Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself. Impossible, you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.
Like a lot of women of her generation, my mother had very little patience for whining or pouting of any variety. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like she was standing over us with a rod, Oliver Twist-style; it’s just that as a mother of three (before the invention of microwave ovens or cable TV) she generally put the day’s moratorium on whining long before we’d even finished our morning oatmeal.
Never was this truer than if we dared to whine about being bored. For those occasions, she broke out her “tom walker” story. It usually started with an observation about our toys, specifically, the AMOUNT of toys in our possession. In my mother’s estimation, the sheer number of fabulous playthings at our disposal should render us boredom-free until the end of time. She’d then segue into her “when I was a little girl” part of the story. According to my mother when she was a child, she and her 8 siblings were happy as clams for hours at a time with just two sticks and a couple of pieces of old rubber. That’s right, the only toy children of my parent’s generation ever needed or wanted were the homemade stilts they called “tom walkers.” Well, that and a tin can.
Yes, clearly they were the superior generation, but sometimes being bored just can’t be helped. I’ve found the best cure for boredom is to try something different. Stepping outside of your usual fare is like adding spices to food, it can make things a whole lot more colorful and well, less boring.
Here are this week’s picks from the Junior to help you shake things up a little.
Be amazed by the Amazing Acro-Cats! Photo: circuscats.com
If it’s out-of-the-ordinary you’re craving you don’t have to look any further than Fort Worth’s Stage West because the Amazing Acro-Cats are headed to town. This one-hour show features house cats as its main attraction. All former orphans, rescues, and strays, these felines do a number of amazing un-catlike acts like tightrope walking, skateboarding, and balancing on balls. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the show also features the musical talents of Rock Cats, the only cat band in existence. The show opens this Friday and runs through Sunday, Feb. 8
Join the Bilge Pumps for some nautical nonsense. Photo: The Bilge Pumps
There’s no better cure for boredom than a good dose of the sillies. Grand Prairie’s own local pirate band, the Bilge Pumps will be at Uptown Theater this Saturday night for an evening full of pirate music, great fun, and nautical nonsense for the entire family! Ron Jensen, the Mayor of Grand Prairie, will also be on hand with a special presentation for the Bilge Pumps. They’re not saying what it is so you’ll have to come to the concert to find out. There will also be pre-show of pirate poetry by the Seadog Slam. The Pirates on the Prairie show starts at 6 p.m.so don’t be a scurvy dog and miss out!
Skip the football this Sunday and come enjoy the color, costumes, and pageantry of dance at the 2015 Dance Celebration. Presented by Happy Feet Dance School this traditional Chinese dance performance features 16 ethnic folk and classical dances performed by over 150 dancers. You can see this beautiful spectacle of dance at the Dallas City Performance Hall located in the heart of the downtown Dallas Arts District.
