It’s already scorching in Montgomery, AL.

It’s the second day of summer.

How does a family survive?

Here are a few ideas for free (or very cheap) ways to keep your kids entertained this summer while NOT suffering a heatstroke.

Public Libraries: Where are they and what special events are going on?  Here’s a link to library summer events next week. Check back with local branches for more activities. Storytellers, singers, art – sounds fun.

Kids’ movies at The Capri: Every Thursday and Friday at 10 am and 1 pm, you can take your kids for just $1 a ticket.  Click here for their summer schedule, and get there a little early because it fills up quickly.

Kids’ movies at the Rave: Similar to the Capri, but FREE!  Click here for the summer roster.  They’re showing free kids’ movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 am for eight weeks this summer.  Like The Capri, no reservations are taken, so show up early to get a seat.

Artworks Gallery at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts: Air conditioned, fun, room to wiggle – all good things in 100 degree weather.  There is a box for donations at the front door of the museum, but there is no entrance fee. It’s a large, interactive space for kids to explore art with their families.  You can spend hours . . . click here for more info.

Riverwalk Splashpad: Located in the Riverwalk amphitheater park in downtown Montgomery, the splashpad is (for lack of better terminology) a large play area with water shooting out of the ground.  Like a big fountain.  Although this is not an air conditioned venue, it’s wet and FREE, and anyone can use it (although sometimes it’s closed for private parties.  Open until 7 pm everyday.  Click here for address and phone number.

I’m sure there are some I have overlooked, so feel free to add to the list by commenting below.  Good luck staying cool and saving money this summer!

Carr Junior High School, Montgomery, AL

It’s finally time to head on over and make it official. If you live in the new Jim Wilson Elementary and Carr Middle School school zones, you can register your kids starting today.

Don’t expect to tour the  new facilities yet, though – you’ll actually register in Blount Elementary’s lunchroom. From today until Thursday, you can come from 9 am until 1 pm.  From June 22-25, come between 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

Wilson Elementary School, Montgomery, AL

If you miss this two week registration period, you can still register your child – but it will happen closer to the beginning of the school year at the new school itself.

Not sure if you’re affected by these new school zones? Click here for MPS zoning maps.

For more info on what to bring with you, see the Montgomery Advertiser’s article “Registration Starts Today for New Schools.”

For the most recent post on Providence (January 2012) click on the brown link below:

Now Selling: Providence Neighborhood in Pike Road

What follows is a older post from 2009 – Nice if you want a history of Providence, but not relevant if you’re currently looking for a home.

Providence is for those who 1) want to build a new house,  2) want to live in Pike Road, AL, but  3) still want to live very close in to Montgomery in a planned development.

Horse farm it is not.

If you fit the bill, then take the (really) short drive to the intersection of Vaughn and Pike Roads.  You’re there. (Turn south onto Pike and it’s on your left).

I drove through today, and they’ve cut in the streets and sidewalks. There’s a pretty entrance and streetlights – I’m guessing this is Phase I.  The developers are selling lots that are either 60′ by 145′ (”The Traditions”) or 100′ by 200′ (”The Estates”).  Traditions homes have to be a minimum of 2,400 square feet and Estate homes a minimum of 2,800 square feet.

The website says you can bring your own builder, and that gives buyers some flexibility.

What will the homes look like?  Providence’s brochure says they’ll have “elements  of French Country and European architecture woven into modern home designs.”  Click here to see sample house plans on the Providence website.

Is your interest piqued?  Give us a call at the number at the top of the page or contact us through the Contacts tab and we’d be glad to  help you learn more about this new development.

Put 425 Merry Way in the Merry Station neighborhood at the top of your house-hunting list.

If you watch the video, you’ll see this 4 bed/ 3 bath home is tastefully updated and the yard is worthy of it’s own video tour.  You may not need to read further before calling us for a private showing. . .

But there is more to love:

1) The home is zoned for the Town of Pike Road, and therefore will be zoned for the Pike Road public school that is currently being planned. (Click here to read more)

2) Merry Station is an old school neighborhood of 2 cul-de-sac streets.  Odds are if you drive through at almost any time of day, there will be kids running from yard to yard to play.  Their dogs will be following close on their heels, so please drive slowly.

3)  Even though Merry Way is in Pike Road, it’s literally minutes to everything you need in East Montgomery and I-85.  Click here for a map.

4) Merry Station is a completely developed neighborhood (no empty lots), and hundreds of trees fill the yards – which are all around an acre.  Here are some pics of the neighborhood so you can see for yourself  . . .

Entrance to Merry Station neighborhood

Merry Way

Driving into Merry Station

Looking down Merry Court (one of the two streets in Merry Station)

425 Merry Way

If you’d like to look at this home, or any home in the Montgomery area, please give us a call at (334) 221-5862 or contact us using the “contact” tab at the top of this page.  We’d love to help you with your house search!

I have a great home for sale in Sturbridge.  I took my real estate assistant over there to put out some more flyers today and encountered my first lemonade stand of the summer:

I wasn’t surprised to see one here. Sturbridge is a great neighborhood in east Montgomery, one with an apple pie, American feel.  Kids ride their bikes around there.  Moms power walk. Teens play ultimate frisbee in the “green space.”

What I was surprised about was how good the lemonade was.  It was actually like a limonada – sort of a blended, Icee consistency, with just the right amount of sweet and sour.  Worth every bit of the 75 cents and 25 cent tip.  What’s up? Do the kids in Sturbridge have some sort of secret recipe? I will return to that one.

Even though I am one of the cheapest humans alive, I will always stop at a kids’ lemonade stand.  It is free enterprise in action. It fires me up that capitalism is alive and well, no bailouts in the lemonade stand industry, no sir.

While I’m on the subject, let me point out one more great reason to stop a lemonade stands: Make A Stand – Montgomery’s own Pat & Elizabeth Adams are involved with this effort to bring awareness and raise money to fight pediatric brain cancer.