NW Kids Magazine July 2018

L I V E • PLAY • DO

magazine

The Baby Issue Postpartum Breast Health Bonding Through Babywearing Nursing Bra Tips Preparing Your Pet For Baby’s Arrival

nwkidsmagazine.com

JULY 2018

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Editor’s Note “You need to sleep when they’re sleeping…

Get the baby onto your schedule as soon as possible… No peanuts until after 3… If you introduce peanuts early, there’s less chance of an allergy… Have you tried coconut oil for that?” Nobody receives more unsolicited advice than a tired parent who is slogging their way through the grocery store, fingers crossed that their baby stays content long enough for the essential parts of the shopping list to be checked off. My babies are 6 and 12 now and it feels like a lifetime ago that I was apologizing to my New Seasons people while abandoning my cart and fleeing to feed or change a little person in the back seat of the car.

Between social media and well-meaning family, friends and strangers, goodness knows there’s no shortage of advice for new parents. This issue features two articles that focus on postpartum health and support. Maybe you are in this period of your life, or perhaps you have a friend or family member who is. We hope that the resource guides here are helpful, but NW Kids will never tell you how to parent. We know you get enough of that.

Maybewe can be the friend who holds the baby or entertains the toddler while you take a shower instead.

Cheers!

Mary Cover and contents photography by HEIDI TIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Contents JULY 2018 8 Nursing Bra Tips 10 Babywearing & Bonding with Your Little One 15 Healthy After Baby: Breast Care and Health

18 Preparing Your Pet for Baby’s Arrival 21 Tully and Postpartum Resources 24 Treasures on the Trail: Geocaching 28 Get Out & Play!

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magazine Connect With Us: • Phone: 503.282.2711 • email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com • Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids • Instagram : @nwkidsmagazine • Twitter: @nwkids • Pinterest: pinterest.com/nwkids NW Kids is published monthly by Miche Media, LLC. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; sometimes we make errors. Please let us know when we do and accept our apologies. Printed locally; Please recycle.

Publisher Michelle Snell michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com Editor Mary Brady mary@nwkidsmagazine.com Advertising Director Laurel Carrasco laurel@nwkidsmagazine.com Graphic Designer Robyn Barbon robyn@folkloremedia.com Advertising Inquiries: 503-282-2711, ext. 1 sales@nwkidsmagazine.com

Listings All Families Surrogacy...................................10 Bamboo International School........................13 Beanstalk........................................................20 Bennett Suzuki...............................................31 Bridgetown Baby...........................................22 Childroots......................................................... 3 Church of Scientology....................................31 Circle of Life Surrogacy, LLC...........................13 College Nannies.............................................20 DolFUN Swim Academy................................32 Doula My Soul...............................................20 Engineering For Kids......................................13 Family Forest Fest...........................................10 Farber Swim School.......................................31

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Hearth and Home Midwifery........................10 Heidi Timmons Photography.........................10 Jacob Wooton................................................13 Little Fruit Farm..............................................10 Montessori School of Beaverton...................13 Northwest Mother’s Milk Bank......................20 OMSI ..............................................................14 Oregon Episcopal School...............................27 Owl and the Dove............................................ 9 Play Fit Fun.....................................................27 Portland Creative Performing Arts.................. 7 Portland Early Learning Project.....................31 Portland Trampoline........................................ 2 Pottery Fun....................................................... 7

Presents of Mind.............................................. 7 Saturday Academy........................................... 9 Smallfry..........................................................14 Small Wonders School...................................31 Spielwerk Toys................................................14 The Kids’ Backyard Store.................................. 2 Tidee Didee....................................................14 Tri-County Farms.............................................. 7 Willow Tree Wellness.....................................14 Youth Music Project......................................... 9

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Nursing Bra Tips Pregnant? Unless you have money to burn, wait until week 13 to start replacing your bras. After that, we recommend getting properly sized at a shop that has a good range of sizes. We don’t recommend buying a band size larger in anticipation of an expanding ribcage -- if you need to buy an extender in month 8, then so be it, but the firmness of the band is what is supporting those newly heavy boobs. Buy a couple of comfortable, affordable bras to see you through your pregnancy. We don’t recommend buying a nursing bra until after the baby is born, but if you feel like you need one right off the bat, get an unwired, S-XL type bra. This can at least serve as a comfy home bra while you are settling in to the business of parenthood.

Nursing? We recommend getting sized for a nursing bra about two weeks after the baby is born. This gives you time to settle in to a feeding schedule and come in when you are on the full side.

It also gives your ribcage a chance to remember its original shape. If you have a history of mastitis, you should probably stick with wire-free styles. There are cupsized styles which give the best support and S-XL styles that can be quite comfy.

However, and especially if you are busty, there are a number of underwire styles worth investigating. A properly sized underwire bra (where the wire sits against the sternum and behind the breast tissue) can be comfortable AND supportive, and of course give you the shape to which you are accustomed.

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Pregnancy brief: Anita Wire-free nursing bra: Paramour

by HOLLY POWELL

Photographs courtesy of THE PENCIL TEST

We also think it’s important to stress that whatever advice you have received from “experts”, you are the best expert when it comes to your body and what works with your daily routine. Make sure that your bra fitter hears from you! And we know plenty of women who find perfectly acceptable work-arounds to nursing bras, so you might not even need one ;-).

Holly Powell is the owner of The Pencil Test, a lingerie boutique in the Alberta Arts district, which specializes in bras sized D-cup and above and provides expert fitting services.

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Babywearing

and Bonding with Your Little One (and looking cool while doing it)

Photograph by SAKURA BLOOM

by LYNSE WALLS

So you’re having a baby. Congrats! We’re here to talk about how to get this parenting journey off to a good start with some tips on bonding with your little one.

Research shows that while newborns are constantly learning and growing, dad brains also change in the first few weeks and months of their new baby’s life.1 When dads and babies engage, important hormone shifts take place that benefit both parties.

One of the best ways for dads to bond with their little ones and get those “love hormones” (a.k.a. oxytocin) flowing is to practice skin-to-skin. It’s not just for birthing people: skin-to-skin or kangaroo care in the first weeks has some amazing benefits for dads, too! It can lower your stress levels, bring feelings of euphoria and help you feel more connected to your new family member.2 Another tool useful for bonding with your newborn, and on through the toddler years, is babywearing. A carrier comes in handy to meet baby’s essential early need to be held.

Searching for a carrier can be quite a task; there’s a lot of jargon and opinions out there when it comes to the topic. We’re here to help break it down for you. The basics:

1. Wraps - the long pieces of fabric that seem to go on forever, but look and feel really great once they’re on and offer endless versatility. Wraps are great for newborns, but if you want one that’s comfy for >20lbs, look for woven instead of stretchy.

2. Ring Slings - a modern take on “one shoulder” carriers used by many cultures around the world, with rings offering security and adjustability. Slings are great from birth through toddlerhood, but for longer stretches with a bigger baby, you may prefer a two-shoulder option.

Wrap Photographs by LYNSE WALLS

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3. Soft Structured Carriers - Buckles and a soft structured seat for the baby make this carrier functional and practical from the playground the the hiking paths. While they are great from day one to day 1,825+, many require an additional infant insert to ensure proper positioning.

4. Structured/Hiking - Framed packs that are used most traditionally for hiking. Useful from about 9mo+, they have extra storage and distribute weight more like a hiking backpack.

Finding a carrier that properly fits you and your lifestyle is important. When you find a good one, it’s something that you will likely wear daily for at least a few years. Take the time to look around, try on different brands and styles and find the one that well works for YOU and your family.

See babywearinginternational.org, seahorsespdx.com and milagrosboutique.com for more information and buying options!

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2.

brainworldmagazine.com/daddy-dearest handtohold.org/resources/helpful-articles/the-benefits-of-kangaroo-care

Need a little more hands-on guidance? Babywearing International’s Portland chapter, BWI of Portland, hosts regular meetings and playdates for support and safety instruction in babywearing. The meetups are free to attend; an annual $30 membership fee gives you access to local business discounts and their lending library of carriers so you can check out different types and Photograph by BWI OF PORTLAND brands of carriers to try them out before committing to a purchase. Learn more at facebook.com/BWIPDX and join the private Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/BWIofPortland for ongoing events. bwipdx.com

JULY EVENTS Meetings with Lending Library checkout available: Saturday July 7th, 11am - Central Library 801 SW 10th St Tuesday July 17th, 10:30am - Beaverton City Library 12375 SW 5th St, Beaverton Community playdates: Friday July 6th, 3pm - Level Beer 5211 NE 148th Ave Friday July 13th, 11am - Ventura City Park 460 SE 113th Ave Friday July 20th, 3pm - Oregon Public House 700 NE Dekum St Wednesday July 25th, 11am Wattle Tree Place 306 E 16th St, Vancouver, WA Lynse Walls is a work-from-home parent with 4 kids, living in Vancouver, WA. Lynse is a graphic designer and filmmaker, though they currently spend most of their days on play dates, appointments, little league games and shuttling kids! Lynse appreciates good music, design, a clean house and pretending to get work done.

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After your baby arrives, there might be waves of emotion, visits from family, medical tests and procedures, photos to take, and announcements to make… but for those of us lucky to have a hungry newborn, one of our first jobs is getting that sweet bundle fed.

Portland boasts many lactation specialists and postpartum doulas who can help you and complement your medical team, from working out that perfect latch, to helping you find the right size nipple shield, to dealing with any mastitis, to discussing your options when it’s time to wean.

Photograph by BRIDGETOWN BABY

Healthy After Baby:

Bryna Sampey from Doula My Soul is a lactation consultant: “We see a big diversity in our clients—folks seek us out for a lot of reasons— but a few of the most common reasons are milk supply concerns, tongue tie, and complex birth. We spend a lot of time gathering a detailed history and working with our clients to build a sustainable and achievable plan of care to reach their goals… It is such an honor to work with families in this vulnerable time.”

Breast Care and Health

Arianne from Babymoon PDX offers in-home postpartum care, as well as drop-in care for tired parents: “The early days are rocky for everyone, and up until very recently in our culture we were not left to figure it out alone. We had communities of women that would gather around us in this transition to provide support and build confidence in our new roles.”

by KELLEY GARDINER

Here’s some help from the experts! continued on p. 16 NW Kids Magazine | 15

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is not always intuitive.

Learning to latch a baby can seem like a high-stakes game with tons of tricky aspects that you’ve never had a chance to practice.

Bryna has some advice that goes beyond Sleep when the baby sleeps: “Some of the best advice I can give families who are preparing to breastfeed is to get good at napping—especially during the day. Making sure to rest and not try to do too much in those early weeks can make a huge difference when juggling everyone’s needs in that early postpartum period. It sounds laughably simple, but the body needs sleep to make milk, and the brain needs sleep to stay healthy.

A lot of our time is spent striking the balance between everyone’s needs, so getting some practice before baby arrives can go a long way!”

Pumping

Pumping can help you ramp up your supply, or to relieve full breasts when baby isn’t able to eat.

Sorry to say, pumping is not fun. Give yourself a “treat” when you pump— maybe a one-handed treat, or make that your guilt-free mom Facebook time.

Ask your lactation consultant to help you learn to use it, and to make sure the breast shields fit your anatomy.

Breast milk donation

Breast milk donation means the world to parents who want to choose breastmilk and are unable to provide it, or whose children aren’t able to tolerate formula.

If you’re able to pump extra milk, you may consider checking the requirements for donation to a bank like Northwest Mothers Milk Bank.

Lesley L. Mondeaux, Executive Director of Northwest Mothers Milk Bank, says, “Human milk is a wonderful natural resource, perfectly designed for optimal 16 | NW Kids Magazine

health and nutrition. Healthy, nonsmoking women who find themselves with more milk than their own infant needs can make a difference in the life of another baby by donating extra breastmilk… Milk donations, from kindhearted volunteers, help to nourish premature and ill babies who may not have access to their mother’s own milk.”

Stopping the lactation process

There are plenty of reasons why parents might choose to not breastfeed, to stop breastfeeding, or not be able to nurse.

“Every family feeds with love,’’ says Merriah Fairchild, IBCLC, lactation consultant and founder of Bridgetown Baby, “whether it’s breastfeeding/ chestfeeding, bottle-feeding, or a combination, and whether it’s 100% breastmilk, or a combination of breastmilk, donor milk, or formula. It’s about bonding as well as food.

“For parents who don’t breastfeed/ chestfeed or who are stopping lactation,” Merriah adds, “attachment-style bottlefeeding (held close with eye-contact and talking or singing) is a great way to continue to bond while feeding your baby.”

Fed is best

When it comes to baby, fed, healthy, and happy is best—that means baby is fed and happy, but mom needs support, too. No matter what ends up working for you and your family, there may be some bumps along the way.

“No matter how you feed your baby,” says Arianne, “the most important thing is for you to feel seen and supported while doing so.”

Kelley Gardiner writes winning copy for Portland’s small businesses when she’s not toting her two boys to farmer’s markets and libraries. kelleygardiner.com.

Photograph by DOULA MY SOUL

Photograph by NW MOTHERS MILK BANK

Breastfeeding and Postpartum Support Babymoon PDX babymoonpdx.com

Bridgetown Baby Bridgetown Baby offers postpartum doula and lactation support, as well as overnight/sleep services and workplace lactation consultations. bridgetownbaby.com Doula My Soul Doula My Soul is a collaborative private practice birth and postpartum support team. They offer highly skilled birth doula services; referrals; lactation consults; weight checks and postpartum doula services in your home, online, or in their clinic. doulamysoul.com Dr. Angela Potter drangelapotter.com/postpartum Dr. Bobby Ghaheri Dr. Ghaheri is an Otolaryngologist, specializing in laser treatment to assist postpartum breastfeeding difficulties that stem from tongue ties and lip ties. drghaheri.com La Leche League lalecheleagueoregon.webs.com/ localportland Mother Roots motherootscounseling.com/resources

Photograph by RHEA ANDERSON

Natural Latch naturallatch.com Nursing Mothers Counsel Free breastfeeding classes nursingmotherscounsel.org Zenana Spa zenana-spa.com/for-moms/ support-groups

Breast Milk Donation

NW Mothers Milk Bank NWMMB is a dedicated group of staff and volunteers who screen donor mothers for their health, pasteurize donated breastmilk and test it for bacteria, and distribute safe donor milk by prescription to infants when their own mother’s milk is not available. donatemilk.org OHSU ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/ doernbecher/programs-services/ milk-donations.cfm Providence oregon.providence.org/ourservices/b/breast-milk-donordepot

Weigh your baby

Multnomah County multco.us/children-and-familyhealth-services/breastfeedingsupport NW Kids Magazine | 17

Preparing Your Pet for Baby’s Arrival Helping your pet adjust to the arrival of a new baby is much like preparing a young child for the same event.

Handling your pet’s curiosity, anxiety, and increased insistence for attention may seem overwhelming, especially in addition to preparing for the baby’s arrival; however, you can help your pet adjust to the big change with minimal time and effort by making gradual adjustments to your lifestyle months before the baby arrives.

Paulina Tahran, Oregon Humane Society Certified Professional Dog Trainer and certified Family Paws Educator recommends the following advice.

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by THE OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY

GETTING READY: • Learn about canine body language.

It’s important for new parents to understand when their dog is stressed.

Supervision is important, but a lot of bites happen right in front of the parents when they don’t recognize the more subtle stress signals their pet is displaying.

• Accustom your pet to baby-related noises months before the baby arrives.

Play recordings of a baby crying, turn on the mechanical infant swing and use the rocking chair. Make these positive experiences for your pet by offering a treat or playtime when the “baby” cries or after each swing.

• Allow your pet to thoroughly investigate and sniff around the baby’s room with all the new items in it to take away the curiosity and need to go in there.

• If the baby’s room will be off-limits to your pet, install a sturdy barrier such as a dog gate or screen door. This barrier will still allow your pet to see and hear what’s happening in the room, so he’ll

feel less isolated from the family and more comfortable with the new baby noises.

• Carry around a swaddled baby doll, take the doll in the stroller when you walk your dog, and use the doll to get your pet used to routine baby activities - such as bathing and diaper changing.

Let your pet get used to your voice talking to the baby - using the baby’s name if you’ve selected one.

• With total adult supervision, you could ask family and friends with infants to visit your home to accustom your pet to babies. Your dog should be on leash.

You must closely supervise all pet and infant interactions.

• Sprinkle baby powder or baby oil on your skin so your pet becomes familiar with the new smells.

• If your pet’s behavior includes gentle nibbling, chasing, pouncing or swatting at you or others, redirect that behavior at appropriate objects such as toys and not your hands or feet.

• Train your pet to remain calmly on the floor beside you or, if small, until you have invited him into your lap.

• Plan ahead to ensure your pet is receiving enough exercise after the baby’s arrival; this will help their ability to cope with a likely decrease in attention.

• Increase your pet’s independent activities, such as feeding him out of food dispensing toys.

• Get him used to being fed in a separate area or somewhere where the baby cannot crawl to.

• Get your pets groomed and their nails trimmed.

• Address any pet behavior problems. If your pet exhibits fear and anxiety, now is the time to get help.

• Consult with a veterinarian, pediatrician, and/or animal behavior specialist if the thought of a newborn interacting with your family pet makes you uncomfortable. By working with these experts before your baby is born, you can resolve problems early.

• Plan ahead to make sure your pet gets proper care and exercise while you’re at the birthing center and when you first return home.

COMING HOME: • Before you bring your baby home from the hospital, have your partner or a friend take home something with the baby’s scent (such as a blanket) for your pet to investigate.

• You want your pet to view associating with the baby as a positive experience. Have treats handy to distract and reward your dog for calm behavior around the baby. To prevent anxiety or injury, never force your pet to get near the baby. Always carefully supervise any interaction.

• Maintain regular routines as much as possible to help your pet adjust.

• And be sure to spend one-on-one quality time with your pet each day it may help relax you, too.

With proper training, supervision, and adjustments, you, your new baby, and your pet should be able to live together safely and happily as a family.

The Oregon Humane Society has a variety of pet behavior resources to help. Training classes, free workshops, private training and an online library of resources are available at oregonhumane.org/training. New parents can also call OHS’s free behavior help line with questions, 503-416-2983.

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Tully and Postpartum Care by CAMILLA MULDROW

The postpartum doula world was abuzz when previews were released for Diablo Cody’s newest film, Tully. Having loved Juno, also written by Cody, for its realistic slice-of-life depiction of a supported teen pregnancy, we had high expectations that Tully would show how postpartum doulas aide the transition into parenthood.

The movie opens with actress Charlize Theron, playing a very pregnant Marlo, lumbering down the hall to wake her son. You can feel the exhaustion of the third trimester as Marlo sets into motion the cascading responsibilities of the day. Quickly you are introduced to the struggles that she has been through, from caring for a ‘quirky’ son to struggling with a previous perinatal mood disorder.

In an attempt to stave off a resurgence of Marlo’s ‘hard time,’ her brother Craig, played by Mark Duplass, offers to pay for a night nanny. Taken aback with mild offense and slight trepidation, Marlo reluctantly takes down a number to call “in case [she changes] her mind”.

After the baby is born, the movie goes on to portray the early postpartum period in a way that may feel all too real to recent parents: a repetitive whirring of never-ending, circular tasks done on little sleep, minimal energy, and dwindling patience. Director Jason Reitman catches shots that make us as parents laugh, gasp, and nod empathetically.

After weeks of feeling alone, empty,

and exhausted, Marlo decides to take Craig up on his offer. Enter Tully, a twenty-something night nanny played by actress Mackenzie Davis. Early on in their working relationship, Tully reiterates to Marlo that she is ‘[there] to take care of [Marlo]’. Feeling both apprehensive and relieved, Marlo welcomes Tully into her home, accepting the kind of helpful support that a postpartum doula might typically provide - support with breastfeeding, emotional processing, baby care, and household tasks.

Marlo’s journey with Tully takes some unconventional turns as Tully steps out of the role of a postpartum doula (imagine a wine-fueled hot tub conversation and sexual fantasy, adolescent makeup parties, and a night of bar-hopping together in the big city). Much to our dismay, the film’s end reveals Tully to be a delusion-- a symptom of postpartum psychosis. A psychosis that went unnoticed by Marlo’s husband and family.

Yikes! And let’s pause for a reality check.

While this movie demonstrates a real issue that affects a very small portion continued on p. 22 NW Kids Magazine | 21

of the population (statistics tell us that .001% of childbearing women will develop postpartum psychosis), there is a larger - and quite serious - story to tell. Postpartum psychosis, though rare, is an extremely concerning ailment that requires immediate medical support: among the women who develop postpartum psychosis, approximately 5% will commit suicide; there is a 4% infanticide rate associated with the illness. And while postpartum psychosis is uncommon, other perinatal mood disorders are more prevalent: • 80% of postpartum parents experience the baby blues-feelings of sadness, stress, and/or difficulty bonding with baby; • 14% of women suffer from postpartum depression; • 4-10% of new mothers experience postpartum anxiety/panic disorder; and • 3-5% of childbearing women are affected by postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder.

Any of these perinatal mood disorders (which can affect partners, as well, though at different rates of prevalence)

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can make the postpartum period more challenging - and less magical than families often expect it to be. A perinatal mood disorder can interrupt bonding between parent and child, which can have impacts over the longer term. The statistics - and the story of “Tully” - demonstrate the importance of awareness surrounding perinatal mood disorders, their symptoms, and where families can go for help.

Perhaps the most important message of “Tully” is that every family deserves support in the postpartum period, a period that encompasses all pregnancy outcomes including miscarriage, abortion, and fetal/infant loss. If you are struggling with your perinatal experience, or even if you are simply preparing yourself and your family for a new addition, you don’t have to go it alone - I encourage you to explore (and use) the resource list that follows. *Statistics are provided by the CDC and Baby Blues Connection.

Camilla Rae is a Postpartum Doula and INNATE Postpartum Care-Certified Provider at Bridgetown Baby.

Postpartum Resources CRISIS LINES Emergency 911 Multnomah County Crisis Line 503.988.4888 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1.800.273.8255 National Hopeline Network, Suicide & Crisis Hotline 1.800.442.4673 Community Information and Referral Services 211 Portland Area Mental Health Crisis Line 800.716.9769

Perinatal Mood Disorder Support DOULA SUPPORT ABC Doula 503.752.1691 abcdoula.com Birthingway College of Midwifery 503.760.3131 birthingway.edu Birthing Stone 503.718.7574 birthingstone.com Bridgetown Baby 503.970.9554 bridgetownbaby.com Doula Love 503.766.3495 portlanddoulalove.com Doula Match A website to help you find postpartum doulas in your area. doulamatch.net

It’s a Belly 503.493.7390 itsabelly.com

Photographs by BRIDGETOWN BABY

Kindred Mother Care Sejal Fichadia kindredmothercare.com

GROUPS Baby Blues Connection Baby Blues Connection is a mom-to-mom support service based in Portland.

800.557.8375 Brief Encounters A safe place for parents whose babies have died before, during, or after birth. Brief Encounters provides nonsectarian group meetings for bereaved families.

503.699.8006 briefencounters.org Postpartum Support International Postpartum Support International is dedicated to helping women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression, the most common complication of childbirth.

1.800.944.4773 postpartum.net

PROVIDERS The Postpartum Stress Center The Postpartum Stress Center, LLC, is a premier treatment and professional training center for prenatal and postpartum depression and anxiety.

WellPDX WellPDX is a collective of Portland metro area acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists and naturopathic doctors.

Willow Tree Wellness Willow Tree Wellness is an acupuncture clinic in NE Portland, focusing on all aspects of women’s health and healing. willowtreeclinic.com NW Kids Magazine | 23

Treasures on the Trail: How to get started geocaching as part of your hiking and travel adventure Xavier points to his find in Forest Park!

Article and photograhps by WENDY GORTON

Like most cool things in life, geocaching is easier to explain to kids than it is adults. Which is why, in 2006 when I was teaching 4th grade and nannying in Los Angeles, it was a natural activity to try out with the littles in my life. “We’re going to get treasure.” “Okay!” Simple as that!

Hopefully sharing geocaching with your family will be this easy, too.

Geocaches are treasures hidden by other people with GPS coordinates posted online. If you’re heading out on an adventure, check the website (geocaching. com) or Geocaching app to see if anyone has hidden a treasure along the trail. If they have, you can use your phone to navigate to it, find it, exchange a treasure item or sign the log, and re-hide it where you found it. As a parent, caregiver, or teacher, you can delight as either cache-finders, loading up the map to see where the next treasure is, or you can work with kids to load up a container with tradeable prizes and a logbook to place nearby you and watch as the fun unfolds!

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Jaedon followed the app to the dot and searched in the bush until he found this beautiful cache in Camas, Washington!

I placed my first cache 12 years ago with my first class of 4th graders (R.I.P. Hancock Hole Hide!). My father and I still get our notifications from Are You Up for the Crest?, a cache celebrating the famed crux of the Pacific Crest Trail by Bridge of the Gods made famous in Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” and bursts with over 500 finds. We love seeing comments like, “So exciting to be on the PCT, even if it’s only a tenth of a mile!” It’s a great way to understand how latitude, longitude, and satellites work for kids.

Geocaching is grabbing a trail mix bar and realizing you picked one that has chocolate drizzle on it, elevating it from mere snack to a treat on the trail. After writing “50 Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Washington” this past year, my family and I realized what a treat it was to find out a cache was on our path and added an element of delight to an already adventure-packed day on the trail. I loved writing cache descriptions and placing clever titles and puns and fun pictures, so it’s no secret that I delighted in that same energy to write the natural scavenger hunt items for each of our 50 trails. Loading the app becomes a ritual that is as natural as loading your map and reading your guide-- are there any caches to be had on this trail today? continued on p. 26

Caches can be urban or on the trail-load up the app and have your kids use the map to see if any are nearby you!

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Gail and Xavier hide a cache along the trail.

If you’re ready to get started: 1. Download the app on iOS or Android and create a username. This part can be fun with family-- pick your name and sign it in the logbooks you find!

2. Use the map to find nearby geocaches -- use the icons to understand size of geocache and type, a great activity in making informed choices with your kids.

3. Click the green “Start” arrow to start navigating towards it! It will pull up a compass, arrow, and even how many feet/miles you are from it providing a wonderful first navigation experience for many kids.

4. It will let you know when you’re close -use the clues in the geocache description to see if there are hints to where it might be -- up high? Down low? Under a rock?

How big? Always be careful when moving brush or rocks around, and be sure to leave no trace and keep the area even better than you found it!

5. Look around for muggles -- other hikers or walkers on the trail who may not know what geocaching is and perhaps think it is a treasure to take. Remove the geocache, open it, trade an item (if there is one, some are small just with logbooks!) and sign the logbook. Take a picture of your find with your family, and post it right in the app and “log” your geocache. You 26 | NW Kids Magazine

can also leave a note about your experience that day for the next person interested in caching.

6. There may be a Trackable -- this is a fun item whose main goal is to moved to another cache so the owner can watch it roam around the world! My students and I made a stuffed bear a trackable and we could log its number in and see pictures of people placing it in caches around the world!

These are marked by a silver tag with a number on it.

7. DNF: Did Not Find is okay and a great life lesson! Some have been taken away, or it was a tough one or maybe your GPS signal was off because there are too many trees.

EIther way, mark it as DNF in the app and look for another one!

8. Hide it again and keep caching!

9. Consider hiding your own one day after you find a few.

Wendy Gorton is a Portland resident, educator and the author of 50 Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Washington who spent 2016 and 2017 riding around Oregon and Washington with her family to write a kid-forward guidebook.

She geocached along the way -- find her at @50HikeswithKids on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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THE BIG FLOAT

KIDS DIG!

Get Out and Play!

This month’s local adventures

Jul 5

Indoor Playground with Chai Baby and PJ Library For parents/caregivers and their children up to 5 years old.

Extensive indoor play space in the Sportsplex at Mittleman Jewish Community Center, where families can meet new friends and play with old ones. Snacks, storytelling and prize drawings will be provided too! 10am12pm, free. facebook.com/ events/854777017870426

Jul 5

Spanish Niño Time-PDX Bilingual Storytime at Smallfry Spanish Niño Time-PDX is a drop-in Bilingual Storytime group in the Portland area for infants-5-year-olds. Every week is a new theme and on special holidays there is a surprise. Parent participation is required and there is no need to know Spanish! 1010:30am, $5/family (punchcards are available). facebook.com/ events/1724912077561126

Jul 6

Free First Friday at Portland Children’s Museum Join PCM for the July Free First Friday, presented by the Walmart Foundation! Each month, go and see what PCM has to offer and let your kids’ imaginations run wild. What’s the catch? There isn’t one! 4-8pm, free. portlandcm.org/calendar

Jul 7

Babywearing International of Portland Monthly Meeting in SW PDX Let your local babywearing group help you.

Meet your local volunteer babywearing educators, get hands-on help and the opportunity to try before you purchase. They will have a variety of carriers from their learning library available and a lot of information to help you grow in your babywearing journey. 11am1pm, free. facebook.com/pg/BWIPDX/events/

BABYWEARING INTL

Please confirm calendar events and performances as scheduling changes may occur.

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SPANISH NIÑO TIME-PDX

Jul 7

Kids Dig! at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site This popular program introduces kids aged 8-12 to the fascinating world of archaeology! In this program, kids excavate a site with trowels, screen dirt, measure and map their finds, and discover the historical secrets that lie below our feet! Kids also learn about the importance of protecting archaeological sites for future generations. Space is limited to 20 kids. Reserve your spot at the reconstructed fort on the day of the program, or call (360) 816-6250 to make reservations in advance.

10:30-11:30am, free with admission. nps.gov/fova/learn/historyculture/ archaeologyforkids.htm

Jul 12

Thawing ICE: Mindful Walk for Immigrant Justice in SW PDX Buddhist Peace Fellowship, The Ziji Collective, and Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) invite all concerned about the criminalization of immigration to join in a monthly walk of compassion and solidarity.

The goal is to have all four sides of the I.C.E. building wrapped in a continuous stream of compassion.

Participants need not be Buddhists or member of any faith. Instruction in the practice of moving meditation will be given at the start of each event.

Noon-1pm, free. facebook.com/ events/145989446053611/

ARTSPLASH ART SHOW

Jul 12

Red Yarn at Mississippi Pizza Songs & Puppets! Red Yarn (Andy Ferguson) is one of Portland’s favorite performers. He gets the kids participating in his shows and his songs draw from the great American songbook of folk music.

Adults enjoy him as much as the kids!

Join him each week for dinner and a show! 5-6pm, $5-$10 suggested donation. redyarnproductions.com/calendar-2

Jul 13-15

ArtSplash Art Show and Sale in Tualatin This free annual three-day arts and culture festival will be held at the beautiful Lake of the Commons. 56 invited professional visual artists, live music, kids’ art activities, and food for every taste. Friday 4-9pm, Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 11am-4pm, free. tualatinoregon.gov/recreation/ 2018-artsplash-art-show-and-sale

Jul 14

The Big Float 8 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park Head to the waterfront for this Portland summer celebration, benefiting Human Access Project, featuring four bands on two floating stages, two 100’ long slip and slides and so much more. The Big Float is open to all ages and all floaters must wear a life jacket. It’s a safe voyage, not a race.

Join the flotilla and attend the grandest pool party Portland has ever seen! 11am7pm, $5-$15 (discounted for under 18). thebigfloat.com NW Kids Magazine | 29

OMSI

FIRST CITY CELEBRATION

Jul 14

Jul 14

Current science gets up close and personal at Meet a Scientist.

This program, held on the second Saturday of each month, features local scientists who share their research and knowledge with you through hands-on activities and conversation. Meet a Scientist exclusively features professionals who are OMSI Science Communication Fellows. 1-4pm, free with admission. omsi.edu/events

The ninth annual First City Celebration returns with live music; food; vendors; beer/wine and more! For 2018, this familyfriendly celebration is getting a refresh as an Oregon City-centric event. It will feature beverages from local breweries and wineries, a kid zone with tons of games and activities and a street fair. 11am-8pm, free. downtownoregoncity.org/firstcity/

Meet a Scientist at OMSI

Jul 14

9th Annual First City Celebration in Oregon City

Jul 21

Celebrate Hillsboro

Mississippi Street Fair It’s the annual Mississippi Street Fair!

Join friends and neighbors for a day full of vendors; bands; food; a dunk tank; open air gallery; Kids Zone, and so much more. This is a family friendly event with the Kids Zone at N Beech and the Kids Stage at Mississippi Pizza. 10am-9pm, free. mississippiave.com/streetfair MISSISSIPPI STREET FAIR

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Celebrate Hillsboro, presented by Tuality Healthcare, is a celebration of community.

Event village areas showcase a wide variety of interactive activities for the entire family, including live music; arts and crafts, free health screenings; eco-friendly activities; the Hillsboro Farmers’ Market and community information booths. 9am-4pm, free. hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/ parks-recreation/recreation-fun-/specialevents-/celebrate-hillsboro CELEBRATE HILLSBORO

Jul 21

Kids Obstacle Challenge in Sherwood Kids Obstacle Challenge is an adventure and obstacle course race series for kids ages 5-16, with 12-15 fun and challenging obstacles and mud! KOC’s mission is to inspire and challenge kids, and forge family bonds. 8:30am-2:30pm, $32-$66/ child (adults participate with kids for free). kidsobstaclechallenge.com/portland

Jul 24

Special Needs Jump Time at Sky High Sports Join in as Sky High Sports turns off the music, dims the lights, and dials down the distractions for the comfort of their special needs guests. Special jumpers and family members are just $6 an hour.

One parent or therapist is free. 3-6pm. por.skyhighsports.com/events-calendar/

Looking for more?

Check out our online calendar: nwkidsmagazine.com/events KIDS OBSTACLE CHALLENGE

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