North Texas Kids June 2009 Issue

North Texas Your Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Kids

June 2009

FREE

In this issue:

www.northtexaskids.com

Elvina Almeida, 9 years old

Packing for Camp / 14 Free (or Cheap) Things to Do This Summer / Spotlight on 1

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com Allen / Father’s Day Fun / Summer Camps / June Calendar of Events

2

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

3

Now Enrolling for Summer and Fall Preschool Classes!

Within every child is the voice, the movement, the language of music. And for your child, there is no greater pleasure than when you join in their play. Musikgarten is the key that opens the door to your child’s unique world.

• Flexible schedules • All Teachers have Early Childhood Training • Parent/Child Music and Movement Classes for Ages Birth to 5 Years • Trained Musikgarten Instructors • Excellent Facilities • Convenient Location • Now Enrolling For Morning Classes for Summer • Now Enrolling For Fall - Morning, Afternoon & Weekend Classes

214-369-7772 SW Corner of Preston Rd. and Forest Ln. 11661 Preston Rd., Ste. 136 Dallas, TX 75230

www.GraySchoolofMusic.com

TAKS Trouble? Spend The Summer Building Better Reading Skills. It’s Intense, It’s Fun and Results are Guaranteed.* *We guarantee your child will see improvement, or you get your money back. Come see how we can help your child. We’ll even take $100 off an assessment when you mention this ad. Expires 07-31-2009

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Conveniently located near George Bush & Tollway

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

5

Contents l

June

Volume 7 No. 6

8

12

8

Math Skills Pave The Way For Life Success

10

Stretchin’ Dollars & Spendin’ Sense

9

Tasty Treats... Traveling With Tots

20

Summer Camps 2009

15

Sci-Tech Discovery: Summer Treat

11 Trust Your Gut… And Your Child’s Gut, Too!

32

Emma's Kid-Friendly Restaurant Review

18

Kids In The Kitchen: Chicken Burritos

12

Trauma Season Is Here, Keeping Your Child .

Safe

34

Spotlight On Allen

29

Win Tickets to Ringling Bros. Circus

13

Family Fun For Father's Day

42

Family Resource Guide

37

Dallas SWARMS with SPIES This Summer

14

To Camp or Not To Camp, That Is The Question

43

Get To know... Cynthia Frosch

37

Craft: Bee Squirt Bottle

June Calendar of Events

39

Father's Day Word Search

16

45

Top To bottom: What to Keep In Mind When .

Packing for Camp

48

Alexandria’s Book Review

17

It’s A Jungle Gym Out There

49

Index Of Advertisers

38

I Wanna Play

19

Oh Yeah, The To Do List Includes Being a Dad Too...

40

Sports & Fitness Programs

27

Facts For Fighting Food Allergies In Children

28

14 Free (or Cheap) Things To Do With The .

Kids This Summer!

40

Hey Dad! Check Out These Great Blogs

44

Be Smart: Teach The RULES

6

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

9

44

Craft: Fluffy Flip Flops

Note from the Publisher

Minette Riordan, Ph.D.

Wow, is it really summer time?

Only a few more days until our kids are out of school for the entire summer. I don't know about you but the whole working mom trying to schedule fun camps and not full time daycare thing has been a real struggle this year. My son is ten, my daughter seven. He is getting too old for daycare, she doesn't love trying new things. They are as different as night and day, yet having to get both of them to two different camps is another challenge. They can't live in my office this summer, either, not fair to me or them. Trying not to go broke planning all the fun... can you tell I am struggling with this today?

It's press time and I am trying to pull all of the pieces together, both for our family and our business, and do it with apparent grace and ease.

But am I really fooling anyone? How often do we think we are working smart to realize later we are just working hard?

It's not all craziness, though, we are very excited that our kids will be returning to St. Mark's Day Camp in June and July. From his first day of camp two years ago, my son had already decided he wanted to be a camp counselor there when he is old enough. I can't recommend their program enough to those of you who live in Dallas or are willing to make the drive to Preston and Royal.

They have lots of great programs in

addition to day camp and it's worth taking a peek at their catalog.

Feels like so much is happening this month that I don't know where to start. When I forget to worry about school getting out, I am focused on finding guests for our brand new radio show which airs daily at 2pm on The Word 100.7.

I have already interviewed so many amazing people and have a great line up of people for June. I am blessed to be having so much fun just doing my job! I hope you will listen in this summer while you are driving your kids around or download the podcast on our website and listen when you can.

We have so many fun events we are participating in this summer, so

make sure to check out our calendar.

Heidi and I and our daughters will be walking the Plano Race for the Cure on June 6. We will have a booth at Stephanie's Day at North Park Mall on June 13 from 10am to 2pm.

If you have a child with special needs, drop by this amazing event for some great resources! I will be speaking at the Celebrate Women in Business event hosted by my friend Michelle Martin, owner of Ft. Worth MetroWoman magazine on June 19 in Ft. Worth. Another busy month full of fabulous opportunities and

(and in the dog house) if I did not mention that June is also the month we celebrate Father's Day! It falls on June 21 this year, so get ready. As much as we may complain about the men in our lives (fathers, husbands, boyfriends and sons), we really could not live without them or at least I personally, would not want to. I have had some feedback from dads recently asking for more "dadfocused and less biased" information for parents. In a perfect world, we do not parent in a vacuum, we share the responsibilities and time with our partner. As we know, depending on job duties and kids' activities, the split may not feel equal. I know my husband does way more than his or my dad ever did on the homefront.

I am blessed to have a great husband who shares equally and is supportive of my business, busyness and general craziness. You can read his article this month, "Oh Yeah, the To Do list includes being a DAD too..." on page 19 and also read Matt Peterson's article, "It’s a Jungle Gym Out There... Perspectives From A North Texas Dad" on page 17... Two great perspectives on fatherhood.

And to all you dads out there, a

very Happy Father's Day!

Publisher/Editor

Minette Riordan minette@northtexaskids.com

Web/Media Designer

Brad Dobson bdobson@northtexaskids.com

CMO

Cindy Watts cindyw@northtexaskids.com

Editor of Sports Scoop Mike Kravik

mike@northtexaskids.com

Office/Sales Manager Heidi Schlabs

heidi@northtexaskids.com

Account Executives

Cindy Johnson Nancy Luttinger Jana McClinton Lori O'Connell Kristene Richardson Cindy Watts

Creative Dir. /Designer Brittany Allen

2nd Story Design brittany@2ndstorydesign.com

Printed by

Midway Press, Dallas Tx

Mailing Address

Scissortail Publishing

700 E. Park Blvd. #110 Plano, Texas 75074

Phone

972-516-9070

Fax

972-516-9048

North Texas Kids is a Division of Scissortail Publishing LLC. North Texas Kids is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2009 by North Texas Kids©. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited. North Texas Kids encourages your submission of articles, children’s artwork, photographs and ideas. We reserve the right to edit all submitted material. All submissions will be considered for publication. Recommended article length is 500 to 800 words. Viewpoints of the articles are not necessarily the viewpoints of North Texas Kids. Materials will not be returned.

Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the Publisher. Advertisers assume all liability for the content of their printed advertisements and agree

lots of networking.

I would be completely remiss

to indemnify North Texas Kids and its publisher for any and all claims and expenses arising therefrom.

Cover Artist...

Elvina

Your child will receive $50 when we use his/her artwork

Elvina Almeida is nine years old

on the cover of NTK.

and lives in Dallas, Texas. She moved to Dallas from Bangalore India in the Year 2002. Elvina loves to read books and also use her free time for Painting and Sketching. She is in 4th Grade at Dealey Montessori Academy.

North Texas Kids loves kids’ art. Feel free to send us your child’s Masterpiece.

We are looking for covers that are unique, bright and colorful. Each child that appears on our cover receives $50.00 along with his/her picture and story in the paper. Submissions may be digital or print. Email pictures to info@northtexaskids.com or mail them to Scissortail Publishing, LLC. 700 E. Park Blvd., Suite 110, Plano, Texas 75074.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

7

Math Skills Pave The Way For Life Success

by Tom Campbell

Pre K through Grade 2:

Development of a foundation for future learning. You child should understand whole numbers and commonly used fractions such as ¼, 1/3 and ½. They should also be able to recognize, name, build, draw, compare and sort two and three dimensional shapes.

Grade 2: Classification of objects by size, recognize two-and threedimensional shapes and understand the attributes of length, weight, volume, area and time.

Grades 3-5: A solid understanding of fractions, decimals and percents and ability to represent and compare whole numbers and decimals.

Also assembling the building blocks of algebra by analyzing patterns and functions, and be preparing for advanced geometry studies by being able to classify two- and three-dimensional shapes according to their properties. Your child should also be exploring numbers less than 0 and be able to carry our conversions, such as from centimeters to meters.

Grades 6 through 8: During these three transitional school years, students are developing firm conclusions about their abilities and limitations. Children who adopt the attitude that “I’m just not good at math” will find this to be a self-defeating prophecy. As a parent, it is critically important that you are aware of this danger and take steps to insure your child makes steady progress to develop the confidence that’s vital for upcoming higher-level work. This means being able to now use fundamental algebraic and geometric concepts to solve problems; understanding ratios, proportions, prime numbers, and exponents; and—according to the NCTM—being able

to “create and critique inductive and deductive arguments concerning congruence, similarity and the Pythagorean relationship.”

Grades 9 through12:

This is when your child will face complex mathematics challenges that require a firm math foundation learned from earlier grades math skills. Math, like reading, is “building block” learning material. By 12th grade, a student must be able to solve problems using algebra, geometry, statistics, probability and discrete mathematics. This means being able to understand and use formulas to determine the area and volume of geometric figures, understand the characteristics of well-designed studies such as those used in surveys and experiments and understanding how to use Cartesian coordinates and other coordinate systems.

In order to achieve all this—and much more as recommended by NCTM—a typical student will need to have done well in both basic and advanced courses in algebra and geometry and will be tested in these areas on exams they must take to graduate.

A solid math education is a lot for a kid to achieve in today’s highly competitive academic world. If your child is struggling to reach these basic levels or is weak in his or her mastery of any of these math areas, you should seek outside remedial help immediately. As a supplemental education service provider at Huntington Learning Centers, I see this all the time. Middle and high school grade kids come in who are anywhere from “totally lost” to “not quite there” in their math learning journey. Lack of advanced math competency can kill a kid’s chance for college acceptance.

If this is the dilemma your middle or high school child is facing, get that child professionally diagnosed for math skills competency going back at least 5 grade levels. Identify those earlier skills your child did not master and get him or her tutored by a skilled math expert. For younger children in elementary school, parental recognition of “math skills deficiency creep” is a signal of learning difficulties to come. Tutoring to “catch up” on underlying math skills at the elementary grades level is a wise and proactive decision that can preclude years of frustration and lowered confidence.

Tom Campbell is the owner and Executive Director of Huntington Learning Center of Frisco.

To learn about diagnostic testing of your child’s math, reading/writing, and study skills, and for information on Huntington’s Educational Edge® tutoring program, contact Huntington Learning Center of Frisco at 972-369-6601 or visit www.huntingtonlearning.com.

Try out your spy skills! Crack this code and then use the grid to make secret messages with your friends.

D3 C5 B4 A5 D3 A4 A1 E4

8

D5 D3 A5

B4 C3

C2 A1 D4 B3

D4 B3 A5 B4 D2

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

A5 E1 A5 D2 E4 B4 C4 A2 D3.

Solution: Spies use math every day in their jobs.

If the sight of an algebraic equation or a chalkboard full of fractions makes your children want to run for cover, they’re not alone. Regardless of how smart or hardworking they are, many students struggle to master math concepts once they reach middle school and even more if they plan to go to college. Parents need to realize that today, more than ever, mathematics skills are vital for success in many of today’s most interesting and lucrative careers.

One of the first steps on the path to math skills improvement is to understand what’s expected of your child. Texas school districts have a set standard for the level of mathematics that every public school student should know and be able to do by each grade.

Because education policies are developed at the local level, there are differences from state to state. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has developed national standards. Here is what your child should be learning at each level of K-12 Texas public schools.

Your toddler deserves the best start! early childhood center

lays the foundation for a successful future

by Geri Moran On the road again?

Anticipation and excitement runs through the minds and hearts of every school age child as summer and freedom finally arrive. The mere thought of vacation plans to visit family, friends or see other parts of our beautiful country for the first time, are thrilling.

Consider a couple of long weekend side trips as a cost effective alternative with our economic challenges. This could allow you to take 2 different trips in opposite directions and experience more diversity. With tourism down, you may be able to negotiate for better hotel/motel rates, if your travel dates are flexible or mid-week.

Traveling with children is particularly challenging if you want to provide healthy food or snacks while on the road or flying. As always, be prepared and plan ahead for the best outcome. When kids (and parents) get hungry, their blood sugar dips and they often get cranky. “Aren’t we there yet�?

Anticipate delays and have nutritious food options available.

Now that airlines no longer provide free food, consider packing a healthy snack. It will break up travel time and distract kids on a long flight.

Save room in your carry-on bag for food selections plus a few other nonfood entertainment distractions.

For road trips, packing a cooler provides flexibility and healthy options. You’ll have the freedom to pull into a rest-stop with picnic tables or discover scenic overlooks.

Watch for those brown roadside signs to alert you one is just ahead!

Pack plenty of easy to handle "picnic style" foods. Sandwiches in whole wheat pita pockets, tortilla roll-ups, bagels or hamburger buns are easy to handle. Spread peanut or almond butter and top with fresh sliced strawberries or bananas and drizzle lightly with honey.

Spread refried beans or guacamole, grated cheese, sprouts and salsa.

For early departures, breakfast burritos wrapped in foil are great to get everyone on the road. For easy finger foods try Nut Thins or Wheat Thins crackers with cheese cubes and grapes. For a mid-day snack try apple slices dipped in nut butters. Yummy...

Plan ahead to complement that sandwich. Prepare a selection of colorful veggies: tender pea pods, carrots or celery sticks, broccoli trees, cherry tomatoes. For a healthy dip, try cool ranch dressing (Annie’s Cow Girl Ranch) or pre-made guacamole (Wholly-Guacamole).

Tangerines, bananas and hard-boiled eggs are easy to peel and fun on hikes. Peaches or Bing cherries, an especially sweet treat, always remind me of summer. No need to worry about those pits out in nature!

Fruits and vegetables are the "original fast food" in their original package and don’t contain artificial preservatives or chemical additives. On the hiking trail or in an amusement park bring a bag of some healthy trail mix in your back pack. Avoid snacks that are highly processed, hydrogenated, high in sugar, salt, artificial color, flavors and preservatives.

Be prepared and your kids will think you’re their super hero! Planning ahead can save you hundreds of dollars or more, for an average family of 4, during a week-long family vacation.

PS. Don’t forget the wet-wipes and the antibacterial hand cleaner.

Register now for the 2009-2010 School Year.

Ages 12 monthsPre-K Tara Ohayon • 214-239-7157 • tohayon@jccdallas.org • JCCDALLAS.ORG

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F luffy F lip- F lops Craft Materials: Flip-flops / Fabric / Pinking shears Time Needed: About 1 Hour 1. Select a fabric and use pinking shears to cut a series of 1- by 6-inch strips (the number of strips you'll need depends upon the size of your child's feet; the ones we made required 28 strips).

2. Using single knots, tie the strips around the flip-flop straps, pushing the knots close together as you go.

3. Keep adding pieces until your new slippers are sufficiently soft and swanky! www.familyfun.go.com

Happy trails to you...

Geri Moran is a Certified Health Consultant and National Marketing Director. Her

mission is to educate and motivate families to

improve their health and to empower children to make better food choices daily. To contact Geri or to schedule a EAT OUTSIDE THE

BOX- Reading Food Labels – NUTRITION DETECTIVES class for your Family/

Friends, School, Church or Sports Team call

972-337-0164 or visit www.got-health.com.

2 cups of nuts – mix pecans, walnuts, almonds and / or pistachios ½ cup craisins, raisin, or dried cherries ½ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup dried apricot ½ cup dried raw coconut strips 1 cup M&M’s with or with out peanuts

Mix it all up and pack in small size snack baggies!!

North Texas Kids  •  June 2009  •  www.NorthTexasKids.com

9 

Stretchin’ Dollars

& Spendin’ Sense

Let’s Save and Spend Better Together!

By Tina Ferguson, a.k.a. The Queen of Dreams Remember back in the late 90s when people like Amy Dacyczyn made being thrifty sound like a panacea for everything that ails? And, if you don’t remember, Oprah featured Amy on a show where Amy shared that she is the lucky mom of six beautiful, healthy children and she owned a Chevy Suburban that she paid CASH for, and best of all, she owned her sprawling house in the country outright too!

How in the world did she do it?

She did it by being a TIGHTWAD, which incidentally, is a key word in her then newsletter, The Tightwad Gazette. I strolled over there, and the site looks like a museum with pages referencing promises to update pages from the year 2000!

Amy shared ‘tips’ about how to be a TIGHTWAD, how to save pennies here and there, and YES! how to get out of the big D word – might I even say it – debt!

But, listen ladies (and gents), here’s the rub from myself and all the other mommies I knew at the time. We gleefully ordered the book, and furiously flipped through it, and let me be HONEST here, there wasn’t MUCH that we were going to actually DO because lets face it, we didn’t want to be TIGHTWADS. What we really wanted were the treasures at the end of the quest that Amy earned from being so darn thrifty and clever with finances.

So, jet forth about, EGADS!, no! It hasn’t been *GULP* 20 years has it?

Okay, 15 or whatever it is, and I’ve got news for you. You CAN have the life of your dreams and live it too. Plus, Bo-nus, without having to be a tightward!

Let’s face it, weren’t we just a bit grossed out when Amy shared how there’s no need to even use toothpaste??? How many of us are going to tell our children that? I think not!

This is the FIRST Stretchin’ Dollars & Spending Sense column, welcome, welcome! What can you expect? First, you can expect some things that REAL mommies and daddies do for REAL kids that are aligned with getting into the reasons WHY we spend, WHAT we can do about the reasons we’d like to tame, and once we decide we WANT to spend then we can SPEND LESS. I won’t be telling you to walk up your stairs on the edges of the stairs to keep the carpet from wearing out (like the cheapest man in America does), or sharing with you that it might be a good idea for you to use ONE square of TP to wipe your sweet hiney so you can save money and the world, but I just probably will tell you where you can score a GREAT DEAL on quality, brandname carpet at amazing prices or even TP for that matter!

Before we end this inaugural column, let me share one clever idea for money magic. When you hear about a way to save money, make money, get a discount or any other little thing (money and otherwise), be HONEST with yourself about YOURSELF. First bit of advice from The Queen of Dreams is this: HONOR THY TRUE SELF. If you have never clipped coupons in your life, and the thought makes you want to run and eat a pint of ice cream, then get a big, black Sharpie® pen out and cross through coupon clipping on your 5,843 ways to save! Do not, and I mean, DO NOT, try to convince yourself you are going to do things you know you aren’t going to do. Agreed? There are tons of ways – many more coming up in future issues – for YOU to save money and be YOU too.

Tina Ferguson, a.k.a., The Queen of Dreams, is CEO of Rapid Success Partners. She is an awardwinning author and business strategist who has assisted individuals and business owners to accelerate wealth creation. She loves to ignite the fire inside of people to do what they dream of and to serve others in the process. For more information about Tina visit www.TinaFerguson.com.

For more Savin’ Dollars and Spendin’ Sense tips visit www.NorthTexasKids.com.

Tina Ferguson, a.k.a. The Queen of Dreams 10

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

Trust Your Gut… and your child’s gut, too!

by Darlene Ellison, M.S

iPhones, texting, YouTube…we seem to be a technology-dominated society. Of course, at 42 years old, I am probably a bit insecure in these high tech times, since the first time I ever turned on a computer was in college! Don’t get me wrong, I am a definitive fan of technology as it aids me in my business, in keeping up with my kids’ whereabouts, and in providing research at my fingertips…not to mention great recipes at a moment’s notice. But when it comes to protecting our children from child predators, detection is key and there is no technology in the world that is more valuable than feelings that stir inside of you and your child---TRUST YOUR GUT!

Detecting danger and protecting children from the most sinister of criminals is most effective when we clearly see that making changes “from the outside in”—fighting for more stringent laws, battling the internet industry, or ensuring that your child’s school/camp performs background checks on all who come into contact with your child—is only HALF the battle. Even more effective is implementing changes in our own lives and the lives of our precious children “from the inside out”—fueled by open and honest communication with our children, as well as a respect for your child’s own gut feelings. Yes, this is an uncomfortable topic. But if your child leaves the confines of their bedroom, either physically or virtually, they are susceptible to child predators.

According to recent statistics that can be found on numerous child advocacy websites, every 11 seconds a child is abused. In more than 90 percent of child abuse cases, child predators are people you and your child know. Even scarier, they are people you trust. A minister, the dentist, your kid’s soccer coach and, in my case—my now ex-husband.

There are “red flag” behaviors that even the most trusted of potential predators will often display that trigger “that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of our stomach.” But are you listening? And, even more importantly, are you teaching your child to listen to their gut as well? Here are a few parenting tips on how to Trust Your Gut…and your child’s gut, too:

predator will move on.

Just imagine if we all empowered our children to detect, communicate and trust their gut…the possibilities are endless!

Darlene Ellison, M.S. is the author of “The Predator Next Door…Detect, Protect and Recover from Betrayal.” She is the proud mother of two and her story, as the ex-wife of a child predator who was arrested in a major FBI sting operation in 2005, has been featured across the country. More information about her story, her book and her presentations is available at www.darleneellison. com. Her book can be ordered on her site or at www.amazon.com and is filled with valuable parent resources/tips.

Now Enrolling For Summer Camps

A Parent-Child Learning Experience 13617 Neutron Rd. Farmers Branch, TX 75244 972-239-8100

www.itsasensoryworld.com Venue for home treatment PT/OT programs• Preschool preparation classes for children with special needs • Staff-guided/parent-guided sensory circuit•Tutoring Licensed PlayWisely location• Small group classes

• Communicate! Talk to your kids about their relationships with trusted adults. These are not formal “sit down” sessions designed to scare your kids; rather, it is open dialogue you continue with your child in casual situations.

• Teach children, at any age, the difference between a welcome and an unwelcome touch. Stress with your child that no matter who the trusted adult is, if the touch is unwelcome, say “no” and get out of the situation.

• Always believe your child if they tell you they have experienced an unwelcome touch. If we are promoting “trust your gut” it is vital that we respect and trust our kids’ guts as well.

• Understand the “grooming” techniques of child predators, particularly if your child/teen is using the internet. Several resources are available to parents specifically on the typical phraseology used by internet predators with kids.

Check out these resources at www.safekids.net and www.netsmartz.org.

American families are part of a raging epidemic. The epidemic, however, is not that there are more child predators in our country or that child predators have greater access to our kids via technology. The epidemic is that parents are AFRAID TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT THIS TOPIC. Whether you are concerned this topic will scare them, uncomfortable speaking openly about their body parts or just plain foolish enough to think that this only happens to “other people’s kids,” it is time to talk now!

Child predators are like fire ants. When you apply fire ant killer on your lawn, the ant predators are in danger. When the Queen or her colony suspects that your yard is no longer a safe option for them to live and feed, they will move to the next safe yard to continue their evil deeds. Interpretation? If you openly communicate and maintain an open and safe environment for children to “trust their gut,” your child is no longer a viable victim and the child North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

11

Trauma Season is Here.

A Mom and a therapist give you tips to Help Keep your Child Safe

by Amy Depner, P.T., Our Children’s House at Baylor

Every summer it seems we hear about a tragic accident involving a child. Usually, it involves a recreational activity or is associated with the excessive heat we often experience here in North Texas. At Our Children’s House at Baylor, we call this trauma season—the time of year when we see a rise in pediatric trauma cases such as near drownings, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. Fortunately, many of these accidents can be prevented. Before you send your child off for summer fun, keep these things in mind from a Mom and a therapist that often sees the devastating results of these tragic accidents. It just may save a life!

Water Safety

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, more than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14-years-old and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries. What is a parent to do to help keep their kids safe? Wear a life jacket! Even if your child is an experienced swimmer, he should wear a life jacket while on a boat or other water craft. It doesn’t matter if it is a lake or a backyard swimming pool, if your little one does not know how to swim or is not yet a strong swimmer, have them wear a life jacket….especially in a party or group setting. Children can be more at risk for drowning in larger crowds because we all assume that “someone” is watching the kids.

At a backyard swimming party and don’t have a full time lifeguard?

Here’s a great tip: create your own lifeguard badge that can be hung around your neck and easily passed from one adult to the next. If you are the designated lifeguard, you are responsible for keeping eyes on the pool at all times. I’ve tried this and it is amazing how much having the badge around your neck affects the intensity with which you guard the pool! Try it at your next backyard pool party or lake get together. With each person taking a 15-20 minute shift as lifeguard, everyone can still enjoy the party while providing safety for the children.

If you choose not to place your child in a life jacket and he does not know how to swim or is a beginner swimmer, you should have one-to-one supervision by an adult that knows how to swim.

If you are a pool owner, there are a variety of things you can do to avoid accidental drownings in your back yard. These things range in cost and time consumption, but all are worth considering.

• Install top locks for all doors and gates leading to the pool. This is an inexpensive way to keep young ones from getting to the pool area when you are not looking. It is a simple, do-it-yourself installation

that could save the life of a child.

• Build a separate fence around your pool. This can be quite costly, but even more effective in keeping children safe.

• Install a pool alarm and/or door alarms to alert you when the surface of the pool has been broken or someone has gone out a door leading to the pool. Again, this can be costly and require some maintenance, but helps guard against an accidental drowning occurring in your own backyard.

• Never leave a child unattended in a pool. It just takes a second for a serious accident to occur.

Motorized Vehicles and Bicycles

Those fun motorized vehicles seem harmless. How much trouble can one Barbie car or motorized scooter be? Even if your child has a driver’s license,

12

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

that doesn’t mean he instinctively knows how to operate a motorized vehicle,

scooter, dirt bike or an ATV (all terrain vehicle). Teach your child how to ride a motorized riding toy before setting them loose. They should be educated on brakes, speed control, what to expect on turns, etc… Most ATV and motorcycle vendors offer educational classes on how to operate that particular vehicle.

When possible, have your child take the class! If not possible….for example, you have a guest for the day …..the child needs verbal instructions and a demonstration by an ADULT on how to properly operate the vehicle. And do I have to say…..WEAR A HELMET! A helmet can save a life and it can protect QUALITY of life by preventing a serious brain injury. When it comes to helmets, the unwavering rule is…..If you are getting on something with wheels, whether it be a tricycle, a scooter or a motorcycle, put a helmet on your head.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics more than 600 children die from bicycle accidents each year. Even if you survived childhood riding your bike without a helmet do you really want to take that chance with your child? It is important to remember that children mimic what they see, so as an adult when riding your bike with or without your child, wear your helmet! It really does save lives.

Seat Belts

According to the CDC report in 2005, 1,335 children under the age of 14 died in motor vehicle accidents and an additional 184,000 were injured. In children under the age of five, an estimated 425 lives were saved by car and booster seat use.

But we can’t talk about child safety without mentioning car seats and seat belts. Use them. Wear them. The websites below provide details for those with questions regarding car seats, installation, weight and age guidelines, etc.

However, below, are some simple rules you should ALWAYS follow:

• Never leave your child in or around a car without adult supervision.

Children die every year in these situations.

• Absolutely never leave your child buckled in a parked car. We lose children every summer to heat exhaustion and heat stroke who have been left in hot cars for extended periods of time.

• Wear a shoulder strap whenever possible. A lap belt alone does not provide adequate security.

• The shoulder strap should go over the shoulder, never under the arm or behind the back.

• Seat belts should never be shared.

• Wear your seat belt as an example for your passengers.

We may not be able to prevent every accident from occurring, but we can greatly alter the results of certain accidents by taking the necessary precautions ahead of time. Yes, it takes a little more planning, a little more discipline, a little more money, a little more diligence, but our kids are worth every ounce of prevention.

The American Academy of Pediatrics web site provides detailed guidelines for car seat safety. www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm The Texas Department of Public Safety web site also provides helpful information specific to Texas state laws regarding car seat regulations. www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/Public_information/pr090705.htm For more information about Our Children’s House at Baylor, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit www.BaylorHealth.com/OurChildrensHouse.

Family Fun for Father’s Day

By Frances Nankin

This Father’s Day, weave math into your family fun with these quick and easy, skill-building activities from Cyberchase, the animated hit series that airs daily on PBS KIDS GO!. And don’t miss the all-new Cyberchase special episode, Father’s Day, premiering June 19 on PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings).

Make Banana Pancakes!

(Math skills: Measurement, Fractions)

In Father’s Day, Max gets the Cyber Dad of the Year award, in part because of his fabulous banana pancakes. Does your Dad of the Year like pancakes?

Together, you can make Max’s recipe for that special Father’s Day breakfast.

Need more pancakes? Work with your child to double, or even triple the recipe!

Max’s Banana Pancakes (Makes 8-10 pancakes) 1 egg 2 TBL sugar 1/3 C. orange juice 1/2 C. sour cream 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 C. mashed banana 2/3 C. whole wheat flour 1/4 tsp Salt

In a medium-size bowl, mix together the egg and sour cream. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Stir flour mix into egg mix with the orange juice until moistened. Stir in the mashed banana.

Heat griddle with 2 TBL oil until oil is hot. Ladle mix onto griddle to make pancakes. Cook on one side until bubbly, then flip to cook other side.

Serve with butter and your favorite syrup, or eat as is!

Play Frisbee Golf

(Math skills: Measurement, Using Numbers)

Here’s a fun way for the whole family to play golf on Father’s Day - Frisbee Golf! Grab your Frisbee, some paper and pens to keep score, and work together to set a “course” of landing targets for the Frisbee (a table, a picnic blanket, a hula hoop, etc.). Invite your child to help you measure the distance between the targets so they are at least 10 feet apart. Choose spots so the targets are not all in a straight line. The object of the game is to toss the Frisbee from one end of the course to the other using the least number of tosses, hitting each target as you go.

To play, take turns tossing the Frisbee toward a target – where it lands becomes the spot from which you take your next shot until you hit your target. Keep track of your score from target to target. (If you take three throws to hit a target, your score is three.) When all players have completed the course, lowest score wins – just like in golf!

Eating Out?

Sunblock Mistakes...

1. Not using sun block. This is especially common early in the spring or summer, when you don't think it is sunny enough to get a burn.

2. Not using enough sun block. The average person uses less than half the recommend ed amount of sun block.

3. Not reapplying sun block every few hours, especially when your kids are in the water or sweating a lot.

4. Waiting too long to put sun block on. Remember, to be effective, sun block should be applied about 30 minutes before your kids go outside.

5. Letting their kids play outside when the sun is strongest, between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

6. Missing areas of their child's body when they apply sun block.

7. Not providing kids with shade. To avoid the sun and help keep kids from getting overheated, some shade can be helpful.

(Math skills: Mental Math, Estimation)

Eating out for Father’s Day? Estimation is a powerful tool in mathematics.

At the restaurant, work together to estimate the total bill. To do this, decide on a way to make the prices of the menu items easy to work with (round up to the nearest dollar, for example). Then, use mental math to estimate the total.

Fight Boredom with the Dr. Marbles Gotcha Game!

(Math skills: Logic, Problem Solving)

No one likes to be kept waiting at a restaurant, especially when you’re hungry. But you can make the time pass quickly when you play this fun math game. To set up, you need 15 sugar packets, 1 of them a different color.

Arrange 14 of the packets in a circle. Put the 15th different-color packet in the center. The object of the game is to force your opponent to take the packet in the center Take turns removing one, two, or three sugar packets from the circle. The winner is the player who does not get stuck with the center packet.

Play the game a few times. Can you think of a winning strategy?

Cyberchase, the only math series for children on American TV, will be premiering a new “Father’s Day” episode on June 19 featuring award-winning film and stage actor Matthew Broderick as the voice of Max. In this exciting episode, Hacker sets out to ruin Father’s Day while Max and the CyberSquad try to stop him. Cyberchase airs daily on PBS KIDS GO! across the country. Check local listings or visit pbskidsgo.org/cyberchase.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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North Texas Kids  •  June 2009  •  www.NorthTexasKids.com

We, as parents, are constantly striving to broaden our children’s daily lives and knowledge. Summer brings the perfect opportunity for this type of enriching adventure. My own personal memories would have been very dull without the summer camp experience . I know that my parents must have worried about leaving me in a strange environment to meet new friends and to try different and unfamiliar activities.

However, for the parent of a special-needs child, the experience can be as daunting as travelling to a foreign country. There are many things that parents need to consider when deciding on a camp for their child. First, there is a choice to be made about the type of camp.

Should it be an overnight or a day camp? Maybe a special needs camp or a mainstream camp? There are advantages and disadvantages to each. With a special needs camp, a parent can feel more secure knowing that the child will have like minded peers that can support them and understand exactly what they might be experiencing. Further, the camp can usually accommodate these campers more easily. For example, if your child has a life threatening illness or needs frequent medical care, these camps will have the most appropriately trained staff available.

Equipment is usually modified and accessible, and has been designed with the utmost safety in mind.

Finally, although some of these programs are therapeutic in nature, they allow children the freedom to be kids and discover the joy of the camping journey.

Other parents may choose to mainstream their child. This option allows the special needs child to showcase talents or gifts, such as horsemanship, that portray them in a different light to a nondisabled peer. For children that have difficulty with social interaction, the mainstream experience will allow them the opportunity to experience turn-taking and social cues both first hand and naturally.

A possible disadvantage for this type of camping adventure is that

the other campers may not be as understanding when the pace of activities is slowed, or a disabled teammate is not able to participate at the same level.

When making the choice, be sure to visit with your doctor or therapist. They will have intimate knowledge of your child’s health needs, therapy goals, personality, and strengths and challenges. Once a program is selected, view videos or do a computer search with your child to familiarize him or her with the camp. Take a tour of the facility if possible. Speak openly with the camp staff, directors, and others who will be working with your child. Familiarize the staff with your child’s disability. It is important to discern whether they feel that the camp will be a good fit for your child. Coordinate a treatment plan with outside therapists if applicable. Determine travel arrangements. Speak with airlines, if necessary, regarding any required accommodations. Finally, create a to do and packing list, leaving yourself plenty of time to accomplish and check off everything.

I had a friend recently share an experience with me. Her sister had planned to send her son to camp and had packed everything that she thought he would need. She also packed‌herself! Yes, she stayed in a hotel near the camp in case her son needed her. They did not call, because she had prepared them so well in advance of his arrival. With a little planning and foresight, your child, too can have an awesome time. Bon Voyage!

Adina Rich is the director of Rich Educational Consulting, LLC. Rich Educational Consulting assists parents with evaluating their child’s needs, planning an appropriate academic program, and finding and accessing community resources. They also offer in-services, workshops, and classes to parents, teachers, and, of course, kids!! Visit www.richeducationalconsulting.com or call 972-816-3100 for more information.

Use Your Own Energy To Make a Summer Treat!

Items needed: ¼ cup milk or chocolate milk ¼ cup whipping or heavy cream 2 T superfine sugar ¼ t vanilla extract or flavoring Quart-sized sealable plastic bag Gallon-sized sealable plastic bag 3 cups ice ½ cup rock salt towel

Instructions: 1. In a quart-sized sealable plastic bag mix milk, cream, sugar and vanilla.

Close the bag securely.

2. Fill a larger, gallon-sized plastic bag about half full of ice. Add 1T water and ½ cup rock salt.

3. Place the smaller milk and sugar mixture inside the larger bag of ice and seal tightly.

4. Wrap the bag in a towel and shake continuously for 5 to 10 minutes.

This I great to do outside just in case the bags leak!

5. When the milk mixture starts to turn solid, remove the small bag from the larger one. Rinse off the salt, open and enjoy! Add fruit, crushed cookies or flavored syrup for a different taste.

Why it works!

Rock salt drops the freezing temperature of water to below 32° F. Adding it to the ice causes a reaction that absorbs heat (an endothermic reaction).

Sci-Tech Discovery Center is a local 501(c)(3) with a mission to provide dynamic, interactive experiences that inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to embrace discovery and innovation through the exploration of science, math and technology. Visit us at www.mindstretchingfun.org to learn about our discovery programs.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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As the remaining days in the school year pass by, children are daydreaming about summer. For those attending camp, they may be wondering what they will do and who they will meet. For parents, the approach of summer camp also brings questions regarding what they should pack for their child – what is too much, what is too little. Parents can contact their camp for specific packing lists and guidelines. In addition, the American Camp AssociationŽ (ACA) suggests the following guidelines for parents to keep in mind when packing for camp: from the sun. ACA suggests that parents pack scarves, bandannas, baseball caps, or a sunhat, as well as needed eyeglasses, sunglasses, and swimming goggles.

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Clothing is a necessary component of camp, just don’t expect any to return home clean! ACA recommends families include T-shirts, a swim suit, and shorts for hot days; a jacket, sweatshirt, jeans for cool or cold days; and a raincoat or poncho for rainy days. Also, long pants will protect a camper from poison ivy, bugs, and thorns during hikes. Check with the camp to see if dress clothes are required.

Footware... Appropriate footwear is one of the most important items

to pack for children at camp, especially when they are hiking, spelunking, running, and heading to the beach. ACA recommends families consider packing boots, tennis shoes, sandals, lots of socks — and dress shoes, if the camp requires them. Remember that shoes should be broken in prior to the start of camp.

Bed & Bath Needs... For children attending a resident camp,

parents should remember to pack the home basics. ACA recommends a family bring towels, as well as a blanket, pillow, pillow cases, sheets, sleeping bag, laundry bag, and mattress pad. Bathroom Kits are essential. Families should pack a brush and comb, shampoo, soap and soap container, toothbrush and holder, toothpaste, deodorant, insect repellent, feminine products, sun block, shaving gear, and lip balm with sun block in it.

Additional Items... ACA recommends that parents pack some

additional items including books and magazines, flashlights and batteries, Frisbees or other toys, a water bottle, and writing materials. When considering electronics, musical instruments, and other special gear, check with the camp about policies.

ACA recommends that families prepare for camp together. Decisions about camp, including what to pack, should be made together as a family.

When children participate in the decision-making process, their likelihood of enjoying a positive experience is improved.

For expert advice on what to pack, or preparing for camp, visit ACA’s parent resource site at www.CampParents.org.

Contact Public Relations at 765.349.3317 or pr@ACAcamps.org to interview an ACA spokesperson for more information about the essential camp experience.

The American Camp AssociationÂŽ (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-AccreditedÂŽ camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.

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North Texas Kids  •  June 2009  •  www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Perspectives From A North Texas Dad

By Matt Peterson Anyone with a child is familiar with McDonald’s PlayLands. In fact, I remember crawling around in those overgrown gerbil tubes as if it were yesterday. Wait. Actually, it was yesterday.

Sure, I pay for it the next day as my body patiently tries to remind me it no longer has the nimble facility of my 4 and 6 year-old sons.

But it’s worth every ache, so my brain just goes on happily ignoring said reminders because as long as my kids are laughing at my courtjester antics, nothing else matters.

In fact, seems like every time we go, it’s a bit foggy as to who exactly is taking who up those twisting, claustrophobic pipes (for which my aversion towards enclosed spaces is sorely tried).

Turns out that Jack Pentes, the 1982 inventor of the ubiquitous modern McSculpture, wanted something to alleviate baby boomer’s fears of allowing their kids to play outside where they might get lost or hurt.

The fact that Pentes ‘opensourced’ his design, so to speak, by refusing

to patent it, makes him a stand-up guy in my book. Not to mention the books of Chuck E. Cheese, Discovery Zone, Chik-fil-A and McDonald’s.

But I digress.

It all just comes down to spending quality time with my guys. And with my schedule, where emails buzz through from work 24/7 and I always stress over a two hour commute and 8-day work weeks, a

scamper up that odd-smelling blue slide behind my two sons is quite sublime. In my book, at least.

Of course, it’s all relative.

Because as most other parents use the reward of a romp in the PlayLand as bait to get their kids to finish their McNuggets, then let them enjoy themselves while watching them from terra firma; I’ve grown used to askance glances as I squeeze my not so lithe frame around one bend and another.

Never one to stand on protocol, the glances always amuse me.

Besides, I have legal precedent (although I may have to check with Judge Judy). But the big sign there reads that parents are welcome to play too. As for if this actually means I can clamber on up to the big yellow taxi cab on springs, 40 feet up, with my sons and pretend we’re in a Jetsons-like car on Pluto, I’m not sure.

But if it comes down to choosing between appearing the clown to some strangers who may think I’m breaking an unwritten code of PlayLand decorum or spending a few extra minutes of priceless time with my priceless kids, then I’ll deign for the latter every time.

And if you happen to see this big goofy guy doing his best Spiderman while chasing his laughing boys up that square PlayLand tower, please be patient. He’s just trying to savor every moment he can before the moments slip away faster than a French fry down the backseat of a mini-van.

Oh, and don’t get me started on all the amazing waterparks soon to open up around town.

Matt and Tracey Peterson are co-owners of TraceyCakes Gourmet Cupcakes (www.tracey-cakes.com) and love to bring frosting-laced smiles to everything from birthday parties to office meetings.

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North Texas Kids  •  June 2009  •  www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Chicken Burritos...

Why Cook For Just One Meal?

I love to make a bunch of these and keep in the freezer for those busy mornings of crazy weeks when I need quick and easy lunchbox fillers. The kids love them, even my preschooler eats up all his burrito. Besides it only takes a few more minutes to make an extra 12 or so of these once you are started. I often use leftover rice and the beans just drained and rinsed right from the can.

Ingredients:

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Âź cup seasoned black beans (recipe to follow) Âź cup shredded chedder cheese 2 oz. shredded or chopped chicken burrito-sized tortillas of choice Optional items: Rice, La Victoria Green Taco Sauce, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped sweet bell peppers and green onions, Salsas (regular, mango, pineapple, etc.)

Making the burritos..

1. Lay out a tortilla flat on a clean work surface.

2. Layer the ingredients at about 1/3 of the way into the tortilla in the center.

3. Fold the front of the tortilla over the filling and then fold in the two sides, enclosing the filling.

4. Continue rolling the tortilla around the filling.

5. Use the same method wrapping the counter sheet around the burrito. Secure with Scotch tape.

Black Beans: (You can substitute red beans or pinto beans if you'd like.)

Drain and rinse well, a can of beans. Heat 1 t of olive oil in a sautÊ pan. Add beans with a ½ t garlic powder, ½ t sea salt and ½ t ground pepper. To make this more interesting, you can also add ½ t ground cumin and ½ t of ground coriander. Stir to coat and heat through. You can also combine all ingredients into a glass bowl, cover and heat in microwave at 1-minute intervals until hot and steamy.

Tip...

You can make these ahead in a large batch and freeze them. Mark them with “Heat for 1 Minute� on the wrapper. Put the frozen burritos in lunch boxes to be re-heated at school.

Thanks to www.ilunchbox.com/recipes for this delicious & time saving idea... please visit this site for many other great recipes!

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North Texas Kids  •  June 2009  •  www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Oh Yeah, the To Do list includes being a DAD too...

by Brad Dobson Saturday morning is usually the time I make a list of stuff to get done on the weekend. Mow lawn, fix broken toilet, get exercise, get a haircut, catch up on assorted other things that piled up during the work week, you know the drill. I'm not the A-type who can get it all done during the week. I usually make it through about half and then succumb to the black hole that is weekend sports programming. This weekend started no differently but the effort was derailed immediately by my family, who wanted to play.

I spend much of my life struggling with all the things I have to get done (David Allen's "Getting Things Done" worked for awhile, but I failed to make it a habit) and keeping healthy (diets and exercise programs come and go, but those too fail to become habits). Sometimes that struggle is overwhelming, other times I use it as an excuse to avoid being there for my family. I'm also a great dad and husband juggling many responsibilities who is too hard on himself sometimes!

So, ignoring the big list behind Door #1, I chose Door #2. I ran 2.5 miles with my 10 year old boy - I've been a runner forever and I am genuinely bursting with pride to see my kids run. Conner will never be a cheetah but I think he has the same stamina that got me through 2 marathons. Off the family went to see the new Star Trek movie and Maggie asks why Spock makes that weird sign with his fingers. It's funny to think the kids know Star Wars but don't really know Star Trek: is that my bad? Finally we ended up at Blue Goose for an early Mother's Day dinner. All in all it was general merriment and downtime.

What of the list? It was still there on Sunday and some of it will roll over to next weekend. What of the struggle? Still there too. What of the memories

of a fun day? They will be with me much longer than the list. As the saying goes, you must be present to win. I love my Dad, but he is 3000 miles away and none of this is stuff he modeled for me, not because he wasn't a great dad, rather, because my life growing up was radically different than the one I'm living now. I'm still learning how to live my life with children and maybe I'll have it figured out by the time they're grown up. In the meantime, back to the list...

Brad Dobson is a software engineer and does all the web work for North Texas Kids (because he's married to the publisher). He's the father of two kids, a buddhist, a parrothead, a musician and a runner. He's always open to really nice comments, ideas for other articles for Dads, or offers of web work at bdobson@northtexaskids.com.

F.A.T.H.E.R.S. Happy Father's Day!

"F" aithful.

"A" lways there.

"T" rustworthy.

"H" onoring.

"E" ver-loving.

"R" ighteous.

"S" upportive.

Author Unknown

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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2009

Take a trip around the world!

Fine Art Classes: t )PNF 4DIPPM t 1SF 4DIPPM t "Ä&#x2122;FS 4DIPPM

Now Enrolling for Summer Camps - 972-423-4554 Your child will spend an entire week exploring different types of art from around the world and create an entire portfolio of masterpieces!

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North Texas Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; June 2009â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Painting, Sculpture, Clay, Oh My!

Allow Your Child To Experience the Wide World of Art at

The Artist Within!

• We specialize in instruction for children, adults and special needs students.

• Birthday Parties for ages 5 to 14 • Now enrolling for Summer Camps!

972-596-6077 Aaron’s Boats

The Artist Within

Tyler’s Dragon

www.aristwithin.com

2001 Coit Rd., Ste. 206, Plano • N.W. Corner of Park & Coit

School-Age Summer Camp 2009

Cross Curricular Programs • Investigate pollution of our oceans • Float objects in the air • Discover the medieval times • Dance • Chinese • Spanish • Field Trips & more Extracurricular Activities Chess • Piano • Violin • Computer • Karate (972) 618-1688 6509 Independence Pkwy (N. of Spring Creek)

www.aplusprepschool.com 22

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

fun

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• Summer Dance Classes • Summer Themed Morning Camps • Summer Dance Workshops • Recreational and Competitive Classes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Modern, Musical Theater, ZUMBA • Programs for ages 2 ½ & up

www.studio3dance.com 972-964-3838

2220 Coit Road Suite 440 • Plano, TX 75075 $10 off Summer Class Registration, Camp or Workshop

Saddle Up and Learn to Ride Summer Horse Camp for Ages 6 – 14 Weekly sessions June 8 - August 17

Capricorn Equestrian Center

Daily Admission: Adults: $10.50 Children (under 48”): $9:50 Under Age 2: FREE Season Passes start at just $50

6101 Ben Rd Sachse, Tex 75048

wetzonewaterpark.com

Horseback Riding • Games on Horseback Horse-related Games and Activities • Water Day • Horse Costume Contest • Horse Show Each Friday

972-530-1124

www.capricornhorse.com

5304 Main Street Rowlett, TX 75088 972-412-6266 North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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fun !

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Escape the Heat, Hit the Ice The Ice at Stonebriar Centre

Now Enrolling for Summer Classes $5.00 off

1 Learn to Skate Session or a gold or silver birthday party. Exp. 9/1/09

Birthday Parties â&#x20AC;˘ Carousel Parties â&#x20AC;˘ Broomball Learn to Skate â&#x20AC;˘ Group Rates

Call 972-731-9600

at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco

www.stonebriarice.com

2009 Summer and Baseball Camps Experience top-notch instruction, game situations and FUN this summer at FROZEN ROPES Summer Baseball and Softball Camps. Players will experience live games combined with exciting drills and innovative rap sessions conducted by the FROZEN ROPES professional instructors.

Reserve Your Space Today!

Call 972-548-8940 Visit www.frozenropestx.com for schedules and times.

4 % * , & -*'& 5*.& 46..&3 $".14 7 0 Surround your 4- to 12-year old with everything they love about summer. Choose day camp, rock climbing, drama and art as well as sport-specific camps.

For more information, visit myLT.com for schedules or contact the Activity Center at 888-819-5817.

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Do the Math.

Have fun, too!

Mathnasium Math Summer Camp: Kids have fun and get ahead for next year! t (SBEFT +VOF +VMZ . ' t (SBEFT +VMZ "VHVTU . ' t 3FHVMBS 4VNNFS 5VUPSJOH 4FTTJPOT +VOF "VHVTU . '

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3115 W. Parker Rd #560, Plano, TX 75023 (NW Corner Parker & Independence)

Trot Your Youngsters Off to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Day Camp in the Countryâ&#x20AC;? at Prospering Farm â&#x20AC;˘ Ages 7-13 â&#x20AC;˘ Beginners through advanced â&#x20AC;˘ 20 minutes from Plano â&#x20AC;˘ Specializing in English style riding

972-346-3236

SESSION Session I Session II Session III Session IV Session V Session VI

DATES June 8- June 12 June 15- June 19 June 22- 26 July 13- July 17 July 20 -July 24 July 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 31

Campers will also enjoy crafts, swimming and a weekly horse show. www.ProsperingFarm.com â&#x20AC;˘ ProsperFarm@aol.com

Enrichment Chess

Dance Force One Presentsâ&#x20AC;Ś.Summer 2009

Hip Hop Xplosion

This high energy dance camp will be bursting off the dance ďŹ&#x201A;oor. Learn the hottest hip hop moves, stunts and a routine that will make you sweat!

Think Ahead, Play Chess, Have Fun! Summer Chess Camps for Children Visit our website www.enrichmentchess.com for more information or call 972-591-3001 Bring this coupon and get $20 Off. 1 coupon per camper.

July 27-30th 9-2:30pm $65 includes t-shirt Age 7-14 (Beg - Int) City of Dallas Ridgewood Recreation Center 6818 Fisher Rd. Dallas, TX 214.670.7115 For more information:

Director 713.304.1082 Registration Deadline: Monday, July 20th

North Texas Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; June 2009â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x201A; www.NorthTexasKids.com

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r i A n O Academy of Dance Arts is located at Central Expressway & Bethany in Allen

Your favorite resource guide is now on the radio!

Call now to Register 972-727-1455

See our ad on Page 33

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!! www.danceada.com

Summer Swim Lessons!

Aqua-Fit Swim & Wellness Center • Swimmers by Mimi for Ages 6m & up • 2 Week Sessions Starting June 8 • Experienced, Trained Instructors • Warm Salt Water Pool • WaterAngels & Yoga for Special Needs Children • WaterBugs - Parent/Child Classes • Aquatic Fitness Classes

www.aquafitplano.com

972-578-7946 Located in Plano

10% Discount for Siblings ($12 off per session)

Now Enrolling for Summer and Fall Classes Private Lessons & Classes for ages 6 months to 100 years Drums, Voice, Violin, Guitar and Piano Musikgarten Classes: 6 months to 5 yrs

214-369-7772 SW Corner of Preston Rd. and Forest Ln. 11661 Preston Rd., Ste. 136 Dallas, TX 75230

Bring in this ad for a FREE introductory lesson.

Exp. 07-31-09

www.GraySchoolofMusic.com 26

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

Camp is full of fun, friends, excitement and learning new things... sign up now!!

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FACTS

for fighting food allergies in children

Although food allergies can have severe consequences, certain steps can be taken to limit reactions.

Having a child with food allergies can be terrifying for a parent.

A hidden peanut in a cookie or salad can result in a food-allergic child suddenly experiencing an inability to breathe or losing consciousness. In severe cases, residue from certain foods even touching a child could trigger a severe reaction. As a result, parents of food-allergic children can easily be consumed with whether they appropriately cleaned utensils or wiped off tables at home.

And then there is school.

Parents typically have little control over what ingredients go into cafeteria meals. Even if they decide to pack their child’s lunch, how can they be certain their child won’t eat or touch something his classmates bring that he is allergic to?

The fact that there is no known treatment to prevent or cure food allergies makes the overwhelming paranoia and helplessness even worse. However, there are facts about food allergies that can equip parents with the knowledge to discern how to react to their child’s food allergies.

Strict avoidance is currently the only treatment Food allergies fortunately are not as common as most people believe. In fact, around 25 percent of people report having food allergies, but only 6 to 8 percent actually do.

The cause for food allergies is uncertain, but it is known that children of parents with asthma, eczema or food allergies are more likely to have food allergies themselves. Some suggest that lack of breastfeeding is a cause, and others say that the introduction of foods before a certain age results in food allergies. Although neither of those theories has been substantiated, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents refrain from introducing any foods besides breast milk or infant formula until a child reaches 6 months of age.

Mary Susan Spears, a clinical dietitian at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, advises parents about when to introduce specific foods.

“Cow’s milk shouldn’t be introduced until a child is 1,” says Spears. “You shouldn’t start eggs

until a child is 2, and peanuts, tree nuts and fish should wait until age 3. If you have known food allergies in your family, some doctors feel you should wait even later to introduce your child to nuts and fishes.”

The eight most common foods that children are allergic to are: cow’s milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts (walnut, hazelnut, Brazil nut and pecan), wheat, fish and shellfish. Eighty percent of allergic children outgrow allergies to eggs, cow’s milk, soy and wheat by the time they reach school age. However, only 1 in 5 children will outgrow their allergies to peanuts. Allergy to tree nuts, fish and shellfish may remain a life long problem.

Spears says it is vitally important for a food-allergic child to learn the facts about his specific allergies and to discipline himself into taking steps to prevent allergic reactions, because parents will not always be around. Her main advice, however, is fairly simple to learn.

“The best treatment for food allergies is strict avoidance of any foods your child is allergic to,” says Spears.

plashfest!

Proceeds to benefit

Discounted Tickets!

Five tips to prevent food allergy reactions:

1) Wait until a child is 6 months old before introducing any foods besides breast milk or baby formula.

2) Avoid giving them any forms of foods they have proven to be allergic to.

3) Washing their hands before and after every meal.

4) Clean off tables they eat at before and after every meal.

5) Make sure that food does not get cross-contaminated (For example, do not use the same knife to spread peanut butter and jelly).

Food

Allergies

Saturday, July 18 11am to 4pm at Hawaiian Falls in The Colony, TX Meet 40 local kid-friendly vendors.

Explore nanotechnology.

Do fun experiments.

Win cool prizes!

Please go to www.NorthTexasKids.com or www.HFalls.com to purchase discounted tickets.

A percentage of your purchase will benefit the Sci-Tech Discovery Center. www.mindstretchingfun.org Sponsored by:

For more information on food allergies in children, visit the health library on childrens.com or foodallergy.org.

Dance to Radio Disney.

Get wet Have fun.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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1 4 free (or cheap) things to do with the kids this summer !

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Here are some great options to keep your kids - and your wallet - happy this summer in Dallas-Ft. Worth In this economy, we are all looking for ways to save a few dollars. But, sanity is priceless, and with the kids out of school for the summer, we are also all looking for things to keep them busy. So MomsOutLoud.com has done the research for you, and brings you 14 Free (or Cheap!) Things to Do with Your Kids This Summer in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Nothing here is over $5 per child, so get out your calendar and fill it up with these great ideas!

1 2 3

Pet some animals - Fritz Park Petting FarmFritz Park Petting Farm - The city of Irving operates this petting farm, which is Free to the public and open during the months of June and July. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday (weather permitting).

Get Your Game On - Nickelmania - This Carrollton video arcade/pizza place let's you play video games ith - you guessed it! - real nickels. Admission is only $1.95 per person, or you get in free if you buy food (current special on their web site is a personal pizza and soft drink for $3.99). We wouldn't be surprised to see some young adults there on a lunch break (including my husband if he worked anywhere near it!)

Curl up with a Good Book - We are blessed in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to have so many great libraries in our communities. Most libraries have a summer reading program, where children can track their reading over the summer and earn prizes. This is a wonderful way to encourage your children to read!

Check your local library for specifics of their program, but a few examples are: * Dallas's Mayor's Reading Program - kicks off May 30 and runs through August 8, with an end of summer celebration party on August 15. * Plano's summer reading program begins with a party at Haggard Park on June 6 and asks kids to track hours spent reading through July 31. * Arlington's summer reading program will be themed "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and kick off on June 6; more details coming soon on their website.

4 5

Bounce Yourself Silly - Many area bounce places provide great relief from the heat outside while still giving your kids a chance to work off their seemingly limitless energy. There are many specials at bounce houses around DFW, including two of the recent Mom's Voice! Award winners! * Boomerangs Party & Play, with locations in Flower Mound, Hurst, and Plano, was voted the Best Birthday Party Place in Denton County for their Flower Mound location. They are offering discounted admission on Tuesdays in all stores for the entire summer: $5 for ages 4-14 an $3 for ages 1-3. * Bounce U in Carrollton, Mom's Voice! Award winner for Best Indoor Fun Place in Denton County offers a $5 Early Bird Bounce on Saturdays, 8:30 - 10am. Also, you can purchase a Summer Bounce Pass for unlimted Summer bouncing for $90, or purchase one each month for $50/month. Depending on how much jumping your kids like to do, this could be a very inexpensive option! (See all the winners of our contest for Denton & Tarrant Counties at www.momsoutloud.com/momsreview. This contest allowed Moms to vote on their favorite businesses, without the businesses having to advertise or pay any submission fee, so you get the REAL SCOOP on what Moms think!)

Splash Around - A favorite invention of mine in the past few years is the spray park. This is much better than turning on the water hose in your own backyard, which was the only option when I was growing up. Splash grounds are a great option for those of us Moms who have multiple young kids and don't feel quite safe watching over all of them in a pool, but want to go somewhere to beat the heat and get fresh air. Check your city's Parks & Rec website for all locations near you, but here are links to a few of our favorites that you may even want to drive a little further for.Coppell Aquatic & Rec Center. * Allen Celebration Park - This spray ground, designed for children aged 2-12, is adjacent to a playground. What a great option for kids to work up a sweat on the playground and then run through the splash area. * Arlington Outdoor Pools - especially check out Helen Wessler, Howard Moore, and Randol Mill Family Aquatic Centers * The Coppell Aquatic & Rec Center has a lot to offer visitors, including both indoor and outdoor water features. * Garland's Surf and Swim is truly an amazing aquatic area with - as the name would suggest - a surf pool. They are offering Super Saver Tuesdays throughout the summer - for $25 you get 4 admissions, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks. * Grand Prairie Splash Factory - features age-specific play areas including a water wall, ground sprays, play structures, a magic touch water gun, spray cannons and power geysers. Six touch buttons allow children to interact with the play features. Only $1 admission. * Frisco Parks & Recs - runs a great indoor/outdoor aquatic center, plus there are two great splash parks in the city: J.R. Newman Spray Grounds and Shepherds Glen Park.

6

Soak Up Some History & Culture - For Free! - Several area museums have special days set aside for free admission. The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which is currently also housing exhibits from the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History while its new facility is being built, offers free museum admission for the entire family on the last Friday of the month from 3pm-7pm. Bring the entire family and enjoy exhibits and hands-on activities.

Also in Fort Worth, and within walking distance of each other, are the Kimbell Art Musuem and the Amon Carter Museum. Both feature free admission to their permanent collections daily, with admission charges for their extra exhibits (right now they include Art & Love in Renaissance Italy at the Kimbell through June 14 and a few different exhibitions at the Amon Carter Museum, including "Masterworks of American Photography" through June 7).

The National Scouting Museum in Irving offers free admission every Sunday and Monday. With exhibits including virtual fishing, virtual helicopter flying, and a laser shooting gallery, plus many more.

The Dallas Museum of Art offers free admission on Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m as well as the first Tuesday of each month (additional ticket prices may apply to special, non-permanent, exhibitions). Next door is the Nasher Sculpture Center, which houses one of the finest collections of art that was, at one time, privately owned by Ray and Patsy Nasher. On the Target First Saturdays (first Saturday of each month), the Nasher has free admission from 10am - 2pm and special activities for kids and families, including arts, crafts, story time and yoga in the gardens. Also, Thursday nights from 5 – 9 will be FREE from May to July this summer.

7

Learn about Aviation - You've got two great choices for teaching your pilot-in-training about aviation... * The Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison will amaze kids and adults alike with its collection of a century of aircraft - wood and fabric aircraft from the World War I era, significant aircraft of the 1930s and World War II periods, the the early jet planes of the 1950s, and the technology that's driving aviation advances today. Base admission prices are adults - $8, children 6-14 yrs $4, and kids 5 and under free, but with their coupon on MomsOutLoud.com (www.momsoutloud.com/coupons/list), you can buy one admission and get the second of equal or lesser value free! That's a bargain for such a high quality educational experience. * The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth is the first museum dedicated to the commercial aviation industry. Its 1000+ collection features hands-on learning through hands-on exhibits. Best of all, it's one of the best values around our area for a museum of its class - only $4/adult, $2/child aged 2 - 12 and cont. students, and free for kids under 2.

on p.31

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

Now Open!

Walk Among the WINGS that Changed the World 817-419-0095

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Valid for Ice Skating or Carousel Parties

Booked w/ coupon by 6/30/09 Party thru 12/31/09 Restrictions Apply

See more than fifty aircraft from World War I to the present.

FREE ADMISSION

Any Public Session Monday or Tuesday June 2009

Skate Rental $3 Extra One Skate per coupon. Restrictions Apply

3815 S. Cooper St. Arlington

Inside â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Parks at Arlingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mall

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972-380-8800

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Find Something for Everyone at One of 3 Fabulous Locations!

Where the “Cool Cats” Come to Play

Fort Worth: Near the Ridgmar Mall 817-737-2242 Putt-Putt Golf, Batting Cages and a State-of-the-art Gameroom.

South Arlington: Near the Parks Mall 817-467-6565 Mini Bowling Center, Golf, Batting and Games.

The Ultimate Family Fun Center

Hurst: Near the Northeast Mall 817-589-0523 2 Go-kart Tracks, Carnival Rides, Bumper Boats, Putt-Putt Golf, Motion Seat Theater, Mini Bowling Center and Gameroom.

Buy One Game/Get One Free

Bowling • Arcade • Rock Climb • Billiards • Food • Laser Tag

Ask About Birthday Party Packages www.alleycatsbowl.com

Free $5

Game Card Limit 1 per person May not be combined with other discounts or offers.

Expires: 08-31-2009

Visit us online for all the details:www.putt-puttgolf.com

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Limit One Per Person Per Day Expires: 08-31-2009

2008 W. Pleasant Ridge Road : Arlington, Texas 76015 : 817-784-2695

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490 Heritage Parkway S., Mansfield, TX 76063 On SH 360, just minutes South of I-20.

Next to the Big League Dreams Sports Complex.

817-853-0050

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Located off Paige Rd near The Colony Five Star Park.

1/2 mile north of the intersection of Hwy 121 and Plano Pkwy

972-370-4327

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4550 N. Garland Ave., Garland, TX 75040

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

1/2 mile south of George Bush Tollway

972-675-8888

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8

Make Something Together - Working together on a craft or project can be a fun, enjoyable time for you and your kids. If the thought of heading to the craft store, figuring out a project, and buying all the needed materials seems overwhelming, then take advantage of some of the free offerings around Dallas-Fort Worth instead. * Lakeshore Learning Store offers free craft projects for kids every Saturday from 11am-3pm in all their stores. June projects include puppets and Father’s Day ties. * Southlake Public Library hosts “Make and Take Crafts” twice a month, on certain Monday afternoons from 4-5pm. They are suitable for all ages and absolutely free, no registration required. Just show up! See their website for dates. * Home Depot and Lowe’s stores offer kids projects once/month where kids aged 5-12 can make different items with their parents for free. At Home Depot, the workshops are on the first Saturday of the month from 9am - noon. To see what projects are offered, go to the website’s Kids Workshop page. At Lowe’s, you can see their Build and Grow Clinics webpage for instructions on how to sign up, which dates the clinic is offered, and what project will be made.

9

Catch an Indoor Movie Matinee - Many area movie theaters have deep discounts on children-targeted matinees throughout the summer. Here are some links to the big ones so you can find your closest theater to view their schedule. Definitely something to print and have on the frig for the summer!

0

Go Fishing! - While it may sound hard to find in our concrete jungle, there are several parks nearby that allow fishing. You don't need a boat for many of them, either, or fancy equipment. Collin County alone has over 30 ponds and lakes that allow fishing (check the Texas Department of Wildlife website for the full list for area counties).

Just make sure this is an entire family activity (i.e., hubby’s there), or you may get stuck baiting the hooks. Personally, I prefer packing the lunch than handling worms.

* Studio Movie Grill - Runs June 8 through August 20, 11 am at their Arlington, Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano locations on Mondays - Thursdays. $2/adult, $1/kids. * Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse - Runs for 10 weeks, 10 am at locations across the metroplex (either one or more days/week; see specific theater for dates and movie schedule). $5 punch cards can be purchased in advance on a limited availability basis for all 10 movies (that's $.50/film!), otherwise $1/movie. * AMC Summer Movie Camp - Runs June 17 through August 5, 10 am every Wednesday, at participating locations around the metroplex. $1/movie.

* Arlington is having its 8th Annual Free Kids Fishing Tournament on Saturday, June 6. Fish Lake Arlington from Bowman Spring Park. It's a day of food, fun, prizes, and activities for all ages. * Also on June 6, the City of Hurst is sponsoring a Kids All American Fishing Derby at Chisholm Park, which is a free fishing contest for kids aged 5-16 years. * From June 6-14, Garland is hosting Take Me Fishing at Ablon Park by stocking the pond. No registration or fee required; just bring your kids and your fishing poles. * Keller will host "Fishing for Fun" on June 20 at Bear Creek Park Pond from 9-11:30am. Open to anglers ages 16 and younger, there will be contests, prizes and drawings. Bring your fishing pole, favorite bait, and an adult fishing buddy for a morning of easy casting in Bear Creek Park.

Watch an Outdoor Movie - on Your Lawnchair - The Parks & Recs Departments of our many cities in Dallas-Fort Worth go overboard in the summer, and many of them provide outdoor summer movies. A few examples: * The City of Keller is sponsoring Family Movie Nights on Friday evenings in June at Johnson Road Park. Bring a blanket and lawn chairs and enjoy favorite family movies under the stars at the Johnson Road Park Amphitheater. The movie is shown on the big screen as soon as the sun goes down at 9:00 PM. Before the movie begins, there will be a variety of family games and activities, on some evenings even concerts. See website for movie schedule. * Fort Worth continues its popular "Stars Under the Stars" in downtown Fort Worth (Sundance Square). Movies (like the Pink Panther, June 11) are shown every Thursday evening through July 2 at dusk in the Chisholm Trail Parking Lot. The movie is free, and you are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs for seating. * Garland is having Lawnchair Theater - Cinema in the Starlight at Holford Park on June 5 (WALL-E) and August 7 (Enchanted), both at 8pm. This is a free event; bring a lawn chair or blanket. Affordable snacks available for purchase.

12

Get Stars in Your Eyes - Independence Day celebrations are a big highlight of everyone’s summer, but in Dallas-Ft. Worth you don’t have to wait until July 4 to catch beautiful fireworks displays. Here are three picks for pre-July 4 Fireworks displays: * At Fireworks Over Lake Grapevine, enjoy a 12 minute fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. every Friday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day (May 22 - Sept 4) . Fireworks can be seen from any Lake Grapevine Park. * Highland Village is hosting its 10th annual Highland Village Days Red, White & Blue Festival on June 6. All-day activities include a family Fun Run, Fishing, and music -- including Kevin Fowler (if you know country music, you know Kevin Fowler!). The evening culminates with a Fireworks Extravaganza. * For Frisco and some Plano residents, weekly fireworks at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark (home of the Frisco Rough Riders baseball team) are as much a part of summer as popsicles. Generally on Friday evenings around dusk.

13

Walk or Bike a Trail - While getting some exercise in the great outdoors may be the last thing on your mind as the Texas summer heats up, don’t discount the chance to get an early morning family walk in....or the chance to work up a sweat and go home and play in the backyard garden hose. There are several beautiful trails around DFW. Some of the notable ones include: * Arbor Hills Nature Preserve on the western edge of Plano (bordering Carrollton) is a 200-acre park featuring vast areas of natural beauty for walking, jogging, hiking, orienteering, and other outdoor activity. It’s also got a great playground area and lots of open space for kite flying and frisbee throwing. * The Colony is hosting a grand opening event at its newly completed Shoreline Trail on June 6 from 3 - 5pm.

14

Go on a Train Ride - Riding a train to an event is a great way to introduce your kids to a more environmentally friendly way to get around than your SUV or mini-van provides. * The DART Rail website has a great page that lays out the routes to get to various festivals and special events around Dallas-Ft. Worth. Even simply taking a ride to get an ice cream treat (like at Cold Stone Creamery at Mockingbird Station) will delight kids who have only seen the yellow DART cars zipping around town. * To introduce your kids to an even more unique mode of travel, ride the McKinney Avenue Trolley. This short ride between the Uptown area of Dallas and the Dallas Arts District will teach your child about a disappearing method of transit (except for maybe San Fran and Europe). Runs free 365 days/year thanks to volunteers; see website for map and schedule.

Check out Momsoutloud.com for many more ideas !

With such a diverse range of free or reasonably priced thing to do around Dallas-Fort Worth this summer, there’s no excuse for anyone to say “I’m bored” - and that goes for parents, too!

Written by: Rebekah Cooksey, Founder and Chief Executive Mom of MomsOutLoud.com, DFW’s newest and fastest growing free online information source and supportive community for Moms. She lives in Plano with her husband and three kids, including a 4-week old baby girl who is keeping Mommy up so much at night that the most fun Rebekah can think of is a 4-hour (or longer!) stretch of uninterrupted sleep. You can reach her at Rebekah@momsoutloud.com.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

31

Emma’s Kid Friendly Restaurant Review

Ralph & Kacoos

401 Central Expy South • Allen, TX 75013 972-727-1614

by Emma Bonin We went to Ralph & Kacoo’s, a Cajun seafood restaurant, to celebrate Mother’s Day. In fact, my mom had the prime rib, which was the Mother’s Day special. She said it was very good. My dad also had one of the specials of the day, red snapper. Both specials came with a Cajun stuffed potato. This is like a twice baked potato, Cajun style.

My dad said the potato was great, and so was the rest of his meal. The menu offers a lot of variety from salads, gumbos and soups, to different seafood and a few steaks and pastas.

I ordered the Shrimp Boat from the kid’s menu. This is popcorn shrimp served with French fries. It came with a lot of shrimp, and I enjoyed it. I especially liked the ice cream that came with it. Every kid’s meal comes with a scoop of ice cream and a beverage. Other items on the kids menu include grilled cheese sandwich, charbroiled or fried chicken strips, hamburger & fries, or fried fish.

My brother got the jumbo shrimp.

He liked it, but couldn’t eat it all. The bread was really great, soft rolls with a touch of garlic, but not too much, served warm. I really liked the center of the bread, which might have had a little parmesan cheese.

The atmosphere is nice and fun.

They have fish tanks everywhere and large sail fish, sword fish, and hammerheads hanging on the wall.

Our waiter, James, was nice and provided good service.

We had a great visit and great meals, so I think we’ll be back. Ralph & Kacoo’s is located in Allen at north central expressway between Bethany and McDermott.

Emma Bonin is a fourth-grader at Hughston Elementary. She lives in Plano with her mom, dad, and brother, Jack. She is an avid soccer player and enjoys swimming, computer games, baking, and getting together with friends.

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Spotlight on Allen fun events...

Event:

Allen Garden Club 2009 Spring Garden Tour On June 6th, The Allen Garden Club (AGC) will present their 2009 Spring Garden Tour, “Surprises, Big and Small”. You can wander through five beautiful private gardens along the tour this year. No matter your garden interest, you are sure to enjoy your tour. Get your tour book at Puckett’s Nursery, 811 East Main Street in Allen for just a $10 donation. Tour books include a $5 coupon for purchases at Puckett’s Nursery.

9:00am-4:00pm • June 6, 2009 • www.allengardenclub.org Event:

Allen USA Celebration

There is truly something for everyone at Allen USA! A number of concessionaires will be on site selling all of your favorite festival foods and snacks. The Kids Zone hosts a multitude of bounce houses and play structures for children to enjoy. The Activity

Zone provides fun and exciting entertainment for children and youth of all ages. This year our Main Stage will be rockin’ with the tunes of Smash Mouth and, after what promises to be an exciting performance, the evening ends with one of the largest fireworks shows set to music in North Texas! And did we mention…admission is FREE! 12:00 noon - 11:00pm • June 27, 2009 • Celebration Park, 701 Angel Parkway, Allen, Texas 75002 • www.allenparks.org

Event:

David Chicken

Experience a heart-pounding, floor-stomping, singing & dancing event that’s fun and healthy for the whole family! David Chicken is part superhero, part Elvis, and 100% fun for all ages. This talented singer-songwriter leads his audience through a high-energy, interactive performance filled with creative movement, motivational messages, and general hilarity. David invites members of the audience on stage to sing, play musical instruments and be a star! For a spectacular event that will have your whole audience singing and laughing, put on your dancing shoes and learn how to SCAKLE! Visit www.davidchicken.com/live/live.html for other free David Chicken events around Dallas!

June 27, 2009 • Allen USA Celebration Community Stage • Time TBA

Event:

The Allen Philharmonic Orchestra & Symphony Chorus

Our Conductor, Orchestra, Director, and Symphony Chorus have prepared a season of truly spectacular music everyone can enjoy that makes Allen home for the arts. Treat yourself to one of Allen’s secret pleasures, music at the

Allen Philharmonic! Tickets go on sale July 1, 2009 for our upcoming 2009-2010 season. Visit www.allenphilharmonic.org.

Event:

Christmas Tree Lighting

The Christmas Tree Lighting provides a community event for the citizens of Allen to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. Community organizations and local school groups join in the celebration. The Christmas tree used for the lighting is a 35 foot artificial tree with more than 20,000 lights. There are an additional 40,000 lights decorating the Civic Plaza and the buildings surrounding the plaza.

Event:

Rudolph Run

The Rudolph Run began as a small event in 1995 to promote health and fitness within the community. With the partnership between the City of Allen Parks and Recreation Department and Allen ISD the event has grown from a group of 300 runners, to more than 2,000 runners from all over the North Texas area. 7:00am • December 5, 2009 • Downtown Allen

mommy’s picks on where to go and what to do in Allen... rary! ublic Lib Allen P e th is und dible rary aro are incre atest lib s ry times o st The gre te a librarian ri E! Their -approp E e R g F a is re ir a The osphere rt is they , the atm best pa d n e A th c l. d n e an d helpfu experie ndly an joy our n ie e fr e so W are d. rganize n and o so clea o! g e w e ngle tim every si

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34

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

. toddlers r active ! ld place fo o t a th re n g o is a my 21 m nastics the rfect for ASI Gym rgy and lass is pe e c n ” e ts f o to ll y n fu ti d “ n ir a e so Th young rices are chers are o, the p The tea dly! Als n ie fr id per k gym is su le! b a n ndly reaso T kid-frie gly, lute BES so b h a it e w wig trained alon is th llS e st w id e K b re The ylists a y far the n. The st nd it’s b hair salo ddlers a to e v ti d e ! era r receiv uncoop has eve n so y m haircut

Kid to K id is won a gr der f eat resa ul se toys le sh lectio op in for c n of hildr Allen sligh wha en o tly u with t I am f all sed a age c look lothin a litt s. I c ing f le ex g an an a o r ! t d ra m lway If yo toys oney u wa s find and , the nt to cloth y m a ake es a lso b t a fa uy b ack ir pric used e.

Allen Rec Center ha s wonder fu kids and fa l opportuni milies. My so ties for n LOVES th Tuesdays w e ‘tiny tots here he ca ’ on n explore g and sports ross motor related toys activities in a full-size gymnasium !

I love taking my 2 year o ld to the “litt in the Villa le houses ges of Alle ” n. It’s a per to run aroun fect place d and play fo r hi m without me and the bes having to w t part is tha or ry t it’s enclosed There’s only with a fenc one way in e! and one w ay out!

around town...

Allen Event Center - Opening Nov 2009

In July of 2008, construction of the Allen Event Center began along the southeast corner of US 75 and Stacy Road inside the Village at Allen shopping district. Upon its completion in late 2009, the center will total 188,000 square feet with capacity for 8,600 seats (6,275 fixed), 26 suites and two ice rinks. The project is among the first in the Collin County area in that marks a joint venture between

quick facts...

Global Entertainment Corporation, The MGHerring Group and the City of Allen. The center will serve home to concerts, trade shows, professional sporting events, festivals, community ceremonies and a Central Hockey League (CHL) franchise

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Estimated population as of 2008 is 81,444.

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The Allen Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra has 65 members of the orchestra and 45 members in the chorus.

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Home of Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson, artist Amanda Dunbar and Dallas Cowboy Tony Dorsett

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Everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur, Barney was born in Allen

coming next month... Spotlight on Garland!!

Only known stone dam located in Allen

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Wishbone was filmed in Allen

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Home to one of the largest community built handicapped accessible playground and spray ground parks in North Texas - Celebration Park

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

35

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We love going to lunch at Market Street, there is a nice cafe and the salad bar is fantastic!

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Dallas SWARMS with SPIES This Summer The Science of Spying traveling exhibition opened at the Museum of Nature & Science on May 23 with a whole series of spy-themed fun for the junior spies in your family.

We recently interviewed Agent K and Emma SpyKid to learn more: Q. What is the Science of Spying?

Agent K: It’s where kids learn to crack a safe, detect lies and break a code. They’ll discover the powers of observation. The mission awaits. You may come as a civilian, but you’ll leave as a spy.

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Q. What is The Science of Spying Spy Adventure and how can North Texas kids join in?

Emma: My brother Josh, his best friend Juan and I are part of MNS’ totally free Spy Adventure. Every month a new episode in our spy story appears in the NeighborsGo supplement to the Dallas Morning News. Kids can read about how we capture a secret agent using real spy skills, techniques and technologies from the exhibition. In between, I’m on Facebook and Twitter sharing spy facts, games and puzzles as well as story elements.

In addition, there’s a clue hunt and prize drawing throughout the summer.

Clues are at NorthPark Center, all branches of the Dallas Public Library event the bookmobile, the DART store downtown and online. Once kids crack a clue, they can bring the form in to enter a prize drawing and to get $3 off a The Science of Spying ticket. Drawings are at the end of June, July and August.

Q. What kind of prizes can you win?

Emma:

Movie tickets, food, clothes and games.

Q. Is there a secret purpose behind The Science of Spying Spy Adventure?

Agent K: Of course! But don’t tell anyone. I use the codes and puzzles to help me identify the smartest young spies as possible recruits.

Q. Recruits?

Agent K: For my spy school of course! When kids enter the “exhibition” they are recruited, trained and tested. Then they go on a secret mission against the shadowy forces of OSTEK. They will need all of their math, science, communications, observation and code-cracking skills to outwit OSTEK. From sorting through garbage to detecting liars, no stone is unturned to find the truth!

Q. Wow, that sounds exciting. What other covert activities are going on at the museum this summer?

Emma: There are spy-themed sleepovers and birthday parties, plus CSI and spy camps.

Agent K: For adults there’s the James Bond “Movies and Martini’s” film series and murder mystery dinners at the museum.

Q. What else do parents need to know about The Science of Spying?

Agent K: Admission is free for members, plus there are discounts to camp, parties and sleepovers for members. Since this is an extra charge ticket, an MNS membership is the way to go.

Emma: Back stories of the Spy Adventure, all the locations for the clues in the clue hunt plus some fun online spy games can be found at the special The Science of Spying website: www.natureandscience.org/spying.

Bee Squirt Water Bottle This "cool" summer craft is great to use as a squirter for watering plants, water fights, or cooling off in hot weather!

Supplies needed: Mustard bottle

Black electric tape

Large googly eyes Black button

Double sided foam tape White foam paper Pipe cleaner

Permanent marker

Instructions: 1. Wrap strips of black electrical tape around a clean, empty 9 oz. squeeze-style mustard bottle (labels removed).

2. Add a face by using double-sided foam tape to attach googly eyes and button nose to the bottom of the bottle.

3. Cut out wing shapes from the white foam sheet and attach with the double- sided tape.

4. For the antennae, attach the pipe cleaner using the black electric tape.

5. Add details (such as a mouth) with a permanent marker.

Adapted from www.familyfun.com.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

37

Sports Scoop

“I Wanna Play”

by Mike Kravik Kids play sports for different reasons. Sometimes it’s for their parents. Sometimes it’s because they want to hang out with their friends. Sometimes it’s just to kill time. Probably the best reason for kids to play organized sports is because they are guaranteed to learn life lessons along the way. Once in a while you’re lucky enough to find a child who is capable of reminding everybody which lessons are the most important.

A six year old girl named Elizabeth Paul currently plays softball for a team in McKinney called the Pink Panthers. Elizabeth is very typical for her age in so many ways. Her favorite movie is High School Musical and she can’t get enough of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

She has sung in her church choir for the last three years and loves to go swimming in the summer.

While Elizabeth is typical in so many ways, there is one obvious difference in her from other kids her age. She is only 37” tall, the average height of a three year old.

Her mother Lynn Paul explains, “At this point she’s a medical mystery. There are several people on my side of the family who aren’t very tall. Her pituitary gland is normal and the growth hormones within her body are still producing.

She falls under the classification of non specified dwarfism and the preferred term is ‘short statured.’”

Elizabeth is a busy little girl with many interests but her favorite thing to do is play softball. She got her start with the Pink Panthers in the McKinney Girls Softball Association (MGSA) when she was four years old. Her first and only coach to date has been Richard Yahola. Lynn says, “It was blind luck. We were and are so fortunate that he’s been her coach because he has been so wonderful with Elizabeth.”

When Yahola (who has a daughter named Riley on the team) saw Elizabeth at the first Pink Panther practice he was concerned.

“I noticed right away that she was much smaller than everybody else on the team. I was worried about 38

her safety and whether or not she could ever throw a ball or swing a bat.” Four year olds who play softball for the MGSA hit off a tee and this helped Elizabeth. She quickly adapted to hitting the ball and was no different than anybody else because everybody was still learning to play.

Elizabeth fell immediately in love with everything about the sport.

The uniforms were cool. Hanging out with her teammates was a blast and the snacks afterwards were tasty. She loved putting on the equipment and playing catcher. She could also hit the ball and run the bases which made playing the game fun as well.

As the girls became older the Pink Panthers made the transition from t-ball to coach-pitch in the spring of 2008. The difference in the size of her teammates became even more noticeable. Elizabeth also has deficiencies in some gross motor skills and those became evident when a ball was pitched to her.

Elizabeth could no longer hit the ball and the game wasn’t as much fun as it had been.

Elizabeth’s parents saw that she was struggling and wanted to reassure their daughter she didn’t have to do this if she didn’t want to but Elizabeth firmly said, “I wanna play.”

In coach-pitch softball leagues, the girls are given five pitches to hit a ball and put it in play. There are no walks and if a hitter does not put the ball in play, the result is a strikeout. The Pink Panthers played twelve games in the spring of 2008 and Elizabeth never put a ball in

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

play. No definitive stats were kept to draw reference from but the girls received at least two at bats per game and there were twelve games that season. That means Elizabeth struck out at least 24 times in a row.

Before the fall of 2008, the Pauls weren’t sure they wanted Elizabeth to go through another season like that. Yes, Elizabeth has physical challenges but this was not an emotionless robot going to the plate. She was embarrassed and devastated by what was happening to her. The strikeouts wounded her deeply.

Elizabeth swallowed hard and tried to stay positive. Coach Yahola still says admiringly “No matter how many strikeouts she had, she always went back up on the fence and would encourage her teammates.”

The fall softball season was getting ready to start and the Pauls went to Elizabeth again and told her she didn’t have to do this but she told them it was something she wanted and needed to do. The Pauls also went to Coach Yahola to make sure she was still wanted on the team “As long as we have a Pink Panther team, she’s always welcome to play.”

Elizabeth’s quest to put a ball in play kept coming up empty but once in a while she’d tease everybody with a foul ball. She also started hitting the ball in play during practice and hopes began to rise.

The Pink Panthers were ten games into their fall season and Elizabeth still hadn’t put a ball in play. At this point, she had gone to the plate and trudged back to the dugout unsuccessfully somewhere between 40-50 times. Throughout it all, she defiantly refused to quit or stay down on herself.

Her positive attitude was contagious and Coach Yahola believed it was only a matter of time before she did it. Going into the 11th game last fall, Yahola had one of those coaching premonitions and moved Elizabeth from the bottom of the line-up to second in the order.

He explains, “She had been so close and I don’t know how else to

say it but the air was filled with electricity that night. I just knew she was going to do it.” One of the greatest joys in coaching comes when you stick out your tongue at conventional wisdom and are proven correct. In her first at bat that evening, she swung with everything she had and…. made contact! Momentarily stunned, she stood in the batters box and with everybody’s encouragement, ran like heck to first base.

“Safe!” ruled the umpire.

After nearly 50 unsuccessful trips to the batter’s box, Elizabeth had put a ball in play and made it to first base safely. Once there, she gave the standard Kirk Gibson-just-hit-ahome-run-in-the-World-Series-fistpump, raised her head, closed her eyes and screamed at the top of her high-pitched angelic voice “YES!!!!”

Her father David went nuts.

The usually quiet and reserved dad who was also keeping score for the team proudly gave his daughter a base-hit and smiled proudly like only dads can. Her mother Lynn started jumping up and down crying tears of joy. The game was stopped and every Pink Panther teammate ran over to first base and gave Elizabeth a highfive. Coach Yahola was biting his lip and couldn’t say much but he gave her a big hug.

Elizabeth will always have that moment in her life. Her mother, father, coach and teammates were with her all the way but nobody bought it for her. She purchased it herself and used courage as her form of currency. At the age of 6, Elizabeth Paul learned invaluable life lessons about hope and perseverance, the fuel that every player and fan of the Great Game must have to get through the inevitable rough spots they will face.

She has also shown the world of youth sports that she isn’t just killing time and that resilience, mental toughness and the drive to succeed can arrive in any package, no matter what size.

Sports Scoop

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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Get to know... Cynthia Frosch, PhD, Creator of The READY MethodTM

by Minette Riordan, Ph. D.

University of North Carolina at Chapel

children from birth to three. And The

Professor at Arizona State University.

provides detailed explanations of the

Hill before becoming an Assistant

My primary interests were working directly with children and families, What inspired you to become an Early Childhood researcher?

As an undergraduate in college,

I was involved in a research project that studied children’s attachment

relationships across the transition to siblinghood. We visited families in their homes and videotaped them

interacting with their children. Families also came into the lab on campus

for us to observe the security of the mother-child relationship. I spent

a lot of time scoring questionnaires about the parents’ personalities,

their social support networks, and

about the children themselves. It was fascinating work and made sense

to me theoretically and personally. I

was hooked. I decided then to attend graduate school to study children’s

social and emotional development—

looking at how marriage and parenting related to children’s attachment

and I wanted to translate the research

parents expecting their first child to

development consulting company.

Through YellowHouse, I worked

with many nonprofit organizations— improving the fit between children

and their early childhood programs

and providing support to families and

teachers. When I moved to Plano, Texas, I began collaborating with Margaret

Tresch Owen, PhD at the University of

my studies as a fellow of the Center for Developmental Science at the

of caregivers and professionals— from adoptive parents, foster parents, and

early childhood professionals, as well as family therapists and educators.

How important is relationship building with infants and toddlers in terms of lifelong relationship sustaining?

The security of early attachments

Texas at Dallas. Margaret shared my

tells us a lot about children’s

parenting into action for parents and

securely attached as infants have fewer

interest in translating the research on

development. Children who are

The READY Method was created.

behavior problems, better relationships

What is the overall philosophy presented in The READY Method?

And how does it differ from other parenting methods?

The READY Method provides

parents and caregivers with a visual

who want to become more aware of the

Champaign in 1997 and continued

The READY Method is also

YellowHouse, LLC —a child and family

left traditional academia and founded

Can you tell us a little about your academic background and the circumstances that inspired you to develop The READY Method?

the University of Illinois at Urbana-

thought-provoking exercises.

unique in that it is useful for a range

relationships and adjustment.

Developmental Psychology from

five READY dimensions along with

on child development into action. I

roadmap for interacting with young

I received my PhD in

READY Method companion book

children. The Method is for people

subtleties of their child’s behavior and become more aware of themselves as

parents and individuals. The Method’s video based approach is unique—we actually show people what gentle,

to adult functioning. And we even

know that how a parent recalls and

talks about his or her own childhood can predict the kind of attachment

relationship the parent shares with his/

her own child. Early relationships shape our social and emotional development.

But even adults who experienced very difficult childhoods can have children with secure attachments—depending on how the parents have been able to

think about, reflect, and integrate their own childhood experiences into their adult personalities.

What are the primary characteristics of “gentle, responsive parenting”?

The hallmark characteristics of

READY parenting are being able to

school. And from extensive research

providing a physical and emotionally

that more sensitive and supportive

the child’s perspective as valid and

parent-child attachment relationships.

support the child’s development, and

biennial meeting of the Society for

possible. READY Parenting is gentle,

and even higher achievement in

read and respond to the child’s cues,

over many years, we have learned

supportive presence, acknowledging

parenting is a key contributor to secure

important, providing opportunities to

For example, I just returned from the

following the child’s lead whenever

Research in Child Development and

responsive parenting.

many presenters examined the role of

caregiver sensitivity in young children’s development. We know it is important, and we also know that caregivers can learn to become more sensitive.

get to see the difference responsive

How does the early parent-child relationship impact a child’s future adult relationships?

parenting makes in interactions with

attachment security in childhood relates

with peers, greater self-confidence,

responsive parenting looks like and

what it doesn’t look like. Viewers really

We now know a lot about how

Cynthia Frosch, PhD is a child and family development consultant, researcher, and visiting scholar at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also mom to a 5-year-old son.

Learn more about The READY Method and co-creator Margaret Tresch Owen, PhD at www.ReadyMethod.com.

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

43

This event was a huge success thanks to the sponsors and the moms who came and joined us in May!

Be Smart: Teach the RULES

by Mimi Conner

Summer is here! With warmer weather children will be spending more time outdoors and that means that now is the time to make sure that your backyard and neighborhood pools are safe and secured from little visitors-our children.

Teach them the #1 rule: We received over $5,000 dollars worth of donations from our amazing moms for Alley’s House!

Never go near, on or in the water without a mom, dad or trusted grownup.

Safety Check: • Fence around pool • Self Closing/Self Latching Gates to pool area • Alarms on all doors that lead to pool area • Floating alarms in pools-Activates when water is disturbed • Reaching Rescue Pole near by - ”Reach or Throw, Don’t Go” • Outside phone and laminated card with home address and major street names for emergency 911 call • All recreational toys put away when no longer in use and stored out of pool area-put away temptations to reach • All chemicals need to be stored away from pool area • Anti vortex drain covers • Water Clarity-Can you see the main drains A recently released study in the Archive of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine concludes that involvement in formal swim lessons may protect children in the 1- to 4-year age group from the risk of drowning by as much as 88 percent.* Teaching a child to swim is a lifelong skill that may save a life-your child’s life.

Our goal is to teach safety first to every child so that they can have fun and be safe swimming all summer long.

early childhood center

Be Cool Follow the Rules. Mimi Conner, Aqua~fit Swim & Wellness center *Citation: Ruth A. Brenner, Gitanjali Saluja Taneja, Denise L. Haynie, Ann C. Trumble, Cong Qian, Ron M. Klinger, and Mark A. Klebanoff. Association. Between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood: A Case-Control Study, Archive of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mar 2009; 163: 203 - 210.

Lorie Burch, P.C. www.burch-law

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More than surviving….Thriving!!!

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44

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

Calendar of Events

sponsored by...

Find these events and more online at www.momsoutloud.com & www.northtexaskids.com!

June

1 Monday Fort Worth Ft. Worth Zoo Member Appreciation Month: Each Monday in June, the Zoo opens early at 9 a.m., for members only! Enjoy keeper chats, animal feedings and other demonstrations. For more information, contact Kelly O’Donnell at 817-759-7332 www.fortworthzoo.com Allen 2009 Summer Sounds Concerts - 7:00 PM: Dance on the lawn, clap your hands to the music or just sit back and relax on a blanket - it’s a great way to spend a Monday evening! Concerts happen every Monday through June 22 starting at 7 p.m. at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center Hillside Amphitheatre, 1201 E. Bethany. www.cityofallen.org

2 Tuesday Grand Prairie Thomas & Friends: Nokia Theatre. All new, live musical adventure: Thomas Live! A Circus Comes to Town. www.thomasandfriends.com

Allen Big Screen on the Green - 7:30 PM: FREE films for the entire family. Thursdays starting April 16 - June 18, families are invited to bring a blanket and watch an entertaining film on a gigantic two-story inflatable movie screen. No lawn chairs, coolers or alcohol permitted. Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm 970 Garden Park Drive Allen, Texas www.watters-creek.com Rockwall Concert By the Lake Series - 7:30 PM: The Harbor Amphitheatre, 2047 Summer Lee Drive, Rockwall.

All concerts are FREE! Please call 972.771.7740 for more information. www.rockwall.com

5 Friday Frisco Frisco Grooves: Join American Bank of Texas for Frisco Grooves - every Friday night in June! Bare feet, wagons and picnics allowed! June 5- Eleven Hundred Springs. June 12 - Joe Jonas Band. June 19 - Brave Combo. June 26 - Carolyn Wonderland. www.friscogrooves.org

3 Wednesday

Fort Worth Beastro 2009 at the Fort Worth Zoo: Fort Worth’s finest area restaurants will be stationed throughout the Zoo serving sample appetizers, entrees and desserts. In addition to the exceptional cuisine, ‘Beastro ‘ will feature more than 16 open bars and live entertainment from ‘Better Than Ezra’ and ‘Time Machine.’ To purchase tickets, contact the Fort Worth Zoo at 817-759-7337 or visit www.fortworthzoo.org

Dallas Dallas Public Library Children’s Activity Series - 10:30 AM: This fun, hands-on activity program for pre-schoolers takes place in NorthCourt between Nordstrom and Macy’s at 10:30 am. www.northparkcenter.com

Southlake First Friday Women’s Event - 11:00 AM: First Friday of Every Month. Harkins Theatre, Southlake Town Center. Admission is free. Contact the Play Center at 817-310-0245 two days prior to the event to reserve your child’s place. firstfridaywomen.com

Dallas Organic in the City - 6:00 PM: Organic in the City is an urban environmental education and entertainment series at Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. To register, call (214) 428-7476 ext. 23 or visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org. First Tuesday of the month. Cost: $10 per person; $8 for members

Euless Out Of School KidsFest - 12:00 PM: Midway Recreation Center 300 Midway Dr W. All H.E.B. School students are dismissed at noon, so bring out the kids and let them play off some of that new found summer energy. Kids can play in bounce houses, watch great entertainment and play plenty of interactive games. Free to the public. www.ci.euless.tx.us

4 Thursday Plano Day’s of Wine and Roses: Rover Dramawerks production. The Cox Building Playhouse June 4 - 27, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm with a matinee performance Saturday June 13th at 2:00 pm. Visit www.roverdramawerks.com for ticket purchases.

Lewisville Barnes & Noble story-time - 10:00 AM: Thursdays at 10 am. Please join us for story-time each week with a new featured story. Call 972-315-7966 or visit the 2325 South Stemmons Frwy Lewisville 75067 location for weekly titles. Bring your family and friends each week.

Dallas Cool Thursdays Concert - 6:00 PM: Dallas’ only concert series overlooking scenic White Rock Lake, returns to the Dallas Arboretum for its 12th spring/ summer season, April 30th - July 30th. This popular event provides the best concert ambiance in the Metroplex at the Arboretum’s Martin Rutchik Concert Stage. Performances begin each week at 7:30.

Gates open at 6pm. www.dallasarboretum.org

Mansfield Kickoff for Summer Reading Club - 2:00 PM: Mansfield Public Library is hosting a kickoff event for their Summer Reading Club. Pick up your reading log and play some “western games”. www.mansfield-tx.gov Garland Lawnchair Theater - Movie in the Park - 8:00 PM: Cinema by starlight! Enjoy a family friendly film with friends and neighbors. This is a FREE event appropriate for all ages. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Affordable snacks will be available for purchase. For more information, please call Holford Recreation Center at (972) 205-2772. Holford Park, 2314 Homestead, Garland www.ci.garland.tx.us Grapevine Fireworks Over Lake Grapevine - 9:30 PM: Enjoy a 12 minute Fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. every Friday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day (May 22 - Sept 4) . Fireworks can be seen from any Lake Grapevine Park.

6 Saturday Garland Take Me Fishing: Hook, line and sinker! Celebrate National Fishing Week, June 6 - 14th at Ablon Park. A stocked pond of biting fish equals fun in the sun for the whole family. No registration or fee required. Just bring your kids and your fishing poles. For more information, please call Bradfield Recreation Center at (972) 205-2770. Arnold & Carol Ablon Park, 3850 Ablon Trail Drive www.ci.garland.tx.us

Arlington Kids Fishing Derby and Kayaking at Bowman Springs Park - 7:00 AM: Participate in the 8th annual fishing derby at Bowman Springs Park for kids age 17 and under. Also, people of all age will be able to try the sport of kayaking just offshore.

For more information on the Tarrant Christian Bass Club - www.tarrantchristianbassclub.com www.naturallyfun.org Colleyville Lions Club X-Sight-Ment 5K/1M - 7:30 AM: 5K/1M Colleyville Center, Colleyville 817-291-1562. www.colleyvillelions.com Plano Komen North Texas Race for the Cure - 8:00 AM: 5K/1M EDS HQ, Legacy Dr, Plano 972 378 4808 www.komennorthtexas.org Lewisville Barnes & Noble story-time - 11:00 AM: Saturdays at 11am. Please join us for story-time each week with a new featured story. Call 972-315-7966 or visit the 2325 South Stemmons Frwy Lewisville 75067 location for weekly titles. Bring your family and friends each week.

Stonebriar, Frisco Centennial Medical hosts First Saturday Q&A 12:00 PM: The first Saturday of every month, professionals from Centennial Medical Center will present a free question and answer session at Stonebriar Centre. www.centennialmedicalcenter.com Dallas SPCA Grief Counseling Group - 1:00 PM: The SPCA of Texas’ Pet Grief recovery program is designed to help those who are grieving the loss of a beloved companion animal. Free and open to the public. SPCA of Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, conference room. www.spca.org (214) 742-SPCA Dallas Dallas Public Library Children’s Activity Series - 2:00 PM: This fun, hands-on activity program for elementary school age children takes place in NorthCourt between Nordstrom and Macy’s at 2:00 pm. www.northparkcenter.com The Colony The Colony Trail System Grand Opening Celebration - 3:00 PM: Help us celebrate National Trails Day! Stewart Creek Park Trail Head, 3700 Sparks Road, The Colony. Free lunch! Activities for the whole family. Ribbon cutting will take place promptly at 4pm. We hope to see you there! www.ci.the-colony.tx.us

7 Sunday Frisco Dustin Murphy Charity Auction and Golf Tournament: Pre-Golf Auction and Party! Sunday, June 7 at 6:00 PM, The Trails of Frisco Golf - Club House.Golf Scramble! Monday, June 8 Golf attire is required. No denim and collared shirts.

No steel spikes are allowed on the course. Cost: $100 per player kwood25@csc.com Mckinney High tea - 1:00 PM: High Tea will be served from 1pm to 3 at coffee n cream on the square in Mckinney. coffeencream@sbcglobal.net

8 Monday Plano Summer Camp - ROBOTS: The Robots-4-U camp sessions are a week long (5 days) and provide a safe and fun learning environment for youth interested in both Robots and Computers. www. robots-4-u.com

9 Tuesday Plano Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano - 9:30 AM: Join us at one of our regular program meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. There’s always an interesting speaker, and you’ll meet a lot of fun women! Please join us at SMU-in-Legacy, 5228 Tennyson Parkway, Plano. Look for our signs! (West of Preston Road on the SE Corner of Tennyson & Democracy) www.newcomerfriends.org Arlington FREE Stroller Fitness Class- 9:30 AM: SuperMommies Fitness, a team of mom-focused fitness instructors, will be sponsoring a FREE stroller fitness class on June 9th. Moms can come with or without their stroller aged children. For more details call Felecia at 817-472-7477, visit SnapFitness.com/Arlingtontx or SuperMommiesFitness.com Snap Fitness in Arlington is located at 6507 South Cooper Street #117.

12 Friday North Richland Hills NRH2O & Dive-In Movies: Friday nights are famous for fun! Float in the wave pool or relax on the beach with your family while watching your favorite movies under the stars on a movie screen suspended across the wave pool. Movies begin at dusk. Visit www.nrh2o.com for more information or call to confirm movies 817-427-6500. 9001 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills Allen Sweet and Sassy Grand opening: Grand opening events all week. Four Jonas Brothers concert and limo service giveaway On June 17th. Visit the store at Watters Creek for your entry form. rebeccav@ sweetandsassy.com Frisco Car Seat Fitting Station - 12:30 PM: Centennial Medical Center Frisco, 1-877-228-3628. 2nd Friday of the month. Parents will be assisted with installation of the car seat and educated on proper securing of child.

Flower Mound Summer Concert in the Park - 7:00 PM: Bring your family to enjoy a summer evening listening to great concerts at the gazebo in Parker Square, 1500 Cross Timbers Road. Order take-out from one of the many fantastic Parker Square restaurants and bring a chair or blanket. The concerts are free and begin at 7 p.m. June 12 - Aspen Creek June 26 - All Funk Radio Show. www.flower-mound.com

13 Saturday Dallas Second Saturday Science - MNS Discovery Days: Come discover something new on the second Saturday every month with Discovery Days! Free with your museum admission! www.natureandscience.org Richardson Dadfest - 8:00 AM: 5K Galatyn Park, Richardson 972-235-2513. www.dadfest.com Dallas STEPHANIE’S DAY: A FREE EVENT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES - 10:00 AM: CBS 11 and TXA 21 will host a free event for special needs children and their families at NorthPark Center (on the first floor, between Dillard’s and Macy’s) in Dallas. www.stephaniesday.com/ Wylie BIG CAT BIRTHDAY BASH - 11:00 AM: Activities, games, cake and ice cream and more. Watch

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

45

the Big Cats get cake and presents. $10/adults $7/kids $5/senior. www.insyncexotics.com $10/ adult $7/child, suggested donation. 3430 Skyview Dr. Wylie, TX 75098

Frisco Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game - 6:00 PM: An array of sports and TV stars will light up the field at the eighth-annual Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game on Saturday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at the Dr Pepper Ballpark (7300 RoughRiders Trail) in Frisco!

Tickets are $5 - $10. www.heroesbaseball.org Plano Concerts in the Park: Surf the Bowl - 8:00 PM: Tribute bands will keep the ‘good, good, good’ vibrations going all summer long. Beach attire is recommended. Tickets: $15/adults; $10/seniors; $8/children 12 and under... children 3 years and under admitted free if with parent. Coolers and picnic baskets welcome. To purchase tickets visit www.planostages.tix.com. Amphitheater at Oak Point Park, 2801 East Spring Creek Parkway

14 Sunday North Richland Hills NRH2O & Father’s Day special: First 100 Dads get in free on Father’s Day! Fathers must be accompanied by a child. Visit with your family and make your dad’s day great! Visit www.nrh2o.com for more information. 817-427-6500 9001 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills Dallas Young Readers Book Group - 3:00 PM: Book discussion about Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book.

Barnes & Noble, 7700 West Northwest Highway, 214.739.1124 www.bn.com

15 Monday Dallas Summer Singing Camp: The renowned Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas invites 4th-8th grade students to its annual Summer Singing Camp .Cathedral Guadalupe in downtown Dallas (2215 Ross Avenue). Registration forms are available at www.thechildrenschorus.org or by calling 214.965.0491.

Fort Worth Zoo Careers Camp Begins!: Campers entering ninth through 12th grade investigate animals and careers at the Fort Worth Zoo. The five-day resident camp is a unique opportunity for high school students to experience many occupations in a world-class Zoo. For camp schedules and registration information, visit www.fortworthzoo.org

dents, $6/Children under 12. McKinney Performing Arts Center, 111 N. Tennessee McKinney www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org/

Dallas 7th Annual KidSwing Golf Tournament Benefiting Scottish Rite Hospital - 8:00 AM: KidSwing Golf Tournament is a 9-hole, best-ball scramble for players ages 7 to 18. There is no entry fee, but participants are encouraged to try to raise $100 through family and friends who sponsor them.

Registration is open through May 25, via www.

KidSwing.org. Brookhaven Country Club, 3333 Golfing Green Drive, Dallas

Bedford Flick and Float - 9:00 PM: What a great way to spend a hot summer night! Enjoy a movie at the pool with your family. Movie is included in Splash admission - so keep your bracelets on (otherwise, $5 per person at the door). The Tiki Hut Concession Stand will also be open! Bedford Splash Aquatic Park. www.ci.bedford.tx.us/

18 Thursday Richardson Yoga Camp for Students: Students will learn how to practice the STRIPES 3 easy steps using their CD and Movement Cards. This method relaxes and focuses children while giving each student self-management skills. It provides them with the tools to control their own behavior, attend in class, and focus their mind on the work needed to be done. STRIPES presents an outlet for anxiety and integrates relaxation into every area of their lives. www.stripesyoga.com Dallas Discussion on Special Needs Planning - 11:00 AM: Join us for a lively and open discussion on Special Needs Planning Facilitated by Jerry Hulick Milliman Building Atrium Conference Room, 10000 N. Central Expressway Dallas. Lunch will be served.

Please RSVP by Wednesday June 10, Ashley Talley 972.348.6305. nexusspecialcare@finsvcs.com

19 Friday McKinney The Little Mermaid & The Prince: June 19th at 10:00AM, 3:30 & 7:30PM and June 20th at 7:30PM. Tickets:$8/Adults,$7/seniors & stu-

Go to www.MomsOutLoud.com to see reviews on local businesses written

by Moms just like you and win prizes for writing your own. You’ll also find all these events and more online in our searchable calendar!

Where in the World is MOL - ly?

Baby Gear 101 - Learn What Expectant Moms Need to Know About Essential Baby Tuesday, June 23rd • 6:30pm - 8:00pm • FREE! MomsOutLoud.com is partnering with Lone Star Baby & Kids in North Richland Hills for an evening of education, fun, and support for expectant Moms. The experts at Lone Star Baby & Kids will discuss things every Mom needs to know about car seats, strollers, crib safety, and baby-proofing to help you make decisions on products you need for your new little bundle of joy. This event is FREE and will have TONS of goodies and giveaways!

Email: events@momsoutloud.com events@momsoutloud.com to RSVP.

Stephanie’s Day

Saturday, June 13th • 10:00am - 2:00pm • FREE!

A FREE Resource Fair for children with special needs and their families/caregivers at North Park Mall on the lower level near Macy’s. Stephanie’s Day was founded by CBS 11/TXA 21 President and General Manager, Steve Mauldin, in honor of his daughter Stephanie who has autism. MomsOutLoud.com and North Texas Kids will be there with a fun craft for the kids! www.stephaniesday.com

Celebrate Freedom

Saturday, June 28th • All Day • FREE!

Come see us at the largest FREE outdoor concert in America. Lots of great musical acts and Family Fun that is perfect for the whole family! Tickets are free but you MUST

have a ticket to get in. More info at www.klty.com. Come

visit the North Texas Kids and MomsOutLoud.com booth for fun activities just for kids!

Dallas THE NEVERENDING STORY: Dallas Children’s Theatre. Reality and fantasy collide as Bastian, a very real and lonely boy, becomes captivated by a mysterious book. www.dct.org

Fort Worth Fort Worth Metro Woman is hosting the Celebrating Women in Business Luncheon. During the event, you will meet and share with other local business women, shop the vendors and display tables and hear success stories and inspiration from three successful women in business. Woodhaven Country Club, Fort Worth. June 19th, 10am2pm. www.fwmetrowoman.com/celebrate.

20 Saturday North Richland Hills NRH2O & Fireworks: Float in the wave pool and watch fireworks light up the sky! Fireworks will be displayed at dusk on the third Saturday in June, July and August. Fireworks will NOT be shown on the 4th of July. Visit www.nrh2o.com for more information. 817-427-6500 9001 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills Grapevine Father’s Day Weekend Family Campout: Lake Grapevine, Adventure Team’s Family Campouts are a great way to “get-away-from-it-all”, and still be close to home. Visit www.adventuredaycamps. com to reserve your spot today or call 972-741-9169 for more information.

Lewisville Battle of the Badge Softball Tournament: $5 per person; free for children age 12 and under. Teams representing at least five area police and fire departments. Lake Park Softball Complex in Lewisville at fields 9 and 10. The event is a fund-raiser for Children’s Advocacy Center of Denton County. The tournament will be begin at 9 a.m. Other activities on site will include refreshments, bounce house, kids games and a silent auction. Admission is $5, free for children age 12 and under.

Grand Prairie Juneteenth parade and festival: Parade begins at 10 a.m., City Hall Plaza, 317 College St. and proceeds to Tyre Park. Festival: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tyre Park and Dalworth Recreation Center. For more information: Preston Dixon 972-237-9599 or Linda Sharp 972-263-9673 www.gptx.org

21 Sunday McKinney Father’s Day Fun Fest 5K, Fishing Tournament, & Classic Car Show: Stonebridge Beach Club, 6203 Virginia Pkwy, McKinney 214-726-9886 Grapevine Fathers Day Train: The Daddy of all Trains! Treat Dad to a fun-filled day on the train! All Fathers ride FREE when accompanied by their families.

When you are ordering your train tickets online, hold off on Dad’s ticket and in the comments section let us know how many Dads are traveling with your party - we will reserve a seat for each Dad. www.grapevinetexasusa.com

26 Friday Flower Mound Summer Concert in the Park - 7:00 PM: Bring your family to enjoy a summer evening listening to great concerts at the gazebo in Parker Square, 1500 Cross Timbers Road. The concerts are free. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. June 12 - Aspen Creek June 26 - All Funk Radio Show. www.flower-mound.com

46

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

Carrollton Swim-In Cinema - 8:00 PM: Join us for a poolside movie at Rosemeade Rainforest Aquatic Complex. For more information, call 972-466-9833. www.cityofcarrollton.com Arlington Dive in Movies - 8:30 PM: Woodland West Pool. $2.50 per person Bring your family for an evening of fun and entertainment. Enjoy a cool dip in the pool while watching a movie. www.arlingtontx.gov

Ongoing Fun Classes and Activities

Arlington Stay at Home Moms in the South Arlington area: we offer friendship, activities, and support! arlingtonsmomsclub@yahoo.com www.momsclub.org Arlington Friday Night Open Skate. Games, music, friends, concessions and much more! Elzie Odom Recreation Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd. 76006.

7 pm - 10 pm $10 entree fee. Call 817-459-6434. www.naturallyfun.org Bedford Monkey Grounds Indoor Play & Party Center.

Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9am-3pm: Parents Day Out! Fridays from 6:30-10:30 pm: Parent’s Night Out! 2200 Airport Fwy, #620 in Bedford.

Visit www.monkeygrounds.com for more information. 817-283-7009 Carrollton AW Perry Homestead Museum 1509 N. Perry Rd 972-466-6380. Free Admission and Tours, Mon Sat 10 - 12 & 1 - 5 www.cityofcarrollton.com Carrollton If you just can’t wait until your next BounceU party, reserve a spot at one of our famously fun Open Bounce or Summer Camp sessions! Carrollton location 3050 N. Josey Ln, Ste 110, 75007. 972-939-5000 www.bounceu.com/cities/carrollton.tx Dallas Lakeshore has FREE crafts for kids on Saturdays. Located just north of the Galleria on Dallas Pkwy (13846 Dallas Pkwy ) 972-934-8866 for more information.

Dallas Dallas Arboretum. Mommy & Me Mondays: 10am -2pm. 10am - 2pm: Tiny Tots Tuesdays presented by Children’s Medical Center. www.dallasarboretum.org Dallas Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse on the third level of the Galleria Dallas next to Nordstrom’s and Children’s Play Place. Marionette Show Times: Fridays - 10:30 AM, Saturdays - 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM, Sundays - 2:00 PM. Variety Show Times: Saturdays - 4:00 PM.www.slappysplayhouse.com Dallas Every Friday 6 - 10 Parents’ Night Out hosted by The Gymnastics Place. Kids will enjoy pizza, drinks, entertainment, and special kid fun. RSVP preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Sibling discounts available. Check schedule for exact dates and times. www.thegymnasticsplace.com 972-248-2805 Flower Mound Flower Mound Library has various reading and activity times for all ages. Located at 3030 Broadmoor Ln, Flower Mound 75022. Visit the Town of Flower Mound Web Site for more information.

Flower Mound/Highland Village Friday - Flower Mound 6 - 10 pm Saturday - Highland Village 6 - 10 pm Excite! holds parents night out so that your children can enjoy their evening with friends and activities. Open Gym, foam pit, games, music and Pizza dinner. Visit www.excitegymandcheer.com or call 972-874-9663 Flower Mound 972-874-8500 Highland Village for more information and reservations (Ages 3 - 11) Frisco Tuesdays are Half Price Games - enjoy all midway games at half price! Wednesdays are Kids Eat Free (one free kid’s buffet* with the purchase of one adult buffet at regular price. *Kids 10 yrs. & under) www.gattitownfrisco.com

Frisco Preschool programs available at First Choice Emergency Room. Attention Mom’s groups and Preschools....First Choice Emergency Room at 4851 Legacy Dr. #301 Frisco. Call 214-618-6800 to schedule your tour of the ER. Frisco Wiggly Play Center weekdays - Daily Activities are at 11:00 am. Mondays - Arts & Crafts, Tuesday - Hop with Henry, Wednesday - Story time, Thursday - Dancing with Dorothy, Friday - Wiggle with Wags. 4944 Preston Road, Suite 100 Frisco (469) 633-0676. www.wigglyplaycenter.com Grapevine 1st Wednesday of each month 4:30 p.m. Rainforest Cafe is hosting the Grapevine Mills Mall Kids Club storytime. Bring your family and friends to enjoy some great stories and eat dinner at Rainforest Cafe for Family Night. Contact 972-539-5001 for more information. No reservation required. www.rainforestcafe.com Highland Village Acting Classes for Kids. Studio B is offering a wide range of acting classes for ages 3 and up. 1 Nelson Parkway at 2400 FM 407 in Highland Village.

972-966-2787. www.studiobtheater.info Highland Village Join us for Storytime for Children every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:00 AM, Spanish Storytime for children, every Wednesday at 10:30 AM. Barnes & Noble - 4100 Deer Creek, Highland Village 972-966-0099. crm2271@bn.com Irving JumpSTART Stories and Art. The Irving Arts Center and Irving Public Library now offer FREE family storytimes at the Arts Center on the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Stories are followed by a fun craft. Call (972) 252-7558 x221 for more info.

Little Elm The Little Elm Library has various reading and activity times for all ages. Located in the Town Hall building at 100 W. Eldorado Pkwy 75068. Contact 214-975-0430 or visit www.littleelm.com Mansfield Mansfield Public Library has weekly storytimes for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/library McKinney Second Saturdays Downtown McKinney. ‘Second Saturdays’ is a celebration of the arts and the community with live entertainment, spirits, and food.

100 E Louisiana St. Art Institute of McKinney is at 113 S Kentucky Street. 972-548-7830 7 PM - 10 PM www.artinstituteofmckinney.com McKinney McKinney Farmers’ Market, Every Saturday 8AM - 1PM. Downtown McKinney at the southeast corner of Church Street & Louisiana Street. For information on becoming a vendor call 214-850-0886 Plano Story Times Plano Public Library System - Schedules are available at any PPLS library or on our website. www.planolibrary.org.

Plano/Flower Mound/Hurst Boomerangs, First Sunday of each month. We open one hour early to special needs families so parents can jump with their children. The cost will be half price for the children (parents are free). Please check website calendar or call for specific store hours. Plano: 214-473-9995, Flower Mound: 469-549-4400, Hurst 817-503-8100 www.boomerangspartyandplay.com Princeton Groove Kids, Every Sun & Wed. Absolutely free to kids newborn thru 6th grade - Groove Kids is the place to be to have fun, hang out with Christian friends, enjoy Bible stories, cool music, and more! Every Sunday 10:45-12:00 and Wednesday 7-8 at Family Worship Center in Princeton, TX on Highway 380 @ Tickety Drive. (Call for directions 469.450.7437) www.groovekids.com Richardson Peppermint Baby Boutique holds regular classes.

Peppermint Baby Boutique 1778 N. Plano Rd., Suite 100 in Richardson. Registration and class information can be found at www.peppermint.com or by calling 214-623-5080.

Southlake Kids Night at Chick-fil-A Southlake every Tuesday evening. Free kids activities & loads of fun!

5:30-7:30pm at Chick-fil-A Southlake, 2301 E. Southlake Blvd., 817-481-7152 www.cfarestaurant. com/southlake/home Various REGISTER TODAY for Kids First Ice Hockey Program. A totally FREE, get-acquainted program that offers boys and girls, ages 4-8, the opportunity to ‘try’ the game of hockey at NO CHARGE. (214) GO SKATE www.drpepperstarcenter.com Various Meetup Group for the Entire FAMILY. This is a fun and exciting meetup group for couples and families to fulfill all of their social needs! groups. yahoo.com/group/familiesonthego Various Baylor Medical Centers provide ongoing classes in Irving, Frisco, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Classes include Baby Care Basics/Infant Safety and CPR, Prepared Childbirth Class, Infant/Child CPR, Car Seat Safety and SIDS Class, Breastfeeding Class, Sibling Class, Baby Care Basics, Cesarean Birth Class. 1-800-4-BAYLOR www.baylorhealth.edu/ Various Drama Kids International is designed to develop students speaking skills, presentation abilities, acting skills and confidence. Visit our website www.dramakids.com or call 214.592.4066.

Various Dallas / Fort Worth Cocker Spaniel Rescue Hosts special Meet & Greets scheduled in the area. All Saturday events at PETSMARTS ARE from 11 to 4 www.dfwcares.org

Support Groups Allen MOMS CLUB OF SE ALLEN - Are you a SAHM? Need some support, come join this welcoming group and get acquainted with great MOMS! We offer Playgroups, MNO’s, Monthly meetings and load of activities for you and your child. www.allenmoms.com Allen MOMS club of Allen - West. Fun group of stay at home moms offering support to each other and fun activities with our children. Weekly playgroups and events. Contact Michelle Suastegui at 214-383-3517 or email momsclub_allenwest@yahoo.com.

Allen Allen Early Childhood PTA. Meet the second Friday of every month from 9:30am to 11am during the school year at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 821 S. Greenville Ave. information@aecpta.com. www.aecpta.com Allen We are the MOMS Offering Moms Support Northeast Allen MOMS Club - Christy Youens at 469-675-6652 email momscluballenne@yahoo.com Arlington MOMS Club of North Central Arlington Open House - Are you a SAHM living in Arlington between I-30 and Pioneer Pkwy? We offer activities for moms, kids, and families. E-mail: support. mom@hotmail.com or call Emily at (817)276-2589 www.momsclub.org Carrollton The Carrollton Early Childhood PTA is an organization dedicated to providing activities, support, friendships and education for parents of children age newborn through preschool. www.cecpta.org.

Collin County The Collin County Moms Meetup group is a fun, down-to-earth group of moms dedicated to friendship and support. moms.meetup.com/994/ Collin County The Autism society of Collin County Parent Support Group Meeting for Parents of Younger Children held

the 2nd Tuesday of Each Month from 8:45 am - 9:45 am. Visit www.autism-ascc.org or call 214-925-2722 for more information and meeting locations.

Collin County The Autism society of Collin County Self-Advocacy Group For Teens (7th Grade and up) & Adults (really old OK) with Autism. Visit www.autismascc.org or call 214-925-2722 for more information and meeting locations. groups.yahoo.com/ group/ascc2/join Coppell/Valley Ranch The Coppell/Valley Ranch Early Childhood PTA (C/VR ECPTA) is a non-profit support organization for parents of infants and children age 5 and under.

Contact Info: Deby 214-236-8290 www.cvrecpta.org Dallas Moms Club of Dallas: North Central Chapter boundaries are I-30 to the south, I-635 to the north (exception: Addison), Marsh Lane to the east, and Garland Road to the west. info@momsclubofdallas.org Dallas Dallas Dyslexia Information Group (DDIG) provides information on Dyslexia, Learning Differences, and related topics. We meet at The Winston School, 5707 Royal Lane, Dallas, 75229. 7:00 p.m.

- 9:00 p.m. on the second Monday of the month except for December. For information regarding the monthly speaker, call Bob 214-351-1985 Dallas La Leche League of Dallas offers breastfeeding information and support in our monthly meetings, which are open to pregnant and nursing mothers and their babies. We meet the first Thursday and third Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. We also offer a Toddler Meeting on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 10 am at Greenland Hills United Methodist Church in Dallas. www.lllofdallas.org/ Dallas/Collin County Free Parent Helpline. Non-profit group Dallas Association for Parent Education runs a free telephone helpline for parents, grandparents, and caregivers called The Warmline. Warmline phone number is 972-699-7742. dallasparents@hotmail. com www.dallasparents.org Dallas/Plano/Frisco Far North Dallas Early Childhood PTA (FNDECPTA) is dedicated to facilitating an educational and supportive network of parents of infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children. We meet in Room 133 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd. at Plano Parkway, and offer free childcare. www.fndecpta.txpta.org Denton The Denton Area Mothers of Multiples (DAMOM) is a support group located in North Texas for anyone who has, or is, expecting twins, triplets, quads or more! DAMOM meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm - 9pm at First Baptist Church of Denton, located at 1100 Malone Street Room 216. damoms.clubspaces.com/Default_css.aspx Farmers Branch My Place - Tuesdays & Fridays. It’s an early intervention play & communication group. North Texas Therapy & Associates (972) 385-0006. 14580 E. Beltwood Parkway; Farmers Branch 75244 Farmers Branch My Place has early intervention play & communication group classes: Mondays-Thursdays (please contact us for times). North Texas Therapy & Associates (972)385-0006. 14580 E. Beltwood Parkway, Farmers Branch 75244. www.northdallasspeech.com Fort Worth Its My Heart Support Group for parents of children with congenital heart defects. Meetings: second thursday of each month at Cook Children’s hospital - 7pm. Please check out our website and click on the fort worth chapter page for more info. www.itsmyheart.org Frisco Frisco Cares Children’s Clinic is a low-cost health clinic for uninsured children, 18 and younger, living in or attending school in Frisco, Celina or Prosper.

Held at Primera Bautista Iglesia each Wednesday (September-April). 8581 5th Street, Frisco (corner of 5th & Ash). Appointment cards available at 5 PM. The doctor sees patients beginning at 6 PM. Cost per child is $5 to see the doctor. Medications are available at no cost. Proof of residency (utility bill) or proof of school enrollment (report card) is required. www.friscocares.org

Frisco Frisco Early Childhood PTA. Meet at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 8000 Eldorado Parkway, Frisco, 2nd friday of the month @ 10am. membership@friscoecpta.org www.friscoecpta.org Frisco The Early Childhood Intervention of LifePath Systems Inc. 2611 Internet Pkwy, ste.107, Frisco. ECI is a statewide program for families with children, birth to 3, with disabilities and developmental delays. Call 972-377-7289.

Garland Garland Area Early Childhood PTA. Meetings: the first Friday of each month, September through May - 9:15a.m. to 11:30a.m. NorthLake Baptist Church, 1501 N. Country Club, Garland. 972-412-8540. www.earlychildhoodpta.com Lewisville The Greater Lewisville Special Education PTSA is an organization for parents, loved ones, and educators of children of all ages with special needs.

Please visit us online at www.lisdseptsa.txpta.org or call (469) 293-6343 for more information.

Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village Greater Lewisville Mothers & More 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. Z Grill 2321 Cross Timbers Rd # 413 Flower Mound. www.mothersnmore.com Little Elm Little Elm Epilepsy Support Group meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 7:00-8:00pm at the Little Elm Public Library. Contact our facilitator, Tracy O’Mara at 972-987-4010.

McKinney DivorceCare and DivorceCare 4 Kids are programs offered at McKinney Fellowship Bible Church. DivorceCare helps people recover from the pain of separation. The group meets Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., in room 107 of McKinney Fellowship Bible Church. Learn more at www.divorcecare.org, but call 972-547-7000 to register.

McKinney La Leche League of McKinney. Meetings: 3rd Thursdays at 5871 W. Virginia Pkwy, 10:15am to 12pm. Dee Dee 972-838-9135, Holly 214-385-0063 or Ricki 214-684-3966. www.lllusa.org/web/ McKinneyTX.html McKinney MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of McKinney East. For more info, e-mail momsmckinneyeast@yahoo.com and check out the International MOMS Club website at www.momsclub.org.

McKinney Grandparents Raising Grandkids Support Group.

Meetings: the first Tuesday every month from 7-8 pm at Academics Plus, 1831 W. Louisiana, McKinney, Tx. Contact us at 972-548-8788 for more information. www.academicsplus.com McKinney MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of McKinney Central. Visit us at www.geocities.com/ mckinneymoms.com or contact us at mckinneymoms@yahoo.com Murphy/Sachse MOMS Club of Murphy/Sachse if a non-profit support group for at home mothers in Murphy/ Sachse Texas. Contact us at murphy_sachse_ moms@yahoo.com for additional information.

North Coppell MOMs Club of Coppell - NORTH (boundaries are north of Sandy Lake to 121). Join us at Going Bonkers in Lewisville for our monthly meetings. We meet the first Wednesday of every month - 10AM. Please call us at 866.841.9139 ext. 3555 or email: momsclubofcoppell@onebox.com. Check out our Web site at www.momsclubofcoppell.org

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North Dallas Mocha Moms of North Dallas meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at the Douglass Community Center on Ave. H in Plano. www.mochamomsnorthdallas.com North Richland Hills Asperger’s Support Meeting. 1st Wednesday of each month - 7:00-8:30 pm. Please RSVP you and your child’s attendance: events@featnt.org.

Located FEAT-NT Resource Center and Library, 4239 Road to the Mall, North Richland Hills 76180 www.featnt.org 817-849-1122 North Richland Hills Autism Support Meeting. 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Please RSVP you and your child’s attendance by emailing events@featnt.org. Located FEAT-NT Resource Center and Library, 4239 Road to the Mall, North Richland Hills 76180 www.featnt.org. 817-849-1122 Plano Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Parent Support Group. We welcome all parents coping with a child with SPD. We generally meet the first Monday of the month at various locations.

Contact Christine Chavez at chavez.slp@gmail. com or Wendy Park at wlpark@sbcglobal.net for more information. www.spdnetwork.org/ parentconnection/us.html Plano Mothers and Others. Meet the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30 in the room 230 of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Activity Building. Call Trish Scogin 214-504-0640.

Plano The Plano/Collin County branch of the AAUW. Monthly meetings at the Davis Library, 7501 Independence Parkway, Plano the 2nd Monday of each month. Contact Carol at 972 862 3460 for more info. www.aauwplanocc.org Plano Child & Family Guidance Center. Contact our

Plano Office at 4030 West Plano Parkway, Suite 211. 972.612.5989. www.childrenandfamilies.org

Plano Collin County Early Childhood PTA. Monthly meetings on the 2nd Monday of the month, 9:45 a.m., at Parkway Hills Baptist Church, located at 2700 Dallas Parkway, in Plano. Call Karen Maddox at 972-491-0260 Plano Plano Kiwanis Club meets each Wednesday for breakfast at 7:00 AM (always over by 8:00 AM) at La Madeleine Cafe, 5000 West Park Blvd at Preston Road. www.kiwanis.org/club/plano Plano La Leche League of Plano meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 10:30 to 11:45 am at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 3601 West 15th Street, Room 105. Call Beth 972-747-1297, Cleo 972-208-0158, or Emilie 469-366-7205, www.lllusa.org/web/PlanoTX.html Plano MOMS Club of Plano North Central chapter. Meeting the first Friday of every month, at 9:30 AM, at the Atonement Lutheran Church on Legacy just west of Coit. www.planomomsclub.com Plano MOMS Club of Plano-North. Monthly Social Meeting is the first Wednesday of every month, at 10:00am, at the Baha’i Faith Plano Center at 4200 Hedgcoxe (just West of Coit Rd). For more information contact membership@momsclubplanonorth or 972-464-1958. www.momslubplanonorth.com Plano MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of Plano Central. momsclubplano_central@yahoo.com Plano Own my own mentoring program is a mentoring program for children with incarcerated parents sponsored by Dedicated Women of Christ.

Contact Latahra Smith, 972-3778254

Plano Collin County Homeschool Playgroup. geocities. com/collincountyhomeschoolplaygroup/ Plano The Scoliosis Center of Excellence at Medical Center of Plano is offering free diagnostic scoliosis screenings the first Wednesday of each month by appointment for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. www.medicalcenterofplano.com or 1-877-24-SCOLI. www.medicalcenterofplano.com Plano S.A.F.E.(Support and Activities for Food allergy Education) classes provide children an opportunity to learn more about food allergies. For more information, please contact us at www.safewithfoodallergies.com. Classes will be held at The Medical Center of Plano. Medical Office Building III, 4001 West 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75075. www.safewithfoodallergies.com.

Richardson MOMS Club of Richardson West is a local chapter of an international support organization. For more information e-mail momsclubofrichardsonwest@gmail.com or visit the international website www.momsclub.org Richardson Post Partum Depression Support Group. Nonprofit group Dallas Association for Parent Education will hold a free, monthly Post Partum Depression Support Group at their office in Richardson.

To sign up or for more info call the DAPE office at 972-699-0420, Mon. - Fri., 9am - 3pm. dallasparents@hotmail.com. www.dallasparents.org Rockwall Rockwallsahm is a group of local moms dedicated to providing our kids a safe place for socialization, physical activity and FUN! Members are screened and there is no fee. For more information, check out our website: www.rockwallsahm.com Rockwall MOMS Club of Rockwall. Monthly meeting is held

the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 10:00am at the Free Methodist Church (SW corner of N. Goliad and FM 552). For more information contact rockwallmomsclub@hotmail.com or 214-771-3538, angelfire.com/tx5/rockwallmoms

Various RISE was organized “To help persons with physical challenges gain independence through a learning experience in adaptive outdoor adventures and sporting programs.” Visit www.riseadventures. org or contact Joel Hendrix at jhendrix@riseadventures.org 469-762-5075. www.riseadventures.org Wylie Moms & More: Be you a Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparent or Nanny, we welcome all caregivers from Wylie and the surrounding communities. Our Monthly Convergence is held on the first Thursday of each month. Children are always welcome to all our activities. Drinks and snacks will be provided. For more information and directions, please contact Diva@wyliemomsandmore.org. www.wyliemomsandmore.org

Submitting Events We welcome your submissions of family-oriented events. Events and support group listings should be submitted online at www.northtexaskids. com. Click on the submissions button on the left side bar. Please keep listings brief and in a similar format to what you see in our calendar.

No more than two listings per organization will be accepted. Thank you for your participation in our community calendar. All events submitted online will appear on www.northtexaskids.com, www.momsoutloud.com and in print when received before the 15th of the month prior to our print date. For any questions, you may email our office at info@northtexaskids.com or give us a call at 972-516-9070.

Alexandria’s Book Review

Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl A Review by Alexandria Battle

By Barbara Park 80 pages • Ages 4-8 Random House Books for Young Readers (May 25, 1999) Barbara Park, the author of this month’s book, did not start out with a passion for writing as some authors do, or like it very much at all—in fact, she learned to love reading beginning in high school, and her own stories began there—and I am very glad they did, because without her there would be no Junie B. Jones, and no reviews to praise her.

Junie B. Jones has a big collection of stories in my home, because I always liked reading each of the books and hearing her take on things. She was the spunkiest kindergartner (and then first 48

grader) that I’d yet come across (who else requires that everyone say B. instead of their full middle name?), and so I always smile when I find one of her books on my shelf.

In Junie B. Jones is (Almost) a Flower Girl, Junie B. has to deal with her “break-up” with boyfriend Ricardo on the playground, made worse by the fact that all the other girls she knows still have boyfriends of their own. While ignoring her parents’ requests that she wait a few more years to have a boyfriend, she discovers the advantages of being and acting

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

like “a lady”, along with the joys of being invited to a wedding of her Aunt Flo’s and being the flower girl—even if no one knows of Junie’s plans but her!

Although her parents are very angry with her for inviting herself to the wedding, in the end Junie B. is allowed to go, and during this time she dreams of throwing petals down the aisle in a nice dress and being admired by all and considered a true grown-up. Unfortunately, yet another of her plans goes wrong: it turns out that her cousin is actually going to be the flower girl at her

aunt’s wedding!

Read on to find out how Junie B. manages to still keep center stage (and keep everyone laughing) despite the disappointment of having her dream taken. And if you like this book, feel free to explore more of Junie B.’s adventures in books such as Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy, Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal, and more fun with Junie B., First Grader.

Index of Advertisers A+ Prep School

22

Emler Swim School

10

Parish Episcopal School

26, 36

Enrichment Chess

25

Plano Sports Authority

Adventure Day Camps

25

Epic MedStaff

17

Planting Seeds Christian

42

Allegiance Learning

23

ER Centers

32

Princess & Pirates Dressup

42

Alley Cats

30

Evelyn’s Janitorial

32

Prospering Farms

25

Angels of Care Pediatric

2

Everybody Fits

23

Pump It Up Jr.

21

Apple Creek Private School

26

Excite Gym & Cheer

22

Putt Putt Golf

30

Artfest International

3

Frank Buck Zoo

29

Race for the Cure

41

26

Frisco Horse Park

20

Rainforest Cafe

11

18, 21

Frozen Ropes

24

Rich Educational Consulting

17

Baylor, Our Children’s House

15

Girl-tastic Galas

36

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus 41

Blue Sky Services

42

Gray School of Music

Boomerangs

20

Bounce U-Carrollton

Academy of Dance Arts

Aqua Fit Swim & Wellness Art A Rama

22 23, 39

4. 26

Robots 4 U

23

Greenhill School

25

Rockwall Indoor Sports Expo

40

9

Guardian Pet Sitters

42

Seasoned Living

36

Bright Women – Fort Worth

42

Guy Mezger’s Combat

21

Smashing Times

20

C & R Medical

18

Hawaiian Falls

30

SMU

21

Canyons Rock Climbing

23

Healthy Texan Pediatrics

18

SoccerTots

39

Capricorn Equestrian

23

It’s A Sensory World

11

Speech TX

43

Cavanaugh Flight Museum

29

Jewish Community Center

9

Spicar’s Martial Arts

20

Celebrate Freedom

51

Jump Town

16

Sports FUN-damentals Inc.

40

Chestnut Square

50

Jump Zone

17

SS Noah

4

Child Play Music

21

Key Note Music

25

St.Mark’s

25

Children’s Medical Center

5

KidCore Toys

17

State Farm Insurance

13

City of Allen Parks & Recs

35

Kids Care Therapy

42

Stephanie’s Day

33

City of Arlington Parks & Recs

40

Learning RX

4

Studio 3 Dance

23

Club Z Tutoring

20

Lifetime Fitness

24

Studio Movie Grill

52

Coffee N Cream

36

Lorie Burch

13

Sweet & Sassy

36

Cross Lifeline Emergency Training

43

Made of Sugar & Spice

22, 43

The Artist Within

22

CSM Printing

33

Matco Services

18

The Ice at Stonebriar

24

Custom Sports Products

40

Mathnasium

25

The Ice at The Parks

29

Dallas Summer Musicals

22

McDonald’s – O’Reilly’s

50

The Purple Cow

18

Dallas Symphony

19

Moffat Soccer Camps

24

The Wiggly Play Center

16

Dance Force One

25

Monkey Grounds Indoor Play

42

Therapy 2000

14

Dazzlers Academy of Perf. Arts

36

Museum of Nature & Science

3

Tracey Cakes

42

Diana Guintu Counseling

36

Musikgarten

42

Under the Umbrella/Dynamic

22

Dr Pepper StarCenter

50

Nex Gym

10, 20

US Toy Co

14

Drama Kids International

21

Noah’s Ark

42

Wet Zone

DW Travels

42

NTK Expo - Hawaiian Falls

27

Work at Home United

42

Eagle Gymnastics

20

NTK - MNO Thank You

44

YMCA Metro Dallas

21

Einstein Kidz

21

NTK Radio Show

33

Eisenberg

22

Paige’s Swim School

24

23, 29

Please tell our advertisers you saw them in North Texas Kids!

Find links to all of these businesses on our website at www.northtexaskids.com North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

49

8_hj^ZWo FWhjo <kd M[ Ze _j Wbb \eh oek" ie h[bWn [d`eo

+ tax

for up to 10 children $6.10 for each additional child

7bb[d CYA_dd[o FbWde H_Y^WhZied

FWhjo _dYbkZ[i0 Happy Meal , Cake, Ice Cream, Decorations, ®

Party Favors, a Host or Hostess and a Gift for the Birthday Child.

Je cWa[ h[i[hlWj_edi0 Visit www.OreillyMCD.com or call our birthday party hotline at 972.985.9285.

Dem 7lW_bWXb[ - ZWoi W m[[a De Z[fei_j h[gk_h[Z$ Locally owned and operated by Chuck and Julie O’Reilly

50

North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com

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North Texas Kids • June 2009 • www.NorthTexasKids.com