Loyal readers know that Roxy grumbles about having to return from our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, a moment (nevermind a day) before we have to, but this year we’re actually looking forward to returning to the Roxiticus Valley for the last day of the Pastime Club Carnival and Labor Day Parade in Mendham Borough.  The Pastime Club of Mendham has sponsored a carnival within the Borough of Mendham to celebrate Labor Day for over sixty (60) years. It has become a wonderful part of our family tradition to connect with school friends before London and Maddie head back to school at Mendham Township Elementary School the next day.

The 2010 Pastime Club Carnival starts on Friday, September 3rd and continues through Labor Day Monday, September 6th. The carnival runs from 6pm to 10:30pm on Friday the 3rd and 6pm to 10:30pm on Saturday the 4th. On Sunday, September 5th, games and races — including sprints, wheelbarrow, three-legged and sack races for 10 years old and younger — will run from 2pm to 3pm, followed by the carnival from 6 to 10:30pm.

On Monday, September 6th, the Labor Day Parade Parade begins at 10:00am and the parade route runs along East Main Street and Mountain Avenue. Marchers should report to the Command Center at the intersection of East Main Street and Cold Hill Road by 9:30am.  The carnival follows the parade starting at 11:00am until 10:30pm.

This year, don’t miss Mendham’s own Rob Trout Band. Rob will be announcing the parade marchers at the Gazebo, then his band will kick off the Pastime Carnival with the best of classic rock and blues at the Gazebo immediately following the parade. 

We’ll see you out there!

AUDITIONS FOR HEXAGON PLAYERS “ANNIE”
TO BE HELD AUGUST 28TH AND 29TH & SEPTEMBER 10TH

So…last night I received some exciting news and shouted it out to London and Maddie as they bagged my groceries in Shop Rite of Chester NJ. They didn’t hear me quite right, so I’ll repeat the big news here for them and for all of you:

Auditions for Hexagon Players of Mendham’s upcoming fall musical, “ANNIE” will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 65 E. Main Street, Mendham on Saturday, August 28 and Sunday, August 29 at 1:00 pm and Friday, September 10 at 6 pm. Please come prepared with sheet music and an audition song.

One of the world’s most beloved musicals of all time, Annie features such amazing song favorites as “It’s a Hard Knock Life”, “Easy Street”, “Maybe”, and “Tomorrow”. Hexagon Players is looking to cast parts for adults and children of all ages, including roles for boys in the ensemble, as well as for Wacky at the radio station; for teenage girls, the Boylan Sisters and Star-To-Be, and assorted parts for the household staff and the people of Hooverville. They are also looking for several men to possibly cast as a quartet in the President’s cabinet.

It doesn’t say anything about this important role in the press release, but Maddie has decided she’d like to audition for Sandy…I’m not sure Sandy gets a singing part, but Maddie would be really good at being a dog.

Show dates are November 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, and 20.

Annie will be directed by Debbie Kirsch of Bernardsville, whose recent production of “13”, the musical, has two cast member nominations for “Best Youth Actress” in a Musical for the upcoming 2010 Perry Awards. Katie Quann of Randolph, who played Patrice and Taylor Lockwood of Nutley, who played Lucy, will be among the honorees at an awards dinner to be held next month honoring “The Best in Community Theater”.

Founded in 1970, Hexagon Players is an award winning community theater group based in the Grace Lutheran Church in Mendham. Over the last 30 years, the group has produced approximately 80 productions including it’s recent teen hit “13”, the musical, as well as fan favorites of Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, Seussical, Children’s Letters to God, and Drop Dead.
For more information on upcoming Annie auditions or on Hexagon Players, call 973-543-8770.

As my sister and I have been cleaning out my mom’s house, we’ve filled lots of tubs and boxes with trash and various forms of recycling, so I was checking the Mendham Township, NJ, recycling calendar, which runs every other Monday morning.  Unfortunately, I missed the most recent pickup date on Monday, August 2nd, so it will have to wait in my garage.  For those of you who are also in need of the Mendham Township NJ recycling calendar, here’s the schedule for the rest of 2010.

August 16th and 30th
September 13th and 27th
October 11th and 25th
November 8th and 22nd
December 6th and 20th

Photos to come.  And they’ll be cute.  I just have to figure out how to manage the camera, the puppy, and the toy all at once.

Now, my loyal readers know I can’t say enough good things about our personal puppy nanny 911, Justine Schuurmans of The Family Dog. She’s helped us through housebreaking, separation anxiety, and basic training commands such as sit, down, wait, and stay. Now the fun begins!

When I was growing up, I had a wonderful beagle-terrier mutt named Penny. Penny was truly my best friend, but for the fifteen years of her life, she deprived me of one of the greatest joys of the puppy-child bond: playing fetch. Penny loved to fetch, all right, but she had no interest in bringing a ball or toy back to me. Nope, she would take that toy and chew on it, run with it, play with it, never realizing how much fun it might be if she brought it back to me and let me throw it again and again.

In one simple lesson, Justine taught London, Maddie, and me how to make sure Peanut Butter will fetch… the proper way.  The girls and I have been having a blast throwing balls, frisbees, and other dog toys around the yard and having Peanut Butter bring them back to us without delay.  Once I post the photos, you may figure out the trick Justine taught us, but I’d still recommend that you give her a call… The Family Dog makes dog and puppy training fun for the whole family.

Hard to believe it’s been three weeks since we drove up to Mulberry Farm in Duchess County, New York to bring home our beloved cockapoo puppy, Peanut Butter. You can see from the photos that little Peanut Butter has settled right in with our family. As I write this post, Rex is out in the garden, London is on the couch recovering from a sleepover party, and Peanut Butter and Maddie are cuddled up for a nap. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. In fact, despite all of my previous research, I’m still wishing for a book called “What to Expect When You’re Expecting… A Puppy!!” Lucky for us, we’ve had our own personal PuppyNanny911, Justine Schuurmans of The Family Dog, to help us every step of the way.  Scroll down for more details on each of our “Private Lessons.” 

Serving Roxy and family right here in Mendham, NJ as well as those of you in Morristown and Morris County, NJ, The Family Dog is a local Morris and Somerset County service just like Super Nanny or Nanny 911, only for dogs! What I’ve learned from my Dog Whisperer books and videos so far is that while it’s great to take your new puppy to obedience school, it’s the people who really need the training, and most families need help where it counts - at home. That’s where The Family Dog comes in…. two fun-loving, long-time professional dog trainers who are juggling a full schedule, with four dogs and four children under six between them. They both teach classes at St. Huberts, but realize that families need a different kind of help.

The Family Dog is the only dog training company in the area that is specifically designed for FAMILIES! When I first spoke with Justine, I realized that their approach is really designed to fit in with my busy schedule…and, as I remind both my loyal readers and my mother, I’m not really a housewife, nor do I play one on TV… I’m a full-time investment banker and mother of two. Clearly I need to make time for our new puppy, but it is great to know that Justine understands and can help me to develop a schedule that enables the whole family to share the responsibility for Peanut Butter. No matter how long you’ve had your dog, The Family Dog has a program that will ensure the best possible future for him or her. Justine and/or her partner, Leah Hatley (who is based out of Morristown, NJ), can help prepare you and your family for a new dog, give your puppy the best start in life, create good habits for your adolescent dog, and help your children learn the best ways to respect and nurture your four-legged friend. Each of your training sessions will be conveniently held in your own home.
That means NO traveling, NO scheduling conflicts and you will be practicing in the place you need it most!

So far, we’ve had three “lessons.” 

1. Justine met with our whole family before Peanut Butter’s arrival to do some puppy-proofing around the house.  She brought her own dogs to coach us and gave London and Maddie a private session before our puppy arrived with hands-on practice. We had all the info and training we needed to set off on the right foot. So much is in the preparation, and and we were writing our term paper on the night before it was due.  That day, Justine emphasized the importance of socializing our puppy before she’s 16 weeks old, including a “Puppy Bingo” game for London and Maddie to check off important “meetings” such as a toddler, a deliveryman, a motorcycle, and an elderly person (now that my mom is in a rehab/nursing home facility, Peanut Butter has become one of the most charming and popular visitors).
2. A few days after Peanut Butter came to live with us, Justine came to meet our new puppy, and showed London and Maddie how to teach PB to sit, using “meatball” treats. We learned that Peanut Butter is a really, really smart dog.  The girls learned the difference between kid vs. adult responsibilities, and Justine gave us a dry-erase schedule to post on our refrigerator to keep track of PB’s “activities.”  When we struggled with accidents in the house, Justine told us a fabulous story about the Planet Dogtronis that made PB’s potty confusion completely understandable.  She also taught London and Maddie how to turn into “the Grumpy Old Troll” when Peanut Butter nipped, jumped, or got too excited.
3. The next lesson started with a family meeting to address our housebreaking concerns.  From the beginning, Justine had encouraged us to follow the tried and true crate training method, but I had rebelled against the crate due to a bad experience in my past.  Over the first two weeks, she continued to work around my issues, but when PB continued to make mistakes (”The world is my toilet”), Justine convinced me to borrow her crate for a week to give it a try…it worked so well and quickly that we made a quick trip to Petco for short-term crate of PB’s very own.  After dealing with the “grown-up” issues, we moved on to the fun stuff.  Justine showed the girls how to teach Peanut Butter “down” and “wait” (for her food) and “roll over.”  By the end of the lesson, London and Maddie had Peanut Butter eating out of their hands….literally and figuratively.  If only “pee OUTSIDE” were so simple.

In between lessons, Justine has been available for puppy emergencies (e.g., evil Petco salesman who refused to leave the aisle unless I bought a hideous cage instead of a plastic crate) by phone and email.  Stay tuned until next time, when we conquer puppy separation anxiety on the grown-up wish list and swimming and “fetch” on the kid wish list.

The Family Dog, serving Morris and Somerset Counties with DogNanny 911 services from Mendham and Morristown, NJ.

Phone: (973) 910-0364. Be sure to let Justine know that Roxy sent you!!

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives and Roxy’s Best Of… readers know that we’ve been planning to add a cockapoo puppy to our family this summer.  We originally thought that our puppy would come from a cocker spaniel mom due in the first week of May, and we’ve been planning to bring our eight-week-old puppy home from the breeder in early July. Right now, it feels like I’m about seven months pregnant, getting ready for the new baby and working hard to finish things up at the office ahead of maternity leave in a couple of months.  Maddie has been planning for months, doing research and learning how to take some of the responsibility for training and grooming our new arrival.  I’m a long-term planner, so I’ve been reading and studying:  “Puppies For Dummies“ as well as the Dog Whisperer’s ”How to Raise the Perfect Dog” by Cesar Millan.  I also ordered his six DVD Boxed Set as “a present for Maddie.” But who am I trying to kid? I can’t stay focused on work and I become easily distracted by making plans for puppy.  I’ve been ordering a few key items online and visiting Petco with Rex and the girls from time to time.

We’ve been planning to make the trip to Pleasant Valley, New York to visit the new cockapoo puppies at Mulberry Farm this weekend.  Now here’s the big surprise…  London and Maddie don’t know it yet, but we’re not just visiting our puppy this Sunday, we’re bringing little Peanut Butter home.  Going back to the baby analogy, it feels like I’ve gone in to visit my ob-gyn at the seven month mark, only to be told that he made a mistake on my due date, my baby will be big and healthy, but will arrive this weekend!

We need Puppy Nanny 911… stat!

Lucky for Roxy, we have just such a service right here in Mendham, NJ… Justine Schuurmans and The Family Dog to the rescue!! Justine is a kinder, gentler local dog whisperer (more details later on their better, safer, positive — consequences and kindness — training techniques) right here in Morris County, NJ. She’s also a fellow Mendham Township Elementary School mother who contacted me about a fab new company that my local readers need to know about.

The Family Dog is a local Morris and Somerset County service just like Super Nanny or Nanny 911, only for dogs! What I’ve learned from my Dog Whisperer books and videos so far is that while it’s great to take your new puppy to obedience school, it’s the people who really need the training, and most families need help where it counts - at home. That’s where The Family Dog comes in…. two fun-loving, long-time professional dog trainers who are juggling a full schedule, with four dogs and four children under six between them. They both teach classes at St. Huberts, but realize that families need a different kind of help.

The Family Dog is the only dog training company in the area that is specifically designed for FAMILIES!  When I first spoke with Justine, I realized that their approach is really designed to fit in with my busy schedule…and, as I remind both my loyal readers and my mother, I’m not really a housewife, nor do I play one on TV… I’m a full-time investment banker and mother of two.  Clearly I need to make time for our new puppy, but it is great to know that Justine understands and can help me to develop a schedule that enables the whole family to share the responsibility for Peanut Butter. No matter how long you’ve had your dog, The Family Dog has a program that will ensure the best possible future for him or her.  Justine and/or her partner, Leah Hatley (who is based out of Morristown, NJ), can help prepare you and your family for a new dog, give your puppy the best start in life, create good habits for your adolescent dog, and help your children learn the best ways to respect and nurture your four-legged friend. Each of your training sessions will be conveniently held in your own home.
That means NO traveling, NO scheduling conflicts and you will be practicing in the place you need it most!

Maddie and London are so psyched… Justine met with me this morning to do some puppy-proofing and she’s coming back to our house this afternoon for a private session before our puppy arrives to give all of us the info and training we need to set off on the right foot. She’s even going to bring one of her own dogs to coach us and let the girls practice on, so they will be experts when their cockapoo puppy, Peanut Butter, arrives. So much is in the preparation, and now we’re writing the term paper on the night before it’s due!

The Family Dog, serving Morris and Somerset Counties with DogNanny 911 services from Mendham and Morristown, NJ.

Phone: (973) 910-0364. Be sure to let Justine know that Roxy sent you!!

HEXAGON PLAYERS PRESENTS 13, THE MUSICAL AT MORRISTOWN-BEARD SCHOOL FOUNDERS’ HALL-PAC ON MAY 28, 29, 30 AND JUNE 4 & 5

Hexagon Players of Mendham will present 13, the musical, a young man’s journey into adulthood and the stereotypical teens he meets along the way, on Fri., Sat., Sun., May 28, 29, and 30 at 7:30 pm and Fri. June 4 at 7:30 pm and Sat., June 5 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm at Morristown-Beard School Founders’ Hall-Performing Arts Center, 70 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ. Tickets can be purchased by going to their website www.hexagonplayers.org/ or by calling 973-543-8770.

When his parents get divorced and he’s forced to move from New York to a small town in Indiana, Evan Goldman just wants to make friends and plan his Bar Mitzvah, a day he has waited for his entire life. But if he’s new in town, who will he invite to his party and will anyone even come? With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, “13” is a hilarious, high energy musical for all ages about discovering that cool is where you find it, and sometimes where you least expect it.

Thrilled to be one of the first theater groups in the area to perform this hilariously funny cult-hit teen musical since it debuted on Broadway in October of 2008, Hexagon Players has cast the perfect mix of 16 of the area’s most talented teens to play the characters Evan meets along the way including “the popular mean girl”, “the brain”, “the cool jock”, “the pretty cheerleader”, “the shy insider looking in”, the handicapped boy”, and “the followers”. Director Debbie Kirsch of Bernardsville says, “There isn’t a category that any teen or frankly any adult couldn’t relate to in this show. Combine that with the witty addictive songs like 13/Becoming A Man, The Lamest Place in the World, A Little Less Homework, and What it Means to Be a Friend, you won’t be able to come away without becoming smitten or obsessed with this fabulous show.”

Cast members include Will Sager of Mendham (Evan); Katie Quann of Randolph and Olivia Haleblian of Boonton Twp ( Patrice); Lauren Dennis of Basking Ridge and Taylor Lockwood of Nutley (Lucy); Nikko Direnzi of Nutley (Brett); Jordan Smith of Bedminster and Libby Galli of Long Valley (Kendra); Bryce Wilson of Bedminster (Archie); Sara Giacomini of South Bound Brook (Charlotte); Morgan Hernandez of Basking Ridge (Molly); Angie Cocuzza of Basking Ridge (Cassie); Shane Daneyko of Mendham (Simon); Max Lieblich of Far Hills(Malcolm); AJ D’Ambrosio of Basking Ridge (Eddie); and Eric Craft of Bernardsville (Richie). Debbie Kirsch of Bernardsville is Directing the Show, Stan Dunn of Green Village is Vocal Director with Paul Budd of Morristown as Musical Director.

Kids/teens interested in celebrating their 13th birthday at the show will receive a special package which includes having their picture featured in the theater’s entrance lobby the day of the show, receiving a 13, the musical poster which will be signed by the full cast, and being photographed with the cast following the performance. The show is a great idea for a middle or high school graduation gift or for a celebration of the end of the school year with a group of friends.

Founded in 1970, Hexagon Players is a community theater group based in the Grace Lutheran Church in Mendham. Over the last 30 years, the group has produced approximately 80 productions including it’s most recent shows of Willy Wonka, Peter Pan , Seussical, Children’s Letters to God, and Drop Dead. For more information on Hexagon Players, celebrating your birthday with the cast or to order tickets to 13, the musical, call 973-543-8770 or order tickets on line at www.hexagonplayers.org/

We got a babysitter and we’re going…

This year, London and Maddie are playing softball for the first time ever in Mendham Little League. The girls met their coaches and had their first practices this past Saturday, when the weather was 75 degrees and sunny… just classic to be out on the softball field. We’re psyched for the games to get started in mid-April. Apparently London and Maddie aren’t the only ones who think Mendham Little League rocks, and now I’ve heard that Mendham Little League wants to ROCK with YOU!

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Doors Open at 7:30 PM
Brookside Community Club
Mendham, New Jersey
Tickets; $60 per person

Dinner
Wine/Beer (*Ticket includes 3 drink tickets for the evening)
Entertainment

• FEATURING THE MEATHOOKS, independent artists from NJ metro area; Rock/Jam driven with groove/funk vibes!
• SILENT AUCTION
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
• PROCEEDS BENEFIT MENDHAM LITTLE LEAGUE ORGANIZATION

Mendham Township School Budget and Board of Education elections are on Tuesday April 20th. Please make sure your vote is counted by voting at either the Ralston or Brookside Firehouses. Middle School students want their voices to be heard on the question of whether gum can be chewed in school so take them with you to vote. There will be a student’s own ballot station available between the hours of 7:00 to 8:00am and 3:00 to 9:00pm. Elementary School students will be voting as well at school on rewards proposed by the Tiger Leaders as well as picking the cover of next year’s H.S.A Directory.

Please see my Thanksgiving post: A Thank You Note to Every Mendham Township Taxpayer to understand how important passing the 2010-2011 school budget is for families with school age children and to know how grateful I am  to each and every Mendham Township taxpayer for supporting the budget that has made our school district stronger and more competitive with last year’s addition of an amazing Gifted & Talented program as well as valuable services and curriculum enhancements for students of all ages and abilities.  Let’s keep it going to help our kids stay ahead despite the economy and the NJ state aid cuts.

Thank you!!!

Roxy

Mendham Books invites us to join them to welcome legendary author Anna Quindlen, who will be signing copies of her forthcoming novel, Every Last One, this Wednesday, April 21st at 7:00 PM.

Over the last 30 years, Anna Quindlen’s work has appeared in some of America’s most influential newspapers, many of its best-known magazines, and on both fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. She is a novelist and also writes the prestigious “Last Word” column in Newsweek magazine.

In Every Last One, a breathtaking and beautiful novel, she creates an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions. Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterwards is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible line of hope and healing that connects one human being with another.

London has a softball game on Wednesday night, but I think I’ll bring the girls, softball uniforms and all, to Mendham Books to get my autographed copy of Every Last One.

Mendham Books
84 East Main Street (in the Kings shopping center)
Mendham, New Jersey 07945
(973) 543-4949
www.mendhambooks.com