Birmingham Events Calendar: June 19th – June 26th

We would like to wish all of our BirminghamDaddy’s a very happy Father’s Day! We hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend!

There is still no shortage of things to do this summer at the local libraries, stories, theater groups and live music just to name a few.

If you haven’t made it by the McWane Science Center to check out the Imagination Lab, you’re missing out! It’s great new exhibit and it’s inside so you can beat the heat! Wednesdays are WILD at McWane with several special programs going on throughout the day!

Speaking of wild, if you’re up for hanging out with some big reptiles, you’ll want to hit the zoo this Saturday for Big Reptile day! Don’t forget your camera!

Free Movies are still going on around town and Farmer’s Markets are in full swing each weekend!

Happy Week!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday June 19th:

Happy Father’s Day!

Fathers Day Celebration – DeSoto Caverns
Buy a cave tour ticket and bring Dad along for free!!! Call for more info – 800-933-2283

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook.  Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO.  Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

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Monday June 20th:

Creating A Superhero – Bessemer Public Library
Doug Young will show teens how to create their own superhero! Chat with fellow comic book fans, draw your fave characters, and get a chance to create your own character and comic strip. Food and drinks will be served.
5:00pm

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Tuesday June 21st:

Zinghoppers – Homewood Public Library
The Zinghoppers Show is a fun, interactive dance party for kids and families that combines live music, comedy, storytelling, dance, audience participation, a little magic, and lots of smiles!
6:30pm

World Of Dance: Looney Luau – Emmet O’Neal LIbrary
Get down Hawaiian style at a looney luau!
10:30 am and 3:30 pm. All ages. No registration required.

Atlantic Coast Theatre presents The Fairy Tales of Grimm – Hoover Public Library
Tales such as The Bremen Town Musicians, Rapunzel, Hansel & Gretel, and Snow White come to the stage in the classical nineteenth century theatrical style of “melodrama.”  The Library Theatre will be full of laughs and audience participation.
10:30am, 1:30pm and 6:30pm

Clay Library – Fire Truck Fun
The Center Point Fire Department is bringing a real fire truck to the library for the children to explore! Contact kmoody@bham.lib.al.us or call 205-680-3812 for more information.
10:00am

Free or Discounted Movies
Amstar Alabaster – Despicable Me
Rave, Lee Branch & Patton Creek – Marmaduke
Regal Trussville – Alpha and Omega and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Edge 12 – Rugrats the Movie, Home Alone

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Wednesday June 22nd:

Atlantic Coast Theatre presents The Fairy Tales of Grimm – Hoover Public Library
Tales such as The Bremen Town Musicians, Rapunzel, Hansel & Gretel, and Snow White come to the stage in the classical nineteenth century theatrical style of “melodrama.”  The Library Theatre will be full of laughs and audience participation.
10:30am and 1:30pm

Storytime Science – McWane
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity for your early learner to experience science through literature. Enjoy an enriching story coupled with an intriguing science concept that is sure to spark the curiosity of your child.
COST: Included in cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members
10:30am

Wild Wednesdays – McWane Science Center
Included in the cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members
Bring your little animals for Wild Wednesdays every week this summer. On these special days, your family can take a walk on the wild side and learn about animals from around the world during different programs throughout the day. Join us for the daily line up of educational programs and then roam through the museum in between programs.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

10:30 AM: WILD ABOUT ART
(Recommended for ages Kindergarten and younger)
11:30 AM: Science on the WILD side
1:30 PM: Gulf Tank Feeding in the Aquarium
3:30 PM: WILD About Animals

Wonderful Wednesday Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Summer has begun, and to celebrate we’ll read Bats at the Beach by bestselling author and illustrator Brian Lies. See the story on NOOK Color, enjoy a creative craft, and snack on something from our Cafe.

Family Story Time with Mr MacNorth Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

Free or Discounted Movies
Amstar Alabaster – Despicable Me
Rave,Lee Branch & Patton Creek – Marmaduke
Regal Trussville – Alpha and Omega and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Edge 12 – Rugrats the Movie, Home Alone

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Thursday June 23rd:

Wine and Wishlists! A Mommy Night Out – Pandora Jewelry Store, Summit
Come join us for a night out, we’ll have swag, prizes and yummy food provided by Zoe’s
6:00pm

My World Storytime  – Hoover Public Library
My Giggles– Summer storytime for children under four.  In the programming room with Miss Traci and Miss Laura..
10:30am

Free and Discounted Movies
Carmike Summit – Kung Fu Panda

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Friday June 24th:

Wild About Books Storytime – Birmingham Zoo
Join us for story and craft time with Books-A-Million at the Birmingham Zoo!  Every Friday through summer on Grandma’s Front Porch in the Children’s Zoo. We’ll talk about sheep, turtles, elephants, parrots; and we might even get a visit with a few of our furry friends!
10am

Free or Discounted Movies
Homewood Park – E.T
Helena Amphitheater – Madagascar 2
Veterans Park Valleydale Road, Hoover – Life as We Know It

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Saturday June 25th:

Big Reptile Day – Birmingham Zoo
Get up-close and personal with some humongous reptiles! Every year the Zoo takes a day to measure and weight the largest snakes in the collection-anacondas, reticulated pythons and more. Make sure to bring your camera for a special photo opportunity.

Saturday Market – Pepper Place
7am – Noon

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
Make an African inspired elephant mask.

A fun and free drop-in art program for kids and families! Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to discover great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child, then stop by and make art with Bart!
11am

Summer Movie – Alabama Theatre
The Wizard of Oz

Saturday Storytime– Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for a journey down the railroad tracks when we read I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince. We’ll have a snack and make a craft. Feel free to stick around and play with Thomas the Train at our train table.
11am

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Sunday June 26th:

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook.  Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO.  Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

—————————————————————————————

Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

Imagination Lab – This summer, McWane Science Center invites you to discover the power of your imagination in a collection of new exhibits called The Imagination Lab.

Dive right into the Bubble Room where you can discover the science of suds when you step inside a giant bubble. Try your hand at making all kinds of bubbles in this unique area including square and triangular bubbles.

The Imagination Lab’s zip line offers an exciting experience for adventure seekers of any age. Parents and children alike can fly through the air on the new zip line and have a safe landing at the end of the line! Learning lurks around every turn inside a giant maze in the exhibit as you find your way around dead ends and wrong turns. With a few lessons learned, you will find your way to the end in no time.

The new Imagination Lab also features a Messy Art Studio. Splatter paint, mix colors and experiment with a variety of materials to create masterpieces of your imagination.

Inside the lab you can use giant foam building blocks to construct forts, tall towers, and more.

Eat Well, Play Well – What is in the food we eat? Are fruits and vegetables important? Can everyday activities burn calories? Visitors will find the answers to these questions by exploring nutrition and fitness in this summer’s traveling exhibit called Eat Well, Play Well. This highly-interactive exhibit encourage healthy living by teaching the science of making healthy-food choices and helping children and adults discover that there are many fun and interesting ways to stay active. Visitors will discover what an appropriate serving size looks like, see first hand what it takes to burn off calories, test their flexibility and balance, review the latest clinical research and realize that they can reduce their risk of disease with healthy choices that are within their reach!

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

Walk a Little Slower Daddy

“Walk a little slower, Daddy,” said a little child so small.
“I’m following in your footsteps and I don’t want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they’re hard to see;
So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I’m all grown up, you’re what I want to be.
Then I will have a little child who’ll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you!!”

— Author Unknown

Droolicious Cuisine at BirminghamMommy.com: Grilled Eggplant Pita

Incorporating fresh basil from her own garden, MommaDrool came up with this delicious recipe that would go great with a side of veggies and Hummus

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
20 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese
2 pita rounds, halved
4 romaine lettuce leaves

1)  Preheat grill.  In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, garlic, half of basil leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2) Slice eggpant into about 1/2-inch slices for 8 total slices.  Brush oil and vinegar mixture onto both sides of eggplant.
3)  In another bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt and pepper, and remaining basil leaves.
4) Grill eggplant slices over direct heat for 3 minutes on each side.
5) Divide cream cheese mixture among 4 pitas and spread on inside.  Place 2 eggplant slices in each pita half straight from grill.  Stuff pita halves with one romaine lettuce leaf.  Yields 4 servings.

Like this? You can find many more droolicious recipes over at her site, “2 Little Chicks”


About Kim:

I have been blessed with 2 beautiful kids, one funny little girl & one sweet little boy. They are always the best part of my day. I’m also the luckiest gal in the world because I am married to my soulmate, the kindest and most selfless man I know.

Busy Mommy Bonding: Summer Learning Fun

Keeping the little ones busy throughout the summer can be tough but trying to have fun while learning can be even more difficult. Here are a couple of ideas that we think will solve both of those problems.

Oreo Moons
Summer for most kids means staying up late.  This fun moon activity is perfect and can be tailored for all ages.  It is also a very yummy activity!

What you’ll need:

Oreo cookies
Moon phase chart– Younger kids or Older kids

Let the kids stay up one night so they can see the moon and start asking them questions about why it looks different sometimes.  Show them the chart and explain that the moon is always the moon, but it looks different to us.  Then let them open the Oreos and begin to carve the moon phases out of the creamy middles.  This is best done with little fingers, so encourage them to lick away and enjoy learning!  If you want to take it one step further, you can use a flashlight to simulate the sun, a soccer ball for Earth, and a tennis ball for the moon.  Turn the lights out and start experimenting!

Raindrop Art – (We mentioned this in a previous Busy Mommy Bonding)

What You’ll Need:

White Cardstock
Food Coloring (all colors)
Rain coat
Rain Boots

Put down some old newspaper to protect your table top
Give each child a piece of cardstock and let them drop some food coloring on their sheet
Suit up and head outside
Put each sheet out in the rain and let them watch their masterpiece transform right before their eyes…

A great book to accompany this activity is Raindrop Plop by: Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Jenny's Light, a charity that is helping moms

As mothers, we know how hard it can be, how overwhelming, and how scary. A time that should be the greatest joy of your life can sometimes become very hard, even debilitating. We have come to know a charity that focuses on improving and saving lives by increasing awareness of all perinatal mood disorders, including postpartum depression (PPD).  Jenny’s Light was started after a mom here in Birmingham took the life of her infant son and then her own life. Jenny was a woman that we all know- kind, smart, and loving. PPD can take hold of anyone, even the people who seem to have it all together.

BirminghamMommy.com is proud to partner with Jenny’s Light and to spread their message into our mommy community. There is no better way to let moms who are suffering know that there is help than by talking about PPD.

We would love for you to read Jenny’s story, and consider getting involved.  Specifically, there is the 4th Annual Jenny’s Light Golf Tournament coming up this weekend that needs players and donations. Think ahead to Father’s Day. If your husband/father/brother plays golf, what a great gift to give them that will give back in a great way!

Father's Day Giveaway: Butler's Grooming Salon

If there were to be a version of the spa for men, Butler’s Grooming would be it.  Any Birmingham Daddy would enjoy a nice hot lather shave and 30 minute swedish massage.  Add in a beverage (spirits and beers) and you have the best Daddy Day gift!

To enter:
1. Comment here, easy!  1 entry
2. Tweet this, ” @ButlersGrooming has a giveaway on @BirminghamMommy  http://ow.ly/5hDyK ”   1 entry
3. Write on Butler’s Facebook wall- tell them hello or whatever you want!  1 entry

Contest ends on Friday June 17th at Noon.
Father’s day promo expires in 30 days
Phone number: 323.4100

Birmingham Events Calendar June 12th – 19th

If you’re looking for something to do that doesn’t involve soaking in an nice cold pool, we’ve got a list of activities happening this week.

Don’t forget Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, have you made any plans for the Husband of Father in your life? Don’t let it sneak up on you!

Have a great week and try to stay cool!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday June 12th:

Alabama Symphony Orchestra – Railroad Park
Family Fun Day at Railroad Park – playing The Beatles, Brahms and Harry Potter.
5pm

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook.  Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO.  Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

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Monday June 13th:

World Travelers – Gardendale Martha Moore Library
Let’s go to Asia today! Join Mrs. Janet for stories, folklore, games and crafts from this country. 1st – 3rd grade.
3:30 – 4:30pm

Monday Movie – Homewood Library
Come join us for a fun flick and tasty treat!
3pm

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Tuesday June 14th:

WORLD OF FAIRY TALES: THE FAIRY TALES OF GRIMM – Emmet O’ Neal Library
Atlantic Coast Theater presents “Fairy Tales of Grimm.”  All ages. No registration required.
10:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Safari Greg – Hoover Public Library
Safari Greg presents a wacky and wild adventure that includes animals, magic, comedy and tons of fun in the Library Theatre! For ages 4 and up.
10:30am, 1:30pm and 6:30pm

Storytime  – Jane Boyd Holmes Public Library Helena
Come and enjoy story time here at the library
11am.

Free or Discounted Movies
Amstar Alabaster – Monster’s Vs. Aliens
Rave, Lee Branch & Patton Creek – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Regal Trussville – Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore and Megamind
Edge 12 – Chicken Run, Shrek the Third

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Wednesday June 15th:

Safari Greg – Hoover Public Library
Safari Greg presents a wacky and wild adventure that includes animals, magic, comedy and tons of fun in the Library Theatre! For ages 4 and up.
10:30am and 1:30pm

Storytime Science – McWane
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity for your early learner to experience science through literature. Enjoy an enriching story coupled with an intriguing science concept that is sure to spark the curiosity of your child.
COST: Included in cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members
10:30am

Wonderful Wednesday Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us (a day late, we know) for a special Flag Day Storytime. We’ll learn about the alphabet and our country as we read D Is for Democracy: A Citizen’s Alphabet by Elissa Grodin. Continue the learning in our Educational Toys & Games Department
11:00 am

Family Story Time with Mr MacNorth Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

Free or Discounted Movies
Amstar Alabaster – Monster’s Vs. Aliens
Rave, Lee Branch & Patton Creek – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Regal Trussville – Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore and Megamind
Edge 12 – Chicken Run, Shrek the Third

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Thursday June 16th:

Pippi and Friends – Homewood Public Library
Pippi Longstocking is coming into your world. Come meet Pippi and her friends Old Man and Mr. Nilsson. I hear Old Man will be offering rides. We will also be sampling a treat from Pippi’s famous lemonade tree.
10:30am

My World Storytime  – Hoover Public Library
My Car Seat – Summer storytime for children under four.  In the programming room with Miss Traci and Mr Jeremy.
10:30am

Storytime  – Jane Boyd Holmes Public Library Helena
Come and enjoy story time here at the library
11am.

Free and Discounted Movies
Carmike Summit – How to Train your Dragon

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Friday June 17th:

Wild About Books Storytime – Birmingham Zoo
Join us for story and craft time with Books-A-Million at the Birmingham Zoo!  Every Friday through summer on Grandma’s Front Porch in the Children’s Zoo. We’ll talk about sheep, turtles, elephants, parrots; and we might even get a visit with a few of our furry friends!
10am

Free or Discounted Movies
Homewood Park – Wizard of Oz
Helena Amphitheater – Iron Man 2

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Saturday June 18th:

Saturday Market – Pepper Place
7am – Noon

Fresh Market on the Green – Ross Bridge
Fresh Alabama grown fruits, vegetables, honey, fresh baked goods, coffee café, local artists, kids activity and more!
8am – Noon

Storytime on the Mountain – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Is your child a budding naturalist? Do you want to encourage an appreciation for the natural world in your child? If so, bring them to Story Time on the Mountain! Story Time themes focus on children’s books about wildlife, nature, and the outdoors. Following the story, children will make a craft that reinforces the theme of that day.
10am

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
Make an African inspired elephant mask.

A fun and free drop-in art program for kids and families! Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to discover great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child, then stop by and make art with Bart!
11am

Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
In Dogs Night, animals from classic paintings come to life in the museum!
11am

Summer Movie – Alabama Theatre
Ramona and Beezus

Saturday Storytime– Barnes and Noble Summit
What makes a super hero “super”? Bring your dad to Storytime as we share the story My Dad, My Hero. We’ll show him that he doesn’t have to leap tall buildings to be a hero. Make a gift for Dad and share “super” refreshments from our Cafe too!
11am

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Sunday June 19th:

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook.  Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO.  Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

—————————————————————————————

Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

Imagination Lab – This summer, McWane Science Center invites you to discover the power of your imagination in a collection of new exhibits called The Imagination Lab.

Dive right into the Bubble Room where you can discover the science of suds when you step inside a giant bubble. Try your hand at making all kinds of bubbles in this unique area including square and triangular bubbles.

The Imagination Lab’s zip line offers an exciting experience for adventure seekers of any age. Parents and children alike can fly through the air on the new zip line and have a safe landing at the end of the line! Learning lurks around every turn inside a giant maze in the exhibit as you find your way around dead ends and wrong turns. With a few lessons learned, you will find your way to the end in no time.

The new Imagination Lab also features a Messy Art Studio. Splatter paint, mix colors and experiment with a variety of materials to create masterpieces of your imagination.

Inside the lab you can use giant foam building blocks to construct forts, tall towers, and more.

Eat Well, Play Well – What is in the food we eat? Are fruits and vegetables important? Can everyday activities burn calories? Visitors will find the answers to these questions by exploring nutrition and fitness in this summer’s traveling exhibit called Eat Well, Play Well. This highly-interactive exhibit encourage healthy living by teaching the science of making healthy-food choices and helping children and adults discover that there are many fun and interesting ways to stay active. Visitors will discover what an appropriate serving size looks like, see first hand what it takes to burn off calories, test their flexibility and balance, review the latest clinical research and realize that they can reduce their risk of disease with healthy choices that are within their reach!

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

Safety Concerns at Alabama Adventure

By Kate Agliata:

In the wake of several fights spiraling into a near riot-like situation this past Monday at Alabama Adventure, many Birmingham area parents are now thinking twice about visiting the area’s largest water and theme park. Alabama Adventure Park officials indicate Monday’s $10 admission promotion as what they believe to be a major contributing factor to the fights and subsequent chaos that broke out near the park’s entrance mid-afternoon. The park, which is located in the town of Bessemer, about 25 minutes South West of Birmingham, has offered a similar promotion in the past with no reported problems.

Many area parents believe that the incident transpired due to other, far more concerning factors, however. Laura Gorham, a Birmingham mother of four, said her family has purchased season passes to the park in past years, but during the last few summers her concern has risen over the quality of the park and the type of people who attend. She believes that incidents  such as Monday’s “could happen on any day of the week there,” not just during special promotions. “I would rather spend my money elsewhere and feel safe.”

According to several eyewitnesses, the majority of those instigating the fights were unsupervised juveniles. In fact, many Birmingham Mommy readers have expressed a common opinion over what appears to be a growing problem regarding the issue of unsupervised children and teenagers left at Alabama Adventure each day. One mother said that Monday’s incident may not so much have been caused by the special promotion as it was by the massive number of “unsupervised teens” and parents who continually use Alabama Adventure as a “daycare.”

Others however, feel that Alabama Adventure remains a safe and secure place for families to visit. Lee Halfacre, a Hoover father of three, states that Monday’s circumstances “will not impact any decision I make to go to the park or not.” Currently in his second year as a season pass holder, Halfacre says he has been satisfied with the overall safety and security measures taken by the park. “Short of common discourteous behavior…it has usually been a fun and enjoyable experience.”

Reports indicate that park security and local police promptly responded to the June 7 outbreak, and that only one teenager, a 15-year-old male, was arrested and charged with inciting a riot. Park officials have decided to discontinue offering the $10 special promotion for the remainder of the season.

About Kate:

Kate, a freelance writer and mother of two, most often finds creative inspiration in writing, but occasionally at the bottom of an empty wine glass. She has hijacked her family’s former lifestyle and is in the midst of creating a simpler and greener approach to life. To follow her family’s challenges and successes in this endeavor, visit her blog, at Kate’s Musings. She and her family have lived in Birmingham since 2009.

Getaway to Callaway with BirminghamMommy

As you might have heard, we are currently at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA and we are having an incredible time.  We can’t say it enough, it’s like Summer Camp for the family!  Here’s what we have done the last couple of days:

We flew through the air with the greatest of ease! (Trish wants to join the circus.) The kids played tiny tots tennis, limbo’d and macaraena’d. We suited up then climbed and zipped our way through the Treetops, we’ve even made a few new friends! And to think… The week isn’t even over yet!

The kids enjoyed some tiny tots tennis:

Giveaway: Kalos Photography

Kalos Photography is a mother/daughter team working in Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA.  Newborn, baby, toddler, teen, and family photography are their specialties.  They have a very contemporary and natural style, check out their gallery for some inspiration!

The Giveaway:   Free regular session fee and (1) 8×10 portrait.  value is $155.00 To be redeemed by 12/31/11.

To enter:
1.  Comment here, 1 entry total.
2.  Head to Kalos Photography’s page on Facebook and write your favorite season for photos on their wall. 1 entry total.
3.  Our MommyMail is always a guaranteed entry! Make sure you subscribe.  1 entry total.

Good luck, contest ends on June 9th, 2011 at 11:59pm.