"It is our very innocence as parents, our freshness and inexperience, that redeems us. With each new family, nature has another chance. Another chance for happy accidents that can change the course of history. Another chance for amateurs to do something no one else has ever done before. Another chance for genius."
-Peggy O'Mara, Publisher and Editor of "Mothering Magazine"
Welcome to the Hudson Valley Parents website. We're glad you're here! We are a group of families (with children of all ages, or soon-to-be through pregnancy and adoption) who live in, or are connected to, the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York State, including Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, and Westchester Counties. Our purpose is to enable members to coordinate local activities and discuss parenting issues.
"Hudson Valley Parents" was originally known as the "New Paltz Playgroup" which began in 2003 when a few of us were encouraged to exchange phone numbers and e-mails after a local La Leche League meeting. Until our initial playgroup gatherings, many of us did not know any other people in the area with a baby and felt very isolated as new parents. As our membership has grown (from 8 people to over 1000 and counting!), this community network has evolved from a personal e-mail list, to a Yahoo! group, and now we're our own official website and forum.
The site's owners are full-time Hudson Valley residents, Erica and Michael Chase-Salerno, proud parents of Declan and Quinlan.
"We had such a great time!!" and "Can't wait 'til the next one!!" were among
the many enthusiastic comments shared with me after our Hudson Valley
Parents Second Annual Fall Fest '07.
Today was hard at first.
I grumbled to myself that if I was meant to get up at 6am to workout, I shouldn’t have to depend on an alarm clock. It should just “happen.”
As I unrolled my yoga mat and did some side stretches, I looked hard for something, anything, positive [...]
I love the way Jenny Joseph’s Poem, “Warning” weaves in and out of my life. I thought of it again this morning. Here’s an excerpt:
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer [...]
I was feeling very emotional today, complete with tears of happiness. I was also impatient, crabby, slow, and easily overwhelmed by not usually-overwhelming-things with the kids. Later, as I got ready for my weekly date with Mike, I felt like nothing looked good on me and felt dowdy and fat.
At some [...]
I did *not* care for the book “Secret Life Of Bees” but now that the movie is out, one of the unschooling lists I’m on is all gaga about it. Despite my own opinion (maybe I’ll reread it sometime), this quote from the book had me moved to tears.
~ Erica
FROM “SECRET LIFE [...]
I was talking with my friend Nora the other day and, as usual, she hit on some fascinating ideas around parenting. She just has a way of wording complex thoughts that makes them so accessible. She’ll spit out her coffee laughing when she reads that, but it’s true, she’s very good at observing [...]
Some recipes I’ve made recently that I thought I’d share, for brownies, pie crust, and coleslaw. And dogfood. I’ve started making homemade raw dogfood for Easy!
Moosewood Fudge Brownies
Rich, moist, fudgy brownies that are quick to make, and fast to bake!
1/2 cup butter
3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 [...]
I came across this phrase doing a recipe search on-line tonight, and I love savoring it. It’s from 3fatchicks.com:
“Dieting is hard. Maintenance is hard. Being fat is hard. Pick your hard.”
Seems to me I could replace any of those subjects and apply them to many different situations. Lately for me, it’s been:
“Housekeeping is [...]
I’m realizing it’s time to lighten up. I’ve spent a lot of energy lately stressing out, and now I’m just going to take things down a notch. Appreciate a lot more of what’s going on than I’ve been able to do recently, all wrapped up in myself. Understand and claim what’s right [...]
Today I realized that it takes more time to really clean, organize, and put things away than it does to stuff things in a closet or spare room.
I imagine many people already know this, and I may have known it too, but I didn’t really understand it when I set aside an hour [...]
(Please note - I’m having a hard time editing this one. Hang in there.)
I keep running into this quote lately, which I first came across from the cap of an iced tea bottle. (I know, deep, right?)
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those [...]
Testimonials
I'm particularly impressed by the diversity of opinion on the site; there are parents of all ages and backgrounds connecting in ways that can't be duplicated in any other context. I've made dear friends who I never would have met otherwise, and reconnected with old friends who are now parents, too. It's a wonderful way to find stuff, share information, discuss parenting topics (and much more!) openly and unreservedly. I am constantly learning more about our little critters, what makes them tick, and what resources are available in our community to help them grow up happy. Thanks, Erica & Mike!
Click the "Read More" link to see what other members are saying about HudsonValleyParents.com.
