Bay Area Kids Dec/Jan 2009

DEC/JAN 2010 SuG RET $3.95

EAST BAY EDITION

A MOD

RCE FO

RN FAMILIES

Also Inside Cake Wrecks Ski Destinations Smiley Project Shorebirds

discover this winter’s hautest styles

Interfaith Holidays local couples look to keep the season’s spirit Eight-year old Aviva with her catch of the day at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

See more styles on page 30.

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Bay Area Kids

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Proud Cultural Partner

Weekends between December 5 and December 20, 2009

An Exhibition from

50% off youth admission

2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland | By the Oakland Zoo

Jan 5–feb 26 tue-fri, 3pm–close Present a Borders Rewards Card or Flat Anubis at the de Young King Tut box office and receive half off admission for youths, 6-17.

Offer does not apply to previous purchases and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. offer is only valid for day-of ticket purchases at the museum box office.

For more information and winter hours visit our website. download flat anubis

deyoungmuseum.org/tut

Experience the warmth and decadence of old holiday traditions at the Estate’s 39th annual holiday season. The entire Estate is beautifully dressed in holiday attire. Music, entertainment, crafts, food, children and adult teas, demonstrations, self-guided and private mansion visits and so much for the whole family.

General Admission: Adults, $12. Seniors (62+), $11. Junior (6-13), $7. Additional admission pricing for the following special programs: Tree Lighting Ceremony, Adult and Children’s Teas, Breakfast withMagazine Father Christmas, Private Tours. For 1more11/6/09 details, visit GG-11097 Bay Area Ad and East:Layout our website (www.dunsmuir.org) or call our ticketing office at 925.275.9490.

TM, ® & © 2009 Gilroy Gardens, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gilroy Gardens is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

December/January 10 | East Bay

The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International, and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. The San Francisco presentation is sponsored

by Athena Troxel Blackburn, Mrs. Thomas B.Crowley, Sr., Rajnikant and Helen Desai, and Beringer Vineyards.

7:07 PM

Page 1

Color & cut along the dotted lines to create Anubis figure.

Herbst Exhibition Galleries Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Present this coupon at any open ticket window at Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park during the Holiday Lights special event and receive admission (ages 3+) for 14.99 each, up to six (6) people. Valid for general admission only (does not include the Feast), does includes use of all rides, shows, and attractions in operation on day of use except pay events/concerts and pay-per-play attractions. Coupon is valid Fridays only on 12/4/09, 12/11/09, and 12/18/09 during the 2009 Holiday Lights special event only.

Not valid on Park company rentals. Not valid with any other offer, discount, coupon or promotion. Call (408) 840-7100 or visit www.gilroygardens.org to confirm public operating dates and hours as they are subject to change. PLU 7590670 PEANUTS © UFS, Inc.

Bay Area Kids

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Volume 2, Number 1 December/January 2010 www.BAKidsMagazine.com Publisher/Editor/Father Everard G. Strong estrong@bakidsmagazine.com Sales General Inquiries sales@bakidsmagazine.com Helga Glasson helga@bakidsmagazine.com Kathryn Sibley ksibley@bakidsmagazine.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@bakidsmagazine.com Calendar calendar@bakidsmagazine.com Photography Christina Fabbri Photography Contributing Writers Kelly Pollard, Patricia Kutza, Elise Cooke, David MacFadden, Amy Renaud, Emily Farish Brown, Jennifer Yates Submissions Send photos, events, news, and story requests to editor@bakidsmagazine.com Product submissions Send all products to address below.

Include return postage.

the regulAr

the good stuFF

talk 6 small web-ward ho!

9 play dates

comprehensive calendar

20 mixed media book, music, video game 2 2 happiness is

where you find it

ruth kaiser’s spontaneous smiley project

26 nature calls

5

top billing for shorebirds

28 room with a view the power of murals 37

mind set

de-stressing your holiday

finds 44 fashion stylish discoveries

32 keeping the faith

what’s inside

three bay area couples work at respecting each other’s beliefs during the holidays

wrecks 56 cake the four “d’s”

58 eat it up

our local kid-friendly dining guide

Doing our Part Bay Area Kids magazine is printed on 10 percent recycled paper using only soy based inks. Our printer meets or exceeds all Federal Resource Conservation Act (RCRA) Standards and is a certified member of the Forest Stewardship Council.

62 diary of a

suburban queen

tales through a camera lens

Small Print 2010 Big E Productions (DBA Bay Area Kids magazine). No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Big E Productions assumes no liability or responsibility for any claims made by advertisers in the magazine.

38 downhill destinations a rundown of lake tahoe’s kid-friendly ski resorts

BAY AREA KIDS magazine P.O. Box 30442 Walnut Creek, CA 94598 www.BAKidsMagazine.com

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

5

editor’s letter

web-ward ... ho!

I

t being the Holiday season, I’m going to take the advice my dad once gave me and follow the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Stupid [I’m reading this aloud and my four-year old daughter chimed in: “Ooh, Daddy, you said a bad word!”]

1. We’re bigger online. You want more of the yummy goodness

found in each issue of Bay Area Kids magazine? Well wait no more.

Click your mouse over to www.bakidsmagazine.com and enjoy an expanded version of each issue: more fashions, recipes, calendars, a shopping guide, attractions, and more!

2. Are you a last-minute parent? There’s a special group of parents

6 small talk

near and dear to my heart whom I dub the Last Minute Group (and I confess to being a proud card-carrying member of this group). Their thought pattern reads something like this: “What, it’s December 24 already? But just yesterday it was Veteran’s Day!” For these folks, we are introducing an online-only magazine “series” titled The Week Before Guide. Catchy title, eh? Each issue will include lots of lastminute tips, tricks, recipes, shopping ideas, and events, and will be made available one week before each major Holiday (and be made available only to subscribers—keep reading).

3. It’s all free to you. There is one catch: You need to sign up online

(follow the “Subscribe” button) for a subscription. You’ve been meaning to do it anyway, so now’s a good a time as ever, right? You get a really cool (and free) magazine in your mailbox every two months, an expanded online version (for free), and the soon-to-be-indispensable “Week Before Guide” (ahem ... for free). We promise (pinky-swear) that we don’t share your information with anyone. So … go you! sound check Guest DJ Jenny F., Pleasanton Theme: More Money

Money (That’s What I Want) The Beatles I Want to Be Rich Calloway Give Me Some Money Spinal Tap Opportunities Pet Shop Boys For the Love of Money Bulletboys Please Please Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths Money for Nothing Dire Straits Money Pink Floyd Money Talks AC/DC If I Had a $1,000,000 Barenaked Ladies Next issue: songs about getting old. Send your picks to editor@bakidsmagazine.com

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Bay Area Kids

4. We’ve launched a South Bay edition. And so begin our plans for

world domination. Bwa ha ha ha ... Right. Okay, so if you frequent the South Bay area or know friends or family who live there, they can get a free limited-time subscription at www.southbaykidsmag.com.

5. That’s it. See, short and simple, as promised. Now go shopping, or wrap presents, or decorate your tree, or make hot cider, or cut out paper angels or menorahs, or go to church, or go play in the snow (Dell Osso, farms in Larkspur, is having a for-real snow mountain during their Winter Wonderland festivities, with tubing and everything, www.holidaysonthefarm.com. Tell them we sent you.)

Have a Cheery Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Krazy Kwanzaa (I’m trying), and a Nifty New Year!

Everard G Strong, Publisher, Editor, and Father estrong@bakidsmagazine.com

behind the scenes If you’ve never made the trek out to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, located literally at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Baker in Sausalito, you owe it to your kids to set aside an upcoming weekend and head out.

Reconfigured from old army barracks, the Museum offers your children a multisensory experience, where they can learn by touching, squeezing, poking, pushing, twirling, and … discovering. Because the science and exhibits tie in directly to the physics, weather, flora, and fauna of to the Bay Area, children can walk away and relate what they’ve learned with their everyday life.

Find out more at www.baykidsmuseum.org.

To Jennifer Caleshu and all the wonderful staff at the Museum, a heartfelt thank you for opening your doors to us. Thanks also to assistant Shaun Fenn, stylist Sharon Maloney, studio teacher Christine Bloomingdale, and hair and make up artist Nancy Cialdella, and most of all to our wonderful models Tova and Aviva E., and Casey K (and thank you to J E Models). We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Your Turn We’re already planning our next shoot. Want your child to be a part of it? Send us a photo (head shot preferable) to editor@bakidsmagazine.com.

No guarantees, but we try.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

2191 Kirker Pass Road, Concord (925) 671-0777 ext. 26 Darcie www.wecarebmcc.org

December/January 10 | East Bay

Helping young children reach their full potential

• Developmental assessments • Individual occupational therapy • Parent education for families with a special needs child • Mommy & Me classes – focusing on the whole child with creative learning activities facilitated by a child developmental specialist

Bay Area Kids

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This New Year

Give Back to Yourself!

Town of Danville Adult Fitness Classes: • Yoga • Pilates • Zumba • Bellydance • T’ai Chi • Jazzercise

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Bay Area Kids

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event calendar

compiled by David MacFadden

photo Justin Sullivan

December | January 2010

9 play dates

ZooLights Fri-Sun 5:30–9:30pm; Mon-Thurs 5:30–9:00pm. Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, www.oaklandzoo.org. Members: $6.50 adults, $4.50 seniors/child; non-members: $7.50 adults, $6.50 child. Free parking. Animals will be in their night houses and not available for viewing.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa and feast your eyes on more than 120 lighted animal structures; board the Snowball Express and let your holiday spirit take you away as you see breathtaking views of the Bay Area while winding around the Oakland Zoo after dark. Children will enjoy the Rides Area, where they will enter a fantasy land of giant toy soldiers, with over-sized candy canes, lollipops, and gingerbread cookies.

December/January 10 | East Bay

These listings are provided as a free service to our readers.

Submit your event to us (include place, date, and description) online at events@ BAKidsMagazine.com

Bay Area Kids

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playdates December 1-6 Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs, 11am – 9pm; Fri-Sat 11am – 11pm; 1635 Civic Dr. at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. This winter, make your way to downtown Walnut Creek, tie on some skates, and skate a few rounds as you experience a winter wonderland in the East Bay. Ice skating classes available.

shore of Lake Merritt, Oakland, (510) 238-6876, www.fairyland.org. $7 per person. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Chanukah, Diwali, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, or the Chinese New Year, the Fairyland Children’s Theatre Program sends out a message of peace, joy, and light in its annual holiday show.

Berkeley Playhouse presents The Wizard of Oz Fri 6 7:30pm, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, www.

Tree Lighting at Dunsmuir Fri 4, 6:30-8pm. Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, www.dunsmuir.org, (510) 562-0328. Adults, $20; seniors and children 6-13, $10; members receive two free tickets. Come see the Dunsmuir mansion decked out in its Holiday finest as the lights officially go on to mark the beginning of the season. Refreshments served.

Holidays at Dunsmuir Sat-Sun, 11am-5pm. Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am-8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum.org, (415) 7503600. There are several pricing structures and special discounts for the exhibit. Call or go online for more information. Egypt is building a mega museum to house this exhibit on a permanent basis, which means this might be the last chance for your family to see over 130 artifacts that once belonged to the Boy King and other Egyptian Pharaohs.

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Fri-Sun, 4-9pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens.org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100. Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free. Admission only, all ages: $29.99. Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65. A Holiday tradition since 2004, come to Gilroy Gardens and witness Coyote Lake come alive with a laser light show and fireworks that pulse and dance to the beat of an upbeat holiday soundtrack. Just for the little ones, is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” from Knott’s Merry Farm, at the Lakeside Amphiteater. Purchase a combo ticket and get a private Peanuts character show during your Holiday feast. The all-you-can-eat feast includes honey baked ham, roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean almondine, apple crisp, beverages, and hot dogs. See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

Children’s Theater Holiday Program Fri 6, 12:30 and 3:00pm, Children’s Fairyland, intersection of Grand Ave. and Bellevue, on the

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Bay Area Kids

berkeleyplayhouse.org. Advance tickets: $28 adults, $25 seniors, $19 children under 14; tickets at door: $33 adults, $30 seniors, $24 children under 14. Roughly 2:15 running time with intermission. Follow the yellow brick road to our new venue, the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, for the inaugural show of our 2009-2010 season. Join Dorothy and Toto and their friends on a wild and wonderful adventure over the rainbow and through the Land of Oz. Director Jon Tracy.

Great Dickens Christmas Fair Fri-Sun 1am-7pm, Dec 4-20, Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., San Francisco, (415) 453-4474, www. dickensfair.com. $22 adults, $10 children 5-11, children under 5 are free. Children of all ages will discover the characters of Charles Dickens’ London close-up and personal in a boisterous and authentically recreated Victorian atmosphere featuring more than 700 costumed players, colorful characters from literature and history, six stages, and winding lanes filled with theaters, shoppes, pubs, and delicious fare. 100,000 square feet of exhibition halls transform into a Victorian Christmas card come to life.

Court, Oakland, www.dunsmuir.org, (510) 562-0328. Advanced purchase ticket prices: Adults, $12; seniors, $11; children 6-13, $7; children under 6, free (add $5 to tickets if purchased at gate). Costumed docents greet your family as you take a step back in time into an authentic Edwardian home decorated for Christmas. Take a tour of the 37-room mansion, each room uniquely decorated, have tea at the Dinkelspeil cottage, or enjoy the puppet shows, holiday music, and festive trolley rides.

December 7-13 Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11 am–9pm; Fri– Sat 11am–11pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6 Wente’s (B)uild (Y)our (O)wn Gingerbread House Class Sat & Sun, 11am–12:30pm, Event Center at Wente Vineyards, 5050 Arroyo Rd., Livermore, www.wentevineyards. com, (925) 456-2424. $99 per pair (incl. house and apron); $59 single

(incl. house and apron), $19 for viewing ticket (includes apron). Led

by Wente Vineyards Pastry Chef Lisa Shaver, guests learn the secrets to building their gingerbread dream house. Children under 12 must be accompanied by someone 12 years or older.

Berkeley Ballet presents The Nutcracker Fri 11, 7pm; Sat 12, 2 & 7 pm; Sun 13, 2 pm. Tickets $23, children under 4 may sit on adults’ lap. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, www. berkeleyballet.org, (510) 830-9524 to order tickets. Enjoy a familyfriendly holiday cultural tradition as the talented Berkeley Ballet dancers bring to life one of the season’s most endearing tales.

Berkeley Playhouse presents The Wizard of Oz Sat 7, 2 & 7pm (meet and greet after matinees), Sun 8, 11am & 4pm. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, www.berkeleyplayhouse. org. Advance tickets: $28 adults, $25 seniors, $19 children under 14; tickets at door: $33 adults, $30 seniors, $24 children under 14. Roughly 2:15 running time with intermission. See Dec 1-6.

ZooLights Fri-Sun 5:30pm–9:30pm; Mon-Thurs 5:30–9:00pm, Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, www.oaklandzoo.org. Members: $6.50 adults, $4.50 seniors/child; non-members: $7.50 adults, $6.50 child. Free parking. See Dec 1-6.

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Fri-Sun, 4-9 pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens. org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100.

Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free.

Admission only, all ages: $29.99.

Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65. See Dec 1-6.

See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

Community Menorah Lighting Sun 13, 4-6pm, Bay Street Mall, Powell St. and Shellmound Ave., nr.

I-80, Emeryville, (510) 655-4002, www.baystreetemeryville.com. Join the Chabad of the East Bay in the shopping center plaza for a festive menorah lighting, as well as live music from the Rockin’ Rabbis, Chanukah sing-along, face painting and more.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am-8:45pm.

Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Bay Area

Kids M A G A Z I N E

Present the

Last Minute Holiday Photo Contest

Two lucky winne will win a free p rs session at CL!X hoto a 7-pose digital pa nd a ckage ($170 value)!

Copyright CL!X Studios

Open Dec. 24, the professionals at CL! X are ready for any lastminute Holiday photo sessions for your kids, family, or pets!

Enter online www.BAKidsMa at gazine.c or at the Concord om CL!X studio

Cl!X Studios

Willows Shopping Center 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord (925 ) 676-2549, www.ClixConcord.com

HOW TO ENTER: Enter online at www.bakidsmagazine.com, at the CL!X Concord location, or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope with your name, address, phone # and e-mail to Bay Area Kids magazine, attn Clix photo contest, P.O. Box 30442, Walnut Creek CA 94598. One entry per family. Contest ends December 20. Two winners will be randomly picked on December 21. Winners are responsible for contacting CL!X to set up photo session. All regular CL!X rules and regulations in regards to their photography apply.

playdates deyoungmuseum.org, (415) 7503600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

special holiday storytelling, magic, and entertainment, a daily visit from Santa Claus, and more.

Holidays at Dunsmuir Sat-Sun 12 & 13, 11am-5pm. Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Ct., Oakland, www.dunsmuir.org, (510) 562-0328. Advanced purchase ticket prices: Adults, $12; seniors, $11; children 6-13, $7; children under 6, free (add $5 to tickets if purchased at gate). See Dec 1-6. December 13 only, have breakfast with Father Christmas!

Great Dickens Christmas Fair Fri-Sun 1am-7pm, Dec 4-20, Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., San Francisco, (415) 453-4474, www. dickensfair.com. $22 adults, $10 children 5-11, children under 5 are free. See December 1-6.

Fairy Winterland Mon-Sun 12-7pm; from Dec 11-20, Children’s Fairyland on the shore of Lake Merritt, Oakland, (510) 238-6876, www.fairyland.org. $7 per person. Children’s Fairyland is transformed into a sparkling festival of holiday entertainment. Through songs and stories, arts and crafts, Fairy Winterland celebrates the winter holidays of many cultures.

After sunset, the fairy lights are turned on and transform Fairyland into a twinkling, enchanting realm of wonder. You’ll enjoy a Festival of Lights Parade each day at 6:30pm,

December 14-20 Let Heaven and Earth Sing

by San Francisco Girls Chorus, Fri, 18, 8pm, Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, (415) 392-4400, www. sfgirlschorus.org. $32 reserved, $25 general admission, $18 students.

A Ceremony of Carols with Karen Gottlieb on the harp, traditional and contemporary holiday music by Rutter, Willcocks, Thompson, Monik, plus the popular annual audience carol sing-along.

Dream Circle Holiday Concert Sat 19, 11:30am, The Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, 557

McReynolds Road, Sausalito, (415) 339-3900, www.baykidsmuseum. $14 adults, $12 children, $7 members, children under 1 free.

Join us for a delightful and uplifting seasonal celebration featuring songs for a wide range of winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year. Dream Circle’s lineup includes Marin’s best loved children’s entertainers including Tim Cain, Miss Kitty, Cindy Cohen, and Christopher Smith. Share in the true meaning of the holidays at this heart-filled performance, and then spend a wonderful day at the Museum.

Berkeley Ballet presents The Nutcracker Fri 18, 7pm; Sat 19, 2 & 7 pm; Sun 20, 2 pm. Tickets $23, children under 4 may sit on adults’ lap. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, www. berkeleyballet.org, (510) 830-9524 to order tickets. Enjoy a familyfriendly holiday cultural tradition as the talented Berkeley Ballet dancers bring to life one of the season’s most endearing tales.

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Program SatSun, 4-9 pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens.org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100. Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free. Admission only, all ages: $29.99. Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65.

See Dec 1-6. See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11am– 9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–11pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5 pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6 ZooLights Fri-Sun 5:30pm–9:30pm; Mon-Thurs 5:30–9:00pm, Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, www.oaklandzoo.org. Members: $6.50 adults, $4.50 seniors/child; non-members: $7.50 adults, $6.50 child. Free parking. See Dec 1-6.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

Fairy Winterland Mon-Sun 12-7pm; from December 11-20, Children’s Fairyland, intersection of Grand Ave. and Bellevue, on the shore of Lake Merritt, Oakland, (510) 238-6876, www.fairyland.org. $7 per person.

See Dec 7-13.

Holidays at Dunsmuir Sat-Sun 12 & 13, 11am-5pm. Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, www.dunsmuir.org, (510) 562-0328. Advanced purchase ticket prices: Adults, $12; seniors, $11; children 6-13, $7; children under 6, free (add $5 to tickets if purchased at gate). See Dec 1-6.

Hot for the Holidays: The Crucible’s Holiday Gifty Celebration Sat-Sun, 10am4pm. The Crucible, 1260 7th St., Oakland. www.thecrucible.org, (510) 444-0919. Free admission. Whatever holiday you celebrate, spark it up with a visit to The Crucible’s Holiday Gifty celebration, featuring unique and affordable gifts hand-made by over 70 local artisans. There will be glass-blowing, metal casting, and blacksmithing demonstrations, family-friendly performances, a visit from Santa each day at 1pm, prizes, refreshments, treats, and workshops. Best of all, it’s free.

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Bay Area Kids

Great Dickens Christmas Fair Fri-Sun, 1am-7pm, Dec 4-20, Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., San Francisco, (415) 453-4474, www. dickensfair.com. $22 adults, $10 children 5-11, children under 5 are free. See Dec. 1-6.

Gingerbread Architecture Extravaganza Sat-Sun 11am, 12pm, and 1pm; Mon-Wed 11am, 12pm, and 1pm; from Dec 21-23, Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, (415) 339-3900. See Dec. 1-6.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

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BAK_Holiday_3.625X4.85_F.indd 1

berkeley ballet theater

11/9/09 9:54:31 AM

BBT YOUTH COMPANY AND CHILDREN’S DIVISION DANCERS. PHOTO BY ASHRAF.

Ilona McHugh, Artistic Director

Spring Classes New sessions begin January 5, 2010 ■ CHILDREN’S DIVISION CLASSES (ages 7 - 18) ■ PRE-BALLET CLASSES (ages 4 - 6)

■ PRE-PROFESSIONAL YOUTH COMPANY

■ ONGOING ADULT DIVISION CLASSES (ages 14 and up)

■ WE DANCE TOGETHER SESSIONS FOR PARENTS & TODDLERS (Ages 2 - 4)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 510-843-4688 EXT112 OR VISIT WWW.BERKELEYBALLET.ORG JULIA MORGAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 2640 COLLEGE AVE BERKELEY, CA 94704 5 1 0 - 8 4 3 - 4 6 8 8 W W W. B E R K E L E Y B A L L E T. O R G

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

13

playdates org/programs_events/programs/ gingerbread_architecture. See Dec 7-13.

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Program Fri-Sun Dec 26-28, 4-9 pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens.org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100. Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free. Admission only, all ages: $29.99. Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65.

See Dec 1-6. See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

December 28 - January 3, 2010

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Fri-Sun, 4-9pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens.org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100. Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free. Admission only, all ages: $29.99. Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65. A Holiday tradition since 2004, come to Gilroy Gardens and witness Coyote Lake come alive with a laser light show and fireworks that pulse and dance to the beat of an upbeat holiday soundtrack. Just for the little ones, is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” from Knott’s Merry Farm, at the Lakeside Amphiteater. Purchase a combo ticket and get a private Peanuts character show during your Holiday feast. The all-you-can-eat feast includes honey baked ham, roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean almondine, apple crisp, beverages, and hot dogs. See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

December 21-27

child. Free parking. See Dec 1-6.

Winter Wonders Tue 22, times vary by age group, Lindsay WIldlife Museum, 1931 First Ave, Walnut Creek, (925) 935-1978, www.wildlifemuseum.org. Prices vary by age group. In this one-day workshop, you will learn about animals in winter and how they celebrate the season, as you create winter decorations for your windows and gardens. Using nature’s gifts from the outdoors, you will finish at least one project to give away to a special person or save for your own.

Register ahead of time online.

Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–11pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5 pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6

ZooLights Fri-Sun 5:30pm–9:30pm; Mon-Thurs 5:30–9:00pm, Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, www.oaklandzoo.org. Members: $6.50 adults, $4.50 seniors/child; non-members: $7.50 adults, $6.50

14

Bay Area Kids

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

Let Heaven and Earth Sing by San Francisco Girls Chorus Tue 22, 7:30pm, Davies Symphony Hall,

201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, (415) 392-4400, www.sfgirlschorus. org. $22-$58 per person. See Dec. 14-20.

Weekend workshops Sat-Sun 1-3pm; from December 5-27, Museum of Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oakland, (510) 465-8770, www. mocha.org. $7 children, $3 adults, members free. Ring in the New Year (Dec. 26, 27) Make plenty of noisemakers and party hats for your rockin’ New Year’s celebrations.

Gingerbread Architecture Extravaganza Sat-Sun 11am, 12pm, and 1pm; from December 5-20; Mon-Wed 11am, 12pm, and 1pm; from Dec 21-23, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, (415) 339-3900, www.baykidsmuseum.

Gilroy Gardens Nights of Fire Holiday Lights Program Mon-Wed Dec 26-30, 4-9 pm, Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy (Hwy 152), Gilroy, gilroygardens.org/holidaylights, (408) 840-7100. Admission and feast combo: $42.99 ages 7-64; $32.99 ages 3-6 and over 65, children under 2 are free. Admission only, all ages: $29.99. Feast only: $15,99 ages 7-64, $10.99 ages 3-6 and over 65.

See Dec 1-6. See ad elsewhere in this issue for special savings.

ZooLights Fri-Sun 5:30pm – 9:30pm; Mon-Thurs 5:30 – 9:00pm, Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland, www.oaklandzoo. org. Members: $6.50 adults, $4.50 seniors/child; non-members: $7.50 adults, $6.50 child. Free parking. See Dec 1-6.

Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11 am – 9 pm; Fri – Sat 11 am – 11 pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5 pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6 » Chabot’s Tenth Annual Balloon Drop Wed 31, 10:45 AM (ages 6 and under in the Rotunda); 12:45 and 3:45 PM (ages 5 and under in the Discover Lab, ages 6 and up in the Rotunda) Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, (510) 336-7373, www.chabotspace. org. $4 per child for members, $4 plus admission to Chabot for guests.

Start or continue a family tradition celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids during the daytime. Kids will have a blast ringing in 2010 without staying up past their bedtime! Two locations available for kids of all ages to enjoy. Don’t miss the celebration!

(Event co-sponsored by Bay Area Kids and www.MomsLikeMe.com)

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Mark your calendar now for the East Bay Moms 12th annual PRESCHOOL & CHILDHOOD RESOURCE FAIR

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 10:00AM - 1:00PM Scottish Rite Center 1547 Lakeside Drive in Oakland at Lake Merritt ÁExplore your Preschool & Child Care Options! ÁMeet with representatives from more than 80 Preschool & Childhood Resource Programs as well as other businesses serving parents of young children!

ÁAdmission: $3/East Bay Moms members; $6/non-members ÁChildren welcome and admitted free ÁPurchase our Preschool & Childhood Resource Directory at the Fair for just $5!

East Bay MomsÁ510-653-7867Áeastbaymom@aol.comÁwww.eastbaymoms.com

“A must-read!” — Sunset Magazine

an exploration of nature in the Bay Area

green maid today

ompany C ing n a A Green Cle

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BayNature.org December/January 10 | East Bay

$30 off first housecleaning service or no charge when we use our green cleaning supplies (must mention this ad) RESIDENTIAL • APARTMENTS • COMMERCIAL (510) 734-2035 • www.greenmaidtoday.com Bay Area Kids

15

playdates

Harlem Globetrotters Fri 15, 7:30pm and Sun 17, 2pm, HP Pavilion, San Jose; Sat 16, 2pm and 7:30pm, Oracle Arena, Oakland, www.harlemglobetrotters.com. $20$157 per person. For 84 tremendous years, the Harlem Globetrotters have thrilled audiences around the world. Today, a new generation of stars carries on this storied tradition with timeless basketball exhibitions.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

Make a peace flag in the art studio, and purchase tickets to hear an interactive tribute performance by a local musician. Step into our family reading area to learn more about Dr. King’s life and the values he advocated. Quotes from his writing and speeches will be mounted throughout the Museum.

January 4 - 10

Cal Performances Family Fare: Peking Acrobats Sat 23, 2pm; Sun 24, 3pm, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/presents/ season/2009/family_fare/pa.php. $24-$46 per person, youth under 17 receive 50 percent discount.

Direct from the People’s Republic of China, the ever-popular Peking Acrobats leave audiences spellbound by the graceful presentation of their ancient folk art. With the addition of dazzling special effects and live musical accompaniment from an exotic Chinese orchestra, these awe-inspiring tumblers, cyclists, jugglers, and clowns transform 2,000-year-old athletic disciplines into a kaleidoscope of entertainment and wonder.

Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–11pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5 pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6 Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

January 11 - 17 Harlem Globetrotters Fri 15, 7:30pm and Sun 17, 2pm, HP Pavilion, San Jose; Sat 16, 2pm and 7:30pm, Oracle Arena, Oakland, www.harlemglobetrotters.com. $20$157 per person. For 84 tremendous years, the Harlem Globetrotters have thrilled audiences around the world.

Today, a new generation of stars carries on this storied tradition with timeless basketball exhibitions.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

Walnut Creek on Ice Sun-Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–11pm; 1635 Civic Drive at Civic Park, downtown Walnut Creek, www. iceskatewalnutcreek.com, (925) 935SNOW. $11 Mon-Thurs, $15 Fri after 5 pm and Sat-Sun. Special pricing applies during holidays. See Dec 1-6

YBCAlive! Kamau Patton Thu-Fri 6-8pm; Sat 2-4pm from Jan 23-Feb 6, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco, 415.978.2700. Free with museum admission: $7 adults, $5 seniors and students, children under 6 are free.

See January 18-24.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am8:45pm. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www.deyoungmuseum. org, (415) 750-3600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs Tues-Sun 9am-6:30pm; Fri 9am-8:45pm.

Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco, www. deyoungmuseum.org, (415) 7503600. Call or go online for pricing information. See Dec 6. BAK

January 18 - 24

Send all calendar events to calendar@bakidsmagazine.com. Include event name, date/s, location, admission costs, descriptions, and hours.

Photos are encouraged (300 DPI).

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebration Mon 18, 9am-4pm, The Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, (415) 339-3900, www.

BayKidsMuseum.org. $10 adults, $8 children 1-17 and seniors 62 and over, children under 1 free.

16

Bay Area Kids

January 25 - 31

www.bakidsmagazine.com

GISSV

Embracing Open Minds and Open Hearts

German International School of Silicon Valley The Best of two Worlds - Learning in German and English Berkeley Campus located at 1 Lawson Rd, Berkeley, CA 94707

• Growing K-5 campus in Berkeley/Kensington

We provide: Emotional nurturing • Social integrity • Diverse community

Enroll Now for 20092010!

• Accepting applications for children entering Kindergarten and Grades 1-3 • High-standard bilingual (German-English) educational concept • Integrated curriculum fosters holistic and individual development

n House

Ope

:30pm

Dec 8, 6

• Afterschool Program (2 - 5:30pm)

NEW at our MORAGA CAMPUS: Ballet now offered along with our other electives: Spanish, Puppet Making, Art, and Yoga

• Safe and nurturing learning environment

tel (510) 558 0436 fax (650) 254 0749

email berkeley@gissv.org web www.berkeley.gissv.org

Lark Creek Walnut Creek 1360 Locust Street, Walnut Creek (925) 256-1234 • www.larkcreek.com

OAKLAND 4700 Lincoln Ave (510) 336-9897

MORAGA 1450 Moraga Rd. (925) 377-0407

KENSINGTON 52 Arlington Ave. (510) 527-1278

www.growinglight.net

Diablo Valley Montessori School

3390 Deer Hill Rd., Lafayette (925) 283-6036 www.DVMS.org

Kenneth Young

Expanding Worlds of Learning

Serving seasonal farm-fresh American fare for the whole family since 1995 • Montessori-Certified Teachers • Parent Involvement

• AMS Affiliate • Convenient Access Off Hwy 24

• Kids menu includes fresh fruit plate, hand-breaded fresh crispy chicken fingers with house cut fries, peanut butter and housemade jelly sandwich • Award winning all-American wine list for Mom and Dad

Now enrolling children 3 months-6 years of age

Lark Creek Walnut Creek serves lunch daily, brunch Sunday, cocktails, and dinner nightly, and private parties.

Tour Our Campus or Visit Us Online www.dvms.org

December/January 10 | East Bay

(Half-Day & Full-Day Available)

Bay Area Kids

17

our Ask about tary n complime

Peek-A-Boo Visit nd for baby a ts n re a p

Pediatric Dentistry Providing Smiles 4 Kidz for over 25 years!

Cosmetic Pediatric Dentistry • Nitrous Oxide Conscious Sedation • General Anesthesia/Hospital Dentistry Interceptive Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Children with Special Needs

We offer complimentary

Pre-K Screening for Young Children

M.H. Ashrafi, D.M.D., M.S.

Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Clinical Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, UCSF

1501 Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Ramon (925) 820-0303 • Fax (925) 820-7373 • www.smiles4kidz.com

We invite you to attend one of our open house events.

Lower & Middle School (grades K-8) Saturday, December 5, 2009, 2:00 - 4:00 pm OAKLAND CAMPUS

901 Sunvalley Blvd. Suite 201, Concord • (925) 680-4500 • DrRobinWilliams.com

Upper School (grades 9-12) Saturday January 9, 2010 1:00 - 4:00 pm LAFAYETTE CAMPUS

Bentley School inspires inquiry, academic excellence, personal achievement, and character by engaging students’ intellect and creativity, and by encouraging them to embrace values that enrich their community and the world.

et your Call to g tic rthodon child’s o b tion y consulta age 7.

A simply beautiful smile 18

Bay Area Kids

Kathryn Sibley www.bakidsmagazine.com ksibley@bakidsmagazine.com

Š 2009 Applied Scholastics Academy East Bay. All Rights Reserved. Applied Scholastics Academy East Bay is licensed by Applied Scholastics International to use education services and materials based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. Applied Scholastics, the Applied Scholastics Academy design and the Applied Scholastics open book design are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

19

good, cleAn, Fun

video game

Books

4-8 years

4-8 years

itZABitZA Sabi Games

BAlthAZAr And the FlYing PirAtes

At its most basic—ideal for younger artistes—ItzaBitza is a free-form doodle board with a mission. For the older Picassos, ItzaBitza provides an interactive storytelling utility where children can literally set the scene and direct the action.

Written by Oliver Chin, illustrated by Justin Roth (Immedium, 2009) San Francisco-based book publisher Immedium specializes in beautifully illustrated children’s books, and the devotion they have to the craft shows in each new release. Artwork is simply stunning, and kids of all ages are immediately engaged in worlds of bright colors, funny creatures, and page-turning prose.

Their latest, Balthazar and the Flying Pirates, keeps their mission alive. Though the story idea might seem revisited—a boy who dreams of being a pirate is visited at night by a sky-sailing bunch of skallywags who are looking for a buried treasure that the boy is somehow linked to—Roth’s illustrations give the story a big-screen treatment, and you feel like you’re flipping through stills of some big budget, yet-to-be released animated movie. Keep a space on your kids’ book shelf reserved for Immedium releases, though chances are they won’t stay there too long. – Everard Strong

20

Treasu r

sl e eI

mixed media Choosing to be a boy or a girl, users are presented with a scenic background of some sort: prairie, mountain, alien planet; and are then asked by their character to help build: a home, tractor, mailbox, or a spaceship. Drawing is a simple hold-andclick with the mouse as they outline the frame of a house, its roof, door, windows, and so on.

It’s at this point the magic of ItzaBitza comes into play, as the program automatically fills in the form to represent its true function. So no matter how shaky your child’s hands are, she can still draw a masterpiece—straight lines are not required or even encouraged. Characters then interact with their new structures, and the fun builds from there.

Available for direct download from their Web site, getting the program up and running is painless, and young children quickly pick up which icon does what and are fully engaged in minutes. With extra scenarios available for download and more on the way, you are assured a variety of stimulations for your child as they continue in their play ($19.99 from www.itzabitza.com). – Everard Strong

20

Bay Area Kids

Written by Oliver Chin Illustrated by Justin Roth

Music A Family christmas Various Artists (Putumayo, 2009) You might think you’ve heard every possible interpretation of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” or “Let it Snow” … and you probably have. But your children haven’t and after all, Christmas is about them anyway. Which is why it’s still fun to hear my two kids gustfully belt out their own versions along with the album.

And, as much as I’ve listened to the whole album oh, about ninety times by now, I still find myself getting caught up in their excitement each time they start singing along. Though the whole album is listenable, highlights include Deana Carter’s humorous “Winter Wonderland,” Martin Sexton’s around-the-campfire approach to “Holly Jolly Christmas,” and Kate Rusby’s haunting “Here We Come A-Wassailing.” – Everard Strong

www.bakidsmagazine.com

A free gift from Bay Area Kids to you Tion online only eDi

ents a Bay Area Kids pres

Last Minute

Guide to … !

n o s a e S y da The Holi

Last minute

gIFt IdEaS REcIpES ojEctS pR t aR ng tIpS tI Ra co dE and moRE!

s ma ga zin e rs of Ba y Are a Kid EE to su bs cri be Sp ec ial Iss ue FR

Good things do come to those who wait [until the last minute] As a special gift to current and new Bay Area Kids magazine subscribers, we are introducing our online-only Last Minute Guides series. It’s FREE, so sign up today at www.bakidsmagazine.com

If you’re not a Bay Area Kids subscriber, sign up today! Not only will you get each regular issue of Bay Area Kids in your mailbox, but you will also receive our Last Minute Guides in your e-mail too!

Your information is not made available to any outside or third parties

all photos courtesy spontaneous smiley project

22 neighbors

Do you have a friend, family member, neighbor or “other� doing something worthwhile for our children and the Bay Area? Send us a note about them to editor@ bakidsmagazine.com

22

Bay Area Kids

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Happiness is Where You Find It Ruth Kaiser’s Spontaneous Smiley Project

By Kelly Pollard

A

simple smile has the power to shift a mood from cranky to happy in an instant. Orinda artist Ruth Kaiser, mother of three and owner of the popular Tot Drop daycare service, is a big believer in this. With her keen eye, she has always noticed “smileys”: the way a crack in the sidewalk looks strangely like a smiley face. She sees them everywhere—in car doors and spilled cereal, in clouds, and a scattering of rocks.

A year and a half ago, she took her passion for smileys to Facebook, creating a group that has grown to over 2,500 members.

“I noticed smileys all my life,” Kaiser says. “But it was the advent of the digital camera, with its ability to create art without the cost of printing, that gave me a cheaper way to share art.

Someone gave me the idea to go to Facebook [with the idea]. I shared my photos with kids, families, and friends. And then people started sending in their own found smileys.”

Based on this mounting enthusiasm from others for finding smileys, Kaiser launched the Spontaneous Smiley Project and created its own Web presence, www.spontaneoussmiley.com.

Through the website, users can upload their own captured smileys. Partnering with the charity Operation Smile—an organization that provides surgeries to children with a cleft lips or palates—Kaiser began donating a dollar for every smiley upload to her Web site.

“My hope is that more businesses and individuals will come forward to take over and donate for a fixed period of time,” Kaiser says.

She foresees the Spontaneous Smiley Project expanding into local schools as well.

“High schools and junior colleges have incorporated smileys into their photography classes.”

Smileys seem a natural fit for a school environment.

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

23

Kaiser has talked to schools about using the Smiley Project as a fundraiser, somewhat akin to a walkathon, where kids take pledges for how many smiley images they can collect in a two week window.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Kaiser says. “Kids earn money for schools. They learn computer skills by uploading pictures and using software to crop and enhance their images. As each smiley arrives, more donations go toward Operation Smile.”

Parents also have a lot to learn from the art of capturing smileys in their surroundings. Kaiser tells of one mother who recounted how looking for smileys while waiting in her car between shuttling her children from various activities shifted her mood from irritation to creating a peaceful interlude, where that moment became just as important as the millions of to-dos she needed to cross off her list at home. Some of Kaiser’s most eager contributors to Spontaneous Smiley are children. “Kids are often the ones that say ‘Mom! Pull over, I see a smiley in that fence.’ Or, ‘Look, Grandpa’s car is smiling at me!’”

“It makes me so happy that the project makes people change their outlook,” Kaiser says. “Smileys force you to pay attention and take some time to notice the beauty around you.”

This mindset carries over into the sometimes monotonous task of parenting.

“Don’t be upset that your kid spilled the Cheerios on the floor,” Kaiser says. “Look for a smiley with your child. One parent did and uploaded it to the web site.” By finding this, a frustrating occurrence became a bonding moment, a moment of noticing the surprising image in daily life.

“I receive uploads from all over the world. It’s surreal, how I can wake up one day and find a smiley from New Zealand in my inbox.”

This winter, Kaiser is taking her own smiley images to a show at Eclectix Gallery in El Cerrito (eclectix.com), from December 11 to January 23. Kaiser’s smileys are also on display at Photolab Gallery in Berkeley through January 2 (www.photolaboratory. com), 2010 as well. There, the smileys will step out of the virtual world and sit fixed on gallery walls, some themed ones (potato smileys, car door smileys) grouped in frames together.

Kaiser hopes the publicity from the gallery shows will encourage more budding photographers to upload to her website and generate more donations for Operation Smile.

“The Spontaneous Smiley Project is a mindset that is not so much about being open to finding the Smileys 24/7 as is it about being open to finding the Joy 24/7.”

For more information about The Spontaneous Smiley Project, upcoming gallery shows or to upload your smiley, visit www.spontaneoussmiley.com.

24

Bay Area Kids

www.bakidsmagazine.com

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

25

26 nature calls Illustration: Tim Gunther, www.gunthergraphics.biz

Top Billing for Shorebirds Winter is a great season to take the kids bird watching Bay Area Kids has partnered with Bay Nature magazine to bring some unique stories about the natural side of the Bay Area. Find out more at www.baynature.org

26

Bay Area Kids

by Alan Kaplan

www.bakidsmagazine.com

From the Richmond shoreline to the Richardson Bay, Heron’s Head Park, or the Palo Alto Baylands, there are good shorebird watching spots all around the Bay. These parks invite family-friendly bird-watching, and you can always count on seeing birds in winter. (Download a helpful “Birding the Bay Trail” brochure at baytrail.org.)

You can also attend a guided event at one of the region’s many nature centers, such as the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge’s Alviso Environmental Education Center ((408) 262-5513) or the Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Marin ((415) 3882524). If your biggest challenge is getting the kids to take out their earbuds, go with the flow and download the wetlands podcasts from www.yourwetlands.org. These audio shows cover great birding areas in the South Bay salt ponds and along Highway 37 in the North Bay. – Dan Rademacher

A

s summer turns to fall, thousands of shorebirds return to the shoreline and mudflats of San Francisco Bay, either for a pit stop on their way south or to stay for the winter.

Sometimes many different kinds gather in one place. How can you tell them apart?

Watch for a little while and you can begin to sort them out by size and shape, by where they stand and, most of all, by their bills and how they use them.

Those bills have something else to teach us: There are a lot of critters hiding along the shore, and each bird has a bill fit to catch some of them for lunch.

As the tide goes out, long-legged marbled godwits, with upturned, mostly pinkish bills, will be in the water, so impatient to feed that they sometimes plunge their entire bill and head underwater as they probe the mud for worms, shrimp, and other creatures. The godwits probe, take two or three strides, and probe again. They use their long, sensitive bills to grab anything that feels like food.

They’ve been seen grabbing fifty food items in a minute, but they drop about twenty percent of what they catch.

December/January 10 | East Bay

Another long-legged shallow-water feeder is the American avocet, whose trademark behavior is a sweeping motion of its upcurved bill as it walks forward, filtering tiny shrimp and even small fish.

The bill—more curved on females, less on males—cuts like a scythe through water easier than a straight bill would, and can shut faster on its prey.

As the ebbing tide uncovers more of the mudflat, dowitchers and willets arrive.

Dowitchers have long, straight, sturdy bills that they use to probe deeply in a “stitching” rhythm as they step across the wet mud. The sensitive tip of their upper bill is movable, to grasp food. Being able to move just the tip to grab a worm or mole crab makes it easier to feed in mud: Imagine trying to open that entire bill against the pressure of thick mud!

This sensitive, movable tip is particularly noticeable on the extremely long bill of the well-named long-billed curlew, the largest of our shorebirds. Its downcurved tool can be almost as long as the bird’s body (nearly nine inches in the female). Why would it have such a long bill? For reaching deep into the mud to catch food other birds can’t

reach. The curlew feeds alone probably because it needs more “elbow room” for its big, bent bill.

Dunlins, with their much shorter, slightly downcurved black bills, are usually seen in groups and in winter can sometimes be the most abundant shorebird in view.

During the day, they hunt by sight, picking up small invertebrates from the surface of wet mud. They also probe, with a rapid stitching motion (several times per second).

Such a “switch-hitting” strategy comes in handy at night.

San Francisco Bay is one of the most important wintering area for shorebirds in the western United States, with so many places to spot them. Because shorebirds are faithful to their wintering grounds, you could be seeing the same birds at your favorite (and their favorite) spots, year after year. Notice where the birds take a stand, observe their style, and always check the bill.

Alan Kaplan retired in 2005 after a thirty-three year career with the East Bay Regional Park District.

He contributed to the Encyclopedia of Insects, second edition (Academic Press, 2009), and the Encyclopedia of Islands (UC Press, 2009).

Bay Area Kids

27

Room with A View Murals bring the great outdoors in

by Emily Farish Brown

28 indoor living

Do you have a cool kids bedroom, playroom, outdoor area, or tree house?

Send us photos and a bit about the project and you could be considered for an upcoming article!

E-mail info to editor@ bakidsmagazine.com

28

Bay Area Kids

Design Strategies Here are some basic guidelines to follow as you develop your mural. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, keep the following in mind to ensure a successful result: Color Keep it on the softer side. You’ll create more distance with a lighter palette.

Horizon Line Lower it a bit for smaller children. Add a few sailboats in the bay or an airplane in the sky—or ever a blimp!

Do It Yourself or Hire a Professional?

To paint a mural yourself, start by griding off one of your photos (an 8x10 works best). Using a pencil, grid the wall the same way and sketch the landscape section by section. Use waterbased house paints or artist paints on a flat, primed wall. In high-traffic areas, clear coat with a low-sheen, water-based polyurathane. Want some help with the mural? Find a skilled muralist by calling children’s furniture stores and asking the store owner for a referral.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Y

ou’ve invited the in-laws for the holidays—the whole clan—and the weatherman is predicting rain. Visions of a house full of kids wired on holiday candy start to dance in your head. What you need is more space—and fast.

If adding a few more rooms to the house in the next few weeks isn’t a possibility, try adding the illusion of more space with a landscape mural. When you add a landscape mural to a room, the walls dissapear and the whole room feels bigger.

Play rooms, bedrooms, even family rooms can be transformed into seemingly wide, open spaces. Whether you paint one wall or the whole room, a room with a view is a room that will become a window to the world beyond... rain or shine.

Need help choosing the best scene for a mural? Ask your kids: The Bay Area offers some of the most inspiring views in the world. Visit some of the surrounding vistas and let your child take photos of the views that inspire them the most.

December/January 10 | East Bay

A few places to consider: Giants Stadium The next time you’re in the sta­dium, take photos from the top bleacher looking out at the water.

Sports fans and nature enthusiasts alike will appreciate this view.

Golden Gate Bridge Does anyone ever tire of this symbol of grace and beauty? Try taking photos from both sides of the bridge to see which views you like the best.

Briones State Park Want a mural that is a little less thematic? Go for a hike and take photos from valleys and hilltops—a combination of views can make very dramatic landscapes.

Mt. Diablo This scene is guaranteed to lift the spirits of anyone who walks into the room. With its majestic peak visible from so many angels, photograph it from different places to find the most rewarding view.

Emily Farish Brown is the owner of Emilly Farish Designs, www. emilyfarish.com.

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December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

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32 common unity

What are your thoughts on this story? How is religion handled in your household? Send us a note at editor@ bakidsmagazine.com

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December/January 10 | East Bay

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Keeping the Faith Three East Bay families work to keep holiday cheer from turning sour | by Patricia Kutza

C

hristmas cheer: caroling, eggnog all around, everyone gathering around the tree and ogling their presents. Is this a familiar, comfortable scene for you? If you feel that something’s not quite right with this picture, know that you are hardly alone. Your sentiments are shared by a growing number of families whose holiday experiences may include a blend of Christmas and such attendant holidays like Hannukah, Hijra, Ashura, Solstice, and Kwanzaa.

Interfaith families—family members who practice different faiths (or no faith at all)—are very common in the Bay Area. Some of these families eagerly look forward to the December holidays, when they enjoy sharing the rituals and practices of their own religions.

Others, dreading this time because it triggers such stress with conflicting allegiances, can’t wait for the New Year to arrive.

Bay Area Kids magazine talked to three Bay Area interfaith couples who generously shared their perspectives about how they navigate through this emotionally-charged period. We also asked a minister to gives some insight into how families can better deal with the issues that may emerge when their individual beliefs and collide.

Mixed Blessings: The Insdorf-Petricevic family Like many Bay Area families, Oakland residents Jason Insdorf and wife Tania Petricevic consider the December holidays an extended family affair. Tania, from a large Latin family, was raised a Christian while living in several cities across the world. While her family lived in Guatemala, they made Christmas Eve

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the big focus. “My family is very Americanized. We lived similar lives like other embassy kids in South America—on Christmas Eve we would have a nice dinner, share gifts and somewhere you might find an image of Jesus in his cradle, but it was not a big focus.”

“I met my husband Jason in a Jewish religion class at a Florida college we both attended. I actually got a better grade than Jason in that class, although he was raised Jewish.” Meeting a Jewish person was a bit of a curiosity to her, she says, since she never met one in Bolivia during the years she lived there.

Honoring their ancestry. Jason’s religious upbringing was limited mostly to practicing such high holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Since Tania feels more of an affinity for Judaism then Christianity, she and Jason experiment with going to temple. “It requires motivation,” he explains. “I like the music but both of us feel uncomfortable because we are not yet totally committed to going regularly.”

“One of the reasons we started going back to the temple, after an extended absence, was to honor our ancestral traditions,” Tania explains. “Our fifteen month-old boy, Isaac, is named after Jason’s grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. On my husband’s side of the family, only he and his brother are left to carry the family name.” Jason adds: “It’s important for a child to feel rooted in order to understand his place in the world.”

More into Santa than Hannukah. To show respect for Jason’s religious upbringing, Tania wraps her husband’s Christmas gifts in Hannukah colors, blue and white. For Jason, it’s a special treat since his family didn’t exchange holiday gifts he was growing up. “We say a Hebrew children’s prayer and display

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photo Carolyn Carcione SANDEEP SAHAI and JOSEE MAYETTE with baby SOPHIE

both a menorah and mezuzah, the latter which we hang between two door frames.” When asked if they will introduce the concept of Santa into Isaac’s life, Jason laughs. “The holidays are fun and I want to him experience it,” he says. “I don’t mind if he is more into Santa than Hanukkah.”

Celebrating the December holidays for the InsdorfPetricevic family is less about expressing any religious beliefs than about honoring their ancestry and coming together with their extended families. “Holidays are just a time to get together,” says Jason. “We buy a tree but that’s about the extent of it. No elaborate decorations,” says Tania. “We typically rent a place at Lake Tahoe, go skiing, and just enjoy being with our families.”

Doing Christmas to the Hilt: Ro and Parisa LoBianco Ro LoBianco has had an enduring love affair with everything Christmas. “It’s always been a big deal in my family” says Ro. And he had no qualms about bringing his traditions (and by his admission, too many boxes of decorations) into the blended family created when

December/January 10 | East Bay

he married his wife, Parisa, who has three now-grown girls, ages sixteen, eighteen, and twenty.

“The girls kid me about it and have put up with my over-the-top decorations, even pitching in to help decorate,” says Ro. He appreciates their cooperation since the girls, like their mother, are practitioners of the Baha’i faith, a religion that doesn’t emphasize Christian holidays. “My children have grown up appreciating the diverse faith traditions that exist around us” says Parisa. “When Baha’i children reach the age of fifteen (the age of maturity according to the Baha’i faith), they can then decide if the Baha’i faith is something they want to officially commit themselves to.”

A helping hand. “I think we’ve done very well to honor each other’s faith traditions” Ro says. “Parisa and the girls, previous to our marriage, didn’t observe Christmas. They have all been quite supportive of me and the festivities: Helping decorate the house, getting a Christmas tree together, gathering to observe religious reflection and exchanging presents.”

The very nature of the Baha’i faith is inclusive, says Parisa. This flexibility helps blend Baha’i and

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Ro’s Catholic/Lutheran faiths into a workable family relationship.

“Baha’i followers believe in the oneness of all religions, and are very happy to participate in the celebrations of any religious holidays. I have tried to encourage that spirit in my children since they were very young, even taking them to holiday services such as Christmas and Easter so that they would learn the spiritual significance more than the commercial aspect of these holidays. Although we try to focus our emphasis on Baha’i holy days to strengthen our children’s identity, Baha’is do not have any traditions per se. It is left up to each individual family to create their own traditions for their home. Service toward others and fellowship with others has always been a major part of every Baha’i holy day.”

A five-carol singing Santa. Parisa is gratified that Ro has a genuine interest in learning more about the Baha’i faith and appreciates his willingness to attend many gatherings, workshops, retreats and celebrations with her. “During important Baha’i holy days, like the Declaration of the Bab, Birth of Baha’ullah or the Martyrdom of the Bab, I try to attend these community services.” Ro says. Ro, in turn, appreciates that Parisa and their daughters want to share his faith rituals that include attending both Catholic and Lutheran services: “Parisa has always been such a loving partner to join me at Christmas mass. In fact, she attends church with me whenever she is able and the girls occasionally attend too.”

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It’s clear that these Danville residents are looking forward to the holiday season as a time to celebrate their own committed diversity. Says Parisa: “We’re no different than any other family. Out interfaith marriage and family works simply because we have mutual respect for each other’s beliefs. We keep an open mind, and a healthy curiosity, about world religions.

When it comes down to it, we all believe in the same things: love of God and each other. So the only thing we have to explain to the girls is why their stepdad can’t part with the Santa head that plays five carols when visitors come to our door!”

The Power of Thoughtful Gestures: Sandeep Sahai and Josee Mayette A thoughtful gesture can go a long way toward bridging a possible divide triggered by the expectations of different cultures and traditions. Josee Mayette experienced its power when she and Sandeep, her husband, traveled to Sandeep’s parents home in India. It was Christmastime and Josee’s first visit to India. “When we arrived, Sandeep’s parents had set up a Christmas tree in their house. I felt it was such a kind gesture,” she recalls. Growing up in India, Christmas was not a big deal around Sandeep’s home. “We exchanged cards, but were more inclined to celebrate the Hindu Diwali New Year.”

Deck the halls. Sandeep knew, however, that this was not the case for Josee. “For me, Christmas was huge,” she explains. “Having a beautifully-decorated tree, lots of food, caroling, and lots of snow … the whole works.” Growing up Catholic, Josee’s family, like many others of that faith, considered Christmas Eve Midnight Mass attendance an intrinsic part of the Christmas ritual. To Josee, the event was also a conflicting ritual.

“My family was poor,” Josee recalls. Her mother taught her not to compare herself to others, but Josee felt uncomfortable that her family could not dress as opulently as others. While this ended up being only a passing concern, what left a much more lasting impact on Josee was the apparent disconnect between her church’s physical wealth, as evidenced in the gold tabernacle and ornate vestments, and its

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message. “I didn’t feel that their message of brotherhood jived with the poverty and other social problems happening in our community,” she explains. Josee also couldn’t reconcile how women were treated in her church—that they were given secondclass status in its hierarchy.

Weaving new rituals. Now, married almost ten years, this Bay Area couple believe it’s possible to take the best from both of their religious backgrounds and weave them into a new belief system with rituals that celebrate both their cultural upbringings and their individual ancestral heritage.

The part of Midnight Mass that Josee loves is the shaking of hands with your pew neighbors. “This is my favorite part,” she confesses. “Greeting them encourages a feeling of community.” In that spirit, they chose to have a blend of Hindu, Catholic, and legal marriage ceremonies. While one of the reasons they married in triplicate was to “please their parents,” doing it that way also served a deeper need for both of them to show respect for their elders. In the same vein, the couple says that when their almost five-month-old daughter, Sophie, is old enough, they will have her baptized, a Catholic ritual.

The end-of-year holidays will be another opportunity for the Sahai/Mayette family to strengthen their commitments to each other and their community. Both Sandeep and Josee feel that supporting each others’ beliefs is a strategy that works best for them. “We’d rather explore each other’s point of view than deny them,” he adds. BAK

happy holidays?

Any way you look at it, we’re in a downturn economy in the Bay Area. Gone are the days of opulent carefree spending. Most everyone feels the pinch—job loss, reduction in pay, coping with their spouse or partner unexpectedly loosing a steady paycheck. On top of that the price of living keeps rising, so not only do some of us have less money to spend, the dollar we have has to stretch farther than it used to.

How do we manage to have a wonderful, fun, meaningful holiday season when there is less financial holiday cheer to go around? Here are a few ideas which will enable you to make you holiday season as joy filled as possible without dipping your stress levels along with your wallet.

1

Take any group you are a part of—your child’s school class, your church or synagogue, your neighborhood mom or dad group—and host an “item exchange” party. Everyone brings a “gently used” toy, item of clothing, or a household item (read: wedding gifts or baby shower items that were never opened, or once opened, sat on the shelf). All items are placed on display and people take what they know they will be able to “re-gift.” It’s like having a holiday garage sale while you spring clean at the same time.

2

This has almost become cliche, but it still holds true: volunteer some time at a shelter or halfway house and you will receive back in multiples what you have given. When you share your good energy and thoughtfulness with others who are less fortunate, you feel better about yourself. If you don’t feel comfortable at a food line, volunteer a couple of hours a week at your local animal shelter. Take a dog out for a walk or outdoor play, and your problems will literally melt away with every wag of their tail, guaranteed.

3

Simplify your holiday decorating and planning. It’s very easy to get carried away and feel pressured to create a holiday that exceeds both your budget and energy. For your family dinner, sacrifice some of the more expensive (and somewhat frivolous) food items and instead focus on creating a meal that helps celebrate the family being together.

The best thing you can do is to give yourself a moment to breathe. When you are feeling less stressed there is more time to experience the joy of the season and appreciate the little blessings life brings to us with each day. – Carol Laurie, L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.

Find out more about Carol Laurie and her services at www.CenterforNaturalHealthCare.com

December/January 10 | East Bay

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38 sporting news

Author Elise Cooke tries not to look when one of her kids goes over a ski jump. Visit her online at www. simpletonsolutions.com

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Downhill Destinations Tahoe’s kid-friendly ski resorts

by Elise Cooke

December/January 10 | East Bay

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Y

ou’ve been talking about it the last couple of winters, but this season, actually go through with it. Yes, we’re talking about taking your kids skiing (or snowboarding) for their first time. To ease your mind and make the decision easier, many ski resorts have wonderful kid-friendly amenities in place just for such occasions; taking your kids to shush down the slopes really isn’t as onerous as you might think.

The greater Lake Tahoe area—specifically on the California side of the lake (near the North Shore, though the South Shore offers some nice areas too)— offers Bay Area families ideal skiing conditions. We’ve provided some specifics about these ski resorts and what they have to offer young family members.

North Shore Resorts Alpine Meadows www.skialpine.com Make your reservations on-line for your skiers 3 and up and snowboarders from age 5. This resort does not run a daycare facility.

If you want to give your older kids a little more freedom on the slopes, Alpine Meadows offers GPS tracking devices.

Boreal www.rideboreal.com Boreal’s Kids Club welcomes skiers from the age of 4 and boarders 7 and up. They insist on registration at least 48 hours in advance for full-day programs, which you can do on-line. Childcare isn’t provided, but parents can share a lift ticket with their young ones. Ask for that option at the counter.

Diamond Peak www.diamondpeak.com Group lessons and all-day lessons are available for kids 4-7 years old, and kids as young as 3 can enroll in private lessons. Book on-line or call (775) 832-1130 for reservations. Childcare isn’t provided; parents can purchase an interchangeable ticket to take turns on the slopes.

Mt. Rose www.mtrose.com Reservations for skiers 4-10 and boarders 7-10 can’t be made in advance, so it’s first-come, first-served. 3 year-olds can sign up for private lessons. Childcare isn’t provided, no parent’s-dilemma passes, and half-day passes are almost as expensive as full-day. Hmm…

TIPS FOR BRAVING THE MOUNTAINS A few tips, from a parent who’s taken her kids skiing every single year for the last decade, and loves it: Rental equipment includes skis, poles, boots and helmets, or snowboards, helmets and boots. It doesn’t generally include goggles, gloves, jackets, etc.

Don’t forget the sunscreen. That thin mountain air and bright snow can bounce a sunburn onto little faces before you know it. Chapstick is good to have on hand, too.

If your children are brand-new to sliding around on snow, get them in all-day lessons. Chances are good that they will cooperate more with strangers, in the presence of other kids, than they will for you. Once they’re more comfortable with their skills, you’ll all enjoy yourselves as a family together.

Good, warm, water-resistant clothing is essential. Nobody likes to be cold and wet. Buy them ski bibs, which cover like overalls. At least make sure the snaps are working on those ski pants/jacket sets. Gloves develop holes quickly, so check them often.

Pack a few snacks. It’s nice to ski when the lift lines thin out while everyone’s having lunch, and then to eat after the crowd heads back to the slopes. Alternatively, eat lunch around 11:00 a.m.

The mountains are notorious for lousy cell phone reception. Bring walkie-talkies.

Hit The Shops Before the Slopes

Northstar-at-Tahoe www.northstarattahoe.com Beware: the trip from the drop-off to the gondola that takes you to the slopes is a lo-o-o-ng one, as you have to walk through the entire village, carrying all your equipment (and sometimes your kids). Helpful carts are few and far between. Other than that, lesson programs abound for skiers 3 and up and boarders from age 7. You can even buy a Kids Klub Frequency Card to save on multiple lessons. Make your reservations on-line. The licensed Child Care Minor’s Camp is for 2-6 year-olds and there’re even weekend Parents Nights Out for 4-12 year-olds.

Here are some East Bay ski rental shops:

Homewood www.skihomewood.com Register your skier or snowboarder, age 4 and up on-line or call (530) 525-1265. There’s no childcare, and no transferable lift ticket.

Soda Springs www.skisodasprings.com This resort bills itself as “Tahoe’s Best Snow Park for Kids.” This

Any Mountain, Berkeley 2777 Shattuck Ave., (510) 665-3939

December/January 10 | East Bay

Any Mountain, Concord 1975 Diamond Blvd., (925) 674-0174 NOTE: Any Mountain maintains a handy website, www.RentSkis. com, which lets you reserve equipment in advance, for pick-up at any of their locations.

Montclair Sports, Oakland 1970 Mountain Blvd., (9510) 339-9313

Any Mountain, Dublin 4906 Dublin Blvd., (925) 875-1115

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go

5 ur

! eason th S

DOWNTOWN

Walnut Creek On Ice

atin Celebr

November 12, 2009 - January 18, 2010

is a good resort to enjoy with your children, but you won’t be doing much skiing on your own. Formal lessons begin for age 7, and they only last about two hours. Daycare’s not available, and parents can’t share a ticket.

Squaw Valley www.squaw.com 3 year-olds on up can take lessons to ski. Snowboard lessons are for ages 7 and up. Make your reservations at (530) 452-7166.

Childcare is not provided, and no lift pass is available to share.

Public Skating Schedule Monday – Thursday 11 am – 9 pm Friday – Saturday 11 am – 11 pm Sunday 11 am – 9 pm

Admission Rates

Monday – Thursday Friday till 5 pm Friday after 5 pm Saturday – Sunday

$11.00 $11.00 $15.00 $15.00

November 24-28 $15.00 December 22 – January 1 $15.00

Sugar Bowl www.sugarbowl.com Programs are available for skiers ages 4 and up, snowboarders from age 7. Call (530) 426-6700 to reserve spots. There’s no child care, and no breaks for tag-teaming parents, either.

What’s your family’s favorite ski destination?

Let us know at editor@ bakidsmagazine.com

Tahoe Donner www.skitahoedonner.com A two-and-a-half hour program is available for little skiers 3-6 years of age. To reserve a spot, call (530) 587-9444 and then press “0.” Older skiers and boarders can sign up for 90 minute group or one-hour private lessons. Childcare isn’t provided, but come on Tuesdays with a kid under 13 and get a free adult lift ticket.

South Shore Resorts Heavenly www.skiheavenly.com One of the largest resorts in Tahoe, with slopes spanning California and Nevada, Heavenly strives to have something for everyone. Their Ski and Ride Schools offer ski lessons for ages 4 and up; snowboard lessons start at age 5. All-day sessions include lunch and equipment rental. Spaces fill up quickly, so reserve spots for your children online as soon as possible.

Heavenly also offers licensed childcare for ages 6 weeks to 6 years old. Again, make those reservations early.

Learn To Skate – Beginning December 5 Saturday Mornings 8:45 am or 9:15 am ½ hour instruction and public session following class $125.00 for 6 weeks of lessons Recital on the 7th week Parent Tot Class – Beginning December 1 Tuesday Mornings 10:00 am – 11:00 am 1 Parent / 1 child $100.00 for 7 weeks ½ hour of instruction and ½ hour practice session following class Adult Class – Beginning December 3 Thursday Evenings 7:30 pm – 8:00 pm ½ hour instruction and public session following class $125.00 for 7 weeks This class will be during public session on coned off section of rink

Kirkwood www.kirkwood.com The village and lodging located right at the slopes make a trip here an easy, breezy vacation. Little skiers as young as 4 years old and snowboarders from age 5 can enjoy either full or half-day lessons to improve their skills. Registration is on-site.

Licensed childcare is also available, for ages 2-6. Call for reservations and information: (209) 258-7274.

Sierra-at-Tahoe www.sierraattahoe.com Kids as young as 3 can learn to ski, and snowboard classes start at age 5. Call (530) 543-3150 for reservations, preferably at least 48 hours in advance. If you’ll be there a few days, or you have a lot of kids, they offer discounts for three or more classes. Licensed childcare can take kids from 18 months to 5 years old. Download your paperwork from their Web site, and call (530) 543-3150 to reserve your spot. BAK

925.935.SNOW (7669) iceskatewalnutcreek.com 1365 Civic Drive • Walnut Creek, California 94596

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Stylish Discoveries Look at these haute finds we uncovered at the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Photography Christina Fabbri

Cast and Crew Assistant Shaun Fenn Stylist Sharon Maloney Studio teacher Christine Bloomingdale Hair and make up Nancy Cialdella Models: Tova E., Aviva E., and Casey K., courtesy J E Models, Inc. Shot on location at Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito. www.baykidsmuseum.org, in October, 2009.

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Her wool dress by Nicole Miller, $108, and Burberry argyle cardigan, $130, both available Bloomingdale’s.

Polka dot tights, $12.95 for 2 pack, by H&M. Red and black gingham hat, $12, and silver shimmer ballet flats, $39.95, Nordstrom. Watch, $9.50, Gap Kid’s (www.gap.com).

Him Wool peacoat by Ben Sherman, $129, Neiman Marcus (www.neimanmarcus.com).

Plaid button down, $36.50 and wool herringbone vest, $69.50, J.Crew. Ralph Lauren Jeans, $65, Macy’s. Reversible belt with rivets, $24, Nordstrom.

Adidas Sambas, $31.95, www.zappos.com.

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Puffer Vest by Juicy Couture $158, Bloomingdale’s (www.bloomingdales.com). Cotton Henley with ruffle, $50, corduroy shorts, $50, plaid button down, $40, all by Ralph Lauren available at Bloomingdale’s.

Navy cable knit knee-highs, $4.50, Nordstrom (www. nordstrom.com). Pocket watch necklace, $15, by Aldo Accessories, San Francisco (www.aldoshoes. com). Velvet bow clip, 2 pack, $2.95, by H&M (www. hm.com). Hunter wellies, $61, www.Zappos.com.

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Her Fair Isle Cotton Dress, $150, and riding pant Leggings, $42.50, both by Ralph Lauren at Macy’s (www.macys.com).

Denim shirt, $22.90, boy’s department at Zara Kid’s (www. zara.com). Necklace, $14.50 and flower ring, $28.50, J. Crew. Taffeta ballet flats, 45, (www.jcrew.com).

Him Wool peacoat by Ben Sherman, $129, Neiman Marcus (www.neimanmarcus.com). Plaid button down, $36.50 and wool herringbone vest, $69.50, J.Crew. Ralph Lauren Jeans, $65, Macy’s. Reversible belt with rivets, $24, Nordstrom. Adidas Sambas, $31.95, www.zappos.com.

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Him Chinos with suspenders, $35.90, gingham button down, $22.90, and scarf, $12.90, Zara Kid’s. Corduroy vest, $80 and blazer, $175, both

by Ralph Lauren at Bloomingdale’s. Suede bucks, $40, by School Issue at www.Zappos.com.

Her Cotton cardigan with ruffle, $49.50, J.Crew.

Skinny jeans by Ralph Lauren, $59, Macy’s. Foot Mates Cheer Shoes, $44.95, www.Zappos.com.

Gund monkey, $20, Neiman Marcus.

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Her Striped cardigan by Burberry, $140, boy’s department at Neiman Marcus. Embroidered skirt by Halabaloo, $72, Neiman Marcus.

White button down with ruffle, $29.50, J.Crew.

Tortoise ballet flats, $108, www.jcrew.com.

Wool beret, $24, Janie and Jack. Pirate necklace, $15, Aldo Accessories.

Him Army jacket, $75, J.Crew. Thermal hoodie

by Ralph Lauren, $75. Plaid flannel button down, $44, Red Wagon. Super skinny jeans by Levi’s, $29.99, Macy’s.

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Her Floral dress, $68, wool/cashmere cardigan, $68, and bracelet, $10.50, J.Crew. Ivory grosgrain ribbon headband, Gap Kid’s, $16.50 for 3 pack.

Grey cable knee highs, $6.90, Zara Kid’s.

December/January 10 | East Bay

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Her Left Wool, plaid blazer by Ralph Lauren, $375, boy’s department, Bloomingdale’s.

Wool and cashmere sweater, $59.50, J.Crew.

Distressed skinny jean by Roxy, $46, Macy’s.

Army watch by Captain, $14, Nordstrom. Robot necklace, $15, Aldo Accessories. Suede bucks

by School Issue, $40, at www.Zappos.com.

Him Left Nylon deck jacket, $78, www.jcrew. com. Rolling Stones tee, $36, Bloomingdale’s.

Chinos, $24.50 and leather belt, 16.50, both available at Gap Kid’s.

December/January 10 | East Bay

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Calvary Apostolic Church Preschool & Prekindergarten Challenging Minds in a Warm, Loving Environment • Ages 2-5 • Academic & play-based curriculum • Spanish & Gymnastics • Part-time & Full-time • Open All Year

berkeley ballet theater Ilona McHugh, Artistic Director

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Boys age 7 and older are welcome to join the angelic voices and heavenly sounds of the internationally acclaimed Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers.

Cultivate his musical gifts with choral lessons and instruction on handbells and Orff instruments. Performances, tours and music camp available.

(510) 887-4311 • (415) 431-1137 www.ggbc.org “Building Friendship Through Music”

Montessori Family School Founded in 1981

Grades K-8

traditional / academic science / french / latin / music / art / computers / after school programs & extended care

Come to our January Information Sessions from 10:30 am—Noon.

Children are welcome.

Preschool (3-6 yrs) Berkeley Campus Saturday, January 9

2722 Benvenue Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705

510.549.0605

big

K-8, El Cerrito Campus Saturday, January 30

www.montessorifamily.com

productions

publication design magazines • newsletters brochures • e-zines

high quality/low rates www.big-e-productions.com

“Curing lice today so you can get back to your life tomorrow.”

Physician Recommended

We come to you!

Lori Webb

Personal lice treatment specialist

(925) 787-6020 www.nit-wits.com

Cake Wrecks

by Jen Yates

the four “Ds” of cake design

E

veryone knows that kids can be honest to a fault.

It’s part of their charm.

So when the time comes to serve prepared to have it assessed with the kind of brutal disdain

56

normally associated with reality

cake ‘n’ bake

don’t think your tot needs vocal

show judges and the French. And abilities, either. Ooh no. Kids begin honing their skills at birth, resulting in a veritable arsenal of facial expressions. I call these “the four Ds.”

Jen Yates is the author of Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009), and also the mastermind behind cakewrecks. blogspot.com. Her column is exclusive to Bay Area Kids magazine.

56

Bay Area Kids

Disgust Violet here is clearly appalled by her big sister Ruby’s pack o’ Princesses cake, and as you can see, her nonverbal tirade speaks volumes.

Here’s a rough translation: “Oh, how original! A pastel-prolific pack of princesses. Obviously my sister has succumbed to the brainwashing efforts of the blatant over-commercialization running rampant in our society. And just look at those gloppy roses and airbrushing—it’s disgusting! Outrageous!

“Well ... I suppose I could have a little piece. You know, just to be polite.”

Despondency Some Wreckage is so bafflingly bad that it can send an unprepared viewer into a coma-like state. Here little Caleb stares blankly at his cupcake cake, his young mind struggling to grasp how a baker could inflict such Wreckage upon an innocent like himself.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

all photos courtesy Jen Yates/Cake Wrecks

your child’s birthday cake, be

Dispair Ryan here was supposed to get a super spiffy Superman cake for his mall birthday party.

Instead, the bakery made a purple-flowered tragedy with red swirly bits so amazingly UNspiffy that all of his friends had to flee the scene lest their coolness quotient drop from mere proximity. (“It had cooties.”)

And so Ryan sits alone, poignantly communicating his feelings of deep disappointment in his family’s utter lack of Superman-cake-acquiring skills.

Excellent work, Ryan! Good range, and that’s an effective use of the “wistful side gaze” if I ever saw one.

Disbelief Daniel may lack the words to express his outrage, but it’s not hard to read this expression: “Are you frickin’ KIDDING me?!? I ask for a fire truck cake, and you get me this?”

“It’s melting—is it supposed to be melting? Is this some kind of character-building irony thing? ‘Cuz I’m four now, and I am totally not falling for that anymore!”

Daniel stuck to his guns, spending the next year telling anyone who would listen about his “brokeed” fire truck cake. I sense a kindred spirit! Soon, Daniel-san, I shall introduce you to the wonders of “the Internet,” groom your griping skills, instill a fondness for puns, and set you on the path of sarcasm and mockery for fun and profit! Mwahahahaha! … Ahem

To sum things up: Cake Wrecks are a fact of life, children can have surprisingly long memories, and French reality shows must be off. the. hook.

Seriously. Can I get a “oui oui”?

December/January 10 | East Bay

The Anti-Tipping Society of America existed from 1905 to 1919

Bay Area Kids

57

dining guide A rotating list of kid-friendly dining destinations in the East Bay.

Picante 1328 6th St., (510)

and board games to keep the

525-3121, www.picanteberke-

wiggly members of your party

ley.com. Mon-Fri 11am-10pm;

occupied.

Sat-Sun 10am-10pm. Lunch, dinner. Average main course:

Danville

$9; average kids meal: $6.

Booster seats, highchairs,

Esin 750 camino ramon, (925)

There’s not a full kid’s menu,

changing table, kids menu.

314-0974, www.esinrestaurant.

but there is the “kids only,” a

This Berkeley institution ac-

com. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-

Tomatina 1338 Park St.,

short stack of pancakes with

commodates families with a

9pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-10pm,

(510) 521-1000, www.

fresh fruit ($5.50). Save room

large dining room and prides

Sun 11:30am-9pm. Average

tomatina.com. Mon-Wed,

for a malt ($5.25) This diner

themselves on fast, friendly

main course: $20; no kids

Sun 11:30am-9pm; Thu-Sat

is a hit with kids for its stylish

service. Kids menu items are

menu. High chairs and booster

11:30am-10pm. Lunch, din-

decor; but waits on weekends

plentiful, and whether you or-

seats available. We sing the

ner. Average main course:

can be lengthy.

der a burrito or quesadilla, the

praises of Esin from the high-

tortillas are all made in-house.

est mountains—very few items

Alameda

$11; average kids meal:

58 dining guide

$4.50. Booster seats, high-

Digs Bistro 1453 Dwight

chairs, changing table, kids

Way, (510) 548-2322, www.

Tomatina 2132 Center

kid-friendly, and the mouth-

menu. Big, noisy, great for

digsbistro.com. Thu-Mon

St., (510) 849-0000, www.

watering selections of dessert

kids, Tomatina has plenty of

5:30-9pm. Dinner. Average

tomatina.com. Mon-Sun

make cleaning their plates a

options for everyone. On the

main course: $18; average

11:00am-10pm. See review

mission and not a duty.

kids menu, choose from veg-

kids meal: $10 (During Par-

for Alameda.

gies and flatbreads, or order a

ents’ Nite Out). Booster seats,

pizza with the topping of your

highchairs, changing table.

choosing.

On the first Monday of each

(925) 820-2200, www.rolypoly. com. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat

Saigon Bistro 1701-F Willow

10am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.

Nite Out. While parents and

Pass Rd., (925) 827-1231,

Wrap sandwiches, soups, and

friends quietly enjoy seasonal

www.saigonbistro.com. Mon-

salads are under $10. There

Maggie Ray’s BBQ 3206

cuisine, kids (2 and up) are

Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-

are some selections for chil-

Danville Blvd.. (925) 838-1158,

treated to food and supervised

8pm. Average Main Course:

dren but with the make your

www.MaggieRaysBBQ.com.

activities in an adjacent dining

$6.50, Average Kids’ Meal:

own wrap option, kids can

Tues-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm &

room.

$5.00. The restaurant has

create their own favorite.

5-9pm. Average main course:

booster seats and high chairs.

$15; average kids meal: $6.

Filippo’s 2930 College Ave.,

There are not changing tables

Danville Rising Loafer 340

This barbecue restaurant has

510) 644-3848, www.filippos.

in the rest room. Restaurant

Hartz Ave., (925) 838-8800,

takeout, indoor seating, and

biz. Mon-Thu 11:30-9:30pm;

offers lunch and dinner fare.

www.danvillerisingloafer.com.

patio seating. Seats are lo-

Fri 11:30-10pm; Sat 9:30am-

Their kids’ menu has one

It’s taken very little advertising

cated around the back of the

10pm; Sun 9:30am-9pm.

selection. Dining area and

and plenty of excellent reviews

restaurant. New visitors might

Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Aver-

restrooms are clean. Restau-

to bring the breakfast crowds

have to ask for directions at

age main course: $13; aver-

rant offers choice of tables or

to the door of this unpreten-

the takeout counter.

age kids meal: $5. Booster

booths for seating and deco-

tious and totally charming café.

seats, highchairs, kids menu;

ration includes TVs.

Feels–like-you’re-one-of-the-

Berkeley

Bay Area Kids

Roly Poly 35 Railroad Ave.,

Concord

month, Digs hosts Parents’

Alamo

58

on their main menus aren’t

no changing table. This is

family service and big portions

Italian done the East Bay

Skipolini’s Pizza 2001 Salvio

of really good food are a con-

Bette’s Oceanview Diner

way—fresh ingredients and

St., (925) 680-6888, http://

sistent draw along with a light

1807 4th St., (510) 644-

the friendliest service. For

www.skipolinispizza.com.

and healthy menu that doesn’t

3230, www.bettesdiner.com.

dinner, kids have a choice of

Sun-Thurs 11am-9:30pm;

leave you feeling deprived.

Mon-Fri 6:30am-2:30pm;

three pastas and four sauces,

Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm. This

Plenty of healthy favorites for

6:30am-4pm. Breakfast and

or favorites like spaghetti and

family favorite has selections

the little ones too: 9-grain pan-

lunch. Average main course:

meatballs. Kids are also invited

for both lunch and dinner. A

cakes, low-fat French toast,

$8; average kids meal: $12.

to join in with a brunch menu.

family size pizza is about $20.

oatmeal, and yogurt and fruit.

Clip-on chairs, booster seats;

Famous for their pizza, the

no changing table. American

restaurant also has salads

comfort food is the game here,

and sandwiches. They have

and breakfast is served all day.

patio seating for warm nights

www.bakidsmagazine.com

Dublin

Lafayette

Marcello’s 515 San Ramon

Pete’s Brass Rail and

Valley Blvd., (925) 838-8144,

Car Wash 201 Hartz Ave.

www.marcellosofdanville.

(925) 820-8281, www.pe-

Denica’s 6058 Dougherty

3966, www.matsusushiusa.

Chow 53 Lafayette Circle,

com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner

tesbrassrail.com. Mon–Thu

Rd., Dublin, CA, (925) 829-

com. Beer, wine. lunch, din-

(925) 962-2469, www.

Tues–Sun. Full bar, private

11:00am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat

6200, www.denicascafe.

ner daily. Mon-Sun, 11:30am–

chowfoodbar.com. Mon-Thu

room. When your inner

11:00am-10:00pm, Sun

com. Mon-Sat 6am-4pm,

10:00pm. Located a few

7am-10pm; Fri 7am-11pm;

American Idol star is yearn-

11:00am-8:30pm. Though

Sun 6am -3pm. Average

steps and around the corner

Sat 8am-11pm; Sun 8am-

ing for a chance to perform,

we’ve tried on more than one

main course: between $5.00

from the Regal Theater, the

10pm. Breakfast, lunch,

head to Marcello’s where the

occasion, we’ve never found

to $10.00, all of which are

restaurant is as cheery and

and dinner. Average main

piano bar is almost always

anyone to clean the car

kid friendly choices. Denica’s

clean as it is efficient. Sushi

course: $14; average kids

open for auditions. While

while we dine at Pete’s. In

is a family owned and oper-

comes in all those popular,

meal: $8.50. Booster seats,

the entertainment value may

fact, we’ve never even been

ated business. They offer

funny name varieties; you’ll

highchairs, kids menu;

be questionable—no one

able to find Pete. This reality

breakfast, a pastry cafe, a

have to search the extra-long

no changing table. Chow

is turned away—the food

blow is greatly softened by

taco lounge and catering.

menu for your favorite combi-

serves seasonal, organic,

can usually be counted on

the burgers and fries and

nation of flavors; we enjoyed

and hearty fare ranging from

to satisfy. A grilled salmon

beer—twenty different taps

Tomatina 4590 Dublin Blvd.,

the Rainbow, Spicy Aloha,

pizzettes to one-plate meals

filet wrapped around halibut

last time we checked. Plenty

(925) 803-9997. See review

and Cherry Blossom rolls

like pork chops and polenta,

and scallops was tender and

for kids to choose from—

for Alameda.

before we headed out to the

served family style. The kids

moist while the artichoke

PB&J, grilled cheese and our

movies and some popcorn.

menu options include sus-

ravioli special was some-

favorite—hot dogs. Top one

Hana Japan Steak House

And at $8.50, their children’s

tainable fish-sticks and or-

thing to come back for. The

with the homemade chili, a

7298 San Ramon Rd., (925)

plate combination of tem-

ganic chicken fingers; all kids

kids feasted on traditional

little cheese and a few on-

829-7491, www.hanajapan.

pura, chicken yakitori, gyoza,

entrees come with a side of

spaghetti and meatballs and

ions. The citrus chicken salad

com (location in Berke-

soup, and rice just might be

fries or vegetables. Kids will

Caesar salad—and cleaned

is big enough for two, the

ley too). Lunch: Mon–Fri

the best value in the Valley.

also enjoy the fruit cocktail

their plates.

homemade citrus vinaigrette

11:30am–2:00pm;

is not too sweet.

Dinner: Mon–Thu 5:00–

Red Tractor Café 4920

Beauregard” (blueberries,

10.00pm, Fri 5:00–11.00pm,

Dublin Blvd., (925) 828-

lemonade, grape).

The Crown 331 Hartz Ave.

Sat 4:00–11:00pm, Sun

8300, www.redtractor.com.

820-1144, www.past-

(925) 855-2185, www.crown-

4:00–9.30pm Get ready for

Open daily 9:00am-9:00pm.

Pizza Antica 3600 Mt. Dia-

agondola.com. Mon-Thurs

pub.com. Open daily, 11:30

the sing alongs, because

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

blo Blvd., www.pizzaantica.

11:00am–9:00pm, Fri-Sat

until late. Full bar, outdoor

joining in a chorus or two of

daily. Dinner for breakfast is

com, (925) 299-0500. Mon-

11:00am-9:30pm, Sun

dining, private room. Fish

“Happy Birthday” is a requi-

a kid favorite, and the Red

Thu, Sun 11:30am-10pm;

11:00am-9:00pm. Don’t be

and chips are a popular and

site part of the fun. A favor-

Tractor Café offers their fluffy

Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm.

fooled by the child-friendly

obvious choice at this British

ite celebration destination for

pancakes and waffles from

Lunch, dinner. Average main

atmosphere—this is no

pub-style local favorite, but

kids and adults, Hana Japan

open to close. Served up

course: $12; average kids

home for overgrown rodents

don’t overlook the burgers,

is all about the presenta-

with spiced apples and real

meal: $5. Highchairs, booster

and their cardboard crust

especially on Tuesdays when

tion, and who doesn’t love

whipped cream, the deluxe

seats, changing table, kids

pizza pies. A pocket full of

a half-pound of high qual-

a “volcano of onions” and

waffles give the chocolate

menu. This spacious restau-

quarters is a small price to

ity beef with fries is only $6.

attempting to catch the ap-

chip pancakes real competi-

rant has both grown-up and

pay for an evening of family

The Caesar salad has quite

petizer shrimp as they come

tion in the popularity contest.

kids menus that will appease

time and family-style Italian

a following, even among

flying from the chef. Dinner

Those looking for more sub-

the youngsters. When in

fare that would stand alone

the mini-Brits—it wins out

comes with salad, soup, rice

stantial options find plenty of

doubt, pass the kids the

without all the bells and

every time over the ‘mushy

and vegetables. It’s warm,

down-home choices—the

crayons so they can draw on

whistles of the flashing kid

peas’ children’s menu option.

crowded and unbeliev-

BLT sandwich is reliably

their menus.

distractions. The traditional

Thursday nights bring the

ably popular with the valley

good while the Farmhouse

pasta dishes are portioned

all-American innovation “Beer

crowd who make Hana

Platters will ensure you leave

big enough for two, the cal-

Pong” to the otherwise family

Japan part of their birthday

with leftovers. On a menu

zone is always satisfying, but

friendly atmosphere.

tradition. Reservations are

filled with comfort foods, the

strongly recommended.

chicken Caesar salad is a

Pasta Gondola 664 San Ramon Valley Blvd., (925)

a salad constructed from the

Matsu Sushi 4930 Dublin Blvd., Suite 800, (925) 833-

menu items like the “Violet

forty item salad bar can be a

good choice for those cout-

meal, and a work of art.

ing their carbs (dressing on the side, please).

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

59

diningguide Livermore

the dipping sauces arrive,

Pleasanton

go ahead and ask for more, Eddie Papas 2417 1st St.,

you’ll need it.

Livermore, (925) 373-6650,

Gay Nineties Pizza 286

Pleasant Hill

Main St., (925) 846-2520, Red Smoke Grill 4501 Hop-

gayninetiespizza.com. Open

Monsoon Masala 2375

yard Rd., (925) 734-0307,

daily at 11:00am.Long before

Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant

www.eddiepapas.com. Mon-

Simply Fondue 2300 First

www.redsmokegrill.com.

Pleasanton’s Main Street

Hill, (925) 685-9100, www.

Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri 11am

St., Suite 110, (925) 337-

Mon-Sun 11am-9pm. Lunch,

became the restaurant row

monsoonmasala.com. Daily

-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun

8581, www.simplyfondu-

dinner. Average main course:

we know and love, Gay

11am-10pm; Average Main

10am-9:00pm. Expansive

elivermore.com. Sun-Thurs

$10; average kids meal: $5.

Nineties Pizza was serving

Course: $10.00 to $20.00,

Kids Menu for young kids

5:00–10:00pm, Fri-Sat

Highchairs, booster seats,

slices of pizza pie to residents

average kids’ meal: $6.50.

and Big Kids. All American

5:00–11:00pm. Whether

kids menu; no changing

who really had very few

Offering a creative alterna-

comfort food cuisine. A din-

it’s a first date, third date or

table. Santa Maria barbecue

other choices. Fifty years and

tive choice of healthy dining.

ing experience designed for

twenty-fifth wedding anniver-

is a Central Cal style that

plenty of options later, you’ll

The restaurant has booster

family fun with regional dish-

sary, there’s something inti-

takes its flavor from red oak

find the award winning pizza

seats. Restaurant offers

es familiar to most of us. The

mate about all the dipping,

smoke. There’s a ti-tip sand-

still has them lined up and out

lunch and dinner fare. Their

restaurant has booster seats.

swirling, and sharing that

wich on the kids menu, but

the door waiting for a table.

kids’ menu has multiple se-

Restaurant offers lunch and

goes on over a silky pot of

if they want something more

The secrets, they say, are the

lections. Dining area and re-

dinner fare. The restaurant

melted swiss cheese. Little

familiar, the corn dog might

handmade sauces and sour-

strooms are clean. Restau-

and restrooms are clean.

ones may be overwhelmed

do the trick.

dough crusts…and a special-

rant offers mostly tables for

Dining area includes boothes

by the lengthy dinner pro-

ty pizza that has been known

seating and great service.

and tables.

cess, but the eight and up

Eddie Papas 4889 Hop-

to induce labor for overdue

crowd will go wild for any of

yard Rd., Pleasanton., (925)

mamas-to-be. Walls full of

Tahoe Joe’s 999 Contra

Campo di Bocce 175 E.

the thirteen chocolate fon-

469-6266, www.eddiepa-

memorabilia make the time till

Costa Blvd., (925) 687-8096,

Vineyard Ave., (925) 249-

due options: we recommend

pas.com. Mon-Thurs 11am-

you’re seated fly by. Be sure

http://www.tahoejoes.com.

9800, www.campodibocce.

Chocolate Bliss—it’s simply

9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat

to glance in the mirror before

Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm,

com. Bocce courts open

delicious.

10am-10pm, Sun 10am-

you leave...the permanent

Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday

9pm; Average Main Course:

“Boo” is said to have been

11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-

Between $10.00 to $20.00,

etched by a ghostly hand.

9pm Restaurant serves lunch

9:00am–close, Restaurant 11:00am–close. In the end,

Moraga

everyone one is a winner

See Livermore description.

when the cioppino is so good

Pennini’s Ristorante Ital-

and garlicky—those who say

iano 1375 Moraga Way Ste.

the pasta carbonara is the real

and dinner. Lunch entrees Stacey’s Cafe 310 Main

are about $9.00, Dinner

Girasole Grill 3180 Santa

St., (925) 461-3113, www.

entrees about $18.00 and

D, (925) 376-1515, pen-

Rita Rd., (925) 484-1001,

staceyscafe.com. Sun–Thurs

Kids’ fare runs about $6.50.

champion are wrong—while

ninis.com. Hours of Opera-

www.girasolegrill.com. Lunch,

11:30am–9pm, Fri–Sat until

Booster seats and high

the light cream and pancetta

tion: Mon 4-8pm; Tues-Fri

Mon-Fri 11:00am–2:00pm;

10 PM. If there were an award

chairs are available. This

sauce is wonderful, it just

11:30am-9pm; Sat 12-9pm;

Dinner, Sun-Thur 4:30pm–

for Best Restaurant to Eat at

steakhouse has a ski lodge

can’t compete with one and

Sun 12-8pm. Booster seats

8:00pm, Fri–Sat 4:30pm–

Alone and Without a Book,

theme and the décor is only

a half pounds of seafood in a

and high chairs available.

9:00pm. Mom, Dad, look

Stacey’s would be installing

missing the snow.

full to overflowing the bowl.

This restaurant serves a vari-

what we found: a kid-friendly

extra shelves to hold the tro-

ety of pizzas, pastas, salads,

restaurant with chicken strips

phies. The ironic, sarcastic and

Burger Road 2634 Pleas-

Sansar 2220 First St.

and sandwiches. Their kids’

and a nice wine list. While little

fairly irreverent menu is such

ant Hill Rd., (925) 279-1200,

Livermore, (925) 606-6191,

menu consists of some pasta

gourmands color the paper-

good reading material that it

www.burgerroad.com. Mon-

www.sansarindiancuisine.

choices and a cheese pizza.

topped table, more advanced

is easy to forget it serves a

day 11am-9pm; Tues-Thurs

com, Wine, beer. Open

palates can enjoy the garlicky

purpose. When the very cour-

7am-9pm; Fri-Sat 7am-

daily, 11:00am–3:00pm for

goodness of scoozzi bread,

teous waiters catch us unpre-

10pm; Sun 8am-8pm. Burg-

lunch, 4:30pm–9:30pm for

the spicy Absolut! Prawns or

pared, again, we can always

ers on the main menu are un-

dinner. Sansar’s daily lunch

the prosciutto-stuffed chicken

rely on the crab crusted ono

der $10 and kids’ selections

buffet is an excellent way to

California ‘Cordon-Blu’. Re-

filet to absolutely satisfy. Sta-

are under $3.00. Establish-

open your child’s world to

ward good behavior with

cey’s also wins for Best Kid’s

ment has booster seats and

the flavors and spices found

an ice cream sundae—and

Menu, with choices from the

high chairs for patrons. There

in popular Indian dishes.

keep the Tuxedo Chocolate

simple cheddar cheese and

is no changing table in the

Favorites include the chicken

Mousse Cake all to yourself.

crackers to grilled salmon fillet

restroom. Breakfast, lunch,

tikka masala, tandoori mixed

with red skin mashed potatoes

and dinner are served.

grill and vegetable samosas.

and broccoli. Substitutions/

Garlic naan bread comes hot

changes/special requests are

from the clay oven—when

always welcome.

60

Bay Area Kids

www.bakidsmagazine.com

San Ramon

back to try a different combination next time.

The Dog Out 3104 B Crow Canyon Place, Crow Canyon

Walnut Creek

Shopping Center. (925) 8666602, www.thedogout.com.

Babalou’s Mediterranean

Mon-Fri 10:30am-8pm; Sat

1645 Bonanza St., (925)

11am-8pm; Sun 11am-3pm.

930-8000, www.babalous.

Lunch and dinner. Average

com. Mon-Wed 10am–

main course: $14; average

9pm; Thurs-Sat 10am-2am;

kids meal: $5. Highchairs,

Sun 11am–9pm. Booster

kids menu; no booster seats

seat and high chair available

or changing table. This gour-

(but limited). Average main

met sausage spot wants you

course: $10; kids menu: $5.

to relive fond memories of

Bablou’s is brightly lit and

hitting the ballpark with your

main décor is a fun mural.

pops. Along with the array of gourmet sausages and ac-

Lark Creek 1360 Locust

coutrements, there are old-

St., (925) 256-1234, www.

timey sodas. The Jr. Dogger

larkcreek.com. Lunch:

Meal comes with an all-beef

Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm;

dog, chips or fries, and soda

Sat 11:30 am-3pm. Din-

or milk.

ner: Sun-Thurs 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm. Sunday

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza

brunch: 10am-3pm. Booster

3110 Crow Canyon Pl., (925)

seats and high chairs avail-

244-1222, locations in Oak-

able. Not only are children

land and Berkeley too, www.

welcome at Lark Creek res-

zacharys.com. Sun-Thurs

taurant, special attention has

11:00am–9:00pm, Fri–Sat

been focused on creating

11:00am–9:30pm. For twen-

their own menu items: while

ty-five years Zachary has

the menu items may appear

had them lined up out the

“generic”—mac and cheese,

door and down the street in

fish and chips, chicken

Oakland and Berkeley. With

strips, and hamburgers—

the opening of their newest

most all dishes are created

pizzeria in San Ramon, the

on the spot from fresh ingre-

drive got shorter, but the

dients.

lines are just as long. San Ramon is the one Zach’s that

Did we miss your favorite

accepts reservations You

spot? Send us your review

should know it is just as deli-

to editor@bakidsmagazine.

cious ordered half-baked and

com and we might print it in

finished at home…but if it’s

our next issue! The list will

atmosphere you want, order

be updated online and with

when you walk in the door

each issue.

and things almost always work out. Nineteen toppings, thin or stuffed crust, pesto or good and garlicky tomato sauce mean you can spend your waiting time wondering if you ordered the right pizza, and guaranteeing you’ll be

December/January 10 | East Bay

Bay Area Kids

61

diary of a suburban queen

tales through a camera lens

O

62 last words

Kelly Pollard is a TriValley writer and mother of two boys, ages five and four.

You can find her at TwoBoysinTwoYears.

BlogSpot.com with more incriminating tales of her family.

62

Bay Area Kids

ur eight-month-old son Bobby wore a navy blue argyle sweater that picked up the colors from our painfully coordinated dress shirts in solid powder blues and beiges. This would be our first portrait as a family: I remember marveling at the outof-body experience of being the object in front of the camera lens, instead of the other way around.

In college, I worked at a portrait studio at the local mall. My shifts consisted of tickling toddlers, donning clown hats with plastic propellers, and fiddling with backgrounds for indecisive new parents. Along with memories of the smooth and silly portrait sittings from that year, I also recall those hectic shifts where babies screeched and parents snapped at me for attempting an artsy, slightly off-center pose.

Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at the standard uniform for the family portrait at the time: white dress shirts, crisp blue jeans rolled up at the ankles and bare feet.

Now I understand the simplicity of the fashion—it’s crazy enough trying to maneuver children and spouses to a 10:15 appointment, with babies fed and changed and no spit up on mom’s shoulder. The outfits are the least of our worries.

As a “portrait specialist,” the holiday season proved to be the busiest and most emotionally charged.

Appointments stacked like a jumble of unwanted Christmas presents; strict twenty minute slots meant no time for fussy babies and picky moms. For every customer thrilled with a candid close up of their sparkling-eyed baby were three other customers demanding re-shoots because of a dress shirt gone askew, a scowling toddler who missed her nap, or my decision to use a soft focus lens when they only wanted the sharpest of images.

I fumed in the printing room at the mom demanding yet another attempt to disguise the string of drool at her baby’s chin. Today, being a member of Team Parenthood, I sat, balancing on a stool, facing a camera. I struggled to keep Bobby’s face away from my shoulder long enough for him to flash a gummy grin to the teenager waving a feather duster and whistling halfheartedly behind the lens.

Motherhood altered my relationship with the camera. I shot Bobby’s first pictures in the hospital with a disposable 35mm. Soon after I joined the digital age and Shane’s first pictures are floating around on a computer file. Technology offers new tools to the parenting arsenal. We can take dozens of pictures of our babies

trying to feed a duck at a lake, then save only the best one. We can upload the pictures to our computers and if we are especially tech savvy, we can alter backgrounds, add text and borders, erase ketchup stuck to chubby cheeks and switch to black and white or sepia tones.

My enthusiasm has dwindled from those camerahappy days of new motherhood. If I do remember

“I miss the excitement of dropping off a roll of film at the processing store, wondering what treasures might be contained inside.” to bring my camera to the school play or the hike through the foothills, the images are likely to collect into cyberspace. Rather than displaying photo collages in frames or albums, I’m posting birthday pictures on Facebook and my blog. My major photographic event of the year is choosing which shots make it into the photo calendar given to all the grandparents.

Though I appreciate how the digital camera has altered my experience as a photographer, I miss the excitement of dropping off a roll of film at the processing store, wondering what treasures might be contained inside. Like the image I took of my husband and our days-old, jaundiced son: He stood in our yard with Bobby nuzzled in his arms when springtime had colored everything especially vivid; my husband’s face is the epitome of awe as he watches the sunlight stroke Bobby’s fuzzy head.

In this decade, I’ve shifted from portrait specialist as a means to make rent and grocery runs to the portrait specialist who sees life through the tiny viewfinder of her Nikon, hoping to capture magic in the moments where I catch my sons holding hands while walking on the sidewalk. I truly get the meaning of special in portrait specialist. That moment with my new family in the studio signified that change. Those first family portraits are by no means perfect, but I kept my promise to not turn into one of those parents blaming the photographer for life’s mishaps. I chose to cherish the drool-faced baby, the bags under my sleep-deprived eyes as a moment I want preserved forever.

www.bakidsmagazine.com

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