Wncparentoct2013 by Stacey

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c o n t e n t s Learning is easy Katie Wadington, Editor

This month’s features 4

How it works Take little ones behind the scenes around town.

Just for kids

On their toes

12 14

Asheville Flyer challenges and entertains its readers. Ballet teaches children more than dance moves.

Time to unplug Find a balance between family, technology.

Finding a sitter Tips for tracking down child care.

In every issue

Artist’s Muse ...................28

Families & Relationships ..30 Growing Together............34 Nature Center Notes ........35 FEAST..............................41 Story Times .....................43 Librarian’s Picks...............44 Calendar .........................46

Toddlers and iPads

Fall fun

Dr. Susan Mims on limiting screen time. Events and festivals that celebrate the season.

On the cover

Sometimes parents try too hard to entertain their kids. And I am one of them. This occurred to me after reading the story we have on Page 4 about taking your toddlers behind the scenes of some Asheville businesses. I always wanted my kids to go some place and learn from sophisticated exhibits or by reading signs at the zoo. But little kids like simple. They like being let in on a secret or getting to do something that seems special. Like seeing a firetruck up close. Or catching a glimpse through a window of how chocolates are made. Or seeing what happens to trash. My children are far from the toddler years, but I know a trip backstage at a theater would interest them even today. So next time you’re looking for an activity or a distraction (a friend always thought of a day in time blocks of 30 minutes or an hour that she had to fill), think beyond the obvious and look behind the scenes. This issue has several stories about making learning fun. Take the Asheville Flyer for Kids. File that under one of those ideas I wish I’d thought of. Read more about this magazine just for children on Page 7. And ballet. While little ballerinas may think they are planning a future full of “Nutcrackers,” they are actually learning more than positions. The story on Page 9 reveals ballet’s lessons. I love this month’s Artist’s Muse column from Ginger Huebner on Page 28. It’s about making real-life comic strips, something my kids will no doubt try to replicate. Meanwhile, it’s October, and fall fun is in full swing. Find a family event for each weekend in our roundup on Page 18. Have a great fall!

Sophia Greene, by Kaelee Denise Photography, www.kaeleedenise.com. Photographed at WNC Nature Center, www.wncnaturecenter.com.

P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802 www.wncparent.com

Find us online .com

Kids page ........................55

facebook.com/ wncparent @wncparent

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Dave Neill WNC PARENT EDITOR Katie Wadington — 232-5829 kwadington@citizen-times.com

ADVERTISING Katy Graziano — 236-8994 kgraziano@gannett.com

Special thanks to features editor Bruce Steele and designer Val Elmore. CALENDAR CONTENT Due by Oct. 10. E-mail calendar@wncparent.com ADVERTISING DEADLINE Advertising deadline for the August issue is Oct. 22.

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From the atrium of the Haywood Park Hotel in downtown Asheville, visitors can watch chocolates being made through the windows of The Chocolate Fetish. SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

TAKE LITTLE ONES BEHIND THE SCENES

et tots thinking about the world around them by taking them to places where they can get a firsthand look at how things work. While many businesses and community services provide tours for school-aged kids, here are a few ideas that may entice the littlest ones in the family: Start with one of these, or ask for an insider’s look at a place that particularly interests your child.

How mail travels

To schedule a post office tour, contact the manager at the branch you’d like to visit — not all branches

provide tours, says Jim Halterman, downtown Asheville branch manager, U.S. Postal Service. Bring a letter to mail home and if possible, “visit the branch that delivers to your ZIP code so kids can see the process of how the mail comes to their house,” he says. “We ask them what their street address is and show them where the mail is waiting for their neighbors in the mail carrier cases — that fascinates them,” Halterman says. Keep in mind that the larger branches providing delivery and window mailing service might be more interesting.

By Pam J. Hecht WNC Parent contributor

Fighting fires

If its doors are open and a fire truck is at rest, stop by your local fire station any time. But watch out — if there’s a fire, your tour might get cut short. Kids may be able to sit on a truck, tour the station, and touch some of the gear, says Kelley Klope, public information officer, Asheville Fire Department. Avoid mealtimes and if you will be in a group of five or more, call ahead to schedule a tour, she adds. “Kids are fascinated when they

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what looks like a chocolate waterfall as they do the hand decorating of the chocolates, she adds. Watch as truffles are constructed from the middle out, ending up in the cooling tunnel as finished pieces. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the enrobing machine, a conveyor belt reminiscent of the “I Love Lucy” TV show episode about a chocolate factory. » The Chocolate Fetish, 36 Haywood St., Asheville, 258-2353, chocolatefetish.com

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read about fire trucks and the gear — visiting a station makes it a reality for them,” says Klope. “They get to see what firefighters look like in their gear, so they won’t get scared if they see them again.” » Go online to www.buncombe county.org/living/Neighborhood/FireDepts.aspx for a listing of fire stations in Buncombe County.

Caring for furry friends

Backstage peeks

Have a budding stage star? Go backstage to find out how the magic happens. Flat Rock Playhouse in Flat Rock offers periodic formal backstage tours of the theater and grounds, including the historic Lowndes House, rehearsal hall, extensive gardens and the scene shop — where sets are constructed. You can also peek into the buildings housing the renowned youth theater. Or, call anytime to schedule a private tour. If they’re not in the middle of rehearsals, they can likely accommodate, says Jason Ferguson, director of public relations. “The lights come on and their eyes go wide,” Ferguson says. “And the opportunity to stand on a stage and look at the audience — even if nobody’s in the seats — gives kids a rush.” » Flat Rock Playhouse, 693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org, free. (Sign up for the online newsletter for notification of upcoming tours.) » Backstage tours are also available, upon request, at Diana Wortham Theatre, says Rae Geoffrey, associate director. The next show for kids is “The Hungry Caterpillar” (Oct. 18), which includes a post-show question and answer session with the performers and a demonstration of how the puppets and black lights work, she adds. Or, call any time to schedule an informal small group tour, “which can be even better on a nonshow day due to availability of staff and access to backstage areas,” says Geoffrey. Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville, 210-9837, rae@dwtheatre.com ($25 for backstage tour)

Where the trash goes

The observation desk at Curbside Recycling is the place to behold a mountain of trash waiting to be recycled and watch some large machinery in action. See materials like paper and cans being

Visit Buncombe County Landfill on Panther Branch Road in Woodfin to see the large hill where waste is buried. WNC PARENT PHOTO

sorted on conveyors and fork-lifted onto tractor trailers, ready to be shipped out. The most interesting thing about it is the sheer size and amount of materials — a 100-yard pile about 15 feet high — and watching the sorting in action, says President Barry Lawson. Or, visit the Buncombe County Landfill, to see where you can recycle and the large hill where waste is buried, says Jerry Mears, Buncombe County Solid Waste manager. » Curbside Recycling, 116 N. Woodfin Ave., Asheville, 252-2532, curbie.com, 8 am – 4 pm, Monday – Friday (except 11 am – 1:30 pm) » Buncombe County Landfill, 85 Panther Branch Road., Alexander, Monday – Friday, 8 – 4:30, Sat, 8 – 12:30 p.m., 250-5460/62, buncombecounty.org

Visions of chocolate

While they have tours by appointment for first-graders and up, the younger set can still take a sweet peek behind the scene at The Chocolate Fetish in downtown Asheville. Its on-site factory can be viewed through the glass windows inside the Haywood Park Hotel atrium. Ask inside the shop and if they’re not busy, one of the staff may even be able to take you on a “through-the-glass tour,” says Elizabeth Foley, general manager. Each day is different, so what you’ll see varies, she says. The best time for viewing is from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On many Wednesdays and Thursdays, visitors will spot

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Whether or not you plan on fostering or adopting a furry friend, consider a visit to a local animal shelter, to find out what they do there. “Kids can see how animals are fed and cleaned and find out about a day in the life of an animal here,” says Meghan Jordan, director of public relations, Asheville Humane Society. “It’s also a great way to learn what it takes to care for a pet.” The best time to visit is in the mornings and late afternoons, when most of the activities take place, says Jordan. The Humane Society always has dogs and cats on hand and sometimes also houses rabbits, birds, rats, gerbils and hamsters, she adds. » Asheville Humane Society, 14 Forever Friend Lane, Asheville, 7612001, ashevillehumane.org, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Flying high

Little ones can soar through the sky on an imaginary flight aboard a real, old-fashioned airplane. Those with the patience to sit for a few minutes in the cockpit can even learn how the controls work. In the museum’s main hangar, kids can get up close and personal with a dozen or more airplanes, many from the ’30s and ’40s. The museum also provides an excellent vantage point for viewing planes take off and land at the Hendersonville Airport next door — for maximum viewing, go on a good-weather weekend day. “Kids are most amazed at the size of the planes and seeing them up close,” says Joseph Lilley, museum board member and volunteer. “Older kids enjoy finding out how they work.” » WNC Air Museum Airport, 1340 Gilbert St., Hendersonville, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday. 698-2482, facebook.com/ westernnorthcarolinaairmuseum.

A MAGAZINE ALL THEIR OWN Asheville Flyer for Kids entertains and challenges readers By Paul Clark WNC Parent contributor

ne year ago this month, kids in the area got a piece of the media action. Asheville Flyer for Kids launched in October 2012, and it’s available in more than 200 places in five mountain counties now. The monthly is so popular that editor Stu Helm and distributor Tim Arem rarely find any left when they bring the next issue around. Kids love it because, as its masthead says, it has “puzzles & pictures & stuff to read while your parents do something completely boring.” “We’re not just a coloring book,” Helm said. “We want to challenge kids.” Populating this fun, positive magazine are some regular characters, like Banjo The Whistlepig, who loves just about everything; T-Bone, a Tim Arem-lookalike who makes healthy living fun; and Ashley Buncombe, a “tweener” who has fashion advice in every issue. “We did one issue where she taught kids how to color their hair with KoolAid,” Helm said, “and that month, I saw so many kids with their hair the color of Kool-Aid.” Other characters who show up regularly are Old Man Turtle, Baby Unicorn, Mr. Woffy, Outsides the Line Guy and Sooz Ooki and Black Cloud. Sooz Ooki is a glass-half-full kind of girl. Black Cloud is the opposite (though he’s not as glum as he sounds). Through their back-andforth, readers get a dose of what the Continues on Page 8

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MAGAZINE Continued from Page 7

Asheville Flyer calls PMA (usually with an exclamation point) — positive mental attitude. PMA, according to the April issue, is “the belief that having an optimistic outlook attracts positive changes and promotes achievement. PMA crushes negativity, defeatism, doom and gloom, with action, integrity, optimism, courage, initiative, generosity, tolerance, tact, kindliness and good common sense.” “I want kids to be happy and successful. And PMA is the start,” Helm said recently inside the European-like café of Karen Donatelli Cake Designs in downtown Asheville, one of Asheville Flyer’s regular advertisers. Helm, the Flyer’s creator, draws each issue. He’s been drawing all his life. Growing up near Boston, he drew for his school newspaper and mimeographed his own magazines in his father’s office. He drew while getting his bachelor of fine arts degree from the Art Institute of Boston. He penned fan-

zines while promoting punk shows in Massachusetts. In 2005, he moved to Asheville to be closer to his sister. A freelance graphic designer, he saw a void in the media market and decided to create something for kids. He drew up a prototype to show Arem, who had hired him to do graphics for the Asheville International Children’s Film Festival. Their first issue was October 2012. They’ve gone from distributing 10,000 a month to 120,000 a month. The Asheville Flyer is in many Asheville city schools and all Buncombe County libraries, as well as in all 17 visitors centers in North Carolina. Guided by Asheville social media expert Anne Mallett, Helms hopes to take the magazine nationwide. The graphics are disarmingly simple. The August issue (on whose cover Banjo the Whistlepig says “Gosh, I sure do love Asheville”) unfolds to a watermelon maze (over which Banjo says “Gosh, I sure do love watermelon!”). Beneath the maze is this riddle: Why do watermelons have formal weddings? Because they cantaloupe! Banjo listed three things that make him happy (food, eating, sleeping) and challenged readers to list things that

make them happy. The word search was themed around summer fun. Every issue extols the virtues of eating healthy. There’s practical advice, like how to identify poison ivy. Every issue has jokes and riddles. Crossword puzzles, word searches and word scrambles are common. When the June issue introduced readers to Sudoku, a Japanese number puzzle, it showed them (and Baby Unicorn) how to do it by applying logic. The issue was full of the puzzles, some with letters, some with shapes and some with numbers. T-Bone told readers how to get a “black-out box” together in case a summer storm caused a power failure. He espouses his health-and-safety-are-fun thoughts, as well as kid’s music, interviews and events, also on “T-Bone’s Radio Active Kids,” a live show 8-10 a.m. Saturdays on ashevillefm.org (the week’s show can be heard anytime at ashevillefm.org/t-bones-radio-activekids). “Asheville is the perfect size for this,” Helm said of the Asheville Flyer. “There’s only one thing I’m interested in, and that’s putting smiles on their faces.”

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BALLET KEEPS CHILDREN

ON THEIR TOES By Paul Clark, WNC Parent contributor

ngie Lynn got into a circle of eight little girls in pink tutus and tights and told them to crouch on their knees and pretend they were tiny flower seeds in the garden. And then, continuing their pre-ballet stretching, she had them slowly stand, telling them to raise their arms over their heads, imagining themselves as beautiful, radiant flowers. Everything about ballet for youngsters is fun at Ballet Conservatory of Asheville, in central Asheville’s Five Points area. Beating their arms as if they were bumblebees, mov-

Young classmates at Ballet Conservatory of Asheville take a bow after their class with instructor Angie Lynn. PAUL CLARK/SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

ing their fingers like raindrops — the actions are the rudimentary movements of ballet. Young children take to them naturally because they’re so much fun. Introducing children to ballet at an early age has many benefits, said Lynn and other directors of area dance studios. Through play, young children are guided through the basics of ballet in ways that engage their imagination and help develop their physical coordination. “There are a lot of (dance) schools in Ashe-

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Angie Lynn says dance helps teach discipline. “How to stand in a straight line and how to hold their feet in different positions. It’s good for brain-body coordination.” PAUL CLARK/ SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

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ville and the surrounding areas, with many different philosophies,” said Susan Collard, director of the New Studio of Dance in downtown Asheville. “But we all believe that dance is healthy for the young child. It builds self-confidence.” Like New Studio of Dance, Ballet Conservatory of Asheville offers children’s and youth classes in a few dance forms, including ballet. “Learning to do ballet is powerful,” said Lynn, who has danced professionally on Broadway and throughout Europe. “Children learn how to hold their bodies so that they have good posture. And they learn discipline — how to stand in a straight line and how to hold their feet in different positions. It’s good for brain-body coordination.” It’s good on many levels. Ballet teaches children grace and beauty, said Ann Dunn, who had just finished watching a class of 4-year-olds learning to stand on one foot. Director of Asheville Academy of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in North Asheville, she has been

teaching dance in Asheville since 1980. Any dance class widens a child’s social world, putting him or her around children and adults not connected to their families and day care centers, she said. “There’s a sense of participation in a group, as there is in sports. And there’s the sense of accomplishment,” Dunn said. “Creativity is right up there too. An early (-age) ballet class involves a huge amount of fun. Early on in ballet, it’s not full of rules.” “Usually at a young age, you give them a lot of freedom in a structured class,” Collard said. “As they get a bit older, you introduce more of the terminology of ballet, as well the small muscle movements that are required for classical ballet.” Dunn and her instructors engage children’s imagination to teach them rudimentary forms. They’ll ask the children to circle their arms above their heads and imagine releasing armfuls of white doves. That was much like what Lynn was doing with her little students in her studio in Five Points. Lynn took them through some of the basic positions through play exercises that included rocking an imaginary puppy. The girls loved it (there were no boys in class that day). Outside the stu-

dio, their mothers waited for them to finish. Sandy Whitlock took her 3-year-old daughter Nora to an introductory class there, “and ever since then, she’s been talking nonstop about ballet and wanting to dance,” Whitlock said. “And she started to want to watch ‘Swan Lake’ instead of ‘Barney.’ And then on the way home from somewhere, she’ll ask if we can listen to ballerina music — classical music. The main thing is, as long as she enjoys it, we’ll do it. And if she doesn’t, we won’t.” “Anything that helps children find movement is good,” said Lauren Fortuna, whose daughter Sarah Genevieve was also in Lynn’s class. Children who start movement classes young learn earlier than their peers that their bodies can be effective modes of expression, Collard said. They tend to be more comfortable with their bodies, less likely to be self-conscious during puberty, Collard said. Starting early is certainly helpful to students who want to study ballet further, Dunn said. But it’s beneficial even to those who don’t. They’ll likely appreciate ballet and classical music the rest of their lives. “Dance enriches you as a human being,” she said.

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Turn off technology, tune into kids, author says By Kristen Jordan Shamus, Gannett

e are slaves to our mobile phones, even at dinner. We can’t make it through the day, let alone an hour, without checking e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social apps. When we are supposed to be giving our kids breakfast, getting them ready for bed or even in the car driving, the lure of technology tugs, making us feel as if we’re missing something if we’re not always checking for updates. This is life for many of us in 2013. Our hyperconnectivity, says Catherine Steiner-Adair, a psychologist who’s making headlines for her new book, “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age” (HarperCollins, $26.99), is a huge problem. It’s a problem not just for the lack of focus it brings to our own lives, but for what it’s doing to our children. “This is not a simple time, and the big questions about how we use media and tech are not simple,” she writes. “The answers are nuanced, and we have to be willing to hold the complexities and think deeply about their implications, resist facile, fast-twitch answers that insist ‘the kids are all right.’ The kids are not all right. Not completely.” A clinical instructor in the psychology department at Harvard Medical School, Steiner-Adair tells the stories of many of

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK.COM

the 1,000 kids she interviewed over four years while working on the book. Some of them are heartbreaking; they also ring a little too true. How many of us have parked our kids in front of “Dora the Explorer” or “Good Luck Charlie” for 20 minutes of uninterrupted time to make a work call, prepare dinner in peace, get something done? How many of us have flipped on the Wii or the Xbox and said, “I just need a few minutes, kids,” but by the time we return our attention to them, a full hour has passed? “A lot of the disappointment involves kids giving up. Little moments of promises broken, of feeling let down. ‘Dad was supposed to read with me. Mom said she’d play a board game,’” Steiner-Adair writes. “Teens offer an older version of the same yearning: ‘I don’t see why Mom can’t just not take a call when we’re talking — she’s always telling me that’s what I’m supposed to do. I know Dad’s busy, but it’s like nothing I do is important enough to really matter to him.’” It’s crushing to think about letting down our families in this way. But, as Steiner-Adair told me in a phone interview recently, we’re also letting them down in other really impor-

tant ways. We’re often too permissive about technology; we don’t monitor their use closely enough; we don’t often set limits kids need, and though they’ll never admit it, limits they crave. Among the key things parents should consider, she says, is to establish unplugged time in the family’s daily routine. “Decide what times of day are going to be techfree times of day,” she says. “And ones I would recommend are: get up before your children wake up to deal with e-mails if you need to. But as soon as you wake those little ones up, until they are at school, just be unplugged. They need your attention. When you pick your children up, don’t be on the phone. Your kids want to know that you are, in fact, excited to see them. And in that moment, they need your eye contact. They need you to smile. They need you to listen and not say, ‘one sec,’ not be put on hold. “Bedtime is another time. Just leave screens out of the bedroom. And certainly, meals.” And, now, at the beginning of the school year, is the best time to take a hard look at your family’s tech habits, and draft a plan to live by.

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“Come up with a family responsibleuse compact. … Here’s what you’re allowed to do on our family computer. Here’s what you’re not allowed to do. And if you do stuff you’re not allowed to do, you’ll lose access to the computer. Here’s what this phone is for, here’s what it’s not for. Use it responsibly. If you don’t, you’ll lose it,” she says. “And then continue to talk about what they’re doing. What games they’re playing, what sites they’re going to, live online in the same way you would about asking your kids who they played with at recess. You know, it has to be part of your ongoing conversation.” And work hard on being a parent kids will turn to when they get into trouble. “Be approachable, be calm, be informed,” Steiner-Adair says. “The thing about being informed doesn’t mean you need to know everything about technology. You just need to understand life. Help your child get through the current crisis of the day.” Don’t, she says, be the parent who overreacts, intensifies drama or who underreacts to problems. “The young adults I spoke with were concerned about themselves and their future,” she says. “They would say things like, ‘You know, it’s such a paradox: We’re the most connected generation ever but we’re really bad about being close, and vulnerable and open.’ “I don’t know what it will mean (for our future), but I wrote the book hoping it would help people push refresh or push pause. Restart and think about how we all are relating to each other.”

FINDING A SITTER

By Marla Hardee Milling WNC Parent contributor

You might be one of the lucky parents and have a slate of family members, friends and neighbors you can press into a baby-sitting role at a moment’s notice. But if you’re new to the area or you don’t know someone you can call to baby-sit, the task becomes a bit tougher. It’s important to screen candidates carefully, finding out their experience, if they are CPR certified, and checking references. It’s also important to discover what options are available in the community. You might be more comfortable with an organized parents’ night out where your child will be cared for in a safe place with a team of providers.

Girl Scouts at the ready

There’s a group of Girl Scouts in Weaverville Troop 30026 who have been trained and are ready to care for little ones. The Cadettes are sixth- to eighthgraders and many completed their Babysitting skill-building badge last year. “To earn the badge, scouts must get to know how kids develop, prepare for challenges, focus on safe play, learn about finding employers and practice their skills,” says Sonya Coates, a Mars Hill mom of three and Cadette leader. She says many of her Scouts chose last year to complete a seven-hour babysitting training course that included infant and toddler first aid and CPR. While this troop meets at Weaverville Methodist Church, its membership includes girls in many different schools including Asheville Middle, North Buncombe, Erwin, and Madison Middle. So the troop may include a potential trained sitter who lives nearby. In addition to lining up individual baby-sitting jobs, this group of girls offers occasional parents’ nights out events, where they care for young children during a specified time at the Weaverville Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. “The girls prepare activities, sometimes have crafts, share story time and songs. They play games, dance and refine their leadership skills,” says Coates. “Not

Girl Scouts in Weaverville Troop 30026 have been working to earn their baby-sitting badge. They offer a parents’ night out. SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

only are the children in safe hands giving their parents a chance to enjoy a movie or night out, but the Scouts are developing their skills. It’s a win-win situation.” The next parents’ night out is slated for 6-11 p.m. Nov. 8. To register or for more information, contact Coates at sonya.coates542@gmail.com

Schedule date night while kids play

There are several other places in WNC that offer parents’ night out events. One is Osega Gymnastics, located beside Wright’s Carpet at 1800 A U.S. 70 in Swannanoa. Osega provides four hours of supervised fun on select Friday and Saturday nights for $10 per child.

Upcoming dates include Oct. 4-5 and 18-19. The 18,000-square-foot facility gives kids plenty of room to play and make some new friends. The Colburn Earth Science Museum in downtown Asheville offers four-hour Kid’s Night events at select dates throughout the year. It includes activities, games, hands-on science lessons and dinner. Coming up next is “The Return of Spooky Science” on Oct. 11. For details, visit http://bit.ly/1ajDnul. For a more parents’ night out events, see the calendar starting on Page 46.

Special challenges

When Jennifer Haines moved to Asheville from Pennsylvania in 2010 with her two kids, she had a double chal-

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lenge in finding a baby sitter she could trust. For one thing, she was new in town and didn’t know many people to ask. The second challenge is that she needed to find someone who could care for kids with special needs. Her son is autistic and her daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD and an anxiety disorder. “I didn’t have any services lined up yet or know anyone that I could ask for a reference, so I finally had the thought to call the high school guidance counselor. Who else knows the best and worst kids in the school?” says Haines. “I knew they had this program that paired neurotypical kids that wanted to work in the special needs field with special needs kids during the day,” she continues. “I thought that surely the guidance counselor would know who was part of that program.” The trick was that the guidance counselor could not release any student’s name or contact information. What she agreed to do, however, was to take Haines’ name and number and she passed it along to students that she thought might fit the bill. Haines only got one call, but it was a winner. The girl was a senior at Roberson High School and has been working for special needs kids for two years and planning to pursue a career in the field. “She and her mother came to the house the first time and we sat outside for about 45 minutes talking and getting to know each other while the kids played,” says Haines. “The next time, I had her come for two hours. I stayed home, but she was in charge of the kids. The third time I left her on her own.” The teen baby-sat Haines’ kids for two years — her senior year and the following year, when she attended a community college. “By the time she left for another school, I had made more contacts and had a wider support base to pull from for other sitters,” says Haines. Adele Penland Boyce put out the call for a baby sitter at her alma mater Converse College for her daughter. She recommends posting ads in the career center or education department at area colleges. “One of the girls I got 16 years ago now holds a Ph.D in education at is a new professor at Converse College. We get to call her Dr. Julie now,” she said.

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guest columnist

Do smartphones and iPads impair development in young children? Susan Mims Special to WNC Parent

These days, it is all too common to see a 1-year-old expertly operate an iPad before he can even walk. With the swipe of a finger, toddlers can unlock smartphones and tablets, navigate through a variety of apps and entertain themselves with an endless selection of videos and interactive games. While many parents are proud of their child’s technological prowess, allowing toddlers unlimited use of these devices raises questions about the potential harm to

their development and growth. Although the iPad epidemic is widespread (a survey by Ad Age shows that one in four kids has used a smartphone by age 2), research about its effects on young children is limited because the technology is so new. However, we do know the first two years of life are critical for a child’s neurological development and that interacting with people is an important part of that development. Television and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing and interacting with others — activities that encourage learning and healthy physical and social development. While the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any screen time for kids younger than 2, parents report that

90 percent of children under 2 use some form of electronic media. While we do not yet know how interactive media will affect a child’s development, research on young children and passive media exposure raises significant concerns about potential harmful effects. For any media use in this young age group, parents can take an active role to protect children from the dangers of the world. Just as a mom or dad watches closely for dangerous objects a child puts in his mouth as part of exploring his environment, parents must watch what a child is exposed to through exploring the world of media. Taking time to child-proof your computer, iPad and smartphone can help protect your child in the same way that parents childproof their homes.

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As children move into their preschool years, ages 3-5, they have the ability to learn from media. While education is always encouraged, problems arise when children are allowed extensive time with these interactive devices. Any young child who spends too much time with a device can zone into the tablet, forgoing hours of social interaction and focusing on virtual games instead. And although the tablet can distract a child for a few minutes, it is not a good solution to calm down a child who is whining. The more parents rely on iPads, smartphones or similar devices to pacify a child, the less likely the child is to learn healthy, self-guided techniques to calm down naturally. Many children can even exhibit signs of “technology addiction,” which is characterized by throwing tantrums when devices are taken away. Interactive media use can be a joint activity for parent and child with a time limit just like a trip to the park. This way the child knows to expect to do the activity with a parent or caregiver and that when done, it is time to put it away.

These early years are critical periods for learning and brain development. Engaged play with people during this time is instrumental for developing language skills and learning to recog-

nize facial expressions. They should be using their imaginations; just like a muscle, the imagination must be exercised in order to grow. Over time, kids’ play becomes more elaborate and three-dimensional. Screen time can interfere with these crucial milestones. The bottom line is that children should be actively engaging with parents and other children — not devices. So while smart phones and tablets themselves are not necessarily harmful, a thoughtful and planned approach to usage is important to keep young children on track for healthy development. Use technology as a teaching tool only for short periods of time rather than relying on it to be a child’s only source of play and entertainment. And if your child ever cries when the device is taken away, consider that a warning sign that maybe they shouldn’t be playing with it at all. Susan Mims, MD, MPH is VP for Women’s and Children’s at Mission Hospital and Medical Director for Mission Children’s Hospital.

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FALL FUN!

Through Oct. 31

HICKORY NUT GAP FARM: Visit the Fairview farm from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Pumpkin patch, apples, tricycle rides, food trucks, more. $7 adults, $5 children 3 and older, free for 2 and younger. Admission covers all farm activities for the day. Visit www.hickorynutgapfarm.com.

Through Nov. 2

GHOST TRAIN: Tweetsie Railroad’s 24th annual celebration, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 2, in Blowing Rock. Ghost train rides, haunted house, Halloween shows, 3-D maze, trick-or-treating. $28 per person. Visit www.tweetsie.com.

Oct. 1-5

101st ANNUAL INDIAN FAIR: Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, U.S. 441, Cherokee. Entertainment, midway games, food, traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Visit www.visitcherokeenc.com.

Oct. 5

FARM CITY DAY: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Jackson Park, Hendersonville. Antique and modern farm equipment, music, square dancing, clogging, food, petting zoo, more. Visit www.historichendersonville.org. LUNSFORD FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Mars Hill University. Honoring Bascom Lamar Lunsford and the music and dance traditions of the region. Music, dance, crafts and silent auction. Free. Story swap from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. concert in Moore Auditorium is $10, $5 age 12 and younger. www.lunsfordfestival.com.

Starts Oct. 5

GREAT PUMPKIN PATCH EXPRESS: Weekends starting Oct. 5, Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s Bryson City depot. Meet the Peanuts characters, listen to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie

Brown,” select a pumpkin, hay rides, temporary tattoos, campfire marshmallows, more. Wear costumes and trick-or-treat. Starting Oct. 5, train rides 3 p.m. Fridays (starting Oct. 11), 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $55, $31 age 2-12. Visit www.gsmr.com or call 488-7000 or 800-872-4681. STINGY JACKS PUMPKIN PATCH: Fall festival featuring Stingy’s Illuminated Pumpkin Trail created by local artists out of pumpkins that light up when the sun goes down. Pumpkin carving contest for

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ages 13 and older each weekend. From 5:30-10 p.m. Oct. 5, 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26. At Mountains & Meadows Events Center at Turkey Pen, 324 McGuire Road, Pisgah Forest. Visit www.stingyjackspumpkinpatch.com

Oct. 5-6

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL FALL FESTIVAL: 40th annual festival with fine crafts, craftmaking demonstrations, music and dance performances, kids activities, more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the school in Brasstown. $5, $3 age 12-17, free age 11 and younger. www.folkschool.org. AUTUMN AT OZ PARTY: Beech Mountain Resort, Banner Elk. 20th annual festival with expanded venue, with more activities, concessions and sights. Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. with trips each hour until 5:30 p.m. Tour the old Land of Oz theme park. Take the ski lift or bus to the top to meet Dorothy, visit museum, tour Dorothy’s house, stroll the yellow brick road. Music, dancing, food, hay rides, petting zoo, bonfire, more. $20 advance, $25 at gate, free age 2 and younger. Not accessible for wheelchairs or large strollers. 387-9283 or www.autumnatoz.com.

Oct. 12

FALL BY THE TRACKS: In Black Mountain. Old Depot Association hosts 16th annual festival. Fall by the Tracks 5K Fun Run starts at 10 a.m. With local arts, crafts and festivities in a family-friendly setting. Visit www.olddepot.org. HERITAGE DAY: Make apple butter at the fire ring,

Cold Mountain Corn Maze, 4168 Pisgah Drive, Canton. Visit www.themaize.com. HEY DAY: At 10 a.m. at WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville. The 37th annual fall family festival with face painting, pumpkin painting, performances, animals and more. $8, $4 age 3-15, $7 age 65 and older. Call 298-5600 or visit www.wncnaturecenter.com. MINERAL CITY HERITAGE FESTIVAL: Food, crafts, children’s activities and more, Spruce Pine. Visit www.downtownsprucepine.com MOUNTAIN GLORY FESTIVAL: Street festival with arts and crafts, food, quilt show, children’s area, more. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., downtown Marion. Visit mtngloryfestival.com.

Oct. 12-13

OKTOBERFEST: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sugar Mountain Resort, 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Banner Elk. Bavarian music, German and American food, lift rides, children’s fun center, hay rides, craft fair, winter sports shop sale, performances by Avery Smooth Dancers & Mountain Laurel Cloggers. Free. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS FALL FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 12 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13, Tryon Arts and Crafts School, 373 Harmon Field

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Road, Tryon. Artisans, demonstrations, kids activities. Free admission but donations accepted. Call 859-8323 or visit www.TryonArtsandCrafts.org.

Oct. 13

ALOFT: A FALL FESTIVAL: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 13, North Buncombe Middle School baseball field. Free. Weaverville Girl Scout Troop 30026 hosts an event with hot air balloon rides (weather permitting), face painting, bouncy house, balloon animals, cornhole, foods, crafts and games. BBQ dinner ($9 ) from Wally’s Backyard BBQ, or $7 if reserved in advance. Weaverville FD, Buncombe EMS, Madison EMS and Weaverville Police will bring trucks and offer demonstrations. Proceeds help fund an educational trip to Savannah, Ga. For information, email troop leaders John Morris and Alicia Sisk-Morris at wncgstroop26@yahoo.com.

Oct. 17-20

CRAFT FAIR OF THE SOUTHER HIGHLANDS: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 17-19 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 20, U.S. Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville. Crafters from around Appalachia show and sell their work. $8, free to ages 11 and younger. 298-7928. LAKE EDEN ARTS FESTIVAL: Weekend of art, music and outdoor fun at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain. Visit www.theleaf.org.

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FALL FUN! Continued from Page 19

Oct. 19

APPLE HARVEST FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in downtown Waynesville. The 25th annual event with arts, crafts, entertainment, food and apples. Visit www.haywood-nc.com.

Oct. 19-20

WOOLLY WORM FESTIVAL: Banner Elk. Arts and crafts, music, food, the woolly worm races and more. Visit www.woollyworm.com or call 898-5605.

Oct. 20

HARDLOX: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. Jewish food and heritage festival, with music and dance, crafts, food, kids’ activities. Visit www.hardloxjewishfestival.org

Oct. 24-26

FALL HARVEST DAYS: Vendors, farm tools, 28th Antique Engine and Tractor Show, more. Tractor parade daily at 3 p.m., weather permitting. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at WNC Ag Center, Fletcher. $8 per day, under 12 free with paid adult. Visit pplecountry.org.

Oct. 26

BEARY SCARY HALLOWEEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Grandfather Mountain, Linville. Crafts, nature program, costume contest and more. Visit www.grandfather.com. HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL: Kate’s Park, Hendersonville Road, Fletcher. Games, face painting, prizes and costume contest for ages 11 and younger. Call 687-0751 or visit www.fletcherparks.org. HALLOWEENFEST: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., downtown Brevard. Great Pumpkin roll, costume parade, trick-or-treat, family activities, more. Flight of the Vampire 5K Run starts at 9 a.m. Call 884-3278 or visit www.brevardnc.org. HARVEST HOEDOWN: 12-3:30 at Rainbow Community School, 574 Haywood Road, Asheville. Tickets are $1 each, 12 for $10, or 25 for $20. With local food, bounce houses, magic show, spin art, gem mining and more. Visit www.rainbowcommunityschool.org. HAUNTED LAGOON: 1-4 p.m. at Zeugner Center, behind Roberson High School, Arden. Costume contest (divided into three age categories) at 1:30 p.m., swimming starting at 2 p.m., trick-or-treat. Admission is can of food for MANNA FoodBank; $2 for swimmers. Call 684-5072 or visit www.buncombecounty.org. HOWL-O-WEEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville. Games, presentations, crafts and more. Visit www.wncnaturecenter.com or call 259-8080. MINI-MONSTER FEST: 5-8:30 p.m., Grey Eagle Arena, 17 White Pine Drive, Black Mountain. Call 669-2052 to reserve a spot. Costume contest, hayrides, juggler and magician, bounce house, face painting and snacks. With a screening of “Monsters Inc.” at 6:30 p.m. This event replaces the Fall Festi-

Chip Hoornstra, 8, enjoys a barefoot plunge into shucked corn at Eliada Home’s Fields of Fun corn maze. JOHN COUTLAKIS/JCOUTLAKIS@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM val. Free. Visit http://bit.ly/1aYPmSm. NINJA HALLOWEEN PARTY: 3-6 p.m. Oct. 26, Kasumi Mountain Martial Arts, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Free. All ages. PUMPKINFEST: Hayrides, trick-or-treating, a pumpkin roll, more, in downtown Franklin. Call 524-2516 or visit www.pumpkinfestfranklin.com.

TRICK-OR-TREAT STREET: 4:30-7:30 p.m. at gazebo on Main Street, downtown Hendersonville. With Halloween costume contest at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.downtownhendersonville.org. TRUNK OR TREAT: 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 31, Anointed Word Church, 170 Bradley Branch Road, Arden. Candy, snacks, hot chocolate, more.

Oct. 31

Corn mazes

FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL: 5:30-8 p.m., First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St., Asheville. Free community event with fun for whole family. Pony rides, live bluegrass band, magician/balloon twister, cake walk, games, prizes, free parking, concessions for purchase. Visit www.fbca.net or call 252-4781. HOOPLA: Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden. Visit www.biltmorebaptist.org for details.

BLUE RIDGE CORN MAZE: 1605 Everett Road, Pisgah Forest. Self-serve hours. $7 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6-12, free for 5 and under. Group rates. Visit www.blueridgecornmaze.com or call 226-0508. COLD MOUNTAIN CORN MAIZE: 4168 Pisgah Drive, along N.C. 110, south of Canton. 1-9 p.m. through Nov. 2. $8 for ages 4 and older, $2 for hay rides. Haunted maze in October. Group rates. Call 648-8575 or visit www.themaize.com. ELIADA FIELDS OF FUN CORN MAZE: Eliada Homes, 2 Compton Drive, West Asheville. Two storybook trails. Hay bale maze, hay ride, pumpkin patch, barrel train, giant tube slides, corn cannons and more. This year’s theme is “Love Asheville Give Local.” Open 4-8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays, until Oct. 27. $9 for ages 12 and older, $6 ages 4-11. Visit www.fieldsoffun.org. HICKORY NUT GAP FARM: Visit the Fairview farm from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through October. Try the maze, pick a pumpkin, buy organic apples, hold a baby chick, visit with animals and more. New culvert slide from orchard to barn. $7 adults, $5 children 3 and older, free for 2 and younger. Hayrides $3, horse rides $7. Visit www.hickorynutgapfarm.com.

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educator’s view

Building early literacy skills By Susanna Barbee WNC Parent contributor

I remember “The Berenstain Bears.” I remember “Ramona and Beezus.” I remember the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I remember “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. These books left an impression on me. I not only fondly recall the characters and story lines but also the comforting feeling of being read to or hunkering down with a great book and reading silently. These memories would not exist if books had not always been at my fingertips. Books were much harder to access several decades ago when I was a child. We did not have Kindles or Nooks or

iPads. Books were not sold at the grocery store. In fact, I think there were only a handful of bookstores within a 100-mile radius. My mom was a school librarian who would bring home books, but we also checked books out at the public library, took advantage of library day at school, and ordered from the Scholastic flier that my teachers gave me. I’m not exactly sure where all of the books we owned came from, but the little white shelf in my childhood bedroom was always full. Early literacy significantly impacts a child’s educational success. When children are read to or read on their own, their foundational knowledge builds extensively. This background knowledge will allow them to make connections to the story on the page, comprehend what they are reading and ultimately, become a skilled and passionate reader.

There are several easy and inexpensive ways to foster early literacy and a love of literature in your own home. » Be a model reader. Our children absorb everything we do, the good and the bad. If Mommy and Daddy are reading, they will become curious about books. This curiosity will peak their interest in reading. » Visit libraries and bookstores often so that your children can see people of all races, ages and socioeconomic statuses reading books. This will teach them that reading is cool beyond their own home. » Increase vocabulary and background knowledge by constantly talking to your children about the world around them. Expose them to as many different experiences as possible. » Be spontaneous and creative. Read at the park. When on a summer trip to the beach or a lake, designate an

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hour every afternoon to turn off the technology and read. Listen to books on tape when in the car for long periods of time. Give them bookstore gift cards so they can pick out their own books. Al-

ways let them know the feel of a book in their hands, but also take advantage of virtual literature. » Watch your children closely and know them as readers. What do they

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enjoy reading? When do they enjoy reading? Are they struggling with a reading skill? Do they favor a particular genre? This will help you foster a love of books and reading. » Always, always have books around. The amazing public library system that we have in our country makes it impossible for parents to say, “We just don’t have access to books.” Yes, you do! We all do. A library card is free, the books are free, learning is free, yet so extremely important. There is a critical period of brain development before the age of 5, so ensure that you are taking full advantage of that by exposing your children to books and reading as much as possible. What are your child’s favorite books? Perhaps it’s “Where the Wild Things Are” or a Dr. Seuss book. Perhaps it is the “Junie B. Jones” or “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” or “Harry Potter” book? Whatever they are, your little ones will remember them forever and your future adult children will thank you for giving them the gift of knowledge. Susanna Barbee is a local mom, writer and educator. Find more on her blog, www.zealousmom.com. Reach her at susanna.barbee@gmail.com.

navigating education

Parents should learn how to advocate for their students By Mike Miller

Special to WNC Parent

Advocacy: It’s one of those words that fits in the “buzz” category, but is a powerful force for meaningful change. For parents, it means the difference between passively watching your child navigate the educational landscape from pre-K through 12th grade, and becoming truly aware of what decisions impact his or her education on a variety of levels. Once you are aware of what decisions are made, and by whom, you can maximize

your role as an advocate for your child. However, there is a fine line between being an effective advocate and an overbearing parent. The first thing any parent should know is what influences decisions that are made at the school level, most often by administration. Government mandates from all levels directly impact your child’s education, from who their teacher and classmates will be to how much time each day is spent on a given subject. Certain mandates even address how a teacher will teach a given subject. Knowing this will help point you in the right direction as to whom you should contact. A “real world” example can be found in classrooms across our state right now.

There is little disagreement that learning to read is a critical outcome of a great education. In fact, most expert educators agree that students still struggling to read after third grade will have significantly greater struggles than their peers who are on grade level. Local school systems use a research-based approach to reading instruction called guided reading. This method allows for a very small student/teacher ratio during reading instruction, even allowing for one-on-one instruction at times. For this method to successfully be implemented, schools must have teaching assistants. These assistants go through the training necessary to collaborate with teachers to successfully implement guided reading instruction on a

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daily basis. With recent state reductions in teaching assistants, schools may be seriously handicapped when it comes to implementing guided reading instruction. Add to this the removal of caps on class size, and the state is expecting our schools to do more with less. There is little a principal can do to remedy this serious problem without the funds to hire more teacher assistants. This is a classic example of the need for advocacy at the state level. Still, there are many other issues that a parent may want to address that begin at the local level. Many of these can be addressed at the school, and even with the teacher. The vast majority of parents will agree that teachers are professionals and have the best interests of their students in mind. This being said, if you have a concern about the progress of your student, curriculum, social issues, and so on, you should begin by contacting your student’s teacher. He or she will typically respond quickly either through email or through a phone call. If the concern warrants a parent/teacher conference, then this is the time to set that up. Not only is it a parent’s right to set up

such a conference, but parents are encouraged to do so. It is important to remember that the parents, teachers, school administration and other personnel, as well as students, are all on the same team. Everyone on this team has the same goal: the success of the student. With this in mind, every member of the team is an advocate for the student. However, each member has a different area of expertise, and it is important to be aware of this. First, the parents are the experts on their student. No one knows the student like the parents do, and the parents have a unique lens through which they view the education of their child. The teachers are the experts on curriculum, instruction and the classroom environment. They see what most parents do not in the daily interactions of the student in the school setting. The administrators are the expert on school resources, as well as government policies and laws on all levels that might impact decisions made regarding the needs of a given student. They see the big picture when it comes to meeting the needs of the student. Finally, and most importantly, the

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students have a perspective all their own. The lens through which their time is viewed at school is most critical because they are the learners. The team must pay close attention to what the student says about the experiences in the learning environment. As a parent, keeping these roles in mind will make for a productive relationship with school personnel. The initial contact is key to the future success of the student. Remembering that no one wants a student to struggle or fail is important for all team members, especially when there is disagreement. This aspect of parenting can be charged with emotion, but it is best to check that emotion at the door so that conversations can remain professional and productive. It’s also a good idea to keep the old saying in mind: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” And remember that you’re still dealing with people who care about their students and work hard to provide the best educational experience possible. Michael Miller is the principal of Asheville Catholic School, www.ashevillecatholic.org.

‘SESAME STREET’

TO TEACH ABC’S OF SELF-RESTRAINT

By Greg Toppo USA TODAY

NEW YORK — For 43 years, Cookie Monster has lived by one sweet, simple rule: When he wants a cookie, he gets a cookie. Not this year. For its new season, “Sesame Street” aims to help its young 3- and 4-year-old viewers succeed in school — and in life — by learning a little self-restraint. The bad news: When Cookie Monster wants a cookie, he doesn’t always get one. The good news? If he waits, sometimes he gets two. Explored nearly a half-century ago in the Stanford University “marshmallow test,” the research underlying the idea says that kids who develop strong “executive function” skills such as self-control, patience, grit and long-term, flexible thinking succeed in school and life. For the experiments, Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel and his colleagues sat preschoolers at a desk with a marshmallow and a bell and told them they could eat the marshmallow anytime they wished. But if they waited 15 minutes until an adult returned, they’d get two marshmallows. Mischel originally intended the experiment as a look into how children resist temptation. The first findings, published in 1970, also detailed the kids’ coping strategies. But when researchers began tracking down the marshmallow kids in the early 1980s, they found that those who’d waited for two marshmallows at age 4 had much higher SAT scores and better academic records as teenagers. The results, popularized recently in journalist Paul Tough’s 2012 book “How Children Succeed,” have helped spawn a broad effort

to rethink what helps children do well in school, with so-called “noncognitive skills” taking on as big a role as kids’ ability to read, write and do math. Mischel himself consulted with “Sesame Street” researchers on the new season. The new approach isn’t much of a departure from what the legendary show has focused on since its 1969 premiere. “We always have been given great credit, and rightly so, for teaching the academic skills,” says lead researcher Rosemarie Truglio. “But we have always focused on the social and emotional wellbeing of children, and sometimes we don’t get credit for that because it’s not as overt.” When she and her colleagues talk to teachers, Truglio notes, they say preschoolers “really need to have stronger skills in how to regulate their emotions and how they interact with others.” That helps them arrive at school with the ability to focus on academics. When she approached the show’s writing staff with the idea of focusing on

executive function, “I had no idea what it was,” says head writer Joey Mazzarino. “But when we heard what it was, first of all, I said, ‘I could use some help with that.’ ” It didn’t take long for Mazzarino, a father of two, to see that “delaying gratification is a big deal — it’s a huge deal.” Then he realized: Cookie Monster “is the poster boy for someone who needs to control himself. We thought, ‘This is actually perfect for us.’ ” In the new season, “Cookie,” as his friends call him, struggles repeatedly to resist temptation, usually with a measure of success. “He’s just going through this terrible conflict inside and how to overcome it,” Mazzarino says. In one skit, a spoof of “Star Wars” called “Star S’mores,” Cookie plays Flan Solo. His challenge: Not to eat his partner, a cookie, named Chewy after original “Star Wars” character Chewbacca, nicknamed “Chewy.” In another skit, Cookie actually undergoes a cookie-based version of the marshmallow test, appearing as a contestant on a TV game show dubbed “The Waiting Game.” The show’s Guy Smiley Singers sing “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait.” Tony-award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown wrote the music. Mazzarino wrote the lyrics. He won’t say how the skit ends. To anyone who worries that delayed gratification will take the fun out of Cookie, Mazzarino says relax. “It actually amps him up because you’re just making him wait and wait,” Mazzarino says. “The more he waits, the more tension he gets. He’s always had that struggle, but he mostly doesn’t struggle — he just eats. Nobody’s ever made him wait that long.”

Cookie Monster may have to wait patiently for cookies in the new “Sesame Street” season. AP

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artist's muse

Storytelling with comics By Ginger Huebner WNC Parent columnist

Have you ever noticed how kids are so good at telling stories? I think it is one of their greatest gifts! There are many ways to capture a story: words, illustrations, acting it out … but what about combining all of these ways into one project? Our Roots + Wings Afterschool Community Design Lab at Vance Elementary School recently worked on doing comic strips with the students. They created stories in small groups, drew illustration and speech bubbles as visual support, and then acted out the rest. All of it was documented with a digital camera as “frames” of a comic strip. You can help them think about the flow of the story, as well as thinking in “frames” or moments of time. Then, edit the photos along with them to see that it all makes sense as a whole story. The images can be arranged in a word processing program or page layout program. You could also print each frame individually and arrange them yourselves. It is a simple idea, but a fun and engaging experience for all involved. Ginger Huebner is the director of Roots + Wings School of Art and

Design, offering visual art and design education for all ages. Email her at info@rootsandwingsarts.com or visit www.rootsandwingsarts.com.

Students tell stories by creating comic strips in which they are the stars. GINGER HUEBNER/SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

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Average yearly cost for a child’s food allergy: $4,184 By Kim Painter Special for USA TODAY

Food allergies in children are not only increasingly common, they are expensive â€” costing an average of $4,184 a child each year, with $931 coming straight out of parents’ pockets, a new study finds. The study, published in September in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, is the first to add up costs for the estimated 8 percent of U.S. children with allergies to peanuts, milk, eggs and other foods. The study, based on surveys of 1,643 parents, puts the total cost to the nation at nearly $25 billion a year. That includes the cost of visits to doctors, hospitals and emergency rooms, much of which is covered by insurers. But it also includes the costs of special foods and of parents missing work or even changing or quitting jobs to care for children. “Kids with food allergies don’t tend to have long hospital stays, but your expenses come in other ways,” says lead author Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician at Ann &amp; Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Parents “end up having to spend extra on foods to make sure they are safe,” she says. Often, she says, that means relying on expensive specialty stores, such as Whole Foods, rather than cheaper grocery stores. The 37 percent of parents in the survey who said they spent money on special food spent an average of $756 a year on it. About 9 percent of parents in the survey said they restricted career choices or gave up, lost or changed jobs due to a child’s food allergy. Those socalled “opportunity costs” were the largest in the survey, averaging $2,399 a year for each allergic child and more than $26,000 for families who made the changes. It’s possible that those parents had children with the most severe allergies or histories of severe reactions, Gupta says. Such parents may fear leaving their children with others and may want to be available to go to “every field trip and holiday party,” to monitor food, she says.

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families & relationships

When grandparents parent By Trip Woodard WNC Parent columnist

So, why is it that grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? It is because they have a common enemy. Or, so, that is how the joke goes. Which is a good thing because there are a rising number of grandparents who are taking a strong secondary or a primary role in raising their grandchildren? Reasons for this include teenagers unable to care for their babies, parents who are incarcerated or into drugs, and parents who are going through a divorce without means to continue to live on their own. The saddest dynamic, which is common, is for a parent to â&#x20AC;&#x153;entrustâ&#x20AC;? their

child to a grandparent, but threaten to take the child away if the grandparent institutes any tough love measure with the parent now living in and out of their home. This emotional blackmail scenario typically becomes a crazy-making experience for the grandchild, grandparent and the inevitable child therapist. Looking at the possible layers of grandparent involvement and optimal ways to support the grandchild, we must begin with the fundamental understanding that grandparents do not have any legal rights concerning grandchildren in the state of North Carolina. This means that unless the parents sign custody over to you, your actions to control how your children treat their children are limited. Of course, if you have grounds for believing that your grandchild is being abused or neglected, this can and should be reported to the Department of

Social Services, but there is no guarantee that DSS will substantiate the claim or if they do, place the children in your custody. This is a sticky problem that does not an easy or painless resolution. If you as a grandparent strongly disapprove of how your children are raising your grandchildren, the environment they live in or the type of company your children choose to keep, there is not a lot you can do. I would advise that you consult with a family therapist (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are well trained with this) for what options you have. The next layer would be when custody has been granted to you, the grandparent, and now you are legally the primary parent. This is another tough place to be, especially if the children are very young and you are struggling with physical limitations. Another rough spot to

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gogue or social group. If your grandchild is school age, the school counselor or social worker may have ideas about this. Second, remember that you are never too old to “learn new tricks.” Take a parenting course offered in your community. I highly recommend Love and Logic or One, Two, Three Magic. I have yet to visit a county that doesn’t offer these resources through some group for free. You may also find books and videos on the subject available from the library. The last layer I want to consider are the grandparents who provide more of a baby-sitting role and the primary parents are healthy. This can be true of situations where a parent is temporarily living with you because of limited fibe in is if your grandchildren are having behavioral problems and the discipline methods you used with your own children don’t work or are no longer acceptable with your grandchildren. There are two answers to this. First, get help from people in your life who are able to be sufficiently active with your grandchildren like from your church, syna-

nances from a divorce. The key objective here is to support and not challenge the authority of the primary parent. All children seek out the best deals in their life and if the parent won’t approve of something maybe the grandparent will. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. My sisters are both grandparents and one of them has a pillow that says, “Grandchildren are worth the difficulty of rais-

ing children.” I have yet to find this out for myself as my son, Weston, is still in college at UNC Asheville. But, if you are reading this, son, remember that I am totally willing to wait to find out if this is true later after college and grad school. 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 606-8607.

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growing together

Attention thieves: I am not home

By Chris Worthy WNC Parent columnist

While the boys were away on a Boy Scout camping trip recently, the girl and I decided to do what we do best (aside from bingewatching “Downtown Abbey”): pilgrimage to the land of Swedish furniture and cinnamon rolls. I will pay my environmental penance the rest of the year, recycling other people’s boxes and shopping second-hand, just to ease my hippie guilt over the occasional trips to IKEA. I think the Scandinavian design sense appeals to my need for clean lines and no clutter. If I have clutter, I can hide it in $1.99 decorative boxes on my BILLY bookcases or my LACK shelves. (And I do, thank you very much.) I was noshing away on my decidedly not-organic cookie sandwich, taking a

break under the most awesome light fixture ever to escape an ABBA music video, when my phone let me know that I had been tagged in a Facebook post. “Ready. Set. IKEA.” — with Chris Worthy at IKEA, Charlotte, N.C. The girl had tagged me. While I’m thrilled that she isn’t ashamed for her friends to know she is hanging out with me, I reminded her of the family policy of not letting the world know we aren’t at home. “Even as you sit here eating ligonberry sauce, burglars are distracting the dogs with chicken nuggets while they steal your brother’s Xbox,” I told her. She may or may not have rolled her eyes. I love seeing my friends’ vacation photos. I really do. But I cringe every time I see “Jane Doe checked in at HartsfieldJackson Atlanta Airport.” My jealousy is replaced with everything-they-own-will-besold-on-eBay angst when I see friends toasting the end of a day at the beach or in New York or at the Grand Canyon. My husband is convinced that my concern is more than one of the many quirky

notions that come from years in criminal law. (Don’t do drugs, kids.) My children think I’m overreacting. Everything in their world occurs in real time. Everything about everyone can be known instantaneously. This is what they know as normal, so what could be wrong with it? It’s an old-fashioned notion, this preservation of privacy. But the same people who prepare for a trip by having the mail stopped and buying a timer for a lamp in the front window think nothing of posting a day-by-day account of their travels — while they are gone. This seems like technology-induced schizophrenia to me. Go ahead, roll your eyes. I’m getting used to it. But please save your slideshow for when you’re back at home. Sometimes people use the Internet to do bad things. And sometimes people buy too much at IKEA and try to fit it all in a Prius. Not me, of course — I mean other people. Chris Worthy is an attorney who took down her shingle to be a stay-at-home mom. Reach her at chris@worthyplace.net.

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nature center notes

Goodnight, bears By Jordon Crawford Special to WNC Parent

Autumn in the mountains is a catalyst for change; deciduous leaves become colorful and fall to the ground, a chill creeps into the air, and people and animals begin to prepare for the winter months. For the American black bear, autumn also signals a crucial time of the year for survival: hibernation. First of all, it must be noted that black bears are not actually true hibernators. However, they do undergo a dormant period in which they do not eat, drink, wake up or move around very much during the colder months of the year, so we still refer to this period as “hibernation.” In order to sleep all winter long, bears may pack on 30 pounds of fat. A female black bear gives birth to cubs in January and February after an eight-month gestation period. The new

mother cares for her cubs in the den until spring arrives, and then the family of bears emerges from hibernation in search of food. The first few months out of the den are essential for the young cubs’ health and development while they begin to explore their surroundings. The cubs also depend on their mother for protection. As you may have heard or experienced, a threatened mother bear is certainly a force to be reckoned with. When hibernation rolls around again in October or November, the mother bear must ensure that her cubs have had enough food to keep them healthy through the winter. If you are wandering through the woods this fall before snowdrifts cover the mountains, be mindful of bear families that are searching for food and settling down for the winter. The WNC Nature Center is at 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville. Visit www.wncnaturecenter.com.

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The American black bear doesn’t truly hibernate. SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Parents: Yelling, swearing at teens backfires big time By Nanci Hellmich USA TODAY

What can parents do to rear a teen who is well-behaved, happy and respectful? A tactic that doesn’t work is broadly called “harsh verbal discipline,” whether that’s shouting at teens, yelling, screaming, swearing, insulting or calling them names, says a study out today. In fact, those parenting actions increase the risk that the adolescent will misbehave and suffer symptoms of depression. Shouting and yelling are ineffective and can be harmful, says the study’s author Ming-Te Wang, assistant professor in the department of psychology and the school of education at the University of Pittsburgh. “This may explain why so many parents say that no matter how loud they shout, their teenagers don’t listen.”

Wang and colleagues studied 967 two-parent families and their teens in Pennsylvania. Most of the families were middle class, generally white or African American. The parents and their children completed surveys over a two-year period on issues such as parent-child relationships and mental health. Thirteen-year-olds who received a lot of harsh verbal discipline from their parents were more likely to have symptoms of depression at age 14, according to the findings published in the journal Child Development. They were also more likely to exhibit problem behaviors such as anger, aggression, vandalism and misconduct, Wang says. Psychologists who work with teens and their families say parents should carefully consider the implications of these findings. When you expose children to pro-

longed stress — and it does not have to be severe stress — you increase the risk of all kinds of physical and mental health problems, says Alan Kazdin, professor of psychology and child psychiatry at Yale University and author of “The Everyday Parenting Toolkit.” You do not want harshness in the home, Kazdin says. “We do not want toxins. That shows up in mental and physical health. We want acceptance, nurturing, love, cuddling.” Ongoing harsh verbal discipline and criticism can fuel difficulties and rebellion in kids, says Neil Bernstein, an adolescent psychologist in Washington, D.C., and author of “How to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do if You Can’t.” “Extremes of parenting don’t work. The put-down parent is no more effective than the laissez-faire parent who is

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totally chill and sets no limits on their children’s behavior.” That said, there are times where parents are justifiably angry and yell in exasperation, he says. For instance, if a teen has put himself in a dangerous situation, such as driving drunk or recklessly, a parent may scream, “You could have been killed.” “If parents are being honest, almost everybody has done that every once in awhile,” he says. But this study is looking at ongoing harsh discipline — putdowns, cursing, yelling. “That isn’t constructive,” Bernstein says. Neither is hitting teens. “Physical intervention, especially with teenagers, is notoriously ineffective, and it’s much more likely to precipitate additional problems than it is to lessen whatever problem is going on,” he says. “Kids are very big on being respected. If we want to respect our kids, we don’t want to set the example that we are losing our temper and hitting them.” So what does work when rearing teens? A better idea would be to use constructive consequences, something that educates rather than humiliates, Bern-

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stein says. For example, if your teen violates a curfew, you might ground her for a few weeks explaining that when she convinces you it won’t happen again, you’ll return to your old agreement. “I’m well aware that taking away tech toys is a favorite punishment these days, but it should be done on a short-term basis to increase the motivation. For example, they get them back sooner for good behavior.” When it comes to rearing teens, “the

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big three are good communication, love and limits,” Bernstein says. “If you consistently practice these three, chances are you’ll raise a happy, healthy child.” The goal is to teach children to do the behaviors that you want, Kazdin says. Harsh yelling or punishment just stops the behavior at the moment, but does not develop the behaviors that you want, he says. What parents need to do is catch their teens doing things right and praise those behaviors. If you do that, it will increase your respectful exchanges with them and decrease the disrespectful ones, Kazdin says. For instance, if they do a good job setting the table or getting along with their siblings, praise them. If they are sharing information with you politely, then say, “That was great the way you spoke to me. I really appreciate it,” and then give them a high-five or thumbs up, he says. “We want to teach kids, not hurt them,” he says. “If we are teaching our children, they are less likely to repeat the behavior. If we hurt or diss our children, we’ll increase the likelihood of bad behavior.”

Parents: Head back to school Special to WNC Parent

ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School Program is thrilled when parents get involved in Farm to School projects at their child(ren)’s school. Farm to School programming connects classrooms, the cafeteria and the community — helping children develop healthy relationships with food and enriching the overall educational experience for children and adults alike. The movement is growing, both nationally and here in Western North Carolina. Parents may hear about the ways ASAP supports local teachers or child nutrition directors. But ASAP’s materials and resources are for parents, too. Parents are invited to attend ASAP’s annual Farm to School Conference on Nov. 2 alongside teachers, cafeteria staff members and others. The daylong event at UNC Asheville is designed to provide attendees with the training and resources needed to implement and support successful Farm to School programs.

Students at Vance Elementary in West Asheville help their garden grow. SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Molly Pritchard, a parent from Estes Elementary School in South Asheville, attended the conference last year and knows the value of Farm to School in her child’s education. She helps manage the Estes school garden and conducts schoolwide tastings of local fruits and vegetables. “Every school really should have a garden, and more than likely, it will take

the enthusiasm and energy of parents to make it happen,” Pritchard says. “The teachers are the ones who utilize the garden to enrich the curriculum for our children’s benefit in limitless ways ... and in this electronic day and age of rampant childhood obesity and disconnect from the natural world, the school garden is that much more beneficial to our children.” Parents attending the conference will have the opportunity to learn how school food works from an area child nutrition director, how to conduct taste tests and cooking activities with students, how to use a school garden as a learning tool, and much more. Learn more about and register for this year’s Nov. 2 conference via ASAP’s Growing Minds website, www.growingminds.org/farm-to-school-conference. The event runs 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and costs $35, which includes access to workshops, a resource notebook, and a local foods breakfast and lunch. Also, heck the website for kid-friendly recipes and Farm to School activities.

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Nutritionists creeped out By Bruce Horovitz USA TODAY

Count Chocula may have finally met his match: nutritionists. Even as General Mills rolls out a record five Halloween-theme “Monster Cereals” this month, three nutritional experts are speaking out to warn that parents should think twice before carting the seasonal cereals home, adding to the Halloween season’s sugar overload. At issue: too much sugar, too many dyes and not enough fiber. The cereals, which sell for about $2.50 a box, go by the kid-friendly names of Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry, Frute Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy. “Amidst Halloween’s tsunami of junk foods, kids certainly shouldn’t be encouraged to consume even more sugar, refined flour and artificial colorings in the form of breakfast cereals,” says Michael Jacobson, executive director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. For major food companies such as

General Mills rolls out a record five Halloween-theme “Monster Cereals.”

General Mills, holidays are a unique opportunity. For the stagnant, $7.7 billion ready-to-eat cereal industry, Halloweentheme cereal is a way to create excitement. But in a nation increasingly concerned with nutrition, some seasonal promotions that have been popular for years are now getting second looks. “Maybe they hope that moms will be happy the products aren’t candy and snap up the boxes,” says Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University. “But the cereals sure look like candy to me: sugar and marshmallows.”

General Mills executives declined to be interviewed. But Carla Vernon, marketing director for the General Mills “Big G” cereals line, says, in an email, that 60 percent of the consumption of Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry is by adults, not kids. There is no direct advertising support for Monster cereals. But the promotion is getting at extra lift at Target stores, which is selling the cereal in special “retro” packaging. Six years ago, General Mills reduced the amount of sugar in Monsters Cereals from 15 grams per serving to 9 grams. “So, a cereal like Count Chocula has 100 calories and 9 grams of sugar per serving,” Vernon says in the e-mail. All the cereals contain at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving and are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Jacobson, at CSPI, notes that nearly one-third of the cereal is still sugar, and much of the flour is refined — meaning the ingredients are low in fiber.

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SOUPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON!

By Kate Justen, WNC Parent columnist

he season for soup us upon us, and I made my first pot of home made chicken noodle soup a few days ago. It starts with just one and before you know it we are having soup every night; split pea, lentil, chili, gumbo, chowder or stew. Soup is probably as old as the history of cooking. In the simplest definition, it is the act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling and easily digestible food. The great thing about soup is you can change a few ingredients based on your own taste and what you have on hand to make a simple pot of soup fun and exciting. My chicken noodle soup was very simple and I did not use a recipe. Here is what I did: I use organic boneless chicken thighs because I do not have to deal with bones or skin and they are less expensive that the skinless boneless chicken breast. Fill a large stock pot about 2/3 full of water and boil the Continues on Page 42

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SOUP'S ON!

Pumpkin chili

Continued from Page 41Q

whole thighs for about 5 minutes. While they boil, peel and cut carrots (use as much as you want). You can also add onion, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, turnips or any vegetable you have and you think would taste good. Remove the thighs from the water and set aside to cool. Add vegetables and crushed garlic into the stock pot with the boiling water. Make sure you leave enough room for the chicken and noodles. When the chicken is cool enough to touch remove the excess fat and either cut or pull the chicken apart. (Since it is already cooked you do not need to be as concerned with contaminating your cutting board or counter tops. Even still, clean well when you are done). Let the veggies boil for about 5 minutes and then add the noodles and chicken. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper as needed. You want to use salt to enhance the flavor of the soup. It should not mask the flavors of the vegetables. This made a huge pot of soup. My family ate it for dinner and for lunch the next day. We still had some remaining, so I added curry powder, kale and sweet bell peppers and served it with cooked red lentils for a completely different tasting meal. The skinny on soup: » The word soup is of Sanskrit origin, it is derived from the su and po, which means good nutrition. » Want to remove excess fat from your soup? Simply take a lettuce leaf and draw it across the surface of the soup. The excess fat sticks to the leaf. You can also skim the excess fat off with a large spoon. » Do your kids cringe at the sight of vegetables? Soups are a great way to incorporate vegetables in your diet. Use pureed vegetables as your thickener for soup. Butternut squash is my favorite. » Creamy soups are yummy but, they are not always the healthiest choice because they call for high-fat cream. Try using cooked and pureed quinoa, cauliflower or potatoes with a little low-fat milk. » Soups are energizers when they are packed full of vegetables, water and healthy proteins. Kate Justen is the program director of FEAST — Fresh Easy Affordable Sustainable Tasty, a program of Slow Food Asheville. Contact her at feast.avl@gmail.com or visit www.slowfoodasheville.org.

1 quart water 1 can pinto beans rinsed 1 can black beans rinsed 1/2 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespopn oil 1/2 green pepper, diced 2 cups diced tomato 1 cups carrots, peeled and diced 2 cups cooked and pureed pumpkin or squash 1 tablespoon. chili powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon cumin Hot sauce to taste

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Minestrone soup 2 tablespoon oil 1 onion chopped 2 stalks celery chopped 2 carrots chopped 1 small zucchini chopped 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 bunch fresh green beans, cut 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes or 4 diced fresh tomatoes 3 cups water 1 15 oz. can beans (garbanzo, great northern, white kidney) drained & rinsed 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup dried pasta

Sauté fresh veggies in oil for 5 minutes. Add water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta, beans, salt, pepper and dried herbs simmer 15 minutes. Top with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese

Lentil soup 1 bag brown lentils (1 lb.) 1 tablespoons salt 8 cups water 1/4 teaspoon dried basil or parsley 4 large carrots peeled and diced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 4 celery stalks chopped 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1 onion diced 1/8 teaspoon pepper 3-4 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons oil

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot, bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Variations: » Use a variety of beans and/or lentils » Add cooked ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork » Use 2 cups of pureed sweet potatoes in place of the pumpkin or squash » Reduce water for a thicker chili, add water or broth for thinner soup » Roast the vegetables prior to adding them to the chili Time saving tips: » Roast more than one squash or pumpkin at a time, freeze unused portions in 2 cup portions to use in soups all winter. » Instead of chopping veggies put them in a food processor or blender. » Double the recipe and freeze individual servings for easy lunches or the whole batch for a dinner in a few weeks. » Put all ingredients in a slow cooker in the morning, cook on low all day.

Pour lentils in colander and rinse with cold water. Add water and lentils in a stockpot, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Combine oil, garlic and chopped veggies in a pan; sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add salt, pepper and herbs to vegetables. Add vegetables to the simmering lentils, simmer for 10 minutes. Top with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese (You can add potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, squash, spinach or any greens to this recipe.)

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area story times Buncombe County Libraries

Visit www.buncombecounty.org Mother Goose 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Black Mountain; 11 a.m. Tuesday, Fairview; 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, North Asheville; 11 a.m. Thursday, Oakley; 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Pack; 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Swannanoa; 11 a.m. Wednesday, Weaverville; 11 a.m. Monday, West Asheville. Toddler 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Black Mountain; 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Enka; 11 a.m. Wednesday, Fairview; 10 a.m. Wednesday, North Asheville; 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oakley; 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Pack; 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, South Buncombe; 10 a.m. Thursday, Swannanoa; 11 a.m. Thursday, Weaverville; 11 a.m. Wednesday, West Asheville. Preschool 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Black Mountain; 11 a.m. Wednesday and Saturday, East Asheville; 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Enka; 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Fairview; 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Leicester; 11 a.m. Wednesday, North Asheville; 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oakley; 10:30 a.m. Monday, Pack; 10:30 a.m. Thursday, South Buncombe; 11 a.m. Thursday, Swannanoa; 11 a.m. Tuesday, Weaverville; 11 a.m. Thursday, West Asheville. Reading Corner (ages 6-12) 3:30 p.m. first Wednesdays, Pack.

Haywood County Library

Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org. Waynesville, 356-2512 or 356-2511: Movers and Shakers: 11 a.m. Thursdays; Ready 4 Learning: 11 a.m. Tuesdays; Family story time: 11 a.m. Wednesdays Canton, 648-2924: Family story time, 11 a.m. Tuesdays; Rompin’ Stompin’ story time, 10 a.m. Thursdays

Henderson County Library

Visit www.henderson. lib.nc.us. Bouncing Babies (0-18 months) 11 a.m. Thursday, Main Toddler Time (18 months-3) 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Main; 10 a.m. Wednesday, Fletcher. Play & Grow (birth-2 years) 10:30 a.m. fourth Friday, Main. Preschool (3-5) 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Main; 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Fletcher Family 10 a.m. Monday, Mills River; 10 a.m. Thursday, Green River; 10 a.m. Tuesday, Etowah; 10 a.m. Monday, Edneyville. 4 O’Clock Club (K-5) 4 p.m. Thursdays, Main

Barnes & Noble

Asheville Mall, 296-7335: 11 a.m. Mondays and 2 p.m. Saturdays; Biltmore Park Town Square, Asheville, 687-0681: 11 a.m. Saturdays

Blue Ridge Books

152 S. Main St., Waynesville, 456-6000: 10:30 a.m. Mondays, ages 3 and younger.

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librarian's picks

‘Safe and Sound’ for wee ones

Jennifer Prince Buncombe County Public Libraries

Everyone needs food, water and shelter. What else? Probably the next most basic need for humans is to have a connection with other humans. One effect of that connection is a sense of safety and belonging. One new children’s book, “I Will Keep You Safe and Sound,” explores the sweetness of belonging through eloquent writing and charming illustrations. Written by Lori Haskins Houran and illustrated by Petra Brown, “I Will Keep You Safe and Sound” explores the elemental need for belonging by depicting the relationships between animal parents and their babies. The story does not have a plot, per se, but consists of a progression of animal families in various settings. For instance, an adult brown bear cuddles a cub as they rest in their den. An adult alligator glides with a baby alligator to a shady spot during the heat of the day. The book is organized into a series of two-page spreads. Houran’s writing is spare, consisting of a series of lyrical couplets.

One couplet reads, “Rabbits in the field/ While the crickets cheep.” Another couplet reads, “Ponies in the barn/ While the sun slips low.” Occasionally, a refrain appends a couplet: “I will keep you safe and sound.” Brown’s illustrations are the perfect complement to the text. Reminiscent of Garth Williams’ classic illustrations in the “Little House on the Prairie” books, the illustrations blend realism with a peaceful, dreamlike quality. Rendered in watercolor and gouache, the images are light and airy. Brown pencil used judiciously adds definition without adding harshness. The unabashed sweetness of the narrative is not without a little tension. A hawk soars through the sky while the rabbit family rests in a hollow log. A family of beavers seeks shelter in their warm, dry lodge while a storm whips up the water and leaves outside. Every element in this book is measured to suit the interests and concerns of toddlers and preschoolers. Children will see their own families mirrored in the animal families. The animal families are anthropomorphized so that their faces convey kindness

and serenity. Tension is present, but it is of a brief nature. Children will recognize the stress wrought by a storm and a dark night. They will be reassured by the constant presence of the adult animals. “I Will Keep You Safe and Sound” is a satisfying read-aloud, perfect for sharing at bedtime. Pair this book with Jane Yolen and Jane Dyer’s new collaboration, “Wee Rhymes,” a collection of the tenderest nursery rhymes ever assembled in one book. These books are available in the Buncombe County Public Libraries. To learn more, visit www. buncombecounty.org/library.

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calendar of events

Things to do

Oct. 1

CRAZY CREATURE CRAFT: 2 p.m. Oct. 1, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Create a crazy creature as you learn colors, shapes and fine motor skills. Free with $4 admission, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. FAMILY GROUP NIGHT: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Mission Children’s Clinic-Reuter Outpatient Center, 11 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Asheville. Family Support Network of WNC sponsors a Family Group Night to offer support, resources and sharing of ideas to the families of children with special needs. Meetings begin with a meal followed by individual group sessions for parents/caregivers, children, youth, siblings of children with special needs ages. Child care age 5 and younger. Open to all diagnoses, medical conditions, mental health conditions, etc. Meets first Tuesday of each month. Free. Call 2139787 for more information.

GIRL SCOUT OPEN HOUSE: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Girl Scout Program Center, 64 W.T. Weaver Blvd., Asheville. Drop in to learn about all of the adventures Girl Scouts offer. Girls in K-12 can join. Discover new skills, connect with the community and take action to make the world a better place. Stop by to learn how to get involved. Adult volunteers are also needed. Pick up your volunteer interest packet at the open house. $15 annual membership dues. Call 252-4442 for more information. JUNIOR DISC GOLF CLASS: 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesdays in October, Waynesville Disc Golf Course, Vance Street. Ages 8-17. Learn how to play disc golf. Each participant will receive a brand new Innova Disc for signing up for the entire five weeks. $24 for five-week session for members of the Waynesville Recreation Center, $30 nonmembers. Call 456-2030 or email recprogramspecialist@townofwaynesville.org MAD SCIENTIST LAB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 1, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 years and older. Join Dr. Bunson and Dr. Becker in the Mad Scientist Lab as they make crazy concoctions like boo bubbles. $6 nonmembers (includes admission for the child participating in the class); free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 2

BATTY BOOK N’ CRAFT: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Hear the heart-warming story of “Stellaluna” by Janell Cannon. Free with $4 admission for nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

TINY TYKES: 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Fridays, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Drive, Asheville. Program resumes for the fall. Organized crafts and active play. Great way for you and your toddler to socialize. $1/class for toddlers and parents. Visit www.ashevillenc.gov.

Oct. 3

CHILDBIRTH CLASSES: 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 3 and 10, Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. A free two-session class for expectant parents covering the labor and delivery process, relaxation, breathing patterns, birth options, positioning and comfort measures. Tour the Women & Children’s Center. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL to register. HEALTHY KIDS CLUB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 3, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Theme is Don’t Be Afraid of Healthy Food. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. PARENTS & PRE-K YOGA: 3-4 p.m. Oct. 3, Pardee Hospital Signature Care Center, 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville. $10. Inner child meets inner yogi for both participants through traditional sequence, games, breathing practice and loving gratitude. No experience required. Mats will be provided. SHAKE, RATTLE & RHYTHM: 4 p.m. Oct. 3 Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Join music instructor Sydney Levitt as she teaches about simple rhythms. Experience different instruments. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call

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calendar of events Continued from Page 46 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 4

FACE AND BODY PAINTING: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 4, The Hop West, 721 Haywood Road, Asheville. Free. Each first and third Friday of the month, Asheville Face and Body Art stop by to entertain and decorate kids and adults alike. Visit www.thehopicecreamcafe.com. PINK IN THE PARK: 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 4, Biltmore Park Town Square, South Asheville. Annual 5K walk/run for breast cancer. Proceeds benefit The Ladies Night Out program, which provides mammograms to low-income women in WNC. $30 entry. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/170mlBC.

Oct. 5

SECRET AGENT 23 SKIDOO: 11 a.m. Oct. 5, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. $10, free younger than 3. CD release party for popular family hip-hop artist. With puppeteer Hobey Ford. Get tickets at www.secretagent23skidoo.com. YARD SALE: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 5, Woodland Hills Church, 50 Woodland Hills Road, Asheville. Yard sale to benefit Mountain Area Pregnancy Services. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, drinks and desserts for sale at 10 a.m. One of the objectives of Mountain Area Pregnancy Services (MAPS) is to help individuals facing an unplanned pregnancy. MAPS will be a satellite center of Asheville Pregnancy Support Services serving the North Buncombe/Madison County region.

Oct. 6

ASHEVILLE FLYER FOR KIDS PARTY: 2-5 p.m. Oct. 6, The Mill Room, 66 Asheland Ave., Asheville. Celebrate the magazine’s first birthday with a free, all-ages dance party. Live music, pizza, ice cream, Cripps puppets, face painting, more. Visit http:// cheesygraphics.com/afk/ for more about the publication. ROYAL BOOK CLUB: 4 p.m. Oct. 6, Spellbound Bookshop, 21 Battery Park Ave. Asheville. Free. Discuss “Rose Under Fire” by Elizabeth Wein. Anyone 18 and older welcome, no RSVP required. Visit www.spellboundbookshop.com.

Oct. 8

CRAZY CREATURE CRAFT: 2 p.m. Oct. 8, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Create a crazy creature as you learn colors, shapes and fine motor skills. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville. For grades 1-4. $4 per student per session. Call Education Programs Manager, Sharon McRorie, for more information, 253-3227, ext. 122. Visit www.ashevilleart.org. MAD SCIENTIST LAB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 8, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 years and older. Join Dr. Bunson and Dr. Becker in the Mad Scientist Lab as they make crazy

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concoctions like atomic worms. $6 nonmembers (includes admission for the child participating in the class); free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org. TARHEEL JUNIOR HISTORIANS: 3:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Smith-McDowell House Museum. Sponsored by the N.C. Museum of History, the Smith McDowell House chapter of the Tar Heel Junior Historians Association is open to school-age children and meets the second Thursday of each month. Members receive two magazines per year from the NC Museum of History and there are opportunities in the State Contest program. $10 registration fee ($5 for each eligible sibling). Parents generally participate in the meetings and younger siblings are welcome. For more information, email education@wnchistory.org.

Oct. 9

ADHD AWARENESS: 7-8:15 p.m. Oct. 9, West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, Asheville. Free. Presentation by Coach Rudy Rodriguez, LCSW, in support of ADHD Awareness Month. Visit www.ADHDasheville.com BATTY BOOK N’ CRAFT: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 9, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Hear “On Halloween Night” by Harriet Ziefert. Free with $4 admission for nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. PRESCHOOL YOGA STORYTIME: 11 a.m. Oct. 9, Children’s Auditorium, Henderson County Main Library, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville. Free. For ages 3-5. A special preschool yoga story time presented by local yoga instructor, Lynn Edgar. Miss Lynn will read “Peaceful Piggy Yoga” and “Peaceful Piggy Meditation” by Kerry Lee McLean. Then, everyone will participate in fun kid’s yoga and an introduction to “Time In” meditation. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/.

Oct. 10

CHILDBIRTH CLASSES: 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 3 and 10, Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. A free two-session class for expectant parents covering the labor and delivery process, relaxation, breathing patterns, birth options, positioning and comfort measures. Tour the Women & Children’s Center. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL to register. PARENTS & PRE-K YOGA: 3-4 p.m. Oct. 10, Pardee Hospital Signature Care Center, 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville. $10. Inner child meets inner yogi for both participants through traditional sequence, games, breathing practice and loving gratitude. No experience required. Mats will be provided. PUMPKIN MATH: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 10, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 and older. Explore geometry, color, cutting and pasting while investigating math with a pumpkin theme. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. SHAKE, RATTLE & RHYTHM: 4 p.m. Oct. 10, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 5 and older. Join music instructor Sydney Levitt as she teaches about simple rhythms. Experience different instruments. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

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Oct. 11

MAGICAL ARTS & CRAFTS: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 11, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Crafts that glow in the dar, scream, creep and more. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 12

MONTHLY MAGIC SHOW: 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 12, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 337 Charlotte St., Asheville. The “Magic, Mirth & Meaning” show displays the talents of people with varying disabilities and those who are helping them. Free family-friendly event with a half-hour of interactive performers followed by an hourlong stage show. Benefits The Vanishing Wheelchair. Visit www.vanishingwheelchair.org. PARK IN THE DARK: 5-9 p.m. Oct. 12, Chimney Rock State Park, U.S. 74, Chimney Rock. $22 adults, $15 ages 5-15, with passholder discounts. What goes bump and hoot in the night? Learn about the sights and sounds of owls and other nocturnal wildlife. Includes 7 p.m. birds of prey program and hourlong, kid-friendly night hike. Visit www.chimneyrockpark.com. WALK TO REMEMBER: 9:30 a.m. Oct. 12, Asheville Botanical Gardens, W.T. Weaver Blvd., Asheville. Fifth-annual walk to honor the lives of babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death of any kind. Open to families, friends and care providers. The

mean stillbirth rate in the United States is approximately 1 in 160 births, which is roughly 26,000 stillbirths each year. With naming ceremony. To register, visit: http://wncwalktoremember.eventbrite.com. For more information about this topic, contact Katherine Hensley at 275-1959 or email at ashevilledoula@gmail.com.

Oct. 13

TEEN READ WEEK: Oct. 13-19, Henderson County Public Library. Teens, stop in any Henderson County Public Library location during Teen Read Week to fill out an entry form for a chance to win one of four $25 gift cards to local businesses! Check out the Zen Drawing and Yoga classes for teens at the library during Teen Read Week. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/

Oct. 14

MAD HATTER MORNING: 10 a.m. Oct. 14, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Grab a mad hat to use as a base for a Halloween costume or just for fun. Mad hats available while supplies last. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 15

CRAZY CREATURE CRAFT: 2 p.m. Oct. 15, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Create a crazy creature as you learn colors, shapes and fine motor skills. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

DAVID NOVAK STORYTELLING: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 15, The Hop, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Free. Nationally renowned storyteller David Novak returns to The Hop with tall tales and dictated stories for families. Visit www.thehopicecreamcafe.com. MAD SCIENTIST LAB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 15, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 years and older. Join Dr. Bunson and Dr. Becker in the Mad Scientist Lab as they make crazy concoctions like erupting brews. $6 nonmembers (includes admission for the child participating in the class); free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org. NEW VOICE SUPPORT GROUP: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Balance Point Collaborative, 263 Haywood St., Suite 100, Asheville. A new peer-led support group for those in recovery from eating disorders. Meets the third Tuesday of each month. Hear speakers share their stories of hope and success on their road to recovery from eating disorders. Speakers include staff, former clients, and community members. There will also be topic-centered and open discussion among participants. For more information, call 348-6922 or visit www.balancepointnc.com. ZEN DRAWING: 4 p.m. Oct. 15, Etowah Branch Libary, 101 Brickyard Road, Etowah. Teens, do you like to doodle? Zen Drawing is using basic repetitive patterns to make creative doodle-style artwork. It is creative & fun art so sign up to learn all about it. Call 891-6577 to register. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/. Thursday, October 17 at 4:00 pm at the Edneyville Branch Library. Please call 685-0110 to register

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Oct. 16

“ADD & LOVING IT?!” SHOWING: 7–8:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Carolina Cinemas, 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville. Free. This acclaimed film chronicles the life and diagnosis of comedian Patrick McKenna as he learns the facts about ADD from experts including medical researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists, professors, and award-winning authors. A groundbreaking film that blends humor, hope, and science to dispels the myths about a controversial disorder. Seating is limited to 60 people, no reservations so arrive early. Visit www.ADHDasheville.com. HOMESCHOOL DAY: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Chimney Rock State Park, U.S. 74, Chimney Rock. $12 students, $10 adults, with passholder discounts. Interactive programs on spiders, raptors and adaptations. Free guided hike offered at 1 p.m. Visit www.chimneyrockpark.com for more information. TEEN YOGA: 4 p.m. Oct. 16, Henderson County Main Library, Kaplan Auditorium, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville. Teens, want to do better in sports, school and life? Yoga can help you focus and relax in sports and school activities. Learn the basics of yoga in this program just for teens presented by local yoga instructor Lynn Edgar. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/

Oct. 17

Need a date night? Here is a roundup of upcoming parents’ nights out. Have an event to submit? Email information to calendar@wncparent.com.

OCT. 4

FIRED UP! CREATIVE LOUNGE: Kids paint pottery, have pizza and play games, 6-9 p.m. the second Friday of the month. At 26 Wall St., Asheville, and 321 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 5-12. $25. Registration required. Call Asheville shop at 253-8181 and Hendersonville shop at 698-9960. REUTER FAMILY YMCA MORNING OUT: Includes a healthy snack, games and crafts. Ages 6 weeks-12 years. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $13 for the first child, $11 each additional for members/$25 per child nonmembers. Call 651-9622 to register.

OCT. 11

COLBURN EARTH SCIENCE MUSEUM: Evening of science with activities, games, crafts, dinner and hands-on lessons. For grades K-4. 5-8:30 p.m. October’s theme is Spooky Science. $20 per child, $16 for additional siblings and Colburn members. Visit

www.colburnmuseum.org. REUTER FAMILY YMCA: Themed nights of fun and games, taking place every second and fourth Friday of the month. Includes craft, movie and snacks. Ages 6 weeks-12 years. 6:15-9:45 p.m. $13 for the first child, $11 each additional child for members/$25 per child nonmembers. Call 651-9622 to register.

OCT. 25

REUTER FAMILY YMCA: Themed nights of fun and games, taking place every second and fourth Friday of the month. Includes craft, movie and snacks. Ages 6 weeks-12 years. 6:15-9:45 p.m. $13 for the first child, $11 each additional child for members/$25 per child nonmembers. Call 651-9622 to register. WOODFIN YMCA: Neighborhood Y at Woodfin offers Parents’ Night Out the fourth Friday of each month, 6-9 p.m. Themed nights include healthy snacks, games and crafts. $12 member/$18 nonmember, with $2 sibling discount. Ages 2-13. Register online at www.ymcawnc.org or in person at 40 N. Merrimon Ave., Suite 101, Asheville. Call 505-3990.

ART OF BREASTFEEDING: 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 17, Pardee

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Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Free class for new moms. Registration is required. Call 866-790-WELL or to register. BUGGY HANDS! 10:30 a.m. Oct. 17, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ever wonder if washing your hands really gets germs off? Wash your hands and then try special glitter bug lotion that causes any germs left on your hands to glow. A fun way to learn about healthy hands. $4 nonmembers; free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. PARENTS & PRE-K YOGA: 3-4 p.m. Oct. 170, Pardee Hospital Signature Care Center, 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville. $10. Inner child meets inner yogi for both participants through traditional sequence, games, breathing practice and loving gratitude. No experience required. Mats will be provided. ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: 7 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18, 2 p.m. Oct. 19, at Asheville Christian Academy, 74 Riverwood Road, Swannanoa. Performed by the Upper School theater department. Tickets are $12 and $7 for ACA students and children 12 and under.Visit www.acacademy.org. For more information and to purchase tickets, please Anna Harris at 581-2200. ZEN DRAWING: 4 p.m. Oct. 175, Edneyville Branch Libary, 2 Firehouse Road, Edneyville. Teens, do you like to doodle? Zen Drawing is using basic repetitive patterns to make creative doodle-style artwork. It is creative & fun art so sign up to learn all about it. Call 685-0110 to register. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/.

Oct. 18

FACE AND BODY PAINTING: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 18, The Hop West, 721 Haywood Road, Asheville. Free. Each first and third Friday of the month, Asheville Face and Body Art stop by to entertain and decorate kids and adults alike. Visit www.thehopicecreamcafe.com. MAGICAL ARTS & CRAFTS: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 18, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Crafts that glow in the dar, scream, creep and more. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: 7 p.m. Oct. 18, 2 p.m. Oct. 19, at Asheville Christian Academy, 74 Riverwood Road, Swannanoa. Performed by the Upper School theater department. Tickets are $12 and $7 for ACA students and children 12 and under.Visit www.acacademy.org. For more information and to purchase tickets, please Anna Harris at 581-2200.

Oct. 19

‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: 2 p.m. Oct. 19, at Asheville Christian Academy, 74 Riverwood Road, Swannanoa. Performed by the Upper School theater department. Tickets are $12 and $7 for ACA students and children 12 and under.Visit www.acacademy.org. For more information and to purchase tickets, please Anna Harris at 581-2200.

Oct. 21

ADULT ADHD MEET-UP: 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 21. Free. Meet other local adults dealing with ADD or ADHD. Gather to share your experiences, progress, and

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thoughts with one another. Discuss the latest information, research, books, programs, treatments. Share your best methods of adaptation, working around weaknesses, relying on strengths. Registration required. Call 301-1904 . Register at www.meetup.com/Asheville-Adult-ADHD-Meetup-Group/

Oct. 22

CRAZY CREATURE CRAFT: 2 p.m. Oct. 22, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Create a crazy creature as you learn colors, shapes and fine motor skills. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. ‘DECODING ANNIE PARKER’: 7 p.m. Oct. 22, Carolina Cinemas, 1640 Hendersonville Road, Asheville. Mission Foundation presents the North Carolina premiere of this critically acclaimed film about the BRCA gene, by Steven Bernstein. Proceeds from the fundraising event will be used to support genetics counseling and make testing for the BRCA1 gene linked to breast cancer more widely available to at-risk women in WNC. General admission tickets to the film are $100 each and $150 each for preferred seating. Tickets to the film include a walk on the Pink Carpet, a pre-screening reception, the Q&a session and a post-screening reception. Tickets may be purchased online at www.missionfoundation.org. GAGGLE OF GIGGLES YOUTH IMPROV: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, The Hop, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Directed by Chris Martin, this youth improv troupe makes its monthly appearance. Expect a night full of

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Oct. 23

Continued from Page 57 family laughter. Interested in joining the troupe? Email cwaremartin@yahoo.com. Visit www.thehopicecreamcafe.com. MAD SCIENTIST LAB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 22, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 years and older. Join Dr. Bunson and Dr. Becker in the Mad Scientist Lab as they make crazy concoctions like a glow-in-the-dark party. $6 nonmembers (includes admission for the child participating in the class); free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org.

ADHD AWARENESS: 7-8:15 p.m. Oct. 23, Malaprop’s Bookstore, 55 Haywood St., Asheville. Free. Presentation by Coach Rudy Rodriguez, LCSW, in support of ADHD Awareness Month. Visit www.ADHDasheville.com BATTY BOOK N’ CRAFT: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 23, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. “Five Little Pumpkins” by Dan Yaccarino. Free with admission. Visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 24

INFANT CARE CLASS: 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 24, Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Free class covering basics including newborn characteristics, feeding, bathing, cord care, diapering and swad-

dling. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL to register. PARENTS & PRE-K YOGA: 3-4 p.m. Oct. 24, Pardee Hospital Signature Care Center, 1800 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville. $10. Inner child meets inner yogi for both participants through traditional sequence, games, breathing practice and loving gratitude. No experience required. Mats will be provided. PUMPKIN MATH: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 and older. Explore geometry, color, cutting and pasting while investigating math with a pumpkin theme. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. SHAKE, RATTLE & RHYTHM: 4 p.m. Oct. 24, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 5 and older. Join music instructor Sydney Levitt as she teaches about simple rhythms. Experience different instruments. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 25

BIZARRE BEASTS: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 25, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 6-10. Learn about spiders, fangs and silk. Special guests: tarantulas. $16 nonmembers, $10 members. Registration required. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org. HOUSEHOLD POISON AWARENESS: 9:30 a.m. Oct. 25, Henderson County Main Library, Kaplan Auditorium, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville. Free. Denise Sherrill, Henderson County 4-H representa-

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tive, will present a program for parents about the dangers of common household products that are potentially poisonous and how parents can protect their children from accidental poisoning. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/. MAGICAL ARTS & CRAFTS: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 25, Hands On! A Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Crafts that glow in the dar, scream, creep and more. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org. PLAY & GROW: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 25, Henderson County Main Library, Kaplan Auditorium, 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville. Free. For babies and toddlers up to age 2 and their caregivers. Caregivers will learn about activities that will help their baby grow into a reader. Visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us/. SCHOOLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OUT ADVENTURE: Oct. 25. Outdoor adventures for ages 10 and older on Asheville City School days out. Bike the Virginia Creeper Trail, mostly downhill for 17 miles. Must be comfortable on a bike. Meet at the Oakley Recreation Center. Call 251-4029 for trip details. Registration required; minimum of 8 participants. $40 residents, $45 nonresident; includes bike rental and helmet. Email outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov.

Oct. 26

OPEN HOUSE & HALLOWEEN BASH: 4-6 p.m. Oct. 26, The Little Gym, 1000 Brevard Road, Asheville. Refreshments, games, door prizes. Wear your costume if you would like. Call 667-9588. TOTS ON TOES BALLET WORKSHOP: 10 and 10:45

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calendar of events Continued from Page 59 a.m. starting Oct. 26, Henderson County Parks and Recreation Athletics and Activity Center, 708 S. Grove St., Hendersonville. Introduce your child to the art of dance with a fall workshop. Runs Oct. 26-Nov. 16. Sugar Plums (3 years) is 10-10:45 a.m. and Bon Bons (4-5 years) is 10:45-11:30 a.m. For more information and to register, contact Dory Jones at dorypjones@yahoo.com or 242-6643.

Oct. 28

SCHOOL’S OUT ADVENTURE: Oct. 28. Outdoor adventures for ages 8-14 on Asheville City School days out. Ride the Swamp Rabbit Bike Trail, a greenway trail to Falls Park near Greenville, S.C., roundtrip about 20 miles, mostly flat trail. Must be comfortable on a bike. Bring own bike and helmet. Some bikes available for $15 rental; call to reserve by Oct. 18. Meet at the Oakley Recreation Center. Call 251-4029 for trip details. Registration required; minimum of 8 participants. $18 residents, $20 nonresident. Email outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov.

Oct. 29

“ADD & LOVING IT?!” SHOWING: 9:30-10:40 a.m. Oct. 29, UNC Asheville. Free. See Oct. 16 for details. Visit www.ADHDasheville.com BIRDS OF PREY EXHIBIT: 5-8 p.m. Oct. 29, The Hop, 640 Merrimon Ave., Asheville. Wild For Life, a birds of prey rescue organization, brings an avian display. Visit www.thehopicecreamcafe.com. MAD SCIENTIST LAB: 10:30 a.m. Oct. 29, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Ages 3 years and older. Join Dr. Bunson and Dr. Becker in the Mad Scientist Lab as they make crazy concoctions like green slime. $6 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org. MASTER OF DISGUISE: 2 p.m. Oct. 29, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Drop in and create a mask while supplies last. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 30

MASTER OF DISGUISE: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 30, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. Drop in and create a mask while supplies last. $4 nonmembers, free for members. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit www.handsonwnc.org.

Oct. 31

INFANT CPR CLASS: 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 31, Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St, Hendersonville. Free. Learn infant CPR. Registration required. Call 866-790WELL to register.

Nov. 1

DIOS DE LAS MUERTOS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 1, Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. All ages. A culturally focused educational craft to mark Day of the Dead. Free with $5 admission, free for members. Call 697-8333 or visit www.handsonwnc.org.

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FALL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL: Nov. 1 & 2, Transylvania County Library, 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard. Free. With nationally known storytellers Angela Lloyd and Bobby Norfolk, as well as popular NC tellers. The event includes a Friday night concert, storytelling workshops, and Saturday performances for family and older children and adults.

Nov. 5

ART BUZZ KIDS: 4-5:30 p.m. Nov. 5-Dec. 17, Wine and Design Asheville, 640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 208, Asheville. Ages 6-10. Art classes in six-week sessions, $75. Theme is “Holiday Fun.” Call 255-2442 or visit www.wineanddesignus.com/asheville.

Nov. 6

For a list of fall festivals and autumn events, see Page 18. For the full family-friendly calendar, visit CITIZEN-TIMES.com/Living. To submit events, email details to calendar@wncparent.com.

games, arts/crafts and special activities. $40/week/ first child, $30/siblings; families on reduced school meal plan: $30/week/first child, $20/siblings; families on free school meal plan: $10/week/each child

» Teen Club Program, 2:45-5:30 p.m. MondayFriday, on Buncombe County schooldays. Grades 6-9. Homework assistance, group games, arts/crafts and special projects or trips. $40/week/first child, $30/ siblings; families on reduced school meal plan: $30/week/first child, $20/siblings; families on free school meal plan: $10/week/each child » Teen Hip Hop Dance Club, 6-7 p.m. Wednesday. Learn an array of new style dancing and a culture of dance moves from the 1970’s that involve breaking, locking and popping. Mix your own freestyle form and develop unique routines. $2 per class. » Family ZUMBA, 6-7 p.m. on second, third and fourth Mondays. Family oriented fitness with focus on maintaining a healthy weight through fun cardio.

ART BUZZ KIDS: 4-5:30 p.m. Nov. 6-Dec. 18, Wine and Design Asheville, 640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 208, Asheville. Ages 11 and older. Art classes in six-week sessions, $75. Theme is “Holiday Fun.” Call 255-2442 or visit www.wineanddesignus.com/asheville.

Ongoing

LINWOOD CRUMP-SHILOH COMPLEX PROGRAMS: Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts offers a variety of community activities and programs at the complex, 121 Shiloh Road. Registration ongoing. Photo ID required for center access after 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Tameka Crudup at 274-7739 or tcrudup@ashevillenc.gov » Afternoon Adventures Program, 2:45-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday on Buncombe County schooldays. Grades K-5. Homework assistance, group

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