Date Night

DATES WITH LETTER W

“W”hat to do this month for date night? We’ve got you covered!

WANDERING VINE AT THE CASTLE

Built in 1907 by dairy farmer Remi Caenen, the Caenan Castle, modeled after a French or Belgian estate, originally had 10 bedrooms, but now it’s an amazing restaurant called Wandering Vine at the Castle. My hubby and I double-dated with another couple one night and started out with several appetizers: lamb empanadas, crab and salmon bites and Southwest arancini. All were simply delicious. My main course was the beggar’s purse, which was mouthwatering. The others had the grilled ruby trout, the 14-ounce smoked KC strip steak and the California flatbread. Everyone raved about their food. To cap off the evening, my husband and I shared the flourless chocolate cake with blackberry chile sauce—rich and chocolatey and worth every calorie! And, of course, the atmosphere just made the evening that much better. We highly recommend this place!

WEST BOTTOMS

One sunny Saturday morning, Dean and I headed down to the West Bottoms for one of their first Friday weekends. We meandered through a dozen or so stores full of antiques, vintage items, home decor, clothing and more. The first store we ventured into was Good Ju Ju, which is one of the more well-known stores in the area and one we had been to before. Upstairs at Good Ju Ju is Virginia Patti’s, an Italian bakery with delicious cookies, as well as sandwiches and breakfast items. We each picked out four cookies to enjoy on our stroll around the West Bottoms. Some of the other stores we visited and liked include the Dusted Attic, the Painted Sofa, Bella Patina and UG & Co. We had lunch at a little deli on the lower level of the Dusted Attic, which we highly recommend. In the end, we managed to escape the West Bottoms without any non-food purchases, but I’m sure it will be different next time. Either way, it’s a fun date day activity!

WONDER WOMAN 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 starts with a flashback of Diana competing in a female gladiator games of sorts, which grabs your attention right from the start due to its cinematography and special effects. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie fell flat compared to that. Set in Washington, DC, the plot centers around an artifact called the Dreamstone that can grant wishes. Through a series of events, the Dreamstone falls into the wrong hands, those of Maxwell Lord. As the saying goes ... Be careful what you wish for, and this movie certainly proves that point. Overall, the storyline was predictable and corny, and the movie just wasn’t as good as the first Wonder Woman. However, for two people who desperately needed 2-plus hours of downtime, it made for a good date night. Plus, I loved seeing all the ’80s fashions and hairstyles. Those were the good ol’ days.

Hannah Berry is a freelance writer who lives in the Northland with her husband. They love to explore Kansas City and try new restaurants and activities.

FOR GREAT DATE NIGHT IDEAS STARTING WITH A-V, HEAD TO KCPARENT.COM!

School just started back up for my two daughters and we decided to walk our new dog to the school with the girls this morning. However, we noticed that he was very afraid of all the children when they were trying to pet him. He normally loves children so we thought he would enjoy going to the school. What can I do to help him feel more comfortable? – Lindsey Villanueva

It sounds like he is not quite ready for school trips and may never be if it is too scary for him. I would recommend walking him to a park to socialize with new people. Start with appropriate and slow introductions and reward him when he engages with and is interested in meeting new people. I will encourage you to not walk him to the school if he is too nervous around new people at parks or on normal walks, since going to a school with many new people might be too stressful and could even result in biting out of fear.

– Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

There are tons of Do-It-Yourself cat enrichment items that you can have the kids help make after school or on weekends! Search DIY cat enrichment online for hundreds of ideas on how to keep your kitty busy while the kids are out. You can make extremely cheap enrichment from common household items like toilet paper tubes, plastic easter eggs, pipe cleaners, tissue paper and cardboard. We do this at the shelter to keep our kitties’ brains fully stimulated.

– Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

does not get the treat covered on the floor because that is acting as the chocolate cake or other item she should not have. Repeat this sequence until she sits and watches you when she hears you say, “leave it,” and does not try to get the covered treat. You will then transfer this “leave it” sequence to food items on the counter. Make sure she really knows the command before putting high-value items back on the counters, or you will have to start over. Good luck!

– Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a dog and she is very sweet most of the time, but she has a terrible habit of taking food off the counters in the kitchen? I am worried she might get up there and get something that might hurt her like a chocolate cake that I made for my nephew. I had to keep the cake in the fridge because I was worried about Missy getting to it. How can I train her to stop getting food off the counter? – Evelyn Richards

FEATURED PET FEATURED PET Pooh Bear

We adopted our cat, Eli, over the summer and he seems to be bored at home while the kids are at school. What can I do to keep Eli busy during the day while my kiddos are away? I work from home, but I am unable to give the cat a lot of attention during the day. – Justin Lewis Jr. I would first recommend that you remove all food from the counters. These items can go back on the counter once the dog has learned to stop counter-surfing and taking items. You need to work on the command “leave it”. Start by putting a treat on the ground, covering it with your hand (or foot if you have a mouthy dog) and saying, “leave it”. Wait for your dog to stop trying to get to the treat. When she does, ask her to sit, then reward her with a different treat. She Pooh Bear is the kind of dog you want by your side. Trust us! He is a staff favorite due to his loving nature, go-with-the-flow attitude and playful side. He may be ten years old, but he has a lot of life and love left to give! He enjoys spending time napping, tossing toys around and showing off his “sit”, “down” and “shake” commands. He is not a fan of sharing the spotlight with other animals and would rather have all your attention to himself. This deserving boy is ready for a home of his own. Contact adoptions@greatplainsspca.org to learn more!

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine. Animal expert, Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA, is the Director of Animal Behavior & Training at Great Plains SPCA. Ashley has more than 16 years of experience in animal training and behavior.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 4,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira and Johnson County Parks and Recreation and unincorporated Johnson County.