Taekwondo, not Karate... Nevertheless, it's something Owen's been doing for a bit now and that he absolutely loves. And so do I. He doesn't only get some exercise, but he has become a lot more confident. He learns the tenets of Taekwondo – courtesy, integrity, perseverance, etc. It's so cute to watch this group of 5 year olds say their tenets, and what each of them mean. Not to mention, do their complicated patterns, and that jump kick! Mr. Perry, his instructor, and his son (also Mr. Perry) keep the class fun too, so I have to admit, it's pretty entertaining for us parents (and little 1 year old siblings) to watch.

I saw these coupons at class the other day, so I thought I would share. It's a really good deal if you want to give this class a shot. Oh, and Mr. Perry will also allow new students to come in and try out the class for free one time. That way you can make sure your kid is into it before signing him/her up.

More info on Todd Perry Taekwondo Academy here 

Weekend Happenings

I was looking for things to do this weekend and found out that quite a bit is going on in the Orlando area. I collected some of the things that looked interesting to me and decided to do a post about it. Maybe I should do this every Thursday...

Click on the titles to find out specific information on each event:

1. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Through May 20th. We havent been this year, but we really enjoyed it last year.

2. Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Friday through Sunday. I love the idea of the Children's Workshop Village.

3. Cruz-N-Car Show. Every third Saturday. It says 6PM-9PM, but we went there once at around 4PM and the cars were already there. If you or your kids are into cars, you'll like this.

4. Orlando Science Center. A few things at the Science Center this weekend: Bob the Builder exhibit, St. Patrick's Day Workshop, and Fossil Fest

5. St. Patrick's Day Storytime. Saturday at the Winter Garden Village Barnes and Noble.

6. Lyle the Crocodile. Saturday and Sunday. Orlando Repertory Theatre. (Image via Victor Davila)

Enjoy!

The Best Frozen Yogurt

Well, we've been hard at work and our search for the best frozen yogurt in the Orlando area is over. Here's what we've come up with:

1. Red Mango: The family loved Red Mango — the vote was unanimous. Located in the Winter Garden Village shopping plaza (by Panera). A very clean and nicely designed space with great tasting yogurt, and a very friendly staff. It also claims to be the healthiest. We like that. My only complain is no toffee/heath topping, which is my personal favorite. Their almonds are the best though, so I'll forgive them.

2. Menchies: Menchies also has a nicely design space and branding, great tasting yogurt, and a great choice of toppings. (I wasn't allowed to take pictures here)

3. Mochi: This was the first frozen yogurt place we tried, and we really liked it. Their decor is very modern and has sort of a surreal feel. A good fit for a frozen yogurt shop in my opinion.

We also visited Jojo in Downtown Winter Garden and Cold Stone Creamery across from the Winter Garden Village. Jojo's yogurt was good, and I think a better decor/atmosphere would make this place really great. As far as Cold Stone, we think their ice cream is great and they should probably stick to that.

This time, we limited our search to self-serve stores; where you pick your yogurt flavour(s), and toppings, and then proceed to the scale and pay by the weight. It's a great system I think, and it's fun too. Now, if you know of another shop, self-serve or not, that's worth our efforts, let me know in the comments. I'll try and drag my family out for more tasting. So hard to do... ;)

*These results were based solely on my family's opinions. No professional tasters here, just having fun. 

Blood Tests...

These pictures are of the Quest Lab on Maguire, OcoeeOk, this is NOT a fun thing to do in the Orlando area. But unfortunately, there comes a time in every parent's life when the pediatrician will hand you an order for a blood test. Usually at the baby's 9th month appointment. Our first order was for Quest, so I took my baby to the Quest Lab closest to our house at the time – the one on West Colonial. They couldn't get his vain, so it was a long and traumatic experience. Not to mention, I didn't find that lab at all pleasant, especially for a baby. So, the next time we had to go get a blood test I took my boy to the Arnold Palmer Hospital. What a huge difference! It only took a second and Owen never even realized there was a needle in his arm. Going to the hospital was a bit more of a hassle. They don't take appointments there, so there might be a long wait sometimes. But, I still think it's completely worth it.

Now, if I had to take my child to Quest I would go to the one on Maguire in Ocoee. It's new, very clean, and I've never had to wait longer than a few minutes. I did all my pregnancy screenings there, including glucose tolerance, and I have to say, I love this lab. Especially when Janelle is there. She's on top of things, and she's super nice.

*You might need a specific order form depending on the lab you're going to, so make sure you check with your doctor. You may also want to check on insurance coverage.

Max & Oli, Winter Garden

We met some friends at Max & Oli and spent a few fun hours there the other day. The kids didn't want to leave. It's not a huge place but it has lots to do. There's a train, a merry go round, spaceships and cars to ride on, inflatables, and, the big hit – the pool of balls. It's basically a little indoor amusement park, which is nice considering the heat right now. The cost is $8 for children 3 and under, and $12 for 4 and up.

Max & Oli
4036 Winter Garden Vineland Rd. 
Winter Garden FL 34787

Monday through Saturday 10 am - 7 pm, Sunday 10 am - 6 pm

Update on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 3:53PM by Zig & Zag

Max & Oli is no longer open -

Splash!

It is way too hot to do anything outside that doesn't involve water. We LOVE the Splash Park in Downtown Winter Garden!

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons didn't really go as planned. I took my 3 year old to his first lesson at the Roper Y. After the instructor let him go and told him to reach for the wall, he went under water and came out terrified. For the next two lessons I sat and watched the other kids learn while mine refused to go anywhere near the pool (Even thought I was bribing him with a surprise). So, this really frustrated mom decided to see if something could be done. I was referred to Chad, their Aquatics and Family Director. He proposed I bring him to him the next time and he would try one on one. Without a lot of hope, I did. And it worked! Chad had the right approach. My kid was still hesitant but got in the water and gave things a chance. Second lesson with Chad was all smiles. He's loosing his fear, which I think is huge when you're trying to learn a new skill. Now, I know not all kids need this kind of approach. But I also know enough that do, and finding the right instructor just makes the biggest difference. Besides Chad, I have heard Brandon, also at the Roper Y, is great in this kind of situation.

The Bribe: I bought a $15 box of Legos. I used the same bag they came in, cut it and divided the Legos into the amount of lessons he'd be having. My brilliant bribe didn't get him in the pool but it did make him very happy after Chad's successful efforts. I needed an excuse to buy legos anyways...

This schedule might be handy if you're planning on doing some lessons this summer.