Are there any fun places for toddlers in Springfield, Illinois?

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daniko

I am driving from St. Louis, MO to Watseka, IL. I am going to stop halfway there in Springfield, IL for lunch and to let my daughter get out of the car and have some fun. Any suggestions on where to take her? She is 13 months old, walking, and very active. I would like a place where she can see other kids her age and get some exercise. Something like a children's museum or even just a nice playground near a good restaurant. Please help!

Answer
I love Springfield IL there is a ton of stuff to do there here are some suggestions for you and your daughter:

Lil Princess Wishes, Inc.
2205 Wabash Ave
Montvale Plaza
217-787-8814
Springfield's Coolest Place for GIRLS!!! Glam Makeovers, Themed Parties, Gifts, Home Decor and an all New Kids Furniture Line, Jewelry and Princess Dresses make this store a destination for girls of all ages. Walk in Glam Makeovers are welcome and our 1000 ft party room is always a hit for your next party or get together.
http://www.lilprincesswishes.com/

Cozy Dog Drive In â This traditional Route 66 diner became a part of the history of the Roadâ¦and the history of Springfieldâ¦when inventor Ed Waldmire introduced the Cozy Dogâ¦the famous âhot dog on a stickâ in 1946. The Waldmire family still makes the delicacy daily, Monday â Saturday. Inside the diner, located on Old Route 66 since 1949â¦youâll find an amusing selection of Route 66 memorabilia, souvenirs, and delightful taste treats.
2935 S. Sixth Street. Springfield. (217) 525-1992
I love this place!!!! They have the best food, cheap and kids have fun here. The place has lots of things for them to look at!!! If you daughter likes corn dogs this is the home of them!!!

Dreamland Park
2400 Taylor Avenue.
Picnic shelters, playground, fishing pier & pedestrian trail.

Henson Robinson Zoo
1100 E. Lake Dr.
Phone: (217) 753-6217
Hours: Open: Mar.-Oct. Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat.-Sun. 10am
The Henson Robinson Zoo is home to more than 300 animals native to Australia, Africa, Asia and North and South America. Over 90 species of native and exotic animals are housed here among naturalistic exhibits. Special events are held throughout the year and provide many hands-on experiences for children and adults alike. Also, take a Zooper Edventure with the zooâs education programs for children ages 5 to 17. Facilities include a gift shop, concessions and a petting area.
Your daughter will like the zoo, it is not the STL zoo but it is really nice! We always have a great time when we go!!!

Lake Victoria Park
Normandy Road & Victoria Drive.
Fishing, picnic area & shelter.

Lincoln Park
1601 N. 5th Street
Nelson Center outdoor pool, indoor skating rink, bike path, ball diamonds, fishing, horseshoe courts, pavilion, picnic area, shelter, playground, shuffleboard courts, soccer field, Disc Golf, tennis courts & restrooms.

Westchester
Westchester Blvd. & Concord Drive
Very nice playground at this parks

There are tons of other parks in the area that are really nice and have great playgrounds. Great for the kids to get their energy out! Here is their website for more:
http://www.springfieldparks.org/

I would check out this site for more, we use it to plan our trips from STL to Springfield. There is no science center or "Magic" House type place. The little princess place is a lot of fun, we have taken girls of all ages there! When in doubt find a playground and let her run! Have a great trip!
http://www.visit-springfieldillinois.com/Route66/

What are good mountain bike trails that are family friendly?

harkins

Or maybe nice scenic beach paths that are nice in so cal?

Answer
Since I have no idea where you're asking from, I'll just give you the best trails in the world:

Japan: Ura Bandai District, cycling around the lakes is fantastic.
Germany: The trails around the Black Forest, and sometimes the city routes of Hannover are nice.
Austria: the woodlands around Salzburg are beautiful.
USA: I've biked in Yosemite, Grand Canyon and a little in the Quays down south... sweet!
U.K: The Lake District looks awesome in the summer and East Anglia has some nice variation for kids and adults too.
France: Go to the Auvergne. Believe me, you won't regret the journey there.
China: If you've got the guts for it, take a trip along the Yangtze.
Australia: never been there myself, but a good friend said the northern territories are worth a look in.
India: Might not be mountain bike terrain, but the sights are worth a cycle ride in Amritsar.

Hope that helped

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How do people get into street bike racing?

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I love emo

Not racing down the streets of the city, racing at stadiums like moto GP and stuff.

Answer
Here in Australia many of the guys start out racing mx and I do know someone who made the shift to road not that long ago. The reason for starting on mx bikes is that here you are not allowed to road race till you are 16 years old, so there is nothing for the kids prior to that.

Not everyone does it that way but many do. It is hard to get into due to the cost of the bikes and one race is going to set the rider back quite a bit unless they have support which is not all that readily available here in Australia.

what are my babys chances of living with Hypo-plastic left heart?

Kerri

im 26 weeks right now and my baby boy has hypo-plastic left heart syndrome. so i was just wondering what are his chances of survival, what are some of the complications after birth and when you get to take the baby home? also i was wondering are the surgeries actually legit. will he be able to be a normal kid? i'm very scared about all this. i know the is a very serious condition and sometimes fetal, but i need some advice and on these questions. i really don't wanna lose my baby i don't know what i would do.

Answer
Hi, I'm Rebecca, I'm 13 years old (14 in a week or so) and I was born with both complex hypoplastic left heart syndrome *and* total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Your little boy *CAN* survive with HLHS and *CAN* be a normal kid. It is soooo *NOT* true when people say kids with HLHS will never run around or ride a bike or kick a football. As a group we're growing up, going to school, playing sports, going to uni, holding down jobs, getting married just like "heart healthy" people.

Your boy's chances of surviving now are higher than they have ever been. On average survival rates worldwide are around 60% but there are centres in the world with significantly higher numbers of HLHS kids making it to their 5th birthday (which is how survival rates are calculated), even as high as 90%. The toughest, most nerve racking, riskiest time is the few days after the first of the surgeries. As a general rule, HLHS babies who make it through their first surgery and immediate recovery period almost always seem to make it home.

Make sure you check out the survival rates of the hospital and surgeon though as they are *very*, *very* variable. Don't know where you are (In Australia, you want to go to the Kids Hospital in Melbourne; Auckland's good too; in the UK, have your baby treated at Birmingham Children's Hospital or one of the London centres (Gt Ormond Street, St Thomas' or the Royal Brompton). Don't know which are the best hospitals to go to in the US - make sure you take advice from other local HLHS parents before deciding rather than just going with the doctors' recommendation. Much though will depend on the extent of your son's HLHS and his overall health at birth.

when you get to take the baby home? If you live near enough to the hospital you should be able to take your baby home after his first surgery (done within the first couple of days of life); if you're too far away you may have to stay local to the hospital but should still be able to take him out of hospital either to parent accomodation or rented accomodation. You'll have to return to the hospital for his second surgery, usually done at around 4 - 6 months old. Providing he comes through his second operation, you'll get to take him home and not have to return to the hospital except for check ups until his third surgery, usually done when the child is aged 3 or 4 (i.e. prior to starting school). In the US it is usually done earlier though at around 2 years old.

i was wondering are the surgeries actually legit.
By the surgeries I presume you mean the 3 stage reconstructive surgery (Norwood, BCPS (or Glenn) and Fontan). Yes, they are legit. The first Fontan surgery was carried out on babies in something like 1972 - it's a surgery that's been done on heart kids for a looong time anyway. The first Norwood operation was done in 1982. It used to be done as one surgery but is now divided up as babies do better that way. My point anyway these are long standing surgeries that have been used successfully on heart kids all over the world for many, many years.

will he be able to be a normal kid?
See above

i'm very scared about all this.
Of course you are.

You and your son do have one big advantage though; he's been diagnosed before birth and so will be setting out on his surgeries etc in the best possible condition. The cardiac team will be expecting him, he can be transferred immediately to either CICU or the Children's heart ward (depending on his condition and local policy), he can be started on the prostaglandins at birth to stop any of the pre-birth holes in his heart from closing. He won't be arriving as an emergency already in cardiogenic shock and/or total circulatory collapse as can happen when HLHS isn't diagnosed until the baby is already several days old.

i know the is a very serious condition and sometimes fetal (sic), but i need some advice and on these questions.
You need to start making contact with other HLHS families in your location. They'll be able to reassure you most of all. They can also tell you the best cardiologist, best cardiac surgeon etc in your region.

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How is it like living in Richmond Victoria or its surrounding suburbs?

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Q. We are moving to Australia in two months time. And all the feedback I am getting from friends and family who have gone there are positive so it is making us really excited.

But since they are family they might be a bit biased. So I would like to get strangers opinion.

How is living in Richmond or Melbourne?
What are things I have to beware off?
What should I be prepared for when we get there?

Answer
Richmond is an inner eastern suburb of Melbourne. It is walking distance to the city and is well serviced by trams and trains. Parking can be a hassle and traffic is bad, particularly at peak times. There are a lot of restaurents there, particularly Bridge Rd. and if you like Vietnamese, Victoria St. (it is a 'little Vietnam'). The shopping is very good there (both boutiques and factory outlets). There are a lot of pubs, some with live entertainment. You will be very close to the MCG, Rod Laver Arena and several other sporting/entertainment areas. Richmond is a pretty eclectic area as far as the people who live there and the types of housing. There are still are lot of old Victorian houses, lots of terrace houses, lots of apartments and some housing commission flats, so there is a mixture of well off people through to new refugees. It has become pretty fashionable for double income no kids people who like the closeness to the city/restaurents/entertainment in the last decade or so. It is quite expensive to buy into now. There is not too much to be aware of, maybe the odd low life/drug addict/alcoholic that hangs around any big city. If you intend working in the city I would suggest either walking (through the Fitzroy Gardens) or cycling along the bike track by the Yarra River.
Surrounding suburbs include Kew, South Yarra, East Melbourne and Hawthorn. They are all very nice - they tend to have bigger properties, leafier streets and no housing commission and maybe a bit quieter.

Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Why do people ride BMX bikes to get around instead of bikes that fit them?

JC

I see it all the time- an adult man who does not look athletic, might even have a gut, and certainly doesn't look like he's going to be grinding, jumping off of or over anything, or doing any tricks. They're obviously too tall for the bike, so why do they ride them? It doesn't look comfortable, and there's no way they can get anywhere very fast or far on them, not compared to a road, mountain, or hybrid bike.

Answer
Poor families will often their kids bike to get around, since they don't have enough money for a car, or to get themselves a more suitable bike, but they want to get their kids a bike, for transport to school and to their friends house, so they ride the kids bmx from here to there, sometimes.
No adult, who is looking for a mode of transport, will buy a bmx to get around, over a mountain bike, unless they intend on using it for trick-riding purposes.

I am 32 yrs old, and 6'0. I own 4 bmx's, 1 mountain bike, and a '67 Mustang Fastback. I am also the current National Champion Amateur Flatland BMX Champion for 2009, in Australia, so I can do things on a bike that 99% of kids in the country cannot. It's a skill and ability that takes years to master, requires a lot of discipline and dedication... attributes that most young kids do not possess... which is why the age-range of BMX Flatland riders in Australia is between 22-40.

In other words, a BMX is not a means of transport for some people... it's a piece of sporting equipment.

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