We Love Durham NC

PEEP at NCMLS

The PEEP program at NCMLS last Saturday (it was a busy Saturday) was fun. The excellent master of ceremonies–reportedly just a museum volunteer, not a paid actor–wore jodhpurs and a pith helmet. He was an explorer! We saw a PEEP episode and then the Girl did 4 building activities: a bridge for toy cars, a dam in a trough of water, a tall tower of cups and saucers, and a small house for a stuffed animal. Then she was given a small flashlight and skipped home happy to have participated in her Very Own Class (it was ages 3-5 only).

Here’s her little house. This lion was sleeping.

Library Book Cart Drill Team

Spotted at the Durham County Library summer reading program kick-off last Saturday, the book cart drill team. They were dressed like bugs (the program theme this year is Catch the Reading Bug). That’s Mr. Rainbow looking on in the back.

And another of Mr. Rainbow, doing an amazing knot disappearance magic trick slash comedy routine. He had us in stitches.

Shooting the Bull

I got a chance to see the inside of the WXDU studios Sunday night during a radio show with Barry of Dependable Erection and Kevin of Bull City Rising. It was fun! We talked about a few things to do in Durham this summer with your kids. Check out the podcast here, and tune in each Sunday night at 7:30 on WXDU 88.7 (listen online here) for their show, Shooting the Bull.

Fireflies!

First fireflies of the summer tonight. Flicker flight, jar alight.

New Sound Exhibit at NCMLS

Starting tomorrow (June 16-20), NCMLS members get a special preview of the new interactive sound exhibit at the science museum. It is called soundSpace and is created in partnership with the Duke Music Department and Duke’s Visualization Technology Group. Move to the music!

BRITE Building at NCCU

So that’s what the construction was on the NCCU campus: The BRITE Building (that is, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise).

Pigging Out

Who thought a pig eating could be so cute?

Munch Cam at the North Carolina Museum of Life & Science

Young People Talk to the Durham School Board Candidates

The DPS Student Advisory Council and Kids Voting Durham are inviting students from across Durham to come and tell school board candidates what they think about schools and education and ask the candidates how they would handle issues that are important to our community’s young people.

For more info or to let us know that you want to attend, contact Carolyn Kreuger — carolyn@kidsvotingdurham.org or 560-7321.

Free Movies at Northgate

Here’s the lineup for free movies at Northgate Mall (click for exact dates and times):
Each Tuesday and Thursday June 12th-August 14th.

Shrek 3
Alvin & the Chipmunks
Bee Movie
Shark Tale
Madagascar
The Wizard of Oz
Happy Feet
The Water Horse
Surf’s Up
Daddy Day Care

How Hot Is It?

To the trickling of We Love Durham blog readers who don’t live in North Carolina, it’s hot here. It’s so hot my thermostat is set in the high-70s and the A/C hasn’t turned off in a week. It’s so hot the dogs scratch at the door 30 seconds after we let them out. It’s so hot you can’t finish a popsicle outside before it melts. I think we’ll really try that frying an egg on the driveway trick tomorrow for fun.

It’s hot.

Lots to do This Weekend in Durham

If you’re planning to do something other than lay on top of the A/C vent tomorrow (high of 100, 48% humidity), there’s lots to choose from.

Duke Homestead Herb, Garden, and Craft Festival Saturday from 10-4. 19th century games for children and more.

SEEDS Art Grows in Durham Festival Saturday from 1-5. Natural-dying eggs, building birdhouses, music, and more.

Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department Chicken BBQ plates Saturday 12-7. Fire trucks on display.

Many yard sales, including large KIN Child Care Facility one at 1006 Broad Street Saturday 8-1.

~~Plus don’t forget on SUNDAY:~~

Fundraiser for Baby Jack Sunday 12-6. Face-painting, bouncy house, beanbag toss, food from Toast and more.

Let the Summer Begin!

No more pencils, no more books. No more teachers’ dirty looks. :p
Last day of school today. Let the (long, hot) summer begin!

Nope, Still No Pool

I should have set up the little kiddie pool out in the rain last week, because it looks like we still can’t fill it up with city water:

Stage III of the ordinance incorporates practices in Stage I and II and sets the level of conservation efforts to require the following Mandatory Measures:

• Customers may water lawns, grass, trees, shrubbery, flowers, golf greens or vegetable gardens on Wednesdays and Saturdays ONLY, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. OR 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Customers may only water during ONE of the allowed times each Wednesday and Saturday.
• Do NOT wash down outside areas such as sidewalks, patios, driveways, or for other similar purposes.
• Do NOT introduce water into wading pools or swimming pools except to the extent necessary to replenish losses due to evaporation or spillage, and maintain operation of chemical feed equipment. Special consideration may also be given for one-time draining, refilling, maintenance, and cleaning activities for both community and private pools.
• Do NOT serve water in a restaurant or similar establishment except upon request.
• Do NOT use water for any unnecessary purpose or intentionally waste water.
• Do NOT wash the exterior of a motor vehicle except where a private well system is used, or where 50 percent or more of the water is recycled or where it can be demonstrated that 30 gallons of water or less are used to wash the vehicle.

It looks like I could ask for Special consideration to fill it up once, not that I would or should. Bummer.

School Board Run-off Elections

The reappearance of Leigh Bordley’s campaign signs, this time with a sticker announcing the runoff dates, reminds me that we will vote again for Durham School Board on June 24th (the other candidate is Jonathan R. Alston). There are also absentee ballot and one-stop voting dates listed at the Board of Elections site.

Durham Bulls Playground

We took in a Durham Bulls game this evening. I strolled the Girl all the way around the seating bowl to find that the playground was gone. Gone! Did I miss something? I asked the gate attendant. Yes, he said… it’s over there to the right of that yellow foul pole. Oh, you mean right behind where I started.

But well worth the walk. They’ve completely transported the play area to the top level of the stands, where the bouncy castles and rock climbing were last season. It’s a typical modern plastic park playset, with climbing rock hill, slides, tunnels. The flooring is shredded tires–forgiving rubber. There’s even an attendant to caution, “Don’t walk up the slides!” “Don’t play tag on the playset!” Now that’s a thankless job (but thank you; makes my job easier).

Older kids (under 4′ tall) can spend 3 tickets (at a buck each) for a generous 15 minutes inside a maze made of stretchy webbing…kind of like a bouncy castle, but more structured. There are swings of several kinds within.

Of course, there’s a batting cage, and also a small putting green and a Wii set up to play, what else, baseball.

The most important new feature…I take it the Ball Park admins heard from enough parents last year that you couldn’t see the game from the playground. In the new location, you can see the game from within the gate surrounding the play area. That’s striking two balls with one bat!