Afm nov 2015 mag by Austin Family Magazine

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NOVEMBER 2015

smart parenting • healthy homes

Serving Austin’s Families Since 1992

This Girl’s Adoption Story Will Wow You!

Ages Ages for for Learning Learning Manners Manners

Are AreYou You Raising Raising aa Giver Giver or or aa Gimme? Gimme?

ARTÍCULOS EN ESPAÑOL

INSIDE!

H O L I D AY C A M P S A N D FA M I LY F U N G U I D E S • C A L E N D A R

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NOVEMBER 2015

smart parenting • healthy homes

How to Raise a Giver in a Gimme World

Coming Home: An Adoption Story

Holiday Etiquette for Tots, Teens and In Betweens

12 columns

calendar

16 Family Matters

19 Ten Things…for

36 Museum Exhibits 36 Family Events 43 Parenting Events 44 Storytimes

28 Lifelines

in every issue

Is Your Teen Dragging His Feet on Driving?

World Kindness Day!

How Heavy is Your Child’s Backpack?

32 The Learning Curve

The World is Your Classroom: the Benefits of Studying Abroad

34 Family Connections Gift Your Geek with a Glorious Gadget

47 Smart Screentime™ 48 Just for Grins

Catch Austin Family live on “Good Day Austin” every Friday morning and “Despierta Austin” the first Friday morning of the month.

Asuntos Familiares

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19 Piensa Positivo

El Poder de la Comunicación

30 Lineas de Vida

¿Qué Tan Pesada Esta la Mochila de su Hijo/a?

Play It Safe

Product recalls

8 Around Austin 45 Kidzone

Make Your Own Writing Kit

Cover Shot

Zoe feels at home at the Texas School for the Deaf

Cover photographed by Nichole Renee

extras 24 Holiday Family

Fun Guide 46 Focus on Doctors

I’ll Have What the Cat’s Having

tune in

en español

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To enter visit us online at austinfamily.com Deadline November 15 New items each week. Visit our website to register.

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® BY SHERIDA MOCK

November 2015

his issue is full of inspiration and information, just when you need it most. November brings all kinds of celebrations and challenges.

First off, it’s the month of Thanksgiving, and that means making visits or hosting visitors. Are you apprehensive about the way your child might behave or misbehave? Malia Jacobson has a great article on how to encourage manners in children of all ages. And when we give thanks, we usually want to give back. In our fast-paced, consumer-driven modern world, it can be hard to instill a sense of giving in our children. Janeen Lewis offers up a great article full of tips for fostering generosity of spirit as a year-round lifestyle. Speaking of fostering, it’s Adoption Awareness Month, and there are nearly 115,000 children awaiting adoption in the U.S. alone. If you’ve considered fostering or adopting a child, check into it. You might just find your perfect match. Brandi Rarus did. This mom learned so much about gratitude and compassion on her journey to bringing home her daughter, she wrote a book about it. Read our moving Q&A for all the details. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Volume 23, No. 8

PUBLISHER

Kaye K. Lowak

EDITOR

Sherida Mock: editor2003@austinfamily.com

COPY EDITOR Paula Halloum

ADVISING EDITORS

Dr. Betty Kehl Richardson, Barb Matzevich

CALENDAR EDITOR

Betty Kemper: calendar2003@austinfamily.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sherida Mock, Dr. Betty Richardson, Jack Kyser, Richard Singleton, Jennifer VanBuren, Carrie Taylor, Brenda Schoolfield, Malia Jacobson and Janeen Lewis

TRANSLATION TEAM

Maribel Ruvalcaba, Margo Vogelpohl and Pilar Korgel

ART DIRECTORS

Layout Designer: Dena Steiner Ad Designer: Jason Suarez nr2003@austinfamily.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Nichole Renee

ADVERTISING SALES

Kaye K. Lowak: kaye2003@austinfamily.com Greg Lowak: greg@austinfamily.com

BUSINESS & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Greg Lowak: greg@austinfamily.com

We are dedicated to serving the Greater Austin area by providing up-to-date information and ideas that promote smart parenting and healthy homes. We promote our clients’ businesses by increasing their customer bases and enhancing their public images. Austin Family is published monthly by KKKemper Inc. Mail Address: P.O. Box 7559 Round Rock, Texas 78683-7559 Phone Number:

Tel: (512) 733-0038

On the web at:

www.austinfamily.com

Advertising rates are available upon request. While we use great care in creating our display ads, mistakes can happen. Austin Family and the publisher are not liable for any damages arising from any typographical or mechanical errors beyond the cost of the ad. Austin Family does not necessarily endorse any of the advertisers, products or services listed in this publication. We do not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Subscriptions are available for $25 per year. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. No portion of Austin Family may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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Play it product recalls

safe

Government Recalls Pacifier Clips, Trapeze Rings and Moses Baskets Chewbeads is recalling about 45,000 pacifier clips because the “D” ring on the clip can break, allowing beads to detach, posing a choking hazard. The recall involves five styles of Chewbeads Baby pacifier clip holders. The clip styles include shapes of a butterfly, dinosaur, heart, sheriff badge and baseball. Affected units were sold at Buy Buy Baby and small boutique retail stores nationwide from September 2014 through June 2015 for about $15. Consumers should immediately take these recalled pacifier clips away from young children and contact Chewbeads for a free replacement pacifier clip or a refund of the purchase price. Rainbow Play Systems is recalling about 121,000 pairs of trapeze rings because the rings can unexpectedly crack or break during use, posing a fall hazard to children. The recall involves yellow plastic trapeze rings. They are triangular in shape with rounded sides and a loop at the top. Affected units were sold at Rainbow dealers nationwide from January 2007 through December 2011 and at several mass merchandisers, including Sam’s Club, Toys R Us and Walmart from January 2009 through December 2009. The playsets retailed for between $900 and $10,000. Consumers should immediately stop children from using the recalled rings, contact Rainbow for ring removal instructions, then remove the rings from the playset and receive a $10 gift card. Sleeping Partners is recalling about 5,500 Moses baskets and 800 stands because the basket fails to meet the federal hand held infant carrier standard, and the stand fails to meet the bassinet/ cradle standard. The recall involves the Tadpoles Baby and Kids brand Moses baskets and stands. Affected units were sold at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby and online at Amazon.com, Bellacor.com, Kohls.com, Quidsi. com, Wayfair.com and Zulily.com from April 2014 through July 2015 for between $50 to $90 for the basket and from June 2014 through July 2015 for between $25 and $35 for the stand. Consumers should immediately stop using the baskets as a hand held infant carrier and stop using the stand. Contact the firm for instructions on returning the basket and stand to receive a store credit. af The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission works to protect the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products.

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G O T O W W W. A U S T I N FA M I LY. C O M F O R W E E K LY U P D AT E S O F A R O U N D A U S T I N N E W S

Must -Do This Month

Hidden Pines Fire: How to Help At press time, the Hidden Pines Fire in Bastrop County that started Oct. 14 had burned over 4,500 acres and destroyed at least 50 homes. If you would like to help with recovery efforts, volunteer organizations in the area are requesting monetary donations. (There is simply no room for storing and sorting donated goods.)

Chop and freeze chocolate Halloween candy to use in holiday baking.

coats in advance of its annual Coats for Kids distribution day on Dec. 12.

Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Bcltrt.org 512-521-3001 Smithville Ministerial Alliance 512-237-2018 Smithville Volunteer Fire Department Smithvillevfd.org 512-237-2229

Volunteers can register now through Dec. 11. Coat collection will begin Nov. 16. The club especially needs volunteers who speak Spanish, American Sign Language and languages other than English.

Celebrate Adoption Awareness Month by sharing stories on social media about fostering and adopting. Use Nov. 15 for motivation—it’s Clean Your Refrigerator Day.

The Austin Coats for Kids drive is one of the largest in the nation. The Junior League collects and distributes new and gently worn coats to more than 35,000 eligible youth in Central Texas. For more information, visit jlaustin.org.

Austin Disaster Relief Network Adrntx.org 512-428-6322 Central Texas Red Cross Redcross.org/tx/austin 512-928-4271 Salvation Army Salvationarmytexas.org/Austin 512-782-8800

Junior League Collects Coats for Kids The Junior League of Austin is registering volunteers and collecting

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FARE Walk for Food Allergy Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) will hold a walk on Nov. 7 in its mission to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies. The walk will take place at Camp Mabry from 9 a.m. to noon. Olympic gold medalist Mitch Gaylord is the Austin FARE Walk ambassador. In 1984, Mitch was the first American gymnast to score a perfect 10, and he led his team to a gold medal victory. Now Mitch is a father of two children with severe food allergies. He and his

Gymnast Mitch Gaylord serves as ambassador for the FARE Walk raising awareness regarding food allergies.

wife, Valentina, have become strong advocates for allergy awareness. For more information, visit foodallergywalk.org.

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Cursive Survey Results Our September issue included an article on the decreasing instruction of cursive writing in schools. We asked our readers to take a short survey on their opinions. Here are those results.

Most Important Skill to Learn:

24% 47%

n n n

Writing Reading Keyboarding

Reader Comments:

“Some people can write much quicker with cursive than printing. High school and college require extensive note taking. Why deny kids this skill?” “Children of today will need to read the writings of not just those of 100s of years ago, but of their grandparents. How are you going to use your grandma’s apple pie recipe if you can’t read it?” “The only thing I use cursive for is my diary and my signature. I would never submit anything at work or for personal business in cursive writing.”

29%

TDFPS will hold meetings in Austin to discuss child care licensing standards

1 to 3 p.m. The meeting on home care takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit bit.ly/1VHHk7w.

Day Care Comments Sought The Texas Department of Family & Protective Services is reviewing minimum standards for childcare licensing. Part of the process involves inviting the public to join in stakeholder meetings throughout the state. The Austin meetings will take place on Nov. 5 at 4900 N. Lamar. The meeting on day care centers takes place from

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Flame Retardant Breakthrough Inspired by a naturally occurring material found in marine mussels, researchers at UT Austin have created a new flame retardant to replace commercial additives that are often toxic and can accumulate over time in the environment and living animals, including humans. continued on next page

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by the

numbers 40%

Flame retardants are added to foams in mattresses, sofas, car upholstery and many other consumer products. These chemicals can migrate out of the products over time, releasing toxic substances into the environment. A team led by Associate Professor Christopher Ellison found that a synthetic coating of polydopamine—derived from the natural compound dopamine—can be used as a highly effective, water-applied flame retardant for polyurethane foam.

Toppling TVs Seton Healthcare discussed a new study that finds more small children— particularly toddlers—are severely injured after they are attracted by what they see on the screens of larger televisions and reach for them,

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Amount of American adults who have considered adopting a child. Source: Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Dell Children’s Medical Center warns about the dangers of large TVs injuring toddlers.

accidently toppling them. “I’ve seen deaths related to this,” says Dr. Eric Higginbotham, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Seton’s Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. “A child gets hit on the head and dies a couple days later from intercranial injuries,” such as bleeding inside the brain. Authors of the study, published in The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, suggest preventing injuries by updating TV design and increasing public awareness of the danger. af

29,471

Number of children in the U.S. foster care system who “age out” each year by turning 18 before finding an adoptive family. Source: Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

2.7 years

Average stay in foster care for a Texas child awaiting adoption. Source: Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

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HOW TO RAISE A

giver IN A gimme WORLD

by JANEEN LEWIS

Like most parents, I often wonder what kind of adults my children will be when they grow up. I hope they will be altruistic individuals, giving more than they take from the world. But my children are constantly bombarded by messages from billboard ads, celebrity figures and TV commercials that scream the opposite—that pursuing luxury and comfort leads to happiness. How do parents tune out “gimme” mantra and replace it with a spirit of generosity? Try these simple steps to put your child on the path to philanthropy.

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u Model a Life of Giving “Children are watching all the time, and you need to ‘walk the walk,’” says Ellen Sabin, author of The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving. “There are dozens of things that you can do every day to demonstrate giving.” Sabin wrote the book as a gift for her 6-year-old niece, Leah. “I was hoping to show her she was powerful and could change the world around her, and that it feels good to do that,” Sabin says.

v Adopt a Charity Annually Sabin suggests that together, family members choose a charity to support each year. “Join an annual walk for autism, cancer or another cause,” Sabin says. “When you are at the dinner table, decide how you want to spend your philanthropic dollars.” Since children often connect with helping animals, consider a charity walk that benefits pet rescue or animal adoption. Or participate in Heifer International’s “Read to Feed,” a program in which children find financial sponsors and then read a designated amount. The money they earn provides education, tools and livestock to feed millions of families around the globe (learn more at Heifer.org). View the magazine online at austinfamily.com

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w Donate Your Time While it is important to donate money when we can, it is also important to give time out of our busy schedules to help others. Take your children with you when you volunteer at a local homeless shelter, food drive, animal shelter or school fundraiser, and sometimes deviate from your own schedule to do something special with your child.

x Take Care of the Environment One simple way to teach children to give is to teach them to be kind to the earth. Start a recycling program at your child’s school or pick up trash together. Grow a garden in your backyard or volunteer to work in a community garden. Donate some of the produce you harvest to a local soup kitchen. You will help others in need and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Recently, my family volunteered at an annual waterway cleanup. It made an impression on my 8-year-old son, Andrew, who felt a sense of accomplishment when he realized he was helping keep a habitat clean for creek life. Now he wants to adopt a stream to help monitor the quality of waterways in our community.

y Keep It Simple I often feel overwhelmed when I consider all the people and organizations that need help. But teaching children to help others includes more than donating time and money. Let someone in front of you at the grocery checkout line or let other drivers go first in a crowded

10 Picture Books

THAT TEACH KIDS TO CARE

b The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving by Ellen Sabin

b 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy b When Stories Fell Like Shooting Stars by b b b b b b b

Valiska Gregory Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough by Katie Smith Milway Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn Kids’ Random Acts of Kindness by Conari Press

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parking lot. Smile and say please and thank you to restaurant servers, store clerks, mail carriers and trash collectors. I tell my children how much those particular employees improve our lives. Always look for opportunities to model kindness and compassion, and children will do the same.

Every day there { Give All Year are opportunities in the world around us to give

z Make Giving Part of Everyday Life The Wright family makes it a point to practice random acts of kindness throughout the year. One day, Anthony Wright and his 9-year-old daughter, Vivian, gave out helium balloons to strangers in front of Wal-mart just to brighten their day. “One woman gave Vivian a donation to help pay for the cost of the balloons,” Wright said. “We bought more balloons and gave more away.” Sarah Crupi, a mother of five, teaches her children to be considerate when they visit others by including younger children when playing, helping the hostess and picking up after themselves. “I’ve heard several moms specifically request my children to attend an event because they know they can count on them to contribute and be helpful. That is super rewarding to me as a mother.”

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Last year during the holidays, I did my annual sweep, looking for cans of food that had lingered in the pantry for months and clothes that were ready for Goodwill. As I did this, it occurred to me that more than consciously meeting someone’s need, I was treating giving like an endof-the-year afterthought. If I really wanted my children to have giving spirits, I needed to give year-round and enlist their help. Now we routinely pick out non-perishable food at the grocery store and take it to a food pantry. Every season, we go through outgrown clothes and toys, and they help choose what to give away. We talk about who might be a good recipient for the items and where we should take them. I want my children to understand that giving to others is a way of life, not just something we do once a year. Every day there are opportunities in the world around us to give. Choose one of them and start down the road of lifelong giving with your child today. af Janeen Lewis is a freelance journalist and mom of two who has a heart for feeding the hungry and helping clean up litter in her community. She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide, and GreenPrints: The Weeder’s Digest.

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BY BETTY RICHARDSON

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Our son recently celebrated his 16th birthday, and we gave him our old family car. We thought he’d be excited to take his driver’s license test, but instead he’s dragging his feet. He seems happy having everyone else in the family give him rides, which isn’t always convenient for the rest of us. What do you think is causing this? Can we do anything to motivate him?

I’ve heard from a number of parents that their teens seem in no rush to learn to drive. What could cause this phenomenon? I asked a few teens to see if I could do better than guess at an answer. Here are some of their thoughts about driving: The traffic is bad and there are so many unpredictable drivers in this town. I hear my parents cursing at other drivers as they cut in front of us or move into our lane. I hear from my parents every day that driving is dangerous. I believe it. My parents tell me how expensive the insurance will be. I don’t want to cause my parents more financial worry. They’re having money problems already. I worry how I’ll pay for gas. My parents will expect me to do extra work or get a job and if I do, my grades will go down. I’ll be in trouble with my parents. If someone else drives, I can do homework, play games on my phone, text and visit with friends.

If I drive, my friends will want me to take them places. They could distract me, and I’d hate myself if we had an accident. Some of the kids in my high school have had bad accidents. Some suggestions for you and your wife would include: Find out from your son about why he isn’t interested in driving. Don’t use the word “why,” as it tends to feel like an inquisition to a teen. Try saying to him, “Tell me a little about your thoughts on driving.” Once you know the thoughts that keep him wanting not to drive, you can address his concerns.

•

good defensive as well as • Model courteous driving. Stop cursing other drivers and talk about good defensive, courteous driving. your teen hasn’t had driver’s • Iftraining from a good professional, try to find one he can relate to and provide some professional driver’s education. with community organiza• Check tions that offer teens help with in-

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formation on topics such as driver’s licensing laws, avoiding distracted driving, driving safely and more. For example, the American Automobile Association (AAA) offers driver safety fairs in Austin. Check with AAA for upcoming teen driver safety fairs. Also, I want you to think about the possibility that you could be blessed by waiting until your son feels ready to drive. You could benefit by making two columns on a page and list the benefits of his driving on one side and the problems of his driving on the other. Ask yourself if you can you alleviate, prevent or deal with the problems associated with driving. It’s helpful to remember that one responsibility of parenting is to assure not only the safety of a child, but to help a child feel safe—safe himself and safe from hurting others—yet have the confidence to try new and difficult things. af Betty Richardson, Ph.D., R.N.C., L.P.C., L.M.F.T., is an Austin-based psychotherapist who specializes in dealing with the problems of children, adolescents and parents.

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10 THINGS

For World Kindness Day! November 13 is World Kindness Day. But don’t save all your warm fuzzies for just one day—spread the love all year long. a lunch u Write note. someone v aGive compliment. the w Feed ducks. someone’s x Do chores. y Pick up litter. someone z Let cut in line. a { Help homeless

PIENSA POSITIVO

by Leslie Montoya, host of Despierta Austin

El Poder de la Comunicación

No importa qué trabajo tenga, la comunicación es fundamental para sentirse bien en su trabajo. De acuerdo a una investigación de la Universidad de Carnegie Mellon, aproximadamente el 15 por ciento del éxito financiero de un ingeniero viene del conocimiento intelectual, y el 85 por ciento proviene de la capacidad de relacionarse en el trabajo y avanzar de puestos. Esto demuestra que el conocimiento es importante, pero cómo se comunica y se aplica a sí mismo es más importante. Siga estas dos reglas: Exprese su idea de la manera más clara posible, y formule su mensaje teniendo en mente cómo es que su idea va ayudará a la empresa para la cual trabaja. ¡Piensa Positivo!

The Power of Communication

No matter what job you have, communication is fundamental to making you feel right in your career. In research from Carnegie Mellon University, about 15 percent of an engineer’s financial success comes from intellectual knowledge, and 85 percent comes from being able to relate at work and advance in job positions. This shows that knowledge is important, but how you communicate and apply yourself is more important. Follow these two rules: Express your idea in the clearest possible way, and formulate your message to let someone know how your idea will help the business you work for. Think positive!

person.

to a | Donate food bank. for } Pay someone’s coffee.

a ~ Thank crossing guard.

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Brandi Rarus’s tale begins like many other adoptive parents’ stories. She and husband Tim had three boys and wanted a little girl to complete their family. The couple began the process of adoption, expecting to welcome a child from China. Their life-changing journey started when the adoption agency contacted Brandi with news that a 6-month-old girl in Minnesota was available. The baby was losing her hearing. It was a perfect fit.

AF: Tell us about your family. My husband and I have been married for almost 25 years. My husband comes from four generations of deaf family members. I became deaf in childhood. Our three boys are all hearing. My oldest, Blake, was the first hearing person born in my husband’s family in 124 years. He is 18. Chase is 16. Austin is 13, and Zoe just turned 11. We moved here because we wanted Zoe to go to Texas School for the Deaf (TSD). There are only five really good schools for the deaf in the entire country, and Texas has one of them.

AF: Your situation is rare in that you could

speak for several years before you became deaf. What has that meant in your life?

It’s been a good journey. I became deaf at 6 due to spinal meningitis. My first language was English, not American Sign Language, and because I could hear for 6 years, it’s still a very big part of who I am.

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When I first became deaf, I was adamant to prove that I was still the same Brandi. But as I got older, I started to feel different. My boyfriend and friends were hearing, and I spoke in school. But there was a voice inside telling me, “You’re not the same.” And that was a struggle. Then I went to Camp Mark Seven in New York. It’s a deaf camp run by a deaf priest. It was the first time in my life that I was with deaf people 24/7. Everyone was signing: the people who cooked, the counselors and lifeguards. Father Tom gave us lessons every day. One day he asked, “How many of you are proud to be deaf?” It was a powerful moment; he was the first person I knew to say that being deaf is okay. No one had ever said that to me before. I realized that I could keep trying to become hearing, go to hearing school and take hearing classes, or I could try to be the best deaf person I could be. I started to delve into the deaf community, and I found my home.

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My anger went away, and it was replaced with compassion and gratitude.” AF: How did you learn Zoe’s story? All I knew was that they had a 6-month-old girl in foster care, and her birth mother had some involvement in making the placement. The birth mother was 17 and from a small town. I was obsessed with writing our profile, because I was afraid to put that we were deaf. I thought her experience and exposure to deaf people was probably limited, and I was afraid that she would see us as handicapped and disabled. Maybe she would prefer to have “normal” hearing parents raise her kid. The Rarus family (left to right) Brandi, Zoe, Chase, Austin, Blake and Tim

So I never said that we were deaf. I said we had hearing loss, we sign and we speak. Our boys are hearing. I really tried to emphasize those points. The birth mother, Jess, agreed to meet us, and she decided to have Zoe placed with us.

my home. Her birth mother and father had a very painful choice, as well. But they did it out of love for her. It was a very different way of looking at life. It changed me.

I read on Twitter last week how mothers research better than the FBI. That was me. [Laughs] I was able to find out that we were Zoe’s fifth home. She was with her birth mother, and then the foster mother. The third was the first adoptive family, but they decided they didn’t want to keep her. She went back to a foster home.

AF: What led you to write the book Finding Zoe?

I felt like when Zoe came to me, the world was standing against her. I was particularly mad at the first adoptive family, because I felt like they agreed to adopt her, but when they found out she was deaf, they just put her back.

AF: Are you still in touch with Zoe’s birth mother?

Our adoption is not legally an open adoption. I mail updates once a year, but I wanted to do more, if Jess wanted that. I contacted the agency and asked if Jess wanted to see Zoe again. Once we exchanged emails, we had open communication. The first time that Zoe saw Jess, it was Zoe’s 6th birthday. Jess had come to visit a friend, and asked if she could stop by. We were going to bring Zoe her birthday cake at school. When we got to the classroom, Zoe was looking at her teacher.

As if she wasn’t perfect.

She turned around, and she saw me, then she saw Jess. She ran and hugged her. I was bawling. I couldn’t even look at them, I was crying so much. But it was awesome.

That first adoptive mother was a speech therapist. She knew some sign language. And I couldn’t comprehend how they could do that. I was really, really mad.

Wow. I’m still emotional about that.

When Zoe turned 1, that first adoptive mother sent a birthday card for Zoe and a letter for me. We had never met, never communicated.

AF: How is Zoe doing now? Good! She is her father’s daughter: she’s a very proud deaf kid.

She said, “I just want you to know that we love Zoe with all our heart. But we knew that it was in her best interest that we not keep her. We didn’t know anything about the deaf world. It was the worst day of our lives to have to bring her back to foster care, but God worked immediately, because she ended up in a home like yours.”

She uses American Sign Language beautifully. She’s involved in sports, school and friends. She’s thriving. It’s the right place. af

That was an “ah-ha” moment for me. My anger went away, and it was replaced with compassion and gratitude. I realized it was a painful choice for them, but it led to

National Adoption Day is November 21 nationaladoptionday.org

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Learn More:

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lready dreading the thought of taking your rambunctious brood to Grandma’s for a holiday meal? Most parents know that manners don’t come naturally to children, and though we strive to teach children niceties like “please” and “thank you ,” etiquette doesn’t begin and end with the magic words. BY MALIA JACOBSON

What about the tot who squirms at the dinner table and jumps up after two minutes? What about the grade-schooler who runs wild at friends’ homes? Or how about the high schooler who shrinks during introductions? If you’re raising a manners-challenged child, you’re not alone. Childhood manners mishaps are as common as children themselves, says Chris J. Rock, etiquette coach and founder of Etiquette and Protocol Consulting. The good news: youth is a time to learn and practice appropriate behavior, and mistakes are expected. Even better, swift etiquette intervention can lay the groundwork for a lifetime of civility.

TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS: TABLE TRAINING

The golden rule—treat others as you’d like to be treated—is the basis of all etiquette, says Rock. So how soon should parents start teaching children manners? “You can’t start them too young,” she notes. “There is no certain age when the magic begins.” That means establishing family behavior norms early on. If you don’t want your children to run indoors, traipse through airplane rows, or jump on furniture, correct these behaviors in toddlerhood with a firm, gentle reminder: “That is not how we act in this family. It doesn’t matter what other children do.” Toddlers have notoriously short memories, so catchy songs can help etiquette lessons stick, says Rock. “We sing ‘Yes is better than Yeah’ with our grandchildren,” she says. Table manners training can also start early. Rock recommends introducing flatware as soon as children can hold it (often in late infancy or early toddlerhood), discouraging eating with the hands, and gently stretching the time tots can sit still during meals. Start with just four or five minutes and build to 15 or 20. Children as young as 2 can be taught to ask their host—in most cases, mom or dad—to be excused from the table when finished. continued on page 27

HOLIDAY ETIQUETTE FOR TOTS, TEENS AND IN BETWEENS 22

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H O L I D AY F A M I EVENTS Austin Sports Arena November: Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. Check website for times. $6 Skate rental, $2 Quads, $4 Inline 3918 Gattis School Rd, Round Rock www.austinsportsarena.com 512-251-7500 Roller skating and inline hockey.

Bullock Texas State History Museum 1800 N. Congress Ave. www.TheStoryofTexas.com 512-936-8746 Exploration Station Black Friday at the Bullock Nov. 27, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Escape the Black Friday crowds for a fun family holiday activity. Museum Store Holiday Sale Nov. 30 - Dec. 6 Everyone receives 20% off or more on unique Texas-themed merchandise.

Round Rock Holiday Bazaar Arts & Crafts Show Nov. 14, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., free with canned food donation for the Round Rock Serving Center Clay Madsen Recreation Center www.roundrocktexas.gov/ Shop for unique and handcrafted items.

Ice Skating at Chaparral Ice Center Check website for public session hours. $10 for skate rental and admission

Junior League’s A Christmas Affair Nov. 18 - 22, $15 Palmer Events Center 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin www.jlaustin.org The much anticipated holiday shopping event of the year.

Rock’n Lights Nov. 30 - Dec. 26, 6 - 9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 6 - 10 p.m. Family vehicles $15 Old Settlers Park, Round Rock www.roundrocktexas.gov/ With 2 million lights, the 1.5-mile path is the must-see event of the season.

Long Center

St. Thomas More Church Bazaar

701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin www.thelongcenter.org

Nov. 21, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Nov. 22, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Santa on the Terrace Nov. 27, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., free

10205 FM 620 North, Austin

Photo op with Santa and Elves. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Nov. 27-29: Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Tickets starting at $24 Celebrating Rudolph’s 50 years on television. Architects of Air Closed Thanksgiving Day. Nov. 20, 23 - 27 opens 10 a.m.; Nov. 21, 22, 28, 29 opens 9 a.m.; $12 adults, $8 children

Find unique, crafted and popular gifts for any occasion.

TexARTS Youth Ballet Theatre The Nutcracker Dec. 5 - 6, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., $15 St. Michael’s Academy Gloria Delgado Theatre, 3000 Barton Creek Blvd., Austin Be swept off your feet as over 30 young dancers bring this glorious holiday favorite to life.

Each luminarium is a dazzling maze of winding paths and soaring domes.

Broadway Company Holiday Extravaganza Dec. 12 - 13, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., $15

Playland Skate

Kam & James Morris Theatre 2300 Lohmans Spur #160, Lakeway

Nov. 21 - 25, 27 - 29 Check website for hours and lessons 8822 McCann Drive 512-452-1901 www.playlandskatecenter.net An impressive light show, fog machine and state of the art sound system.

Reindeer Run 5K and Fun Run through Rock’n Lights Holiday Light Tour Nov. 29, 4 - 8 p.m.

Northcross Mall www.chaparralice.com

Old Settlers Park and Dell Diamond. Register www.5r5k.org

Ice skate and experience real Christmas magic.

Run through the Rock’N Lights Holiday light tour.

Irresistible Rockette-style numbers, your favorite holiday hits and a special appearance by Santa Claus!

Zach Scott Theatre Topfer Theatre 202 S. Lamar, Austin 512-476-0541x1 www.zachscotttheatre.org

Turkey Gobble Camp/Clinic Nov. 23 - 24 Winter Break Fun* Dec. 18, 21 - 23, 28 - 30, Jan. 4 Pflugerville, North Austin, Cedar Park 512-251-2439, 512-219-9930, 512-259-9995 www.capgym.com Ages: 3 and up Gymnastics, holiday crafts, snacks, field trips, games, movies, obstacle courses. Age-appropriate grouping, full and partial day. Activities, dates, times vary among locations.

Camp Doublecreek Winter Break Camp Dec. 28 - 31 Round Rock 512-255-3661 www.campdoublecreek.com Ages: 4 - 14 Since 1971, our exceptional, friendly and caring staff have fulfilled Doublecreek’s mission that “every camper leaves at the end of the day knowing someone believes in them.”

Country Home Learning Centers Open during public school holidays except Nov. 26 - 27, Dec. 24 - 25 and Jan. 1. 6900 Escarpment Blvd, Austin 13120 US Hwy 183 N, Austin 512-288-8220, 512-331-1441 www.countryhomelearningcenter.com Ages: 5 - 13 Throughout the holiday season, we provide planned field trips for our school age children.

Kleberg Stage

Esoteric Farm

Full of creative story telling, clowning and physical comedy.

The most popular show in ZACH’s history returns to rock in the holidays!

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Capital Gymnastics

Winnie the Pooh Nov. 1 - Dec. 12, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. shows, check website for availability. Tickets starting at $15

A Christmas Carol Nov. 25 - Dec. 27, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. shows, check website for availability. Tickets starting at $25

CAMPS

Dec. 28 - 31 13404 Cameron Rd., Manor 512-272-4301 www.esotericfarm.com Ages: 6 - 15 Children who attend our week-long camps get the true feeling of horse ownership.

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LY F U N G U I D E Fantastic Magic Winter Break Camp

LEGO® Workshops and Creative Playtime

Dec. 28 - Jan. 1

Creative Brick Builders Studio Nov 23 - 28, Dec 19 - 23, Dec 28 - 31

7500 Woodrow Ave., Austin 512-850-4677 www.magiccamp.com Ages: 5 - 12 Fantastic Magic Camp understands that every child has special needs. Age and developmentally appropriate classes in magic, juggling and puppetry, plus a show by a professional performer.

Fun 2 Learn Code Dec. 21 - 23, 28 - 30

512-388-9003 www.creativebrickbuilders.com Workshops: Ages 5+ Creative Playtime : Ages 5+ (Under-5’s may attend with an adult guardian) Build LEGO® brick models that MOVE in our holiday break workshops. Drop and shop, or stay and build with your child during creative playtime.

301-A Hesters Crossing Rd., Ste. 120, Round Rock 512-900-8380 www.fun2learncode.com Ages: 7+

Outback Adventure Winter Camps

Computer programming day camps, including Minecraft Mods in Java programming, Scratch programming, game design, robotics, circuits and stop motion animation.

Christmas Tennis Camp Dec. 18 - 23, 26 - 31 Newcombe Ranch New Braunfels Ages: 8 - 18 800-444-6204 www.texasadventurecamp.net

kidsActing Winter Break Camps info@kidsactingstudio.com or 512-836-5437 www.kidsactingstudio.com Ages: 5-11 yrs “Tangled” Camp Dec. 21 - 24, Cedar Park “Willy Wonka” Camp Dec. 28 - 31, Cedar Park “Annie” Camp Dec. 21 - 24, Austin “Little Mermaid” Camp Dec. 28 - 31, Austin “Wizard of Oz” Camp Dec. 21 - 24, Pflugerville “Lion King” Camp Dec. 28 - 31, Pflugerville

Ski Christmas Colorado Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 Ages: All

Sugar and Spice Ranch Christmas Break Mother and Daughter Horse Camp Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 Bandera, TX 512-830-460-8487 www.texashorsecamps.com We specialize in creating a positive bonding experience for mothers and their daughters with a variety of activities.

Switch Willo Winter Break Camp Dec. 21 - 23, Dec. 28 - Jan. 1 512-920-0554 www.switchwillo.com Ages: 5 - 15 We pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive equestrian experience. Whether your child is already an experienced rider, or has never been near a horse before, we cater to all levels of riders.

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Sylvan Learning Center’s Robotics and Coding Winter Camps www.sylvanlearning.com 1-800-EDUCATE Sylvan of Cedar Park 512-336-1818 northaustin@austinsylvan.com Sylvan of West Austin 512-323-6448 westaustin@austinsylvan.com Sylvan of South Austin 512-441-3898 southaustin@austinsylvan.com Sylvan of Round Rock 512-310-7890 roundrock@austinsylvan.com Sylvan of Georgetown 512-869-7323 georgetown@austinsylvan.com Sylvan of Hays County 512-262-7035 hayscounty@austinsylvan.com

TexARTS Holiday Camps Thanksgiving Break Camp Nov. 23 - 25 Best of Disney on Broadway For 20 years, Disney has dominated Broadway with hits such as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid and more. This show features our cast of TexARTS Mousekateers singing, dancing and acting to their favorite Disney tunes! Winter Break Camp Dec. 28 - 31

YMCA of Austin Winter Holiday Camp “Take Flight with Us” Dec. 21 – 23 & Dec. 28 - 30 Ages: 5 – 12 yr olds www.austinymca.org/programs/ holiday-camp Spicewood Elementary East Communities YMCA South Austin YMCA Hays County YMCA Look to the Y for an adventure to the wild blue yonder. Swimming and a weekly field trip complete this air-themed journey.

ZACH Theatre Winter Break Camp www.zachtheatre.org/education/ camps 512-476-0594 Ages: K - 5th Grade Hogwarts: Triwizard Tournament Dec. 21 - 23 Dive into the world of Harry Potter, get sorted into houses, visit Ollivander’s Wand Shop, tour the school grounds and prepare for the Triwizard Tournament. Broadway Kids: Aladdin Dec. 28 - 30 This class is an active and fun introduction to the world of Broadway musicals. Students will act, sing and dance while learning Broadway material from the musical Aladdin!

Journey to Oz Campers will learn songs, dances and scenes from The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz and Oz the Great and Powerful. Click your heels together three times and get ready for an adventure! Ages: 5 - 14 www.tex-arts.org 512-852-9079

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continued from page 22

ELEMENTARY YEARS: SOCIAL GRACES

The grade-school years bring more friend visits and sleepovers—potential manners minefields, since kids will be away from parents’ watchful eyes. Teaching children to be a respectful guest in friends’ homes will ramp up confidence at a time when children are developing a social identity (and increase the odds of receiving a repeat invitation).

notes Deborah King, president of Final Touch Finishing School. “And yet, those who master the ability to meet and greet others with ease will always be viewed more favorably.” The basics of a positive introduction include standing up straight, making eye contact, smiling, saying hello and your name in a clear voice, and extending a firm handshake. Like any skill, repetition is the key to mastery.

Pre-play date, remind children that being a guest means respecting the household rules of their host. If the host family “It’s important for parents to know introduction protocol removes their shoes at the door or doesn’t allow snacking themselves so they can model correctly for their children,” in bedrooms, a guest should comply. To show respect, ask says Rock. children to address their friend’s parents as “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” unless directed by the parents to do otherwise. And for an espeFor example, when introducing two parties, Youth is a time to the senior or more important person’s name cially nice touch, follow up a sleepover or a special play date with a personal thank learn and practice is said first. Likewise, when introducing two friends, use equal terms for both; never use you note from the child. appropriate behavior, the first and last name for one and just the first name for the other.

TWEENS AND TEENS: INTRODUCTION ANXIETY

and mistakes are expected

Want your tween or teen to make a good impression during the holidays and year-round? Teach them to make a proper introduction, a habit that pays lifelong dividends. To start, insist that children learn to introduce themselves with confidence and greet new acquaintances with eye contact and a firm handshake. “Today’s tweens and teens are typically more comfortable interacting with technology than they are face-to-face,”

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Polish introduction prowess by encouraging tweens and teens to introduce you and others at social gatherings and in group settings. Soon, they’ll be ready to take on the world— civilly, of course. af

Malia Jacobson is an award-winning health and parenting journalist and mom of three. Her latest book is Sleep Tight, Every Night: Helping Toddlers and Preschoolers Sleep Well Without Tears, Tricks, or Tirades.

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BY BRENDA SCHOOLFIELD

HOW HEAVY IS YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK?

on’t know for sure? You’re not the only one—most parents don’t know how much their child’s backpack weighs. In fact, researchers found that 96 percent of parents in several central Texas elementary schools had never weighed their child’s backpack. About 34 percent didn’t know what their child carried in the backpack. Paying attention to backpack weight, design and positioning can help protect your child from injury.

Injuries Caused by Backpacks

Children who carry backpacks that are too heavy or wear backpacks incorrectly are at risk for pain or injury. In 2013, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that over 22,000 injuries from backpacks were treated in outpatient clinics and emergency rooms.

“And these are only the reported injuries,” says Dr. Barbara Bergin, orthopedic surgeon with Texas Orthopedics, Sports and Rehabilitation Associates. “This doesn’t include children who aren’t aware that their back, neck or shoulder pain is caused by their backpacks or who don’t seek medical care.”

Maximum Weight

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that a backpack not be more than 10 to 15 percent of the child’s body weight. For example, if your child weighs 60 pounds, his backpack should not weigh more than 6 to 9 pounds. For younger children and smaller-than-average boys and girls, the lower end of this range is better. Dr. Bergin says,

BACKPACK SELECTION CHECKLIST Use this checklist when selecting a backpack to fit your child’s body. The goal is that the weight of the backpack will be evenly supported. Uneven distribution of weight can cause muscle spasm and strain.

DESIGN REASON Backpack is made for a child

• • • • • • • • • •

Adult backpacks are made from heavier material and add excess weight. Adult backpacks are too large—a backpack shouldn’t be wider than the child’s back.

Two wide straps that are padded and adjustable

Wearing a backpack with only one strap can cause weight to be unevenly distributed. Narrow straps can be uncomfortable and cut off circulation. Straps should be adjusted so that the bottom of the backpack is no lower than the child’s waist.

Waist strap

A waist strap helps distribute weight to the hips. Without a waist strap, all of the weight hangs from the child’s shoulders and neck.

Padded back

Padding will help protect the child’s back from being poked by sharp edges of books and other objects.

Several compartments

Weight can be distributed more evenly if there are multiple compartments. Place heaviest objects lower and close to the child’s back.

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“As boys develop in the middle-school years, they are usually strong enough to carry this weight range. But middle-school girls, while trying to carry equal loads, can’t manage as much weight. Also, girls are forming habits of good or bad posture at this age. Heavy backpacks can contribute to bad posture, such as slumped shoulders and rounded upper backs, which can cause medical problems later in life.”

•

times, it is possible to have separate sets of books for home and school.

•

Talk to your child about using her locker between classes. Some children carry all of their books around in their backpacks from classroom to classroom. If your child’s school discourages or doesn’t allow children to use lockers, speak up for changes in this policy.

Brenda Schoolfield is a freelance medical writer in Austin.

Be an advocate for backpack safety at your child’s school. Organize an event for National School Backpack Awareness Day. See the American Occupational Therapy Association’s website for event strategies and materials at aota.org/backpack. af

What You Can Do

Here are some other actions you can take to help keep your child safe when wearing a backpack:

• • • •

Be firm about the 10 to 15 percent maximum backpack weight rule. At least weekly, go through the child’s backpack and remove unnecessary items. Occasionally weigh your child with and without her backpack on a bathroom scale to get an accurate weight. Make sure your child wears the backpack evenly positioned, with both shoulder straps in place and the waist strap buckled. The bottom of the backpack should not hang any lower than her waist. Encourage your child to tell you if she is having pain, tingling or burning sensations. If so, work with the school to find ways to lighten the load. Talk to your child’s teacher about how to decrease the number of books she carries around. Some-

BACKPACK WEIGHT CHART IF YOUR CHILD IS…

WEIGHT SHOULD NOT EXCEED

40 lbs. 50 lbs. 60 lbs. 70 lbs. 80 lbs. 90 lbs. 100 lbs.

4 — 6 lbs. 5 — 7½ lbs. 6 — 9 lbs. 7 — 10½ lbs. 8 — 12 lbs. 9 — 13½ lbs. 10 — 15 lbs.

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BY BRENDA SCHOOLFIELD

ESTA LA MOCHILA DE SU HIJO/A?

No sabe con seguridad? No es el único—la mayoría de los padres no pueden decir cuánto pesa la mochila de su hijo/a. De hecho, los investigadores encontraron que el 96 por ciento de los padres en varias escuelas primarias centrales de Texas nunca habían pesado la mochila de su hijo/a. Alrededor del 34 por ciento no sabían que es lo que llevaba su hijo/a en la mochila. El prestar atención al peso, diseño y posicionamiento de la mochila puede ayudar a proteger a su hijo/a de una lesión.

Lesiones Causadas por Mochilas Los niños que cargan mochilas demasiado pesadas o usan las mochilas incorrectamente están en riesgo de dolor o lesión. En el 2013, la Comisión de Seguridad de Productos del Consumidor de Estados Unidos informó que más de 22,000 lesiones por mochilas fueron atendidas en consultorios médicos y salas de emergencia.

“Y estos son sólo las lesiones reportadas”, dice la doctora Barbara Bergin, cirujana ortopédico con Texas Orthopedics, Sports and Rehabilitation Associates. “Esto no incluye los niños que no están consientes de que su dolor de espalda, cuello u hombro es causado por su mochila o los que no buscan atención médica para el dolor”.

Peso Máximo La Academia Americana de Cirujanos Ortopédicos recomienda que una mochila no pese más de 10 a 15 por ciento del peso corporal del niño/a. Por ejemplo, si su hijo/a pesa 60 libras, la mochila no debe pesar más de 6 a 9 libras. Para los niños más pequeños y los niños más chiquitos que el promedio de los niños y niñas, el extremo inferior de este rango es mejor. El Dr. Bergin dice, “A medida que los niños se desarrollan durante los

LISTA DE VERIFICACION PARA SELECCIONAR MOCHILAS Utilice la siguiente lista cuando vaya a escoger una mochila que se adapte al cuerpo de su hijo/a. El objetivo es que el peso de la mochila se apoyé de manera uniforme. La distribución desigual del peso puede causar tensión y espasmo muscular.

DESIGN REASON Mochila que está hecha para un niño/a

• • • • • • • • • •

Dos correas anchas que están acolchonadas y ajustables

Correa de la cintura

La parte de atrás acolchonada

Varios compartimentos

Mochilas de adultos están hechos de material más pesado que agrega exceso de peso. Mochilas de adultos son muy grandes—una mochila no debe ser más ancha que la espalda del niño/a.

Usar una mochila con una sola correa puede causar que el peso se distribuya de manera desigual. Correas angostas pueden ser incomodas y pueden cortar la circulación. Las correas deben ajustarse de modo que la parte inferior de la mochila no esté más abajo que la cintura del niño/a. Una correa de la cintura ayuda a distribuir el peso a las caderas. Sin una correa de la cintura, todo el peso cuelga de los hombros y el cuello del niño/a.

El acolchonado ayudará a proteger la espalda del niño/a de ser picoteado por los bordes afilados de libros, lápices y otros objetos. El peso puede ser distribuido de manera más uniforme si hay varios compartimentos. Coloque los objetos más pesados en la parte de abajo y cerca de la espalda del niño/a.

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años en la secundaria, suelen ser lo suficientemente fuertes como para llevar este rango de peso. Pero las niñas de la secundaria, aunque tratan de llevar cargas iguales, no pueden con tanto peso. Además, las niñas están formando hábitos de buena o mala postura a esta edad. Mochilas pesadas pueden contribuir a una mala postura, como los hombros caídos y la espalda curveada, que pueden causar problemas médicos mas adelante en su vida”.

posible que tenga un juego por separado de libros para la escuela y otro para la ca javascript:void(0) sa.

•

Hable con su hijo/a sobre el uso de un casillero entre clases. Algunos niños cargan todos sus libros en su mochila de salón en salón. Si la escuela de su hijo/a desanima o no permite que los niños utilicen los casilleros, hable en favor de cambios a esta política.

•

Ser un defensor de la seguridad de las mochilas en la escuela de su hijo/a. Organizar un evento para el Día de la Concientización Nacional de Mochilas Escolares. Visite el sitio web de la Asociación Americana de Terapia Ocupacional para las estrategias de eventos y materiales en el aota.org/backpack. af

Brenda Schoolfield es una escritora médica independiente en Austin

Lo Que Puede Hacer Aquí están algunas otras acciones que puede tomar para ayudar a mantener seguro a su hijo/a cuando se lleva una mochila:

• • • •

Sea firme acerca de la regla del 10 al 15 por ciento de peso máximo de una mochila. Por lo menos semanalmente, revise la mochila del niño/a y saque los objetos innecesarios. Ocasionalmente pese a su hijo/a con y sin su mochila en una bascula de baño para adquirir un peso exacto. Asegúrese de que su hijo/a usa la mochila uniformemente posicionada, con las dos coreas de hombres en su lugar y la correa de la cintura abrochada. La parte inferior de la mochila no debe colgar más abajo de la cintura. Pregúntele a su hijo/a que si está teniendo algún tipo de dolor, hormigueo o sensación de ardor. Si es así, trabajar con la escuela para encontrar alguna manera de minorar la carga. Hable con el maestro/a de su hijo/a acerca de cómo reducir el número de libros que lleva cargando. A veces, es

TABLA CON EL PESO DE MOCHILAS SI SU HIJO/A EL PESO NO HIJO/A PESA… DEBERÍA EXCEDER

40 lbs. 50 lbs. 60 lbs. 70 lbs. 80 lbs. 90 lbs. 100 lbs.

4 — 6 lbs. 5 — 7½ lbs. 6 — 9 lbs. 7 — 10½ lbs. 8 — 12 lbs. 9 — 13½ lbs. 10 — 15 lbs.

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B Y J E N N I F E R VA N B U R E N

THE WORLD IS YOUR CLASSROOM:

THE BENEFITS OF STUDYING ABROAD Why are nearly 300,000 American students choosing to pursue part of their educations abroad? It is clear that the most effective way to become fluent in another language is through immersion, but there are other reasons students choose to study abroad.

LOVE OF TRAVEL It takes time to get comfortable in a new culture and feel welcome in a new family. Once students experience success in studying and living abroad and embracing a new way of being, their confidence blossoms. Gaby Wheatley, a high school student in Austin, studied abroad in San Sebastian and learned that she could thrive in a culture different than her own. “On top of stepping outside of the box and learning to speak Spanish with confidence, I discovered the true feeling of peace. During this trip, I found my home away from home and I also started to realize I love traveling.”

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

High school students who study abroad can utilize this experience to gain a competitive edge on college applications. The intensive language immersion also prepares the student for AP/IB exams, which can mean college credits before even stepping foot on campus.

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TOLERANCE

The struggle to learn a new language and customs lets American students know what it’s like to be new to the U.S. The experience can build empathy with the world’s immigrants.

CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHIC AWARENESS

Getting up close and personal with local and regional art, architecture, music, theater and dance can give students a rich view of the culture of a people. Historical treasures and geological sights are better experienced in person.

TRANSFORMATION

Austinite Jeremy Goodwin is co-founder of Summer Programs International, who provides study abroad opportunities for high school and college students. “The study abroad experience transformed me. I gained a new perspective on the “important things in life” and saw new meaning in the world. Those simple yet profound life lessons, along with other tangible life skills that study abroad provided me, contributed to the most influential period of my life.” View the magazine online at austinfamily.com

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LIFE LONG FRIENDSHIPS

These connections may lead to future business partnerships. Forming a relationship with a host family creates a “home away from home” that can be built no other way.

SEMESTER OR YEAR ABROAD

One third of all students who study abroad are college juniors. Students can take their entire course of study in another country, living as a traditional student in the college or university of their choice. With careful planning, credits earned can be transferred to their home school. This option is not just for students of international business or language majors. Students from the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields are the fastest growing population in study abroad programs.

She says, “Many study abroad programs cost the same or less, in both housing and tuition, as the cost of studying at the home campus.” Financial aid is generally transferable as well, with scholarships specifically designed for studying abroad available based on merit as well as financial need. af Jennifer VanBuren is a Georgetown mother of three, educator and childbirth doula.

GETTING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL ART, ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE CAN GIVE STUDENTS A RICH VIEW OF THE CULTURE OF A PEOPLE

BEYOND JUNIOR YEAR

Some students in rigorous courses of study hesitate to take a “break” from required coursework because they think it will postpone graduation. There are other options. Intersession and Summer Study Abroad. These programs generally run from one to eight weeks and take place during spring, winter or summer breaks. These programs offer the exposure to a new culture and immersion in language without missing home-campus time. Internship Abroad. Beyond earning college credit, these programs offer job experience that can build a student’s reputation in the workforce, develop a resume and make multinational connections.

•

WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

The Institute for International Education produces Open Doors, an annual report on the trends of study abroad programs. The report indicates that while 40 percent of students studied in the European countries of the U.K., France, Italy and Spain, the trend is shifting away from Europe into countries such as China, Australia, Costa Rica and Argentina, as well as rising economic global players such as India, Turkey and Brazil.

CAN YOU AFFORD IT?

Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, International Careers expert and award-winning author of the book, “A Student Guide to Study Abroad,” works to break the myths surrounding study abroad programs, including the myth that studying abroad is not affordable. Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market

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BY RICHARD SINGLETON

GIFT YOUR GEEK WITH A GLORIOUS

Second, the via media — the middle road. So, like many of us, you’ve just dipped one too many times into the wishing well of the go-to gift card, and now your conscience just won’t let you go there. At the same time, you’re also wise enough not to invest hefty bucks into something that might elicit a nerdy sigh or a geeky eye roll from someone who understands that you tried hard, but that you’re just so DOS in a Python and Java world. As such, you better stick to the basics: simple things like large capacity USB 3.0 thumb drives, high capacity portable battery chargers to keep all their gadgets juiced and gadget bags full of pockets and sockets would be a great addition to any techie’s entourage of electronics.

Third, the big spender. If you have that extra trust fund sitting aside, go for the Tesla, but if big spending for you—like it is for most of us—is in the 3- to 4- figure range, there’s so much great stuff available for your geek.

hose who know me well know that I’m saving for a Tesla. Well, “saving” is a bit of a strong word. I guess a better word would be something more related to wishing with a snowball’s chance in the Sahara or a much hotter locale. Zero to 60 in about 3 seconds, with the ability to haul a living room full of people, while also keeping the planet alive. I mean what’s not to like? Well, there is the little six figure financial mountain, but where there’s a will, there’s a way… and by will, I mean that a very rich relative has passed on some major bucks to you. Assuming you don’t have the $130K for the most tricked out versions of the S or X model Tesla amusement park rides, that you’ll soon be in the market for some holiday gift giving and that at least one of those persons will be a Starfleet Commander-level geek, I’ve got some ideas for your techie guy or gal.

First, the easy button. Because we geeks are so finicky

about our bits and bytes, you might play it easy and just go with the classic gift-card strategy. I know, I know. It’s not personal, and it could look like you mailed it in, but as the old quip goes, “It’s the thought that counts.” And, since you’re liable to fry your brain trying to decipher the delectable digital doohickeys on his or her list, a gift card to Amazon, Apple, Google or GameStop will likely bring a big analog smile to their faces.

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•

Phones: The latest and greatest flagship phones are out.

•

Watches: Not only have the new phones hit the

From the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with their 3D touch technology to the Galaxy S6 and Note 5 with their edgy design and stylus, the fastest, most insanely tech-packed phones are ready for your geeks to gobble up. Apple now offers a yearly upgrade path, too, so you can keep your geek in the latest and greatest phone for years to come. market, so have the new wearables. Among others: Apple Watch, the Gear S2 and the remarkably beautiful Huawei Watch are stepping up their games. These watches have become more fashionable and more formidable at the same time. Be sure that you match you’re geek’s phone ecosystem to their watch, making sure to match Apples to Apples. You’re investing a lot of money with these gadgets, so you’ll want them to be as personal as possible. Choosing the perfect wrist band will go a long way in saying that you’ve made this a personal rather than just a practical decision.

Much more could be said about the latest and greatest tablets, laptops, TV devices, apps and other gadgets, but suffice it to say that your geek is living at the perfect time in tech history. There’s so much to choose from and to be amazed by. No matter what you buy, keep that receipt. Your geek is a finicky fellow, and no matter how fast, shiny or up to date, it might not be the thing he or she has been itching to introduce into their gallery of gadgets. Whether they exchange it or exult over it, you’ll have won their heart with your expression of giving, so take solace in knowing that no matter what you know about tech, you know a lot about your techie. Happy shopping and happy holidays!

Richard Singleton, MACE, MAMFC, LPC, is the executive director at STARRY in Round Rock.

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November 2015 C O M P I L ED BY BETTY KEMP ER

Denotes event occurs on multiple dates

Museum Exhibits

Museum Exhibits page 36 Family Events page 36 Parenting Events page 43 Storytimes page 44

I WANT THE WIDE, AMERICAN EARTH ++ Through Nov. 21. Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd. FREE. austintexas.gov/aarc or 512‑974‑1700.

SNOW WHITE 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. AustinVentures StudioTheater, 501 W. 3rd St. $15. balletaustin.org.

FRANK REAUGH: LANDSCAPES OF TEXAS AND THE AMERICAN WEST Through Nov. 29. Harry Ransom Center, 300 W. 21st St. FREE. hrc.utexas.edu.

ALL AGES IMPROV NIGHT 5 p.m. ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport Blvd. Pay what you wish. coldtownetheater.com or 512-814-TOWN.

GRIDIRON GLORY Through Jan. 3. Bullock Museum, 1800 Congress Ave. $8 youth; $12 adult. thestoryoftexas.com.

Monday 2

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…THE BEATLES! Through Jan. 10. LBJ Presidential Library, 2313 Red River St. $8. lbjlibrary.org or 512-721-0200.

Tuesday 3

MAKING THE GRADE: AUSTIN’S FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOLS Through Mar. 27. Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe St. FREE. austintexas.gov or 512-974-7480.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY INTERVENTION PROGRAM ++ 6 to 8 p.m. YMCA of Austin Program Services, Various locations. FREE. austinymca.org/programs or 512‑236‑9622.

Family Events Sunday 1

All Saints Day, Daylight Saving Time ends WINNIE THE POOH ++ 2 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays, select Fridays. Zach Theatre, 202 S. Lamar. From $15. zachtheatre.org or 512-476-0541. FIRST SUNDAYS 12 to 5 p.m. Bullock Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave. FREE. thestoryoftexas.com or 512‑936‑8746. JUST A MINUTE! A DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS PLAY 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre, 207 West 18th St. $8 child, $13 adult. scottishritetheater.org. SUNDAY FUNDAYS: BUILDING PHONES 1 to 4 p.m. Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel St. FREE. nchmuseum.org.

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calendar

Thursday 5 LEAPS AND BOUNDS 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction.org or 512-442-8773. STARRY NIGHTS AT GIRLSTART 5:30 to 7 p.m. Girlstart, 1400 Anderson Square. FREE. girlstart.org.

All Souls Day

Election Day

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3.

Wednesday 4

Winnie the Pooh, Begins Nov. 1

UNDER THE BIG TOP 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. $6. pollyannatheatrecompany. org or 512-743-7966.

UPCYCLE THIS! 6 to 8 p.m. Recycled Reads Bookstore, 5335 Burnet Rd. FREE. library.austintexas.gov or 512‑974‑7460.

SING WITH US ++ 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction.org or 512-442-8773.

MOVIES IN THE PARK THE DARK KNIGHT 8 to 10 p.m. Palm Park, 601 E. Third St. FREE. austinparks.org.

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3.

CONTINUING: Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4

Austin Family is now making it easier for you to submit your calendar event. Go to www.austinfamily.com, click on “Submit your event” and send in your entry. The deadline is the 10th of each month preceding the month of the event. Events less than $15 usually are listed. For events more than $15, send details to kaye2003@austinfamily.com

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Friday 6

Guy Fawkes Day FIRST FRIDAY AT WILLIAMSON MUSEUM 6 to 8 p.m. Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. FREE. williamsonmuseum.org or 512‑943‑1670. CONTINUING: Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4.

Saturday 7 MADRONE CANYON HIKE 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. FREE. westbanklibrary.com or 512‑327‑3045. HAYS COUNTY VETERANS’ PARADE 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Downtown San Marcos. FREE. sanmarcostx.gov or 512‑393‑8420. AUSTIN POWWOW AND AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tony Burger Center, 3200 Jones Rd. $5, under 12 FREE. austinpowwow.net or 512‑371‑0625. EXPLORING MUSIC ++ 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction. org or 512-442-8773.

STORYBOOK ADVENTURES ++ 9:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction.org or 512-442-8773. DANCE FUSION ++ 9:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction.org or 512-442-8773. VETERANS MEMORIAL AND PARADE 9:30 a.m. to noon. Veterans Memorial Park, 2525 W. New Hope Dr., Cedar Park. FREE. cedarparktexas.gov or 512‑401‑5528. HAYS VETERANS MUSIC FEST 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gregg-Clarke Park, 700 Lehman Rd., Kyle. FREE. WILD BY NATURE 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 SH 71 W, Cedar Creek. FREE. lcra. org or 512‑303‑5073.

Wild by Nature, Nov. 7

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASWELL HOUSE ++ 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Caswell House, 1404 West Ave. $5. austinjuniorforum.org or 512‑472‑0779.

YOUNG THEATRE MAKER’S FESTIVAL 12 p.m. Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. 512-974-4000.

ART IN ACTION ++ 10:30 a.m. Center for Creative Action, 2921 E. 17th St. $10. creativeaction.org or 512-442-8773.

AUSTIN CELTIC FESTIVAL ++ 12 to 7:30 p.m. Fiesta Gardens, 2102 Jesse E. Segovia St. $15 donation. austincelticfestival.com.

FALL FESTIVAL 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Austin Nature and Science Center, 2389 Stratford Dr., FREE. austintexas.gov/ansc or 512‑974‑3888.

CIVIL WAR CEMETERY TOUR 12 to 6 p.m. Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. $12. williamsonmuseum.org or 262‑685‑7268.

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RIDGETOP ELEMENTARY FALL FESTIVAL 12 to 6 p.m. Ridgetop Elementary, 5005 Caswell Dr. FREE. ridgetoprattlers.com.

Saturday 7; All Ages Improv Night see Sunday 1; Snow White see Sunday 1; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1.

GIANT CHESS ++ 12:30 to 3 p.m. Wooldridge Square Park, 900 Guadalupe St. FREE. giantchess.org.

Monday 9

DIWALI FESTIVAL 2 to 11 p.m. Zilker Hillside Theater, 2201 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. austintexas.gov. DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS 4 to 9 p.m. Prete Plaza, 221 E Main St., Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov. SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES: TREES MARIE 7 to 9 p.m. Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd. FREE. hillcountrygalleria.com. CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4; Snow White see Sunday 1.

Sunday 8 BRIGHT LEAF GUIDED HIKES+ 9 to 11:30 a.m. Bright Leaf Preserve, 2222 and Creek Mountain Rd. FREE. brightleaf. org or 512‑459‑7269. CONTINUING: Austin Celtic Festival see Saturday 7; Christmas at the Caswell House see

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD ++ 10:30 a.m. Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. austintexas.gov or 512-974-4000. CONTINUING: Christmas at the Caswell House see Saturday 7.

Tuesday 10 CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Christmas at the Caswell House see Saturday 7.

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Christmas at the Caswell House see Saturday 7; Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4; Sing with Us see Wednesday 4.

Thursday 12 COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER 5:30 to 8 p.m. Metz Recreation Center, 2407 Canterbury St. FREE. austintexas.gov. CONTINUING: Christmas at the Caswell House see Saturday 7; Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4; Leaps and Bounds see Thursday 5

Friday 13

World Kindess Day CONTINUING: Under the Big Top see Wednesday 4.

Wednesday 11

Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, Armistice Day

Saturday 14

TODDLER TIME 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Bridges to Growth, 805 W. University Ave., Georgetown. FREE. 9 months to 3 years. georgetownproject.org or 512‑864‑3008.

CONNALLY HIGH SCHOOL BAZAAR 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Connally High School, 13212 N Lamar Blvd. FREE. chspta.org. FOSSIL FEST ++ 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Old Settler’s Association,

——

SAVE the

DATE ——

SATURDAY JANUARY 26 PALMER EVENTS CENTER

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3300 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock. $3/ adult, $2/child (612), children under 6 free. austinpaleo.org/fest. GAULT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE TOUR 9 a.m. Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. $10. williamsonmuseum.org HOLIDAY BAZAAR ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Clay Madsen Rec Center, 1600 Gattis School Rd., Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov or 512‑218‑3220. MARKET OF HOPE 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prete Plaza, 221 East Main St., Round Rock. FREE. marketofhope.global or 512‑810‑2957. CRAFT FAIR 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rec Center, 1435 Main St., Cedar Park. FREE. cedarparktexas.gov or 512‑401‑5528.

Big Top see Wednesday 4; Exploring Music see Saturday 7; Storybook Adventures see Saturday 7; Art in Action see Saturday 7; Dance Fusion see Saturday 7.

Sunday 15 BRIGHT LEAF GUIDED HIKE 9 to 11:30 a.m. Bright Leaf Preserve, 2222 and Creek Mountain Rd. FREE. brightleaf. org or 512‑459‑7269. CONTINUING: Annual Fossil Fest see Saturday 14; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; All Ages Improv Night see Sunday 1.

Tuesday 17

HANDS ON HISTORY 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Williamson Museum, 716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown. FREE. williamsonmuseum.org or 512‑943‑1670.

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3.

SECOND SATURDAYS ARE FOR FAMILIES 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th. $10 per family. thecontemporaryaustin.org or 512‑458‑8191.

Wednesday 18

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Giant Chess see Saturday 7; Bright Leaf Guided Hikes see Saturday 8; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; Under the

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Sing with Us see Wednesday 4.

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Thursday 19 JUNIOR LEAGUE CHRISTMAS AFFAIR ++ 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. $15. jlaustin.org or 512‑467‑8982. CONTINUING: Leaps and Bounds see Thursday 5.

Friday 20 CONTINUING: Junior League Christmas Affair see Thursday 19.

Saturday 21

National Adoption Day PFALL PFEST CRAFT SHOW 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pflugerville Rec Center, 400 Immanuel Rd., Pflugerville. FREE. tx pflugervilletx.gov. CHILDREN AND FAMILY NATURE’S WORKSHOP 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St. FREE. austintexas.gov or 512-974-4926. INTERNATIONAL GAMES DAY 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Round Rock Library, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov or 512-218-3275.

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CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Giant Chess see Saturday 7; Junior League Christmas Affair see Thursday 19; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; Exploring Music see Saturday 7; Storybook Adventures see Saturday 7; Art in Action see Saturday 7; Dance Fusion see Saturday 7.

Sunday 22 AUSTIN EMPTY BOWL PROJECT 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Marchesa Hall and Theatre, 6226 Middle Fiskville Rd. Donation. austinemptybowl.org. CONTINUING: Junior League Christmas Affair see Thursday 19; Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; All Ages Improv Night see Sunday 1.

CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3.

Wednesday 25 CULTURE NIGHTS 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. AGE Cafeteria, 3710 Cedar St. FREE. austinpowwow.net. A CHRISTMAS CAROL ++ 7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Sundays), Zach Theatre, 202 S. Lamar. zachtheatre.org or 512-476-0541. CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Sing with Us see Wednesday 4.

Thursday 26 Monday 23

Thanksgiving Day

CONTINUING: Little Red Riding Hood see Monday 9.

2015 THUNDERCLOUD SUBS TURKEY TROT 9:30 a.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. thundercloud.com.

Tuesday 24

Friday 27

PAJAMA STORYTIME 6:00 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave. FREE. westbanklibrary.com or 512‑327‑3045.

SANTA ON THE TERRACE 10 a.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. FREE. thelongcenter.org or 512‑457‑5115.

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LIGHTING OF THE SQUARE 5:30 p.m. Downtown Georgetown. FREE. visit.georgetown.org. RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER ++ 7 p.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., thelongcenter.org or 512‑457‑5664. CONTINUING: Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; A Christmas Carol see Wednesday 25.

Saturday 28 CHUY’S CHILDREN GIVING TO CHILDREN PARADE 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. State Capitol, 11th and Congress. FREE. chuysparade.com. YOGA IN THE PARK 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Stacy Park, 1400 Alameda Dr. FREE. austinparks.org or 512‑477‑1566. RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER ++ 2 and 7 p.m. The Long Center, 701 Riverside Dr. thelongcenter.org or 512‑457‑5664. ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS 8 p.m. (2 p.m. Sundays) Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock. $10 child. sambasstheatre.org or 512-763-7228. CONTINUING: Childhood Obesity Intervention Program see Tuesday 3; Giant Chess see Saturday 7;

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Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade, Nov. 28 A Christmas Carol see Wednesday 25; Exploring Music see Saturday 7; Storybook Adventures see Saturday 7; Art in Action see Saturday 7; Dance Fusion see Saturday 7.

Sunday 29 RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER ++ 2 p.m. The Long Center, 701 Riverside Dr. thelongcenter.org or 512‑457‑5664. ZILKER TREE LIGHTING 6 p.m. Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. austintexas.gov. CONTINUING: Winnie the Pooh see Sunday 1; A Christmas

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Carol see Wednesday 25; ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas see Saturday 28; All Ages Improv Night see Sunday 1.

Ave. FREE. Internationalautismministry. com or 737‑247‑8142.

Tuesday 3 Parenting Events

LA LECHE LEAGUE MEETING 10 a.m. Christ’s Workshop, 212 E. Monroe. FREE. texaslll.org.

ANY BABY CAN offers free parenting classes in English and Spanish on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Postpartum support group meets on Thursdays. 6207 Sheridan Ave. FREE. anybabycan.org or 512-454-3743. YMCA offers a free Childhood Obesity Intervention Program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the month. Various locations. Austinymca.org or 512-236-9622. BRIDGES TO GROWTH offers a free Love and Logic early childhood parenting class on Wednesdays throughout the month. 7 to 8:30 p.m. 805 W. University Ave., Georgetown. georgetownproject. org or 512-864-3008.

Monday 2 SPECIAL NEEDS SUPPORT GROUP 11 a.m. Plaza Level Park, 111 Congress

LITTLE TEXAS HOMESCHOOLERS 10:30 a.m. Wells Branch Community Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. FREE. wblibrary.org.

Wednesday 4 LA LECHE LEAGUE MEETING 10 a.m. Austin Library North Village Branch, 2505 Steck Ave. FREE. texaslll.org.

Thursday 5 POSTPARTUM SUPPORT GROUP ++ 10 to 11:30 a.m. Any Baby Can, 6207 Sheridan Ave. FREE. anybabycan.org. LA LECHE LEAGUE MEETING 7 p.m. North Austin Medical Center, Room 2B, 12221 N. Mopac Expy. FREE. texaslll.org.

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Wednesday 11 LA LECHE LEAGUE MEETING 10:15 a.m. Will Hampton Branch Library, 5125 Convict Hill Rd. FREE. texaslll.org.

Wednesday 18 TODDLER ENRICHMENT MEETING 10 a.m. Brentwood Park, 6710 Arroyo Seco. FREE. texaslll.org.

GEORGETOWN LIBRARY 402 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org • 512-930-3551 KYLE LIBRARY 550 Scott St. cityofkyle.com • 512-268-7411 LAKE TRAVIS LIBRARY 2300 Lohman’s Spur laketravislibrary.org • 512-263-2885 LEANDER LIBRARY 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leandertx.gov/library • 512-259-5259

Storytimes

PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY 1008 W. Pfluger St. tx-pflugerville3.civicplus.com • 512-990-6275

Austin area libraries offer storytimes for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and families with children of all ages. In addition, there are story times in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language and other languages. Contact your local library for more information about times and appropriate ages. AUSTIN LIBRARY Branches throughout Austin library.austintexas.gov • 512-974-7400 CEDAR PARK LIBRARY 550 Discovery Blvd. cedarparktx.us • 512-401-5600

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ROUND ROCK LIBRARY 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov • 512-218-7001 SAN MARCOS LIBRARY 625 E. Hopkins St. ci.san-marcos.tx.us • 512-393-8200 WELLS BRANCH LIBRARY 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org • 512-989-3188 WESTBANK LIBRARY 1309 Westbank Dr. westbanklibrary.com• 512-327-3045

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KID ONE Make Your Own Writing Kit! Talk about a long conversation! People didn’t always use email and text messages to talk to one another. Two hundred years ago, you would have to write a letter if you wanted to talk to someone, and you’d have to wait weeks or even months for a reply. You might have been able to get some of your writing supplies from a store, but others you would have to make yourself. Gather these materials and make your own kit, similar to what people used to write letters with in the past.

What You Need

• • • • •

1/2 cup raspberries Cup 2 tsp vinegar Coffee filter 1 tsp sugar Sharp knife, like an X-acto Bowl Feather Spoon Watercolor or ink paper

What You Do

Step 1: Place the raspberries in the bowl.

Mash just a little with the spoon and sprinkle half of the sugar over the berries. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Add the vinegar and remaining sugar

to the berries and smash with a spoon until there is juice at the bottom of the bowl.

Step 3: Twist the coffee filter so there is a point at the bottom. Place it on top of the cup and gently push the raspberry mixture through the filter. Be careful not to break the filter.

Step 4: Grownup alert! Have an adult cut off the tip of the feather with a sharp knife at a 45 degree angle.

You’re ready to write just like people in the past! Dip your quill pen into the ink and write a note. It may take a little practice. Think about what life might have been like two hundred years ago—what would you write about if you lived back then? Who would you write to? af The Bullock Museum includes three floors of exhibitions, IMAX® and 4D special-effects theaters, a café and museum store. The Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives and individuals to display original historical artifacts and host exhibitions that illuminate and celebrate Texas history and culture. For more, visit TheStoryofTexas.com or call (512) 936-8746.

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focus on advertisement

doctors

Dr. Julio De la Fuente

Smileworks Orthodontics Dr. De la Fuente received his bachelor’s degree in biology from UTSA as part of the 3+4 program (3 years of college plus 4 years of dental school). He completed this exclusive and challenging program at the top of his class. Dr. De la Fuente is also a graduate of the orthodontic residency program at UTHSCSA. See ad on page 17

Dr. Linda Lopez

ADC Circle C Dr. Lopez is from the Rio Grande Valley. She received her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. She completed her internship and residency at University of Texas Southwestern in Austin. Dr. Lopez speaks conversational Spanish and enjoys preventative, developmental and general pediatrics. See ad on page 48

Dr. Rachel Montgomery

Lonestar Pediatric Dental Dr. Montgomery graduated from Baylor University in Waco, and followed up by attending the University of Texas Dental School in Houston. Her residency was spent at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine, with a specialty in pediatrics. Rachel can most likely be found spending time with her husband Marty and their precious boys. See ad on page 29

Dr. Marty Montgomery

Lonestar Pediatric Dental Dr. Marty Montgomery comes from a family where all the children were drawn to dental careers early in life. A graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Marty attended Tufts Dental School in Boston. He completed his residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, specializing in pediatrics. See ad on page 29

Dr. Betty Richardson

Dr. Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing, and a PhD in psych/mental health nursing. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor. She has over 30 years of experience working with individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents. See ad on page 41

Dr. Theresa Willis

ADC Steiner Ranch Dr. Willis is a graduate of the University of Texas, received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed her residency at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Willis’ professional interests include developmental pediatrics, fitness and healthy weight in children and teens. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. See ad on page 48

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smart

screentime™ by Ben Kramer

As more families turn to mobile devices for entertainment, kids are turning away from traditional TV. On the one hand, this is an amazing opportunity for children to exercise choice in their viewing and to move between TV watching and more interactive options like game play, drawing and coding.

However, the combination of many hours of show content and tons of apps, all available instantaneously, has resulted in increased screen time for kids, causing reasonable questions about effects of screen time on kids’ well-being. KLRU is the rare media company that actively encourages viewers to stop watching us. Because we are non-commercial, we don’t air ads designed to keep kids’ eyes glued to screens. Moreover, the true test of our ability to teach only comes when kids set us aside and actually do something with the information we provided. This month, we debut Nature Cat, a half-hour show about an indoor cat venturing for the first time into the natural world. With voices from Saturday Night Live cast members, it delivers on the funny, but it also seeks to deliver an important message to young people: get off the sofa and get outside! Nature Cat begins airing on Thanksgiving Day. For the full array of digital educational resources available across platforms, check out klrukids.org. af Benjamin Kramer, Ph.D., is the director of education for KLRU-TV, Austin PBS. Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market

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just for by Carrie Taylor

grins

I’ll Have What the Cat’s Having: How My Semester Abroad Expanded My Palate

Go see the world, they said. Eat amazing food, they said. Don’t get taken, they said. Yes, the semester I studied abroad unfortunately coincided with Liam Neeson’s hit movie “Taken.” Rest assured, I was not taken, but something was: my dignity. I, Carrie Taylor, was forced to eat cat food. Okay, technically it wasn’t cat food, but before we go further, know that studying abroad will benefit your child in ways neither of you can anticipate. It was an educational and eye-opening experience for me, and I cannot recommend it enough. Now, back to cat food. Each student was assigned a Spanish host family complete with a sweet mom-forthe-semester. She cooked for me, cleaned for me and even pinched my butt and called me “gordita” when I ate an entire bag of popcorn. My pseudo mom actually bore quite a resemblance to my real mom, in that our dinners lacked home-cooked Spanish flavors and instead leaned heavily on the pre-packaged. We’re talking microwave

November 2015 l austinfamily.com

hot dogs with rice and ketchup. But one day, my Mamá made us french fries! I was in heaven. I took my seat at the table with a giant, fry-eating grin. As we served ourselves, I grabbed a fry and took a bite. Then I froze. The room became a blur. Noises muffled. Time slowed. When my teeth bit down, I met not warm, potato-y goodness, but a spine. What kind of potato has a spine, you ask? NO KIND OF POTATO. I had, in some cruel twist, bitten into a fried sardine. I glanced in horror to see if my madre had noticed her mistake and saw her nibbling her own sardine like a chicken wing. Then she casually handed a sardine-wing-fry to the family cat, who happily munched away. I cried myself to sleep that night, and next day treated myself to french fry therapy at McDonald’s. (Yes, parents: you can assure your picky eater that all European countries have a McDonald’s, with real french fries.) af Carrie Taylor is a native Texan and mother of one.

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