Not so long ago, it was every kid's dream to join the circus. Times may have changed, but never fear: the circus is alive and well and raising its tent across Southern California. We spent an afternoon under the Circus Vargas tent this week, and because we believe in dreams, we'll be sharing the fun and sending one lucky Mommy Poppins subscriber family to the circus, too (details to follow in our weekly newsletter).

It's felt like the Hurricane Sandy show (with a brief cameo by an unnamed nor'easter) for the past few weeks and—aside from seeing people come together to help those in need, which has been inspiring—we haven't liked it one little bit. While our New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut sites are back up and running, our Long Island site is still dormant due to lack of power for our bloggers. It's a tricky balance to strike right now: Those of us who can are trying to get back to our normal routines, but we can't help but think about those who lost their homes or loved ones. We encourage you to continue to help victims of the storm in any way you can. We here at Mommy Poppins are planning to host an event to benefit Hurricane Sandy survivors in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for details.

We started gearing up for the holidays this week on our NYC site with a look at the brand-new route for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We've got tips on where to stand and the balloon inflation the night before. Meanwhile our Connecticut site shared the best Thanksgiving activities in Fairfield County, including details on Stamford's big parade. If you're wondering what to do on Monday when NYC public schools are closed in observance of Veterans Day, we've got lots of ideas in our weekend events roundup, including info on some holiday camps in case you can't afford to take the day off from work. We also have a great roundup of fall deals on kids' entertainment, home cleaning and more.

Here's what else we covered on our NYC site this week:

Long Island is slowly trying to get back to normal (as much as it can) following Sandy (for ways you can help, click here), and you'll find events and activities slowly coming back. This weekend you'll find a DIY rocket workshop at the Children's Museum of the East End, a drumming workshop at the Long Island Children's Museum, ImaginOcean playing at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, and Disney on Ice at Nassau Coliseum. Plus, the weather is supposed to warm up a bit to melt all that snow out there....

Long Island suffered a devastating blow in the wake of super storm Sandy, and parts of the area are still struggling to recover. It doesn’t help that in the aftermath, temperatures have dipped into the 30s and lower and now to add insult to injury, a blanket of snow is covering the ground. There are still tens of thousands of Long Islanders without power and far too many who have been left homeless by the storm. Following are just a few ways you can help. Additionally, nearly every municipality and church has organized some kind of relief effort. Give your local town or village, community center, or church a call to ask what you can do to help. And if you know of an organization in need of volunteers and/or donations, please do share in the comments section below.

When my family and I moved to New York City a few years ago, we were excited about living in a place that had so many opportunities for our son with special needs. But after we finally figured out the school situation and a couple of extracurricular activities, we wondered what our next steps would be (aside from a much-needed vacation). Redoing evaluations; finding medical, therapeutic and respite services; attending workshops; planning for future residential or job placement—it was all completely overwhelming.

That's when someone recommended we reach out to the YAI Network, an organization serving people with disabilities and their loved ones. YAI has provided a one-stop-shopping experience of quality special needs information and assistance, saving us effort and oh so precious time. The staff was even able to provide the psychological evaluations necessary for our son to be deemed eligible for certain therapies and services—evaluations that would have cost us a fortune out-of-pocket otherwise. And they did it all with a smile and a sincere, caring attitude that is hard to find these days.

With four kids in total at home, we haven’t been able to take advantage of all that YAI has to offer (yet). But here are just a few of the unique events, services and resources YAI provides to the NYC special needs community and their families.

Our three-day weekend round up of events includes some fun activities for kids home from school on Veterans Day, including a benefit concert with Karen K and the Jitterbugs on Saturday; family activities at the USS Constitution Museum all weekend; the 10th Annual Film Festival in Boston; a Rock and Roll Petting Zoo in Cambridge; and the Boston Globe Ski and Sports Show. Read on for details, and be sure to check our Events calendar for more things to do. Plus, we feature Three New Places for Boston Families to Make Really Cool Things - never too soon to start thinking about holiday gifts and school vacation activities!

While our main goal at Mommy Poppins Boston is to find fun and great things for Boston kids and families to do, we also believe that it’s never too soon to get kids involved in community service. The recent devastation wreaked on the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area by Hurricane Sandy led Tara to explore how Boston families could help pick up the pieces. Plus, in addition to a $1,000 giveaway promotion you can enter into by replying to this email (deadline is Saturday!), Barefoot Books is donating 20% of all proceeds of purchases made through a special link to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Enjoy the three-day weekend!

In November many of us reflect upon the things that we are thankful for.  Always topping my list are my children, husband, family and friends.  This year, more than ever, I am thankful for things we sometimes take for granted. Electricity, running water, plentiful food, my home, warm clothing and an overall sense of safety and security.  In the wake of Hurricane Sandy there are many who have lost these things.  The stories about those affected offer reminders of how lucky my family is and has provided opportunities for me to help my children understand how fortunate they are, to teach them about gratitude and to instill in them the importance of helping others.  At the young ages of 4 and 7, they were able to help  make brown bag lunches this weekend to be delivered to those in New York affected by the storm.

If you are wondering how your family can help those affected by Hurricane Sandy, many local organizations are collecting donations.  Once Upon A Child in Danbury is collecting baby items, first aid supplies and other items.  Mommy Poppins CT has organized a donation drive at Three Monkeys and Me in Kent. We are collecting diapers, non--perishable food, blankets, camping items, flashlights/batteries and coats for delivery this Sunday.  Visit the links for a complete list of items and drop off instructions.  The American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations on their website and blood donations at the Fairfield County Blood Donation Center.  The Connecticut Food Bank has launched a "Hurricane Sandy Virtual Food Drive" to respond to the rapidly growing need for food donations. 

When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast and left our home virtually (and miraculously) untouched, I feel like we dodged a bullet. I look at the damage – nay, total devastation – done elsewhere, and wonder how we got so lucky. Many of the writers and their readers at our Mommy Poppins sister sites in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut lost power and sustained major damage to their homes and their neighborhoods.  My heart aches for them and all the other families who lost so much in the storm, and I feel a strong pull to help those who weren’t as fortunate as we were. If you, too, blessedly emerged from Sandy unscathed, you might feel the same way. Read on for ways you and your children can help.