Idaho Family Sept/Oct 2023

BROOKE NEWLAN

Crafts, a cat, and autism

STOP BEING ANGRY

It won’t work with kids

FROM THIS SIDE OF THE DESK

Retired preschool teacher’s thoughts

Skyview Freshman Football

Volume 11, Number 5

Publisher

J.J. Plew

Associate Publisher

Adrianne Goff

adriannegoff@me.com

Cover Photo

Skyview Parent Editor Gaye Bunderson editorgaye@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing

J.J. Plew

jj@idahofamilymagazine.com 208-697-2043

Contributors

Roxanne Drury, Luke Erickson, Dennis Lopez, Sandy McDaniel, Jenna Shaver, Mary Ann Wilcox

Graphic Design

Carol Smiley csmileydesign@gmail.com

Distribution Shauna Howard, Doris Evans

Idaho Family Magazine, published monthly by Gem Production Co., LLC, is committed to providing readers with informative and entertaining information to help them in maintaining healthy families and positive lifestyles. It is distributed throughout the valley as a free publication. Idaho Family Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements or opinions expressed by editorial contributors or advertisers. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or information. Idaho Family Magazine does not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. Reader correspondence and editorial submissions are welcome. Idaho Family Magazine reserves the right to edit or reject all materials submitted. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 by Gem Production Co., LLC.

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Idaho Family Magazine would love to put your child or children on our cover. All photos should be high quality, sharp and clear, and high resolution of around 300 ppi. Color photos are preferred, and all photos need to be vertical not horizontal. Please identify the children in the photos, the children’s ages, and what Treasure Valley community they reside in. (If chosen for the cover, their last names will not be used without permission.) Send the photos to editorgaye@gmail.com.

Anger doesn’t work with children

By Sandy McDaniel

Whenever I give a parenting talk, someone asks about how to get a spouse to stop being so angry with the children. There is no way to do that, unless the targeted person understands why anger does not work.

REMEMBER: You care, so you remind yourself to be:

• Consistent

• Always listening

• Reasonable

• Encouraging

A SOLUTION: You scream at a child and the child minds. It looks like anger worked, but it didn’t. Anger stops a behavior but it does not change a behavior.

During a parenting talk, I ask a total stranger to put up his/ her hand, high-five style. I begin to push on his/her hand. The person always lets me push a little bit and then begins to push back. It is human nature to resist being pushed, bulldozed, shoved into a behavior. Think of your own childhood for understanding on this issue.

Fear cuts off a person’s ability to think and reason. Therefore, when you scream or get angry with a child, that child can no longer access his/her logical or rational thinking. The child cannot answer a simple question, “What are you doing?” Pressured to respond, the child will lie or do something crazy to divert the parent’s attention.

I was at a friend’s home and the children were preparing to go somewhere. Children get excited when they are going to go on an outing. The mother was on the phone, so the father began barking orders to the children. One child began spinning in a circle.

The father grabbed the spinning boy like a hawk seizing a rabbit. The boy was smart enough to stand at attention while the father yelled at him. When the father screamed, “I’ve had enough! Do you hear me?” the boy repeated, “Yes, sir!”

I watched the boy sit on the floor and put on his shoes; he was angry. He became a fight looking for a place to land. He was going to cause trouble wherever they went because his anger-resentment-revenge cycle had been ignited. Most important, the boy didn’t understand why his father was so angry, and why he was the only one who got into trouble. No lesson can be learned with these ingredients.

Children do so much better with information than they do with orders. You can say, “We are going to go out for lunch. The toys in the living room need to be picked up, shoes put on and anyone who needs to go to the bathroom might choose to do so now. We are leaving in ten minutes, so let’s get it done so we can hit the road.”

If one child stalls, gets wound up, won’t do the expected task, pull that child aside and firmly but gently tell the child, “We need to get going really fast, so you have two choices: do what you need to do to be ready, or you will miss some of your park time after we go to lunch.” There is no need to yell or get angry with a child. Anger teaches the child to mind the parent who is angry; it does not teach the child to change a behavior.

TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN. “Go to your room!” you command. The child asks, “Why?” The parent responds, “Because I said so!” This type of dialogue does not teach a child to understand the reason to change a behavior. Orders without understanding are irritating, a misuse of power and do not teach the child how to function in the world.

For more than 60 years, Sandy McDaniel has been an international speaker and recognized authority on families and children. Author of five books, columnist, founder of parentingsos.com, she is a resident of Meridian and loves spending time with her three Idaho grandchicks. She may be reached at sandy@parentingsos.com. To read her parenting blog, go to parentingsos.com/blog.

Our Registered Nurses (RN) and Newborn Care Providers (NCP) support families with single babies, twins, and triplets by providing gentle care through the night. We use evidence-based practice to help parents feel confident and healthy in the family home.

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Sandy McDaniel

BROOKE & RIVER Cat comforts crafter with autism

By Gaye Bunderson

The Jerome Farmers Market is situated on the outskirts of town on a tree-lined, grassy spot that is inviting to shoppers looking for fruits, vegetables and other items. On many days at the market, a young woman sits at a table filled with her own handmade goods. Her name is Brooke Newlan and she runs Just Craftin’ Around by R&B. Clearly, the B stands for Brooke. Surprisingly, the R stands for River, Brooke’s cat.

River is more than just a beloved pet. She’s an emotional support animal for her owner, who is on the autism spectrum. Brooke believes her cat is central in helping her with crafting because River loves to keep company with her human in the crafting room. The cat chooses one of several favorite places to sit or lie, including in a corner or on top of a cabinet.

Brooke is bright, funny and friendly, and she opens up easily about her challenges with autism and the petit mal seizures that may be related to the disorder. (A quote from the Autism Research Institute reads: “Researchers are still exploring whether autism leads to seizures, seizures contribute to autism, or the two conditions coexist. Seizures are more common in individuals with autism than in the general population (from autism.org).”

Brooke explains unabashedly that fish frequently swim in her head. “I see fish, and I see them all the time. They’re color-coded. Yellow is good,” she said.

But if the aquatic creatures change colors in her mind, the results can be dire. If she sees purple fish, it indicates a downward spiral that is likely to lead to red fish – the least pleasant color of all. When this happens, Brooke shuts down; she is experiencing a sensory overload that leads to a seizure.

Annette Jones, a developmental disabilities administrator at Progressive Behavior Systems in Twin Falls, explained a shutdown is a sign that the individual has become overstimulated. For Brooke, the next step requires removing the stimuli until she’s calm again and eases the overload in her brain.

To illustrate what a comfort River can be in these situations, Brooke shared that her courageous cat once jumped into a tub of water when Brooke went into a seizure while taking a bath. Both cat and human made it through the experience, albeit a bit wetter.

Brooke also shared that she’s the only person with autism that she knows of who experiences the colored swimming fish phenomenon. “They’re just me,” she said.

Despite struggles with being on the autism spectrum, Brooke is deemed by Jones and others as “pretty highfunctioning.” The 32-year-old learned coping skills, independence, and social interaction abilities. Stated Jones: “She has improved immensely. I see her being independent,

all on her own, and she’s growing really well. Her crafting has helped her do that.”

So when did two of the most pivotal resources in her wellbeing – her cat and her crafting – pop up in her life? She’s been crafting all her life, she said, but really focused on it during the pandemic. As for River, she found the feline on Facebook, where she saw a photo with the caption, “These cats need a home.” Brooke retrieved one of the tiniest kittens in the litter when it was just two weeks old, named it River, and fed it with a bottle right from the beginning. “That was the bond,” she stated.

Now, cat and crafting go together like bees and honey. “River sits anywhere in my craft room,” Brooke said, and she is a constant positive in the young woman’s environment.

River is even legally certified as an emotional support animal, possibly going against the grain of what people see as common cat traits: indifference if the cat is preoccupied with itself or having an aversion to being in water (i.e., bathwater).

Brooke’s mother, Christy, said, “When Brooke gets down, the cat actually comforts her.”

Brooke feels that her parents are her biggest supporters, and they have obviously been with her since day one, giving them a first-hand perspective on the ups and downs of their daughter’s life.

“Brooke was pretty much normal when she was a child,” her father Alan said.

“She’s always been developmentally delayed,” said Christy, who explained that her petit mal seizures pre-dated her autism diagnosis. “She was not diagnosed with autism until later.”

As a teenager, Brooke was able to live in Boise on her own and attend Boise Bible College. She lived fairly independently, with a bit of help from paid staff that kept her on track. “She had a staff in Boise like she has now; they work with her on such things as keeping her apartment picked up,” Christy said.

But her mother explained that her daughter “got worse with her autism as she got older.”

One of the most compelling things about Brooke, however, is her sense of humor. It might seem exceptional that an individual dealing with autism can find humor in so many things, but Jones confirms all such people are capable of appreciating a joke. “They have their own sense of humor,” she said.

As an example of Brooke’s delight in her life, she tells a story about when she attended Boise Bible College. She doesn’t hold back when she relates that she got kicked out of BBC, and she laughs because she got booted for “playing bingo and not going to chapel” – chapel attendance being

required for all BBC students and bingo being perceived as gambling.

Nonetheless, she got a part-time job in ministry when she volunteered to help out a friend who oversaw children’s teaching at Eagle Christian Church. When her friend, who was from New Zealand, returned to her homeland, Brooke kept up the work. And once again with humor, she stated that the church changed its handbook because of her. It now includes such rules as:

• “Don’t play football with the kids in the church foyer,” as well as –

• “Don’t play hide and seek all over the church; one kid was gone for a couple of hours because he hid in the elevator.” Such playfulness endeared her to the children, and she still gets messages from some of the youngsters she worked with at Eagle Christian. Some are graduating from high school, others from college, and one young man she worked with graduated college and now works at Disney World. She keeps up with many of them through Facebook, also.

She returned to Twin from Boise seven years ago. “My grandpa is sick, and he wanted all of his grandkids down here.”

“I miss doing ministry,” she said, “but my crafts are a ministry, too.”

Her mom was instrumental in helping Brooke set up a stand at the Jerome Farmers Market. “I do a lot of work with the Chamber of Commerce,” Christy said, “and many of the merchants at the Market are Chamber members also.

“The Market gives her something to do to increase her selfworth, and it lets her socialize. The crafts give her purpose and something to do with her disabilities. She’s always making up new crafts. She could advance if she could get a larger press [to help her cut out forms],” her mother said.

At present, Brooke creates coasters, candles, keychains, and hair clips – the entire operation overseen by River, of course.

Brooke admitted that of all the things she’s learning at Progressive Behavior Systems, budgeting is one of her biggest challenges. Her mom concurred, stating, “She doesn’t comprehend budgeting.” She makes some money selling her crafts at the Market, but said, “For me, I’m not in it for the money.” Instead, she values the communication skills she’s learning through it.

Another thing mother and daughter agree on is, well, how Brooke speaks. Brooke said she’s “flat-out blunt.” Her mother said, “She has no filter. We’re working on that.”

Regarding Brooke’s paid staff, one indispensable staff member isn’t paid at all. But the value of the heroic, comforting and crafty cat River to her owner’s wellness simply cannot be overstated.

For more information, go to Just Craftin’ Around by R&B on Facebook.

Brooke Newlan is a young woman with autism who is talented at crafting. “I display and sell my crafts to show others what people with autism can do,” she said. A huge supporter of Newlan’s is her beloved comfort cat, River. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

“The Market gives her something to do to increase her self-worth, and it lets her socialize. The crafts give her purpose and something to do with her disabilities.”

REAL MONEY, REAL FAMILIES

Slow down! (It could help financially)

By Luke Erickson

I’ve heard about meditation for a long time, but only started trying it out about 6 months ago.

And I’m not going to lie, when you first give it a whirl, you’ve always got one eye sorta cracked open, like, “Am I really doing this? Is anyone watching me? I feel really stupid. This is a waste of time. I’m hungry…and a little gassy. I don’t get it. I’m probably doing this wrong. Seriously, where is the nearest chicken sandwich?”

Like so many other healthy habits, establishing a regular meditation routine is hard. It has been for me anyway. But I’m finally to a point where, carving out a little time is a little easier, and I’m seeing some real benefits. I’m also beginning to understand that the days I feel like I don’t have time for it are the days when I need it the most.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. What is meditation anyway?

Meditation has roots in Buddhism, and other ancient religions, groups, and creeds. But it also has roots in philosophy, psychology, and is gaining more and more attention from scientists who study human behavior, health, and well-being.

In other words, the practice of meditation is claimed by many, but owned by none. Want to use it to improve your emotional regulation and personal attunement? Cool. Want to use it as a spiritual practice to connect to a higher power? Also cool. It’s neither firmly rooted in secularism nor religion. In other words, it’s potentially for everybody.

Question: What is the right way to meditate? Answer: The way that works for you. The practice can vary widely. I mostly do short sessions during the week, about 15 minutes a day, and on weekends a little longer, like 30-45 minutes.

I started by finding Spotify and YouTube playlists with a bunch of guided meditations and just hit shuffle. It’s a great way to start learning because the gentle voice, usually British (and never redneck twang for some reason), surrounded by soothing instrumentals and nature sounds help guide you through some basic methods for meditation. Don’t like a certain style? Just hit skip and try the next one.

After a few months of guided meditations, I decided I needed more freedom to explore my own free-flowing thoughts and emotions. Luckily there are also unguided meditations playlists, with only nature sounds, or soothing instruments. When I start to lose focus, I know I can always go back to guided tracks if I need to.

But why listen to nature sounds when you can actually go out and sit in real nature? Which, if I may ‘tangent’ for a

moment, showed me that I’ve been unknowingly meditating since I was a child, since I camped and fished a lot. Nights by a campfire, looking at stars, has always been moving and insightful. Especially during fishing trips with my dad there were often long periods of time where I caught NOTHING! So, sitting there in nature with an inactive pole was a form of meditation, or connection with free-flowing thoughts and emotions…as long as I wasn’t focused on the stupid fish for not biting.

One of my favorite practices over the summer is to wake up on weekends, go for a bike ride, then stop somewhere in a park for a little bit and do a nature-based meditation. Sometimes I simply let my thoughts go and let emotions surface and speak to me. Other times I approach with a specific thought on my mind that I explore cognitively and emotionally with a little help from nature. I’ve gotten to a point where I simply practice the way that feels right to me at the moment. There are many meditation tools out there, such as podcasts, local meditations groups, Zoom groups, etc. Ultimately you get to pick and choose the tools that work for you.

Ancient practitioners have known the benefits of meditation all along, but science has begun to validate and quantify many of them. Scientifically proven benefits include stress reduction, anxiety control, improved emotional health, enhanced self-awareness, lengthened attention span, reduction in age-related memory loss, increased number of acts of kindness, reducing addictions, improving sleep, help controlling pain, and decreasing blood pressure.

Okay, meditation is great, “enlightened” dude. But what does an article about personal finance have to do with meditation?

I thought you’d never ask. Many of the scientific and personal benefits of meditation are directly transferable to your financial well-being.

An easy example is that improved concentration can really help with work productivity. I’ve started meditating on work breaks, and it’s been remarkable how much insight and productivity happens when you just stop DOING for a few minutes, and instead center yourself. We’ve all heard the saying, “work smarter, not harder”. But how exactly does one do that? Meditation compels you to slow down and sit with thoughts and emotions, to work through ideas and even concepts like motivation, before you actually start to execute. This can save a remarkable amount of valuable time by avoiding dead ends, or doing work that is ultimately unmotivating and unfulfilling. Insightful, efficient work will

Luke Erickson

inevitably lead to workplace raises and promotions, and an overall improved sense of meaning and purpose.

Another example is increased self-awareness. Understanding why you do the things you do can have a profound impact on your daily life. Why do you go to that particular coffee shop every morning? Why do you worry about certain expenses so much? Why do you shop the way you do? Why do you work at the job you work at? Why do you spend money on certain things that don’t make you happy? All insights and healthy changes start with deep meaningful self-awareness.

What about an increase in general happiness? Ultimately the main function of money is to help provide us with safety and happiness. But what if you could discover meaningful ways to achieve safety and happiness that didn’t require you to spend nearly as much money as you thought? Or, what if you didn’t have to toil at a job you don’t enjoy? Once you free yourself of so many financial obligations because you

simply need less for happiness, that frees you up to live a life more authentic to your values, which will increase your happiness even more.

The benefits of meditation are gradual. It’s like building muscle in the gym. If you’re expecting Dwayne the Rock Johnson pecks after a few weeks, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Pun intended. But over time….okay, you’ll never be the Rock….but over time, you’ll have much more to show for your work. Similarly, you’ll also become better at your meditation practice the more you do it. You’ll be able to get more out of even short sessions.

Like so many things in life, starting something new takes practice, patience, and trust. But hey, why not just give it a whirl? And by the way, the Rock meditates too. If it’s good enough for the Rock, it’s good enough for me.

Luke Erickson, Ph.D., AFC®, is an associate professor of personal finance for the University of Idaho. He works and lives in the Treasure Valley. @drlukeerickson (Instagram), erickson@uidaho.edu

Nedd the beloved cat played many roles

By By Dennis Lopez

Writing normally comes easily for me. No doubt, some would say, because I seem to have something to say about…well, about everything. But not today. Not this story.

My old cat, Nedd, is gone. My dear friend, doppelganger, confidant, napping pal and generally wonderful guy, has died.

The internet says cats live about 18 years, tops. About two years for each of their nine lives, I guess. Never one to play the averages, Nedd lived for nearly 23 years, as best we can recall. He was one of those animals who escaped euthanasia from a shelter and conned his way into our family under false pretenses. In fact, he was a phony from the first day we got him out of stir.

He was one of those soft-pawed, dewy-eyed and oh-soaffectionate kitties that reach through the bars to gently touch your hands. Time with him in the glass-enclosed isolation room convinced my daughter that he was the cat and we should take this sweet, loving, playful kitty home.

The first hour he clawed his way around our furniture, woodwork and rugs proved differently. He was anything but a loving kitty. He was a miniature, four-footed terrorist, so much so that my daughter changed his name from Nedd to “Nedd the Impostor,” an homage to a character from the movie School of Rock who portrayed himself as someone he wasn’t.

I hated him.

He hated me…and the rugs, the furniture and anything claw-able.

He was gutsy, for sure. He used to like to sleep in our 90-pound German Shepherd’s food bowl. Somehow he avoided the wrath of Otto’s powerful jaws long enough for the dog to realize the cat eventually would move and they ultimately established a period of détente sufficient for Nedd to outgrow the dog’s bowl.

The feline phony also was smart. As he began to transition from kitten to cat, he learned how take advantage of our individual weaknesses. For example, my proclivity for the occasional nap allowed him to spend time on my lap, his warm little body lulling me to sleep quicker than watching a PBS special on twine production in Peru.

He figured us all out. All except my oldest daughter. He just hissed at her from a distance. She never was able to close the gap between them.

Slowly he began to mellow. The family album shows him dressed in many fetching outfits selected over the years by my youngest daughter. I even edited a photo of him in a bowtie and horn-rimmed glasses with a speech balloon asking if he could go with my youngest when she left for college. He was a good sport…of sorts. He photo-bombed at least 200 holiday

photos. And I am glad he did.

He cheated death a couple of times. His sense of the dramatic had him pass out cold one afternoon when we were away on vacation. Our oldest daughter was coming by the house once a day to feed him. She found him rag-limp on the floor and rushed him to a veterinarian who surgically extracted a mass from his stomach that, depending upon which family member you ask, was anything from the size of a golf ball to a baseball. All I remember was the sense of relief when he came around from surgery. That, and the bill for nearly $4,000 to fix up a cat that originally might have set us back $15 to adopt him. And yes, his rescuer was that daughter at whom he took delight hissing. He never stopped doing it. Maybe he should have been called Nedd the Ingrate.

Long ago, Nedd was diagnosed with some sort of feline cancer.

“He needs chemotherapy to stay alive,” the vet said. So we gave it to him.

“It makes him sick,” we said.

“You gotta give it to him anyway,” the vet said.

“We’ll stop giving it to him and just let him live the best he can, for as long as he can, without being sick from medicine,” we said. That was over 15 years ago. Maybe he should have been called Nedd the Contrarian.

He was intuitive. Over the past dozen years or so, I had two separate joint replacement surgeries. During the recovery from each, he slept close to each of the surgical sites, leaving only to eat or use “the box.” We should have called him Nedd the Medic.

So now he is gone. He died in my arms, wrapped in the sheet we kept on our bed for him. It is perhaps incongruous to think that someone my age, who has seen war and violence and human cruelty, would want to believe in “The Rainbow Bridge.” But I do. I want to think he has crossed into a place where he no longer hurts, where he will be with Otto and where perhaps someday I will see him again.

Maybe we should have just called him Nedd the Family Member.

How to supersize your stow-n-go

By Mary Ann Wilcox

Many of you have mini-vans to cart your family hither and yon. Many of those vans have “stow-n-go” compartments that house your back seats and (for some) front seats when you are using your van to haul cargo. These compartments vary in size depending on the make, model and year of your van. But in any case, they are great for storing everything you need to take care of your family during an evacuation or day adventure. They are your 72-hour kit on wheels.

All of the items can fit in the stow-n-go of our Dodge Grand Caravan. I also store additional items under the front seats, in the door pockets and the glove compartment. You will be amazed how much will fit in your car to help you “get out of Dodge,” and fast.

Food is very important if you want happy campers in your car. I have two sweater boxes in one stow-n-go. They hold individual fruit, Jell-o and pudding cups; shelf-safe dinners, casseroles and sandwich spreads; hot drinks, instant oatmeal, instant soup and cold drink mixes. I also keep lock-n-lock containers of cheese or peanut butter and crackers and cookies. And the most important – my candy bucket. Comfort food is very important in an emergency. I don’t know why, but the stow-n-go compartments in my van stay cooler in the summer than the rest of my car, so foods don’t lose there shelflife because of the heat.

There is also room alongside the sweater boxes to keep other items: winter clothing, laundry supplies, personal hygiene items, dishwashing supplies, rain gear, a solar shower, camp stools, a

hammock and a pop-up dressing room (underneath the buckets). Each category is placed in its own zipper pouch.

In my other stow-n-go I keep all my car appliances, our roadside kit, auxiliary battery, inverter, lantern and tools. The roadside kit has a blanket, air compressor, jumper cables, first aid kit, flashlight and tow strap. I added rain ponchos, a compass, folding shovel, hatchet, folding saw and headlamp.

The hot pot and lunch box oven are my favorite car appliances. They plug into your auxiliary power outlet in your car and allow you to cook while you drive. I make hot beverages, instant soup, hard boiled eggs and instant cereal in my hot pot. It boils water in 10 minutes. I love my lunch box oven for making dinner on the road. I cook roast, potatoes and carrots; ham and baked beans; chicken and rice; and all sorts of other meals, breads, cakes and muffins. I put the ingredients in the oven at noon and dinner is ready when we arrive at our destination. The oven bakes at 300 degrees.

While stow-n-go compartments were not necessarily intended for this purpose, it is surprising how much you can store in your vehicle that will help you make your van or SUV the first line of defense when you are in an emergency, or just had a change in plans. I hope this will have you seeing your vehicle’s storage potential differently.

Good luck on your adventures!

For more information, go to maryannscupboards.com or contact Mary Ann Wilcox at wilcoxfun@aol.com.

Salmon Rustica

Grilled Salmon Salad

CALENDAR

Please send family-related calendar items to editorgaye@gmail.com

S E P T E M B E R

Foster care informational meetings

Foster parents make a tremendous difference in the lives of children and youth who are in foster care by providing a safe and loving temporary home. A foster care informational meeting is a great opportunity to gain a basic understanding of who the children in foster care are, the roles and responsibilities of foster parents, and the process you will need to go through to become licensed to foster. During the meeting, you will also hear from an experienced foster parent about the rewards and challenges of fostering. Visit https://familyrtc.org/fosteringidaho/events for the calendar of events. Questions? Call Monique Layton at (208) 249-0180 or email mlayton4@ewu.edu.

Art in the Park

Boise Art Museum’s Art in the Park 2023 is set for Friday through Sunday, September 8-10, at Julia Davis Park. Friday and Saturday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the threeday event, Boise Art Museum will present a variety of contemporary arts and crafts, along with food, live music and entertainment, and hands-on activities for children. Go to boiseartmuseum.org for more details.

Last Splash Weekends

Weather permitting, Roaring Springs will hold its Last Splash Weekends for 2023 from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10 and 16-17. For more information, go to www.roaringsprings.com.

Dig into geodes

Crack your own geode and see the magic inside at the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology, 2455 Old Penitentiary Rd. in Boise, from noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, September 10. Cost of admission is $5 plus Eventbrite fee; IMMG members and kids are free. Pre-registration is required at www. idahomuseum.org/events. Contact operations@idahomuseum.org if you have questions.

21st Annual Indian Creek Festival

Indian Creek Festival 2023 is planned for Friday and Saturday, September 15-16, throughout downtown Caldwell. Scheduled events include a car cruise, car show, chalk art contest, and a local marketplace. On Friday, there will be live music and a cardboard kayak race. For more information, go to indiancreekplaza.com.

Bug Day at the Garden

Save the date and take your youngsters to Bug Day at the Idaho Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 16, at the Garden at 2355 N. Old Penitentiary Rd. in Boise. Spend a day with hands-on bug-themed booths and activities. For more information, go to idahobotanicalgarden.org.

Annual Harvest Festival in Middleton

The annual harvest event in Middleton will take place beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, September 16, at Foote Park at the corner of North Middleton Road and Cornell Street in Middleton. There will be a vendor market, carnival rides, a pumpkin patch, corn hole tourney, live music, a car show, and a ladies’ skillet toss. Go to middleton.id.gov.

MasterMinded Student Ministries event

MasterMinded Student Ministries will present “The Dark Road” by Laura Lundren Smith at 6 p.m. Friday, September 22, at Deer Flat Free Methodist Church, 17703 Beet Rd. in Caldwell. This will be a dinner/drama fundraiser event. Cost of the dinner/drama combined is $35/person, with only150 dinner seats available. Seating for dinner starts at 6 p.m. Cost to view only the drama is $10/person, with seating beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Jerri McGarrah at jmcgar7@gmail.com or go to mastermindedministries.org.

Courageous Kids Climbing

Courageous Kids Climbing will be taking up to 20 people of all ages with special needs – regardless of challenges – rock wall climbing at the Downtown YMCA, 1050 W. State St. in Boise from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, September 23. Reservations are required as space is limited. Also, at least six volunteers are needed to help with coaching and belaying the climbers, as well as a couple of volunteers to help with check-in. First responders and members of the military are encouraged by CKC to support this event. For more information, contact CKC Executive Director Jeff Reichmann at courageouskidsclimbing@gmail.com.

Idaho Gourd Festival

The 2023 Idaho Gourd Society Festival is set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 22-23, at the Franz Witte Garden Center at 20005 11th Ave. N. in Nampa. The event is for all ages and admission is free. Features will include a gourd art competition, demonstrations, classes, gifts, vendors, exhibits and make-and-take opportunities. A gourd store will offer raw (undecorated) gourds, a patch of jack-o-lanterns, ornaments, tools, and fine art pieces donated by IDGS members. For those wishing to try their hand at working with gourds, IDGS members are offering several classes. For more information about the classes, contact Franz Witte at http:// www.franzwitte.com/events in advance. For festival information, contact idahogourdsociety.org/festival.html.

Native American Geology: A Celebration

The Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology’s new exhibit, “Mineral Technology of Native Peoples,” will be dedicated on Sunday, September 24, starting at 1 p.m. The program will include words by Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Chairman Lee-Juan Tyler and by Paiute American, Coyote Short. There will be activity stations and food. The museum is located at 2455 Old Penitentiary Rd., and admission will be free. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required by going online at www.idahomuseum.org/events. Contact operations@idahomuseum.org if you have questions. Save the date!

of Events

Oktoberfest

There will be something for the whole family during the Oktoberfest celebration of German culture, food and music from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, September 29, at the Nampa Civic Center. For more information, go to nampaciviccenter.com.

Taste of Caldwell Harvest Festival

Taste Caldwell’s farm fresh foods and farm to fork goods from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, September 30, at Indian Creek Plaza in downtown Caldwell. For more information, go to indiancreekplaza.com.

O C T O B E R

MasterMinded Ministries event

The annual dinner/auction fundraiser for MasterMinded Ministries will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 12, in the lobby at Deer Flat Free Methodist Church in Caldwell. This is an event that has been offered to the community since 2017 to educate people about Israel. Money raised will be used to send 52 students and their parents on a trip to Israel in March of 2024. For more information, contact Jerri McGarrah at jmcgar7@gmail. com or go to mastermindedministries.org.

Eagle Harvest Festival

Kick off the fall season at the Eagle Harvest Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 14, at Heritage Park in downtown Eagle. Enjoy live music, kids’ games, free pumpkin decorating, and more. See cityofeagle.org for further details.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

The Historic Opera Theatre at 148 E. Idaho Ave. in Glenns Ferry holds shows and/or dinner-and-a-show throughout the year. The Halloween presentation for 2023 will be “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and will be performed October 20-21 and October 27-28 (matinee only on October 28). For tickets and more information, go to glennsferrytheatre.org or call (208) 580-4202. Glenns Ferry is just a short drive from the Treasure Valley, so get out and experience something different; shows are also planned for the Christmas holiday.

Funtober Fest

Harvest fun in an outdoor, carnival-style way will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 21, at Harward Rec Center in Nampa. There will be crafts, storytelling, a costume contest, games, and more – something for everyone. Cost is $6.25 for center members and $7.50 for non-members. Adults are free with a paid child. Go to nampaparksandrecreation.org for more information.

Hocus Pocus: Fall Social

It’s about to get weird. The annual Hocus Pocus Fall Social is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, October 22, at Hidden Gem Events, 134 E. State Ave., Ste. 100, in Meridian.

Villain Night

Attend a not-so-spooky night of fun with family friendly villains, face painting, and other seasonal activities from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, October 24, at Chick-fil-A at 2012 N. Eagle Rd. in Meridian.

Trunk or Treat

Downtown Meridian will become a festival of costumes as more than 80 businesses create “mini other worlds” during Trunk or Treat from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 26. New this year will be a game area for anyone who wants to just slow down and enjoy the parade of costumes. Attendance is free. For more information, go to meridiancity.org.

Halloween Artisan & Vendor Fair

A Halloween fair is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 28, in Emmett’s Bowman Memorial Park. All are welcome to come and enjoy the fun.

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo 2023 is set for October 28-29, starting at 10 a.m. at Zoo Boise. For more information, go to zooboise.org

Preschool sets a tone for the future

By Roxanne Drury

The First Day: First-day jitters aren’t just for preschool kids. I am here to tell you that most preschool teachers also experience one form or another of first-day jitters. For a teacher, however, it often begins in early to mid-July. All the questions start floating around in our minds, such as: How many students will I have? Which room will I be in? How could I rearrange my room to make it flow better? How should I post birthdays this year? What welcome theme should I use? So many thoughts on how to make the room inviting and fun. And then there is the most important question of all: WHO will my students be?

I can remember being so excited and anxious to meet them all. Hoping that I would be the kind of teacher that they each needed. From Day 1, I hoped they would walk out of my classroom at the end of the school year knowing all they need to know to become avid readers, love learning, and have the social skills to make new friends throughout their school years. But most of all, I hoped that their first day of school would make them eager to come back tomorrow.

Most schools have a Meet the Teach night. This is our first glance at each other. If your child’s school has a Meet the Teacher night, I encourage you, parents, to attend it. This is an opportunity for us all to get acquainted. I want to meet the parents of each child and give them an opportunity to share some things about their kiddo. As a teacher, this first glimpse of my new class told me so much about each child – who was on the shyer side, who was outgoing or fearless, who might have a hard time on the first day of school. I was able then to have a head start in developing a plan for each one. A teacher has this God-given talent to see – really see –each child and instinctively know how to best welcome and educate them. It truly is a gift.

The first day finally arrives. The room is ready, my heart is pumping and the kids are jazzed and racing around the playground. Moms and dads are hanging out watching and waiting for the big moment – duh, duh, duh, duh –DROPOFF. The whistle blows and the preschool director shouts, “Freeze!” Most everyone stops in their tracks. On the other side of the play yard, though, is that outgoing little guy that just keeps on racing (smile). I see him as a world-changer in the making. The teachers gather their little chicks to line up and head into the classroom.

This is a pivotal moment. In my experience, I have found that in most cases, now is the best time for parents to leave. Lean down, kiss and hug your child, tell them you love them and you will be back for them in a little bit. Tell them to have

fun and you’ll see them later, and then walk away. It may sound harsh, but by doing this you are actually saying to your child that you trust this teacher to care for them and that everything will be OK.

Believe me, if there is any kind of problem or your child is truly struggling, the school will call you; 9.9 times out of 10, a preschool teacher can acclimate all of her students to the preschool setting. Normal separation anxiety is a real and developmentally natural thing, but it can be made easier for the child to separate by a parent being reassuring and having a quick goodbye routine. The less of a deal the parent makes of it, the less of a deal it will be to the child. I understand leaving your child is difficult; but like ripping off a band-aid, a quick goodbye is always best.

At pick-up, it was always a great joy to see kids run to whoever was picking them up and tell them about or show them something they did or made that day. Excitement coming in and excitement going out is always the goal. We ALL made it through the day! Even you, mom and dad!

Preschool teachers are naturally invested in the future of their students. They realize that they are setting the foundation for the balance of each child’s educational years and beyond. I am always excited to hear about my previous students. I want to see their accomplishments and to see what kind of human beings they are turning out to be. Recently, I was re-connected with a mom of a former preschool student from my days in California. Sean is now 20 and talking about transferring from his California Community College to BSU. What a thrill! The first thing I asked for was a picture of him. What a joy to see my preschoolers pursuing further education and the career goals they talked about when they were five years old.

When asked at age five what he wanted to do when he grew up, young Noah told me he wanted to be a pastor. Now 18, Noah has recently applied to the intern program at his church. Did I have anything to do with that decision or calling? No, but it sure is fun to see it come to fruition in his life.

I believe the preschool years truly set the tone for a child’s future. This is the time in their lives when anything can be imagined, they are curious and they want to know about everything. Anything and everything can become a fun game. There is so much for them to learn. Seeing a child light up with an “aha” moment is the absolute

Roxanne Drury

best. Seeing a child accomplish maneuvering scissors – the crème de la crème.

But learning is hard work. So, be warned they will probably come home tired and maybe cranky from all the learning they have done, including how to line up, where to put their stuff, how to use scissors, how to draw a straight line, their letters, their numbers, the sounds, how to be a friend, how to make a friend, how to share, how to wait their turn, how to sit and listen…and on and on. Preschool learning is HARD brain work for them. But it is also giving them a tremendous sense of accomplishment and building up their confidence in who they are. Add to that a fun setting, and it is a win-win.

A favorite quote from my preschool teaching years is one by Ellen Booth Church, a leader in the Preschool Education realm. She says, “It is with fun, hands-on experiences that children make sense of their world – using observation, experimentation, analysis, application, and problem-solving.”

Preschoolers are just trying to make sense of their world. From this side of the desk, there is no greater honor,

privilege, or joy in helping them do just that. It is a huge responsibility and preschool teachers know that, so be kind to your child’s preschool teacher. She is in this with you. Offer a helping hand, be a room mom, and bring her a coffee now and then. She is working hard, too!

Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired preschool teacher.

“It is with fun, hands-on experiences that children make sense of their world –using observation, experimentation, analysis, application, and problem-solving.”

‘Whimsical’ read offers hopeful view

By Jenna Shaver

The books I share with you this month have a few commonalities: whimsical writing, unique and exciting illustrations, and the special “something” that makes you want to read it over and over again and notice something new, something beautiful with every read. My hope is that these books will be as comforting, joyful and delightful to read for you as they have been for me.

The first book I wish to discuss is a literary conundrum. The nondescript spine of this first book gives no hint as to the book’s unique and artful cover. “Next Stop Grand Central,” written and illustrated by Maira Kalman, truly is an exciting read. This book focuses on the workings of New York City’s Grand Central station: the jobs (big and small) that keep thousands of travelers moving, the restaurants, architecture, the countless farewells and hellos. Kalman is known for her unique and playful illustrations and I have yet to find any illustrations just like hers. As a niche concept, this book’s focus on how everyone must play their part in making the world go round is universal.

October 9-November 18

The second book to share seemingly was written from the viewpoint of a parent to their child, but I feel it can be read by anyone to any child. “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” by Oliver Jeffers is a cozy, hopeful, informative read. Jeffers beautifully weaves the guide to humanity from the cosmic spectacular to the intimate micro. From the animal kingdom to our solar system, terrain of the Earth to the human body, this book is joyful and poignant. Humorous and vivid language, hopeful anecdotes, and notes on goodness make this book a must-have addition to any bookshelf.

Thank you for taking a moment to read this article, to consider books that make daily, ordinary endeavors extraordinary and full of light and hope. Dr. Maria Montessori stated that “within the child lies the fate of the future.” Why not make that future hopeful?

Jenna Shaver is an accredited teacher, developing and educating young minds as a Certified Lead Guide. She is a graduate of Montessori Northwest, an Association Internationale training center and one of a small cadre of AMI-certified teachers in Idaho. She holds dual Bachelor’s degrees from Boise State University, one in Early Childhood Intervention/Early Childhood Education and the second in Elementary Education.

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Nampa Parks & Recreation’s

Maxie – looking for her ‘perfect day’

The following information is provided by Wednesday’s Child, an organization that helps Idaho foster children find permanent homes.

If you consider martial arts, animals, traveling, family time, a great pepperoni pizza and all things outdoors among your favorite things, Heidi may be just the fit you’ve been searching for. Heidi, who goes by Maxie, is a well-rounded teen who has many other interests, including soccer; Minecraft; shopping; reading; listening to music; sci-fi movies; crafts like drawing and woodburning; and watching the Lakers or Rams play. Maxie would love to take family camping trips using the “bush crafting” style, where you make all of your own camping supplies and needs from things you find in nature.

Maxie describes her “perfect day” as one spent coloring, spending time outside and hanging out with family, cooking together. Maxie longs to visit interesting places, with Montana being first on her list because of its beautiful scenery. Her funny, inquisitive and articulate personality is sure to make having Maxie along a great addition to all of your family’s travels.

Maxie prides herself on being kind, compassionate and a loyal friend to others, someone who won’t give up on anybody when things get hard. She is also really proud of her perseverance and her ability to always push through to reach her goals. Maxie envisions her future including going to college to study economics and then one day owning her own farm full of goats, horses, sheep, chickens and dogs.

Maxie describes the meaning of family as “never giving up” and longs for parents who will always be there for her. If she could let prospective adoptive families know one thing, it would be that it’s important to know that kids in foster care

are great kids who are often misunderstood because people just don’t know their whole story.

Maxie and her Permanency Team are open to most any type of family makeup, though she is likely to do best as the oldest child in the home. Her team is open to hearing from Idaho families; however, in keeping in line with her adventurous spirit, she wouldn’t be opposed to moving out of state in order to find the perfect fit. Maxie is counting down the days until her life in foster care is in the rear-view mirror and she can look forward to all of the love, stability, and adventures that she has been longing for.

If you share some interests with this wonderful teen and have room in your heart and home to grow your family through adoption, inquire about Maxie today at www. idahowednesdayschild.org.

For more information on the Idaho Wednesday’s Child Program, visit www.idahowednesdayschild.org, or contact Specialized Recruitment Services Administrator Shawn White at swhite52@ewu.edu or cell (208) 488-8989.

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