WNCParent July 2010 by Stacey

c o n t e n t s Birthday madness

Both of my children were born in July, so it’s quite timely for me that the magazine’s birthday issue is this month. While it’s stressful to have parties in the same month — this year, both parties will be held within the same 24-hour period — it is also handy to get all the birthday mayhem taken care of for the year at the same time. By planning ahead, parents can avoid a lot of that stress. Here’s where WNC Parent comes in. Starting on Page 13 is the magazine’s annual Birthday Guide, with listings of places to host parties, people who entertain kids for a living, bakeries and ice cream shops to fulfill your birthday child’s sweet tooth and stores where you can find all manner of supplies (not to mention names of party planners). Before the guide, you’ll find stories on party crafts, ideas for older children’s parties and more. This month’s issue also highlights two great summertime activities: fishing and farming. Learn what you’ll need and where to go to fish on Page 38. And find out where you and the kids can go to pick your own fruits or veggies in the story on Page 25. See you next month, when my children are a year older and I don’t have to bake a birthday cake for another year. Katie Wadington, editor

This month’s features

2 For the older set

Try a more active birthday party for your tween or teen.

5 Gift etiquette

The ins and outs of giving and receiving.

7 Healthier cakes

Tips for baking a better-for-you birthday cake.

9 The Birthday Guide

Find where to have a party, where to get the food and supplies and more.

23 Party crafts

Jean Van’t Hul of The Artful Parent offers group craft ideas.

25 Pick your own

Bring the kids to the farm and experience summer’s bounty.

31 Boost speed

Brian Lawler offers five tips to young athletes for increasing their speed.

33 Parent 2 Parent

See how Dr. Susan Mims, director of Mission Children’s

In every issue

Kids’ Voices ......................24 Recall Roundup .................32 Home-school Happenings ....41 Librarian’s Pick..................42 Story Times ......................43 Growing Together ...............44 Divorced Families...............46 Parenting in a Nutshell .......48 Video Games.....................49 Puzzles ...........................59-60 Calendar ..........................61

Hospital, balances work and family.

38 Go fish

Learn the how and where of fishing in WNC.

On the cover

Mya Willover, of Clyde. By Sonya Stone Photography, sonyastone.com.

Are you a member? Join the conversation, post photos and connect with other parents at WNCmom.com. Look for WNC Parent on Facebook and Twitter.

P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802 828-232-5845 I www.wncmom.com PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Randy Hammer WNC PARENT EDITOR Katie Wadington - 232-5829 kwadington@citizen-times.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nancy Sluder nsluder@citizen-times.com

FEATURES EDITOR Bruce Steele bsteele@citizen-times.com STAFF WRITER Barbara Blake bblake@citizen-times.com

ADVERTISING/CIRCULATION Miranda Weerheim - 232-5980 mweerheim@gannett.com CALENDAR CONTENT Due by July 10. E-mail to calendar@wncparent.com ADVERTISING DEADLINE Advertising deadline for the August issue is July 13

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Parties for big kids

Options abound for birthday celebrations that appeal to tweens and teens

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Navitat Canopy Adventures, near Barnardsville, is one option for a birthday child age 10 or older who wants a little action at his or her party. By Barbara Blake WNC Parent writer Remember when cake, ice cream and a clown made for the greatest birthday ever? If you’ve got tweens or teens, those days are over. Middle-schoolers and young teens still want to celebrate, but it has to be somewhere cool, or to have cool elements brought to them if the party’s at home. Fortunately, there are a number of options to consider, from old standbys like bowling or roller skating to more exotic adventures such as ziplining or

Airsoft parties, a relatively newfangled phenomenon where kids shoot each other with tiny, lightweight plastic balls. Think paintball without the mess. “I have boys that age right now, and they like the Airsoft parties, doing wars with a bunch of other boys,” said Amy Glover Duckett, of Asheville. “Those parties are held at friends’ homes that have quite a bit of running around room.” Her son’s middle-school friends who are girls have shown great creativity in creating birthday events, Duckett said. “They do dress-up parties at various tea rooms, spa days and dance parties at

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a community center,” she said. “And pool parties are cool, especially with boys and girls there.” Martha Ball, of Weaverville, agreed. “I rented the Erwin pool for an afterhours party when my daughter Alex turned 13,” Ball said. “It only works for the summer babies, but the kids loved it. It made them feel important, swimming when the pool was closed to the masses.” Carolyn Tingle, who lives near Kenilworth Lake, said a party at home can be as much fun as at any other venue. “I just had a birthday party for my daughter’s sweet 16, with between 30 and 40 kids, boys and girls,” Tingle said. “We

had kids out in canoes, playing badminton, sitting by the lake with tiki lamps, ping pong, a fire pit with s’mores, lots of pizza and veggies — lots of kids are vegetarian.” The party ran from 5-11:30 p.m., and “the kids were absolutely fantastic,” Tingle said. “I didn’t have to say a word to anyone.” The party also afforded an opportunity for altruism. “We did it as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (breast cancer research), and (her daughter) raised $300,” Tingle said. “It was all a big hit, and they’re already wanting a repeat for next year or sooner.” Here’s a sampling of other party venues and ideas for tweens and teens.

Navitat Canopy Adventures This world-class canopy zipline tour about 20 minutes north of Asheville features 10 zip lines ranging from 1201,100 feet in length, including one that sends guests soaring 200 feet above the forest floor. Canopy guides lead groups of eight through a series of zip lines, sky bridges, trails, rappels and platforms high in the treetops. Guests are attached to a safety system at all times. Navitat tours run daily from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. through November. Reservations are required. Regular tour price is $85 per person for adults, $75 for kids ages 10-17. Discounts are available Tuesdays, for groups of eight or more and for N.C. Arboretum members. Tours last about 3.5 hours. Contact: navitat.com; info@navitat.com; 626-3700.

Rent a pool All five pools operated by Buncombe County Parks and Recreation are available for rental for birthday parties. Cost is $60 per hour, including one lifeguard for 25 kids or less. There is a $10 charge for additional lifeguards. The pools are: Cane Creek in Fletcher; Erwin in Leicester; Hominy Valley in Candler; North Buncombe in Weaverville; and Owen in Swannanoa. Contact: teri.gentile@buncombecounty.org; buncombecounty.org; 6845072.

PHOTO BY JOHN FLETCHER

Older kids may enjoy a birthday celebrated at an Asheville Tourists game at at McCormick Field. The birthday child can get a ball autographed by the players.

Head to the ballpark McCormick Field has areas set aside for birthday parties for people of all ages, from tots to a 70-year-old baseball fan who celebrated recently at the ballpark. Cost ranges from $14 to $17 per head, and includes dinner — typically pizza or hot dogs — birthday cake and the game. The birthday honoree is invited to go out onto the field before the game and get autographs from Asheville Tourists players. Contact: theashevilletourists.com; rkoehler@theashevilletourists.com; 258-0428.

Party on wheels The 360 Party Bus is essentially a rolling adventure that will take groups of up to 20 wherever they want to go. It features an elaborate sound and gaming system, large TVs, DVD players, Playstation2s, Sirius satellite radio, club lighting, fog machine, a tall ceiling to dance under and seating for up to 20.

Prices range from $150 for a two-hour ride before 7 p.m. any day to $575 for a six-hour trip on weekend nights. Teen and kid parties on weekday nights are $195 for two hours, $250 for three hours or $300 for four hours. A parent or guardian must be on board if riders are under 18. Contact: 360partybus.com; 236-2841.

Backyard cinema Firefly Backyard Movie Theatre will create a movie party on the lawn for your kids and all their friends. The mobile cinema includes a 9-by-12-foot screen, Blu-Ray H.D. video, professional audio and fresh popcorn. Full catering also is available. Pricing begins at $149. Contact: jhfrank01@aol.com; 2739093.

Get on the river Take a party down the French Broad Continues on Page 4

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Older kids Continued from Page 3

with the Asheville Outdoor Center, formerly known as Southern Waterways, along the river on Amboy Road near Carrier Park. Canoeing, kayaking, rafting and tubing are available. Or just party by the river under the pavilion or an event tent. There’s also a gem-mining option on site. Contact: paddlewithus.com; 232-1970.

Pizza and a party Asheville Pizza and Brewing at 675 Merrimon Ave. has all the makings of a great party – pizza, pasta and sandwiches, cheap movies and a lively game room with entertainment for all ages. Contact: ashevillebrewing.com; 2541281.

Party on skates Tarwheels Skateway in Swannanoa is Asheville’s only roller-skating rink, and a popular destination for teens and tweens to socialize and burn off some energy. The rink also has a video arcade, and there is space set aside for food and gifts, and even for cake if that’s not too uncool. Cost and hours vary according to day and season. Contact: tarwheelsskateway.com; 298-6606.

Party at the lanes Bowling alleys are a fun and deliciously retro scene for young partiers, and a relatively inexpensive way to entertain a group for two or three hours. The lanes will make space for cake and party food, and there are always ample offerings of teen-friendly fare in the snack shops. Star Lanes is at 491 Kenilworth Road in East Asheville. Call 254-6161 or visit amf.com. Sky Lanes is at 1477 Patton Ave. in West Asheville. Call 252-2269. Tarheel Lanes is at 3275 Asheville Highway., Hendersonville. Call 253-2695 or visit tarheellanes.com.

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Carson Land, of Asheville, opens a gift for his 7th birthday. Experts agree children should show appreciation for presents by writing thank-you notes.

Teaching the art of giving and receiving

By Pam J. Hecht WNC Parent contributor

They say it’s the thought that counts, not the gift. Try telling that to the birthday child! Whether your child is the guest of honor or one of the guests, birthday parties offer a prime opportunity to teach kids the joy of giving and appreciation for receiving.

Buying gifts Any way you wrap it, buying just the right birthday gift can be a challenge. But don’t sweat it — there’s no right or wrong, says Victoria Fall, of Arden, who has sons ages 8 and 10. To save time, Fall keeps handy a stack of gender-neutral cards for the kids to decorate for their friends celebrating

birthdays. She gives them a $10 bill to tuck inside, along with a small gift from her “stash of little things that kids really like, like Pokémon cards or Silly Bandz.” What’s the right amount to spend on a gift? It’s up to the individual, says etiquette expert Sallie Middleton Parker. If you or your child “has great imagination or talent and can come up with someContinues on Page 6

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Gift etiquette Continued from Page 5

thing fabulous for $2.50,” go for it, Parker says. “But don’t go overboard — $30 is too much,” she adds. Wendy Land, who runs Party Pixie, a children’s party service based in Asheville, recommends spending between $10-$15 for ages 2-10 and for older kids, up to $20. Gift cards are especially popular for the older set, she adds. “Most gifts my kids have given or received have been in the $10 to $15 range,” says Mary Pratt, of Asheville, whose twin son and daughter are 11. “For very special friends, we may spend up to $20 on a gift. It’s fine to give a gift even if your child can’t attend the party, “but a card would be plenty,” says national etiquette and protocol coach Patricia Rossi. If a child had planned to attend but couldn’t at the last minute, consider giving the gift anyway.

At the party Opening presents is an important part of the party because “each child wants their friend to see what they brought,” says Land. With a little planning and structure, opening gifts at a birthday party can also be a lesson in manners, adds Land, who whispers to the birthday child to say “thank you” and make eye contact with the gift giver, rather than saying it “to the air.” “A pre-talk can prepare children to show appreciation if they happen to open a gift they don’t want,” Parker says. Spend about 15 minutes opening gifts — it’s hard for kids to watch their friend getting gifts they won’t get, says Land. If the party only lasts an hour or less, there may not be enough time for opening presents, she adds. Waiting until after the party may also make sense for especially large parties or if kids are too young to sit still or comprehend the process. If presents haven’t been opened yet and a guest has to leave the party early,

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Caleb and Hannah Pratt, 11, of Asheville, enjoy making their own birthday cards, to go along with gifts, for their friends. They also make their own thank-you cards.

offer to have the birthday child open his/her present — “it seems best to open the gifts in the presence of the giver whenever possible,” says Pratt.

Thank-you notes Teaching kids to show appreciation for what they get, particularly in the form of thank-you notes, is essential, experts agree. Send within three days after the party, Parker advises; Land recommends within 10 days. Pratt’s kids always send thank-you notes they create, which creates an “allimportant sense of accomplishment and appreciation,” she says. When Land’s 7-year-old son was 4, she gave him “fill-in-the-blank” cards to

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sign — now he writes his own thank-you notes. Kids should at least sign their name, if they can, and be part of the process, she says. Even a very small child can draw a picture, which can be duplicated and sent as a thank-you note. Although “hand-written notes are always nicer,” electronic thank-yous are also acceptable for tweens and teens, says Land. Rossi tells her sons, ages 9 and 11, that they can’t play with their birthday gifts until they write thank-you notes. She gives them “fun markers and paper and they have a good time with the notes,” she says. In addition to being good etiquette, Rossi says, it teaches them to delay gratification while showing thanks.

Bake a better cake

By Katie Wadington WNC Parent editor

While few guests or parents would expect a birthday cake or cupcake to be a diet food, there are ways to make celebratory sweets a tad healthier for your little one. Jodi Rhoden, owner of Short Street Cakes, suggests first using all fresh, natural ingredients. “Local eggs, organic flour and natural sugars are going to go a long way toward giving you a delicious treat that you don’t have to eat a ton to feel satisfied,” she said. “Whereas using artificial sweeteners, shortenings and margarines, as well as the option of leaving ingredients out to make the cake healthier, will often just lead to creating a dry cake that your guests won’t enjoy.” She suggested trying scratch recipes that “naturally use less fats and sugars,” like angel food cake and strawberry shortcake. Also, vegan cake recipes give “an excellent flavor and texture without eggs or butter.” Beyond using local and organic products, easy recipe substitutions can be made to reduce the amount of fat or sugar, or increase whole grains. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are a few ways to lighten your baking: ◆ All-purpose (plain) flour: substitute whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat pastry flour will work better than regular whole-wheat flour Continues on Page 8

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Cakes Continued from Page 7 for baked goods. ◆ Butter, shortening or oil: Substitute apple sauce for half of the called-for fat. (Do not replace all butter or shortening with oil, as this will change the cake’s density.) ◆ Eggs: Two egg whites can replace one whole egg. Or use one-quarter cup of egg substitute. ◆ Dairy: Use no-fat or reduced-fat versions of sour cream, cream cheese, milk, evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk. ◆ Sugar: Splenda, and other sweeteners, have formulations that are easy substitutions for bakers. Splenda Sugar Blend is made for baked goods; regular Splenda will not produce the same results in baking.

Basic (vegan) chocolate cupcakes

1 cup soy milk 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK). Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

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Frosting: 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. Source: “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Da Capo Press, 2006)

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The Birthday Guide Where to party, what to eat, how to entertain the kids and more

PARTY PLACES

AMF Star Lanes Bowling, 491 Kenilworth Road, Asheville, 254-6161, amf.com. A two-hour bowling party, offered Saturdays and Sundays, includes one hour of bowling, rental shoes, invitations and goody bags. Minimum of 10 guests. Each guest receives a slice of pizza and unlimited fountain drinks. Parents can bring a birthday cake. The birthday child receives an AMF Birthday Bowling Pin that can be autographed by the guests. Basic parties at 12:30 p.m., “Extreme” Parties at 2:30 p.m. with “glow bowling.”

Anna’s Playhouse, Mills River, 674-6653, annasplayhouse@morrisbb.net, annasplayhouse.biz. Host a tea party at a playhouse. Parties include drinks and treats. Play dress-up, learn tea party manners, play a game and do a craft. Two-hour parties for maximum of six girls and two adults (one adult required). Book two weeks in advance. The Arcade on Main, 305 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 692-6090. Arcade games galore including Dance, Dance Revolution, skeeball, basketball, air hockey, pool, pinball, more.

Asheville Tourists, McCormick Field, 258-0428, theashevilletourists.com. Celebrate your child’s birthday with Ted E. Tourist. Two party packages available, with a 10-person minimum. Packages include invitations, cake, game ticket, drinks, hot dog or pizza (varies by package), public address and scoreboard recognition during the game; a visit from Ted E. Tourist; and a marker and baseball for autographs in the dugout before the game. Parties begin one hour before a game. Continues on Page 10

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PARTY PLACES Continued from Page 9

Asheville West KOA campground, 309 Wiggins Road, Candler, 665-7015. New pavilion and pool rented out for parties. Cake and food available for additional cost. Asheville’s Fun Depot, 7 Roberts Road, Asheville, 277-2386, ext. 104, AshevillesFunDepot.com. Birthday parties in a private party room with a Party Pal to accommodate your needs. Three package options, all of which include T-shirt, invitations, thank-you cards, decorated paper products, cupcakes, pizza, drinks and a loaded Boxcar Buck card for each child to use for activities. Also offered are hats, balloons, blowers, piñatas, food platters, ice cream. Parties available in a real train caboose. Bounceville USA, 614 Market St., Hendersonville, 696-4949, bouncevilleusa.com, bouncevilleusa@aol.com. Three party packages, from an open play party to private parties. Private party packages include an hour in the party room, an hour of bounce time, a free jump pass for the birthday child, help with set up and cleanup, invitations and paper goods. Open play parties offer an hour in the party room and cleanup. Pizza, drinks, personalized treats, and outside entertainment available for additional cost. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Asheville Mall, 2981852, buildabear.com. A party leader guides guests through choosing and stuffing a new friend. Printable invitations and thank-you cards are provided online. Favors for the guests are included. Food and drinks are not allowed in the workshop. Minimum of six guests. Parents can set the price beginning at $10 per guest. Buncombe County pools. All pools are available on a rental basis for parties. The cost is $60 per hour. This includes one lifeguard for 25 kids or less. There is a $10 charge for additional lifeguards. Visit buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts./parks/facilities/pools. Chimney Rock Park, 431 Main St., Chimney Rock, 625-9611, chimneyrockpark.com, groups@chimneyrockpark.com. Birthday parties are available for all ages. Options include scavenger hunts, reptile demonstrations, rock climbing and hiking. Parties include admission for up

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Ashanti Cobb, 8, and Juliana Maurer, 7, roller skate at Tarwheels Skateway in Swannanoa, where Ashanti was celebrating her birthday.

to 12 children and four adults. Cupcakes and food available for additional cost. Chuck E. Cheese’s, 104 River Hills Road, Asheville, 2967330 299-3750, chuckecheese.com. Party package includes two slices of singletopping pizza, a soft drink with free refills, Ticket Blaster experience for birthday child, 20 tokens for each guest, decorated table, cake, visit from Chuck E. Cheese and more. Space reserved for two hours. Online bookings available. Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher, 684-1213. Offers pool parties for up to 15 children at indoor or outdoor pool, weather permitting. Parties available on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. Guests must bring their own towels. Food and drinks may be brought in. Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road, Suite D, Asheville, 277-0042, clayingaround.com. Offers four parties, starting with the “Basic” 90 minute party, cost per child plus the pottery. At a silver clay party for children 10 and older, guests make a silver charm to take home. Clay parties and “Fancy Nancy” craft parties available. All parties include a helper, balloons and a birthday plate for guests to sign. ClimbMax, 43 Wall St., Asheville, 252-9996,

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climbmaxnc.com. ClimbMax offers climbing parties for groups of six or more. Party room is available. Dino-Kinetics, Biltmore Park Town Square, 676-1622. Host a party in this interactive exhibit that combines engineering, art and science. Led by a prehistoric safari tour guide. Earth Fare, 1856 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 210-0100. Host a party in the store’s community room. Purchase healthy meals for all. The cake is free. East Asheville Recreation Center, 906 Tunnel Road, 251-4041, eastrecctr@ashevillenc.gov. Variety of packages available. Venue and cleanup provided for two-hour Saturday parties. Parties must be booked two weeks in advance. Fired Up! Creative Lounge, 26 Wall St., Asheville, 253-8181, and 321B N. Main St., Hendersonville, 698-9960; fireduplounge.com. Two-hour reserved parties are available for groups of six or more. Per person fee plus the cost of pottery each guest chooses. Guests can bring food, drinks (including wine and beer for adult parties), balloons, presents, etc. Continues on Page 13

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PARTY PLACES Continued from Page 10

Fun Factory in the Smokies, 1024 Georgia Road, Franklin, 349-8888, thefactory.bz. Packages include cake, drinks, set up, paper goods, balloons, Bonus Cash, more. Four packages available. Parties are 90 minutes. Fun Things Etc., 196 N. Main St., Waynesville. 456-7672, funthingsetconline.com. Party space available. Store can provide themed decorations, food, staff member to oversee party, favors, game time, entertainment and more for extra cost. Hahn’s Gymnastics, 18 Legend Drive, Arden, 684-8832, hahnsgymnastics.com. Birthday parties include on hour on gym activities and 30 minutes in party room. Activities include parachute, games, trampoline, foam pit and obstacle course. Two instructors guide party guests. For up to 15 children. Cost is $100 per party. Parties scheduled on weekends. Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 697-8333, handsonwnc.org. Parties include museum admission for up to 12 children (additional cost for up to 15 guests total), party room for two hours, set up, invitations and a T-shirt for birthday child. Bring your own food, paper goods and provide one adult for every five children.

Kilwin’s Chocolates, Fudge and Ice Cream, 26 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, 252-2639; 116 W. State St., Black Mountain, 669-6119. Up to 10 children can celebrate a birthday by creating a chocolaty treat. Kids pick two snacks, dip them in chocolate and decorate. Ice cream available. Balloons provided. Parties last about an hour. Marble Slab Creamery, 14 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-5579, marbleslab.com. Party room for rent. Ice cream and cakes available. Michaels, 111-A River Hills Road, Asheville, 299-0183; 5 McKenna Road, Arden, 684-1961; Michaels.com. Birthday parties for creative kids include several themes to choose from, invitations and staff at the party. Bring your own food, decorations and party goods. Minimum of five children, maximum of 10. Outdoor Family Fun Center, 485 Brookside Camp Road, Hendersonville, 698-1234, outdoorfamilyfun@bellsouth.net, outdoorfamilyfuncenter.com. Birthday party packages for all ages with miniature golf, batting cages, driving range and more. Phoenix Gymnastics, 50 Coxe Ave., Asheville,

Ramada Biltmore West, 275 Smoky Park Highway, 667-4501, ramada.com. Offers pool parties year round, which includes an area set aside for party adjacent to indoor-outdoor pool. Regal Cinema Biltmore Grande Stadium 15, 292 Thetford St., Asheville, 684-4726, regmovies.com. Rent the party room for an hour before a movie. Rental includes paper goods, decorations and staff assistance. Bring your own cake. Maximum of 18 kids. Party package includes movie ticket and kids meal ( additional cost per child). Guests get select seating in theater and tour of projection booth. Birthday child gets to start movie on projector. Sky Lanes, 1477 Patton Ave., 252-2269. Parties include one hour of bowling and 45 minutes in the party room, as well as lunch for each child (pizza, hot dog or grilled cheese and a drink). Smith-McDowell House Museum, 283 Victoria Road, Asheville, 253-9231, smh@wnchistory.org, wnchistory.org. Six historic themes to choose from or plan your own theme. Parties have one-hour use of party room and one hour of program. Activity materials and tablecloths included. For 10-20 guests.Bring your own food and paper goods.

Hollywild Animal Park, 2325 Hampton Road, Welford, S.C., 864-472-2038, hollywild.com. Cool Cat party in the screened pavilion includes cake and ice cream, paper products, drinks, popcorn, bags of animal food, free return pass and one hour in the party room. Birthday child receives a bottle to feed a baby animal, a safari hat and T-shirt. Pony rides additional. All guests have full-day park access. KidSenses, 172 N. Main St., Rutherfordton, 286-2120, kidsenses.com, info@kidsenses.com. Character parties from Cinderella to Batman to SpongeBob, along with noncharacter parties available. Package includes party room for one hour, unlimited play time in museum for 20 child guests and their parents, invitations, balloon bouquet, T-shirt for the birthday child. Crafts, goodie bags, themed paper products available for extra cost.

252-8746, phoenixgymnastics-etc.com. Instructors lead two hours of activities, including warm up, trampoline, foam pit, relay races, obstacle course, dancing, more. Spend 75 minutes in gym and 45 minutes in party room. Parties are Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Fun Night Birthday Parties are available 7:309:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays when gym is open to the public. Bring your own decorations and refreshments; cleanup provided.

Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation, 23 Turtle Creek Drive, Asheville, 274-2188, nwoodruff@southeasternfitness.com, southeasternfitness.com. Get exclusive use of the pool for birthday parties at our indoor heated pool. At about 88 degrees, the pool is comfortable for all party guests.

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Try a birthday party with a bowling twist at one of the three bowling alleys near Asheville.

STJ’s Inflation Station, 710 Tracy Grove Road, Flat Rock, 696-0674, info@stjs.net, stjspartiesandevents.com. STJ’s Inflation Station offers party room, indoor play area with five inflatables, parent seating, preschool soft play area. Continues on Page 14

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PARTY PLACES Continued from Page 13

Tarheel Lanes, 3275 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, 692-5039 or 253-2695, info@tarheellanes.com, tarheellanes.com. Offers parties for 10 or more people. Bring your own cake. Tarwheels Skateway, 2134 U.S. 70, Swannanoa, 298-6606, tarwheelsskateway.com. Birthday parties offered during any regular session. Price includes invitations, admission and skates, paper goods, balloons, drink and ice cream for guests, free pass for birthday person. Minimum 10 people. Private parties available when the rink is closed. Tender Mercy Retreat, 383 Heath Retreat Road, Waynesville, 648-3524, tendermercyretreat.com. Farm offers fishing, animal education and hands-on visits with horses, donkeys, llamas, chickens and more. Stocked-pond for fishing. Fire pit for a bonfire. $80 flat fee. The Health Adventure, Pack Place, 2 S. Pack Square, 254-6373, ext. 316, thehealthadventure.org. Offers age-appropriate programs. For ages 1-5, use the Creative PlaySpace for 45 minutes, with 45 minutes in the party room. For ages 5-10, choose from three 90-minute party options, including a robotics party for children ages 8-10. All birthday parties include admission for up to 20 children, a decorated private party room and a gift bag for the birthday child. Minimum of one adult for every three children. Reserve at least two weeks in advance.Party times are 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-2224, thehopicecreamcafe.com. Shop featuring all-natural, homemade ice creams offers four packages, from space rental with decorations, to a sundae bar or cake, face painting, the Jolly Balloon Smiths and more. The Little Gym, 1000 Brevard Road, Suite 168, Asheville, 667-9588, tlgashevillenc.com. tlgashevillenc@thelittlegym.com. Two qualified instructors lead 90-minute parties that include gymnastics, music, games and more. Parties include invitations, set up and cleanup, all paper goods, drinks, balloons and a T-shirt for

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Regal Cinemaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biltmore Grande theater hosts parties in a party room then lets the birthday child press the button to start a film.

the birthday child. For up to 21 children. Facility is closed to the public during parties. 360 Party Bus, 236-2841, 360partybus.com. Host a party on wheels and take birthday guests to a favorite fun spot. Bus includes TVs, DVD player, satellite radio, party lights. For up to 20 people with two-hour minimum. Parent or guardian required on bus. Tropical Gardens Mini Golf, 956 Patton Ave., Asheville, 252-2207. Party package includes an hour in a decorated gazebo, soft drink, snow cone and future free pass for each child, one round of 18 holes of mini golf and paper goods. Waynesville Recreation Center, Vance Street, 456-2030, waynesvilleparksandrec.com. Call for information on pool parties. WNC Activity Center, Sugarloaf Road, Hen-

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dersonville, 698-5577, wncac.com, info@wncac.com. Parties include structured and free activities in the gym before time in the party room. Bring own food, goodies and supplies. Table, chairs, refrigerator or freezer available. Parties are 90 minutes on Saturdays. Includes 10 children. WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, 298-5600, ext. 305, wildwnc.org. Parties offered Saturdays and Sundays. Included are 25 guest passes to the Nature Center for that day only, a small gift for the birthday child, use of the birthday room and kitchen facilities. YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Ave., 254-7206, ext. 209, ywcaofasheville.org. The YWCA offers two-hour packages that include an hour in the pool and an hour in the party room. Party for up to 30 people. Party has the YWCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solar-heated pool by itself with a lifeguard.

PARTY FOOD

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Short Street Cakes in West Asheville specializes in natural, hand-crafted Southern desserts and cakes.

Anita Cup of Tea, anitacupoftea.com, 5451236. Transform your party space into a tea party. Themes include Princess Party, Regal Ball, Fancy Nancy, Hollywood Mystery, Tink Tea and more. For children 4 and older. Packages include baked goods and brewed fruit tea, lemonade or apple cider. Games, dress-up time and more vary by theme. The Bake Shoppe, 146 Weaverville Highway, Asheville, 645-2038, bakeshoppeasheville.com. Offers a large selection of custom birthday cakes. Bi-Lo, 801 Fairview Road, Asheville, 299-1400; 205 N.C. 9, Black Mountain, 669-2306; 511 Smoky Park Highway, Candler, 670-1961; bilo.com. Personalized birthday cakes in a variety of themes or cupcakes, cookies and other treats are made to order. Black Mountain Bakery, 102 Church St., Black Mountain, 669-1626, blackmountainbakery-

.com. Variety of flavors and sizes, made from scratch and to order. Blue Ridge Bakery, 400 S. Broad St., Brevard, 883-8444. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cakes are the bakeryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty. They are made with real butter, organic vanilla and fresh, local eggs. Cakes by Jane, 9 Old Burnsville Hill Road, Suite 4, Asheville, 285-9292, cakesbyjane.com. Southern cream cheese pound cakes in a variety of flavors. Calico Corner Gifts & Goodies, 290-3990, calicocornergiftsandgoodies.com. Personalized cakes made to order. Daytime delivery available for a small charge. Carolina Mountain Bakery, 1950 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 681-5066. Any color or theme can be incorporated into your cake design. Continues on Page 16

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PARTY FOOD SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Continued from Page 15

Blue Ridge Bakery in Brevard says children’s cakes are its specialty.

CinTom’s Frozen Custard, 3080 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, 274-5853. Homemade custard available in several flavors. City Bakery, 88 Charlotte St., Asheville, 2544289; 60 Biltmore Ave., 252-4426; citybakery.net. Cakes made from scratch in a selection of sizes with a variety of cake flavors, fillings and frostings. Traditional layer cakes to poundcakes. Cold Stone Creamery, 129 Bleachery Blvd., Asheville, 296-0004; 30 Town Square Blvd., Asheville; coldstonecreamery.com. A variety of ice cream cakes with children’s themes, serving from two to 50. Dairy Queen, 2304 Hendersonville Road, Arden, 687-1883; Asheville Mall, Asheville, 2981068; 26 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 253-6835. Ice cream cakes that serve eight to 24 people. Great American Cookie Co., Asheville Mall, 3

Tunnel Road, 298-2849, greatamericancookies.com. Specializes in customized cookie cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Harris Teeter, 1378 Hendersonville Road,

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Asheville, 274-5304, harristeeter.com. Cakes in a variety of sizes and themes made to order. Ingles, various locations, ingles-markets.com. Cakes in a variety of themes and 12-inch cook-

ies made to order in store and online.

Short Street Cakes, 225 Haywood Road, Asheville, 505-4822, shortstreetcakes.com. A family owned cakery specializing in naturally handcrafted down-home Southern desserts. Delivery available. Gluten-free and vegan available.

Kamm’s Custard Shop, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave., Asheville, 253-7464, kammscustard.com. Specializes in frozen custard pies, cookie sandwiches, bulk packaging for scooping into cups or cones, custom-made flavor treats with mixins. The store also has a transportable rolling server cart with umbrella that can keep custard frozen for up to nine hours without electricity.

The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-2224, thehopicecreamcafe.com. Shop featuring all-natural, homemade ice creams, ice cream cakes, and vegan treats.

Kilwin’s, 26 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, 2522639; 116 W. State St., Black Mountain, 6696119. Treats include ice cream, novelty chocolates, fudge, caramel corn, caramel apples, more.

The Sisters McMullen, 840 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 252-9330; 1 N. Pack Square, Asheville, 252-9454; thesistersmcmullen.com. Pastries and cakes in several sizes and flavors, including gluten-free and vegan choices.

Marble Slab Creamery, 14 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-5579. Ice cream cakes in several sizes and varieties.

TCBY, 1800 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 274-1100; 671 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville, 693-0925; 2344 U.S. 70, Swannanoa, 686-7900; tcby.com. Low-fat yogurt cakes and pies.

Sam’s Club, 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, 2515243; 300 Highlands Square Drive, Hendersonville, 698-6889; samsclub.com. Cakes in a variety of sizes made to order.

True Confections, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave., Suite 147, 350-9480, trueconfections.net. From scratch, all-natural birthday cakes using

no artificial coloring or flavoring, or preservatives, and less sugar than conventional bakeries. Ultimate Ice Cream, 1070 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 296-1234. Dozens of ice cream flavors — about 30 featured at any one time — available in pints and quarts. Nondairy soy cream and gelato also available. Ice cream pies available. Walmart Supercenter, multiple locations around WNC. Birthday cakes made to order. West End Bakery & Café, 757 Haywood Road, West Asheville, 252-9378, westendbakery.com. Variety of flavors and combinations using organic flour, sugar and fresh local ingredients. Gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan cakes available in most flavors. World’s Best Carrot Cake, 175 Weaverville Highway, Asheville, 658-2738, worldsbestcarrotcake.com. Five kinds of all-natural carrot cake made by hand in small batches. Organic, vegan and gluten-free options. Cupcakes available.

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PLANNING Par-T-Perfect, Asheville, 6872494, partytime@par-t-perfect.com, par-t-perfect.com. A complete childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party service that offers a wide variety of inflatables, face painters, balloon twisters, games, crafts, bear stuffing parties and more. Fully insured and state inspected. The Party Pixie, Wendy Land, 606-4827, thepartypixie.com. A childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party planning business for the all-inclusive birthday party. Services include mailed custom invitations, costumes, games, crafts, snacks, decorations, music and more. Themes include (but are not limited to) pirate, cowboy, superhero, knights, princess, day spa, rock star/diva and pink poodle.

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Par-T-Perfect provides party planning as well as entertainment, from inflatables to clowns and more.

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SUPPLIES Baggie Goose, 3 Swan St., Asheville, 2743333, baggiegoose@aol.com, baggiegoose.com. Invitations for every occasion. Carolina Party & Paper, 1000 Brevard Road, Suite 167, Asheville, 681-0026, carolinapartyandpaper.com. Carries a large selection of handmade paper, stationary, party supplies, gift wrap and unique gifts. Store specializes in printable invitations to match any theme. Celebrations Party & Gift Store, 1829 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 687-7774; 265 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 255-5868. Party supplies in dozens of themes and a rainbow of colors. If It’s Paper, 28 New Leicester Highway, Asheville, 253-3910. Party supplies and party goods for many themes and patterns are stocked. Both mylar and helium balloons can be purchased. Candles, favors, banners, piñatas, confetti, gift wrap and treat bags also are available. K&C’s Party Supplies, 598 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, 274-7773. Themed and plain party supplies. Kmart, several area locations, kmart.com. Themed and plain party supplies, invitations, wrapping paper and ribbon. MLH Party Supplies, 309 White St., Hendersonville, 693-8287, mlhparty.com. Party supplies for various themes, Wilton cake decorating supplies, more. Party Blvd., 21 Long Shoals Road, Asheville, 676-0314, partyblvd.com. Party supplies in themes and a variety of colors. Store specializes in giant balloons, balloon bouquets, party favors, banners, gifts and invitations for every occasion. Target, two area locations, target.com. Party supplies, invitations, wrapping paper and ribbon. Walmart, several area locations, walmart.com. Party supplies, invitations, wrapping paper and ribbon.

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ENTERTAINMENT Anita Cup of Tea, anitacupoftea.com, 545-1236. Transform your party space into a tea party. Themes include Princess Party, Regal Ball, Fancy Nancy, Hollywood Mystery, Tink Tea and more. For children 4 and older. Packages include baked goods and brewed fruit tea, lemonade or apple cider. Games, dress-up time and more vary by theme. Asheville Face Painting, 606-0598, AshevilleFacePainting.com, info@ashevillefacepainting.com. Artist Michelle Bevans specializes in artistic, unique face painting. Asheville Magic, 828-526-1859, ashevillemagic.com, magictoms@yahoo.com. Tom Hughes twists balloons or puts on Professor Whizzpop Magic Show, a blend of magic and comedy. The Balloon Fairy, 423-2030, balloonfairymagic.com. Marcie creates balloon art and performs interactive magic for events. She is a “deco-twister,” creating custom balloon sculptures for events. Bill Grimsley, Magic Productions Inc., 687-7774, billgrimsleymagic.com. A professional entertainer for more than 20 years, Bill Grimsley provides magic and humor for a variety of events. Bounce About Ltd., East Flat Rock, 693-9959, bounceaboutltd.com, bounceabout@bellsouth.net. Inflatables rented for events, including bounce houses, obstacle course, slide and more. Tents also available. Caricatures by Helen Nagan, 298-8546; hnart@bellsouth.net. Fun, exciting, color caricatures in less than five minutes. Get a drawing involving a favorite sport, hobby or just having fun. Nagan says there’s no need to sit still while she put your likeness on 11” x 17” paper in black and colored markers. Carolina Caricatures, 298-1350, brianvasilik.blogspot.com. Brian Vasilik has drawn caricatures at Bele Chere and the Grove Park Inn. He draws at parties and other events, and can draw gift caricatures. CrossWay Creative Ministries, 410 Old Fort Road,

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Tom Hughes, of Asheville Magic, performs Professor Whizzpop’s Magic Show at parties.

Fairview, 777-2711. Specializes in party theme balloon decor and programming, including black light puppetry, clowning, illusion, balloon entertaining and sculptures for all ages. Funtastic Faces Face Painting, Lesley Barkett, funtasticfaces.net, lesley@funtasticfaces.net, 280-7926. Specializes in elaborate face painting using only FDA-approved nontoxic, hypoallergenic face-painting makeup. Good Times Inflatables, 775-3232, goodtimesinflatables.com. Provides inflatable games and rides, and other interactive games for parties of any size. Includes delivery and set up. Helen Holifield, storyteller, 216-8849, taralight@hotmail.com. Entertain children at birthday and holiday parties with stories. Holifield specializes in world tales and myths, and can design programs based on a child’s interest, like princesses, pirate, animals and more. Programs can involve songs and movement as well as stories, depending on the ages and interest. Continues on Page 22

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ENTERTAINMENT Continued from Page 20

HighTouch HighTech, 684-3192, info@sciencemadefunwnc.net, sciencemadefun.net. Provides hands-on science programs for kids at your party venue. Parties include a fun-filled, fast-paced 75-minute science adventure, all science supplies and materials, participation for the birthday child 4 and older and up to 14 of his/her friends (fee for each additional child), take-home experiments for each child, science certificate of participation for each child, special science gift for the birthday child. Jolly Balloon Smiths, 680-1066, balloonsmiths.com. Entertain kids with balloon fun. Available by the hour for birthday celebrations and other events. Mark DeVerges, 713-6396, mark@markdeverges.com, markdeverges.com. From balloon twisting and large-scale balloon creations to roving magic and full magic shows. Par-T-Perfect, Asheville, 687-2494, partytime@par-t-perfect.com, par-t-perfect.com. A complete childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party service that offers a wide variety of inflatables, face painters, balloon twisters, games, crafts, bear stuffing parties and more. Fully insured and state inspected. STJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inflatables, 710 Tracy Grove Road, Flat Rock, 696-0674, info@stjs.net, stjspartiesandevents.com. Inflatables, climibing wall, mini golf, dunk tank, limbo, concession supplies and more for rent.

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the artful parent

Celebrate with art By Jean Van’t Hul WNC Parent contributor

Ever since my daughter turned 1 and I started a weekly toddler art group, we’ve tried many, many group art activities. And, being who I am, every birthday party I’ve planned for my daughter since has had an art theme. We’ve decorated elaborate cupcakes with 2-year-olds (involving garish combinations of icing, sprinkles and teddy grahams that they ate happily as they decorated). We’ve done shaving cream painting with 3-year-olds (so fun!) and made decorate-your-own party hats with 4-year-olds (There was some pretty amazPHOTOS SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT ing head gear at that party). Maia is almost 5 Have children lie down on butcher paper. Adults can then trace the bodies. now, and it’s time to start planning her next art party. Art with a group can be extra fun, but it can also be extra work, so it’s important to plan carefully. Choose art activities that are suited to a group — generally ones that don’t involve a lot of steps or one-on-one parent involvement. Messy is Watch the fun unroll as Simon says draw dots, OK if you’re OK with it and if you warn parents ahead of time so kids don’t come squiggles, and funny faces. dressed in their fanciest party dress. Combine it with some backyard water fun Large roll of butcher paper (Contractor’s paper (pool, sprinkler, or slip-n-slide) for built-in clean up afterwards. is sold at Lowes for an economical $10 a roll) One of the best parts of an art party? The children can make their own party Markers favors! Cover a table with a large sheet of butcher Jean Van’t Hul blogs as The Artful Parent at artfulparent.typepad.com. paper.

Simon Says, Draw!

Body tracing and painting

Make a full size paper doll chain by tracing the bodies of the birthday child and her friends holding hands. Large roll of butcher paper (Note: contractor’s paper is sold at Lowes for an economical $10 a roll) Markers Tempera paint Cups or egg cartons to hold the paint Paintbrushes Tape two long pieces of butcher paper together to form a sheet tall enough for the children to lie down full length. Have the children lie down, side by side, on the paper with enough space between them so they can spread their arms and hold or touch hands. (Alternately, let them assume action poses.) Adults trace the children with dark markers. Give each child half of an egg carton filled with six paint colors and let the children paint and decorate their own body. Or you can have cups of paint available. It can be fun to bring out additional materials to add, such as glitter (and glue), sequins, colored tissue paper, etc., when the interest in painting begins to wane. Take a photo of the finished painting, then, at the end of the party, cut each child’s painting off to take home.

The children circle around the table, each with a different marker color. An adult can direct the drawing by being Simon. Here are some possible instructions: ◆ Simon Says, draw dots ◆ Draw stripes ◆ Draw squiggles ◆ Switch places with the person across from you ◆ Draw zigzags ◆ Draw a funny face ◆ Hand your marker to the person to your right ◆ Draw a monster ◆ Draw something really tiny ◆ Take five steps to the left around the table ◆ Draw something really BIG ◆ Draw something that lives under the sea Etc... Have fun making up your own Simon Says instructions! When the drawing is finished (Simon says, “Stop!”) stand back and admire the group effort. Note: this project can also be done with paint.

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kids’ voices

Dream vacations

It never hurts to dream big, especially when it comes to adventure. We asked kids at the Asheville Art Museum’s Summer Art Camp to describe where they would go on a dream vacation if money was no object, and what they would do there. Here’s what they told staff writer Barbara Blake. “I would go to an amusement park and live there. Not in the park, but in a house where I could take my car or truck and go there every day. Riding the roller coaster is the best part. My favorite amusement park is Disney World. I would like to live in the castle there. But I don’t think they let you do that.” Grayson Demos, 6

“I’d go to Hawaii. It’s really pretty there. I’ve never been, but I’ve seen pictures. I would go on a boat, and go fishing, and I’d swim all the time. I like going places like that better than amusement parks. I think we’re going (to Hawaii) when I’m a teenager.” Anna Long, 7

“I would go to Colorado, to the Great Sand Dunes (National Park). I’ve never been there, but I’m going next week. There’s a creek right beside it, and there’s a zoo there. I don’t know what town it’s in, but I’m going to take a lot of planes to get there.” Collin Moore, 7

“I would go to St. Martin. I was there before, on a cruise ship with my family. There was lots of stuff to do on the boat, and I swam with my cousins. I swam all the way out to a buoy. When we were on the boat, we watched ‘The Grinch’ because it was around Christmas.” Rachel Zivony, 6

“My perfect vacation would be at Disney World. I would go and eat with Mickey Mouse, and Minnie. I’d also go to the Cinderella castle. I’ve been there, but I want to go again.” Samiyyah Hassan, 7

“I would to go Paris. South Paris. They have cool stuff, like dresses and clothes. I went there with my family, and they had stuffed animal stores. The best part besides the stores was the Eiffel Tower. I’m going back this summer.” Ava Menkes, 6

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Pick-your-own bounty By Barbara Blake WNC Parent writer Fruits and vegetables are good and good for you, no matter where you get them. But there’s something about picking your own fresh produce, straight from the bush, vine or tree, that doesn’t compare with the store-bought variety. There is a bounty of farms in the mountain region that invite people to come and fill their baskets with homegrown berries, tomatoes, beans, squash, apples and other produce. They also offer opportunities for parents to prove to their kids that food comes from nature rather than a bag or cellophane-wrapped package in the grocery store. Pete Dixon, whose family owns Broadwing Farm in Hot Springs, said he’s Continues on Page 26

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A young visitor enjoys an apple he picked from a tree at Justus Orchard in Hendersonville.

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Bring the freshness home from pick-your-own farms Continued from Page 25

heard many children marvel at the fact that the blackberries they pick at the farm actually grow on bushes. “There was one kid here who was at the front of the farm, where it’s rocky and looks out over the river, and he asked me, ‘Who put all these rocks here?’” Dixon said. A number of repeat guests who stay in the cabins on the farm come back to enjoy the fresh food grown at Broadwing in addition to picking their own blackberries. “We also have a good, reliable crowd of local people who enjoy our blackberries every year,” he said. “Blackberrypicking is a tradition for a lot of families.” Margo Justus, whose family owns Justus Orchard in Hendersonville, said apple-picking has been a family tradition there since 1968. “We have parents that, as children, picked apples here in the 1970s and ’80s, and now bring their children back each year to enjoy picking apples like they did,” she said. Here’s a sampling of some of the pickyour-own farms in the region. To see more, visit the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s website at buyappalachian.org.

B&J’s Fruit Farm, 25 Triton Way, Old Fort, 6688217, jnoon33@aol.com Among the offerings are red raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, peaches, pears and figs in appropriate seasons. Picking by appointment; call first. Justus Orchard, 187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, 243-2420, justusorchard.com Offering blackberries in early July, apples in mid August and pumpkins in September. Peaches will be available for sale this year and for U-pick in 2011. The farm also offers fried apple pies and apple cider, boiled peanuts, canned goods and local vegetables. Open 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. J.W. Mitchell Farms, 405 Bradley Creek Road, Franklin, 349-2725 U-pick options include heirloom tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, corn, beans, strawberries, melons, peas and more. Everything on the farm is available for U-pick and available at the

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Anna Mae Black and Sienna Piscatelli pick blueberries at Sylvia Hatchell’s blueberry patch last summer. Blueberries are at their peak in mid summer in WNC.

roadside stand at the farm. Open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, 622-3647, broadwingfarmcabins.com U-pick blackberries by the flat sold mid-July through mid-August by appointment. The farm also has organic heirloom tomatoes. Hugh Kuykendall Farm, 450 Parker Padgett Road, Old Fort, 593-9078 Offering pick-your-own tomatoes, green beans and peppers, along with a produce stand selling cucumbers, potatoes, corn, cabbage, squash, watermelon and cantaloupe by the pound. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Billy Laughter Orchards, 111 Tullahoma Farms Lane, Hendersonville, 685-3241 Specializing in pick-your-own apples in the fall; most varieties are available. Drop by anytime between 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Legacy Farm, 330 Jubilee Lane, Rutherfordton, 863-4829 U-pick blueberries are available through July. Also available for purchase are organic cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, arugula, spring mix, squash and Swiss chard. Call ahead before visiting. Dogwood Hills Farm, 369 Ox Creek Road, Weaverville, 645-6286, dogwoodhillsfarm@ verizon.net U-pick blueberries, blackberries, black, yellow and red raspberries, grapes and apples. Call or e-mail to check for picking availability and hours.

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Long Branch Environmental Education Center, 278 Boyd Cove Road, Leicester, 683-3662, LongBranchEEC.org Offering U-pick raspberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, wineberries, apples, pears, cherries and chestnuts. Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call ahead. Queens Produce and Berry Farm, 858 Davidson River Road, Pisgah Forest, 884-5121, queensberryfarm.com U-pick black raspberries, red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Vegetables of all kinds grown on the farm are available at its store. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Call ahead for picking times and availability. The Ten Acre Garden, Chambers Farm Lane, Canton, 235-9667, farmboy53149@yahoo.com Offering pick-your-own strawberries, green beans, sweet corn, potatoes, carrots, raspberries and blueberries. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call ahead. Zimmerman’s Berry Farm, 2260 Revere Road, Marshall, 656-2056, zimmermansberry farm.com U-pick red raspberries, blackberries, sweet corn, blueberries. The farm store also has homegrown and handmade preserves and craft items. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call ahead for availability. Lady Luck Flower Farm, 36 Kel-Co Road, Candler, 545-7294, ladyluckflowerfarm.com The farm offers two acres of cutting flowers and medicinal herbs, through October. Call ahead.

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W N C PA R E N T | J U LY 2 010

ways to improve your child’s speed

By Brian Lawler WNC Parent contributor

Does your child sprint, stop or change direction with perfect mechanics? Or is there room for improvement? Contrary to popular belief, speed is not something that you are either born with or not. Speed is just like any other movement skill, such as shooting a basketball or kicking a soccer ball, and can be improved with practice. Most athletes have never been coached in how to properly align their body so that they can move as explosively as possible. Instead they have been left to figure this out on their own. Unfortunately few athletes ever get it “right.” It is rare for me to find an athlete who is operating even remotely close to their potential. I often find the opposite. Some of the most successful athletes make the biggest mistakes in their sprinting mechanics. They have gotten by on pure athleticism. Just imagine what they could do if they did things the right way! Below are some tips to help children perfect their sprinting mechanics and to achieve greater success on the playing field. ◆ Keep the ankle cocked. Many young athletes run with a floppy ankle, especially if they have undergone a recent period of growth. A floppy ankle will result in lost power at foot strike. By keeping the toes pulled up when the foot strikes the ground, the foot and ankle

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There are techniques your children can use to improve their speed when on the soccer field, ballfield, track and more. will act similar to a spring and will produce greater force and power. ◆ Maintain a forward lean with the trunk. A common mistake during acceleration is to run tall or upright. The amount of forward lean that your child has is dependent on his or her strength. The stronger the athlete, the greater the lean that children will have until they have reached top speed, at which time it is proper for them to achieve an upright posture while sprinting. ◆ Avoid over-striding. Many young athletes will take too long of a first step in order to attempt to run faster. Unfortunately this has the opposite effect and actually causes them to run more slowly. Speed is all about angles, and the shin should be positioned during acceleration so that the lower leg is driving down and back in order to propel the body forward. ◆ Drive the leg forcefully into the ground. Newton’s first law states that for every action there is an opposite and

equal reaction. The more force a child applies to the ground, the faster he or she will run. Most runners do not naturally apply as much force as they are capable of but this can be improved with training and conscious effort. ◆ Fully extend the hips during push off. Most children spend the majority of the day sitting and consequently develop tightness in their hip flexor musculature. This creates the tendency for them to not fully extend their hips during acceleration resulting in a shortened stride length and decreased speed. Encourage children to stretch their hip flexors regularly so that they can perform at an optimum level. Brian Lawler is a physical therapist and sports performance trainer at Asheville Physical Therapy. For more information about his clinics and summer speed camps, visit ashevillephysicaltherapy.com. He can be contacted at 828-277-7547 or at brianlawler@juno.com.

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recall roundup The following recalls have been issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. For more information, visit recalls.gov.

McDonald’s ‘Shrek’ glasses “Shrek Forever After 3D” collectable drinking glasses, sold at McDonald’s in May and June, have been recalled because designs on the glasses contain cadmium. Long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects. The collectable drinking glass are 16ounce glasses that came in four designs, Shrek, Fiona, Puss n’ Boots and Donkey. Consumers should immediately stop using the glasses and return the glasses to any McDonald’s for a refund of $3 each.

Target children’s belts Target Corp. has recalled boys’ and girls’ belts because the belt buckles contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. The recall involves two types of belts: The Chero-

kee boys’ belts and Circo girls’ belts. The Cherokee belts are black and brown reversible belts with heavy stitching in sizes M-XL. The belts came in a pack of two with the numbers 202/08/0018, 202/ 08/0019 or 202/08/0020 embossed on the belt. The girls’ Circo belts are pink and white with heart buckles in sizes XS-L. They were sold in a 2-pack with the numbers 202/05/0071, 202/05/0072, 202/ 05/0073 or 202/05/0074 listed on the product label attached to the inside of the belt. They were sold between December 2008-December 2009 for between $7 and $9. Consumers should

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return the belts to any Target store for a full refund.

Regal Lager infant carriers CYBEX 2.GO Infant Carriers distributed by Regal Lager Inc. of Kennesaw, Ga., have been recalled because a shoulder strap slider buckle can break, posing a fall hazard to babies. They were sold at baby furniture and baby product stores nationwide, and on various websites, from August 2009 through April 2010 for about $100. Call Regal Lager at 866-6788940 for a refund.

Dr. Mom

Susan Mims’ hectic schedule as doctor and volunteer doesn’t keep her from enjoying family life

By Barbara Blake WNC Parent writer Dr. Susan Mims is medical director of the Mission Children’s Hospital and former medical director of the Buncombe County Health Center. She and her husband, Dr. Dawson Mims, a hospitalist at Mission Hospital, have two sons, Dawson, 13, and Will, 11. She is on the boards of the YMCA of WNC and Kids in Parks, and is president of the Buncombe County Medical Society Foundation and volunteer medical director of Project Access, a physician volunteer program providing free care to uninsured Buncombe County residents. She holds M.D. and master of public health degrees from the University of North Carolina. The family lives on Busbee Mountain in the Reynolds Community, and her parents, Liz and Bill Rupp, live next door. Continues on Page 34

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Dr. Susan Mims with her family, husband Dr. Dawson Mims and sons Dawson, 13, and Will, 11.

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Dr. Mom Continued from Page 33

Q. What’s a typical day like for you? A. I really do not have a typical day, and that’s one of the things I enjoy about my work — every day is different. Most days start with some quiet time in the morning with a cup of coffee before anyone else gets up. I usually go for a swim (in her treadmill pool), then I’m often off to the hospital for 7 a.m. meetings. Doctors like to meet early in the morning. My days are filled with meetings, problem solving, facilitating conversations on health issues, educating, fundraising, advocacy work, seeing patients and more meetings. Q. How about evenings at home? A. I enjoy doing activities with my boys. When they were doing taekwondo, I did too. I’m a blue belt, my boys are black belts. Now that they like to run, we all will go out for a run on the Mountains to Sea Trail, or run 5Ks together. We are at the stage of being chauffeur for the boys — soccer practice, track, piano, art. Q. Do you think having a background in pediatrics makes a difference in how you parent your boys? A. Since I have been a pediatrician the whole time I have been a mom, it’s difficult to know how I would be if I were not one. Having the book knowledge about children and child development is very different from living it ev-

PHOTO BY STEVE DIXON

“Being around kids makes me happy,” said Dr. Susan Mims, the medical director of Mission Children’s Hospital, seen here in the sculpture garden at the front of the hospital’s Reuter Outpatient Center.

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‘

ery day. It is much easier for me to give someone else advice on how to handle a discipline situation with their child than it is for me to carry it out with mine. Through training, I have learned how important consistency and routine are for children. Q. You are a nine-year breast cancer survivor. What was one of the toughest parts of that experience? A. My boys were just 1 and 3, and it was very difficult for them to understand why I had to take so much medicine, lose my hair and could not carry them around. The day my hair started falling out was one of the hardest days. But my best friend advised me to just go ahead and cut it off when that happened. It was good advice, and we had a “Let’s shave mommy’s head” party. The boys picked up the hair and put it in the trash as my husband buzzed it off. It helped us all feel a bit in control of something we were not. Q. What are three simple rules you would encourage to keep kids healthy and fit? A. 1. Move every day; kids just do better when they are active. They feel better, they concentrate and learn better, and they will be in better overall health. 2. Limit sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages. 3. Watch portion sizes. We are so accustomed to eating double portions. We need to teach our kids what a healthy portion size really is. Q. When you’re in line at the grocery

Since I have been a pediatrician the whole time I have been a mom, it’s difficult to know how I would be if I were not one. Having the book knowledge about children and child development is very different from living it every day. It is much easier for me to give someone else advice on how to handle a discipline situation with their child than it is for me to carry it out with mine.’’

store and see a mom with kids, what do you see in her cart that makes you cringe? A. Sugar-sweetened soda. Q. What do you admire most about each of your boys? A. I admire their artistic ability and their determination. Dawson amazes me how he can build things. Since I do not consider myself artistic at all, his ability to put together three-dimensional art impresses me. He has been doing that since he was 3. Will is just so happy to be Will. He is very at ease with himself and puts others at ease. He is very competitive, though. I remember one night when I overheard the boys saying goodnight to each other. Will said, “I love you, Dawson.” Dawson said, “I love you, Will.” Then Will added, “But I love you more.” Q. What’s your favorite vacation destination? A. We enjoy traveling. I don’t think

we have gone to the same place twice. I want the boys to experience different people, places and cultures. Q. What do you do for pleasure? A. I enjoy hanging out in the mountains with my husband and boys, making bead jewelry, taking photographs and movies and piecing them together into something interesting, and swimming. Swimming is my sport, meditation and therapy of choice. I could have been a fish in another life. Swimming gives me energy to keep up with my boys and all the other kids in my world. Q. What’s it like having your parents next door? A. I am fortunate that my parents get to be a very special part of my boys’ lives. As mom says, we share a dog and two boys. Although my mom is not thrilled about it (yet), we now also share seven baby chicks, our newest pets.

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Fishing 101

Never fished before? We’ll help you get started By Damien Chambers WNC Parent writer Summer is here, and fishing season is upon us. WNC Parent gathered tips from the experts on equipment, technique and fishing locations to get the most out of your outdoor excursions. Aspiring anglers will need a fishing license and what is known as a “trout stamp” if they plan to catch trout. These licenses can be obtained at most hardware stores, Wal-Mart and tackle shops. Shane Buckner, manager of Hunter Banks Co., which specializes in fly-fishing, elaborated on the differences between bait fishing and fly-fishing. “In fly-fishing, the line on the rod is heavier, and you have to learn to guide it correctly to effectively lure the fish to you,” he said. “In bait fishing, the line automatically goes where it needs to.” Depending on whether you plan to fly-fish or use live bait, checking in with the employees at your location might be a good idea because some streams are for fly-fishing only. For more traditional bait fishing, specialty stores like Franklin’s Outdoor Sports offer various rods, bait and equipment to get you started. Franklin’s offers spin cast rods and reels for beginners for around $20-$25. Equipment can also be found at other sporting goods retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart. Good bait to use for bait fishing is the live variety. Minnows, night crawlers and chicken livers seem to work best. For easier bait, fishing try a stocked pond. Morgan Mill Trout Farm, with locations in Brevard and Cherokee, offers fishing for a small entry fee. Fishers pay by the pound to take home what they catch. Terrell Finley, of the Mountain Gate-

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKIS

Anderson Adams, 3, of Raleigh, reels in a fish that shook itself off while fishing at Beaver Lake with her grandfather Tim Galvin, of Asheville. way Museum in Old Fort, offered some advice to beginners in fly-fishing. Each body of water has its own peak periods and conditions and can be considered the best, or worst, fishing spot depending on the time of year, he said. “There are several different categories of trout streams in North Carolina,” Finley said. “Some require special equip-

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ment, such as light, freshwater tackle, the most common of which is known as Hatchery Support Stock.” Another difference between fly-fishing and regular fishing is that the lures and bait, as well as the way in which a fisherman casts a rod and baits the fish, closely resemble stream life and its movements.

HOW TO MAKE FISHING FUN Capt. Matthew Cline of Trio Charters, a professional fishing guide service in Upstate, S.C., and fisherman Matthew Hyde offer the following advice to make fishing easy and fun for children: ◆ Be prepared. Pack essentials such as drinks, layers of clothing and sunscreen as well as bait and tackle. ◆ Celebrate the activity and all accomplishments. Congratulate kids who bait their own hooks and cast their own lines. Upstate Parent magazine

FISHING SPOTS Some excellent fishing spots in WNC include: Lake Julian, South Asheville Beaver Lake, North Asheville Charles D. Owen Park, Swannanoa Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain Morgan Mill Trout Farm, Brevard Swannanoa River French Broad River

FOR INFORMATION ◆ N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: Visit ncwildlife.org/regs/regs_fishing.htm for details on fishing regulations and permits. ◆ Lake Julian Park: buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/parks/facilities/parks/ LakeJulian.htm for details on fishing at Lake Julian.

The Mountain Gateway Museum, which has a trout stream running through it, offers visitors the chance to fish in its stream. “Visitors are allowed to keep any fish they catch here if it is open season for that type of fish,” Finley said. “There are also no restrictions on the size of the fish or the bait used to catch it.” There is no shortage of places to fish around WNC, and each angler is going to have his or her favorite. “The French Broad River is probably the best spot in WNC to fish,” said Jeff Wilson, one of three co-owners ofFranklin’s Outdoor Sports. “It really is hard to beat because you can catch just about anything in there.”

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home-school happenings

Time to plan for fall

By Nicole McKeon WNC Parent columnist

If you’re anything like me, toward the end of our school year, I start to make plans for the fall. I know, there’s all summer. But summer zips by so quickly, and I want to take my time making my choices for the new year of school. One of the best and most difficult things about home-schooling here in WNC is the number of choices we have. There are numerous cooperatives, supplemental classes, professional tutors, art classes, music classes, athletic endeavors… you name it, we’ve got it. For me, being a right-brained type of thinker, too many choices are not a good thing! Add to that the thousands of curricula choices out there, and ugh — picture me pulling my hair out! I’ve learned that asking around about a class or a curriculum idea is often the best way to find out if it is going to work for you and your family. A lot of times a class sounds fantastic on paper but in reality it is actually something entirely different. I’ve also learned that it is really important to know what kind of learner you have on your hands. I’ve written before in this column about the different types of learners, and I would reiterate that nothing is more important. The Buncombe County Library System has lots of books on learning styles. Pick up a few and peruse them poolside, then choose classes and curriculum that are appropriate for your child’s learning style. The Internet can be a big help when researching curriculum. Google just about anything you hear about, and you will find a website and maybe also some review pages. Join local Yahoo groups devoted to home-schooling,

and ask questions from many experienced home-schoolers. I belong to WNC Homeschoolers, HOME Asheville and Asheville Unschoolers. I am sure there are probably other local groups, and you might even find it helpful to join a national group related to the style of home-schooling you plan to use. I am always interested in what other people are using, and would love to hear from you if you’ve got some great finds to share. Our family uses an eclectic group of styles and resources to create our perfect schedule, and it looks something like this for the fall: Tuesday and Thursday classes outside our home, which include science, history and writing; Latin and Italian; Wordly Wise 3000 for spelling/vocabulary; TouchMath and The Key To Series for Math; lots of reading of both nonfiction and fiction from the library; and horseback riding almost every day for my eldest child. For my first-grader, we’ve been using and will continue to use First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise (classical curriculum); TouchMath and Scholastic Workbooks for Math; Thursday cooperative classes that include science/geography/history; and Cursive Writing Skills by Diana Hanbury King. We use early readers we’ve collected at home, as well as some borrowed from the library to practice our reading skills, listen to lots of books on tape, and read out loud from classics. We supplement with music lessons and athletic pursuits. We also watch lots of PBS and History

Channel movies to reinforce history and science studies, and occasionally do a unit study, if someone gets really interested in a subject. We work together with other homeschool families if there is something we can do together efficiently, and try to trade off same-interest kids to pursue studies together when we need a break from each other. The most important thing we do together as a family is read. I think that this is the foundation of any home school. Encourage your children to read, buy them books, borrow books from the library, create a library in your home of well-loved books. The second most important thing is to support your children when they find something they are really interested in. Whether its poetry or cartooning, filmmaking or Barbies, encourage their interest and help them find friends who share that interest. I would love to hear from you about your families’ home-schooling plans for the fall! Contact Nicole McKeon at nmkeon@msn.com.

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librarian’s pick

3 books promote green message, from animals to vehicles to trees By Jennifer Prince Buncombe County Public Libraries Each of these three books champions ecologically kind living, but the styles and techniques the author of each book employs are varied wonderfully. Frances Barry’s picture book, “Let’s Save the Animals: A Flip-the-Flap Book,” is an exquisitely illustrated tribute to endangered animals all over the world. Barry uses torn and cut pieces of deeply colored papers to create collages of animals and their habitats. Each illustration has a specially shaped flap that folds back to reveal another view of the habitat and animal. Then, using a large, bold font and simple, declarative sentences, Barry verbalizes the images: “I’d save the African elephant, stomping across the plains and showering at the lake.” Using a much smaller font and more sophisticated language, the author includes specifics about the challenges each animal faces: “Humans are taking over the land where elephants live. Sometimes elephants are killed for their ivory tusks.” While the animal theme will appeal to kids of all ages, the picture book format and simple writing makes this title especially suited to early elementary school students. Using lyrical wording that invites reading aloud, and folksy, mountainhued illustrations, author Anne Shelby and illustrator Cor Hazelaar rework an old Appalachian folk tale in their new picture book “The Man Who Lived in a Hollow Tree.” In it, an old carpenter makes “every-

thing from cradles to coffins.” Because he requires so much wood for his work, he plants trees all over the mountainside: “Somebody else might need a tree someday was (his) philosophy.” The story morphs into a tall tale of age reversal and a Swiss Family Robinson sort of living, but the heart of the story is the replenishment of trees for the use and enjoyment of future generations. This is a clever way to engage preschoolers and early elementary school kids in talk (and hopefully action) about conservation. For older children, Jacqueline A. Ball’s “Traveling Green” uses dynamic, full-page photographs and chatty, kidaccessible language to describe how new and still developing energy efficient modes of transportation outshine their energy-hungry counterparts.

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Ball points out the energy efficient models’ shortcomings as well. For example, while vehicles that use electricity do not emit greenhouse gases directly, “if the electricity they use comes from a power plant that burns fossil fuels, they’re indirectly causing pollution.” Ball concludes the book with three case studies that describe energy-related success stories in large cities. Ball provides readers with tips on shrinking their carbon footprints, and offers advice on how to encourage family members to reduce the amount of driving done in a week. This book has enough substance to it that kids can use it for research. These books are available through the Buncombe County Public Libraries. Visit www.buncombecounty.org for more information.

area story times Buncombe County Public Libraries

Visit buncombecounty.org July 13: Pajama Party Story Time. 6:30 p.m. at Weaverville Library. Call 250-6482. July 20: Firefly Family Story Time, 6:30 p.m., Enka-Candler Library. All ages. Mother Goose Time (ages 4-18 months) 11 a.m. Mondays: West Asheville 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays: Fairview 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Black Mountain 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Weaverville (nonwalkers) 11 a.m. Wednesdays: Swannanoa, Weaverville (walkers) 11 a.m. Thursdays: Oakley 11:30 a.m. Thursdays: Enka-Candler Toddler Time (ages 18-36 months) 10 a.m. Wednesdays: N. Asheville 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Fairview, Skyland 11 a.m. Wednesdays: W. Asheville 10 a.m. Thursdays: Swannanoa 10:30 a.m. Thursdays: Black Mountain, EnkaCandler 11 a.m. Thursdays: Weaverville (first Thursday only)

Story time (ages 3-5) 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays: Weaverville 10 a.m. Wednesdays: Oakley 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Black Mountain, Enka-Candler, Leicester 11 a.m. Wednesdays: E. Asheville, N. Asheville 10:30 a.m. Thursdays: Fairview, Skyland 11 a.m. Thursdays: Swannanoa, W. Asheville 11 a.m. Saturdays: E. Asheville School-age story time (ages 5-7) 3:15 p.m. Thursdays: N. Asheville Family story time 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays: Weaverville Storyline Call 251-5437 for a story anytime.

Henderson County Public Library

Visit henderson.lib.nc.us. Story time on the Porch 11 a.m. Saturdays at Edneyville Bouncing Babies (ages 0-18 months) 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays: Main 11:15 a.m. Wednesdays: Fletcher Toddler time (ages 18 months-3 years) 10 a.m. Mondays: Edneyville 10 a.m. Tuesdays: Etowah 10 a.m. Wednesdays: Fletcher

10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Main Library 10 a.m. Thursdays: Green River Preschool story time (ages 3-5) 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays: Main Preschool to second grade story time 11 a.m. Mondays: Edneyville 11 a.m. Tuesday: Etowah 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Fletcher 11 a.m. Thursdays: Green River Family story time (all ages) 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays: Mills River 4 o’clock Craft Club 4 p.m. Thursdays: Main Library

Barnes & Noble

Asheville Mall, 296-7335 11 a.m. Mondays (toddlers) and 2 p.m. Saturdays (young readers). Biltmore Park, 687-0681 11 a.m. Wednesdays (toddlers) and 2 p.m. Sundays.

Spellbound Children’s Bookshop

19 Wall St., Asheville, 232-2228, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com Story time Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. (ages 3-5) and 3:30 p.m. (ages 5-7). Free.

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growing together

Love has its seasons By Chris Worthy WNC Parent columnist I saw them today for the first time in a long while. The end of spring’s lingering chill has finally gone and they have returned to their walks. He is ill — recovering from a stroke, I would guess — and each step is both a struggle and a triumph. She walks beside him, reaching her right arm across her body to hold his hand. Her left hand swings gently between them, except when she reaches it around his hip in what must be muscle memory from the hundreds of thousands of times she has returned his embrace. When he occasionally falls behind, she slows her already quiet steps until they are once again side-by-side. They chat with the easiness of two who know each other so well, words just gild the lily of conversation. Part of me feels that even watching them from afar is an intrusion into the most intimate of moments. Some dismiss them as old and irrelevant, incapable of or uninterested in romance thought reserved for the young. But I see it when she looks at him and when he smiles at her. I see them young and vibrant and full of dreams. I see them now, basking in the glow of dreams fulfilled and treasuring the life they have made, even in the valleys they didn’t anticipate. What they share is no less passionate than the love of newlyweds, those who are joyously past the days of middle-of-the-night feedings and those with a recently emptied nest. Theirs is simply a different season. Just 21 years ago, I married the best person I know. With a little more than two decades behind us, we still relish date nights and quiet evenings at home. When I have good news or bad, my first thought is sharing it with him. He makes

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me laugh, his mind amazes me and he sees me through the rosiest of glasses. His arm around me can still save the day. So as I watch them walk in the sunshine, I smile, too. And I silently thank them for a glimpse of a very good future. Chris Worthy is an attorney who took down her shingle to be a stay-at-home. Contact her at chris@worthyplace.com.

kids and sports

Lessons learned on the ballfield By Tom Kuyper Gannett

From the mailbag: Comment: Jake’s Little League team went 3-9 during the season but the kids kept working and we kept working with them. The result is now they’re a much better team and they’ve won two straight playoff games. Last game they scored four runs on five hits for a walk-off win after having two outs and no one on base in the last inning. The team they beat lost only one game all year and averaged 25 runs a game and we held them to eight! Jake is having a great time and doing very well both at the plate and in the field. He even accepted a move to left field for the playoffs because the team needs him there, so he learned that the team comes first and he embraced that. This is one of the many ways in which youth sports are so good for kids. They learned that if they keep practicing, keep working hard and keep fighting then things always have a chance of going their way. They’ve also learned to trust and depend on one another for success. Response: The redemptive story here is not the fact that they won some games after some hard work and affirmation from the coaches, but in the life skills that they have learned and discovered. Learning that it takes hard work, practice and perseverance to get to where they want to be is more valuable than words can say. I love that these guys have learned the value of relationships through working together and trusting in their teammates to change things around for the good. Here’s for hoping that every kid in youth sports gets to be on a team that finds itself in last place, so players can know the feeling of redeeming a lost season by staying in there and watching things turn around! E-mail Kuyper at tomkuyper@kidsandsports.com.

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divorced families

Set boundaries on electronics By Trip Woodard WNC Parent columnist

One of the complications of birthday wishes in our time tends to be the desire of children to ask for gifts that are electronic in nature such as cell phones, iPods, computers and video game systems. Unfortunately, you did not grow up with these things yourself, and it becomes a challenge as to what the “family policy” should be and what to think about how this may be affecting your child. Dr. Ed Hamlin, the clinical director of the Pisgah Institute Center for the Ad-

vancement of Human Potential and a nationally recognized expert in the field of neurofeedback, has concerns. “The truth is that it will be 10 years before we know what is really going on,” he said, referring to the effect of our new electronics on children and the lag in research. Evidence suggests that electronics are having a noticeable impact on attention span. “Communication has become abbreviated, you can have multiple messaging at the same time, so you can’t pay real attention to anyone,” he says. “In the classroom, it is becoming difficult to listen to one person for one hour when the brain is being shaped for shorter

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communication bursts.” Teachers can’t compete and “aren’t as stimulating.” Computer games have a similar impact, “especially point and shoot games,” according to Hamlin. “Visual processing may improve, but to get good at the game you have to learn to shut down the frontal lobe of your brain where attention and executive decision making are located.” This becomes another problem in school. In general, there is a direct inverse relationship between school grades and a child’s exposure to video beginning at 10 hours a week, according to Hamlin. “Parents haven’t known how adaptive the brain is up to age 12 and how inflexible it becomes afterwards.” The parent of a 15-year-old, Hamlin

and his wife actively monitor their daughter’s computer use and place limits on her text messaging. He attributes her lack of obsession with electronic mediums to be due to parental modeling, which emphasizes reading and “pure luck.” For the parents of adolescents, Hamlin offers the following advice: ◆ Monitor your child’s electronic use and content. ◆ Limit the time your child spends on electronic venues ◆ Respect and enforce the ratings on video. Children do become desensitized to violence from video gaming. ◆ Model your expectations of your children by your own time with electronics. Rusty and Carla Griffin, the parents of Andrew, 14, and Daniel, 19, agree with Hamlin’s observations. They add that their greatest concern is that video gaming can take on an obsessive reality for youth, replacing other healthy recreational pursuits. “Cell phones, especially text messag-

ing, are a constant disruption to family and personal time” says Rusty Griffin. “I worry that iPods can contain messages in music that are a constant reminder of negative thinking.” The Griffins add the following advice: ◆ Set strong boundaries with the beginning of acquiring electronic devices for children. ◆ Set clear time for the use of devices so that they do not interfere with homework and especially sleep. ◆ Know what your kids are listening to and try to understand how your children relate to the message. ◆ A younger child, such as their son Andrew, benefits from a cell phone providing it has preprogrammed phone numbers for emergency use. Christopher Johns, owner of Christopher’s Computers, often has to deal with concerned parents and their computers. Teenagers are often seen as “tech savvy” and Johns often act as a “consultant” to help parents not feel so intimidated. “We lock our doors, but computers are yet another door in which we can’t

see who is on the other side. We teach our children don’t talk to strangers, but then we give them a computer and say ‘have at it.’” Johns offers the following advice: ◆ Monitor their computer and electronics, but don’t be sneaky about it. Be open about this and use additional software if you need to, but don’t risk violating trust. ◆ If your child continues to choose inappropriate sites to visit on the computer, then use software that will give you direct control of acceptable websites and times for computer usage. Overall, Hamlin concludes these changes in electronics and youth are not necessarily a threat. “We may be seeing the transition into a new communications age…our very language may change in response to some of these things.” Trip Woodard is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a clinical member of the N.C. Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Contact him at 6068607.

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Learn about water safety By Doreen Nagle Gannett Constant sunshine and lazy days make for opportunities to take your little ones into the water. Now, for the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has relaxed its stance against swimming lessons for children under the age of 4. This professional organization has previously said swimming lessons for children this young will give parents a false sense of security that their toddlers were safe around the water. But some new studies have shown that children in this age group are less likely to drown if they have received lessons. Hence, the academy now recommends swim lessons for children as young as 1, but only when the parent feels comfortable giving these lessons to their toddlers. The academy recommends that you should enroll your toddler in a class that emphasizes water safety and requires one adult (parent or otherwise) to be in the water for each child. An acceptable ratio of instructor to child is a minimum of one instructor for up to 10 children in this age group; fewer children means more attention by the instructor for each participant. Drownings can happen in less than two minutes. Children must never be left alone near water, including the backyard pool. Always make sure an adult has a watchful eye on children who are playing in or near the water. Keep a cell phone with you when you are at the water whether it is in your own yard, a neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home or at a riverfront or other beach. If an emergency happens, you will be able to dial 911 right away. Learn CPR. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know CPR, get in touch with your local Red Cross for a list of dates and times of classes. This is an invaluable course. Contact Nagle at doreennagle@yahoo.com.

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video games

‘Super Mario Galaxy 2’ is out of this world By Jinny Gudmundsen Gannett Nintendo has done it again. They have created another spectacular “Super Mario” adventure for the Wii that continues to innovate as well as entertain. In “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” Mario, the beloved Italian plumber-hero, once again jumps into the unknowns of outer space to rescue Princess Peach. Big hulking baddie Bowser, a turtlelike enemy, has kidnapped Peach and taken her with him to start an empire in the center of the universe. It is up to Mario to find Peach and bring her safely back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Joining Mario on this adventure through wild and fanciful galaxies are Yoshi, the green dinosaur that so many Nintendo gamers adore, and Luigi, Mario’s brother. For those new to “Super Mario Galaxy” games, you control Mario as he runs, jumps and spins his way through many levels of play. The goal in each level is to find a way through, which involves solving puzzles to navigate extravagant environments. You may figure out how to change the colors of a series of platforms by jumping on them, but the tricky part is doing it so that they all turn the same color. On various levels, Mario will encounter baddies that try to stop him. His defenses include the ability to stomp on baddies, to spin to stun them or to shoot Star Bits. He will also find various tools to help him, including launch stars to take him to new places. Joining him on this adventure is a little star called Baby Luma, who provides Mario with the special power of the stars. This power of the stars is used to propel the Starship Mario through the universe in search of Bowser. Since you need to find Power Stars to fuel your spaceship, you must search for them in various galaxies along the way. Each galaxy is different - on some, you can walk completely around the spherical surface without falling off; on others, if you veer over the edge, you lose one of

Score: 4 stars (out of 4) Rating: E (Everyone) with mild cartoon violence Best for ages: 7 and up Platform: Nintendo Wii Publisher: Nintendo, supermariogalaxy.com Price: $49.99 form. Yoshi transforms by eating weird things. For example, if he devours a Dash Pepper, he will transform into a mount with blazing speed that can transcend steep inclines. Mario can transform by finding power-ups like the Cloud Flower, which enables him to jump onto clouds and even create his own cloud platforms. “Super Mario Galaxy 2” is a great choice for gamers of all ages because of its brilliant level design and help features. It gradually ramps up its difficulty by giving you a new In Nintendo’s “Super Mario Galaxy 2” for the Wii, Mario skill, letting you practice with transforms with special powers including the ability to walk it, and then challenging you to on clouds and create his own cloud platforms in the sky. do more. If you are a new or young player, the game provides you with help your many lives and must restart at your in many ways. It can be made easier by last checkpoint. having a second player join you in Co“Super Mario Galaxy 2” belongs to a Star Mode. Using a second Wii remote, genre of games known as platform puzthe Co-Star player can attack bad guys zlers because of the need to jump on for you and collect items that you need. platforms to navigate through the levels. In some particularly challenging galWhat sets this game apart from others in axies, the game provides a Tip Network this crowded genre is the innovation of small TVs showing you certain moves shown on each level. No two levels are that make it easier to advance. And if the same as you blast from planet to you are really struggling in a tricky area, planet within galaxies. a Cosmic Guide will appear offering to In one, you may find Yoshi; and by show you the solution. jumping onto his back, you can use his This is a game parents can feel good stretchy tongue to grab onto a series of about because these vibrant worlds rehooks to propel you through space. In ward experimentation and creative another, you might find a Spin Drill that thinking. It’s a great way to create a sumcan bore through a planet to attack a mer staycation that is out of this world. baddie who is lurking on the other side. Contact Gudmundsen at C1Tech@ Another great innovation in this game gannett.com. is the ability of its characters to trans-

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Summer Johnson, 4, of Mills River. Submitted by Revonda Johnson.

Georgina Ex, 2, feeds bread to the geese at Lake Julian Park. Submitted by mom Marcia Excell, of Arden.

We welcome photos of your children. Send high-resolution images, along with names, ages and hometowns of everyone pictured. Include your name, address and phone number. Send to Katie Wadington by e-mail at kwadington@citizen-times.com or to WNC Parent Photos, P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802. The Hugheys, of Alexander, make a perfect â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wizard of Ozâ&#x20AC;? gang. From left, Scarecrow-Noah, 6; Tin Man-Shawn, 4; Dorothy-Olivia, 2; Cowardly Lion-Lucas, 1. Submitted by mom Amy Hughey.

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Grayson Barnett, 4, of Hudson, N.C. Submitted by his dad Aaron, of Hickory and formerly of Murphy.

Colby Brown, 7, takes a break after a soccer game. Submitted by dad David Brown, of Fairview.

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Blueberry g dness

Use summer’s bounty in delicious treats By Michael Knock Gannett Blueberries no longer go kuplunk. That was what I learned last Friday while on a berry picking excursion at a farm south of Iowa City. I went not only to pick blueberries for homemade muffins, but to try and re-create the story of Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book, “Blueberries for Sal.” In that book, Sal, who looks to be about 3 or 4 years old, goes off with her mother to pick blueberries on a brisk summer morning in Maine. From here, McCloskey writes: “Little Sal picked three berries and dropped them in her little tin pail ... kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!” Of course, you probably know what happens next. Little Sal gets lost and while searching for her mother finds a mother bear instead. The bear has brought her cub — cleverly named Little Bear — to Blueberry Hill that morning to search for blueberries. Little Bear also gets lost and while searching for his mother, finds Little Sal’s mother instead. Fortunately, carnage does not ensue. Robert McCloskey was no Stephen King, so before long, mother and child and she-bear and cub are reunited and everyone heads home happily laden with fresh, sweet blueberries for winter. “Blueberries for Sal” was one of the many books my mother read to us when

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I was growing up. Every afternoon, she would sit down with all three of us kids in a small green chair to read stories like “The Big Red Ball” and “Drummer Hoff Fired it Off.” “Blueberries for Sal” was not one of my favorites. McCloskey’s world of blueberry covered hills and wild bears was foreign to a child growing up in Melvin, Iowa. Maybe it would have had more resonance if it had been called “Sweet Corn for Sal.” Still, the story stuck with me. That’s probably due to the beautiful blue ink drawings that McCloskey used to illustrate his simple story. Most striking is the scene that both opens and closes the book. It shows Sal and her mother in a gorgeous old kitchen canning blueberries for winter. The drawing is a time capsule of life in the 1940s. It was this image that inspired my morning of blueberry picking. It was with great anticipation that I dropped my first blueberries into my little plastic pail. But instead of “kuplink, Continues on Page 54

Blueberry-lemon icebox pie ice cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 6 large egg yolks 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup lemon juice zest of 1/2 lemon 1 pint blueberries In a heavy saucepan bring cream to a simmer. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly beat the hot cream into the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Don’t let the mixture boil or eggs will scramble. Remove from heat. Pour hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly. Then stir in the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and zest. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight. Stir the cold custard well, then freeze in your ice-cream freezer according to manufacturer’s instructions. Fold the blueberries into the ice cream when it is finished, then put in freezer for 1 hour to harden before serving. Source: Louisville Courier-Journal

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Now that you have a bunch of fresh blueberries, what are you going to do with them? They can be folded into a bowl of blueberry-lemon icebox pie ice cream.

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Blueberries Continued from Page 53

kuplank, kuplunk,â&#x20AC;? my berries only made a dull, hollow thud. After about an hour of picking, I came away with just more than four pounds of blueberries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; more than enough for a batch of fresh blueberry muffins, a nice blueberry buckle and whatever else I set my mind to. That surely makes up for my missing kuplunk.

Blueberry muffins

1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups blueberries 2 cups flour 1/2 cup milk For the Topping: 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 18 regular-sized muffin cups (or use paper muffin liners). In a mixing bowl, mix butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, baking powder and salt. Now you are going to have to mix in the remaining ingredients by hand. Fold in 1/3 of the flour. Once you no longer see any flour in the mix, add half of the milk. Stir until incorporated. Follow with another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and then the remaining flour. Finally, fold in the blueberries carefully so as not to crush them. Spoon the muffin mix into the prepared muffin cups. Now make the topping. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned and the muffins spring back when touched. Makes 18 regular muffins. Source: Recipezaar.com

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Blueberry freezer jam

4 cups blueberries (about 2 pints) 2 cups sugar (or to taste) juice of 1/2 lemon pinch of sea salt 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger, finely chopped In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Let stand until the berries start rendering their juice, about 15 minutes. Over high heat, bring the blueberry mixture up to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches the jelling point -- 220 degrees on an instantread thermometer. The mixture will bubble up, rising high up the sides of the saucepan. Using a slotted spoon, skim off any lightcolored foam as it collects on the edges. (Also, be careful of splatters, as the thick, sugary mixture can be quite painful if you’re splashed.) When jam reaches the jelling point, add candied ginger and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, and transfer the mixture to sterilized freezer-safe plastic containers, leaving 1 inch for headroom and freezer expansion. Freeze for up to 1 year or refrigerate to one month. Makes 4 cups. Source: Adapted from “Bon Appetit, Y’all” by Virginia Willis (10 Speed Press, 2008)

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Gannett

Fire up the grill

You don’t have to be an expert chef to pull off a great meal from the grill. In fact, your success behind the barbecue is pretty much determined at your neighborhood meat counter. Do you have the right meat? Fish? Marinade? To help ensure that you do, we asked a few suburban New York food vendors to dish out their favorite grill-friendly meats, fish, chicken and veggies — along with a few sure-fire tips.

Burgers Expert: Steve Campanella, owner of Steve’s Prime Meats in Congers, N.Y. What you’ll need: A combo of beef brisket and sirloin will give you both flavor and leanness. Ratchet up the flavor by stuffing the patties with ingredients like chopped bacon, Cheddar and barbecue sauce before they kiss the grill. How to grill it: Start by getting the grill really hot (put it on high for 15 minutes, then lower it to a medium-high). Spray it down with cooking spray or olive oil to prevent sticking, then sear each side of the burger for 3-4 minutes. Patties should be on the larger size (8-10 ounces) for stuffed burgers. It’s best for the meat in the center to reach 135-140 degrees, Campanella says. Top tip: Keep the grill flame under control. Too fiery a flame “burns the outside, and sometimes you won’t even taste the other ingredients,” Campanella says.

Steak Expert: Jack Neugarten at Ed’s Meats in Pearl River, N.Y. What you’ll need: This old-school butcher recommends prime and aged cuts of meat with white marbling within the red meat — not just surrounding it. That fat makes for great flavor. Neugarten says mignon will really wow meat-lovers, but says porterhouse and ribeye cuts work well on the grill, too. How to grill it: Brush olive oil onto the

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Ed Rodriguez of Midwestern Meats in Phoenix prepared these kebabs on a grill.

grill to keep food from sticking. Toss on the steak, close the hood to sear the meat on one side for three or four minutes, then flip it, close the hood and do the same. Keep the hood open for the rest of the process to grill the steak to your liking of doneness. If you want it to marinate, do so for a half-hour before hitting the grill. Top tip: Before cooking the steak, put six pieces of bread on the grill to figure out where the hot spots are. “No matter what grill you have, it’s not the same (heat) all the way around,” Neugarten says. “People who like (steak) well-done should put it on the hot spot. If somebody doesn’t like it as well-done, you put it on the spot that’s not that hot.”

Fish Expert: Abraham Urrutia, manager of

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C&M Seafood in Pomona, N.Y. What you’ll need: Swordfish, sea bass and salmon are grill-friendly fishies, but Urrutia suggests a No. 1 sushi-grade yellowfin tuna for its combination of ease and flavor. To ensure freshness, make sure the tuna has firmness, a dark hue and minimal odor. How to grill it: Urrutia recommends marinating the tuna in teriyaki sauce “just a couple of minutes” before it hits the grill. Top tip: Don’t overcook.

Chicken Expert: Steve Gold of Murray’s Chicken in New City, N.Y. What you’ll need: Dark meat thrives on the grill “because it doesn’t tend to dry out like white meat,” Gold says.

Beef and chicken kebabs with yellow rice

For the kebabs: 8 bamboo skewers 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts or beef tenderloin (or a combination) 1 to 2 large red or green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large Spanish onion, cut into thin pieces 8 cherry tomatoes 2 cups cooked yellow rice (see recipe) Salt and pepper to taste For rice: 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3 cups water 1 tablespoon olive oil butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups long grain rice To make the rice, heat the turmeric and cumin in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the water, salt and olive oil. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. For kebabs, soak bamboo skewers in bowl of cold water. Preheat grill to medium hot heat. Build medium-hot barbecue fire or preheat broiler. Cut chicken and beef into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks. Thread chicken, peppers and onions on skewers, leaving about 2 inches at end of each to add tomatoes later. Thread beef, peppers and onions on skewers, leaving about 2 inches at the end of each to add tomatoes later. Place kebabs on grill, turning often, and grill about 10 minutes or until chicken and beef are slightly charred. About 3 minutes before end of cooking time, add tomatoes to end of skewers. Serve directly from skewers or remove from skewers to platter or individual plates. Serve along with or atop rice, if desired. Makes 4 servings. Source: Ed Rodriguez of Midwestern Meats, Mesa, Ariz.

How to grill it: Brush olive oil onto the grill, then cook chicken thighs or breasts at a medium temperature on an open grill to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bring out the flavor in the chicken,â&#x20AC;? Gold says. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees for breasts and 170 degrees for dark meat before serving. Continues on Page 58

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Grilling Continued from Page 57

Top tip: If you can keep your hand above the flame for four seconds, you’ve got the right amount of heat for grilling chicken. If the flame is too hot for your hand, the bird will lose its flavor; kick it up a notch if your hand is still comfortable after six or seven seconds.

Vegetables Expert: Mimi Platas of Mimi’s Plate, Tappan, N.Y. What you’ll need: Lots of vegetables work well on the grill, from the fancy (radicchio and endive) to the usual (onions and asparagus) to the surprisingly familiar (lettuce and carrots). How to grill it: Medium temperatures, no higher, are perfect. Brushing a vegetable with olive oil makes it crispy on the outside. Grill time for most vegetables top out at about 10 minutes, but the thin, delicate nature of some (like lettuce) should skew closer to 3-4 minutes. Top tip: Never leave the grill, especially when the food you’re cooking doesn’t need much time on it.

Grilled loin chops

4 center loin chops, about 1 and one-fourth inch thick 1 sweet yellow onion, chopped 1 tomato, chopped 1 Poblano pepper, seeded and diced 2 tablespoons coconut oil 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 1 tablespoon lemon pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme Preheat grill on low heat, about 275 degrees. Season chops with garlic, seasoning salt, lemon pepper and thyme. Top each with equal amounts of onion, tomato and pepper. Wrap each chop and vegetables in foil. Make the packet tight to keep juices from leaking out while grilling. Grill for about 90 minutes, or until internal temperatures reach 155 degrees. Remove from grill and set aside grilled vegetables. Return chops to grill without foil for about 5 minutes, turning once, for a golden finish. Serve with grilled vegetables. Makes 4 servings. Source: Paul Randolph of The Meat Shop, Phoenix

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Kids page Maze

Coloring

Word search

bears cage clowns elephant fire

hoops horses jugglers lion tamer lions

net peanuts popcorn ringmaster stilts

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tigers tightrope trapeze unicycle

puzzles for parents Across

1. Potato chip to a Brit 6. Salt in Mexico 9. To turn into a liquid 13. Carries blood away from heart 14. Between id and superego 15. Ancient doctors drew blood with it 16. A silver one means inherited wealth 17. ___ de toilette 18. _____ Adler, she outwitted Sherlock Holmes 19. She repeatedly asked, "Who is John Galt?" 21. Like Hester Prynne’s letter 23. "Ostrich" of Australia 24. Common office plant 25. It holds ashes 28. Speaking platform 30. Adornment often found on drapes 35. Lives in a bog 37. Mistakes 39. 1991 hit "Rico _____" 40. Pulitzer Prizewinning poet, James ____ 41. Wealthy man in the Orient 43. Arch on the face 44. Elipses

46. Infamous Roman tyrant 47. Usually served hot in sushi restaurant 48. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood nemesis 50. On top 52. The Chiffons hit "___ So Fine" 53. Pitcher 55. Small lump

57. He showed us "An American Tragedy" 61. Make insane 65. The Grinch carved the _____ beast 66. He wrote "Fahrenheit 451" 68. Jimmied 69. Plural of ostium 70. Spermatozoa counterparts 71. Leaf feature 72. Hallway permis-

sion 73. "One Fish Two Fish ___ Fish..." 74. Exalt to the skies

Down

1. A home in Mexico 2. Thready or stringy 3. Pulitzer Prizewinning William Kennedy novel, "____weed" 4. Where Malamud’s

"The Assistant" takes place 5. Republic in Central America 6. William March’s "The Bad ____" 7. Title for Turkish military leader 8. A nasty person 9. Territory, abbr. 10. Achilles’ weakness 11. It’s dreaded by teens 12. Make more acute 15. Tarzan’s swings 20. Spirit inhabiting an object 22. Tube in old TV 24. Your grandfather, e.g. 25. This Sinclair proclaimed to "hit their stomachs" 26. Steal goods 27. Type of unit at a hospital 29. Cereal roughage 31. Setting of "The Hunt for Red October," pl.

32. She is plain and tall 33. Call forth 34. This Sinclair took us to "Main Street" 36. "Wilhelm ____" by Friedrich von Schiller 38. Arrange by categories 42. Pioneer Daniel 45. Afternoon nap 49. Female sheep 51. This color won Alice Walker a Pulitzer 54. World Series mistake 56. Sacha _____ Cohen 57. To fall 58. She’s famous for not taking a back seat 59. Grub 60. Egyptian goddess of fertility 61. Two of a kind 62. Writing point of a pen, pl. 63. Oddball 64. Whirlpool 67. ___ Maria

Solutions on Page 71 60

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calendar of events

Things to do Through Aug. 5

Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club The Cradle of Forestry offers a weekly summer nature program in which kids help Woodsy Owl in his conservation mission to “lend a hand, care for the land!” Each day a variety of outdoor-oriented activities will explore a forest related theme to engage young children in the natural world around them. For ages 4-7. 10:30 a.m.-noon Thursdays. $4 per child per program, adults are $2.50. Reservations requested. Call 877-3130 or visit cradleofforestry.org.

Registration starts June 28

Play & Learn Parents/caregivers and children ages 3-5 in Buncombe County who are not in regulated child care can attend a series of eight free Play & Learn group sessions. The group will meet 10-10:45 a.m. Mondays, July 12-Aug. 30, in the Gathering Room of the YWCA on South French Broad Avenue. And 10 and 11 a.m. Tuesdays, July 13-Sept. 1, at Asheville City Schools Preschool on Haywood Road in West Asheville. Each 45-minute session focuses on pre-literacy skills for children and educational information for parents. With songs, puppets, dance, games, crafts and hands-on activities. Children new to the program receive a book each week. Registration required. New participants may register by e-mail (marna.holland@asheville.k12.nc.us) or phone (350-2904) on June 28. If slots are still available, returning participants may register July 6. Children must be at least 3 years old on or before July 12 to participate. Younger siblings may attend with their families, but materials are not provided for them. It is understood that children attending kindergarten in the fall will not be able to attend sessions that extend past the beginning of school. For information, call Marna Holland at 350-2904.

June 29

Brien Engel & His Musical Drinking Glasses For ages 5 and older. At 11 a.m. at West Asheville Library, 250-4750. At 2:30 p.m. at Oakley/South Asheville Library, 250-4754. Leicester Library Knitters For all skill levels. At 8 p.m. at the library, 1561 Alexander Road. Call 250-6480.

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calendar of events

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Fireworks go off over downtown Asheville at last year’s Fourth of July celebration.

JULY 4 WEEKEND EVENTS July 3 Freedom Fest, Bryson City: Old-fashioned mountain street festival with arts and crafts, entertainment, kids area. greatsmokies.com Montreat parade: 10:30 a.m., Lookout Road. Picnic and Tuck River Race, Dillsboro. Picnic by the water, watch homemade rafts race down the Tuckasegee River. visitdillsboro.org July 4 Black Mountain: Downtown fireworks, street dance, food, more. Free. Visit bmrecreation.com. Fabulous Fourth Celebration, Jackson Park in Hendersonville. Crafters, food, kids’ area, antique car show, music, more. Starts at 2 p.m. with fireworks at dusk. historichendersonville.org Fireworks Hike: Swannanoa Valley Museum offers hike to view fireworks. Call 669-9566 or visit swannanoavalleymuseum.org. Brevard Fourth of July Celebration: downtown Brevard. brevardnc.org Fourth of July Parade in Historic Downtown Franklin: Starts at 10:30 a.m. renewingfranklin.org Independence Day Parade, downtown Hendersonville: Starts at 4 p.m. historichendersonville.org Ingles Fourth of July Celebration, downtown Asheville: Festivities start at 1 p.m. Fireworks at 10 p.m. ashevillenc.gov MPAC’s 4th of July WNC Block Party: Noon-10 p.m. Music on two stages, storytelling competition, sports and movement demos, Poetic SLAM, more. See Asheville’s fireworks. At North Buncombe High School’s practice soccer field, Salem Hill Road, Weaverville. Bring a blanket. Red, White & Boom! in Maggie Valley: Afternoon of family fun, music, food and more before fireworks. Starts at 4 p.m. maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.org. Tweetsie Railroad July Fourth Fireworks Extravaganza: Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Visit tweetsie.com.

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calendar of events NEW CAMP LISTINGS Absolute Theatre Company Summer Acting Workshops. Classes for ages 7-11, 8:30 a.m.-noon; classes for ages 12-18 from 1-5 p.m. $125 per week. Programs include Acting in Commercials (June 28-July 2) and two-week Acting Camp (July 19-30). At Skyland Performing Arts Center, 538 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Call 6930087 or visit thespac.org. French Broad Baptist Church Preschool Missions Camp, July 26-29 Children ages 3-5 will have the opportunity to serve as missionaries in WNC. Preschoolers will do mission projects serving the local community. A parent/guardian will need to stay. 9:30-11 a.m. at 182 Grandview Lane, Hendersonville. $10 per child. Call 8914665 or visit frenchbroad.org. Continued from Page 62

June 30

Breast-feeding class Park Ridge Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baby Place offers a workshop teaching the benefits and basics of breast-feeding, feeding patterns, proper latch and positioning. At 7 p.m. Call 681-BABY to register. Cost is $25. The hospital is at 100 Hospital Drive, Hendersonville. Brien Engel and His Musical Drinking Glasses At 2 p.m. at Enka-Candler Library. Ages 5 and older. Call 250-4758. Mind-Reading and Magic Join Erik Dobell for mind reading and magic at 2 p.m. at Fletcher Library and 5 p.m. at Main Library in Hendersonville. Visit Henderson.lib.nc.us or call 697-4725 (Main) or 687-1218 (Fletcher). Sing Along with Brooke Clover For all ages at 2 p.m. at North Asheville Library. Free ticket required. Pick up tickets beginning June 16 at the library. Limit 50. Call 250-4752. Splash into Fire Safety: Meet the Swannanoa Firefighters At 11 a.m. at Swannanoa Library. For all ages. Call 250-6486.

July 1

Dreamwheel Circle Playshop 1-4 p.m. with Lisa Rough at The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wellness and Education Center, 24 Arlington St., Asheville. Visit ashevillewomenswellness.com. $20. Call 3330958. Make Splash with Library T-Shirts Bring a white or light-colored T-shirt to paint at 11 a.m. at Leicester Library. For ages 5 and older. Chile: Stories and Rainsticks Make a Splash in Chile: Stories and Rainsticks at

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calendar of events

July 3, 10, 17 and 31

Swannanoa Shindigs Traditional music, dance, crafts, face painting, roller skating demonstration, games. Dress as Ms. Liberty or Uncle Sam and win a prize. Donate cakes for a cakewalk. At 6 p.m. at Beacon Village. Free. Visit swannanoashindig.com or e-mail burhoej@gmail.com.

Swannanoa Library. For all ages. Mountain Story Magic Buncombe County and Mission ChilShindig on the Green At 10:30 a.m. at Black dren’s Hospital offer Safe Kids Summer Celebrate the music and Mountain Library. For all dance of WNC at 7 p.m. ages. Events at area pools. Learn about safety at Pack Square Park. Visit Swannanoa Library Knitters in and around vehicles, bike and pedesfolkheritage.org/shindiGroup for all skill levels trian safety, fire and burn prevention, gonthegreen.htm meets 5-7 p.m. at Swannawater safety, home safety, ATV safety and noa Library, 101 W. Charleston St. Call 250-6486. poison prevention. The sheriff’s departJuly 5 Teddy Bear Tea Party ment will create Kid IDs. Fire departFood allergy group Historic Johnson Farm hosts COCOA — Caring for ments will have equipment on site. its annual Teddy Bear Tea Children with food AlParty, 10:30 a.m.-noon. $5 Events from noon-3 p.m. at: lergies — is a free group for adults, children free. ◆ Erwin Pool, July 1 for parents of food alBring a favorite bear for a lergic children that meets ◆ North Buncombe Pool, July 7 morning of songs, stories, at 6:45 p.m. the first ◆ Owen Pool, July 13 snacks and more. At 3346 Monday of the month at Haywood Road, Henderson◆ Cane Creek Pool, July 15 Earth Fare on Hendersonville. Call 891-6585 or visit ◆ Hominy Valley Pool, July 29 ville Road in South historicjohnsonfarm.org. Asheville. E-mail Kristie at Waldorf Play Day cocoa_in_asheville@yaWaldorf Play Day at Weaver hoo.com. Park. Come meet families interested in holistic education. Crafting activity for children and parent Q&A session will be led by the July 5-9 Waldorf teachers of Azalea Mountain Kindergarten. Tots on Toes Princess Dance Camp Specifically for families with children 3-6 but all are Send your little princess to a fun week of dance welcome. At 10:30 a.m. at Weaver Park in North camp. Students will learn ballet and tap, play dance Asheville. Call 296-8323 or e-mail azaleamoungames, make crafts, more. 9 a.m.-noon. For ages tain@gmail.com. 4-8. $65. Contact Dory Jones at 684-9201 or dory@totsontoes.com or visit TotsOnToes.com.

July 2-4

July 5-15

Continued from Page 63 10:30 a.m. at Black Mountain Library. For all ages. Free ticket required. T-Shirt Printing craft Do a T-shirt printing craft at 3 p.m. at Weaverville Library. Bring your own shirt. For all ages. Pick up your tickets beginning June 17.

July 1 and 8

Childbirth class A two-session class for expectant parents covering the labor and delivery process, relaxation, breathing patterns, birth options, positioning and comfort measures. Also includes tour of the Pardee Women and Children’s Center. Runs 6:30-9 p.m. July 1 and 8. Cost is $40, or free with Medicaid. Registration required. At Pardee Hospital Orientation Classroom, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Call 866-790-WELL.

July 2

Cherokee Powwow Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds, Cherokee. cherokeenc.com

July 3

YMCA parents’ night out The YMCA in downtown Asheville offers a parents night out for children ages 2-12. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, inflatable obstacle course, snacks and a movie. Register online or in person (at least 24 hours before scheduled program). Offered 6-10 p.m. the first Saturday and 6:30-9:30 p.m. the third Friday of each month. Cost is $12 for members ($24 nonmembers); Saturday cost is $15 for members ($30 for nonmembers), with $2 sibling discounts for everyone. For information or to register, call 210-5622 or visit ymcawnc.org. PHOTO BY STEVE DIXON

July 8

Guard Start program Asheville Parks and Recreation teams with the American Red Cross for this program for youth ages 11-14. Participants will gain leadership, guarding and community service skills. They will also learn Adult CPR. Register at Malvern Hills Pool. $50. 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Thursday, July 5-15. Call Candy Shaw at 251-4042 or 552-1889.

July 6

Claying Around workshop Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road, offers workshops for kids ages 6-12 from 1-3 p.m. This week, kids create clay wind chimes and other crafts. $32. Call 2770042 to register.

July 7

Find artsy undies and more at The Big Crafty on July 11.

SAFE KIDS PROGRAMS

Fur, Feathers, Claws and Scales Join the WNC Nature Center at 11 a.m. at

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Digeridoos Down Under ◆ 10 a.m. at Leicester Library. For all ages. ◆ 1 p.m. at North Asheville Library. Free ticket required. Pick up tickets starting June 24. Limit 50. ◆ 4 p.m. at Weaverville Library. For all ages. Pick up free tickets beginning June 24. Gardening in Containers Local gardening expert Peter Loewer shows how anything from trees to flowers to veggies can be grown in containers. At 6:30 p.m. at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road. Call 250-4738 or e-mail eastasheville.library@buncombecounty.org. Set Sail with Captain Steve Summers At 2:30 p.m. at South Buncombe/Skyland Library. For all ages.

July 8-11

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games The 55th annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games celebrate Scottish heritage. Visit grandfathermountain.com.

July 9

Didgeridoos Down Under ◆ 10 a.m. at West Asheville Library. For all ages. Pick up free tickets beginning June 25. ◆ 1 p.m. at Fairview Library. All ages. Pick up free tickets beginning July 2.

July 9-10

‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ Asheville Arts Center presents “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” at 3 and 7 p.m. July 9 and 3 p.m. July 10. For information and tickets call 253-4000.

calendar of events July 9-11

Carolina Mountain Ribfest At WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Runs 4-11 p.m. July 9, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 10 and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. July 11. $6 for adults, children under 12 are free. Visit wcpshows.com.

July 10

Didgeridoos Down Under At 10 a.m. at East Asheville Library. For all ages. Do Tell Storyfest Locally and nationally known storytellers entertain at the Historic Courthouse on Main Street at First Avenue and the Skyland Performing Arts Center at the corner of Main Street and U.S. 64. Free â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Imagineâ&#x20AC;? stories for kids ages 3-10 at the Arts Council, 538 N. Main St., at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $6 for daytime performances, $10 for evenings. Visit dotellfestival.org or call 388-0247. Model Airplane Show Asheville-Buncombe Aeromodelers Flying Club hosts free air show and display of models starting at 10 a.m. at Buncombe County Sports Park. Children can build and fly their own airplane. Call Jay Nelson at 250-4269 or e-mail jay.nelson@buncombecounty.org.

Starts July 10

Dance classes Introduce your child to the art of dance with Tots on Toes summer workshops. Classes July 10-31 at the Stoney Mountain Activity Center in Hendersonville and classes July 13-27 at Southside Dance Studio in Fletcher. Mommy & Me ballet (ages 2-3), 9:30-10 a.m.; preschool ballet (ages 3-4), 10-10:45 a.m.; preschool ballet (ages 4-5), 10:45-11:30 a.m.; elementary ballet (ages 6-8), 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $35 for four classes (at Hendersonville) or $30 for three classes (Fletcher). Contact Dory Jones at 684-9201 or dory@totsontoes.com or visit TotsOnToes.com.

July 11

Family Art pARTy Asheville Art Museum offers free hands-on activities for all ages. Supplies provided. 1-4 p.m. Visit ashevilleart.org. The Big Crafty A juried independent craft fair with more than 140 artists and crafters. Noon-6 p.m. Free. At Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. Visit thebigcrafty.com or ashevilleart.org.

Registration opens July 12

Asheville pools swim lessons City of Asheville pools offer swim lessons through American Red Cross. Classes are between 9 a.m.-noon, depending on location. Session runs July 19-30. Registration opens 11 a.m. July 12. Free. Contact your local pool or visit ashevillenc.gov.

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WNCMOM.COM, THE PLACE WHERE LOCAL MOMS CONNECT

July 16

calendar of events

Teen Open Mic Jam At 4 p.m. at Weaverville Library. For ages 12-18. All types of performance welcome. Call 250-6482 to sign up. YMCA parents’ night out The YMCA in downtown Asheville offers a parents night out for children ages 2-12. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, inflatable obstacle course, snacks and a movie. Register online or in person (at least 24 hours before scheduled program). Offered 6-10 p.m. the first Saturday and 6:30-9:30 p.m. the third Friday of each month. Cost is $12 for members ($24 nonmembers); Saturday cost is $15 for members ($30 for nonmembers), with $2 sibling discounts for everyone. For information or to register, call 210-5622 or visit ymcawnc.org.

Buncombe County pools swim lessons Buncombe County pools offer swim lessons for beginners to advanced swimmers. Registration begins at noon July 12. Session runs July 19-29. Classes are 11 a.m. or 6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. $25 with sibling discount. Register at pool where you will take lessons. Visit buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/parks/facilities/pools.

July 13

Claying Around workshop Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road, offers workshops for kids ages 6-12 from 1-3 p.m. This week, kids will be introduced to glass fusing by creating a jewelry dish and will do tie-dye as a craft project. $32. Call 277-0042 to register. Groovin’ on Grovemont Free event on the square in the Grovemont community next to Swannanoa Library. At 6 p.m. Piano for Fun class Asheville Music School offers a new music class for adults. Learn piano in a more relaxed way. Class is 50 minutes and meets for eight weeks at 10 a.m. at the West location, 1408 Patton Ave. Call 252-1888 or visit ashevillemusicschool.com. Project Angelfish Make a craft for children at the ABCCM Steadfast House at 2 p.m. at Enka-Candler Library. All ages.

July 14

Balloon Fairy Magic At 2 p.m. at North Asheville Library. All ages. Free ticket required. Pick up ticket beginning June 30. Bang a Drum With Terry Edgerton at 11 a.m. at Swannanoa Library. All ages. Black Mountain Library Knitters Knitting group for all levels, 6:30 p.m. at Black Mountain Yarn Shop, 203 W. State St. Fur, Feather & Scales Join WNC Nature Center at 11 a.m. at South Asheville/Oakley Library. Ages 5 and older. Holistic Parenting Forum The Holistic Parenting Forum is a free group that meets monthly to provide support, education and resources for a diverse community of parents committed to natural living. All meetings take place on the second Wednesday of every month at Earth Fare in West Asheville from 6-8 p.m. Children are welcome. For more information, call 230-4850 or e-mail shantisunshine@gmail.com Make a Splash Pollack Style Create art in the style of Jackson Pollack at 10:30 a.m. at Black Mountain Library. All ages. Wear old clothes, paint involved. Rain date is July 15. Free ticket required. Origami Folding Frenzy Learn new folds, share favorites, and meet fellow origami enthusiasts. All levels welcome. Paper is available at the museum store or bring your own. Cost is museum admission. From 4-5 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at The Health Adventure, 2 S. Pack Place. Call 254-6373 or visit thehealthadventure.org. Splash into Fire Safety Meet the firefighters at 11 a.m. at East Asheville

July 16-17

Festival of Native Peoples Festival plus Cherokee Art Market. Gathering of tribes from the Americas to celebrate Native culture in Cherokee. Traditional food, dancing and crafts. cherokee-nc.com

July 17

PHOTO BY STEVE DIXON

Historic Johnson Farm hosts its Lego Blast competition on July 24. Library. All ages.

July 15

Breast-feeding class Learn the art of breast-feeding. 6:30-8 p.m. at Pardee Hospital, education classrooms, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Call 866-790-WELL. Free. Registration required. Daddy Duty class Learn helpful ideas and tips for dads during the labor and birth process. 6:30-8 p.m. at Pardee Hospital, Video Conference Room, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Free. Registration required. Call 866790-WELL. ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ event At 2 p.m. at Fairview Library. Ages 7 and older. Pick up a free ticket beginning July 8. Wear something that can get messy. Make Waves with Lava Creations! At 11 a.m. at Leicester Library. All ages. Bring a clear plastic 2-liter soda bottle if you can. Mountain Story Magic At 3 p.m. at Weaverville Library. All ages. Pick up a free ticket beginning July 1.

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Academy auditions Open auditions for The Academy at the Asheville Arts Center will be 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call to reserve a 15-minute slot for reading and singing. Dance auditions will begin at 11 a.m. All audition material can be found at ashevilleartscenter.wordpress.com. Chalk It Up! Chalk It Up! is a sidewalk chalk art contest that transforms the sidewalks of Hendersonville’s Main Street. Starts at 9 a.m. Categories for contest are 5 and under, ages 6-8, 9-12, 13-20 years, 21 and over, professional and charity. Free. To register, visit Narnia Studios at 315 N. Main St., Hendersonville. For information, call 697-6393.Toe River Story Telling Festival In Riverside Park, Spruce Pine. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. sprucepinefestivals.com/storytelling.html

July 18

Creating Healthy Rhythms in Early Childhood The Waldorf Parent Education Group meets at 2 p.m. for discussion on topics related to raising children in a holistic way. This month’s topic will focus on the benefits of rhythm when parenting the young child. Sponsored by Azalea Mountain Kindergarten. Contact 296-8323 or azaleamountain@gmail.com.

July 20

Claying Around workshop Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road, offers workshops for kids ages 6-12 from 1-3 p.m. This week, kids will create soft slab clay pencil holders/ vases and do other craft projects. $32. Call 2770042 to register. Fire Safety Class Learn fire safety tips and preparedness at 2 p.m. at Hands On! A Child’s Gallery. Led by Robert Henderson of the Hendersonville Fire Department. At 318

calendar of events N. Main St., Hendersonville. Call 697-8333 or visit handsonwnc.org.

July 21

Swannanoa Library Knitters Group for all skill levels meets 5-7 p.m. at Swannanoa Library, 101 W. Charleston St. Call 2506486. Wading through Wetlands 1 p.m. at Enka-Candler Library. Ages 6-12. Registration required, no exceptions. Please contact the library to register prior to the program. 4 p.m. at Fairview Library. Ages 5 and older. Pick up free tickets at the library beginning July 14.

July 22

How Birds Learn to Read Join Birdman Dave at South Buncombe/Skyland Library at 2:30 p.m. for this all ages show. Infant care class Pardee Hospital offers a course on infant care from A to Z. From 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pardee, education classrooms, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Free. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL. Liz Buchanan: Make It a Song! 11 a.m. at West Asheville Library for ages 2-7. Liz Buchanan and Gordon McFarland Musical Show All ages show at 2 p.m. at North Asheville Library. Free ticket required. Pick up tickets beginning July 8. Make Your Own Birdbath Make your own left birdbath craft at 3 p.m. at Weaverville Library. Bring a grown-up helper. For ages 6 and older. Pick up free tickets beginning July 8. Story Splash Join Mountain Story Magic at 11 a.m. at Leicester Library. For ages 3 and older. Wading through Wetlands ◆ 11 a.m. at Swannanoa Library. All ages. ◆ 2 p.m. at Black Mountain Library. All ages.

July 22-Aug. 1

Folkmoot USA International festival with performances through-

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad hosts Thomas the Tank Engine starting July 23. out WNC. Visit folkmootusa.org.

July 23

Mountain Story Magic For all ages at 11 a.m. at West Asheville Library.

rising first-graders and older. Two age groups: rising first- to fourth-graders and fifth-graders and older. $5 for students, adults are free. With prizes and snacks.

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July 23-25

Bele Chere Street festival in downtown Asheville with music, food, crafts, children’s area and more. Visit belecherefestival.com.

July 24

Empowered Birthing Childbirth Class-Weekend Intensive Learn hands-on comfort measures for an enjoyable birth. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. July 24 and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 1. $175. At The Women’s Wellness and Education Center, 24 Arlington St., Asheville. Visit ashevillewomenswellness.com or call 231-9227. Lego Blast Historic Johnson Farm hosts a Lego competition for

WNCMOM.COM, THE PLACE WHERE LOCAL MOMS CONNECT

calendar of events

MOMS GROUPS A sampling of support groups for moms in WNC. Arden Moms Meetup Group: A group for stay-at-home moms of preschoolers or babies in the Arden/South Asheville/Fletcher area. Visit meetup.com/arden-moms or contact Susan Toole at ArdenMoms@gmail.com. AshevilleMommies.com: Meet and greets for moms while kids play. Two sessions, 11 a.m.-noon and 3-4 p.m. Wednesdays at The Hop Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, 640 Merrimon Ave. Asheville Moms with Multiples: Group for moms with multiples meets 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Women’s Resource Center on Doctors Drive, behind Mission Hospital. Meetings are an opportunity to share experiences and offer support in a social setting. Call 444-AMOM or visit !ashevillemom.com. Biltmore Baptist MOPS: MOPS is a place designed specifically for all mothers of children from infancy to kindergarten. Experience authentic community, mothering support, personal growth and spiritual hope. MOPS of Biltmore Baptist Church welcomes and invites any and All mothers welcome. Meetings are 9:30-11:30 a.m. the first, third and fifth Wednesday of each month at Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden. Call 687-1111, e-mail mopsofbbc@yahoo.com or visit mopsofbbc.com. La Leche League of Asheville mornings: Pregnant moms, babies and toddlers welcome at all meetings. Meets at 10 a.m. the second Monday of the month at First Congregational Church on Oak Street. Contact a leader: Susan, 628-4438; Jessica, 242-6531; or Falan, 683-1999. La Leche League of Asheville evenings: Pregnant moms, babies and toddlers welcome at all meetings. Meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday of the month at Awakening Heart on Merrimon Avenue. Contact a leader: Yvette, 254-5591; or Molly, 713-7089. La Leche League of Hendersonville: Offers information and support for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Meets at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, 2021 Kanuga Road. Babies and toddlers are welcome. For more information, Contact a leader: Andrea 676-6047, Katie 808-1490, or MC 693-9899. Mom2mom: Christian moms group meets at St. Paul’s Church, 32 Rosscraggon Road, Rosscraggon Business Park Building B, Asheville. Moms with any age children are welcome. Call 3883598. Mommy and Me: Park Ridge Hospital offers a support group for moms at 10 a.m. the fourth Monday of the month. Contact Amy Mast at 216-7244. The hospital offers a luncheon for moms and babies, noon-1 p.m. the third Monday of the month, at the hospital’s private dining room. Call 681-2229. MOMS Club of Hendersonville: A support group open to mothers of all ages in the Henderson County area, including mothers who have home-based businesses and those who work part-time but are home with their children during the day. The group meets for speeches and topics for discussion, park days, playgroups, nights out, holiday activities and service projects benefiting needy children in the community. Meets 9:30 a.m. the first Thursday of the month at Hendersonville Church of Christ, 1975 Haywood Road, Hendersonville. Children welcome. Call Kerry at 692-7724 or visit hendersonvillemomsclub.wordpress.com Montreat/Black Mountain MOPS: Join other moms for fun, laughter and friendship. Group Meets 9-11 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Black Mountain United Methodist Church, 101 Church St. Free child care available. Call Michelle at 669-8012, ext. 4001, to reserve a spot. MOPS at Mud Creek: Mothers of Preschoolers (infancy through kindergarten) provides an open, faith-based atmosphere. Meets second and fourth Wednesdays, 9:15-11:15 a.m., SeptemberMay, at Mud Creek Baptist Church, 403 Rutledge Drive, Hendersonville. E-mail MOPS.MudCreek@gmail.com or visit http://mopsatmudcreek.webs.com/links.htm. North Asheville MOPS: Meets 9:30-11:30 a.m. the first Monday of each month at Maranatha Baptist Church, 1040 Lower Flat Creek Road, Weaverville. Contact Jennifer Warner at 423-6180 or Liban Morris at lmorris_cid@hotmail.com.

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Bring your own Legos and build on an Indiana Jones theme. At 3346 Haywood Road, Hendersonville. Call 891-6585 or visit historicjohnsonfarm.org. Train History Day The Cradle of Forestry offers a program at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the history of its 1915 Climax logging locomotive and how it and other logging trains worked in WNC. Visit cradleofforestry.com.

July 23-27 and July 29-Aug. 1

Thomas the Tank Engine at Tweetsie Railroad Take a 25-minute ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, enjoy storytelling, live music and more at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Tickets are $18. Children 2 and younger are free. Leaves Bryson City depot. Call 800-872-4681. Visit gsmr.com.

July 27

Claying Around workshop Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road, offers workshops for kids ages 6-12 from 1-3 p.m. This week, kids will create clay wall pockets and do other craft projects. $32. Call 277-0042 to register. Groovin’ on Grovemont Free event on the square in the Grovemont community next to Swannanoa Library. At 6 p.m. Leicester Library Knitters For all skill levels. At 6:30 p.m. at the library, 1561 Alexander Road. Call 250-6480.

July 28

Black Mountain Library Knitters Knitting group for all levels, 6:30 p.m. at Black Mountain Yarn Shop, 203 W. State St. Sammy Cortino’s Magic Workshop At 2 p.m. with performance following at 3:30 at North Asheville Library. For ages 8 and older. Parents admitted only for performance. Free ticket required; pick up tickets beginning July 14. Splash into the Ojibwe — Dreamcatching the Wave Make a dreamcatcher. Bring any small items or beads you’d like to thread onto it. Free ticket required. All ages. At 11 a.m. at Black Mountain Library.

July 29

Balloon Fairy Magic All ages show at 3 p.m. at Weaverville Library. Pick up free tickets starting July 15. Infant CPR and Choking class At Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. $10. Meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL. Labor and Birth Forum Free forum based on the Six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices and represent “evidence-based care” for a normal birth and postpartum. July’s topic: “Special Tips for Successful Breastfeeding.” Discussion is “birth circle style” and will include importance of being skin to skin the first hours and days after birth, early breast-feeding cues, newborn needs for breastmilk in the first hours and days after birth, how to increase milk supply and how to identify if your baby is getting enough milk. All pregnant women and their partners are invited, as well as those who provide

calendar of events pregnancy and labor support. On Mission Campus at the Wellness Resource Center, 50 Doctor’s Drive. Visit peacefulbeginning.org or call 2583327. Watery Tales & Splishy Splashy Songs All ages show. ◆ 11 a.m. at Swannanoa Library. ◆ 2:30 p.m. at South Asheville/Oakley Library. Zelnick the Magician All ages show. ◆ 11 a.m. at Leicester Library. ◆ 2 p.m. at Fairview Library. Pick up free tickets starting July 22.

July 29-31

Book sale Haywood County Public Library hosts its annual book sale at the Waynesville Library, lower level, 678 S. Haywood St. From 9 a.m.-7 p.m. July 29, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. July 30 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 31. Visit haywoodlibrary.org or call 452-5169.

July 30

‘Aladdin, Kids’ Asheville Arts Center presents “Aladdin, Kids” at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. July 30. For tickets and information call 253-4000. Fur, Feathers & Scales Join WNC Nature Center animals at 11 a.m. at West Asheville Library. All ages. PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

July 31

Pirates & Mermaids Party Wear a pirate or mermaid costume and be part of the costume parade. All ages. At 11 a.m. at East Asheville Library.

Aug. 1

Breastfeeding and Newborn Parenting Class 11 a.m.-2 p.m. At The Women’s Wellness and Education Center, 24 Arlington St., Asheville. Visit ashevillewomenswellness.com or call 231-9227. $25. Call Holly Mason at 250-0226.

Starts Aug. 1

Dance lessons New classes for ages 3 and older in clogging, Irish step dancing, hip-hop, ballet and jazz. All skill levels. Visit ashevillecloggingcompany.com or call 329-3856.

Aug. 4

Storytelling at the Farm Historic Johnson Farm features storytellers at 10:30 a.m. Bring a blanket or chair. Free popcorn. $8 per family, $4 per person. At 3346 Haywood Road, Hendersonville. Call 891-6585 or visit historicjohnsonfarm.org.

Aug. 5-7

Mountain Dance & Folk Festival Mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, and more. 7-10 p.m. at Diana

Kailynn Lange plays a drum in a drum circle at Bele Chere last year. This year’s festival is July 2325 in downtown Asheville.

Wortham Theatre. $20 adults, $10 children (12 and younger). For all three nights, $54 for adults, $24 for children. Visit folkheritage.org or dwtheatre.org.

pare a song and bring sheet music if possible. Visit singasheville.org or contact Ginger Haselden at 230-5778.

Aug. 14

Ongoing

Southwest Fiesta Smith-McDowell House Museum hosts a children’s tea party with a Southwest Fiesta theme. Program centers on 1820s life in New Mexico. Enjoy treats for the era and break a piñata. At 11 a.m. $25 for adults, $20 for children ages 7-12. At 283 Victoria Road, Asheville. Call 253-9231 or visit wnchistory.org.

Starts Aug. 19

Buncombe County Walking Club You’ll never walk alone on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Buncombe County Sports Park. Open to anyone who wants to be fit and have fun reaching a personal goal. Gather at 8:15 a.m. at picnic shelter. Contact Grace Young at 250-4260 or grace.young@buncombecounty.org.

Aug. 19 and 26

Children’s Community Chorus auditions Celebration Singers of Asheville welcomes singers ages 7-14 to audition for the Children’s Community Chorus at First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St., Asheville. Chorus offers musical education and performance opportunities for talented youth. Pre-

Children’s book artists exhibit Asheville Art Museum will host “Nouns: Children’s Book Artists Look at People, Places and Things” through July 11. It looks at the varied art styles used in children’s book illustrations. At Pack Place, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. Visit ashevilleart.org. Clogging classes Learn to Clog with the Asheville Clogging Company and Junior Olympic Medalist Ashley Shimberg. Classes for all skill levels, ages and abilities. Hip Hop and Jazz children’s class also available. For more information, email ashley@ashevillecloggingcompany.com or visit ashevillecloggingcompany.com. Merrimon Avenue Baptist Preschool Merrimon Avenue Baptist Church Preschool is enrolling for classes for ages 1 to pre-kindergarten. Classes run 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 3- to 5-year-olds also meet Mondays. $15/day. The structured pre-kindergarten class focuses on kindergarten readiness. Call Sara Calloway at 252-2768, ext. 315, or e-mail scalloway@mabaptist.org.

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WNCMOM.COM, THE PLACE WHERE LOCAL MOMS CONNECT

calendar of events Continued from Page 69 Breast-feeding education classes Introduction to tips and tricks that make breastfeeding easier. 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays at Women’s Wellness and Education Center, 24 Arlington St., Asheville. $25. Classes are taught by Holly Major. For details or to register, call Holly at 250-0226. Preschool Play Date The Health Adventure hosts interactive fun just for preschoolers led by museum facilitators at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. Visit thehealthadventure.org. Foundation Builders Create wooden racers, boats, helicopters, more. Ages 4-12. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Beaverdam Baptist Church, 399 Beaverdam Road, Asheville. Call 252-3403. Madison Junior Derby Divas roller derby league Blue Ridge Rollergirls members have started a Junior Roller Derby League, Madison Junior Derby Divas. It is a noncontact league designed to develop athletic abilities, build self-confidence and leadership skills, and improve overall fitness. Girls 12-17 practice 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fridays until July 31 in Marshall. Monthly fee of $15, plus annual $40 insurance fee. E-mail madisonderbydivas@hotmail.com. Asheville TAASC TAASC (The American Adventure Service Corps) is a nonprofit program dedicated to inspiring young people to become compassionate leaders, stewards of the environment and responsible community members. Year-round and summer program participants are challenged through high-powered outdoor adventures of up to 10 days. Activities include wilderness backpacking, climbing and rappelling, white water and flat water paddling, cave exploration, mountain biking, wilderness first aid, leadership development and community service. Call 2999844, visit ashevilletaasc.com or e-mail ashevilletaasc@gmail.com. T-Bone’s Radio Active Kids Kid-friendly radio, hosted by Asheville-area kids from

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

“Eyes on Earth” is one of The Health Adventure’s summer exhibits.

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calendar of events 8-10 a.m. Saturdays on ashevillefm.org. New Health Adventure exhibits The Health Adventure is home to “Eyes on Earth,” an interactive exhibit that examines satellites and space technology, and “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” where you can follow the yellow brick road on a storybook adventure. Open into September. Call 254-6373 or visit thehealthadventure.org. At 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. Super Science Saturday Experiment with science during Super Science Saturdays at The Health Adventure, from noon-2 p.m. each Saturday. Programs feature hands-on activities led by museum facilitators. For specific activity descriptions or for more information, visit thehealthadventure.org. The museum is at Pack Place, 2 S. Pack Square. Grove Park Inn programs The Sports Complex at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa offers two programs for children. Children will enjoy playing games and sports, making arts and crafts, swimming, eating pizza and watching a movie. For reservations, call 252-2711, ext. 1046, or e-mail mmiller@groveparkinnresort.com. ◆ Kids’ Night Out: 6-10 p.m. each Friday and Saturday, for children ages 3-12. Cost is $45 per child. Registration required. ◆ Cub’s Adventure Camp: A full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) or half-day (9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.) program on Saturdays. Lunch included. Cost is

$65 for full day; $45 for half-day morning with lunch; $30 for half-day afternoon. ‘My Mom Is Having a Baby’ A free program to help children ages 3-8 understand, accept and anticipate the changes that will happen as the family prepares for the birth of the new baby. Each child will see and hold life-like models that show how a baby grows and develops, make a kite mobile for the new baby’s room, receive an activity/ coloring book and tour the Mother/Baby Unit at Mission Hospital to see where mom and baby will stay. Program runs 4-5 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays at Mission Hospital. To register, call 2546373. Visit thehealthadventure.org. Park Ridge Hospital’s childbirth classes Choose from weekly Wednesday night classes for six weeks or a one-day class, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. the first Monday of the month. Held in the Duke Room at Park Ridge Hospital, 100 Hospital Drive, Hendersonville. $90 for the series. Start at any point in the class cycle. Call Sheri Gregg at 681-2229 to register. Mom’s meet-up Join other moms at The Hop, 640 Merrimon Ave., at 11 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month, and then every Tuesday the rest of the month at 11 a.m. There is a carpeted children’s area with toys, and moms enjoy half-priced coffees and teas. Moms with kids of all ages welcome. The Hop Ice Cream Shop is at 640 Merrimon Ave. Call 252-8362.

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