Weekend Spotlight: Memorial Day Edition

This "Weekend Spotlight" is going to focus on parades and events tied to Memorial Day. Make sure to check the Go West Calendar for other events this weekend. And since the forecast is calling for hot, hot, hot weather, check out our list of pools and splash pads that will open for the season tomorrow. 

Photo by davidyuweb on Flickr.For the following list, I only included towns that have parades. If your family is interested in attending a memorial service or a flag-raising ceremony, the Beacon-News had a wonderful, comprehensive article of Memorial Day events going on all over the western suburbs, including details on a few parades I could not independently confirm and did not include here.

AURORA: The city of Aurora hosts an annual Memorial Day ceremony and parade. The pre-parade ceremony, called "Expressions of Remembrance," will take place at 11:15 a.m. at the reviewing stand outside the Paramount Theatre at 23 E. Galena Blvd. It will feature an honor guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, a chorus and band. The parade steps off at noon from from River and Benton streets, heads east to Broadway Avenue, turns north to Galena Boulevard and concludes west at Hoyt Place. The city says the best viewing area for residents will be the North Island Center at 8 E. Galena Blvd. 

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Opening Dates for Public Pools and Spraygrounds

A slide at Wing Park Family Aquatic Center in Elgin. Photo by Tara Burghart.The season of summer doesn't officially start until June 20, but let's get real ... summer is here! And it looks like we're in for some steamy weather over Memorial Day weekend. Next week, I'll be posting the updated Go West Guide to Outdoor Pools and Splash Parks, with info on admission rates, hours, amenities and more. 

But in the meantime, here's a list of opening dates for pools, splash parks and spraygrounds in the western suburbs. Some don't open until June, but there are enough opening this weekend that you should be able to find one that will help you keep cool! 

Note: Please check the operating hours closely. Even if the pool opens this weekend, many of them have shortened hours until the first or second week of June. 

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$2 Movies for Families in Elgin and Addison This Summer

Earlier this week, we shared the lineup for the $1 Wednesday Morning Movie Series this summer at Classic Cinemas in St. Charles, Elmhurst, Oak Park and Naperville, among other theaters. 

"Mirror Mirror" will be shown for $2 during Marcus Theatres' "Kids Dream Summer Film Series."Now Marcus Theatres has released its lineup for its "Kids Dream Summer Film Series." At 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from June 19 through Aug. 16, these family-friendly films will be just $2. Marcus Theatres has several locations in Illinois, including in Addison, Chicago Heights, Gurnee, Orland Park and on Randall Road in Elgin. 

Here's the schedule. You'll also find these movies listed in the Go West Calendar this summer:

June 19-21: Dolphin Tale (Rated PG)

June 26-28: TinTin (Rated PG)

July 10-12: Journey 2: Mysterious Island (Rated PG)

July 17-19: Miracle (Rated PG)

July 24-26: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (Rated G)

July 31-Aug. 2: The Lorax (Rated PG)

Aug. 7-9: Mirror Mirror (Rated PG)

Aug. 14-16: To be announced later this summer

Pixar Summer Movie Weekend at AMC Theatres

Chances are, you have a Pixar fan in your house. Or two. Or three. But maybe those fans have only seen some of their favorite Pixar movies on your home television. Now is your chance to let them experience some classics on the big screen.

Photo courtesy of AMC Theatres.AMC Theatres is hosting a "Pixar Summer Movie Weekend" Memorial Day weekend, May 25 through May 28. The lineup features "Ratatouille," "Toy Story 3," "Up," and "Wall-E." (Darn it. My own little Pixar fan would love to see "Monsters Inc." in a theater.)

The cost is $6 per movie, and all four movies are being shown each day, but rotating through different timeslots.

There are a number of AMC Theatres in Chicago that are participating, including AMC South Barrington 30, AMC Woodfield 20 and AMC Woodridge 18. (Here's a link to the whole list of participating theaters. Go to Page 2 for the times the movies will be shown.)

This promotion seems to be a way to hype the upcoming Pixar movie "Brave," because AMC promises that moviegoers will see an "exclusive behind-the-scenes look," at "Brave." Oh well. That seems like a decent trade-off.

I'm not sure how popular these showings will be -- it might depend on the weather. But it is possible to buy tickets in advance via the "Pixar Summer Movie Weekend" page.

And while we're at it, here's a just-for-fun question: What's the favorite Pixar movie in your house?

In the Nourish Kitchen: Strawberries and the Gift of Imperfect Perfection

Recently, an intelligent person I have incredible respect for commented on my tendency to be hard on myself.  This comment made me think about this flaw which grabbed me as a child and has held on tightly. Some perfectionist mellow with age and the reins are loosened. In my case, the battle raged on into motherhood.

For Jennifer Downing, the perfect berry might be tiny and smooshed, but it smells like heaven. Photo provided.Many great moms told me to relax, let things go and give myself a break. I didn’t listen. Maybe after a decent night of sleep and formal proclamation I could have grasped the idea and understood such sage advice. “Welcome to motherhood! You won’t need all of that baggage. Nature Valley makes granola just as good, those breakable Pottery Barn-esque accessories are choking hazards, and no one really notices sticky handprints on glass doors.”  Instead, I constantly chased my version of flawless and, no surprise, I’ve never caught it. Taking heed would have made the early years of motherhood so much easier.  No, I continued to make granola, pick up toys every hour, group accessories higher, and then higher still.  I obsessed over the handprints.  As more children arrived in the yellow house, I ironed tiny t-shirts, and planned meticulously-themed birthday parties complete with homemade cupcakes (which went straight into the trash can).  I volunteered … for everything.

As children grew in numbers greater than the sum of their parents I began to let things slip. I recycled more volunteer sheets than I returned. The ironing board was in the closet, and I placed wrinkled but smoothed clothes into drawers. There was dust where energy efficient bulbs allowed it to be missed. Chips on my white trim remained chips on my white trim. I felt guilty. I felt I had failed.

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