VOL.23 NO.4
LAST CALL!
✱ "GENTLE" C-SECTIONS ✱ FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE ✱ BELLY ART ✱ RAPPING WITH RAFFI
BABY
2016 CAMP GUIDE
&
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At First Sight
MAY 2016
FREE
And the winner is…
The Parenting Media Association announced the winners of its annual Design & Editorial Awards Competition at its convention last month in Indianapolis, Ind. Among national publications with a circulation of 25,000 and less, Kids VT won:
Silver, Front Cover Illustration “Need a Night Out?” by Pat Lewis (February 2015)
Got Milk?
KIDS VT MATERN
24
KIDSVT.COM MAY 2016
We couldn’t have done it without you!
d Mamava Burlington-base eding and stfe aims to make brea pod at a time — one pumping easier BY MEGAN JAMES
— a name that Enter Mamava h word for “go.” sswoman urlington busine includes the Spanis business was scrollased Janet Stambolian The Burlington-b be ok in stations that can ing through Facebo rst-ever designs lactation and public of the fi ed in workplaces install als and 2013 when a photo gton airports, hospit on suite, at Burlin spaces, such as Mamava lactati for moms to her easier caught it t, g arenas, makin International Airporlittle spaceship,” each pod’s a breastfeeding. Inside keep seating eye. “It looked like for walls is a nding “pod” curved, womb-like rvice-grade she says of the freestars. of food-se breastfeeding mothe d her phone and area made fiberglass. Stambolian grabbe r its first pod at BTV ds, BTV’s directo Mamava placed of called Gene Richar posted the photo. there are now 20 had in August 2013; of aviation, who st,” says than a dozen states. more femini in old an them sleek “I’m rs can pump in cofounded Lactating mothe le Bank Arena in Stambolian, who Out Nite suites at the Pinnac in New Burlington’s Girls looked at that suite Neb., the New SchoolHospital “I n, tions. Lincol Produc Children’s to sell those.” . York City and the and thought, I want is now among other locales of Philadelphia, Stambolian — who er — had a on track to manag The company is Mamava’s sales new units this would take off. She install about 120 feeling the pods at each of the major year, including was right. a novel ea airports — JFK, created has City-ar ny York New will The compa Newark — which problem. The LaGuardia and solution to a vexing of Pediatrics for Mother’s Day. y be delivered in time the American Academ created an app, moms breastfeed The team has also r, recommends that year. ion Station Locato at least the first Mamava Lactat and their babies for e to nd nearby pods rs often struggl to help moms fi But nursing mothe feed their to places find clean, private breast pumps. fRee feb 2015 babies or use their
MATERNIT &
Need a
Night Out?
Vol. 22 No.1
Q Date-Nigh Dispatche t s Q summe r camp guiDe Q treats for ValeNtiNe ’s Day
The PMA judges said: "When the managing editor leads off with a shame-faced account of her first failure as a new mother, you know this is a magazine that lives where its readers do. That sense of warmth and personality pervades each issue. This was a strong category, but those characteristics lifted the gold medal winner above other good writing."
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KIDS VT
Thanks to our talented and passionate staff, our dedicated readers and our fantastic advertisers for making our year so successful.
— from prison
B
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ITY ISSUE SPONSO
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to their kids
Janice Sascha Mayer, Shade, Louisa Schibli and Christine Dodson
BAB Y
Silver, General Feature Writing for “Got Milk?: Burlingtonbased Mamava aims to make breastfeeding and pumping easier” by Megan James (May 2015)
T
Helping mo ms read
he mothers By kaThryn incar flagg Regional Corre cerated at the Chittende ctional Facil n “She’s a little Burlington ity in South can’t (The Vermont diva,” the woman said kiss them good tuck their children in with or night. But some get to read their tions did not Department of Correction a smile. Purple Plast times, they allow Kids VT kids a story. s regulaic Purse, by One Sunday name or to ask Kevin Henk to turning a page. es,” she said, them any direc identify inmates by purple T-shi in January, an inmate Her daughter, t questions.) Incar in a bright rt — part of cerat ed mothers can’t of the uniform the prison kitch Volunteer Laur course, wasn’t with her at night in a read to their for her cozy bedroom that day. a Crain hand children CRCF and cracken — settled into an office job in small digita or Occasionally ed the wom l voice recor they can read curled up on the couch. an a her daughter: ed open the book she’d chair at der. Press the when you’re a book toget famil y visits chosen for Lilly’s Purp red ready her . Some le Plastic Purse The title chara over if you need to record, Crain expla button with cinderbloc times that happens in during . ined. Start cter, a cute white to. this room k Take walls stylish hand as , but today’s that, Crain retre long as you mance, with mouse bag, is a solo perfo want. With only a digita ated into an three children, reminded her of the youn toting a rthe woman l recor adjac “A der ent lot to office, givin some privacy. of [the wom her older sister a smart little first-grade gest of her g en] have had catch the sound. The woman, ing to their r who drives experiences to distraction child in her early readbutton and . 30s, pressed want that conn ren before they came greeted her the record here, and they daug steady voice fundamental ection,” said Crain. “One . “Today we’re hter in a cheerful, things paren of going to be readi is reading and ts do with their the most ng Lilly’s storytelling, child ren that’s been inter and for these moms, rupted.”
KidsVT.com
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March 2015
Silver, Personal Essay for “Into the Woods: A mother and teenage daughter bond on the Long Trail” by Jennifer Lane (November 2015)
Books Behin d Bars
MATTHEW THORSEN
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Kids VT
Silver, Family Fun for the “Mealtime” column by Erinn Simon
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KIDSVT.COM
Gold, News Feature for “Books Behind Bars” by Kathryn Flagg (March 2015)
MAY 2015
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TERFAMILIES
Gold, Overall Writing
LTH.ORG/MEDCEN
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RED BY: UVMHEA
Gold, General Excellence
susan norton
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BABY &
MAY 2016
ISSUE
VOL.23 NO .4
ER MAT NITY
C-Change...20
Editor’s Note....................................................................5 See & Say ..........................................................................6 Coloring-Contest Winners ................................7 Writing Contest Winners ..................................7 Habitat: VW Cupola...................................................52 Birthday Club..................................................................54 Use Your Words: Meet the Diblings............55
2016
JUNE 6-12 OUR BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR! UP TO 70% OFF ALL WEEK LONG.
Sing So Free...24 Children’s entertainer Raffi on Bernie, music and inspiration
EAT. LEARN. PLAY Kids Beat .............................................................................8 One to Watch: Isaac Wood-Lewis.................10 Fit Families: AcroYoga ...........................................11 Destination Recreation: Get Air! Vermont 12 Bookworms: Board Books ...................................13 Balancing Act: The Sunderlands ...................14 Mealtime: First Birthday Cake ........................16 Out to Eat: Rickie’s Indian....................................17 The Art of Belly Adornment .............................18 Checkup: Secondary Infertility .......................19
More Tough Choice$..........26
Band-Aids and Bonfires...28 Nurses treat kids and find community at sleepaway camp
HANDS ON
Terra Heilenbach, who is interviewed in the article “C-Change” on page 20, holds her son Ellis just minutes after a “gentle” C-section at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
Real Science. k8v-CheeseTraders0516.indd 1
VOL.23 NO.4
FREE
MAY 2016
LAST CALL!
2016 CAMP GUIDE
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MATERNIT
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At First Sight STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
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Illustrator: Tyler Parker
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AL FUN! E R
✱ "GENTLE" C-SECTIONS ✱ FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE ✱ BELLY ART ✱ RAPPING WITH RAFFI
BABY
ON THE COVER
Cathy Resmer Colby Roberts Alison Novak Meredith Coeyman Brooke Bousquet Corey Grenier Kaitlin Montgomery Brett Stanciu
1186 Williston Rd. So. Burlington, VT 05403 (Next to the Alpine Shop) 802.863.0143 Open 7 days 10am-7pm cheeseandwinetraders.com
2016 CAMP GUIDE
Daily Listings ..................................................................38 Classes ..................................................................................39 Ongoing Exhibits ........................................................40 Playgroups ........................................................................45 Story Times ......................................................................46
Copublisher/Executive Editor Copublisher Managing Editor Contributing Editor Art Director Marketing & Events Manager Account Executive Calendar Writer
ARGAIN PRICES ! ALL AT B
Readers respond to our April cover story about the “benefits cliff ”
CALENDAR
Writing Contest............................................................51 Coloring Contest .........................................................53 Puzzle Page ......................................................................54
GARAGE SALE
Women are pushing for “gentle” cesarean sections
4/26/16 10:22 AM
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We invite you to visit Mater Christi School’s beautiful campus, pre-school through grade 8 classrooms, Makerspace, and state-of-the-art science lab. Call 802-658-3992 to RSVP for our Spring Open House on May 11, or to schedule a personal tour. WWW.MCSCHOOL.ORG
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KIDSVT.COM
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MY TWO PREGNANCIES weren’t complicated, but I didn’t breeze through either one of them. When I was pregnant with almost-9-year-old Mira, a concerning genetic screening led to an amniocentesis, where a medical technician uses a needle to sample amniotic fluid. That procedure turned traumatic when the guy in charge had a difficult time inserting the impossibly long needle into my belly, which led to lots of uncomfortable poking and prodding. While carrying my son, Theo, three years later, I was disgusted by all food and struggled to put on weight for the first time in my life. In my second trimester, I contracted the H1N1 virus, also Dancing known as swine flu, and on the eve of Theo’s made several solo trips to birth Fanny Allen so I could be hydrated through an IV drip while my husband stayed home with toddler Mira. I worried that I would give birth to a frail and sickly baby. (Thankfully, Theo was born perfectly hearty at more than seven pounds.) I temporarily forgot about all of that hardship when I finally met the little people who had caused me such angst. But I think about those experiences, and being pregnant in general, often. Though the gestational period lasts just nine months, the intense gamut of feelings a pregnant woman experiences — from bliss to misery, excitement to fear — imbues it with added significance. I enjoyed reflecting on that era for this month’s Baby & Maternity Issue. In reporting “The Art Of” (page 18), I talked with three local artists who help moms celebrate and commemorate their beautiful, pregnant bellies.
BABY &
A Pregnant Pause
ER MAT NITY ISSUE
EDITOR’S NOTE
Pregnancy’s culminating event — the birth itself — is something that most of us relive over and over again with friends, family and likely the kids themselves. Contributing editor Meredith Coeyman revisited the births of her children in these pages, too — twice. Her piece in the 2014 Baby & Maternity Issue, “Rebirth Plan: A ‘natural’ mom comes to terms with her C-section,” was recognized with a Gold award in the personal essay category from the Parenting Media Association. This year, for our Baby & Maternity issue, Coeyman describes a patient-driven movement to change the way some C-sections are conducted. In “C-Change: Women are pushing for ‘gentle’ cesarean sections” (page 20), she explains how small modifications to the standard C-section model are making the operation feel more like a birth. This year’s Baby & Maternity Issue also takes readers back to the moment of conception. We check in with a fertility specialist in “Checkup” (page 19), who offers advice to parents having trouble getting pregnant with baby No. 2. And we hear from a lesbian mom trying for a second child who was surprised to discover that her first son, conceived using sperm from an anonymous donor, had half siblings — a lot of them — scattered all across the country (“Meet the Diblings,” page 55.) Finally, this month we’re sad to say ciao (or chow?) to Erinn Simon, who has served up appetizing anecdotes to Kids VT readers for the past two years. We wish her a future as sweet and enriching as the recipes she’s shared with us.
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Call (802) 861-2340 or visit carsharevt.org Untitled-26 1
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ALISON NOVAK, MANAGING EDITOR KIDSVT.COM
Some of this month’s Kids VT contributors:
MAY 2016
HEIDI REMICK (“Use Your Words”) is a domestic and sexual violence prosecutor and a newly elected school board member in Windsor County. She reads and writes romance to restore her faith in love, relationships and humanity in general.
KIDS VT
MEREDITH COEYMAN (“C-Change”) lives in Burlington with her husband, Dave, and two kids, Leo and Mila. When she’s not writing or editing for Kids VT and Seven Days, she’s thinking about baklava. Or going to the beach. Or convincing herself that she totally, definitely doesn’t want another baby.
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SEE & SAY
Winners’ Circle Kids VT took home seven awards at the Parenting Media Association conference in Indianapolis last month. We competed against other parenting publications from around the country in our circulation category (25,000 and fewer). Our accolades included: SILVER, Family Fun for the “Mealtime” column by Erinn Simon SILVER, Personal Essay for “Into the Woods: A mother and teenage daughter bond on the Long Trail” by Jennifer Lane (November 2015) SILVER, General Feature Writing for “Got Milk?: Burlington-based Mamava aims to make breastfeeding and pumping easier” by Megan James (May 2015)
! Y B A OH B BABY &
GOLD, News Feature for “Books Behind Bars: Helping moms read to their kids — from prison” by Kathryn Flagg (March 2015)
Readers Respond
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
In our April “Use Your Words” column, Kirsten Isgro wrote about the experience of parenting her daughter Sylvie, who has Krabbe disease, a fatal condition. The piece got more than 1,100 likes on Facebook, and one mom shared these thoughts: Your words are so spoton! Our daughter just turned 10, and they didn’t think she would make it past 3. She has Zellweger syndrome and was just diagnosed with Moyamoya disease after her stroke in August. We also have an 8-year-old and try our very hardest at giving her a “normal” life. We just bought a pop-up and we will be taking them camping, because we all want to enjoy life and make awesome memories! I don’t know how much time we will have with her, but it will never stop me from loving every minute! Thank you for this article and sharing your story! JENNIFER CHARBONNEAU ESSEX
GOT A COMMENT? Email us at feedback@kidsvt.com.
TERNITY MA UE ISS
SILVER, Front Cover Illustration “Need a Night Out?” by Pat Lewis (February 2015)
And two biggies: GOLD for Overall Writing — for the fifth year in a row! — and, for the first time, GOLD for General Excellence. Yep, according to the PMA, we’re the best parenting publication of our size in the country. We’re proud and grateful to be recognized nationally for our work.
Mary Ann Lickteig with twins Andrew and Nicholas
We asked Kids VT staff members and contributors to share their pregnancy and newborn photos of years gone by. Here’s a sampling of the sweet snapshots.
Brett Stanciu with Molly Darcie Abbene with Hadley
We received lots of feedback from our April cover story (“Tough Choices: Vermont parents are opting out of work to retain their benefits”), including this response from a grandmother. For more reactions to the piece, turn to page 27 (“More Tough Choice$”). Excellent, well-written article, and so true. I see my daughter going through this situation. It is financially better for her to keep her income down so she can receive health care and aid toward daycare/preschool. It is a disadvantage, especially for women who have to decide between giving up a career or putting it on hold versus health care and childcare. Putting a career on hold could have a negative impact on a woman’s future career opportunities. This is so wrong and this is the reason why we need to go to a federal universal single-payer health care system in our country. This is also the reason why we need a universal pre-K federal program, so that all children get the same quality care and education equally. Teachers will be certified just like our public school teachers. This should be a federal law, not done state by state. CHRISTINE MOON ESSEX JUNCTION
Brooke Bousquet with Henry
Janet Essman Franz with Adam and Zac in her belly
Grace Per Lee with Levi in her belly
Erinn Simon with Sadie
Writing Contest Winners Cathy Resmer with Graham
Spring fever must be going around! We received dozens of submissions to this month’s poetry contest, which asked readers to pen an acrostic poem about spring using the word “APRIL.” The two winners each receive a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington. Below are the winning poems.
Nico A. Jastatt, 9 BURLINGTON
Meredith Coeyman with Leo
Amazing season that brings joy, for every girl and boy. Pretty flowers growing tall, their beauty lasts until the fall. Rain and clouds, that brings sun, and playful puddles for everyone. In this month of spring, not summer or fall, there is love and compassion for all. Love is strong and so is grace, this is very special in Vermont, our home place.
The winners of annual family memberships to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium are…
COLORING CONTEST
Coloring-contest entries flooded our mailbox with sparkly showers, rainbows and tulips in April. Madison Reed, 4, added a bright sun to the sky and jazzed up her cat’s boots with smiley faces. Pink flowers bloomed and fat raindrops fell in 12-year-old Jasmin Townsend’s drawing. Olivia Harris, 8, took the phrase “raining cats and dogs” quite literally, filling the sky with canines and felines. Our judges appreciated the amazing, outsidethe-box thinking this month. Keep the creative work coming!
Ken Picard with Manya and Ezra
RAZZLE DAZZLE RAINBOW
Mia White, 9, Williston WAY TOO WET
Eliza Lynch, 7, Essex Junction SUPERKITTY!
Kelsey Glanz, 4, Jericho Zoey Copp, 10, Orleans Isabel Rose, 5, Johnson CRYING KITTY
Ambrose Vickery, 8 COLCHESTER
“Puss in Rain Boots”
Angelina Limtone, 7, Hopewell Junction, N.Y. FLOATING FISH FRIENDS
Liliveve Cueto, 2, St. Albans SUPERBLY STRIPED
Samantha, 9, Bristol MEOWING IN THE RAIN
Abigail Cribby, 8, Georgia SPARKLING SHOWER
Jasmine Tornabe, 5, Burlington SHOWERS AND FLOWERS
Lucia Hackerman, 7, Charlotte A PURRFECT DAY
Cadence Tenney, 9, Williamstown
TOP TITLES “CATTY-LAC”
Lillianna Avila, 10
9 to 12
BARRE
“Where Ye Treasure”
Paris Schoolcraft, 4, Duxbury “I AM AWESOME”
Jackson Graves, 6, South Hero “PUSS IN THE ENCHANTED GARDEN”
Cynthia Smith, 11, Berlin
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Find this month’s coloring contest on page 53. The deadline for submissions is May 15.
KIDS VT
Find the May writing prompt on page 51. The deadline is May 15. Happy writing!
6 to 8
FLYING FISH
MAY 2016
April is the month of new beginnings, with buds popping up and birds singing. Proud oaks standing, mottled with age, wish they had buds (they seem all the rage). Restful bears, after a long winter’s nap, wake up and see buds starting to unwrap. “Ice is gone!” the birds happily say. “Let’s rise and greet this beautiful day!” Left behind is Jack Frost the scoundrel, and now there’s a beautiful Vermont April.
“The Little Rain”
KIDSVT.COM
Jessica Ticktin with Mabel in her belly
SHELBURNE
WILLIAMSTOWN
HONORABLE MENTIONS
THE WEATHER CAT
Turner Elliott, 11
Tenley Peloquin, 5
5 and under
BEAT
COURTESY OF JENNA THAYER
THE
B Y A L I S ON N OVA K
BUSINESS
Shop Small Newborns might be tiny, but they require a lot of stuff. From bouncy seats to strollers to baby carriers to high chairs, it can add up fast. TWINKLINGS, a secondhand store stocked with maternity and baby items, aims to defray some of those costs. The one-room shop, which opened in early March, sells maternity clothing, nursing items, and baby clothing and gear at thrift-store prices. The idea came to Birth Journeys childbirth educator and doula Jenna Thayer when she was pregnant with her fourth child. Thayer held a well-attended baby and maternity “swap and shop” in the Birth Journeys space and felt she’d identified a real need in the community. Twinklings opened its doors weeks before Thayer had her daughter Penelope, who’s currently serving as her very sweet sidekick. TWINKLINGS is located next to the Burlington Bike Path at 1 Steele Street, Suite 122, and is open Tuesday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Profits go to the doula scholarship fund Handle With Love VT. Visit vttwinklings.com for more information. Bring donations to the shop, or arrange a pickup time with Thayer by calling 324-8809.
PODCAST
TOYS
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
Listen and Learn of the world will be like. Lindholm, who is pregnant and has a 2-year-old son, says the idea of a kid-focused podcast came to her after reading a friend’s social-media post about being unable to listen to public radio around her kids due to its adult content. With backing from VPR, Lindholm decided to create something like National Public Radio but for kids, aimed at being “really respectful with how inquisitive and thoughtful kids are.” Does your kid have a question for BUT WHY? Record it using the memo app on your smartphone and send it to questions@butwhykids.org. Listen to the podcast at butwhykids.org or find it on iTunes.
COURTESY OF CAREY BUNKER
Parents know all too well that kids have endless questions. BUT WHY, a new podcast from Vermont Public Radio’s “Vermont Edition” host Jane Lindholm and producer Melody Bodette, hopes to provide some illuminating answers. The first 22-minute episode, released last month, tackles a question from 4-year-old Finn of Hinesburg about bears’ hibernation. Lindholm’s conversation with Vermont naturalist Mary Holland is sure to capture kids’ attention. Topics include how bears go so long without eating, pooping and peeing, and what they might dream about. With the help of an astrophysicist and two science-fiction writers, the second installment explores what the end
Make, Believe
An adventurers’ kit
Carey Bunker, a Brandon graphic designer and mom of three, began selling art prints for kids’ rooms nearly two years ago. Her drawings featured two main characters: bookish big sister Addie and her energetic little brother, George. She soon expanded her offerings to include items that would activate kids’ imaginations and encourage
them to commune with nature. “I feel like kids need a world they can escape to,” Bunker explains. Her company, ADDIE & GEORGE, boasts a wide range of products for ages 4 to 10, including shadow puppets, story starter kits, paper masks and crowns, and adventurers’ kits. Bunker rolled out her latest product, Addie & George Coloring Adventures, at the end of April. The coloring and activity book features original brown-and-white drawings and a short story kids can finish themselves, plus a treasure map and a package of seeds to ensure plenty of outdoor adventures. To purchase ADDIE & GEORGE products, visit addieandgeorge.com.
EAT. LEARN. PLAY.
E V O L U T I O N
COURTESY OF MAKE-A-WISH VERMONT
PRENATAL + FAMILY YOGA CENTER
Jonathan Goldsmith with Wish Kid Jamie Heath
Prenatal Yoga 6 Days a Week evolutionprenatalandfamily.com
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Burlington
Bring the Family!
4/28/16 11:58 AM
CAMPAIGN
Getting Better
Next up:
Family Day at Parc Safari Hemmingford, Quebec Saturday, June 18 So join the Family! Visit vermontpbs.org/family or call 1-800-639-8303.
And coming soon: Vermont PBS Family Day with the Vermont Lake Monsters!
KIDS VT
Know a kid who might be eligible for a MAKE-A-WISH VERMONT request? Refer them at vermont.wish.org/ refer-a-child.
MAY 2016
those with terminal conditions. Dummerston’s Tom Bodett of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!” lends his familiar voice to a campaign radio spot, as well. Make-a-Wish trips such as Disney adventures and White House tête-à-têtes with President Obama create experiences that “help in the healing process,” Hathaway says, and give sick kids “something to look forward to.”
KIDSVT.COM
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MAKE-A-WISH VERMONT wants to make their mission clear, and they’ve enlisted the “Most Interesting Man in the World” to help. Manchester resident Jonathan Goldsmith — best known as the debonair, silverhaired gentleman of Dos Equis beer commercials and internet meme fame — costars with Make-a-Wish teen Jamie Heath in a PSA that began airing last month. It’s part of what Make-A-Wish Vermont president and CEO James Hathaway calls the What You May Not Know campaign, highlighting that the organization serves kids with a wide range of life-threatening illnesses, not just
Vermont PBS Family Members have lots of fun – at summertime family events, at community screenings across the state, with online games and family resources… and they support great family programming!
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Q ONE TO WATCH
B Y MA R Y A N N L I CK T E I G
High Flyer
A pint-size ornithologist earns his bird-watching cred
MAY 2016 KIDS VT
10/29/15
world,” Isaac says. He watches their flamenco-like mating dances on YouTube. Birding may seem passive, but it requires hiking to find birds and knowing about their habitats, diets, behaviors, colors and songs in order to identify them, says Larry Clarfeld, a teacher and naturalist at North Branch Nature Center, where Isaac helps band birds. “I’ve never seen someone as young as Isaac who is so good at finding birds,” says North Branch executive director Chip Darmstadt. Focus, curiosity, stamina and passion are all traits that serve the pint-size, yellow-tufted ornithologist well. No birds came to feed the day Isaac lay in the woods at Crow’s Path, though a cardinal came close, Akin says. She marvels at Isaac’s willingness to be still, quiet and open: “He shares with the birds a gentle spirit and a curious nature.” K
“One to Watch” shines a light on a young Vermonter who is going places. Know a local child or teen who’s recently done something amazing? Nominate him or her at kidsvt.com/vermont/kidsvtonetowatch/page.
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Isaac Wood-Lewis out bird-watching
4/28/16 2:54 PM
COURTESY OF VALERIE WOOD-LEWIS
KIDSVT.COM
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ISAAC WOOD-LEWIS LOVES BIRDS. So much so that he once covered himself with leaves and birdseed and lay in the woods for 45 minutes waiting for one to land and eat. Lauren Akin, director of Crow’s Path Field School, thought of the experiment. And when she needed a volunteer, she knew that Isaac, who spends one day a week at the school, would want to participate. Especially attuned to the natural world, Isaac spent lots of time last summer on his neighbor’s porch watching monarch caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies. But it’s birds that really command his NAME: ISAAC WOOD-LEWIS interest. TOWN: BURLINGTON “I think it’s cool that 10:15 AM AGE: 9 they’re, like, one of the only animals that can fly and the only animals that have feathers,” he says. “And also just how there’s so many different types and, like, shapes and sizes and colors.” In spring, the Burlington 9-year-old gets up at 4 a.m. a handful of times to help band songbirds, a tracking method where a numbered band is placed on the bird’s leg. On icy October nights, he stays up long past his bedtime banding saw-whet owls. And in January, he was the youngest member of Vermont’s team at the Superbowl of Birding, a 12-hour bird-watching competition in Massachusetts. Isaac’s avian passion began about four years ago when, out shopping with his mom, a bird feeder caught his attention and he asked her to buy it. One feeder became four, and his short bird walks gradually got longer. Soon Isaac was using PowerPoint to create birding presentations for school kids and senior citizens. He saved his allowance to buy The Sibley Guide to Birds and had it autographed. Isaac’s mom, Valerie, recalls his first bird walk with adults in Colchester, when he was about 5 years old. “I’m his equipment carrier,” she says. “And we come stumbling up. Everyone looks, and they’re worried he’s going to be a distraction — He won’t have the attention span, he’s going to scare the birds away,” Valerie says. “And then he’s the first one to spot [a bird].” He even used birders’ lingo to describe its location: “‘Third branch up, three o’clock, on the dead part, move in a foot,’” Valerie says. “So he quickly earned his street cred with this group of gray-haired birders.” Birders have something called a “life list” where they log their sightings; Isaac’s is already 270 entries long. Among his favorites are the plain chachalaca he saw on a family trip to Mexico and the spotted sandpiper he saw in Burlington. He’s excited to add to his tally. “I have a lot of big-goal birds,” he says, like the blacknecked stilt and the gray jay. “Everyone who has seen one has hand-fed it,” he says of the latter. And then there are birds-of-paradise, “probably the most amazing birds in the
Q FIT FAMILIES
B Y J ANE T E SSM AN FRAN Z
EAT. LEARN. PLAY.
AcroYoga COURTESY OF JANET FRANZ
Providing aa Providing mixed-aged, mixed-aged, developmental developmental program for program for children 3-9 children 18 months ofofage. - years 12 years age. A A child-centered child-centered alternative alternative education. education. …dedicated to the philosophy and Montessori ...teachings dedicatedoftoMaria the philosophy and teachings of Maria Montessori
ENROLLING NOW! Montpelier Montessori School Berlin, VT Berlin, VT www.mscvt.org
YIN-YANG STRETCH: This stretch is great for the back and hip flexors. Sit backto-back with legs crossed. Extend your right arms to the side and left arms into the air. Then shift your k8v-MSCV1111.indd 1 bodies to the right so your k8v-mscv0516.indd 1 heads are side by side. Lean back until your heads rest on each other’s inner thighs. Extend both arms to the side and relax into the stretch.
All inquiries: All
802.223.3320 802.223.3320
stacking. When a support person aligns their ankles over knees and hips while using their feet to balance someone, the pressure shifts from their joints and muscles to their bones, which can bear more weight. And when the flyer pushes their hands against the supporter’s hands and both people straighten their elbows, it creates a strong, stable line of support without straining the shoulders. Soon it was our turn. I felt an awesome stretch in my hamstrings as Adam extended his body over mine. When we felt stable, we moved into the bird pose. With Flower spotting, Adam let go of my hands and brought his arms behind him like soaring wings. I flexed and pointed my toes to rock him back and forth.
Adam lifted off the ground, performing daring aerial maneuvers as I supported his body.
We learned several more poses including one called the highflying whale, where Adam did an aerial backbend that allowed him to flex his spine while I massaged his back with my feet. At first it seemed like the base person was doing all the work. But we soon discovered that it was even more strenuous for the flyer. “It’s sort of like how it is when you’re walking,” Adam suggested. “When you walk, it’s harder for you than it is for the floor. The floor just holds you up.” Adam felt the exertion in his abs and glutes. After the session, we agreed that doing poses together helped us tune in to each other. “I feel stretched out and really relaxed,” Adam said. And, best of all: “I liked it because I was with you.” K
FLYING LESSONS:
Dance Apparel & Footwear
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802.878.8988
KIDS VT
“Fit Families” is a monthly feature that offers easy and affordable ways to stay active. Got an idea for a future FF? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com.
DANCE RETAILER
3:39 PM
MAY 2016
Drop into Flower’s AcroYoga class on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m.12:50 p.m. at Topnotch Resort in Stowe. Book a private session or schedule an AcroYoga birthday party through Flower’s website, karmiconnection.com. To find other AcroYoga classes and instructors, visit acroyogavermont.com/classes or Acro Yoga Vermont’s Facebook page.
1/19/12 11:43 AM
Vermont’s Premier4/27/16
KIDSVT.COM
FINDING AN ACTIVITY that parents and preteens can enjoy together might feel like a stretch. But sometimes, that’s exactly what’s required. Recently, my 12-year-old son, Adam, and I worked together in a remarkable way: We learned to fly. No, we didn’t grow wings. But he did lift off the ground, performing daring aerial maneuvers as I supported his body. It all happened in AcroYoga class. I came upon the practice — which combines acrobatics with yoga and Thai massage — as I was searching for exercises to help Adam relieve his growing pains and stiff muscles. I was intrigued, and we already had some related experience: We’d done traditional family yoga together before. While it helped, the classes were geared toward young children. We were ready for a more formidable challenge. Developed in the 1980s, AcroYoga was originally called contact yoga. It requires at least two people but works best with three or more. One person lies on the ground as a base, while another (the “flyer”) balances on their partner’s hands and feet. A third person spots the flyer and keeps everyone safe. I scored a one-hour private AcroYoga session with Lori Flower for $40 — discounted from $75 — through the Localvore Today website. We met Flower at her studio, which is the matlined living room in her tidy Waterbury home. After briefly warming up with leg and back stretches, Flower enlisted me to demonstrate poses while Adam watched. We started with the folded leaf pose. Flower reclined on the mat with her legs in the air while I stood facing her with my feet close to her bottom. I leaned forward, and she caught my thighs with her feet, our hands pressing together. The small-statured instructor hoisted me into the air with ease and told me to extend my arms and legs. This was all well and good, but I wondered aloud how I would lift Adam’s 95-pound frame. That’s when Flower divulged the secret: bone
Janet and Adam practice the yinyang stretch
3/21/16 12:10 PM
ALISON NOVAK
Q DESTINATION RECREATION BY A LISON N OVA K
Trampoline Park Get Air Vermont, 25 Omega Drive, Williston, 497-5031, getairvermont.com I’VE BEEN SEMI-STALKING Get Air Vermont’s Facebook page since I learned several months ago that the chain trampoline park was expanding to Williston. So when a post appeared in mid-March announcing opening weekend, I jumped at the chance to try it out. Get Air Vermont has set up shop in a nondescript office park near the big-box stores at Taft Corners. When my family of four arrived on a Sunday morning, it was apparent from the sealed plastic bags of black, green and purple foam blocks that Get Air wasn’t fully set up yet. But that didn’t deter me, my husband, Jeff, 8-year-old daughter, Mira, and 6-year-old son, Theo, from jumping our hearts out. After filling out an electronic waiver, watching a short safety video, and shelling out upwards of 70 bucks for special sticky jump socks and bracelets that entitled us to one hour of all-access jumping, we were in. We started with the dodgeball section, where jumpers can hurl lightweight balls at each other from different sides of a trampoline-covered court. After that, we bypassed Little Air — a section designated for jumpers under 46 inches — and headed for the foam pits, where Mira and Theo bounced down a short runway into a heaping pile of soft, squishy blocks and tested their balance on a wobbly rope ladder. The biggest area is a huge field of trampolines, punctuated with carpeted platforms that offered us a
little extra bounce. There’s also a row of curved tramps we could run up and jump down from. We worked up a sweat quickly bouncing from tramp to tramp. I was glad we’d remembered our water bottles but wished I had worn short sleeves. Overall, it was an exhilarating experience, but watching older kids do backflips and tricks nearby gave me a few pangs of anxiety. I envisioned them crashing into my kids or, worse, severely injuring themselves. Safety referees, clad in black-and-whitestriped shirts, monitored the scene, but they looked young and like they were just learning the ropes. An hour of jumping felt like plenty that day, but Mira and I returned several weekends later to check out the features that hadn’t been open when we first went. It was considerably more crowded the second time around; at 10:15 a.m. on a Sunday, we waited in line for half an hour to get bracelets. The cargo nets, swinging sacks of foam blocks and climbing walls that comprised the obstacle courses proved fun but challenging for Mira, though teenagers seemed to navigate them with ease. The throngs of people who flooded into the place that day were evidence that there’s clearly a desire to “get air” in Vermont. But because of the steep price and the slightly chaotic atmosphere, we’ll probably only visit occasionally to burn some energy as a family. K
Theo, Jeff and Mira jump in the trampoline field
DETAILS Get Air Vermont is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. One hour of jumping costs $15 per person; two hours is $24. For kids under 46 inches, the cost is $9 for one hour and $15 for two hours. Reusable jump socks cost $3, or bring your own socks with sticky bottoms. Fill out an online waiver on the website prior to visiting to save time.
PROS
CONS
• Great exercise. Little ones can work out their wiggles, and adults can skip the gym and sweat alongside their kids.
• Crowded — expect to wait in line. Arrive early to beat the rush.
• Good for all ages. Preschoolers can play in the Small Air section while teens challenge themselves on the obstacle courses. • Fun! Jumping alongside your kids creates a feeling of joy that you won’t get bowling or playing video games.
• Expensive, especially if every member of your family decides to jump. • No food or drinks available, so bring a water bottle and snacks for a postjumping refuel.
Local parents review a play space each month in “Destination Recreation.” Got a spot you’d like us to feature? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com.
KIDSVT.COM
Proud of your project? ✱ HABITAT
Invite us over!
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
Get home and garden ideas from your neighbors in Kids Vt. Habitat (page 52) celebrates places where Vermont families live and play. Do you have a creative space? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com
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On Board
&
MATERNIT
REPTILE CIRCUS
SSUE YI
BABY
✱ BOOKWORMS
Some board books are so simple they leave parents feeling, well, bored. But their sturdy pages are perfectly suited to little hands. We asked Kristen Eaton, marketing and events manager at Phoenix Books, to recommend books that are durable enough for busy babies and toddlers — and fun for parents, too.
Connecting Kids with Reptiles Paul LaRosa • 617.407.7533 reptilescircus@gmail.com reptilecircus.org 12h-reptilecircus0416.indd 1
3/21/16 11:13 AM
Move! BY LOLLY HOPWOOD AND YOYO KUSTERS; ILLUSTRATED BY LUKE FLOWERS
This new release combines imaginative play with movement. You can put it up to your face like the jaws of a dinosaur or hold its handles and swing it like you’re rowing a canoe. Eaton praises the book’s “interactive text and vibrant illustrations that will inspire kids and parents to get up and move!”
The Finish Line is
Just the Beginning. Experience the Girls on the Run movement for yourself. Join us for the next Girls on the Run 5k run/walk and let’s celebrate joyfulness, confidence, and health!
Little Honey Bee
5K Schedule:
BY KATIE HAYWORTH; ILLUSTRATED BY JANE ORMES
Brattleboro May 21
Readers count the blooming flowers, then peek under their leaves to discover buzzing bees. It’s “a gorgeous lift-theflap board book, perfect for celebrating spring and summer,” says Eaton.
Rutland May 28
Essex Junction June 4
Register to run or volunteer at:
GirlsOnTheRunVermont.org K6H-GOTR0516.indd 1
Gone Wild
vermont 4/27/16 12:27 PM
Timber Lane Pediatrics
BY DAVID MCLIMANS
This Caldecott Honor alphabet book features black-and-white images of endangered animals and their scales, horns and wings. Though it has very little text, Eaton calls the illustrations “stunning.”
Animally BY LYNN PARRISH SUTTON; ILLUSTRATED BY HAZEL MITCHELL
1127 North Ave., Burlington, VT 05408 To make an appointment, please call 802-846-8100
11 Haydenberry Drive, Suite 103, Milton, VT 05468 To make an appointment, please call 802-893-1200
k4t-TimberLanePed0516.indd 1
4/26/16 1:22 PM
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Checkout our website – www.timberlanepeds.com
KIDS VT
51 Timber Lane, South Burlington, VT 05403 To make an appointment, please call 802-864-0521
MAY 2016
Recommendations compiled by Alison Novak.
We’ve been providing pediatric care in the Burlington area for over 40 years. Our physicians and staff continue to dedicate themselves to the health and care of infants, children and adolescents from birth through age 22. Our goal is to provide you with the best medical care for your family. We are accepting new patients at our 3 locations.
KIDSVT.COM
Written by Vermont author Sutton, this book takes readers on an adventure through the animal kingdom. Each line features a creature and an adverb that lovingly celebrate family togetherness: “I love you hugely like a whale”; “I love you shyly like a quail”; “I love you cleverly like a fox”; “I love you powerfully like an ox.” Though not technically a board book, the card-stock pages make it a good choice for toddlers. Eaton says it’s her “new favorite pick for baby-shower gifts.”
BY JESSICA LARA TICKTIN
Nancy and Bob Sunderland with children Brittany, Beau, Laila, Vanessa and Abigail
To Herd and to Hold
How a dairy farmer and a baby-wrap entrepreneur juggle business and kids NANCY AND BOB SUNDERLAND are a classic Vermont pair: a small-business entrepreneur and a fifth-generation dairy farmer, respectively. While she checks her inbox and fills orders for organic baby wraps, he tends to the cows and fields on their Addison County farm. Their backgrounds are just as different as their jobs. Nancy grew up in suburban Essex, Vt., with a father who worked at IBM, while Bob was raised on the family farm in Bridport, working alongside his father and grandfather. Instead of going straight to college, Nancy joined the Marine Corps after high school, attended boot camp in Parris Island, S.C., then drove trucks in Okinawa, Japan. Later, in California, she earned a Navy achievement medal for instituting a safe driving program for her squad. At age 22, she left the military and enrolled at the University of Vermont, where she studied business administration. She lived with her parents, working two part-time jobs and caring for her young daughter, Brittany, from a previous marriage. Nancy met Bob — who had always lived in Vermont save for a six-month stint skiing with buddies in Colorado — through friends in Burlington. The two found common ground in their Christian faith, and were married five months after meeting. By the time Nancy moved from Essex to the unfamiliar Bridport farm where Bob grew up, she was already pregnant with their first child, Abigail. Vanessa came 19 months later, and, in 2008, their daughter Laila was born. They lost a baby boy at 19 weeks in 2011, but the next year Nancy gave birth to their son, Beau. An avid baby-wearer, Nancy would tote her little ones around while she tended to her many tasks as a mother and farmer’s wife. When Beau was born, NANCY SUNDERLAND she discovered woven wraps, which are less stretchy than knit wraps. She loved how they felt, and how they held her baby. Nancy decided to design her own, so in 2013 she enrolled in the Women’s Small Business Program at Burlington nonprofit Mercy Connections and launched Poe Wovens the following year. Nancy is the company’s only employee, but she uses independent contractors for bookkeeping and textile and website design. She works around 25 hours a week, while her kids are at school, and has sold over 1,000 wraps during her two years in business. As conservative Christians and Republicans, the Sunderlands are in the minority in Vermont. Hand-
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KIDSVT.COM
The willingness to be flexible has been key in us finding our parenting groove.
Mom: Nancy Sunderland, 38, founder and creative director, Poe Wovens
written house rules and a “How to be Caught Being Good” sign — complete with Bible references — hang in the family’s bright farmhouse kitchen. Nancy writes for the Burlington VT Mom’s Blog, in part, she says, “to get a different perspective out there.”
On the morning routine: BOB: I wake up about a quarter of five. I head out the door and go milk the cows. I like to start milking around 5:30, and then I don’t usually come in until ten o’clock or 10:30. So I miss the morning routine most of the time with the kids. Except on Thursdays [when] I don’t milk, and one day on the weekend. NANCY: Then I get to sleep in! But normally I get up at 6:30. We are all not morning people — except him! We have to motivate each other in the morning to get moving. Usually our teenager drives herself to the high school in Middlebury, and the little kids can either ride the bus or sometimes I will bring them to school.
On chores: NANCY: The housework does tend to pile up because I am away from the house at that crucial dinnertime. I’m in Middlebury with activities and sports for the kids. The kids hate it, but I need their help. So we have a chore chart, and I make them consistently help me with the housework. I try to get it done early in the weekend so that we can have that time together, so that it’s not like, “No, we can’t go outside to play because you have to vacuum.”
Dad: Bob Sunderland, 39, dairy farmer, Sunderland Farm Inc. (formerly known as Rolling Acres Farm)
NANCY: One of the things that helped Kids: Daughters when we had a bunch Brittany, 16; Abigail, 12; of little kids was that Vanessa, 11; and Laila, we had au pairs. It was 7; and son, Beau, 4 a lifesaver. I mean, I remember sitting in a counseling office [before we had au pairs], and the counselor was saying, “So are you saying you need Bob to help you more with the kids and the dishes and this and that, or are you saying you just need someone to help you?” And I said, “I just need help. I don’t care where it comes from! I just know that I am drowning in this sea of little people and chores, and I am going to go bananas if I don’t get some help!”
On scheduling: BOB: We are looking into building a new facility with robotic milkers now. That will alleviate some of the hands-on work with the cows. One of the biggest things is, it’s just going to offer flexibility. If there are things I need to do with Nancy and the kids, I’ll be able to do that easier. NANCY: The willingness to be flexible has been key in us finding our parenting groove. I wouldn’t say we have a balance, per se, but we make it work by being flexible and adaptable to each other’s needs, work schedules, et cetera. My military training in action: adapt and overcome!
On having balance:
On setting an example:
BOB: I think we do now, but it was really crazy when the kids were all younger. It was nuts! I mean, now if the older kids need something to do, I can take them with me. I can have them follow me around, or if they just want to go over toward the farm, they can go ride their bikes anywhere over there.
NANCY: It was important to me that I wanted my girls specifically — since I have four daughters — to see that not only Dad but Mom can work and have a business and follow her dreams. And even if it doesn’t go well or make a lot of money, I’m doing something that I am passionate about. K
In “Balancing Act,” we ask Vermont parents about the intersection of work and family life. Know parents we should interview? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com.
CALEB KENNA
Q BALANCING ACT
COOKING CLASSES at the Learning Center
TIE-DYE SMOOTHIES! GREEN SMOOTHIE
PINK SMOOTHIE
1
cup spinach
7
strawberries
1
banana
7
raspberries
1 4
cup blueberries
1 2
banana
2
Tbsp spirulina powder
1
Tbsp acai powder
1 3
cup soy milk (or rice, almond, etc!)
1 3
cup soy milk
3
ice cubes
3
ice cubes
DIRECTIONS: In a blender, mix green smoothie ingredients and set aside. Blend pink smoothie ingredients. To serve fill a glass 1/4 of the way with pink, then 1/4 of the way with green, and so on, to fill the glass. ENJOY!
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN IN MAY Strawberry Shortcake: Tuesday, 5/10 · 4:00 - 5:00pm KIDSVT.COM
Chicken Enchiladas: Monday, 5/23 · 4:00 - 5:00pm
MAY 2016
All classes require pre-registration. For a full schedule, or to register, go to healthylivingmarket.com; or call Customer Service at 802.863.2569.
KIDS VT
DORSET STREET, SOUTH BURLINGTON × §¨©.ª«¬. ®«¯ × HEALTHYLIVINGMARKET.COM × ªAM-¯PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
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Can’t Beet It: Baby’s First Birthday Cake
Mini Layer Cakes
1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. 2. For pink icing, add a teaspoon or two of beet juice and an extra tablespoon of powdered sugar.
TO FINISH CUPCAKES:
A mini layer cake fit for a baby
(makes 12 cakes)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter (or coconut oil) and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat on low speed until well combined. Add about half a cup of milk and mix on low speed until it’s incorporated. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk this way, mixing well after each addition, until all ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth.
2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 egg KIDSVT.COM
2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1/2 cup butter or solid coconut oil, slightly softened
MAY 2016
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
1/4 teaspoon salt
KIDS VT
(makes enough to frost 12 mini cakes)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
16
Greek Yogurt Frosting
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk (soy, almond or coconut all work as substitutes) 1/8 cup puréed beets or beet juice (for pink coloring)
1. Carefully slice cupcakes horizontally through the center with a serrated knife. If the tops are domed, use a knife to cut a smooth, flat top. 2. Lay the top half top-side down on a tray and frost with about a tablespoon of frosting. Use a butter knife or the back of a spoon to spread frosting to the edges of the cake. 3. Carefully place the other half with the bottom side facing up on top of the frosting, and top with another tablespoon of frosting, spreading it to the edges. If you’re feeling fancy, decorate with sprinkles.
PHOTOS: SAM SIMON
FOR MY OLDEST son Eli’s first birthday, my dad bought him a cake from a fancy upstate New York bakery. The beautiful confection — a double-chocolate affair with ganache frosting — was so rich that I was afraid to let Eli dig in. I knew his little belly couldn’t handle all that cocoa. He managed to stuff a few handfuls in his mouth before I confiscated his slice. But by the time I got him out of his high chair, he was wild-eyed with his first sugar high and looked like he’d taken a mud bath. When our second baby, Cal, approached the big No. 1, I was determined to do a better job. I made a superhealthy “cake” with whole-wheat flour, bananas and just a touch of maple syrup. It was nutritious — but not very festive or tasty. I finally got it just right when our youngest, Sadie, turned 1. Inspired by a British food blog, I whipped up a batch of adorable mini layer cakes, made with wholesome ingredients but still sweet enough to feel like a celebration. How did I pull it off? I mixed in beet purée to turn the cake pink. Use more traditional buttercream between the layers, or try this simple Greek-yogurt frosting — you can use beets to color it pink as well. It will taste as good as it looks! K
ER MAT NITY
ISSUE
BABY &
Q MEALTIME BY E RIN N SIM O N
Pink and white batter
2. If you want your cakes pink, add the beet juice or purée. If you want to make pink and white layers, divide the batter evenly into two bowls, add beet juice to one bowl and mix well to combine. 3. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full with batter and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cakes are done when the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
“Mealtime” is a feature about families and food. Got a topic you’d like us to explore? Email it to ideas@kidsvt.com.
Q OUT TO EAT B Y GRAC E P E R L E E
Rickie’s Indian Restaurant 509 S. Barre Road, South Barre, 476-3563 I GREW UP in the San A new shop for baby & kids! Francisco area, so I’ve frequented some pretty amazing Indian restaurants. For years it was my go-to comfort food. Since moving to Burlington, I’ve yet to find comparable fare, so I resigned myself to going without. Then I got pregnant with my second child and not having Indian food was no longer an option. So one Sunday evening, four months pregnant and cravTuesday - Friday 11 - 5 ing, I desperately scoured Saturday 9 - 3 the internet for the closest authentic Indian food. 13 Washington St, Middlebury That’s when I stumbled (802) 382-8558 across Rickie’s Indian Restaurant, run out of a olliesotherplace.com gas station in South Barre, an hour away. I justified the drive by HITS: Untitled-10 1 3/23/16k8v-PreventChildAbuse0211.indd 3:41 PM 1 1/27/11 hitting up another destina• The food — particularly tion along the way: a maple the butter chicken and blend of cream and sugar farm. Bad idea. the naan. spice that left us While it was a big hit with • Being in a gas station is staring at each other my almost-3-year-old son, a fun change of pace, and wide-eyed. It had just Levi, we had so much fun your beverage options are limitless! enough heat to carry we didn’t leave until well Do you know a local kid (age 17 or under) who's recently the flavor through, past nap time. • There’s a large lawn where you can relax while as well as creamiBetter late than never. done something amazing? Won a spelling bee? you wait on a nice day. Or ness to cut the spice When we arrived at Written an opera? Raised a bunch of money for a call in your order ahead perfectly. Rickie’s Indian, which of time; with kids, 25 great cause? Tell us more! He or she could be featured It was the best from the outside looks like minutes is a long wait. as One to Watch in an upcoming issue of Kids VT. butter chicken your average gas station, MISSES: I’ve had — not just the Indian couple at the Visit Kidsvt.com to tell us about this local superhero. • No high chair. in Vermont, but register greeted us warmly. anywhere. We ordered our food from The food is so good, in fact, that you the whiteboard, then headed outside to run around during the 25-minute wait. may forget you’re in the back of a gas station. I wanted the full Rickie’s gasBut your toddler will not. After a station experience, so we decided few bites of naan, Levi tried to climb to dine in. It was a good choice. The into the freezer cases behind him fresh-from-the-tandoor naan was to snag a pint of ice cream. He then perfectly blistered, with little pools proceeded to throw the epic fit we of clarified butter on crisp-edged, yet deserved after depriving him of his meltingly tender, triangles of dough. I nap. hadn’t had anything like it in years. We packed up our food and got Levi’s chicken kebab was also a hit. all the way to the Williston rest stop Marinated in yogurt, it was delicious, before he fell asleep so we could pull tender and not a bit spicy. My chicken over and indulge. After our meal — curry had bright notes of cilantro with which came to $43 for the three of an earthy undertone — perfect to take us — we felt pleasantly stuffed and had the chill off a morning spent outdoors. plenty left over for dinner. My only Then there was my husband’s butter regret is that we didn’t order more. K chicken. This dish was incredible — a
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✱ THE ART OF
EAT. LEARN. PLAY.
BY A LISON N OVAK
Belly Adornment BABY
Belly Painting &
MATERNIT SSUE YI
WHEN YOU’RE PREGNANT, nine months can feel like an eternity. Yet in the grand scheme of things, it goes by in an instant. Want to immortalize the experience? We talked with three local artists whose work gives women a way to remember their pregnancies long after baby is born.
BELLY HENNA Rebecca Freedner has been creating designs with henna — a natural paste made from the ground leaves of the henna plant — for 10 years. But she had to work up to adorning pregnant bellies. It’s “technically much more challenging” to apply the designs to curved tummies than to hands and feet, Freedner says. The Vergennes-based artisan does private appointments in her studio and travels to baby showers and blessingways, where she does henna for mothers-to-be and their guests. “I absolutely love spending time with women during such a profound time in their life,” she says. The process, which Freedner describes as “an incredibly relaxing and nurturing experience,” starts with drawing a custom design with henna paste squeezed through a hand-rolled cone made from cellophane. When the paste is dry, she covers it with a breathable gauze tape for protection and to hold it in place. After several hours, the tape is removed and it pulls off the paste, leaving a bright orange stain that gradually turns brown. Freedner says many women like to take photos of their belly art. She advises waiting two days to schedule a photo shoot, at which point the henna will have darkened.
Body painter Kadina Malicbegovic has a convenient canvas to practice her work on these days: her own skin. Malicbegovic is in her second trimester of pregnancy, and, with the help of her partner, she does weekly bellypainting challenges in front of the mirror. She also offers private belly-painting sessions for couples in their homes or her studio, which she says is a great way to create special memories and bond with your partner. While enjoying music and snacks, couples work with her to create a meaningful belly design using waterbased paints made for the skin. As part of the package, Malicbegovic takes photos of the finished product. The skin artist, who came to Vermont from Bosnia as a refugee and studied psychology at the University of Vermont, also hosts belly-painting parties at Burlington childbirth-services studio Birth Journeys and travels to baby showers. She likens belly painting to wearing jewelry or expressive clothing. It allows women to “celebrate pregnancy in a unique way,” she says. Malicbegovic charges $85 for a private one-hour belly-painting session, and $150 for a two-hour session, including photographs. Find out more about her services at littleartsyfaces.com. On Saturday, June 18, from 6-8 p.m., Malicbegovic will host a belly-painting party at Birth Journeys for $35 per mama, plus a guest. Find event info on her website.
Belly Bowls
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Potter Jen Labie creates one-of-a-kind pieces in her Ferrisburgh studio. But six years ago, when a friend was pregnant, she truly broke the mold. Labie stretches clay over thirdtrimester bellies to form it into bowls that are both functional and sentimental. Her clients choose colors and surface textures, and, when the little one arrives, Labie carves the baby’s name and birth date into the bottom before firing it. There’s a rewarding perk to delivering the bowls: She gets to meet lots of newborn babies. “I really fell in love with it because I love doing custom pieces,” Labie says of working with inspiring baby bellies. “You can’t get more custom than that.”
For more information, visit heartfirehenna.com. Freedner charges $80 per hour for henna application at her studio and $95 per hour for private parties, with a two-hour minimum.
To see Labie’s belly bowls, visit leaningtreepottery.com. A belly bowl appointment in Labie’s studio costs $185 and includes two bowls.
PARENTS OFTEN ASSUME that because they’ve had at least one child, it will be easy to get pregnant again. However, some couples experience what’s known as “secondary infertility,” or difficulty conceiving again or carrying another fetus to term. This month, Dr. Jennifer Brown, an infertility specialist with Northeastern Reproductive Medicine in Colchester, explains how — both medically Got questions and naturally for the doctor? — parents Send them to can increase ideas@kidsvt.com. the odds of growing their family. KIDS VT: What percentage of your patients are trying to get pregnant again? JENNIFER BROWN: I would estimate 30 to 40 percent. For some, it may have been many years since their last conception, or they may be trying with a new partner. KVT: What are common causes of secondary infertility? JB: The most common reasons are the age of the female and having had significant time pass since her first conception. Another reason is some anatomical change. So maybe the woman had surgery for a burst appendix or had a very complicated cesarean section, and now the sperm and eggs are having difficulty meeting. Sometimes the woman had a tubal ligation or the man had a vasectomy.
KVT: Are the underlying causes of secondary infertility different from the fertility issues of women who’ve never conceived? JB: Not necessarily. The same biological principles apply: issues with the eggs, the sperm or the anatomy. Men tend to account for about 40 percent of infertility issues and women for slightly more than half, because most of the anatomy related to conception happens within the woman’s body. With about half of all couples we see, we never identify a definitive cause. KVT: How do you try to determine the cause? JB: Sometimes the couple’s history tells the story, such as whether they’ve both had a child before in separate relationships. There are some simple tests we can do, including a semen analysis on the man and a hormonelevels test for the woman. Typically, an ultrasound helps us evaluate several factors, including the quantity of eggs. We can also insert fluid into the uterus at the time of ultrasound to determine if her tubes are open or blocked, and if her uterus healed normally from her previous pregnancy. KVT: Are women who can’t conceive and women who’ve had repeated miscarriages experiencing different problems? JB: Those are different problems. The latter requires a more detailed workup because we’re looking at the environment of the uterus and hormonally what’s going on. Emotionally, it’s also very different for patients [who’ve
miscarried repeatedly], because often they’re scared to be pregnant because they don’t know what’s going to happen. KVT: What steps can couples take before starting medical treatments? JB: All patients are counseled on optimizing their natural fertility through lifestyle changes, such as not smoking and reducing their intake of caffeine and alcohol. Some lubricants can impair fertility. Couples are also counseled on timing their intercourse to coincide with ovulation. Some studies show that couples using a mind-body or stress-reduction program actually have higher success rates than those who don’t. We work with counselors in our area and with someone who does preconception yoga. We encourage some patients to try acupuncture. KVT: What methods might you try if lifestyle changes don’t work? JB: Sometimes we prescribe the ovulatory stimulant Clomid for the woman, which boosts ovulation and causes her to release one or possibly two eggs. This slightly increases the risk of twins. We may also do an IUI, or intrauterine insemination, which is a simple procedure in which we collect the man’s semen, wash it and put it in the uterus at the time of ovulation. KVT: What if those approaches aren’t successful? JB: The next step is a pretty big jump. We can take the eggs out of the woman’s body and fertilize them in the lab, which is what “in vitro” means. It’s a pretty big difference in
&
MATERNIT SU Y IS E
What can parents do when they have trouble conceiving another child?
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terms of technology, and it has a much higher success rate per cycle because we’re working with 10 to 15 eggs rather than just one or two, and we are controlling more factors like the egg and sperm meeting and fertilizing. It’s also more expensive and requires more office visits. KVT: Are there other options? JB: Yes. With some women whose eggs are not viable, we may try in vitro fertilization with a donor egg. Or, if the man has no sperm, we might use donor sperm. If there’s a problem with the uterus, we may do in vitro with a carrier uterus, or surrogate. We may even make embryos in the lab and then do a preimplantation genetic biopsy to rule out chromosomal abnormalities for older women or women who’ve had recurrent pregnancy loss. KVT: Is there an age limit for in vitro fertilization? JB: It used to be that we wouldn’t do IVF beyond age 42. That’s really changed with improved technology. Now, we’ll treat a 45-year-old, but we have the couple heavily involved in the decision and discuss the pros and cons of using her own egg, because the likelihood of success is much lower at that age. Alternatively, if that 45-yearold woman chooses to use a donor egg, then her success rate can be the same as much younger women. After age 45, we do extra testing on the female to make sure it’s safe for her to carry a pregnancy. After age 50, we consider those on a case-by-case basis, using a donor egg. K
INTERVIEW COMPILED AND CONDENSED BY KEN PICARD
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COURTESY OF TERRA HEILENBACH
of mom’s chest; and raising the head intense and transformative, but of the bed and using a clear drape or because I was a passive participant. mirror so mom and partner can watch I missed out on watching the as baby is born. The most complex moment my babies emerged; having modification is placing baby directly them placed right on my chest; onto mom’s chest after birth, because breastfeeding them immediately; it requires an additional team member soothing their first cries. to pass baby to mom and monitor the I don’t have any photographs of my situation. son’s birth. During my first C-section, The modifications themselves I didn’t know if it was allowed. Rather are not groundbreaking; some of than something I should record, them have been practiced widely the experience felt like something I throughout the country for years in should forget. hospitals both small and large and I wish my gratitude had neatly in private practices at the discretion ushered out any negative feelings, of individual but it’s not that obstetricians. What simple; not for me, is remarkable is that, nor, it would seem, for collectively, these many other women changes are something in the U.S. who have women can ask for by C-sections each year name. — roughly 1.2 million Or, more accurately, in 2014, according names. Early in my to the Centers for research, I realized Disease Control and that there’s more than Prevention. Statistics one: “natural,” “familyshow that women TERRA HEILENBACH centered,” “gentle” and who have C-sections “skin-to-skin.” are at risk for higher A 2008 article in rates of postnatal the British Journal of Obstetrics and depression, increased difficulty with Gynaecology describes a “natural breastfeeding and a decrease in caesarean” as including the above maternal satisfaction rates. I wager modifications, but it also details that in feeling like a failure, I am far “walking the baby out,” where the from alone. baby’s head is guided out but the I’ve since made peace with the trunk is left in utero for the lungs surgeries as concessions toward to be squeezed of amniotic fluid. having healthy babies — I wrote The baby then wriggles out and is about that process in an essay for delivered directly onto mom’s chest. the 2014 Baby & Maternity Issue As opposed to having the baby pulled of Kids VT — but I was still excited out, the umbilical cord cut and the recently when I heard that hospitals baby whisked away to be examined, were experimenting with a new the “natural” cesarean birth claims to approach to C-sections. Known most commonly as a “gentle” C-section, the be slower, more calm and mimic what happens in a vaginal delivery. The procedure uses small modifications study notes the lack of quantitative to the standard cesarean model in an effort to bring baby and mom together data but states that, “In qualitative terms, the natural caesarean has been as quickly as possible. Skin-to-skin positively received by the couples contact increases maternal bonding, breastfeeding success and postpartum involved, with no adverse comment in more than 100 procedures.” healing times, and there are plenty of Gentle C-sections aren’t currently statistics to prove it. offered in hospitals within the UK’s Gentle C-sections invite the publicly funded National Health mother and partner to be more Service, but they’re the subject active participants in the process. In of a trial starting this year at the essence, to make the operation more University College London Hospital like a birth. under the name “skin-to-skin” Most of the C-section cesarean. modifications are simple — like They don’t walk the babies out at having skin-to-skin contact in the the University of Vermont Medical operating room; placing the IV in Center. Kelley McLean, assistant mom’s nondominant hand to make professor of maternal fetal medicine it easier to hold baby; placing ECG there, questions that technique. But leads, which monitor the heart, off
I get to still be a player.
I’m not just succumbing to whatever is going to happen.
Terra Heilenbach and her son Ellis
C-Change Women are pushing for “gentle” cesarean sections
KIDSVT.COM MAY 2016 KIDS VT
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BABY &
BY MEREDITH COEYMAN
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hen I was pregnant with my son seven years ago, I was fascinated by the sensations of him kicking and hiccupping inside me. And my plan was to push him out into the world naturally. So it was tough for me to hear that I needed a cesarean section — that his birth would be a surgery, concealed behind a drape, where he’d be pulled from my numb body. Don’t get me wrong — I was and am very thankful that I have access to modern medicine. It may have saved my son’s life. I survived his birth and had a healthy baby. And 21 months later, his sister was born the same way. But I’ll never feel like I gave birth — not for lack of enduring something
Gentle C for Me? New, so-called “gentle” C-sections involve small modifications to the standard cesarean model in an effort to make women and their partners more active participants in the experience. Interested in having one? Here’s what to ask your obstetrician. Am I a good candidate for the procedure?
Gentle C-sections are only appropriate in low-risk, nonemergency situations where mom and baby are healthy and show no signs of distress. Women having repeat, planned C-sections often fall into this category. Discuss it with your obstetrician long before your due date so you can make preparations.
Can I have the baby placed directly onto my chest after delivery?
This requires an extra, trained person in the operating room to deliver baby from the obstetrician to mom’s chest and to monitor baby there. Not all providers have the resources to offer this. If it’s not an option, ask for baby to be placed on mother’s (or partner’s) chest as soon as possible after birth. This is an opportunity to initiate breastfeeding during the end of surgery. If you want skin-to-skin in the operating room, request that: 1.
2.
The IV be placed in the nondominant hand. This is to allow for moms to more easily hold their baby in the operating room. The ECG leads be placed off mom’s chest. This is so they are not disturbed by, and don’t interfere with, skin-to-skin contact.
Can I watch the delivery?
There’s no medical reason why mom and partner shouldn’t watch their baby’s C-section birth. However, obstetrician Amy Thibault suggests that patients be educated about what they’ll see: “By its very nature, we are
Can I have my music playing in the OR?
This varies by provider, but it’s worth asking. The concern is that music could add more noise to the OR that might distract the surgical team or interfere with their ability to communicate. “We usually have [patients] use their phones by their head so they can enjoy it, versus the whole room enjoying it,” said Colleen Whatley from Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center.
Can the surgical team refrain from “shop talk”?
Your C-section may be routine for the surgical team, but that doesn’t mean you want to hear about what they had for breakfast while your baby is being born. Best to set intentions early and ask to keep things focused on the birth.
Can I have a doula at the birth? A birth photographer? This varies by hospital, but Whatley said that, with advance notice, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has had birth photographers in the OR. They have also had doulas, and even an extra family member, present at nonemergency C-section births. With increased demand, this may commonly be included in the coordination of care.
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Colleen Whatley, perinatal clinical specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, said that they have always followed a “shared decision-making philosophy” with families, and that skin-to-skin contact in the operating room is something they’ve been doing “before even connecting it with a gentle birth.” Patients haven’t asked for gentle
MAY 2016
Thibault was receptive to the gentle C-section because it fit well with Maitri’s low-intervention, patient-centered birthing approach. In fact, they were already offering some of the modifications, like using a mirror to watch the baby emerge and providing skin-to-skin contact in the OR soon after birth.
assisting in the delivery of the baby by elevating the head and then pushing from above.” Thibault makes sure to tell people that they’ll feel a lot of pressure as the baby is delivered, “but for them to actually see it, that it’s not as gentle of a process as they have in their minds, I think that requires education.”
C-sections by name, Whatley said, but they’ve requested the modifications that define it, like watching the birth and direct skin-to-skin contact. The medical center offers clear drapes and has an extra OR hand to accommodate those requests, and Whatley estimates they’ve done five to 10 gentle C-sections in the past year. Asked about “walking the baby out,” Whatley said “it looks lovely,” but they don’t practice it. Whatley echoed that more research is needed. “But who knows, maybe in five years we’ll be walking babies out of the abdomen?” she said, adding that they might someday get a resident who wants to research the technique. In some nonemergency cases, when vaginal births turn surgical, birth plans can be tailored to the OR, Whatley said. So it makes sense for patients to think, “What are the things that I wanted to do? Can I still do [them] in the OR?” she explained. At Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, many patients come with a birth plan that includes components of a gentle C-section, explained Monica Cerminara, a registered nurse in their women and children’s unit, in an an email. “But only a few ask for the delivery option by name,” she wrote. They offer direct skin-to-skin contact for cesarean births and place the IV and ECG leads in areas that facilitate that process. They don’t use clear drapes, but Cerminara said they are looking into it. If these changes are relatively simple and beneficial, why have doctors been slow to adopt a more family-centered approach? In short, convention. And there’s a valid reason for that convention: because it works to control infection. “The thing that takes it from a birth to a procedure is the need for sterility,” Thibault said. Especially in the crucial moments right after the baby is born. “You’re delivering the placenta, you’re controlling bleeding, you’re making sure that you’ve turned this birth into a safe procedure,” she said. That need for sterility is a major hurdle to innovation. Members of the team —obstetricians, residents, nurses, pediatricians and anesthesiologists — may be hesitant to change their routines, which are built around reducing risk. “Thinking about things differently is hard in medicine, because the way that you do things is
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McLean said they have been offering something very close to a gentle C-section for a long time. What’s new, McLean said, is “watching delivery and direct skin-to-skin contact.” Clear drapes are currently on order; in the meantime, the solid drape is dropped entirely if parents want to watch. Those clear drapes were pioneered by William Camann, director of obstetric anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, which did its first gentle C-section in 2013 and now estimates that 20 to 30 percent of their C-sections are “gentle.” On their website, the procedure is introduced in an article titled “The Gentle Cesarean: A New Option for Moms-to-Be at BWH,” which established “gentle” as the familiar term in the states. McLean would prefer to call it a “familycentered C-section.” Calling it gentle implies that other C-sections are not, she said. And it’s inaccurate, since the operation itself is no different. “There’s no gentle way to have a baby, it turns out, whether it’s vaginal or C-section,” she added. McLean first heard the term in October 2015, during a “Gentle Cesarean Section” talk at a Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network conference at Dartmouth-Hitchcock medical center in New Hampshire. Soon after, a patient requested one. “It forced our hand to mobilize,” McLean said. UVM Medical Center doesn’t have numbers on how many gentle C-sections they’ve done, but McLean estimates around five. However, that number only counts gentle C-sections that “follow each and every step,” McLean said in an email. If they were to include “people who have most steps done, and skin-to-skin as soon as the baby has been evaluated, then we would also have a very high rate of gentle C-sections.” A patient also inspired the first official gentle C-section done by the doctors at Maitri Health Care for Women in South Burlington, said obstetrician and gynecologist Amy Thibault. (Full disclosure: She delivered my daughter.) “This is something that a patient brought to us and said, ‘What do you think of this? How can we make this happen?’ It gets us all thinking about why we do things the way we do, and is there anything we can do better? Anything we can do differently?”
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C-section is the plan, flexibility is often because they work,” Thibault important, because things can change said. “But a lot of times in medicine, you do things because it’s what you’ve at any moment. For example, if a baby shows signs of distress at birth, skinalways done … Innovations happen to-skin contact may be delayed so the when people think outside the box, in pediatrician can do an examination. new directions.” Since Thibault did my second Logistically, the most difficult C-section — a planned, repeat change is getting baby directly from procedure — I couldn’t resist the incision to mama’s chest. That’s urge to ask if I would have been a because it requires an extra person good candidate for the gentle version. — usually a nurse or midwife — who She thought I could is scrubbed and have, but even ready to take baby just five years ago, from the doctor to gentle C-sections the mother, and weren’t part of the to closely monitor discussion. the baby there. Fortunately for Some providers, Terra Heilenbach, including Maitri, they are today. don’t yet have that When Heilenbach extra sterile person had her son Finch to offer direct skinin November 2011, to-skin placement. she'd planned on In the meantime, having a home birth. babies are brought But when pain to the warming table prevented her from for examination, eating or drinking, then placed she transferred skin-to-skin. to UVM Medical Because most Center, then Fletcher of UVM Medical Allen Health Care. Center’s gentle AMY THIBAULT, She later developed C-section patients MAITRI HEALTH CARE an infection, and come from that FOR WOMEN when labor wasn’t hospital’s in-house progressing, midwife practice, a her doctor midwife is available recommended a C-section. to bring baby directly to mom’s “We were very shocked going chest. Another recent advancement: from home to full-on C-section in the Rather than have pediatricians at hospital with people we didn’t know every C-section, their presence in and that whole vibe,” Heilenbach the OR is risk-based. This “makes said. With her son Illo, born in May it a little bit more intimate, because 2014, she tried for a vaginal birth and the nurses who are going to be taking care of the baby while it’s born are the pushed for three and a half hours, but her history of infection, coupled same nurses who are going to be in with the fact that the baby wasn’t the room afterwards,” Thibault said. descending into the birth canal, sent Given that pediatricians sometimes her back to the operating room. bring a team, doing away with Like me, she missed seeing the unnecessary pediatric support can moment her first two babies were also mean up to four fewer strangers born. “I felt very disconnected from in the room during the operation. my body for the first time in my life,” It’s important to note that gentle Heilenbach told me. “I felt like I was C-sections are only appropriate in cut off, and that’s been something to very specific circumstances. “We’re heal from for me: How do I reconnect talking about a small number of to my body, that I thought could do C-sections, where you’re not doing anything?” this in an emergency, you’re not Toward the end of her third doing this when a labor has not pregnancy, Thibault, Heilenbach’s succeeded, you’re not doing this in a obstetrician, mentioned having a breech delivery,” Thibault explained. gentle C-section. Heilenbach hadn’t “You’re talking about the absolute heard of it but wanted to try. I talked lowest-risk babies and lowest-risk to her one morning in early April, just moms, and that’s where this is really four days before the operation. “I’m appropriate.” And even when a gentle
This is something that a patient brought to us and said, “What do you think of this? How can we make this happen?”
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VHEIP is sponsored by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, a public nonprofit established by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 to help Vermont students and families plan and pay for college. VHEIP investment management is provided by Intuition College Savings Solutions, LLC. Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing and read the disclosure booklet (available online at vheip.org or by calling 800-637-5860). Investments in VHEIP are neither insured nor guaranteed, and there is the risk of investment loss. Before investing in a 529 plan, you should consider whether the state you or your designated beneficiary reside in or have taxable income in has a 529 plan that offers favorable state income tax or other benefits that are available only if you invest in that state’s 529 plan.
MAY 2016
or adds weight to it,” Thibault said. It also educates residents about alternative ways of thinking. “As with most innovations in obstetrics, that training trickles down to outside hospitals,” she said. Birth plans, it seems, may increasingly make their way into the operating room. McLean predicts that “as the term ‘gentle C-section’ is better understood by patients, providers will more commonly make these small modifications.” The changes may be small, but, cumulatively, their impact has great potential. “The intangible outcome — the idea that women can feel more comfortable with their birth and were a part of it — is just as important as anything else,” McLean said. Learning about gentle C-sections made Heilenbach aware of options she didn’t know she had, and in preparing for the birth, that made a huge difference. “I get to still be a player," she said. “I’m not just succumbing to whatever is going to happen.” K
KIDSVT.COM
Illustration © Doug Ross
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looking forward to seeing whatever I do see,” she said, “just to see that kid come out.” As her third son, Ellis, was born on April 5, Heilenbach watched in a mirror. “It was so awesome,” she told me afterward while snuggling her 10-day-old baby. A resident was able to take photos on the other side of the drape, and as we scrolled through them, Heilenbach recounted the experience. “I had been worried that I would feel anxious,” she said of watching him emerge from her body. “But I didn’t care at all. It really connected it, to see him in that raw form, not tidied up and all that.” He went to the warming table to have fluid cleared from his lungs, then was placed on Heilenbach’s chest where he breastfed for a bit while they sewed her up. Could all nonemergency C-sections be “gentle” someday? The fact that they are being done at teaching hospitals like UVM Medical Center and DartmouthHitchcock suggests they might. “In a big teaching hospital, when it’s adopted as a policy … it sanctions it,
Students from families who save even small amounts for college are three times more likely to attend and complete college. And Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 college savings program, the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan (VHEIP), is the only college savings plan that qualifies families for a Vermont state income tax credit on contributions.
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who is brave enough to face what Jimmy Carter calls a rigged system, an oligarchy ruled by the few, who says we need to reclaim democracy for “we the people.” That message has inspired millions. And it certainly inspired me, and I wrote “Wave of Democracy.” KVT: Throughout your career, you’ve been adamant about not accepting commercial endorsements and not targeting children in advertising. RAFFI: [With a Bernie accent] I don’t have any super PAC money! KVT: Hey, that was a pretty good impression. RAFFI: Thank you, thank you. COURTESY OF CENTRE FOR CHILD HONOURING
KIDSVT.COM
S
ince the release of his first children’s album in 1976, Singable Songs for the Very Young, there hasn’t been a more enduring and successful kids’ entertainer on the planet than Raffi Cavoukian — better known simply as Raffi. In 1992, the Washington Post called the Egyptianborn Canadian songwriter “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world.” That’s likely still true given that he’s sold more than 12 million albums in North America alone over his four-decadeslong career. And that number is apt to grow as “Beluga grads” — Raffi’s term for adults who were raised on his music — introduce their own kids to classics such as “Down by the Bay,” “Bananaphone” and, of course, “Baby Beluga.” But here’s the remarkable thing about Raffi: He’s achieved phenomenal success without straying from his moral compass. He’s never accepted a commercial endorsement. He’s never directed advertising at children. He’s turned down films and TV shows. He once declined a gig at Madison Square Garden because the arena was too big. It sounds precious, but everything Raffi does is done with his littlest fans in mind. That’s surely true of his music. But it’s also a guiding principle in his work as an author — he’s written several books for both kids and adults — and as an activist. Raffi is the founder of the British Columbiabased Centre for Child Honouring, an organization that advocates for organizing and advancing society around the needs of its youngest members. Even when he writes music aimed at adults, such as “Wave of Democracy,” his recent folky, gently reggae-tinged ode to Vermont senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, he’s thinking about the children. “It makes a tremendous amount of sense to have the kind of society that Bernie is talking about, where health care and education is accessible to everyone, children especially,” he recently told Kids VT. Raffi is presently touring the United States and Canada in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Singable Songs, as well as in support of his latest album, Owl Singalong — his 14th album of original children’s
Sing So Free Children’s entertainer Raffi on Bernie, music and inspiration BY DAN BOLLES
music. That tour includes a stop at the Flynn MainStage in Burlington on Thursday, May 19. Ahead of that show, Kids VT spoke with Raffi by phone from his home in western Canada. KIDS VT: Let’s start with the Bernie song. Why is a Canadian children’s musician writing about a U.S. presidential hopeful? RAFFI: Ever since I had long hair
back in the early 1970s, and even before then, in my teens in Toronto, I was moved by the words of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King [Jr.]. And, as I evolved as a person, I kept [being] interested in what was happening in the U.S. So imagine my excitement with Bernie Sanders, who I think is the candidate of a lifetime. He’s the one I’ve been waiting for. Somebody who will tell the truth and
KVT: So with the rise of what you could call the “children’s industrial complex,” that’s a lot of money to leave on the table. Have you ever been tempted to just cash in? RAFFI: I’ve never heard that term, but I like it. It’s simply unethical to directly advertise to children who aren’t old enough to understand what they’re being sold. Secondly, when music is what you’re known for and that’s your joy and what you want to share with audiences, why do you want to suddenly sell things to that audience? It doesn’t make sense, really. Except to make money, and that’s not a good enough reason to do anything. I respect children as an audience and a child as a whole person. So that’s been my stand in the 40 years I’ve been doing this work. You might say Bernie and I share one trait, which is that we can’t be bought. KVT: I suspect those same principles tie into your work with the Centre for Child Honouring. RAFFI: The infant of every culture is the same physiological human being. That’s a very exciting and unifying fact to celebrate, that in our earliest beginnings we are all the same creature. Whatever skin color, culture, economic status, we are all the same. So from that point of unity then, we can celebrate our differences. We don’t have to fear each other. That’s the universality of child
Planning a kids event? List your event for free in the Kids VT monthy calendar. honoring that I love to spread as a message, because it’s how we treat the very young in our society that gives us the best chance at making peaceful and sustainable cultures. The early years are the foundational years. Our first impressions of life, how we are loved and cared for, these are what set the emotional tone of our being. And studies show that early experiences make for a lifetime of outcomes in health, productivity, resourcefulness.
need to write in one narrow style. Over my career I’ve enjoyed making the finest music that I can, high quality for an important audience, keeping in mind that their parents would also be listening.
Submit your info by the 15th of the month online at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com
KVT: Many people who grew up listening to Raffi now have kids of their own and bring them to your shows. It’s sort of a brilliant model for success, because you’re always going to have new fans coming along. RAFFI: That’s true. Every three years12v-calendar.indd I have a new audience. [Laughs.] But what’s truly amazing is how my love for children keeps growing. I have a deep appreciation of their intelligence, their candor, their brilliantly playful way of being in the world. It’s just really inspiring.
It’s how we treat the very young in our society that gives us the best chance at making peaceful and sustainable cultures.
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For more information, contact:
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KIDSVT.COM MAY 2016 KIDS VT
www.UVMathletics.com Untitled-7 1
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KVT: I don’t imagine you got into music thinking you’d become a children’s entertainer. How did that happen? RAFFI: I was trying to have a career much like James Taylor’s career. Then something happened to me, and I came to find out how important music can be in the life of young KVT: Speaking of children. I was, for inspiration, where a time, married, to a do you find it when kindergarten teacher, writing children’s a most compassionate RAFFI music? teacher who taught RAFFI: Well, part of me all about the child the inspiration for my new album, as a whole person. And that was Owl Singalong, comes from my the greatest learning in my life. So, grandniece, who, when she was about through knowing her, I came to make a year and a half and we would talk an album for children. with my sister on Skype, would hold For me, discovering the joy of up a stuffed owl and say “owl” over making music for children changed and over. The other part was the owls my life. Not only because the albums in my backyard, who … [laughs], who, became so popular, but because of what it did for my heart. It opened me who are amazing. up to the importance of childhood in a lifetime. And it’s made for a remark- KVT: So inspiration tends to just sort of show up? able and wonderful career that I’m RAFFI: In a way, yes. But in any privileged to still enjoy. genre you would tailor your music to your audience, I would imagine. So KVT: A good children’s album needs for children, you keep in mind that to be geared toward kids but also be they’re new in the world and tailor the palatable for adults, since parents references to what they know and also will most likely be listening to to their imagination, which is quite those albums on repeat. How do vast. And you keep it playful. K you strike that balance in your own work? RAFFI: I think that, right from the beginning, I made sure the music pleased my ears. So I figured if it Raffi performs at the Flynn pleased me, it would probably please MainStage in Burlington other adults as well. It’s the musicalon Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m. ity. And keep in mind that children $26-65.50. flynntix.org love all kinds of music, so you don’t
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More Tough Choice$ Readers respond to our April cover story about the “benefits cliff ”
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We had a baby in November. The plan was for my husband to keep his full-time job and for me to work part time from home. When we did the calculation, it was kinda like, if I work 12 hours a week, we’ll be under that cliff; if I work 20, I’ll be over. It does not make financial sense for me to work two extra hours a week and then lose $5,000 in health insurance. So we’re trying to stay under that, even though there are opportunities for me to work more. My husband’s from Montréal, so we’re up there pretty often. We have a couple of friends who’ve had kids, and, without a thought, they’ve taken a year off. I think a lot of our friends there would say their health care isn’t perfect, but, when it comes down to it, it’s just not something they’re worrying about. I feel like there’s a perception that Americans wouldn’t be willing to pay more taxes. From where I’m sitting, I’d happily pay more taxes. I’d pay $5,000, I’d pay $10,000 to know I had universal health care and it isn’t going to sink my family. NEILY JENNINGS STARKSBORO
Jennings has a 5-month-old and works as the communications coordinator at Common Ground Center.
Rent and student loans are nonnegotiable bills, so childcare comes out of the grocery budget.
KATE ANGER SOUTH BURLINGTON
Anger has a 3-month-old and returned to her full-time job in social services at the end of April.
Wages stay stagnant, and new cliffs keep appearing.
EMER POND FEENEY BURLINGTON
Feeney has an 18-year-old and works fulltime as a clerk at the Fletcher Free Library.
Even a good job isn’t a buffer when childcare is scarce and expensive. When the babies were born and I was married, we were a two-income family. We ended up finding out right away that there weren’t a lot of [childcare] providers, period. I knew we wouldn’t qualify for benefits, so we structured our whole life around putting the twins in care at a local center. We lived as though we were broke. Eked along, knowing they wouldn’t always be in childcare, and then we’d have that income back, and then we’d be OK. Fast-forward to now, and my income is just over the threshold for any subsidy for childcare. What has happened is, we spent every dollar we had in the world — tax returns, work bonus — on childcare, childcare, childcare. In the fall I’m putting them in a center with a preschool because there’s that universal pre-K money [Act 166 entitles Vermont children 3 and older to 10 hours per week of free pre-K]. That really makes a difference. Now the capacity issue comes into play — every other family in the area is trying to find a center that accepts that money. I have to keep working because I’m [now] a single parent. I don’t have the option to look at the economics and stay home. I’m looking for childcare solutions that are almost impossible to find — which will take this pre-K money, and have two spots, in a small community. It’s this vice grip, constantly. SHAUNA HILL MONTPELIER
Hill has 3-year-old twins and works full-time as the assistant director of a youth mental health program.
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STORIES COMPILED AND CONDENSED BY KATIE TITTERTON
KIDS VT
I was a single mom for many years and lived in low-income housing. In that time, I worked more than 30 hours a week, and went to school, and got a degree, and did all the life things you’re supposed to do to get ahead. But because we live in a place where wages are so low, I always qualified for benefits. It took me years to climb out of that wage level. As I climbed, I climbed out of certain benefits, like food stamps. As you move up, you’d think the stress of living paycheck to paycheck would lessen, but what you find with the benefits cliff is, you’re moving up but you’re not making any progress. Sometimes you’re working more hours or you’re stressing your life out in more ways to make $200, but that isn’t reflected in your [take-home pay]. The interesting thing is, you start hitting the tax-breaks cliff. The tax breaks you qualified for as a lower-income person start disappearing, and when the child turns 16, you lose tax-breaks, as if you weren’t still caring for [your child]. My taxes went up. My income didn’t go up. The cost of living in Burlington, and housing is the best representative of this, has increased multifold since I grew up here. And yet we haven’t seen a commensurate increase in wages. So
that’s making all these benefits calculations not really work for here, because those federal benefits are calculated from national norms. My own personal solution this year, for ecological and financial reasons, was to stop driving my car. For me, it was, This has to be absorbed somehow. What else am I gonna cut out?
MAY 2016
All we’re running into is dead end, dead end. Rent goes up every single year; my income’s gone down. But we still don’t meet [the income threshold to be eligible for state benefits]. Now we’re negative $300 a month. So I had to call my parents. They’ve given us money for food, gas. I can’t defer my college loans forever. I have a car payment so I can work, because my job requires me to have a car, and that money, in theory,
could go to childcare. But we have bills. Our bills, like most people’s don’t just include rent and utilities. No matter what way we turn, we’re faced with sacrificing vital, important things in order to be a functioning family. We can’t not have a house. We can’t not eat. It’s been absolutely horrible. [Assistance is] based on your income. Nobody really cares how much you spend [on bills and necessities]; all that matters is how much you make. We’re in an age where thirtysomething and under are paying off student loans. People aren’t getting raises that are matching how much rent is going up. We are taking people out of the workforce, or putting them in so much that they’re not present for their families.
KIDSVT.COM
e hoped to get people talking with the cover story of our April issue, “Tough Choices: Vermont parents are opting out of work to retain their benefits.” Mission accomplished: Dozens of comments started rolling in at kidsvt.com and on social media the day our Money Issue was published. Writer Katie Titterton definitely struck a chord with readers, many of whom empathized with her decision to quit her full-time job in order to save on childcare costs and qualify for health care subsidies. Many more shared their own experiences navigating the “benefits cliff” — the point at which an increase in income triggers a loss of government-funded benefits, resulting in a net loss to a family’s bottom line. We heard so many stories from families on the edge that we decided to make room for more of them in this issue. Titterton interviewed a few of our online commenters, and we’ve excerpted those conversations here. We want policy makers to read these stories as they grapple with changes to health insurance and childcare subsidies. And we want our readers to see these stories and feel less alone. Trust us when we say that there are many more where these came from. Read Titterton’s original report — as well as comments from former legislator Tom Pelham, cofounder of Campaign for Vermont, and former lieutenant governor and Agency of Human Services secretary Doug Racine — at kidsvt.com. CATHY RESMER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Not having to worry about health insurance would be worth extra taxes.
31st Annual
Saturday, May 7th Waterfront Park Parade Starts at 9:30 am 10 am - 3 pm
Free Admission
Produced by
Underwriting Sponsor
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Parade Participants
South Burlington Recreation & Parks • Fletcher Free Library • Leonardo’s Pizza • Mater Christi School • Oyster River Middle School Jazz Band • Francis Flowers Daycare • Christ the King School • Sambatucada! • Let’s Grow Kids • Discovery Preschool • Ascension Childcare • North Burlington Little League • University of Vermont Children’s Hospital •Kids & Fitness • All Breed Rescue • GBYMCA • BPRW Playmobile • Donna’s Labor of Love Child Care Services • Local 22 • Local 44 • Dan Marcotte Air Shows Jet Car • Puppets in Education • King Street Youth Center • Sommers Chiropractic • Burlington Telecom
on-site activities • Challenger Sports soccer challenge • Blue Cross Blue Shield face painting and smoothie bike • Linda Peck balloons and entertainment • Big Blue Trunk • Thomas P. Clairmont Homerun Derby • Vermont Reindeer Farm Petting Zoo • Disc Golf • Hyperfocus Face Painting • Greater Burlington YMCA balloons and fun • Scooter’s Souvenirs • Local Motion Helmet Decoration Station • US Tennis Association VT • Young Tradition Instrument Petting Zoo • Burlington Electric Department bucket truck rides • Disc Dogs demo • All Breed Rescue • Pony Rides • Price Chopper Hopper Bounce House • Local 22/44 Weather Station • Clear Water Filtration • Burlington Obedience Training/Champlain Valley Kennel Club demos • Playmobile cornhole and games • Various food vendors • KidsVT • Dan Marcotte Air Shows Jet Car
Nearby Activities
Under the tent Exhibits
Trains for Kids Can there be a better way to celebrate Burlington’s Kids Day than with a train ride? Climb on board one of four 45-minute roundtrip train rides! This train departs from Union Station in Burlington and goes to Shelburne and back. Adults: $10.00, Kids: FREE! Trips are at 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM and 2:30 PM.
Kites in the Park Join South Burlington Parks and Recreation at Veteran’s Memorial Park on Friday, May 13th from 6 PM to 8 PM for kite flying and other fun. There will be one free kite per family, food, music, crafts, a bouncy castle and more!
ECHO ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is proud to be a partner, once again, in the annual Kids Day celebration by offering a half price discount for each child in your group good towards ECHO admission on Saturday, May 7. Hey kids, come on into ECHO and have some fun and bring your folks with you! echovermont.org
Burlington Lead Program
Button making activities and lead testing for kids
Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center Knot tying
Burlington Partnership for a healthy community Button Making
Children’s Literacy Foundation
Literacy-themed magnetic poetry
Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Summer camp information
University of Vermont Children’s hospital
Injury prevention information
fletcher free library
Learn about the summer reading program
hunger free vermont Information about services
chittenden solid waste district Interactive recycling activity
the turning page books, usborne books & more Variety of crafts
howard center
Information about services
Sea creature stamp tattoos and sailor hats
wildflower studio
Sensory bins and tinker trays
sommers chiropractic clear choice md
burlington telecom
Balloon races and bean bag toss
sara holbrook community center Interactive activity
woko & kool 105 Mother’s Day cards
girl scouts of the green & white mountains Interactive activity
summer meal kick-off • 11 AM Lunch for ALL KIDS 18 & under • See what kids are eating at school • Lunch Menu, including a full salad bar offering products from local farms & processors (in season) • After School Meals: Snack & Supper • Free Summer Meals for ALL KIDS 18 & younger all summer long!
St. Francis Xavier Homerun Derby sponsored by the Thomas P Clairmont Baseball Foundation
Alyna Westcom Come watch 2016’s Miss Vermont Alyna Westcom perform an amazing science experiment! Alyna was the first to perform a science experiment on the Miss America Stage. She wows audiences with her fun chemical concoctions — it’ll get messy!
12pM
Informational booth with giveaways
Variety of crafts
Science with Ms. Vermont
lake champlain maritime museum
Bean bag toss and wheel of fortune game
all breed rescue
recycle art
10AM 11AM
Spinal education
Meet dogs and learn about adoption and proper care
Tent
community health centers of burlington
green mountain transit Etiquette and safety game
Entertainment
Oyster River Middle School
Jazz Band 80-piece jazz band — come watch them blow the roof off! Jason Tardy
Jason Tardy’s show is a heady mix of high-energy juggling, fire-eating, balancing, contortion and crazy offbeat comedy. His fearlessness, outrageous risktaking and constant off-kilter banter makes his show a must for audiences of all ages.
1pM
Burlington Kids African Drumming
Come watch Burlington afterschool kids jam out with traditional african drumming!
2pM
Linda Peck Join
Linda Peck as Mary Poppins, as she brings her antics to the stage, and finds Michael and Jane in the audience. With her sensible quirkiness, she will delight and bring insight! Come be part of her world with laughter and lightness.
Local 22/44 Join Local 22 and Local 44 at their booth to check out the Skytracker weather school!
Planning to send the kids to camp this summer?
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
2016 CAMP GUIDE
Get out your summer calendar! If you haven’t already signed your kids up for camp, it’s time to take action. Check out all the programs advertising in this year’s Kids VT camp guide, and find more information about local camps at kidsvt.com.
Band-Aids and Bonfires
2 CORPORATE DRIVE, ESSEX 655-3300 • REGALGYM.COM
2016 CAMP GUIDE Nurses treat kids and find community at sleepaway camp BY M AR Y AN N LICK TEI G
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Instructional Gymnastics Camp
JUNE 20-AUG 19 • 8AM-3PM Ages 3-7
JUNE 20-AUG 19 (Ages 6-14)
Regal’s science-based summer camp is designed especially for children ages 3-7 years old! Daily activities will center/focus around sensory play and science experiments. 2 Day, 3 Day & 5 Day options
Come experience all that Regal has to offer! Our full-day camp includes morning meeting, group warm-ups, daily instructed gymnastics, open gym, daily challenges, cooperative games, outdoor activities including water slides and arts & crafts. Children will showcase their skills in an end of week gymnastics exhibition!
Every day of fun-filled camp includes: • 1 hour of instructional gymnastics • Open gym time • Cooperative games • Outdoor eporations & play • Theme-based experiments, stories, crafts & activities • Nutritious lunch and snacks provided
REGISTER NOW!
For more information, visit regalgym.com/ summer-camps
3 ONE WEEK SESSIONS AVAILABLE: 7/25-7/29; 8/15-8/19; 8/22-8/25 (Ages 7+)
MAY 2016 KIDS VT
Our summer camp is designed for boys and girls ages 7+. We will be doing awesome activities that include and are not limited to Parkour / Tumbling, Gymja Warrior obstacles and Sports. Gymja Warrior campers will progressively learn how to express themselves through movement on our inspired American Ninja Warrior Register Today Space is Limited
KIDSVT.COM
hen someone suggested that Roxana De La Rosa apply for a nurse position at Camp Birch Hill in New Durham, N.H., two years ago, she balked. “I was like, ‘No, thanks. That doesn’t sound like fun to me at all,’” she remembers. The prospect of working solo, around the clock, without parents as buffers between her and the kids, didn’t appeal to her. But she ended up signing on for a two-week session so her then-12-year-old daughter, Jillian, could attend camp for free. “It was the event of her life,” De La Rosa says. Despite handling a lice outbreak and nursing her own broken foot that first summer, she was hooked. In July, she will return for her third year. “I felt loved,” she says. “Nursing, sometimes, is a thankless profession. But they appreciated me, and I liked that.” As thousands of Vermont kids start to prepare for their summer camp adventures, dozens of camp nurses do the same. The American Camp Association, the nation’s only accrediting body for camps, requires that residential camps have a registered nurse or licensed physician on-site daily. Being a nurse at a sleepaway camp isn’t your typical nursing gig. While keeping kids safe and healthy is the top priority, sitting around a campfire and making duct-tape wallets are also part of the job. A camp nurse’s office may be a screened-in porch or a tent outfitted with cots. And leeches, head lice and homesickness come with the campers. The best camp nurses assimilate into the community and support the camp’s mission, says Jon Kuypers, longtime director of YMCA Camp Abnaki, a North Hero boys’ camp where the motto is “Help the other fellow.” Of course, nurses must administer medications and treat twisted ankles, bumps, bruises, allergies and illnesses, Kuypers says. But he prizes a nurse who can also teach
Discovery Adventure Camp
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On the water, memories aren’t made, they’re caught.
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Summer camps and classes start in June, July, and August. Financial aid is available.
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Free fishing for kids under 15. Plus, find free loaner fishing tackle at selected Vermont State Parks.
•
June 11 is Free Fishing Day, when anyone can fish statewide for free!
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Check out the Grand Isle Family Fishing Festival on June 11 at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station. Learn basic fishing instruction and get a chance to catch big trout in the hatchery pond.
•
Visit our website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) for great fishing spots that are close to home and fun places for kids to take their families fishing.
flynnarts.org 802-652-4537
BUY YOUR FISHING LICENSE ONLINE TODAY.
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Professional Coaching... Affordable Price!
self-care — not only to campers but to at facilities that offer a variety of year-round programs. But many are counselors, who serve as examples. seasoned professionals who work “They’re the ones who have to role as school nurses, as college nursing model, the drinking the water, taking faculty or as their meds, part-time nurses getting to bed the rest of the early and all year, says Tracey that stuff,” he Gaslin, executive explains. director of the Since counAssociation of selors must act Camp Nurses. as first respondROXANA DE LA ROSA, Gaslin points ers, a good nurse CAMP BIRCH HILL NURSE out that some will teach them nurses take to distinguish weeks or even between minor months off of their full-time jobs to injuries that require just a Bandwork at camp. Some parents sign on Aid and more serious physical and because the job offers a child free emotional matters best or reduced camp tuition. Other handled by a nurse, nurses simply love the says Kuypers. work. Some camp “Camp is one of the nurses are full time, BAND-AIDS AND BONFIRES working P.33 »
July 25-29, 2016 & August 15-18, 2016
Band-Aids and Bonfires
Ages 5-8, 9-12
Kevin Sneddon’s Hockey School
2016 CAMP GUIDE
802-324-6876 ksneddon_21@hotmail.com | www.kshockeyschool.com k12h-KevinSneddonHockey0316.indd 1
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Nursing, sometimes, is a thankless profession. But they appreciated me, and I liked that.
Roxana De La Rosa
www.theschoolhousevt.org
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The nurse’s office at Camp Birch Hill
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CPURTESY OF ROXANA DE LA ROSA
KIDS VT
ShelburneMuseum.org
MAY 2016
Join us for phenomenal summer experiences emphasizing the creative process and offering new perspectives on art, invention, and historical traditions.
KIDSVT.COM
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Register Online for 2016 vacation and summer camps!
Cabin life promotes community and team work
northernlightsvt.com 802-316-3300
Talent Development Institute
2016
Camp ForMe
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Summer 2016
For advanced students entering grades 4-9 who want to have fun while learning! Come to one or both weeks!
Johnson State College June 19-25 & June 26-July 2, 2016
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Day Camp For Adopted Children & Teens
Campers at Betsy Cox and Sangamon have real independence. They make ALL their own choices every activity period, every day.
TWO ONE-WEEK SESSIONS
“TDI has provided an environment where being intelligent is encouraged….TDI has given me confidence to be myself outside the camp and introduced me to friends I look forward to seeing each year.” — Camper
For more info go to tdivermont.com, email lucybogue@yahoo.com, or call 802-658-9941.
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All-elective program encourages self-confidence and decision making.
July 11 - 15
July 18 - 22
Stowe High School • Stowe VT With bus service from Burlington, Williston & Waterbury FOR AGES 7 – 17 Visit our website for registration forms and information: 802-338-7382 www.camp4me.org
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Learn more at campinvention.org or by calling 800.968.4332. Save $15 when you register by May 10th and use promo code SPRING
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
TRANSFORM YOUR CHILD’S SUMMER FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY!
Camps throughout Vermont!
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FRIENDS FOREVER
few places where children with simiEach Rock Point sleepaway session lar conditions, likes, desires or talents runs five nights, from Sunday through are together for an extended period Friday. In her early years there, Daley of time,” Gaslin writes in an email. carried a radio. Later, it was a cell “Camps serve adults and children, the phone. They were always on, too. “Yes, well and unwell, and ambulatory and I slept,” she says, “but not really well. nonambulatory individuals. Camp I’d go home on Friday afternoon and nurses feel strongly just flop.” that every child should Through the years, have an opportunity to Daley treated kids Vermont’s only certified attend camp and that with diabetes and Irish Dance School! this rite of passage seizure conditions, but All Ages…All Levels will help them grow she never dealt with to become active and ALICE DALEY, FORMER anything too serious. Did you enjoy ROCK POINT CAMP productive adults.” “I’ve had a couple watching Riverdance? NURSE Alice Daley, who stitches from zebra Why not learn YMCA CAMP ABNAKI some of the steps! spent 15 years as a mussels,” she says, “but Resident and Day Camp camp nurse — first at Camp Kiniya those happen anywhere.” For Boys Ages 6-16 Call or email to hold a spot in Colchester, then at Rock Point One might expect that injuries are On Lake Champlain in our summer camps! Summer Camp in Burlington — is a commonplace at a circus camp where CampAbnaki.org retired school nurse from the Milton tumbling, trapeze and tightrope Classes offered in FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE Town School District. In a camp setwalking are part of the curriculum. Williston & Middlebury ting, she got a different perspective on But Alice Day, the nurse at Circus kids than the one she had in school. Smirkus Camp in Greensboro, hasn’t Beth Anne McFadden T.C.R.G. “When they’re at camp, they want dealt with a single broken bone in (802) 999-5041 to be there,” she explains. “They’re her nine summers there. Smirkus celtikutie@aol.com www.mcfaddenirishdance.com having a great time.” campers must adhere to strict safety Daley had a great time, too. She protocols, and “kids know that they fondly remembers singing the Johnny are not allowed to do what we call 1/27/16 k8v-CampAbnaki(YMCA)0314.indd 12:35 PM 1 2/21/14 Appleseed song and playing games ‘flippy, upside-down things’ outside k8v-McFadden0216.indd 1 of four square and human foosball of the [circus] tents,” she says. A disduring her summers at camp. located shoulder and badly sprained But camp nursing is also a menankle are the worst injuries she’s tally taxing job that comes with long seen, and those happened to staffers hours. “I was always on,” Daley says.
I’d go home on Friday afternoon and just flop.
PETRA CLIFFS 8H
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CAMPS IN THIS ISSUE
OU YE R 2 AR 3 RD !
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Hazen’s Notch Summer Camp
MAY 2016
DAY AND OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-14
KIDS VT
VT Jazz Camp ................................................. 34 Steve Gonsalves Junior Golf Academy ................................................. 34 Burlington City Arts .................................. 34 Montpelier Recreation Department Summer Day Camp .................................... 34 Night Eagle Wilderness Adventures 35 Smugglers’ Notch ........................................ 35 Camp Compass .............................................. 36 Purple Crayon Productions .................. 36 Lake Champlain Maritime Museum . 36 Very Merry Theatre ................................... 36 Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront .......................................................37 Vermont Ballet Theater School ...........37 Green Mountain Training Center .......37 YWCA Camp Hochelaga ............................37 Y Summer Day Camps ...............................37
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Regal Gymnastics Academy .................. 29 FlynnArts ......................................................... 30 Vermont Fish and Wildlife .................... 30 ECHO Camp ..................................................... 30 Kevin Sneddon’s Hockey School ..........31 The Schoolhouse Summer Camp ........31 Shelburne Museum .....................................31 UVM Perkins Museum ..............................32 Northern Lights Rock and Ice ................32 Talent Development Institute ...............32 Camp For Me ...................................................32 Camp Sangamon & Camp Betsy Cox .32 Camp Invention .............................................32 McFadden Academy of Irish Dance ....33 YMCA Camp Abnaki ....................................33 Petra Cliffs SumMAT Camp ...................33 Hazen’s Notch Association ......................33 Winooski Valley Park District S.O.L.E. Camp ................................................................... 34
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P.O. Box 478 | Montgomery Center, VT 05471 | hazensnotch.org
Celebrating 16 Years!
WINOOSKI VALLEY PARK DISTRICT
S.O.L.E. CAMP Sustainable Outdoor Leadership Education
Ages 6 – 9 (HURRY! Almost full!) & 10–12
Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington
July 11th - July 15th
$200/campers
In order to reach new musical heights, The VT Jazz Camp 2016 curriculum/activities will include:
WONDERS OF WATER
Improvisation Sessions Basic Theory and Music Composition Listening and Jamming Sessions
(Scholarships & Discounts available)
June 27–July 1; July 25 – 29
Our faculty includes the area’s finest musicians and teachers
OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS
July 5–8; August 1–5
Decades of experience as music teachers, band directors, and stage performers.
WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE
Go to www.vtjazzcamp.com for a registration form. Or, contact Tony Pietricola at tonyvje@gmail.com
July 11–15; August 8 -12
BUDDING NATURALISTS
Held at the Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College, 223 Ethan Allen Ave., Colchester, VT
July 18–22; August 15-19
www.wvpd.org
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info@wvpd.org • 802-863-5744
Montpelier Recreation Department
Summer Day Camp Licensed Child Care Program State subsidy is available upon request. Kindergarten- 12 years old Weekly Monday – Friday July 13 through August 12 7:30AM drop off, 4:45PM pick up Half Days or Full Days Montpelier Recreation Field
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RESIDENT FEES
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$120.00 per Week-5 Full Days $70.00 – 5 half days mornings or afternoons
Steve Gonsalves
Junior Golf Academy
ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS
at
$105.00 per Week- 5 Full Days $60.00 – 5 half days mornings or afternoons
NON-RESIDENT FEES
$160.00 per Week – 5 Full Days $100.00 – 5 half days morning or afternoons
COMING SOON! MINI KWINI!
ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS
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Summer Art Camps 10 WEEKLY SUMMER CAMPS STARTING JUNE 13-17 9AM-3PM DAILY PGA Award Winning Instructors • Ages 8-14 • Lunch provided daily • Friday “ field trips “ to Gonzo’s. 802-233-6019 • steve@gonzoshdsports.com
Starting June 20 for ages 3-18 To learn about our camps, the schedule or to sign up please visit: BURLINGTONCITYARTS.ORG or call 802.865.7166
$140.00 per Week – 5 Full Days $90.00 – 5 half days mornings or afternoons
Lunch Program TBA 55 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 Other Summer Opportunities
Tennis Lessons – Sessions running all summer Pool Passes Swimming Lessons June through August Youth Sports Camps and much more! For more information, please call our Office: (802) 225-8699 or visit us online: www.montpelierrec.org k2V-MontpelierRec0516.indd Untitled-13 1 1
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— professional performers who train This summer, she’ll bring her rigorously to perfect new tricks. tutu and superhero cape to camp for Day, a school nurse at Twinfield special dress-up days, happy to be Union School in Plainfield, took the part of a staff that tries to make every Smirkus Camp nursing job to cover child feel special. At the end of each the cost of sending her session, the 100 or so own three children campers will sit in the there. “And here we are, giant circle they call like, 10 years later,” she a “smirkle.” Each will says. Her twin daughshare thoughts about ters, Abbey and Lucy, camp, and, inevitably, now 20, are Smirkus someone will say ALICE DAY, SMIRKUS CAMP NURSE camp counselors, and that they finally feel her 18-year-old son, like they belong Ivan, travels as a performer with somewhere, and everyone will cry. Circus Smirkus during the summer. In moments like these, Day knows “So my husband stays home with the that she’s part of something that is cat,” Day says. changing kids’ lives. “Camp is a magical place, right?” Day says. So when the school year ends and daylight stretches long into the evening, she and other nurses will yearn for cabins, campfires and camaraderie. They’ll pack their shorts and their sunscreen and head back for another year. Alice Day “It’s a chance to get outside of your regular life,” Day says. “It’s something that I look forward to probably as much as the kids.” K
It’s a chance to get outside your regular life.
Night Eagle
Wilderness Adventures A unique summer camp for boys, ages 10-14, in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains tipi living ▲ nature crafts canoeing ▲ backpacking ▲ wilderness skills ▲ tracking atlatls ▲ ’hawk throwing swimming ▲ archery ▲ hiking ▲ cooperative work & play ▲ and much more! ▲ ▲
Call for a full brochure:
((802) 802) 773-7866 446-6100
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Nurse Alice at Smirkus Camp
1.800.523.2754 smuggs.com/kidsvt Ages 5 - 15. Available Monday -Friday, June 20 - August 5, 2016, for six weekly sessions. Shuttle service included.
MAY 2016
Like us on Facebook.
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KIDS VT
(We like you, too!)
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SUMMER F
CAMPS Where the Wild Things Are July 4-8 9-1pm Ages 6-13 The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet July 13-17 9-1pm Ages 6-13 Untitled-16 1
Dancing Up A Storm! July 18-22 9-1pm Ages 6-11
4/15/16 12:01 PM
LAKE ADVENTURE
Aladdin July 25-29, Aug 1-5 9-1pm Performances on Aug 6 & 7 Ages 6-13
CAMPS
Superheroes June 13-17 2-6pm Ages 6-13 Pippi Longstocking July 11-15 2-6pm Ages 6-13 The Hobbit July 18-22 2-6pm Ages 6-13
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Fairy Tales and Folktales June 20-24 9-1pm Ages 6-13
BURLINGTON & VERGENNES, VT
Ag e s 7-16 INFO & REGISTRATION: Untitled-39 1
The Velveteen Rabbit June 27-July 1 9-1pm Great for all ages
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The Secret Garden June 13-17 9-1pm Ages 6-13
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SIGN UP ONLINE
www.verymerrytheatre.org contact us at don@verymerrytheatre.org // 333 N Winooski Ave, Burlington VT 4/28/16 10:05 AM
Camps Athletics Programs Events
GYMNASTICS, FREESTYLE, PARKOUR, AND NINJA SUMMER CAMPS! Visit GreenMountainTrainingCenter.com for more information
n u f r mme
u s V T #B Register Today!
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260 Avenue D, Suite 30 • Williston (off Industrial Ave.) • 802-652-2454
Get Your Camp Face On!
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Join the Laga Girl Legacy! 97 Years Strong!
1/26/16 2:14 PM
Overnight, Day & Mini Camps Your Choice, Your Camp! Summer Staff Positions Available
YWCA Camp Hochelaga Register today at www.ywcavt.org or call 802-862-7520 k6h-CampHochelaga0316.indd 1
Vermont Ballet Theater School presents Celebration of Dance 2016!
For show & ticket information visit www.vbts.org.
• Week-long ballet themed camps for ages 3-9; Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Toy Shop Ballet and more! • Week-long ballet Mini-Intensive for ages 12-18, for the serious dancer looking to stay in shape for various summer-long intensives • “A Jazz Genre a Day” Jazz Camp for ages 7-11, learn a new jazz genre each day and perform your favorite at the end of the week. • Weekly ballet classes for young dancers - adults - beginner - advanced
3/23/16 2:25 PM
Lakefront and community locations • For boys and girls ages 5 - 16 • Camp locations: Burlington, Essex, Fairfax, Ferrisburgh, Georgia, North Hero, Underhill, Waterbury
www.gbymca.org The Y’s Community Partner
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This summer come dance with the best at VBTS! For schedule and enrollment information at both the Essex & Shelburne Campuses visit us at WWW.VBTS.ORG OR CALL: 802-878-2941 OR EMAIL US AT: INFO@VBTS.ORG
BEST. CAMP. EVER.
MAY 2016
Saturday May 28, 2016 at 1:00 & 6:30 pm.
2016 SUMMER
KIDSVT.COM
Our annual showcase of talent from ages 4 through pre-professional will dance their way onto the Flynn Main stage in Burlington for 2 exciting performances,
Classes & Camps
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Like the University of Vermont Medical Center on Facebook and get weekly updates from Dr. First! See “First With Kids” videos at uvmhealth.org.
CALENDAR
s r e t h g i F m o d ee Fr SPOTLIGHTS & LISTINGS BY BRETT STANCIU
In 1776, Fort Ticonderoga bustled with the beginning of the American Revolution. A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CELEBRATION at the 18th-century fort honors this past with a history-rich lineup of events. A living display shows how farmers reinforced the stonewalled garrison using axes, picks and hammers. Fife and drum music keeps the atmosphere lively, while costumed citizensturned-soldiers demonstrate their skills loading and firing muskets. If the gun smoke and crowds get too thick, the Fort’s historic gardens and walking trails offer a colorful respite.
COURTESY OF FORT TICONDEROGA
MAY
Sponsored by:
Highlights FRIDAY, MAY 6 & SATURDAY, MAY 7
MONTPELIER MAYFEST The City of Montpelier swings into the spring season with an Art Walk, an all-you-can-eat breakfast, an Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, a bike swap and the farmers market opening day. All ages. Various locations in Montpelier. Various prices. See website for details. Info, 2239604. montpelieralive.org
SATURDAY, MAY 14
BIG TRUCK DAY BURLINGTON Honk, honk! Curious kids sit in the driver’s seats of fire, dump and tow trucks. Music, local food and raffle prizes round out the day. St. Joseph’s School parking lot, Burlington. Ages 14 and under. $10 per family. Info, 864-8191.
MONDAY, MAY 23
WORLD TURTLE DAY
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These amazing animals are celebrated locally and internationally through special exhibits, crafts and activities. All ages. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlinton. $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 8641848. echovermont.org
SATURDAY, MAY 28
‘CELEBRATION OF DANCE’ MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CELEBRATION: Monday, May 30, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., at Fort Ticonderoga. All ages. $9-22; free for children under 5. Info, 518585-2821. fortticonderoga.org
Vermont Ballet Theater School performs selections from Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty, plus Broadway, contemporary and lyrical jazz, with special guest artist Samuel Wilson from the Washington Ballet. All ages. Flynn MainStage, Burlington. $1725. Info, 863-5966. flynntix.org
3 TUESDAY
Arts & Crafts
Creative Tuesdays: Young artists involve their imaginations with recycled materials. All ages. Kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.
Baby & Maternity
Breastfeeding Support Clinic: A certified lactation counselor answers nursing questions in a supportive setting. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 9 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: Moms tote their pre-crawling kids to an all-levels flowing yoga class focused on bringing the body back to strength and alignment in a fun and nurturing environment. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15, or $130 for 10-class pass. Info, 864-9642. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina, comfort and a stronger connection to their baby. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 4:15-5:30 p.m. $15 or $130 for 10-class pass. Info, 864-9642. Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: Brand-new mamas and their littles relax, stretch and bond. For moms with infants and early crawlers. Emerge with Amy Lepage-Hansen, Montpelier, 10:45 a.m.-noon. $15. Info, 223-5302. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: Women prepare for birth through yoga, with a focus on strengthening the body and mind. See prenatalmethod.com for class descriptions. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 4:30-5:30 & 6-7 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.
Food
Pig Roast: Live music and children’s activities make for a festive celebration sponsored by Roots the Restaurant to support the Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum. Downtown Rutland, 4-8 p.m. $10 for food. Info, 282-2678.
Games
Fairfax Family Game Night: Families take over the library’s tabletops for a fun evening. Ages 5 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420. Gaming For Teens & Adults: Players of all skill levels enjoy card playing and other amusements. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult or have parental permission to attend. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: Novice and experienced players team up for card playing. All ages. Haston Library, Franklin, 4-7 p.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.
Library & Books
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7:15 p.m. Prenatal Method PostnaSee Dr. First videos tal Rehab: New moms tune “First With Kids” at in on toning and relaxation. uvmhealth.org. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211. Music Prenatal Method Prenatal Preschool Music: Bitty ones dance and sing Barre: Expectant mothers get a ballet-inspired to a brisk beat. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial workout. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, Library, Colchester, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. 5:30-6:30 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211. Info, 264-5660. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Youth Media Lab: Aspiring movie makers film, edit and produce videos while exploring the depths of digital media. Grades 4 and up. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.
4 WEDNESDAY
Games
Arts & Crafts
Arts for Tots: Music, movement, free play and projects inspire creativity in youngsters. Ages 2-4. Purple Crayon/ArtisTree, South Pomfret, 10-11 a.m. $12 drop-in; preregister. Info, 457-3500.
Classes
Lego Mindstorms Robotics: Maker-minded kiddos pursue simple programming and robotics. Grades 4-6. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.
List your class or camp here for only $20 per month! Submit the listing by May 15 at kidsvt.com or to classes@kidsvt.com.
Nature & Science
Science & Stories: Seeds: Wee gardeners sow small germs of spring and hear the story of sprouts. Ages 3-6. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.
Parenting
Hinesburg Nurturing Parent Program: Moms and dads deepen parent-child communication skills, develop empathy and determine how to empower their families. A light dinner and childcare are included. Hinesburg Community School, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 498-0607.
5 THURSDAY
Arts & Crafts
Clay for Tots: Little potters practice, poke and play with a malleable medium. Ages 3-6. Purple Crayon/ArtisTree, South Pomfret, 10:30-11:15 a.m. $12 per drop-in class; preregister. Info, 457-3500. Mother’s Day Drop-In Craft: Children of all ages create a customized card for mom, complete with their photo. St. Albans Free Library, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507. Pirates and Mermaids: The magic of the open seas sets the scene for nautical-themed preschool art projects. Purple Crayon/ArtisTree, South Pomfret, 9:30-10:15 a.m. $12 per drop-in class; preregister. Info, 457-3500. Preschool Art Drop-In: Petite Picassos craft cool projects. Ages 6 months-5 years with accompanying adult. BCA Center, Burlington, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $5-6. Info, 865-7166. Webby’s Art Studio: The museum’s temporary and permanent exhibits inspire specialized art activities for all ages. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular admission, $7-24; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.
Baby & Maternity
Essex La Leche League: Moms tote their little ones to a discussion of parenting and breastfeeding. Siblings welcome. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:4511:55 a.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Library & Books
Colchester Lego Club: Mini-makers participate in surprise challenges with colorful interlocking blocks. Ages 6-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.
KIDS VT
Summer Day Camp: Come and be a part of a great summer day camp! Fishing, swimming, bike trails, fields for games. Horseback riding, paddle boat races and other fun activities! Ages 7-16, coed. July 18-22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Suggested donation: $100. 175 Sweet Hollow Road, Sheldon. Info, godsvision.net. Summer Violin Lessons: Timothy Swanson offers individualized violin lessons to beginner and intermediate students from his South Burlington studio. Suzuki/Zweigg method. Opportunities for growth and enrichment are plentiful. Foster a lifelong love of music with this amazing instrument! Excellent references. Info, 373-7223, tbswanson@gmail.com, tbswanson.com. Kids & Parents’ Taiko Drumming in Burlington: Japanese Drumming with Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko! Tuesday, 4-5:20 p.m. Starting June 21. $75/child or $125/ parent-child for five weeks (no class July 5). Location: 208 Flynn Ave, Suite 3-G (12 steps from Chef’s Corner South End). A fiveperson minimum is required to run most classes, so invite friends! Please register online or come directly to the first class! Info, 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org. Kids & Parents’ World Drumming in Montpelier: World drumming with Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko! Thursday, 4:30-5:20 p.m., starting June 23. $60 or $105/parent-child for five weeks (no class July 7). Location: Capital City Grange, 6612 Vermont 12, Berlin. A six-person minimum is required to run most classes, so invite friends! Please register online or come directly to the first class. Info, 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org. Kids & Parents’ World Drumming In Burlington: Djembe or Conga Drumming with Stuart Paton of Burlington Taiko! Wednesday, 4:30-5:20 p.m., starting June 22. $60/ child or $105/parent-child for 5 weeks (no class on July 6). Location: 208 Flynn Ave, Suite 3-G (12 steps from Chef’s Corner South End). A five-person minimum is required to run most classes, so invite friends! Please register online or come directly to the first class! Info, 999-4255, burlingtontaiko.org.
Creative Writing Club: Emerging literati let their imaginations loose through prompts, games and other activities. Ages 9 and up. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313. Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Discussion: Avid readers ages 8-11 enjoy a spirited chat around the award-winning The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.
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EvoBaby & EvoKids Yoga at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center: Register now for spring and summer baby and kids’ yoga classes. Join us to bond with your baby or give your child tools to help self-regulate and find more joy. Classes seven days a week for all ages 6 weeks to teen. See detailed schedule on website for age groupings, descriptions and pricing. Location: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info, evolutionprenatalandfamily.com, 899-0339. Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Classes at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center: Have a more comfortable pregnancy and prepare for birth with stretching, strengthening and relaxation in prenatal yoga — and then bring your body back to balance and strength in postnatal yoga. Join our community of mothers at any point in your pregnancy, and six weeks or later in your postpartum time (until baby is crawling). No yoga experience necessary. Prenatal Yoga: Sundays, 10 a.m.; Mondays, 5:45 p.m.; Tuesdays, 4:15 p.m.; Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m.; Thursdays, 12:15 p.m.; Fridays, 8:15 a.m. Postnatal Yoga: Sundays, 12:15 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10:45 a.m.; Thursdays, 10:45 a.m.; Fridays, noon (postnatal core). Drop-ins welcome, $15/class or $130/10 class pass. Location: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info, evolutionprenatalandfamily.com, 899-0339. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for children promotes self-esteem, self-defense and bully-proofing, self-confidence, character development, a physical outlet with discipline, cooperation with other children, respect for peers and adults, perseverance and a healthy lifestyle. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will help your kids to learn realistic bullyproofing and self-defense skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Regular BJJ training builds endurance, resilience, patience, discipline, self-respect and helps to instill courage and self-confidence. First class is free! Location: 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Please stop by our school, call 660-4072 or email julio@bjjusa.com to register your son or daughter and receive a free uniform with their first month enrollment. vermontbjj.com.
Library & Books
KIDSVT.COM
Hinesburg Crafternoons: Maker-minded kiddos create colorful calendar projects. Ages 7 and up. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 482-2878. Martha the Talking Dog in Rutland: In celebration of Children’s Book Week, the canine star of Susan Meddaugh’s Martha series mingles with her fans. All ages. Phoenix Books Rutland, 4:306 p.m. Free. Info, 855-8078. Spanish Musical Kids: Niños celebrate Latin American culture through tunes and games en español. Ages 1-5 with a caregiver. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.
Baby & Maternity
Movies
MAY CALENDAR 5 THURSDAY (CONTINUED)
Food for Thought Teen Group: Young adults polish off pizza as they discuss library projects. Grades 7-12. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918. Lego Thursdays: Kids combine their creativity with the library’s supplies. All ages. Haston Library, Franklin, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 285-6505. PJ Story Hour: Sleepyheads get ready for bed, then arrive at the library for themed stories, snacks and a craft. Ages 6 and under. Fairfax Community Library, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420. Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: An attentive canine listens to little people read. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:15-4 p.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 878-6956.
Robotics!: The high school robotics club demos their competition piece, then kids have a handson chance to check it out. Grades 4-5. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:15-4:45 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Word Play for Kids: Professional storyteller Peter Burns spellbinds early learners with stories, nursery rhymes, finger plays and art projects to encourage emerging language skills. Ages 3-4. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.
Music
Music for Preschoolers: Lively tunes with local musicians strike the right note among the wee crowd. Ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free; limited to one session per week per family. Info, 878-4918.
Parenting
Ongoing Exhibits ECHO LEAHY CENTER FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN, BURLINGTON Info, 864-1848 ‘XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness:’ Developed by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, this interactive exhibit asks participants to open their hearts and minds, through puzzles and art, in a giant conversation starter. Through May 15. FAIRBANKS MUSEUM & PLANETARIUM, ST. JOHNSBURY Info: 748-2372 ‘X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside and Out’: This temporary exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute illustrates the history of evolution through the translucent images of ancient fish, in an elegant union of science and art. (See calendar spotlight on page 44.) Through 2017.
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MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, NORWICH Info, 649-2200 ‘Human Plus: Real Lives & Real Engineering’: Cutting-edge science and engineering match forces to assist the human body through low- and high-tech tools. This hands-on experience includes a neuroprosthetic limb controlled by a person’s thoughts and a touchless computer mouse, controlled through slight movements of the head. Through May 8. ‘Making Music: The Science and Art of Instrument Design’: Visitors participate in a trial-run of an exhibit exploring how instrument designs make music, and offer feedback to museum staff on temporary materials and labels. Through June 12. SHELBURNE MUSEUM, SHELBURNE Info, 985-3346, ext. 3395 ‘32 Degrees: The Art of Winter’: Snowy season-inspired artwork graces the museum’s gallery spaces and grounds, from contemporary photography to Monet’s “Wheatstacks” to sound art and games. Through May 30.
Colchester Nurturing Parent Program: Moms and dads deepen parent-child communication skills, develop empathy and determine how to empower their families. A light dinner and childcare are included. Union Memorial School, Colchester, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 498-0607.
Theater
‘The Wizard of Oz’: Dorothy, Toto and their new friends skip down the Yellow Brick Road, hoping the great wizard will grant their hearts’ desires. Ages 5 and up. Edmunds Middle School, Burlington, 4-6 p.m. Donations accepted. Info, 862-6450.
6 FRIDAY
Arts & Crafts
Family Wheel Drop-In: Families form clay sculptures with assistance from staff. All ages. BCA Print and Clay Studio, Burlington, 5:307:30 p.m. $7-8 per participant; $5 additional for each piece fired and glazed. Info, 860-7474.
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 8:15-9:15 a.m. Mothers’ Gathering: Moms and new babies spread out, sip tea, nurse and swap stories. Children under 2 welcome. Yoga Mountain Center, Montpelier, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-5302.
Education
Early Bird Math: Young children and their caregivers put two and two together using interactive books, songs and games to delve into arithmetic concepts. Richmond Free Library, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.
Fairs & Festivals
Montpelier Mayfest: The capital city swings into the spring season with weekend festivities including an Art Walk, an all-you-can-eat breakfast, an ultimate frisbee tournament, a bike swap and the farmers market opening day. See website for details. Downtown Montpelier, 4-8 p.m. Free; fees for some venues. Info, 223-9604.
Food
Foodways Fridays: Guests tour the heirloom garden, then watch as veggies make their way into historic recipes prepared in the 1890 farmhouse kitchen. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.
Games
Community
Dungeons & Dragons: Players embark on Burlington Community Tree Nursery Plantinvented adventures, equipped ing: Volunteers grab their work with their problem-solving gloves and plant saplings in grow skills. Grades 6 and up. Brownell bags for later transplanting. Music, Library, Essex Junction, 6-8:30 refreshments and door prizes p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. furnish festivity. All ages. UVM Horticulture Farm, South BurlingLive Action Role Play: LARPSee Dr. First videos ton, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 656-5440. ers create characters and plots “First With Kids” at for an amazing adventure of Green Up Day: Community memuvmhealth.org. the imagination. Grades 6-12. bers spiff up the state for summer. Brownell Library, Essex JuncAll ages. Various locations statewide. tion, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, Free. Info, greenupvermont.org. 878-6956. Education Magic: The Gathering: Planeswalkers seek knowledge and glory in this trading-card Living History Weekend: In this two-day game. New players welcome. Grades 6 and up. event, fans of reenactments witness soldiers Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-8 p.m. of the Northern Continental army muster toFree. Info, 878-6956. gether as they train and set up camp. All ages. Fort Ticonderoga, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $9-20; free Library & Books for children under 5. Info, 518-585-2821. Family Story Time: Librarian and storyteller Fairs & Festivals Molly Pease leads little ones in stories, crafts, music and more. Bridgeside Books, Waterbury, Kids’ Day: A parade begins at Edmunds Ele10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 244-1441. mentary School at 9:30 a.m., then families enjoy a day at the waterfront with performances, Songs & Stories With Matthew: Musician food, games, activities and animals at the park. Matthew Witten kicks off the morning with All ages. Waterfront Park, Burlington, 9:30 tunes and tales. All ages. Brownell Library, a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 881-7707. Essex Junction, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Mayfest: Folks celebrate spring with maypole dancing, face painting, pony rides, live music and delicious food. Families with children ages Music 6 and under. Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: Shelburne, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; food for sale. Toe-tapping ditties captivate kiddies. Radio Info, 985-2827. Bean, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 660-9346. Montpelier Mayfest: See May 6, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Theater
‘Cats’: The Jellicle tribe of felines sings and dances the night away. Ages 5 and up. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30 p.m. $17-30. Info, 457-3981. Middle School Theater Improv Group: Thespians-in-training create and dramatize scenes together, supervised by playwright Luc Reid. Grades 4-8. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918. ‘The Wizard of Oz’: See May 5, 7-9 p.m.
7 SATURDAY
Arts & Crafts
Family Clay: Children and their parents make memories firing and glazing special pieces. All ages. Purple Crayon/ArtisTree, South Pomfret, 10 a.m.-noon, $20 per parent-child pair; $5 per additional family member; preregister. Info, 457-3500. Kids Building Workshop: Handy helpers learn do-it-yourself skills and tool safety as they construct seasonal projects. Ages 5-12. Home Depot, Williston, 9 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister at workshops.homedepot.com. Info, 872-0039. Origami Workshop: Paper folders let their imaginations run wild. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 472-5948. Saturday Kids Drop-In Craft Class: Little hands create craft projects with seasonal themes, including flower vases, ice cream bowls and gifts for moms and dads. Ages 5-15. Parent must accompany. Shelburne Craft School, 10 a.m. $10 per child. Info, 985-3648. Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
Baby & Maternity
Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Food
Burlington Farmers Market: Producers and artisans offer fresh and prepared foods, crafts and more in a bustling marketplace. All ages. Burlington City Hall Park, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 310-5172. Capital City Farmers Market: Veggies, honey, maple syrup and more change hands at a celebration of locally grown food. All ages. Downtown Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-2958. Chocolate Making Workshop: Just in time for Mother’s Day, young chocolatiers try their hand at truffle creation. Fairfax Community Library, 10-11:30 a.m. $5; preregister. Info, 849-2420. Middlebury Farmers Market: Crafts, cheeses, breads, veggies and more vie for spots in shoppers’ totes. Marble Works District, Middlebury, Free. Info, 537-4754. Orchard Valley Waldorf School Pie Breakfast: Hungry families fill their bellies with sweet and savory pastries. All ages. Trinity United Methodist Church, Montpelier, 8:30 a.m.-noon. $8; $30 per family; free for children under 5. Info, 456-7400. Rutland Farmers Market: Local vendors peddle farm-fresh veggies and fruits, artisan cheese, handcrafted breads and more at this outdoor emporium. Downtown Rutland, 9 a.m.2 p.m. Free. Info, 342-4727.
Health & Fitness
EvoKids Saturday Yoga: Youngsters master basic yoga poses through games, songs and dance. Mindfulness activities improve focus and concentration. Ages 3-9. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15. Info, 864-9642. Onion River Sports Bike Swap: Cyclists get ready for the upcoming season by trading in their old bikes, trailers and strollers for different models. Those selling drop off their wheels
April 30-May 6. Onion River Sports, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 229-9409.
Library & Books
‘Animally’ Story Time: Children’s author Lynn Parrish Sutton enchants young listeners with her new picture book exploring the animal world, from seagulls to giraffes. All ages. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.
Cleo the Therapy Dog: Canine and reading enthusiasts visit with a friendly pooch from Therapy Dogs of Vermont. Ages 3 and up. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Graphic Novel Author Double-Header: Awardwinning graphic novelists James Kochalka and Gareth Hinds do drawing demos and answer questions. Kochalka at 11 a.m. for ages 5-9; Hinds at noon for ages 12 and up. The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; RSVPs welcome. Info, 985-3999.
Green Up Day Reading: Vermont children’s author John Powell reads from his new book The Pitkin Kids Learn about Recycling, then sends small ones on a scavenger hunt. Recommended for ages 3-7. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 482-2878. Martha the Talking Dog in Burlington: In celebration of Children’s Book Week, the canine star of Susan Meddaugh’s Martha series mingles with her fans. All ages. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.
Martha the Talking Dog in Essex: In celebration of Children’s Book Week, the canine star of Susan Meddaugh’s Martha series mingles with her fans. All ages. Phoenix Books, Essex Junction, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 872-7111. ‘Safe in a Storm’ Story Time: Children’s author Stephen Swinburne reads from his latest picture book about animals nestling through wind and rain. Phoenix Books Rutland, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 855-8078. 7 SATURDAY, P.42
Vicki Rich, Hyde Park
Carol Barbierri, Arlington
R.N., Lactional Consultant IBCLC
Director of Happy Days Playschool
Superhero power: Facilitating successful births, helping parents gain their confidence, and reassuring them that they actually do know what’s best for their child. Also, celebrating the little things—Iike a baby's weight gain! Good deed done: Vicki is most appreciated for her ability to listen and offer non-judgmental advice. She’s there for anyone at any time!
Dr. Matthew Rushford, Burlington
Early Childhood Interventionist, Story Lady & Math Buddy for Windsor-Orange School District Superhero power: Weekly visits with story bags and math bags, providing quality books and toys that extend kids’ knowledge and excitement after the story is over.
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Good deed done: Really listening to kids and finding out what they’re interested in.
MAY 2016
Read the full interviews with each Superhero and nominate a Superhero from your community at:
KIDSVT.COM
Superhero power: Being a big kid himself. Known as “Doctor Sparkles,” Dr. Rushford really connects with kids, even those who are usually shy or afraid of the doctor.
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Good deed done: Carol successfully applied for a grant that has allowed her to provide scholarships to her program for at-risk and low-income preschoolers for more than 20 years.
Sue Barnaby, Tunbridge
Chiropractor & Co-founder of Rushford Family Chiropractic Center
Good deed done: Helping kids feel empowered about their own well-being and the fact that the good choices they make add up.
Superhero power: Continually expanding opportunities for both the children in her program and her early childhood staff to learn and grow!
4/27/16 10:57 AM
COURTESY OF RUNVERMONT
MAY CALENDAR 7 SATURDAY (CONTINUED)
Music Green Mountain Youth Symphony Auditions: Young musicians of all levels try out for seats in GMYS’s orchestras. Audition required for fall semester placement. Ages 6-18. Center for Arts and Learning, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $25 audition fee; preregistration required. Info, 888-4470.
Nature & Science
Science Challenge: Savvy experimenters tackle tough problems with a mixture of materials and tools. Ages 3 and up with caregiver participation. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848. Sheep Shearing & Herding: Young farmhands watch as Southdown ewes get haircuts and border collies herd sheep in the fields. Fiber demos, a children’s art show and tours of the operating dairy farm round out the day. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355. Tour the Cosmos: This 50-minute live presentation takes the audience on a journey deep into the universe. Ages 6 and up. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, 1:30 p.m. $7-9 regular museum admission; free for children under 5. $6 per person per planetarium show. Info, 748-2372.
Theater
‘Cats’: See May 6, 2 & 7:30 p.m. Good Clean Fun!: Family-friendly professional improv comedians invite audience participation in an evening of silliness and laughter. Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 5 p.m. By donation; food and drink available for purchase. Info, 859-0100. ‘The Wizard of Oz’: See May 5, 7-9 p.m.
8 SUNDAY: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:151:30 p.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10-11:30 a.m.
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Community
All Souls Interfaith Kids Gathering: Creative kiddos engage in arts and crafts. Grades K-4. Caregivers must remain on-site. All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3819. XOXO: Expressions of Love: Families across diverse cultures are celebrated in this Mother’s Day event. Teresa Davis, Director of the Davis Studio, assists family members in drawing “love portraits” of each other. All ages. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.
Education
Living History Weekend: See May 7.
Health & Fitness
Essex Open Gym: Energy-filled kids flip, jump and tumble in a state-of-the-art facility. Ages 6 and under, 1 p.m.; ages 7-12, 2:30 p.m.; ages
On Your Mark… According to legend, the first marathon was run in 490 BC by the Greek Pheidippides, who brought news of the Persians’ defeat to Athens. Sadly, he then collapsed and died. Lucky for us, modern-day foot races are decidedly more fun and fitness-oriented. The READY. SET. RUN! FESTIVAL, a kid-focused complement to Burlington’s Vermont City Marathon, features half-, one- and two-mile races along the scenic waterfront. Parents are welcome to lace up and join their kids in the half-miler, while the two-mile course offers the opportunity for children ages 9 to 14 to compete. And at this event, everyone’s a winner. Kids take home a gold medal, just for participating. READY. SET. RUN! FESTIVAL: Saturday, May 28, registration opens at 7:45 a.m.; races begin at 8:25 a.m. Ages 4-14. $20-50. Info, 863-8412. runvermont.org 13 and up, 4 p.m. Regal Gymnastics Academy, Essex, 1-5:30 p.m. $8. Info, 655-3300.
Nature & Science
Early Birder Morning Walk: A.m. risers ramble through forests and meadows, led by experienced birders. Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 7-9 a.m. Free; preregistration appreciated; donations welcome. Info, 434-2167. Marshfield Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk: The library pairs up with the Conservation Commission for an afternoon’s amble in search of spring ephemerals. All ages. Meet at the Stranahan Forest parking lot at the beginning of Thompson Road. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. Montpelier Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk: Why settle for a bouquet? Flora fans see meadows of spring blooms — and learn the folklore behind their names — on this easy, enjoyable stroll. All ages. See spotlight on page 48. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 1-3 p.m. $510; free for members; preregister. Info, 229-6206. Science Challenge: See May 7. Sheep Shearing & Herding: See May 7.
Sundays for Fledglings: Aspiring junior birders learn all about the work birds do through observation, research and goofing around. Ages 5-9; siblings welcome. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 2-3 p.m. Free with museum admission, $3.50-7; free for members and children under 3. Info, 434-2167. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7.
Theater
‘Cats’: See May 6, 2 p.m.
9 MONDAY
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7 p.m. Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
Food
Mama Mangez: Families prepare and share a meal and conversation. Tulsi Tea Room,
Submit your June events for print by May 15 at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com.
Montpelier, 4-6 p.m. Free; ingredient donation optional. Info, 595-7953.
Library & Books
Babies & Toddlers Rock: Little musicians ages 2 and under sing songs and engage in early literacy activities. Rutland Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860. Burlington Stories With Megan: Preschoolers have a ball with rhymes, songs and books. Ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. Essex Lego Challenge Club: Inventive kiddos press together plastic-piece creations. Ages 5 and up. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.
Music
Music & Movement for Preschoolers: Educator Emily Lanxner gets the beat going with creative storytelling, movement and rhythm. Geared toward preschoolers, but all are welcome. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 472-5948. Music for Preschoolers: See May 5, 11 a.m.
Nature & Science
Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: Prenatal Method Prenatal Little explorers and their careBarre: See May 4. See Dr. First videos givers discover the sights and “First With Kids” at Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: sounds of the forest and field, uvmhealth.org. See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m. while learning how the natural environment can be used as an adventurous classroom. Dress Education in outdoor clothing. Ages 5 and History for Homeschoolers: under. North Branch Nature Center, MontpeEager learners launch into history-related lier, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free; donations welcome. activities organized around monthly themes. Info, 229-6206. Ages 6-12. Check vermonthistory.org for
10 TUESDAY
Arts & Crafts
Creative Tuesdays: See May 3.
Baby & Maternity
Breastfeeding Support Clinic: See May 3. Burlington La Leche League: New moms bring their babies and questions to a breastfeeding support group. Older children welcome. Lending library available. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 985-8228. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3. La Leche League of the Northeast Kingdom: Expectant, novice and experienced moms join breastfeeding experts for advice and support. Enter through the children’s section of the library. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 720-272-8841. Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3.
Food Kids in the Kitchen: Strawberry Shortcake Showdown: Junior chefs compose this classic masterpiece with fresh berries, homemade biscuits and mounds of real whipped cream. Healthy Living Market & Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $20. Info, 863-2569.
Games Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: See May 3.
Library & Books
Gaming For Teens & Adults: See May 3. Spanish Musical Kids: See May 3.
Movies
specific details. Vermont History Museum, Montpelier, 1-3 p.m. $6.50-8; preregister. Space is limited. Info, 828-2291. Homeschooling FYI: The Vermont Agency of Education hosts an informational gathering for experienced and interested homeschooling parents. St. Albans Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1507. Mater Christi School Open House: Interested students and their parents see K-8 classrooms in the morning. Evening visits offer an afterschool program tour and a chance to chat with teachers. Mater Christi School, Burlington, 8:30-11 a.m. & 5-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 658-3992. River Rock School Open House: Prospective parents meet the teachers behind this school’s K-8 program while their kids enjoy activities. River Rock School, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 223-4700. Waldorf Pre-K Through 8th Grade Observation Morning: Curious families take a tour, meet teachers and parents, and learn about this independent pre-K-8 school’s programs. Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free; RSVP. Info, 985-2827 ext. 12. Young Writers & Storytellers: Small ones spin their own yarns. Ages 5-9. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4-5 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.
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Library & Books
Science & Stories Bubble Magic: Wee ones experiment with blowing crazy-shaped bubbles. Ages 3-6. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.
“I tell all my friends about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s Better Beginnings® program. I had a difficult delivery. But thanks to my husband, family, friends, and my health plan, I’m on the mend... and I have Johnny! Better Beginnings provided us with in home lactation support, money towards birth and fitness classes and other great resources. I also made a personal connection with Sara, my nurse from Blue Cross—whose calls guided me from the start and supported me before, during and after Johnny’s birth.” — new mom in Jeffersonville
We’ll see you through. (800) 255-4550 • www.bcbsvt.com
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Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
96 Colchester Ave, Burlington • 802-658-0505 • Toll Free 877-275-8929 www.affiliatesobgyn.com • Visit us on Facebook
KIDS VT
Baby & Maternity
Patrick Clifford, MD, Suzanne Scharf, NP Greta Hanson, MD, Dale LaCroix, MD, and Kimberly Blake, MD
MAY 2016
Arts for Tots: See May 4.
Water Birth Available
KIDSVT.COM
Arts & Crafts
Free Breastfeeding Classes by certified instructors
Dungeons & Dragons Night: Players don invented personas and use cleverness and luck to overcome challenges, defeat enemies and save the day. Beginners welcome. Ages 9-13. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6-7:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.
Nature & Science
Nature & Science
Childbirth Classes on-site: www.laboroflovevt.com
Games
11 WEDNESDAY
Preschool Music: See May 3.
Our personable & attentive staff is here for you!
Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7, 3-6 p.m.
Discovery in the Nestlings Nook: Bird enthusiasts stretch their wings during a themed session of tales, crafts, music and outdoor exploration. Intended for preschoolers, but all ages are welcome. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Museum admission $3.50-7; free for members and children under 3. Info, 434-2167.
Music
Individualized Gynecological care for all stages of your life.
Food
Lego Club: Mini-makers participate in constructive challenges with colorful interlocking blocks. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420. Read to a Dog: Little book lovers select stories to share with a furry friend. Ages 5-10. Fairfax Community Library, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Free; preregister for 15-minute time slot. Info, 849-2420. Reading with Charlie the Therapy Dog: Emerging readers spend literary time with a poodle. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 3:15-4:30 p.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 482-2878.
Youth Media Lab: See May 3.
Personalized care throughout your pregnancy, labor and delivery
11 WEDNESDAY, P.44 BCBSVT_KidsVT_bb.indd Untitled-25 1 1
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MAY CALENDAR
Cast Into the Past
COURTESY OF FAIRBANKS MUSEUM
Ichthyologists — also known as fish scientists — once used dissection as a way to understand how ancient aquatic animals evolved. Now, X-ray machines take photographs of these creatures’ insides, while preserving the skeletal structures that encase them. “X-RAY VISION: FISH INSIDE AND OUT,” a visiting Smithsonian Institution exhibit, displays the scientific evidence of evolving life forms in 40 translucent black-and-white digital images of fossilized sea creatures. Besides showcasing the beauty of fish, these X-ray photos also reveal clues to past behavior. Undigested prey in the gut, for example, is a portrait of a fish’s final meal. Displayed in evolutionary sequence, these elegant photos offer a sweeping view of the immense arc of time. “X-RAY VISION: FISH INSIDE AND OUT”: Open daily, May 1 through the spring of 2017, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury. All ages. $7-9; free for children under 5. Info, 748-2372. fairbanksmuseum.org
12 THURSDAY
Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Lego Thursdays: See May 5. St. Albans Library Legos: Aspiring architects engage in construction projects with their peers. St. Albans Free Library, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.
Arts & Crafts
Library & Books
11 WEDNESDAY (CONTINUED)
Parenting
Hinesburg Nurturing Parent Program: See May 4.
Clay for Tots: See May 5. Pirates and Mermaids: See May 5. Preschool Art Drop-In: See May 5. Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:4511:55 a.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Education
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
History for Homeschoolers: See May 11. Waldorf High School Observation Mornings: Students and parents interested in the Waldorf philosophy tour classes, meet teachers and ask questions. Lake Champlain Waldorf High School, Shelburne, 8:30-10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 985-2827, ext. 12.
Games
Colchester Lego Club: See May 5. Jericho Lego Club: Creative construction workers put plastic pieces together. Grades K-6. Younger children must be accompanied by an adult. Jericho Town Library, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 899-4686. Lego Fun: Budding builders bust out the blocks. Grades K and up; kids under 5 are welcome to participate with adult supervision. Brownell
Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: See May 5. Word Play for Kids: See May 5.
Music
Music for Preschoolers: See May 5.
Nature & Science Home School Program: Aquatic Ecosystems: Young outdoor learners sink their hands and minds into water study, analyzing soil, botany and wildlife. Ages 9-12. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $20 per child; $15 each additional sibling; preregister. Info, 434-3068. Spring Discovery: The emerging season is celebrated with a search for salamanders and tadpoles, singing with the frogs and a game of migration tag. Ages 3-5. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 9-10:30 a.m. $8-10 adult/child pair; $4 each additional child; preregister. Info, 434-3068.
Parenting
Colchester Nurturing Parent Program: See May 5.
13 FRIDAY
Arts & Crafts
Family Wheel Drop-In: See May 6.
Baby & Maternity
Mothers’ Gathering: See May 6.
Community
Nature & Science Montshire Unleashed: An Evening for Adults: The museum opens its doors after hours so grown-ups can let their inner curiosity go wild. Beer and wine available for purchase. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 6-9 p.m. $14 museum admission; free for members. Info, 649-2200. Spring Migration Bird Walk: Avian aficionados of all ages bend their birding ear to warblers, vireos, thrushes and waterfowl, with the assistance of nature center staff. All ages. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7-8:30 a.m. $10; free for members. Info, 229-6206.
Theater
Vermont Vaudeville: Old-school entertainment combines with cutting-edge music, acrobatic stunts and comedy for a one-of-akind theater experience. All ages. See spotlight on page 50. Hardwick Town House, 8 p.m. $6-15. Info, 472-1387.
14 SATURDAY
Arts & Crafts
Saturday Kids Drop-In Craft Class: See May 7. Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
Baby & Maternity
Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Community
Foodways Fridays: See May 6.
Big Truck Day Burlington: Honk, honk! Curious kids sit in the drivers’ seats of fire, dump and tow trucks. Music, local food and raffle prizes add to the fun. Takes place in parking lot. Ages 14 and under. St. Joseph School, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 per family; proceeds benefit Robin’s Nest Children’s Center. Info, 864-8191. Free Child Car Seat Safety Check-Up: Careful eyes look for correct installation, recalls and proper fit. Recommended to bring your children, and vehicle and car seat manuals. New Haven Vermont State Police, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; RSVP appreciated. Info, 388-4919. Kids Trade & Play: Families exchange clean and gently-used clothing and toys, size newborn to 12. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $3 per family. Info, 337-8632.
Library & Books
Education
Kids’ Night Out: While their parents appreciate time off, youngsters enjoy dinner, a movie and games. Grades K-6. David Gale Recreation Center, Stowe, 6-10 p.m. $15 per child. Info, 253-3054.
Education
Early Bird Math: See May 6. Milton Homeschool Project Day: Out-of-classroom learners exhibit their current endeavors to an audience of parents and siblings. Grades K-12. Milton Public Library, 2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.
Food
Brownell All-Ages Story Time: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers pass through for picture books and finger plays. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Family Story Time: See May 6. Teen Video Party: Young adults who participated in the production of the video “Hanging with the Greats” savor a screening and ice cream social. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.
Movies
After-School Movie: Kids worn out from the week enjoy a PG flick and free popcorn. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.
Music Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See May 6.
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 8:15-9:15 a.m.
Submit your June events for print by May 15 at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com.
Fairbanks Museum Town Day: Free programming and a planetarium presentation reward residents of supporting towns. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free for residents of contributing towns. Info, 748-2372.
Fairs & Festivals
Hinesburg Big Truck Day: Vroom, vroom! Giant auto aficionados climb aboard fire trucks, dump trucks, school buses, tractors and more. Hornfree until 1 p.m. All ages. Hinesburg Community School, 9:45 a.m.-2 p.m. $5 per child; free for adults; proceeds benefit Hinesburg nursery school. Info, 557-1620.
Food
Burlington Farmers Market: See May 7. Capital City Farmers Market: See May 7. Middlebury Farmers Market: See May 7. Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7.
Health & Fitness
Food
5K Race for Mentoring: Runners of all Stowe Farmers Market: Live music, agriculabilities take their marks to raise money for tural and craft vendors make for a bustling FriendCHIPS, a school-based atmosphere. Stowe Farmers Marmentoring program serving kids ket, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, grades 3-8. Founders Memorial 279-3444. School, Essex, 9:30 a.m. $25 registration fee. Info, 878-6982, Health & Fitness ext. 106. Essex Open Gym: See May 8. See Dr. First videos EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See “First With Kids” at May 7. Nature & Science uvmhealth.org. J.M.M.Y. Run: Athletes of all Early Birder Morning Walk: See abilities lace up for a 5K, 10K, May 8. half-marathon and a one-mile Science Challenge: See May 7. run. Registration opens at 7 Sundays for Fledglings: See May 8. a.m. J.M.M.Y Center, Georgia, 8 a.m. $10-30; all proceeds benefit the Jimmy Messier Memorial Tour the Cosmos: See May 7. Youth Center. Info, 891-6348. Wallingford Bike Safety Day: Pedal pushers 16 MONDAY take advantage of helmet fittings and bike-safety inspections, then gear up for an obstacle course, Baby & Maternity face painting and prizes. Wallingford Elementary Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7 School, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 446-7011. p.m. Williston Runs for Education: The commuPrenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. nity comes out for a 5K run, a kids fun run and a relay in a spectator-friendly setting. 8 a.m. Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. registration; 9:30 a.m. start. Williston Central Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, School, $8-40; proceeds benefit school pro12:15-1:15 p.m. grams. Info, 238-2474. Secure Attachment and Babywearing: As part of The Birthing Year New Parent Preparation Library & Books Series, new parents learn self- and baby care James Kochalka: ‘The Glorkian Warrior and from professionals. Babes in arms welcome. Inthe Mustache of Destiny’: This author and quire about possible on-site childcare for elder illustrator of both children’s and adult graphic siblings. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, 6-8 p.m. books enchants the audience. All ages. Phoenix Free; preregister. Info, 595-7953. Books Rutland, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 855-8078. Second Saturdays: This child-friendly afterLibrary & Books noon, a collaboration between the Norwich Babies & Toddlers Rock: See May 9. Public Library and the Norwich Bookstore, celBurlington Stories With Megan: See May 9. ebrates reading with various themed activities. Essex Lego Challenge Club: See May 9. Check norwichlibrary.org for location. Norwich Bookstore, 1-2 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1184. Milton Legos at the Library: Junior builders bust out interlocking blocks. Grades K-5. Milton Public Library, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, Music 893-4644. Green Mountain Youth Symphony Auditions: See May 7.
Nature & Science
Physics Phun Day: ECHO staff and the UVM Society of Physics students explore the force of energy and matter through hands-on activities and awe-inspiring demos. Ages 4 and up. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848. Science Challenge: See May 7. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7.
Theater
Vermont Vaudeville: See May 13, 2 & 8 p.m.
15 SUNDAY Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:151:30 p.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10-11:30 a.m.
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See May 9.
17 TUESDAY
Burlington Crawlers, Waddlers & Toddlers: VNA Family Room, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 862-2121. Burlington EvoMamas Playgroup: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, second Monday of every month, 2:30-4 p.m. Free. Info, 864-9642. Burlington Playgroup: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 578-6471. Charlotte Playgroup: Charlotte Central School Early Education Program, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Jericho Playgroup: Jericho Community Center, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415. South Burlington Playgroup: Leo O’Brien Civic Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 489-0410. Swanton Monday Playgroup: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 9:45-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 868-7656. Winooski Playtime: O’Brien Community Center, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 655-1422. TUESDAY Bradford Playgroup: Grace United Methodist Church, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24. Brookfield Playgroup: First Congregational Church of Brookfield, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24. Burlington Dads’ Night: VNA Family Room, 4-7 p.m. Free. Info, 860-4420. Burlington Playgroup: See Monday. Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Playgroup: Maple Street Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555. Johnson Baby Chat: Church of the Nazarene, fourth Tuesday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3470. South Burlington Playgroup: See Monday. WEDNESDAY
Arts & Crafts
Creative Tuesdays: See May 3. Plattsburgh Preschool Story Hour: Aspiring art connoisseurs and their caregivers listen to a picture book, look at original works and create a project to take home. Ages 3-5. Plattsburgh State Art Museum, 10 a.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 518-564-2474.
Baby & Maternity
Breastfeeding Café: Moms nurse their babies, chat and ask for answers from a certified lactation consultant. Pregnant women, supportive dads and older siblings welcome. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 349-3825. Breastfeeding Support Clinic: See May 3. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3. Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See May 3.
THURSDAY Alburgh Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, Alburgh, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426. Brandon Stories & Crafts: Brandon Free Public Library, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 247-8230. Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Playgroup: See Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m. Hinesburg Infant Playgroup: CarpenterCarse Library, 12:30-2 p.m. Free. Info, 482-4667. Milton Playgroup: See Wednesday. Montgomery Playgroup: Montgomery Town Library, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426. Randolph Playgroup: White River Craft Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24. South Burlington Playgroup: See Monday. West Fairlee Playgroup: Westshire Elementary School, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24. Williston Play Time: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 878-4918. FRIDAY Huntington Playgroup: Huntington Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415. Marshfield Open Gym: Old Schoolhouse Common, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. Montgomery Tumble Time: Montgomery Elementary School, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 347-1780. Randolph Toddler Time: Kimball Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073. Rutland Playgroup: Rutland Free Library, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860. Swanton Friday Playgroup: Swanton Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3033. Underhill Playgroup: Underhill Central School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415. Williston Babytime Playgroup: Allen Brook School, first Friday of every month, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918. Winooski Playtime: See Monday. SATURDAY Hinesburg Family Playtime: Hinesburg Community School, second Saturday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 482-4667. Morrisville Baby Chat: Lamoille Family Center, second Saturday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-5229.
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17 TUESDAY, P.46
Burlington Playgroup: See Monday. Essex Building Bright Futures Baby Playgroup: Move You Fitness Studio, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555. Fairfield Playgroup: Bent Northrop Memorial Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 827-3945. Hinesburg Playgroup: Hinesburg Town Hall, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 482-4667. Milton Playgroup: Milton Public Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Purple Crayon Play Group: Purple Crayon/ ArtisTree, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 457-3500. Richmond Playgroup: Richmond Free Library, 8:45-10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415. Shelburne Playgroup: Trinity Episcopal Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. South Burlington Playgroup: See Monday. South Royalton Playgroup: United Church on the Green, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 6852264, ext. 24.
St. Albans Building Better Families Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, St. Albans, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.
KIDS VT
All Souls Interfaith Kids Gathering: Kiddos engage in musical activities while caregivers remain on-site. Grades K-4. All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne, 5-6 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3819.
Nature & Science
MONDAY
MAY 2016
Community
Music & Movement for Preschoolers: See May 9. Music for Preschoolers: See May 5, 11 a.m.
Kids enjoy fun and games during these informal get-togethers, and caregivers connect with other local parents and peers. The groups are usually free and often include snacks, arts and crafts, or music.
KIDSVT.COM
Baby & Maternity
Music
Playgroups
MAY CALENDAR 17 TUESDAY (CONTINUED)
Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3.
Games
Gaming For Teens & Adults: See May 3. Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: See May 3.
Library & Books
Read to Daisy the Therapy Dog: Book buffs bring a selection from home or borrow from the library to amuse an attentive canine. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:15-4 p.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 878-6956. Spanish Musical Kids: See May 3.
Movies
Youth Media Lab: See May 3.
Music
Preschool Music: See May 3.
18 WEDNESDAY
MONDAY Barre Children’s Story Hour: Aldrich Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-7550. Bristol Story Time: Lawrence Memorial Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 802453-2366. Colchester Preschool Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660. Essex Preschool Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313. Hyde Park Story Time: Lanpher Memorial Library, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 888-4628. Milton Infant Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Northfield Children’s Story Time: Brown Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 485-4621. Richmond Pajama Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 434-3036. Richmond Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036. Shelburne Story Time: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 985-5124. St. Albans Story Hour: St. Albans Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1507. Stowe Story Time for 2- to 3-Year-Olds: Stowe Free Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145. Waitsfield Story Time: Joslin Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 496-4205. Waterbury Baby & Toddler Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036. Woodstock Baby Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295.
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
KIDSVT.COM
TUESDAY Alburgh Story Hour: Alburgh Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 796-6077. Barre Children’s Story Hour: See Monday. Colchester Toddler Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660. Craftsbury Story Time: Craftsbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 586-9683. East Barre Story Time: East Barre Branch Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-5118. Fairfax Preschool Story Time: Fairfax Community Library, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.
Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.
Food
Breastfeeding Families Group: Nursing moms (and supportive dads, too!) gather for snacks and advice. Church of the Nazarene, Johnson, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 888-3470. Hinesburg Nurturing Parent Program: See May 4.
Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7, 3-6 p.m.
Library & Books
Arts & Crafts
Arts for Tots: See May 4.
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7:15 p.m. Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4.
Story Times
Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
STEM Club: Sciencey types challenge their imaginations with science-themed activities. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.
Movies
Marshfield Family-Themed Movies: A wholesome flick fascinates viewers of all ages.
Parenting
19 THURSDAY
Arts & Crafts
Clay for Tots: See May 5.
Early-literacy skills get special attention during these read-aloud sessions. Some locations provide additional activities such as music, crafts or foreign-language instruction.
Highgate Story Time: Highgate Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3970. Hinesburg Youngsters Story Time: Carpenter-Carse Library, 9:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 482-2878. Milton Preschool Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Montpelier Story Time: Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338. South Burlington Tiny Tot Time: South Burlington Community Library, 9:15 & 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080. Williston Story Time: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918. Winooski Pajama Time: Winooski Memorial Library, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 655-6424. Woodstock Preschool Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:3011:15 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295. WEDNESDAY Barnes & Noble Story Time: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 864-8001. Highgate Story Time: See Tuesday. Hyde Park Story Time: See Monday, 10 a.m. Jericho Story Hour: Jericho Town Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4686. Johnson Story Time: Johnson Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 635-7141. Marshfield Story & Activity Time: Jaquith Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. Norwich Story Time: Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1184. Quechee Story Time: Quechee Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 295-1232. Randolph Morning Story Time: Kimball Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073. Richmond Toddler Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036. South Burlington Baby Book Time: South Burlington Community Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080. Stowe Story Hour: Stowe Free Library, 10:1511:15 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145. Swanton Storytime: Swanton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 868-7656. Warren Preschool Story & Enrichment Hour: Warren Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 595-2582.
THURSDAY Bristol Story Time: See Monday. Colchester Preschool Story Time: See Monday. Franklin Story Time: Haston Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 285-6505. Northfield Children’s Story Time: See Monday. Rutland Story Time: Rutland Free Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860. Shelburne Musical Story Time: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 985-5124. St. Albans Story Hour: See Monday. Vergennes Story Time: Bixby Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 877-2211. Waterbury Preschool Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036. Westford Story Time: Westford Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-5639. FRIDAY Brandon Preschool Story Time: Brandon Free Public Library, first Friday of every month, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 247-8230. Craftsbury Story Time: See Tuesday.
Enosburg Story Hour: Enosburg Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 933-2328. Essex Musical Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313. Georgia Preschool Story Time: Georgia Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 524-4643. Huntington Story Time: Huntington Public Library, 10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 434-4583. Lincoln Toddler/Preschool Story Time: Lincoln Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 453-2665. Milton Rhythm & Movement Toddler Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Montpelier Story Time: See Tuesday. South Burlington Pajamarama: Barnes & Noble, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001. South Burlington Story Time Adventures: South Burlington Community Library, May 6, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539. St. Johnsbury Story Time: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-8291. Stowe Baby & Toddler Story Time: Stowe Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145. SATURDAY Barnes & Noble Saturday Morning Story Time: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 864-8001. Barre Story Time: Next Chapter Bookstore, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-3114. Burlington Story Time at Phoenix Books: Phoenix Books, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 448-3350. Colchester Saturday Drop-In Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 264-5660. Enosburg Story Hour: Enosburg Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 933-2328. Franklin Walk-in Story Hour: Haston Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 285-6505. Hardwick Preschool Story Hour: Jeudevine Memorial Library, first Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 472-5849. Milton Drop-In Saturday Storytime: Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Swanton Storytime: See Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Crafternoon: Art lovers make inventive Hardwick Farmers Market: Local veggies, masterpieces. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Commucheese, plants, syrup and more fill shoppers’ nity Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, market baskets. Diverse dinner delectables 849-2420. available. Atkins Field, Hardwick, 3-6 p.m. Free. Pirates and Mermaids: See May 5. Games Preschool Art Drop-In: See Family Games: Parents and kids May 5. See Dr. First videos of all ages engage in some friendly Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5. “First With Kids” at competition. Burnham Memorial uvmhealth.org. Library, Colchester, 3-5 p.m. Free. Baby & Maternity Info, 264-5660. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:45-11:55 a.m. Library & Books Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:30Family Story Time: See May 6. 1:30 p.m. Songs & Stories With Matthew: See May 6. Montpelier La Leche League: Breastfeeding moms meet new friends as they discuss Music the joys and trials of nursing. Lending library Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: available. Babies and toddlers welcome. Good See May 6. Beginnings, Montpelier, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-3000. 21 SATURDAY Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Library & Books
Colchester Lego Club: See May 5. Lego Thursdays: See May 5. Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: See May 5. Word Play for Kids: See May 5.
Music
Music for Preschoolers: See May 5.
Nature & Science
Tree Evening Story Hour: St. Albans City tree warden Curtis Comfort commemorates Arbor Day with local lore. Little ones head home with their own seedlings. St. Albans Free Library, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.
Parenting
Colchester Nurturing Parent Program: See May 5.
20 FRIDAY
Arts & Crafts
Family Wheel Drop-In: See May 6.
Baby & Maternity Central Vermont Nursing Beyond a Year: Mothers discuss the benefits and challenges of breastfeeding, including nighttime parenting, weaning, healthy eating habits and setting limits, in a supportive setting. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, 9:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 879-3000. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 8:15-9:15 a.m. Mothers’ Gathering: See May 6.
Community
Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Community
Children’s Room Tag Sale: See May 20, 9 a.m.-noon.
Dance
‘Cinderella & Dance Concert’: Ballet Wolcott enchants the audience with this classic tale of a princess’s transformation. All ages. Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College, 7 p.m. $10-20; free for children under 5. Info, 249-9278. Family Contradance: Movers and groovers swing to music by the Woodbury Strings Band Lab with various callers. All ages. The Schoolhouse Learning Center, South Burlington, 3-5 p.m. $8 suggested donation; $15 per family; free for children under 12. Info, 223-8945.
Food
Burlington Farmers Market: See May 7. Capital City Farmers Market: See May 7. Champlain Island Farmers Market: Farms, specialty food businesses and artisans sell their high-quality wares. St. Joseph Church, Grand Isle, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 617-652-2304. Middlebury Farmers Market: See May 7. Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7.
4/28/16 12:06 PM
PARENT-CHILD
DISCUSSION STUDY Kids ages 8-12 and their parents are invited to participate in a 2-part research study at the UVM Family Development Lab about how parents and kids interact with each other and with other people.
PART 1
PART 2
An online survey completed prior to the lab visit
A 2.5-hour research session
Families receive $70 & kids get a prize!
Health & Fitness
EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See May 7.
Library & Books
Cleo the Therapy Dog: See May 7. Learn To Tune Up Your Bike: Young cyclists ready their wheels and gears for summer riding. All ages. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 472-5948.
Take our screening survey at http://bit.ly/1Ic0v1d to see if you are eligible.
21 SATURDAY, P.48
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Food
Foodways Fridays: See May 6.
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KIDS VT
Early Bird Math: See May 6.
Baby & Maternity
MAY 2016
Education
Saturday Kids Drop-In Craft Class: See May 7. Toy Hacking: Inquisitive kids examine the insides of play things, taking them apart and putting them back together. Ages 9-14. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 244-7036. Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
KIDSVT.COM
Children’s Room Tag Sale: Bargain hunters pay low prices for clothing, toys, furniture, books and more. All ages. Donations accepted at Thatcher Brook Elementary School from May 9-13; at Wesley Methodist Church from May 9-19. Wesley United Methodist Church, Waterbury, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Donations appreciated; proceeds benefit quality early education community programming. Info, 244-5605.
Arts & Crafts
MAY CALENDAR Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10-11:30 a.m.
Community
All Souls Interfaith Kids Gathering: See May 8, 5-6 p.m.
Dance
‘Cinderella & Dance Concert’: See May 21, 2 p.m.
Food
Stowe Farmers Market: See May 15.
COURTESY OF FAIRBANKS MUSEUM
COURTESY OF NORTH BRANCH NATURE CENTER
21 SATURDAY (CONTINUED)
Perennial Swap & Book Sale: Pots of plants and plenty of books exchange owners. Highgate Town Park, 10 a.m.-noon. Donations accepted; proceeds benefit the Highgate Public Library. Info, 868-3970.
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KIDS VT
MAY 2016
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Music Green Mountain Youth Symphony Auditions: See May 7. The Swing Peepers: This goofy Vermont duo gets the crowd clapping with silly songs and music. Bring a blanket or chair for seating. Ages 3 and up. Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hanover, N.H., 11 a.m. Free. Info, 603-646-2422.
Nature & Science
Science Challenge: See May 7.
Spring Bird Walk: Botanist Bob Popp leads spring songbird admirers on an insightful stroll. All ages. Meet at the Stranahan Forest parking lot at the beginning of Thompson Road. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7. Water Critter Curiosities: Nature lovers explore a pond and look for its inhabitants and their amazing adaptations. Shelburne Farms, 9:30-11:30 a.m. & 12:30-2:30 p.m. $10-12 per adult/child pair; $5-6 each additional child; preregister. Info, 985-8686.
22 SUNDAY
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:151:30 p.m.
Gaming For Teens & Adults: See May 3. Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: See May 3.
Read to Daisy the Therapy Dog: See May 17. Spanish Musical Kids: See May 3.
Movies
Movies
‘The Kid’ With Charlie Chaplin: Film buffs watch the silent Tramp’s first feature. Ages 5 and up. Visual Arts Center, Hanover, N.H., 4 p.m. $5-8. Info, 603-646-3991.
Nature & Science
Baby & Maternity
Library & Books
Babies & Toddlers Rock: See May 9. Burlington Stories With Megan: See May 9. Essex Lego Challenge Club: See May 9. STEM Club: See May 18.
Music
Music & Movement for Preschoolers: See May 9. Music for Preschoolers: See May 5, 11 a.m.
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See May 9. World Turtle Day: On this international day, these amazing animals are celebrated locally through special exhibits, crafts and activities. All ages. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.
Creative Tuesdays: See May 3.
Submit your June events for print by May 15 at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com.
Champlain Valley Nursing Beyond a Year: Moms and their nurslings discuss the charms and challenges of breastfeeding in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Topics include nighttime parenting, weaning, healthy eating habits and setting limits. Aikido of Champlain Valley, Burlington, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-3000. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7:15 p.m. Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.
Kids in the Kitchen: Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas: Young chefs create a savory Southof-the-border meal from scratch, then take it home to share. Healthy Living Market & Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $20. Info, 863-2569.
Arts & Crafts
Preschool Music: See May 3.
Arts for Tots: See May 4.
Food
24 TUESDAY
Music
Arts & Crafts
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7 p.m. Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
Nature & Science
Youth Media Lab: See May 3.
25 WEDNESDAY
Early Birder Morning Walk: See May 8. Science Challenge: See May 7. Sundays for Fledglings: See May 8. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7.
Baby & Maternity
MOTHER’S DAY WILDFLOWER WALK: Sunday, May 8, 1-3 p.m., at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. All ages. $5-10. Info, 229-6206. northbranchnaturecenter.org
Games
Essex Open Gym: See May 8.
23 MONDAY
Have you ever seen a Dutchman’s breeches? You’ll encounter that flower, named for its unique tiny-trouser shape, and others on a guided MOTHER’S DAY WILDFLOWER WALK at North Branch Nature Center. Naturalists of all ages can soak up the stories behind red-and-white trilliums, golden trout lilies and strikingly striped jack-in-the-pulpits while ambling through meadow and woods. Come with questions or simply savor an afternoon of exploring during this sweet celebration of moms.
Breastfeeding Support Clinic: See May 3. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3. Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3.
Library & Books
Health & Fitness
In Bloom
Baby & Maternity
Education
Young Writers & Storytellers: See May 11.
Food
Champlain Island Farmers Market: Farms, specialty food businesses and artisans sell their high-quality wares. St. Rose of Lima Parish, South Hero, 3-6 p.m. Free. Info, 617-652-2304. Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7, 3-6 p.m.
Games
Dungeons & Dragons Night: See May 11.
Library & Books
Pajama Story Time: Small ones cozy up for bedtime tales, cookies and milk. Ages 18 months-5 years. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660. Read to a Dog: See May 11.
Parenting
Hinesburg Nurturing Parent Program: See May 4.
26 THURSDAY
THANKS a whole BUNCH!
Arts & Crafts
Clay for Tots: See May 5. Pirates and Mermaids: See May 5. Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:4511:55 a.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:301:30 p.m. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Games
Colchester Lego Club: See May 5. Jericho Lego Club: See May 12, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Lego Thursdays: See May 5. St. Albans Library Legos: See May 12, 3-5 p.m.
Child care providers help Vermont kids get a strong start for future success.
Library & Books
Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: See May 5. Word Play for Kids: See May 5.
Music
Music for Preschoolers: See May 5.
Nature & Science Home School Program: Wetlands & Watersheds: Avid learners spend an outdoors day exploring aquatic animals’ life cycles and adaptions in ponds and brooks. Ages 6-8. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $20 per child; $15 each additional sibling; preregister. Info, 434-3068.
Parenting
Colchester Nurturing Parent Program: See May 5.
27 FRIDAY
Baby & Maternity
FRIDAY, MAY 6 is CHILD CARE PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 8:15-9:15 a.m. Mothers’ Gathering: See May 6.
Education
Early Bird Math: See May 6. Fairbanks Homeschool Days: Students expand their scholastic horizons in the museum’s galleries and other venues with a variety of programs. Call for specific topics and location. Grades K-8. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $8-10, includes museum admission; $5 for planetarium; one free adult per paying child. Info, 748-2372.
Food
letsgrowkids.org
KIDSVT.COM
Thank your provider with a free e-card at
Foodways Fridays: See May 6. Hardwick Farmers Market: See May 20. Richmond Farmers Market: Vendors peddle hand-held pies, honey ice cream, homemade pickles, just-picked produce and much more at this lively showcase of locavorism. All ages. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free.
MAY 2016
Games
KIDS VT
Dungeons & Dragons: See May 6.
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MAY CALENDAR 27 FRIDAY (CONTINUED)
Webby’s Art Studio: See May 5.
Library & Books
Baby & Maternity
Family Story Time: See May 6.
Movies
Friday After-School Movie: Kids and caregivers snuggle in for snacks and a screening. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 3 p.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.
Music Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See May 6.
28 SATURDAY
Arts & Crafts
Saturday Kids Drop-In Craft Class: See May 7.
Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Community
Memorial Day Parade: Dressed in their favorite sports outfits, young library lovers walk in the town parade. All ages, but 9 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 9-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.
Dance
‘Celebration of Dance’: Vermont Ballet Theater School performs selections from Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty, plus Broadway, contemporary and lyrical jazz numbers, with special guest artist Samuel Wilson from The
See Dr. First videos Health & Fitness “First With Kids” at Cheese & Dairy Celebration: Essex Open Gym: See May 8. uvmhealth.org. Got milk? Families sample artisan cheeses, make “moo masks” Nature & Science and hand-churn ice cream. All Early Birder Morning Walk: See ages. Billings Farm & Museum, May 8. Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Science Challenge: See May 7. Info, 457-2355. Sundays for Fledglings: See May 8. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7. Food Burlington Farmers Market: See May 7. Capital City Farmers Market: See May 7. Champlain Island Farmers Market: See May 21. Middlebury Farmers Market: See May 7. Rutland Farmers Market: See May 7.
Central Girls on the Run VT Run/Walk: In a celebratory completion of the Girls on the Run program, enthusiastic athletes and community members lace up for a non-competitive 5K. Registration, face painting and hair styling begins at 8:30 a.m. All ages. Vermont State Fairgrounds, Rutland, 10 a.m. $10-25. Info, 246-1476. EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See May 7. Ready. Set. Run! Festival: Young racers navigate .5-, 1- and 2-mile courses the day before the Vermont City Marathon. Ages 4-14. See spotlight on page 42. Race packet pick-up opens at 7:45 a.m. Burlington’s Waterfront Park, 8:25 a.m. $20 per child before May 8; $15 each additional sibling; $35 per child after May 8, or until sold out. Info, 863-8412.
Movies
‘The Jungle Book’: Wild dangers come to life on the screen in this live-action remake of the Disney classic. Visual Arts Center, Hanover, N.H., 4 & 7 p.m. $5-8. Info, 603-646-2422.
Nature & Science
KIDSVT.COM MAY 2016 KIDS VT
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Hardwick-based VERMONT VAUDEVILLE is a homegrown theater troupe with a clear mission: to make folks laugh. Founded in 2009 by four performers whose talents range from mime to music, this eclectic ensemble mixes comic skits, a live band, amazing acrobatics, juggling and political commentary. The cast reels in the audience through participatory magic tricks and sing-alongs, while the company’s gorilla character keeps the crowd cheering between acts. Each performance season features different preshow dinner fare. This year, Lyndonville’s Vermont Foodie Stand parks its customized food truck outside the venue and offers up a locally sourced menu. Come with an appetite — for good eats and a great time. VERMONT VAUDEVILLE: Friday, May 13, 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 14, 2 & 8 p.m., at the Hardwick Town House. All ages. Saturday matinée is specifically for children. $6-15. Info, 472-1387. vermontvaudeville.com. Plan ahead for their July 30 show at 8 p.m. at Burlington’s City Hall Auditorium.
Stowe Farmers Market: See May 15.
Fairs & Festivals
Health & Fitness
Just for Laughs
Food
Washington Ballet. All ages. Flynn MainStage, Burlington, 1 & 6:30 p.m. $17-25. Info, 863-5966.
Bird-Monitoring Walk: Eagle-eyed participants bring binoculars to search the museum’s property for fluttering feathers. Best for adults and older children. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 7:30-9 a.m. Free; donations welcome; preregister. Info, 434-2167. BirdFEST: This avian celebration includes nature walks, live raptor demos, art displays, birdhouse building and more. All ages. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. $10-15; free for kids. Info, 229-6206. Maple Sugarbush Bird Walk: Eagle-eyed participants scope out songbirds in the sugarbush. All ages. Jed’s Maple Products, Derby, 7:30-9:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 766-2700. Science Challenge: See May 7. Tour the Cosmos: See May 7.
30 MONDAY
Baby & Maternity
Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 5:45-7 p.m. Prenatal Method Postnatal Rehab: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Barre: See May 4. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m.
Community
Memorial Day at Fort Ticonderoga: On the grounds where so many American soldiers fought and sacrificed, armed servicemen and -women are honored with a Fife and Drum Corps presentation and a glimpse into the life of soldiers in the year 1776. See spotlight on page 38. Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $9-22; free for children under 5. Info, 518-585-2821.
Nature & Science
Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See May 9.
31 TUESDAY
Baby & Maternity
Breastfeeding Support Clinic: See May 3. Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3. Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See May 3. Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: See May 3.
Games
Gaming For Teens & Adults: See May 3. Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: See May 3.
Library & Books
29 SUNDAY
Lego Free Build: Kids unleash their imaginations with plastic blocks. Parents welcome. Grades K-5. Waterbury Public Library, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036. Read to Daisy the Therapy Dog: See May 17. Spanish Musical Kids: See May 3. Teddy Bear Picnic: Little ones and their stuffed friends sit down for a “beary” good story hour and sweet snacks. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.
Baby & Maternity
Movies
Evolution Postnatal Yoga: See May 3, 12:151:30 p.m. Evolution Prenatal Yoga: See May 3, 10-11:30 a.m.
Fairs & Festivals
Cheese & Dairy Celebration: See May 28.
Youth Media Lab: See May 3.
Music
Preschool Music: See May 3.
HANDS ON
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that you fully realize Shinnlinger’s lofty goal. “It’s pretty awesome,” says 13-yearold Ella, who occasionally uses the van as a hangout spot. “I get asked the question ,‘Why did you build it?’ a lot,” Shinnlinger says. “But for me, it’s more a question of, ‘Why not?’” K
SAY YOU’RE BUILDING a barn. From the roof, there’s a great view. Then say you know someone selling a busted 1980 Volkswagen Vanagon. And a guy with a crane. These things may seem disparate, but not if you’re Dave Shinnlinger. He’d owned several Vanagons in high school and dreamed of integrating one into a building. So when his barn needed a cupola, hoisting one of the boxy buses up there was “an obvious conclusion.” The idea took shape in 2005, when the veteran high school woodshop teacher was building a barn for machines and tinkering projects next
Dave and daughter Ella
Fast Facts • For Halloween, the Shinnlingers decorate the van with twinkling lights and turn on its headlights. • To access the cupola, visitors climb a sturdy ladder that runs from the second floor of the barn to a hole that Dave cut in the bottom of the vehicle.
Parents: Dave and Deb Shinnlinger
to his Canaan, N.H. home. At the end of a hard day’s work, Shinnlinger and a friend were on the roof, admiring the fields and nearby towns of Grafton and Enfield, when his friend suggested a cupola, reminding Shinnlinger of his old idea. Then his friend mentioned that someone he knew was selling a Vanagon — and Shinnlinger thought of the guy with the crane. After shelling out $100 for the van, Shinnlinger started what he calls “backyard engineering” to construct a rooftop support for it. He built
PHOTOS BY TOM MCNEILL
Kids: Daughters Ella, 13, and Opal, 12
a cradle-like wooden framework into a hole in the roof’s frame. And with metal seismic straps, typically used to secure houses to foundations in areas prone to earthquakes, he attached the van to the cradle and secured its doors. Before hoisting the VW onto the roof, he removed its engine, transaxle and gas tank to lighten the load. It took just 15 minutes to lift it into place — with Dave, his family and a few friends looking on. Inside, the bus feels like it could be on solid ground. All of its classic VW camping components are intact including a table for coffee cups or card games, and a foldout bed, on which many people have spent the night. It’s when you look out the windshield and see a roof, and the expansive view beyond,
• Between the two front seats, the couch/foldout bed and the bicycle seat screwed into the floor behind the driver’s seat, the van can accomodate four or five people. • Several family friends have enjoyed camping out in the cupola while visiting the Shinnlingers, and the girls like to hang out there with their friends. • The van’s pop-top still works, as do many of the vehicle’s manual buttons and levers. • The steering column is connected, so turning the steering wheel moves the wheels. • If you are considering a similar project, Shinnlinger suggests checking with your insurance company. The family was dropped from their homeowner’s insurance because of the perceived safety risk, but they were able to find a better deal.
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COLORING CONTEST! Three winners will each receive a prize. Send Kids VT your work of art by May 15. Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the June issue of Kids VT. Send your high-resolution scans to art@kidsvt.com, or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.
HANDS ON Title _______________________________________________ Artist _____________________________________________ Age _______________________________________________ Town _____________________________________________ Email _____________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________________
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ANSWERS P. 55
PUZZLE PAGE Jumble
Birthday Club These winners get gift certificates to:
BY DAVID L. HOYT & JEFF KNUREK
The letters of these crazy words are all mixed up. To play the game, put them back into the right order so that they make real words you can find in your dictionary. Write the letters of each real word under each crazy word, but only one letter to a square.
Congratulations to our May Birthday Club winners! ABRAHAM lives in Burlington and turns 6 on May 20. He’s a happy and extroverted boy who likes dancing, playing baseball, and drawing dragons and dinosaurs. He has an excellent memory for retelling stories. Abraham wins a 30-day family pool membership.
You are now ready to solve this month’s Jumble For Kids. Study the picture for a hint. Then play around with the letters in the circles. You’ll find you can put them in order so that they make your funny answer.
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Shaley, Evie and Sophia each win family day passes to the pool.
Y FOR D A E R GET UMMER THE S h a wit n Pool n I p o t l Hil rship Membe
BY HELENA HOVANEC
Riddle Search — Vacation Resort
10% DISCOUNT on Pool Memberships and Kids’ Pool Birthday With This Coupon Parties Now Through
EVIE lives in South Burlington and turns 4 on May 16. She loves to sing, travel, dance and draw. She’s a caring big sister to younger sibling, Ellie, and adores her cousins and friends.
Look up, down, and diagonally, both forward and backward to find every word on the list. Circle each one as you find it. When all the words are circled, take the UNUSED letters and write them on the blanks below. Go from left to right and top to bottom to find the answer to this riddle: What job did the rabbit take at the vacation resort?
LOBBY LOUNGE SAIL SPA SURFING SWIM TENNIS TOUR TRAIL WATERSLIDE WHIRLPOOL
Just give us your contact info, your children’s names and birth dates, and a photo, and they’re automatically enrolled.
SHALEY lives in Milton and turns 3 on May 9. She’s energetic, outgoing and caring. She enjoys reading, being outdoors, swimming, fishing, hunting and playing mommy to her dolls.
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Maze
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Riddle Answer:
SOPHIA lives in Essex and turns 10 on May 25. She’s in fourth grade at Founders Memorial School, where she sings in the chorus. She loves art, basketball, rollerblading, Minecraft and her cat, Pouncer.
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JUMBLES JOY. BELT. BAND. SOON.
BABY
Initially, it was disorienting to discover that not only did these other families exist, but that there were so many of them.
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stenosis, resolved through surgery, and were recovering just fine. When I got pregnant with our second son, I was in good company; two other mamas were pregnant at the same time. Over time, our connection has expanded beyond Facebook. Our families exchange holiday cards, birth announcements and hand-me-downs. The kids write each other letters and share pictures and videos on the Facebook group. We have a meet-up every summer. The location changes to make it easier for our far-flung group to reunite, though not everyone can make it every year. This June, we’re looking forward to spending a week on Long Island with nine other families. We’ve rented a big house with a pool and a play structure. Our 3-year-old keeps asking when it will be “the hot times” (summer) so we can go see the diblings. As the kids get older and their contact becomes less parent-directed, I look forward to watching them develop and nurture their own relationships. In hindsight, though we hadn’t planned to contact donor families, I’m grateful for our connection. Now our sons know from their earliest memories that they have a donor dad and donor siblings, and there’s no drama surrounding “When should we tell them?” or “How should we tell them?” They don’t have to feel alone or isolated because their family doesn’t look like their school friends’ — they know 38 other kids out there who also have two moms or just one mom and no dad. Yet for me, the best and most surprising blessing is not the diblings, but their mamas. Before stumbling into this community, I could not have imagined how much these women would come to mean to me. These special ladies are my first resource for parenting advice or commiseration when the “threenager” is getting on my last nerve. And our sisterhood goes well beyond our common parenting struggle. We support each other through job loss and divorce, health scares and work frustrations. We celebrate each other’s pregnancies, promotions, home purchases and other triumphs. We offer each other a safe place to share secrets and vent feelings. I don’t know if our kids will want contact with the donor when they come of age. I can only imagine that his reaction to the discovery that he’s spawned this tribe of diblings will likely both mirror and completely dwarf my own shock at how numerous we are. If and when the time comes, I’m confident our group will open our hearts to welcome him into this wild and wonderful extended family with love and gratitude, because he’s the one who made it all possible. K
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THE MOST UNUSUAL thing about our family is not that our sons have two mommies. Here in Vermont, that rarely raises eyebrows nowadays. No, here’s the part people have trouble bending their minds around: Our sons are part of a connected tribe of 40 half-siblings, scattered all across the country, all conceived with sperm from the same anonymous donor. When my wife and I were planning our family, we picked an open-ID donor — one who agrees that his identity can be disclosed to offspring at age 18. We didn’t have any intention of seeking contact with him ourselves, but we thought our children should have the option if they wanted. When our firstborn was about 18 months old, we called our sperm bank to start trying for another baby. But we learned that twins born with our donor’s sperm had been reported to have a genetic condition. That meant we’d have to talk to the bank’s genetic counselor and sign some informed consent waivers before we could place our order. Unfortunately, the counselor had just embarked on a two-week vacation. There we were, reeling, having just learned that (a) somewhere out there, our son had twin half-siblings, (b) something was “wrong” with them genetically, and (c) no one could tell us any details — for two weeks. Patience is not one of my virtues, so I went online and discovered that our sperm bank offered private forums to connect with other families with offspring by the same donor. An exploratory message quickly led to an invitation to a closed Facebook group of two dozen other mamas, all raising kids by a man none of us have ever met. Initially, it was disorienting to discover that not only did these other families exist, but that there were so many of them. In 2012, there were 20 families; that number has since swelled to 27. Our 40 children — we call them “diblings,” or donor siblings — range in age from 6 months to 7 years. There are 28 boys and 12 girls, all being raised in families headed by two women or by single mothers by choice. Those first few weeks after making contact were mind-boggling. We spent hours poring over pictures of the other kids, marveling over the strong resemblance these children shared with our son. We exchanged a flurry of getting-to-know-you messages, discovering other similarities: how these kids love music and all have the same eyebrows, pointy elf ears and concave toenails; how most of them were early talkers and late walkers; how they all hate eggs. Everybody was so welcoming. And the “genetic problem” that had us so worried was reassuringly explained by the twins’ mother — her sons were born premature, had pyloric
RIDDLE ANSWER: What type of pants do ghosts like to wear? — BOO JEANS
How two moms and their kids discovered an extensive extended family
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RIDDLE SEARCH ANSWER: Bell hop.
Meet the Diblings
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THANK YOU EMPLOYERS, for making Vermont breastfeeding-friendly.
ADDISON COUNTY Addison County Fair & Field Days Addison County Home Health & Hospice Addison County Parent Child Center Community College of Vermont Co-operative Insurance Companies, Inc. Counseling Service of Addison County CPC of Vermont, Inc. Down Home Deli/Market EastView at Middlebury Family Services Middlebury District Office Holden Financial Services Law Office of Cindy Hill Mary Hogan Elementary School Mary Johnson Children’s Center Middlebury College Mount Abraham Union High School Porter Medical Center Rainbow Pediatrics Ripton Elementary School Tapestry Midwifery Vergennes Union High School VT Dept of Health - Middlebury District Women Safe, Inc. BENNINGTON COUNTY Arlington Area Childcare Happy Days Play School Community College of Vermont Kids ‘N Kin Childcare Center Manchester Community Library Mount Anthony Union Middle School Northshire Day School South Western Vermont Medical Center The Vermont Country Store VT Dept of Health - Bennington District CALEDONIA COUNTY Barnet Elementary School Buffalo Mountain Coop Burke Town School Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice Community College of Vermont David Toll, MD Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium Farm Country Insurancey Hardwick Chiropractic Kingdom Montessori School Lyndon Furniture Lyndon Institute Lyndon State College Lyndon Town School McDonalds Miller’s Run School Mobile Medical International Corporation Morrison’s Feed Bag NECKA Parent Child Center New Beginnings Child Care Center Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Riverside Life Enrichment Center Riverside School
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FRANKLIN COUNTY Abbey Group, The A. N. Deringer, Inc. Ballet School of Vermont, The CHITTENDEN COUNTY Barry Callebaut American International Distribution Bellows Free Academy Fairfax Corporation Bellows Free Academy St. Albans Brewster Pierce Memorial School Choice Physical Therapy Browns River Middle School City of St. Albans Burlington Primary Care Collins Perley Sports & Fitness Center Burton Snowboards Community College of Vermont Century 21 The Martin Agency Dickinson & Branon Dental Care Champlain Vocational Services Duke’s Fitness Center Charlotte Central School Fairfax Community Library Choice Strategies, Division of WageWorks Fairfield Center School Community College of Vermont Fletcher Elementary School Discover Chiropractic & Wellness Center Franklin Central Supervisory Union Evergreen Family Health Franklin County Caring Communities Essex Middle School Franklin County Home Health Agency Founders School Georgia Elementary & Middle School Gallagher, Flynn & Co. Georgia Public Library Greater Burlington YMCA Maple City Candy Hagan, Rhinehardt & Connolly Pediatricians Mapleleaf Montessori Hampton Direct, Inc. Messenger Print & Design Howard Center Northwestern Medical Center IBM Peoples Trust Company of Vermont Kelliher Samets Volk Sheldon Elementary School Let’s Grow Kids S. R. Smith Real Estate Lund Family Center St. Albans City School Matrix Health Systems St. Albans Free Library Milton Family Community Center St. Albans Messenger Mirabelle’s St. Albans Town Mount Mansfield Union High School St. Albans Town Educational Center National Gardening Association Superior Technical Ceramics North American PlayCare, The PlayCare Center Train Station Open Tempo Village Hair Company Orbit Hair Design VT Dept of Health - St. Albans District Outdoor Gear Exchange Pediatric Medicine GRAND ISLE COUNTY Physician’s Computer Company Folsom Education & Community Center Planned Parenthood of Northern New England LAMOILLE COUNTY Richmond Elementary School Appleseed Pediatrics Shelburne Community School Behavioral Health & Wellness Center Sweet Clover Market Community College of Vermont Tetra Tech ARD Community Dental Clinic Toys R Us Copley Health Systems Trudell Consulting Engineers Dunkin Donuts University of Vermont Lamoille Family Center UVM Medical Center - Given Health Care Napa Auto Parts UVM Medical Center - Women’s Health Care Morrisville Family Health Center U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Neurology Clinic Vermont Energy Investment Corporation Smugglers’ Notch Resort Vermont Public Radio Stowe Family Practice Visiting Nurse Association VT Dept of Health - Morrisville District
ORANGE COUNTY Center for Northern Woodlands Education Clara Martin Center Creative Spirit Children’s Center Flanders Market Mascoma Savings Bank Orange County Parent Child Center ORLEANS COUNTY Community College of Vermont Coventry Village School Glen Robinson, PC Dr. Dennis LeBlanc Jay/Westfield Elementary School Lake Region Union High School North Country Hospital North Country Union High School North Country Union Jr. High School Children’s Integrated Services NEKCA Head Start / Early Head Start North Country Pediatrics Orleans Elementary School State of Vermont - Newport District Wright’s Enterprises RUTLAND COUNTY Assistive Intelligence, Inc. Community College of Vermont Casella Waste Management Castleton State College - Admissions Office CHCRR Pediatrics Laughing Child Farm Midas Automotive Systems Experts Pawlet Public Library Promise Lactation Consulting Questech Metals Rutland City Public Schools Rutland Mental Health Services Rutland Town School Rutland Regional Medical Center Sal’s Italian Restaurant Stone Valley Community Market Tattersall’s Clothing & Accessories Tree Song Doula VT Dept of Health - Rutland District WASHINGTON COUNTY Aartistic, Inc. Aldrich Public Library Berlin Health & Rehabilitation Center Berlin Veterinary Clinic Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Vermont Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice Central Vermont Medical Center Community College of Vermont Dunkin Donuts Family Center of Washington County Good Beginnings of Central Vermont Heather’s Nearly New Hunger Mountain Cooperative, Inc. National Life Group
Office of the Governor Onion River Animal Hospital Positive Pie Red Hen Baking Company Savoy Theatre Sugarbush Resort SunCommon TDS Telecom The Children’s Space The Summit: Center for State Employee Development The Vermont Commission on Women Union Elementary School Vermont Chamber of Commerce Vermont Community Loan Fund VT Dept of Health - Barre District VT Dept of Social & Rehabilitative Services Vermont League of Cities & Towns Vermont Mutual Insurance Company VSECU Women & Children First Zutano, Inc. WINDHAM COUNTY AIDS Project of Southern VT Amy’s Bakery Arts Café Brattleboro Centre for Children Brattleboro Food Coop Brattleboro Hearing Center Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Brattleboro Savings & Loan Brattleboro Town School District Brattleboro Union High School #6 District Chroma Technology Corp Community College of Vermont Dummerston Town School District Early Education Services Everyone’s Books Family Garden, The Flatter Me Hair Salon G.S. Precision, Inc. Grace Cottage Hospital Guilford Town School District Hermitage Inn Holton Home Hilltop House Just So Pediatrics Kids in the Country Childcare & Preschool Marlboro College Mount Snow Ski Resort Mulberry Bush Early Learning Center Natural Patches of Vermont, Inc. Neighboorhood Schoolhouse New England Center for Circus Arts Omega Optical Park Place Financial Advisors Pine Heights Putney Town School District River Valley Credit Union Side Hill Farm
SkiHome Realty Sojourns Community Health Clinic State of Vermont - Brattleboro State Office Bldg Timson Hill Preschool Thompson House Town of Putney Twombly Wealth Management Vermont Country Deli Vernon Elementary School Vernon Town School District VT Dept of Health - Brattleboro District West Bee Nursery School Winston Prouty Center for Child Development World Learning, Inc. Windham Child Care Association WINDSOR COUNTY Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community Community College of Vermont Corporate Lactation Services Dept for Children & Families - Family Services Economic Services Family Place, The FOGGS Hardware Gill Odd Fellow Home Green Mountain Children’s Center Hartford Memorial Middle School Hartford High School Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of SE VT Historic Homes of Runnemede Lincoln Street, Inc. King Arthur Flour Mascoma Savings Bank Office of Child Support - SE Region Okemo Mountain Resort Ottaquechee Health Center Ottaquechee School Rutland Windsor Supervisory Union SEVCA Head Start Sidewalk Florist Springfield Area Parent Child Center Springfield Family Center Springfield Health & Rehabilitation Center Springfield Hospital Springfield Probation & Parole Springfield School District Tami’s Head Lines Two Rivers Supervisory Union Upper Valley Haven, Inc. Veremedy Pet Hospital VocRehab Vermont VT Dept of Health - Springfield District VT Dept of Health - White River Jct District Vermont Vocational/Rehabilitation White River Family Practice Windsor Early Childhood Education Center Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union World of Discovery, Inc.
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