RAK magazine October 2017

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

ARIZONA’S CHILDREN FORMING FOREVER FAMILIES FALL BREAK VACATION TIPS PUMPKIN PATCHES and HALLOWEEN FUN

NEW BIRTHDAY PARTY PLACES!

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

1

October 2017

CONTENTS

FEATURES 20

Arizona’s Children: Forming forever families

Writer Sheri Smith’s fourth in a six-part series about foster care in Arizona, where more than 17,000 kids remain in state care. Here, she shares stories of three local families who adopted foster children.

24

New birthday party places and themes

It’s tough to keep these annual celebrations fun and fresh. Staff Writer Dani Horn offers up new Valley venues and birthday-party themes.

DEPARTMENTS 4

24

dialogue

Fall fun and birthday cake

6

azgrown

• Mexico’s Rocky Point: Is it safe?

• San Diego: 5 fall-break vacation tips • Must-haves for the beach • “The Book of Dust” debuts this month.

• Scottsdale third-grader creates the “Mensch Bench” • Birth to 5 Q&A: How can I get my baby to sleep?

40

6

COVER PHOTO SHOOT:

Michon Javelosa and David Staricha of Chandler with their son, Arius.

• Prehistoric creatures come alive in Phoenix Zoo exhibit • The real problem with screen time?

Speech delays • One more reason for mom guilt

27

family time!

• Top October events • Halloween events • Pumpkin patches • Around Arizona • Fun runs and walks • Onstage

40

behind the ’zine

Graduating to a better life

2

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

20

PHOTOS BY ALLEN PATROU.

THERE IS POWER IN EVERY G.I.R.L.

Picture this: a safe, no-limits place where she can try new things, take on challenges, build community, and inspire others! That’s Girl Scouts. A place where “Can I?” quickly turns into “I will!” Where your G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ can transform her ideas into action, turn her questions into adventure, and grow her confidence through practice.

Unleash it at girlscoutsaz.org/join | (602) 452-7102

Weekends in October starting October 7th

Valid for 1 free child admission per full price admission ticket purchased for LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Arizona. Code cannot be used on combo tickets or be combined with any other discounts. Final right of interpretation resides with Merlin Entertainments. Expires 11/30/17 Code RAKKGF LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations, the Minifigure and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2017 The LEGO Group.

BOT.indd 1

Valid for one free child’s ticket per full price adult ticket purchased. Final right of interpretation resides with Merlin Entertainments. Expires 11/30/17 Code RAKKGF

8/27/17 5:12 PM

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

3

dialogue This Mermaid Princess (Storybook Entertainment’s Tess Galbiati) made Sofia’s 5th birthday magical.

October 2017 | Vol 28 | No 7 Publisher Karen Davis Barr Editor Kara G. Morrison Calendar Editor Liz Petroff Copy Editor Debra Citron Staff Writers Margaret Beardsley, Dani Horn Contributors Ana Arbel, Rachel Brockway, Debra Citron, Lexi Peterson, Sheri Smith, Elaina Verhoff Art Director Michèlle-Renée Adams

FALL FUN and BIRTHDAY CAKE WHAT’S NOT TO like about October? Cooler temps (finally), pumpkin patches, Halloween events and holidays on the horizon.

Like the month itself, our October issue is packed with family fun, from fall-break vacation options to lots of local outdoor activities, fairs and festivals. The only tough part is fitting them all in.

We’ve also tried to slow down this month and take a look at the lives of three families who adopted children from Arizona’s foster care system, where about 17,000 kids remain in state care. This inspiring story is the fourth in a sixpart series from writer Sheri Smith, who plans to detail ways we all can help ease our state’s foster-care crisis in next month’s issue.

OCTOBER IS ALSO traditionally our birthday parties guide. As parents, we spend a lot of time planning these events. It’s not easy to find ideas that are fresh, fun and fit the family budget.

We’ve tried to help by listing some new ideas and venues we’ve discovered.

As the parent of a princess-obsessed 5-yearold, I have the same dilemma each summer, when lots of people are on vacation and affordable outdoor parks aren’t an option.

This year, I found a great resource in Storybook Entertainment, which offers a “Swimming Mermaid Party” with a mermaid performer (who reads a story, sings and either swims with kids or leads a craft project) plus a lifeguard.

Storybook adapted to our tiny play pool

4

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

(about the size of a large hot tub) by bringing a “land mermaid” instead of a one with a swimming tale. The day of Sofie’s party, I told the lifeguard it would be his easiest job ever. Instead, he had to help three little ones who lost their footing get back to safe ground.

Now I can’t imagine a water event without a lifeguard present. It was a powerful reminder — as was a recent Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona gathering I attended — to get Sofie back into swim lessons.

One caveat about princess parties: I suggest setting a (short) time limit on princess status.

My daughter has now stated twice, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, that she is already a princess. Disciplining said princess has its challenges.

All told, Sofie had a magical birthday, and I was so grateful to the sweet kiddos — mostly friends from preschool — and their kind parents who on a sweltering July day came for Costco cake and fun chaos.

Don’t forget to visit raisingarizonakids. com/birthdays-parties for our full directory of birthday venues, entertainers and ideas. Have a fantastic, birthday-cake-filled fall in Arizona.

Kara G. Morrison, Editor kara@RAKmagazine.com

Photographers Rick D’Elia, Allen Patrou Operations Manager Tina Gerami-Bynum Sales & Marketing Manager Brandy Collet Sales Representatives Shannon Cornall, Kate Greene

Contact Us: editorial@RAKmagazine.com familytime@RAKmagazine.com advertising@RAKmagazine.com subscriptions@RAKmagazine.com 5229 N. Seventh Ave. #102 Phoenix, AZ 85013-1974 P: 480–991–KIDS (5437) • F: 480–991–5460 raisingarizonakids.com

in partnership with

Follow us! @RAKmagazine RAKmagazine RAKmagazine RAKmagazine RAKmagazine

R aising A rizona K ids magazine (ISSN 1051-4295) was created to connect Valley families to local resources and share real-life stories about the challenges and joys of raising children. Copy­right © 2017 by R aising A rizona K ids, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Subscription price is $20 for one year or $35 for two years. Back issues are $6 per copy.

The Post Office will not automatically forward in the event of a move. Make address changes on our website or mail changes to our office. Original, locally generated articles, illustrations and photographs are welcome. Guide­lines are avail­able at raisingarizonakids.com.

Share your birthday with your

SMOKE ALARMS! Smoke alarms need working batteries so they can sniff out smoke and let you know when something is wrong.

Replace batteries on your birthday. Give your smoke alarms the gift of new batteries so they can help keep you safe!

Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. Old alarms do not work as well at sensing smoke.

Because a fire can occur anywhere. Check out the Arizona Fire and Burn Educators Association’s Home Safety Checklist!

For more information, visit

AFBEA.ORG

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

5

az grown travel

COURTESY OF OH PARTNERS

MEXICO’S ROCKY POINT

A worthy fall break destination

By Elaina Verhoff I HADN’T BEEN to Rocky Point in more than 20 years, when the roads were rough and resorts were sparse. Today, the popular vacation destination offers ample oceanfront vacation options, and the beaches are amazing — clean, walkable stretches of sand, warm gentle water, active tide pools.

I have friends who regularly take their kids to Rocky Point — technically Puerto Peñasco in Sonora — so it was something I’d already been considering when I was offered a chance to visit Mexico’s sunny beaches as part of a freelance press trip. The Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau (cometorockypoint.com) calls this “Arizona’s Beach,” because it’s a relatively quick 3.5-hour drive from Phoenix, compared to six or more hours to California’s beaches.

It’s a great way to expose the kids to the sights, sounds and tastes of another country, without the expense or time involved in an overseas trip.

English is spoken everywhere, so non-Spanish speakers should have no problem. However, if you are willing to try speaking Spanish, the effort is appreciated. And if your children are studying Spanish, this is a great opportunity for them to practice their language skills.

Fall break is an ideal time to visit, because you’ll avoid the crazy spring-breakers and experience warm, calm water, and lower offseason resort prices. But there are things you must know before you go.

PASSPORTS, INSURANCE Two things you’ll need before you hit the road are passports (or passport cards) for every member of the family and Mexican car insurance. If you’re like me and can’t find your passport, or if you discover it’s expired, you’re in

6

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

luck. Tucson is home to a passport center where you can obtain a passport within days (or even on the same day, if you can show proof that your itinerary requires such speedy service).

Also, make sure you purchase Mexican car insurance before leaving the U.S., because American insurance won’t cover you if you’re in a car accident in Mexico. The easiest way is to do this is online with AAA. You can also check with your own auto insurance company, or purchase it in a town near the border. You should also check with your cell phone carrier to make sure your cell phone will work in Mexico without exorbitant roaming fees.

SAFETY The U.S. State Department’s travel website (travel.state.gov) does urge caution in Sonora (a known drug- and human-trafficking area) and asks that U.S. citizens use the Lukeville, Arizona/Sonoyta, Sonora border crossing and limit driving to daylight hours. You can also register your trip with U.S. Embassy in Mexico via the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Some friends I know caravan to Rocky Point, citing safety in numbers. My main safety concern was that I would get pulled over for a traffic violation. I was very careful to obey the speed limits and to come to a complete stop at all stop signs. (I actually went the wrong way down a one-way street right in front of a police officer, but not even then did I get pulled over!)

I know people who have been cited for traffic violations in Sonora; they advise keeping $50 in your wallet and the rest of your cash elsewhere, so you can pay the fee without worrying you will be asked for more than $50.

RESORTS AND DINING If you’re traveling with small children, a swimming pool is always a plus. I stayed at Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort. Picture modern, clean condo buildings with expansive balconies, amazing views and a swimming pool with a lazy river and swim-up bar. Something for everyone!

Plus, the property is located right on the beach.

The overall feeling is clean, well-lit, safe and beautiful. Las Palomas also has a great breakfast buffet with a wide selection of food that will appeal to even the pickiest of little eaters.

I recommend enjoying the blue shrimp Rocky Point is known for. Shrimp season kicks off in September, so fall break is the perfect time to enjoy it. You might even head straight to longtime Rocky Point landmark El Capitan and request a table on the deck overlooking the sea. The best lunch I had on the trip was at the beachfront Sonoran Sky resort, which I have heard is another a great place to stay. Their crispy fish tacos, thick chips, chunky guacamole and refreshing horchata were perfection.

Finally, no trip to Mexico is complete without buying a mango on a stick from a beach vendor’s cart. It will be peeled and carved into a flower while you wait, then doused with fresh lime juice and sprinkled with chili lime powder. Snap a pic, post it on Facebook, and tell your friends you are enjoying #arizonasbeach.

Elaina Verhoff is a Phoenix freelance writer and the mother of Riley (13) and Lily (11).

Discover the

Celebrations are available Friday–

Best BIRTHDAY PARTY Ever

with CHANDLER

Sunday

Parks & Recreation

!

es that save the day, princess Superheroes ready to science can Einsteins mad about tle lit d an o bo i id bb time. bibbidi bo y with a part y of a life celebrate their birthda with nature, wants to get in touch Whether your kiddo creation , Chandler Parks & Re ty af cr be or ts or sp play lebration to es. Customize your ce offers 20 part y them rthday part y ever. ensure it’s the best bi

Packages include

A party host

Invitations

Decorations

Paper products

Craft supplies

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER 4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd. | 480-782-2891

TUMBLEWEED RECREATION CENTER 745 E. Germann Rd. | 480-782-2909

You choose the party and we do the rest! chandleraz.gov/birthdayparties Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and the Chandler City Council

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

7

az grown travel

San Diego:

5 fall-break vacation tips

By Liz Petroff

SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY over. But don’t put those boogie boards and beach toys away just yet. If you listen carefully, you can hear the welcoming sounds of the ocean waves calling you to visit sunny San Diego.

For the sixth year, “Kids Free San Diego” returns, offering special October deals at hotels, theme parks, restaurants and museums.

All month, San Diego transforms into “Kid Kingdom,” where kiddos are given the royal treatment. Many hotels offer kids-eat-free deals, and kids (typically ages 3 to 11) get free admission with a paying adult to some of San Diego’s best attractions. Visit sandiego.org for a complete list of deals and look for the “13 Realms of Kid Kingdom” downloadable map.

Here are five personal favorites: SAN DIEGO SAFARI PARK. Sister to the world-famous San Diego Zoo, this safari park — 30 miles north of San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley, near Escondido — is a wildlife sanctuary to more than 3,000 African and Asian animals. Families can watch rhinos,

8

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

giraffes and antelope roam on open fields.

Enjoy walking, or for an additional charge, take a thrilling safari tour. The park also offers animal encounters, where families can learn about Sumatran tigers from a keeper, or witness the fastest land mammal — the cheetah — do what it does best: run! Up to 10 children (ages 11 and younger) get free admission per each supervising ticketed adult this month at both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido. sdzsafaripark.org.

SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO. The marine park that brought us Shamu is located in San Diego’s Mission Bay Park. SeaWorld’s new attraction, Ocean Explorer, includes three new animal encounters and five new kids rides. Enjoy the Tentacle Twirl swing and the Sea Dragon Drop or join a deep-sea research team aboard the Submarine Quest. Through October, kids ages 3-9 get free admission with a paying adult. 500 SeaWorld Drive, San Diego. seaworldsandiego.com.

BALBOA PARK. San Diego is always proving learning can be fun, and Balboa Park is a great place to explore. In addition to beautiful gardens, the park houses more than 17 museums on 1,200 acres. Take dinosaur enthusiasts to the San Diego Natural History Museum, aspiring astronauts to the San Diego Air & Space Museum and budding athletes to the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum. This month, up to two children (ages 12 and younger) get free entry to the Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum at Balboa Park with one full-price adult admission. 1549 El Prado, San Diego. balboapark.org CAMPING. Although camping fees are not included in Kids Free October, there’s just no beating San Diego’s inexpensive camping experiences. Choose from mountain, desert, lake and beach locations and grab your tent, camper or RV to enjoy the outdoors. Amenities vary at each camp site, but all are guaranteed to make family memories. Visitors can reserve campsites

and lodging six months in advance. San Diego County state parks with campgrounds include: Cardiff State Beach, Carlsbad State Beach, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Palomar Mountain State Park, San Elijo State Beach, San Onofre State Beach, Silver Strand State Beach and South Carlsbad State Beach. Visit parks. ca.gov and reservecalifornia.com.

COURTESY OF SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO

MOONLIGHT STATE BEACH. A hidden gem along the historic highway 101, Moonlight State Beach is where families can go to feel less like a tourist and more like a local. This main beach of Encinitas offers a playground, snack bar, bathrooms and showers, fire pits and a volleyball court. Families can spend a whole day here, sun bathing, building sand castles and surfing. 400 B St., Encinitas. parks.ca.gov Calendar Editor Liz Petroff of Phoenix is the mother of Jack (9) and Lucy (7). Send event info to liz@RAKmagazine.com.

Must-haves for the beach I’m drawn to visual must-have lists in magazines with beautifully packaged products. But as a parent, I have to laugh at how impractical some of them are. Here’s the real scoop on what parents need: Two types of sunscreen: Lotion and spray. Before leaving the hotel, beach house or campsite, slather on a base layer of sunscreen lotion. When it is time to reapply, use spray sunscreen so the sand doesn’t irritate skin.

Baby powder and diaper-rash cream.

We spend a lot of time in the ocean, boogie boarding, surfing and making sand sculptures. Sand gets everywhere, and chafing can make or break a vacation. Apply diaper-rash cream before heading to the beach. Bodyglide anti-chafe balm works, too. Baby powder helps with removing sand from hands (and other areas) in a jiff. It’s also

super helpful when changing a baby’s sandy diaper.

Flip-flops or water shoes. Wet sand dries and can be rough on shoes, so leave the swanky sandals back at the hotel.

Water shoes are always helpful if the beach is rocky.

Pop-up tent or canopy. Shade is essential at the beach. We bring the portable canopy we use for outdoor sport season. It’s big and bulky and a pain to haul, but completely worth the effort to give kiddos a break from the sun.

Laundry rack. This is a great alternative to hanging wet (sandy) beach towels and swimsuits in your nice hotel bathroom.

Packing an inexpensive rack in the family car or grabbing one at a local store will guarantee a dry start to the beach the following day.

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

9

az grown books

“THE BOOK OF DUST” DEBUTS THIS MONTH

By Debra Citron

LIKE THE SONG says, “Breaking up is hard to do.” When you love a wonderful character in a great book, you don’t want to let go, whether the parting comes within the pages or when you close the cover. I know. I’m still not over Ned Stark. Such sweet sorrow!

My job has been reading and writing about children’s books for a long time. Way back in 1996, I found a very special one, “The Golden Compass,” and lost my daughter-less heart to a grubby, mouthy force of nature named Lyra Belacqua. It would be another year before I would see her again, and then only long enough for me to become fonder of her and more concerned over her fate. She disappeared once more and was gone for three long years. When she returned, she was in deadly danger, and I knew our final break up was going to hurt.

“The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman is the first volume of a mind-bending trilogy called “His Dark Materials,” and it had won the 1995 Carnegie Medal (Britain’s version of our Newbery), among other prestigious awards, and garnered glowing reviews worldwide.

It is a fantasy set in another world, somewhat like ours, but where humans are accompanied in life by their daemons, (animal embodiments of their alter egos); and are governed by a monolithic, repressive and paranoid religious organization called the Magisterium.

Lyra, age 11, is an orphan, a nobly-born liar and braggart deposited at Jordan College in alt-Oxford, alt-England, by her imperious uncle, where she is affectionately, if haphazardly, raised by the elderly Scholars. Her best friend is kidnapped by agents of the Church, who are obsessed by an elementary particle called “Dust,” which they believe is physical evidence of original sin, and who are intent on performing unspeakable experiments on children in order to destroy Dust’s effects. Lyra, with her daemon, Pantalaimon, sets out to rescue him.

Her stubborn resolve ignites a chain reaction of incredible events that explode across two more books (“The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass”) and takes her and her allies into yet other worlds to face increasingly more

10

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

powerful enemies in a universal rebellion against despotism.

“His Dark Materials,” which began as an effort to unpack and rearrange Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost,” is a masterpiece.

The story’s enormous power comes from the masterful interweaving of scientific, philosophical and magical elements; elegant language and beautifully drawn characters.

Because Pullman is a virtuoso, a Lang Lang of letters, it can be read as a rip-roaring adventure, a coming-of-age story or a complex morality tale, and enjoyed by readers of all ages.

It is also an impassioned defense of free thought and expression against any form of authoritarianism, and of Pullman’s conviction that childhood isn’t a place — a bathetic lost playground of innocence — but a journey from instinct, impulse and ignorance to insight and intentionality; that humanity’s fall from grace was actually a leap of faith into true consciousness.

(Those ideas, perceived as anti-religion by some, make the trilogy controversial and earn it a perennial place on the “banned books” list.)

But above all, “His Dark Materials” is Lyra’s tale. She travels a hard road to childhood’s end, growing from destiny’s child stubbornly fighting overwhelming odds with nothing but fierce affection and bravado to a young woman of great courage and compassion. Her only weapons — her choices and her love — change the fate of the living and the dead and of heaven and earth.

Lyra’s essential character — curious, brave, kind, fair — never falters, but gathers strength and depth with each painful struggle. She is truly unforgettable. After 17 years, the heart-breaking sacrifice Lyra makes still moves me. I don’t question it: everything about her foretold it. But I wonder what her life is like in the aftermath, and about Dust, and her mysterious connection to it.

Happily, Philip Pullman wondered as well.

I suspect breaking up is hard for him, too. Soon after completing the trilogy, he began writing about Lyra’s world again, publishing two small books set there, chock-full of tantalizing tidbits.

Around the same time, he announced that “The

Book of Dust” was under way and would likely fill three volumes. The reunion would happen.

The date — unknown, until recently.

On Oct. 19, “La Belle Sauvage,” the first volume of that almost mythic trilogy, an “equel” that will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with “His Dark Materials,” will be published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. The subject of the third book is a deep, dark secret, but Lyra is at the center of the first two books, which cover about 10 years on either side of the “HDM” timeline.

Hallelujah! I can hardly wait.

This is what we know so far. The new first book’s protagonist, Malcolm Polestead, with daemon Asta, is just barely glimpsed, as an adult, in earlier books. Here, he is the 11-year-old son of a riverside innkeeper and a friend of the female college Scholars, as well as of the priory nuns across the water who care for abandoned baby Lyra. Her father enlists him as a guide so he can visit her. This is how Malcolm and his canoe become part of Lyra’s story, and she, part of his.

Many hands shape a heroine or a hero. Soon, they are together again on a terrible adventure offworld, where he saves Lyra to pursue her destiny, and Lyra leads Malcolm toward his.

I’ve read the chapter posted online that introduces young Malcolm. It is vintage Pullman, simultaneously warm, dark and intriguing. Forget “equel.” I’m hoping that “The Book of Dust” will be the ladder on which “His Dark Materials” stands, a few rungs up; the ladder that anchors its foundation, provides its support, and reaches up into its future, all the way to the stars and the Dust beyond.

Debra Citron of Phoenix is a writer and lifelong supporter of children’s literature and literacy.

PUMPKIN DAYS & CORN MAZE SEPTEMBER 30TH - NOVEMBER 5TH, 2017 WWW.TOLMACHOFF-FARMS.COM

&

AZ FIELD OF SCREAMS - HAUNTED CORN MAZE SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 31ST, 2017 WWW.AZFIELDOFSCREAMS.COM

GENERAL ADMISSION OR HAUNTED CORN MAZE ONLY

(up to 8 people) not valid with any other offers or field trips • 2017

602-999-3276

5726 N. 75th Ave·Glendale, AZ 85303

Wed, Nov 1st, 2017 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Halloween Candy BUY BACK PROGRAM

Bring in your Trick or Treat candy and you will receive $1.00 for every pound.

Candy will be donated to the soldiers serving overseas. *Limit five pounds per family. Call for details.

(623) 931-4386 | EmbraceBraces.com 20100 N 51st Ave., Suite B 230, Glendale, AZ 85308

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

11

az grown community

From left: Lucy Wittenburg, Olivia Feldman and Ava Nichols.

In need of a friend, Scottsdale third-grader creates the

“MENSCH BENCH”

Families Giving Back coordinates with Valley nonprofits to create volunteer opportunities and at-home projects for families with children of all ages.

Learn about upcoming family volunteer opportunities at familiesgivingback.org.

By Rachel Brockway • Photo by Joel Zolondek DESPITE THE FACT that Olivia Feldman sings and acts in front of more than 200 people through her involvement with Desert Stages Theatre, her onstage confidence was not transferring to her time at school.

As a third-grader, Olivia was feeling shy and uncomfortable when it came to finding friends to play with during recess at Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale.

She remembered a story she heard when she was 5. Olivia’s mother told her about a young boy who created a Buddy Bench. The bench was a place for children to sit when they were needing a friend. Other children were encouraged to approach any child sitting on the bench to ask if they would like to play. The story stuck with Olivia, who decided to put her own spin on the Buddy Bench. The Mensch Bench was born.

“A little while ago, I was beginning to feel lonely at school,” says Olivia, who is now in fourth grade. “My director at Desert Stages Theatre, Lisa Barton, always tells us that everyone should feel included. She helped to build up my confidence, so when

12

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

I went back to school, I decided to make the Mensch Bench so that all of my classmates felt included at school as well.”

Olivia and her mother approached the school’s headmaster, who was immediately on board. The Feldman family purchased the bench, and all the students from the school were invited to help decorate it together. After it was painted, each of the children put a thumbprint on the Mensch Bench.

In March, the bench was placed on a shady, grassy spot near the playground. After a morning prayer session, Olivia announced it was open for everyone to use.

“A lot of people have been using the Mensch Bench since we put it in place,” says Olivia, whose family volunteers with Families Giving Back. “A few of the kids have said they like that it is so colorful, because it feels warm and welcoming to them. Just recently, I saw a girl sitting on the Mensch Bench, and another girl came up to her and asked if she wanted to play. Then, even more girls joined those two, and it turned into a big group of girls who were all playing with each other!”

The Buddy Bench idea has been catching on at schools across the globe. According to Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, at least 1,000 elementary schools on six continents have installed Buddy Benches on their playgrounds.

“Olivia’s hope is that the Mensch Bench will help kids reach out to others who may feel lonely, like she once did, for many years to come,” says Stacey Feldman, Olivia’s mother. “We are grateful for family, friends, the wonderful teachers Olivia has had, the supportive counselors, the directors and friends she has at Desert Stages Theatre and her experience learning about the importance of giving back from volunteering with amazing groups like Families Giving Back.”

Rachel Brockway of Phoenix is a Families Giving Back board member and the mother of Aiden (10).

Want the best for your child?

Choose BASIS!

Open enrollment runs from November 15 through December 15.

To find a BASIS school near you, visit enrollBASIS.com

ARIZONA PRIVATE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Since 1998, we’ve awarded tuition scholarships to thousands of K-12 students attending Arizona private schools thanks to individual and corporate donations.

Donations qualify for a dollar-for-dollar credit on AZ income taxes.

Families apply one time per school year for tuition scholarships.

Scholarships are awarded monthly.

We partner with 100+ private schools in AZ.

APPLY OR DONATE @

apesf.org (480) 699-8911

A.R.S. § 43-1089 NOTICE: A school tuition organization cannot award, restrict or reserve scholarships solely on the basis of donor recommendation. A taxpayer may not claim a tax credit if the taxpayer agrees to swap donations with another taxpayer to benefit either taxpayer’s own dependent.

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

13

az grown parenting

BIRTH TO 5 Q&A:

I NEED REST!

HOW CAN I GET MY BABY TO SLEEP?

Q:

My 5-month-old is not a good sleeper, and I’m getting so little sleep I’m barely functioning at work. My friends are urging me to do “cry it out” or some form of sleep training, but I’m confused, because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies sleep in the same room as their parents for the first six months and optimally for the first year!

A:

New parents dream about the time when they are able to blissfully sleep through the night, but tending to a new baby is a 24-hour job, and 3 a.m. check-ins can become routine.

Letting babies “cry it out” and other sleep methods may not be ideal for every child. Before diving into new sleep methods and approaches, it’s important for parents to understand what affects a baby’s ability to sleep through the night.

Many factors can play a role in babies’ sleep patterns, but the need for food typically takes the lead in determining a baby’s capacity to remain asleep. When babies are born, they typically need to be fed every two to three hours.

A baby’s ability to handle larger time increments without needing to be fed increases as their stomach grows. While there’s no “standard,” about 60 percent of babies over the age of 6 months are able to sleep in six-hour increments.

Every child is unique, and what works for one may not work as well for another. But there are some simple steps parents can take to help encourage the healthy development of their baby’s sleep schedule: Don’t build a relationship between feeding and sleeping. Consistently falling asleep while

14

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

nursing or taking a bottle with close physical contact can disrupt a baby’s process of learning how to self-soothe and fall asleep with ease on his or her own. Parents can help separate these two needs by making sure their baby does not fall asleep when breastfeeding or taking a bottle.

Develop a soothing bedtime routine.

Creating a routine of simple steps — such as bathing, feeding and reading a story before putting your baby in his or her crib — can make a difference. Parents can create a similar, shorter version to help with nap time during the day. Over time, babies’ developing circadian rhythms will help them recognize “dark” means it’s time to sleep.

Put your baby in her crib when she is drowsy. Doing so will help your baby develop a relationship between sleep and her crib.

Additionally, it will help your baby to be aware of the surroundings to prevent feelings of being scared or startled upon waking up.

Soothe and comfort your baby. When putting your baby to sleep in his or her crib, take the extra steps to “shhh” and pat him/her to create an atmosphere of comfort. To help your baby learn to fall asleep independently, slowly reduce comforting actions over time.

Southwest Human Development (swhd.org) provides this free resource for anyone — parents, grandparents, caregivers and even medical professionals — with questions or concerns about young children. Bilingual and compassionate early-childhood specialists are available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. MondayFriday. Common topics include: challenging behaviors, potty training, sleep issues, colic or fussiness, feeding and nutrition and overall parenting concerns. Download the Birth to Five Helpline app to one-click call, text or email a question. birthtofivehelpline.org.

Please send parenting questions for this column to editorial@ RAKmagazine.com.

Watch for sleepy cues. Be aware of signs that your baby is ready for sleep, such as yawning, fussing, eye-rubbing and disengagement. The best window of time to start a sleep routine is before a baby is too tired.

Encourage nap time. Naps help build your baby’s routine and encourage sleep. It’s common for babies to need multiple naps a day as they grow and develop.

Respond to nighttime check-ins consistently.

If sharing nighttime responsibilities with a partner, make sure you respond to your child in similar ways. Keep the room as dark as possible to avoid overstimulation while meeting your baby’s needs as quickly and quietly as possible.

Ana Arbel, M.S.Ed., is the senior program manager for the Birth to Five Helpline and Fussy Baby Program at Southwest Human Development.

GET READY FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED!

COMING SOON! A BIRTHDAY PARTY THAT DEFIES GRAVITY! More Attractions Than Any Other Trampoline Park!

VOTED

#1

BEST GYM FOR KIDS IN AMERICA SHAPE MAGAZINE

BEST JUMP

FOR BIRTHDAY PARK FOR

PARTIES

ACHILD PARTY MAGAZNINES

4816 E. Ray Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004 www.UrbanAirAhwatukee.com or call 800-960-4778.

raisingarizonakids com OCTOBER 2017

15

az grown attractions

See the Utahraptor at the Phoenix Zoo this month.

Prehistoric creatures come to life at Phoenix Zoo’s

“DINOSAURS IN THE DESERT”

By Dani Horn

THIS MONTH, visitors to the Phoenix Zoo may feel like they’re stepping back in time — by more than 65 million years.

The zoo’s “Dinosaurs in the Desert” exhibit opens Friday, Oct. 6, featuring nearly two dozen animatronic dinos installed along the Desert Lives trail, home to the Bighorn Sheep and Arabian Oryx. The self-guided tour will bring visitors face-to-face with huge, remarkably realistic, scale- and feather-covered creatures that make animalistic noises and lifelike movements.

“We will have 23 prehistoric creatures,” says Linda Hardwick, the zoo’s communications director. “They’ll move, they’ll make sounds — some spit water.”

The Jurassic jaunt through the zoo’s desert landscape will feature the classic and fearsome T-Rex; an Edmontonia, cousin of the more famous armored Ankylosaurus; a Utahraptor, a basic raptor but covered in coarse feathers; and many more.

The animatronic dinos perform specific movements, but they aren’t able to walk, making it easier for shy or nervous kids to approach them. “It’s not anything that needs to be remote controlled to move or needs to be constantly monitored by someone,”

16

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

says Hardwick, explaining that sound and movements are pre-set. “But they're big and loud and sure to keep you entertained.”

The exhibit’s first resident dino — the nearly 6-foot-tall Citipati that resembles an emu but with thicker feathers, a raptor-like face and a large, hard crest atop its beak — arrived in April from Texas-based Billings Productions.

Visitors who encounter the giant bird near the flamingo habitat may have a hard time believing their eyes.

“When people come around the corner they stop and ask, ‘Is that real?’,” says Hardwick. “We’re really excited to see people’s reactions to all of the dinosaurs when they get out to Desert Lives trail.”

The Citipati (pronounced CHIT-ipuh-tih) was custom painted to match the Chiricahua leopard frog’s rich hues of sunny yellows and muddy greens. The small spotted frog, native to Arizona and New Mexico, has been the focus of some of the Phoenix Zoo’s conservation efforts for the last 22 years.

“What we’re trying to do is have all of these dinosaurs custom painted so that we can have them represent either the beautiful colors of the desert or a particular species that we have here at the zoo,” says Hardwick. Two of the dinosaurs

will be painted to coincide with drawings from two grand-prize winners of the zoo’s spring coloring contest, which asked kids to imagine what these dinos could have looked like.

While dinos will be a big draw, zoo visitors this month also will see improvements from ongoing zoo renovations, including a re-opened giraffe feeding deck. A replica historic Phoenix bakery and new indoor seating for the Savanna Grill are being constructed.

“Dinosaurs in the Desert” runs through April.

SEE “DINOSAURS IN THE DESERT” The Phoenix Zoo is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in October. Admission is $24.95; $14.95 for ages 3-13. The “Dinosaurs in the Desert” exhibit is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily for an additional $5 per person ($4 for zoo members).

455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 602-273-1341 or phoenixzoo.org.

Staff writer Dani Horn is the mother of Victoria (11) and Remy (7).

COURTESY OF THE PHOENIX ZOO

PARTIES

CHOOSE POTTERY OR CANVAS 6 VALLEY LOCATIONS

Birthday Parties

Arizona Museum of Natural History 53 North Macdonald Street • Mesa, Arizona 85201

480.644.3553 • AzMNH.org raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

17

az grown technology

The real problem with screen time?

SPEECH DELAYS

By Margaret Beardsley

EVER HAND OFF your phone to your baby to keep her quiet? Or watched an infant stare at an iPad? A new study may have parents thinking twice when it comes to babies and screen time.

New research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting this year found that the more time children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years spent using handheld screens, the more likely they were to experience speech delays.

Ramya Kumar, a speech and language pathologist with Banner Children’s at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, isn’t surprised by the findings.

“I do think that increased screen time is impacting some of the speech-language development,” she says. “Is it the only thing that’s causing delays? Like the authors of the study, I believe there needs to be more research.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the study revealed that of nearly 900 children surveyed at their 18-month checkup, 20 percent used handheld devices for an average of 28 minutes daily, according to their parents. Researchers found that for every 30-minute increase in daily screen time, there was a 49 percent increase in delays for using sounds and words.

The study was done by Dr. Catherine Birken and her team from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Researchers didn’t find a link between screen time and delays in other types of communication.

In 2016, the AAP lifted its “no screen time”

18

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

recommendation for children under 2. Screen time is still discouraged, but video chats are now deemed acceptable. For children ages 15 months to 2 years, AAP says parents can allow high-quality programming and watch it with their children.

The real problem with screen time is the lack of human interaction, Kumar explains.

“From zero to 3 in perspective to brain development, there’s just a lot of neurons firing, a lot of networks that are being created,” Kumar explains. “We are hands-on learners. Our skin has a lot of sensory receptors that are sending messages to our brain and wiring things. So, if we don’t have the opportunity to touch and feel 3D objects and [have those] experiences, it can impact our learning of what’s going on and how we even perceive the world.”

Seeing and hearing tech devices is “very different from hearing that human voice that’s next to you, or hearing the voice that you were hearing in utero when you were in the womb and just making those connections in the brain,” Kumar says.

She often sees parents using a phone to calm an infant. She knows such devices aren’t going away, but says parents need to be actively engaged and communicating with their child.

“Help them to verbalize, because a lot of times they’re having these behaviors because they can’t communicate,” she explains. “Just giving them a device to shut them down is not teaching them coping skills. Everything is a balance; everything in moderation.”

Kumar adds, “What research has shown is that the more kids can touch and feel and manipulate objects, play with toys, flip books, look at them, they are more engaged. Their attention is more sustained, and the brain is getting stronger messages of what those words are or what those messages are for them to be able to process and verbalize.”

And while more studies on the use of screen time for all ages are needed, Kumar has this suggestion: When using learning apps, make sure there is parental involvement.

“There are some great apps out there,” she says. “A lot of speech pathologists are using apps in their therapy sessions as well. You can use it, as long as you are using it as a tool with human interaction, as opposed to replacing human interaction.”

She also suggests putting screens down during the daily commute.

“Car rides are great times for that burst of language development. It’s a great time to point things out, such as letters and colors,” Kumar explains.

Even asking, “What happened in school today?” is an opportunity for a child to think through and express themselves verbally. “It teaches them to get their message across,” she says.

Margaret Beardsley of Phoenix is a staff writer and former executive news producer. She is the mother of two adult children.

SCREEN TIME: One more reason for mom guilt

ImagIne • explore • learn

ISTOCK

By Lexi Peterson WHEN WE FLEW with both of our children recently, I was a little nervous. I had never flown with two before. I wasn’t sure how my 16-month old would handle being confined for three hours. And my 3-year-old? There’s no containing that energy.

A few days before the flight, I prepared. Busy bags were built, snacks were stocked, and books were at the ready. For good measure, I slipped the iPad into my son’s backpack.

Nothing would stand in my way. These kids were going to be fully entertained and fed, and consequently, quiet.

To my extreme relief, both boys were perfect angels. I sat in my middle seat, one child asleep on my lap and the other excitedly pointing at airplanes outside his window. While I was mentally patting myself on the back, my son closed his window and asked, “Mama, can I play on the iPad now?”

And there it was — that familiar twinge of guilt. I tried to distract him by pointing out the buildings that now looked like ants, the clouds that were so close we could touch them, but with no luck. I had put away the tablet for a few months, telling him that when we flew to Grandma’s that summer, he could play on it. He definitely did not forget.

Defeated, I turned on his ABC tracing game and scrolled through my phone. Before motherhood, I was sure my kids would almost never watch TV. And play on an iPad? Are you kidding me?

I have a confession: my 3-year-old watches TV almost daily. We have an hour limit that I regularly extend. He doesn’t nap anymore, so when his little brother naps, I turn on a show in the name of “resting our bodies.” Really, it’s because he asks, and I want a moment to make lunch or just sit for a moment without being needed. Yet, every single time I click play, I have the same guilt: You’re not engaging with him. He’s not using his imagination. He’s going to be a screen zombie.

This is relatively unchartered territory. I didn’t grow up with cable, let alone Netflix. If there wasn’t a show that captured our interest immediately, we ran off to play. There also wasn’t this excess of technology at our disposal. My son asks to watch TV, play on the tablet and even text on my phone. The way a 3-year-old can navigate technology absolutely shocks me. My own mother, whose advice I seek daily, never had to deal with this specific type of guilt.

That said, we do live in a technology-driven society. My sons will have to know how to operate these devices as they grow older. While it can be abused, technology doesn’t have to be the Big Bad Wolf I make it out to be in my head. My 3-year-old couldn’t quite perfect writing his “Cs” until he practiced on the tablet. He can name every planet, and facts about each one, because of a “Storybots” episode. He learned each of the letter’s sounds with the help of songs on YouTube.

Technology can be a useful tool. So, while I navigate this new kind of childhood, I will do my best to find balance, and try to drop some of the guilt without fully dropping the screen time.

Lexi Peterson of Gilbert is the mother of Jack (3) and Tucker (1).

Enjoy early learning activities in ArtVille, a socks-only space for children 4 and younger.

Also: Check out our ArtFul Tales Experience and ArtVille Academy for preschoolers!

QualIty FamIly tIme

mus eum memBer shIps Star tin g at $55 !

BIrthday partIes 3 options – No cleanup artVille tots • robo-Bash • art studio

Save $2 on admission Expires 9/10/17 | Coupon code: RAK

150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa, AZ 85201

480-644-2468 ideaMuseum.org raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

19

ARIZONA’S CHILDREN

By Sheri Smith Photos by Allen Patrou

FORMING FOREVER FAMILIES

Michon Javelosa and David Staricha read to their son Arius.

This is the fourth story in a six-part series about foster care in Arizona, where about 17,000 kids remain in state care. Here, we look at three families who have adopted foster children.

20

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

CHANDLER MOM MICHON Javelosa always knew she wanted to adopt. “I was not interested in having biological children,” she says. “I figured there were plenty of kids out there.”

Her husband, David Staricha, agreed. They decided to attend an orientation at Child Crisis Arizona. Their initial thoughts: “This is awesome!” And then: “We’re not ready.”

A little more than a year later, they went back. Thirteen weeks of classes took them from being extremely nervous to a feeling of “we can do this.”

The child-development courses were extremely helpful, Staricha says. His friends with biological children admit they wish they’d had something similar. While getting certified, the couple also volunteered at a Labor Day weekend camp in northern Arizona for families of foster care and adoption. It gave them the opportunity to witness firsthand how these families function.

“We learned these kids are just kids,” says Stiracha. “You worry, because there is a stigma about ‘baggage’ or ‘being broken,’ but you couldn’t tell who was adopted or biological or foster care. They were just kids.”

As the couple’s classes came to a close, Javelosa posted on Facebook that she and her husband would soon be eligible to adopt a child.

She wanted to alert her family and friends, so they would be ready to welcome a new child into their sphere.

A Facebook friend who saw her post knew a child who would soon be eligible for adoption. The woman had been providing kinship care for this little boy. She said the family’s rights were being severed, and she would like to see him placed with a loving couple.

The final decision was in the hands of the adoption agency, but both parties requested the placement be considered.

In July 2016, 2-year-old Arius became their son.

The couple says they were “as prepared as you intellectually could be.” But, like all new parents, they were surprised by what a change it made in their lives.

Javelosa puts it this way: “It’s kind of like going to college. You think you’ve learned it all, and you’re prepared. But then you join the workforce and realize — Whoa! I didn’t know anything!”

It took a while to acclimate as they were all getting to know each other. The classes had taught them to recognize the first signs of attachment, such as when a child starts to look back at you for reassurance before trying something new.

Javelosa says she assumed that, as the mother, the child would bond with her first. But the little boy took to his new daddy nearly right away, and actually called him “Mommy” for a long time.

Introducing Arius to his extended family has been a very rewarding experience. Javelosa and Staricha are the only children in their families.

This little boy is the first grandchild for both sets of grandparents.

They keep in contact with Arius’s biological family. “As long as the relationships are healthy, we want to try and keep them going,” says Javelosa. They regularly plan get-togethers with Arius’s siblings.

It hasn’t always been easy for their son.

“I keep trying to put myself in his shoes,” says Javelosa. “I feel sorry for him.”

Arius shows some signs of insecurity, and is still wary of strangers — especially women — but he now has a wide circle of people who love and care for him.

His parents are discovering the joys of having a child in their lives.

“We recently made a trip to Disneyland,” says Staricha. “I thought it was

cool as a kid, but seeing it again through his eyes kind of blew my mind.”

MIMI AND TOM If you want to meet the proverbial “supermom,” you wouldn’t have to look much further than Mimi Condon.

The day we met for our interview, her family had just returned from vacation. It was also her son’s third birthday.

“You don’t mind if I bake a cake while we talk, do you?” she asked.

She proceeded to stir up a Batman cake while telling her life’s story and watching her four little ones play nearby.

She never skipped a beat.

She told me how she and her husband, Tom, were unable to have more children after their daughters Blaize, now 23, and Kelly, now 22, were born, so they started fostering children in their home through Catholic Charities.

She ended up fostering so many children that she’s lost exact count, but she estimated the number at “no more than 15.”

“The first sibling set was here almost two years. They left for eight months, and then they came back.” Condon described the experiencing as “heartbreaking,” because when they returned, they were “totally different children.”

The couple didn’t want their foster children to have to move from place to place, so they decided to adopt the children who were not able to return to their original families.

Their son David, now 10, was the first child to come into their home. Then came Tommy, who is 6. At that point, Condon left her job to focus on her family.

Next, she was asked to take in a 5-week-old baby, “just to foster.” The baby had been staying in offices at Arizona’s Department of Child Safety because there were no home placements available. Condon decided that as long as she was home with the other two, she could do it.

Everybody, especially her husband Tom, got really attached to the little boy whose name was Isaac — now 3. They adopted him, too.

“Like everybody says, we thought we were done,” Condon said, laughing as she popped her cake into the oven.

One day she received a letter from DCS director Greg McKay. He had written to foster families across the state in a desperate attempt to find homes for the children on backlog. He said how much foster families are appreciated. But the letter was also a plea: Can you do more?

“I read it and read it I don’t know how many times to myself. Then I told my husband: ‘I feel funny. I feel like I have to say yes.’”

In a short period of time, children were coming and going in and out of the door: a 2-day-old, an 8-month-old, a 1-week-old, another 2-day-old.

“And there he sits,” says Condon, pointing to a now-1-year-old curled up with a blanket on the couch. “I told my husband, ‘Whatever you want to do.’”

His answer: “We’ve got to.” So they started the process of adopting him as well.

Why did she keep taking children in?

“I know it’s best for children to be with their [original] families,” she says. “But it’s not always the safest.”

She’s learned from child therapists that even the youngest baby can feel like something’s missing, like there’s a hole. That’s kind of how she feels about her two miscarriages, “like there’s someone else (who’s)

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

21

Mimi (back) and Tom Condon fostered more than a dozen kids and have adopted three. Their oldest daughter Blaize (center) helps her brothers with a dinosaur puzzle.

supposed to be here.”

Condon has tried her best to fill that void for the children who have come through her door. And when they have fostered children, they have tried to to assure families, “We are here to keep your child safe until you can do it.”

Unfortunately, there are some parents who just don’t know how to love and care for their children.

As we talked, the 3-year-old whose birthday it was walked proudly through the door — balloon in hand. It’s a Condon family tradition to pick out a balloon on your birthday. Birthday kids also get to wake up to a house fully decorated on the morning of their “big day.”

The Condons’ oldest daughter, Blaize, welcomed the beaming boy into the room.

Their daughter, Kelly, who is married, has a 1-year-old and also serves in the military, has plans to adopt and hopes to open her own child crisis center one day.

Condon says fostering and adopting children was the greatest gift they could have given to their two biological daughters, who were 11 and 12 when they started taking in children. Both were very involved.

But parents who are interested in adoption have to go into it with an open mind, she says, because “there is a huge chance there are going to be additional needs down the road.”

Still, she feels fortunate to have these children in her life.

When the children are all tucked into bed at night, she thinks to herself: “I can’t believe they’re home. I can’t believe they’re part of our family.”

TRUDI & JIM The VanderPloegs finalized the adoptions of their two children on Nov. 21, 2015 — National Adoption Day. They had a picnic to celebrate with family and friends. The children’s foster family came to celebrate, too.

The VanderPloegs had always talked about adoption; after a miscarriage in 2010, they decided that’s what they would do. Instead of

22

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

fostering children, they went directly to the “red file” of children marked “adoption-only.” It’s difficult route.

Starting in August 2014, they were matched several times, but not chosen. Then, in April 2015, they were matched and chosen, but the children didn’t seem like the right fit. The adoption didn’t happen.

Trudi VanderPloeg says they felt horrible, even though “we knew we were making the best decision for our family.”

So they took a break.

Then, in July of 2015, they learned of two kids — Isabela, now 8,

...THEY LEARNED OF TWO KIDS ...WHO SEEMED

“ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.” and Manuel, now 7 — who seemed “almost too good to be true.”

“They give you 24 hours to make a decision,” she says. “We got 10 minutes down the highway, and called our case manager to say yes.

Everything came together and we just knew. “I can’t even describe it.

We just knew.”

It’s been almost two years now. She jokes about it, but truly believes “the kids adapted faster than we did.”

She gives a lot of the credit to the foster family that prepared them for the transition. It also helps that the children keep in contact with their siblings. “Bela remembers more and has separation issues” [when she has to say goodbye to her siblings],” VanderPloeg says.

But Bela also shows leadership qualities, probably because she has

Trudi and Jim VanderPloeg adopted their son and daughter in November 2015.

learned how to get what she wants for survival, says VanderPloeg, who strives to make sure Bela knows her basic needs will always be met.

Their son Manuel is more of a people pleaser, so she’s trying to teach him that there are times when it’s OK to say “no.” Both children are in therapy so they have “tools in their toolbox to deal with issues when they arise.”

Holidays are still hard for the kids, and the first Christmas was “a total disaster,” VanderPloeg remembers. The children had never received things that they could keep forever. On their birthdays, they weren’t used to being the center of attention.

The family has learned to celebrate differently. Instead of gifts, they give the children experiences, like visits to her husband Jim’s hometown in Michigan, where they go blueberry picking.

They also have established their own family rituals. Friday is “pizza and a movie night.” On Saturdays during football season, they watch University of Michigan football games together.

It has been a source of joy to watch the kids be accepted and embraced by their extended family. “I love it that my kids have cousins and aunts and uncles that they adore,” says VanderPloeg. “They’re forming bonds with the people who are important to me.”

She finds it especially heartwarming to watch them FaceTime with their grandparents, who sit on the phone and read them stories.

But what really affected her was the first time she received a card that said, “I love you, Mom!” “It took my breath away,” she says.

Freelance writer Sheri Smith, of Scottsdale, is the mother of Aidan (17) and Sarah (13). This story is the fourth in a series she has undertaken this year about Arizona’s foster children.

$42.99 OFF

Your next birthday party when you mention #RAK

ARIZONA’S BEST

PARTY

Valid at these locations only. Cannot be combined with other offers. Valid on new party bookings only. Expires 05/31/18.

DESTINATIONS!

• 100% Private Parties • Giant Indoor Inflatables • Dedicated Party Pros

BounceU Gilbert 480.632.9663 bounceu.com/gilbert-az

Pump It Up Peoria 623.572.0090 pumpitupparty.com/peoria-az

Pump It Up Scottsdale 480.425.7867 pumpitupparty.com/scottsdale-az

Pump It Up Tempe 480.940.7867 pumpitupparty.com/tempe-az

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

23

Kids enjoying a paint party at Carrie Curran Art Studios in Scottsdale.

NEW BIRTHDAY

party places & themes D

o you feel like you’ve

been to every birthday party imaginable? It’s tough to keep these annual celebrations fun and fresh. Here’s a roundup of new birthday venues in the Valley as well as new parties offered at favorite haunts. Plus, eight new themes to consider. Have a favorite birthday idea, venue or tip? We’d love to hear it! Email us: editorial@RAKmagazine.com.

As You Wish Locations Valleywide asyouwishpottery.com This pottery-painting haven now offers parties to go! The cost is $4 per painter plus the price of pottery. Visit your closest As You Wish (with six locations in metro Phoenix, including Desert Ridge Marketplace and Tempe Marketplace) to pick out pottery pieces and take paints and supplies with you. Return everything to the studio, and As You Wish will glaze

24

and fire the pieces, which will be ready for pick-up four days later.

8300 N. Hayden, Suite A100, Scottsdale 480-478-8121 • carriecurranart.com Ages 6 and up. This longtime local art studio has an all-new location with waterfront views that should help inspire your child’s inner Van Gogh. Pick from a popular theme or have the staff design a work of art of your child’s choice to recreate. Bring all your own food, beverages and cake. $35 per painter, 10-painter minimum with discounts for more than 15 people.

up, including a two-hour jam/recording session with an audio technician where the birthday child and guests each learn an instrument (or bring their own), then record a song from a list of popular music. The Karaoke Birthday Party for ages 6 and up pairs guests with a vocal instructor for a 90-minute singing lesson and song recording. Guests get a CD of their recording and a goodie bag to take home. Bring your own food and cake.

Packages include a party room and T-shirt for the birthday child. Rock party: $299 for up to 12 guests; Karaoke party: $279 for up to 14 guests. $15 for each additional guest.

Bach To Rock

i.d.e.a. Museum

7325 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Suite 104, Scottsdale 480-990-8000 • b2rmusic.com This music school franchise offers a “Rock Birthday Party” for ages 7 and

150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa 480-644-4332 • ideamuseum.org This Mesa children’s museum offers a new Robo-Bash party (in addition to its Artville parties) for up to 12 kids and 12

Carrie Curran Art Studios

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

GET THE FULL BIRTHDAYS DIRECTORY! Visit www.raisingarizonakids.com/ birthday-parties

By Dani Horn adults that includes a coding/robotics activity and two hours in a party room. $330 includes a party host and all-day admission for party guests to enjoy the museum’s art and hands-on activities.

Customized options available. $9 per additional adult; $12 per additional child.

Maximum 65 people.

iFly 9206 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale 480-712-4359 • iflyworld.com/phoenix Ages 3 and up. Phoenix’s first indoor skydiving facility uses giant fans to form a wind tunnel that propels guests into flight. Basic party packages includes two hours of flight time for 12 guests (one-minute flights per guest), a flight certificate and a video download for each child. Swooper party package includes an hour in a VIP room, two large pizzas, drinks and snacks. $669.95-$949.95.

COURTESY OF CARRIE CURRAN ART STUDIOS

Luv2Play 15495 W. Bell Road, Suite 104, Surprise 623-584-2767 • luv2play.com Ages 12 and younger. This indoor playground includes an 8,000-square foot, tri-level playground with slides, tunnels, a ball pit with ball blaster, arcade games, and kiddie rides. Play in a grocery store, theater, doctor’s office and beauty parlor.

Separate toddler and baby play areas.

Birthday packages include unlimited playtime, 45 minutes in a party room, a $5 game card plus either pizza or PB&J for each child with unlimited soft drinks.

Plates, napkins and utensils included. $295 Monday-Thursday, $365 FridaySunday for 10 guests. $20 per additional child up to 12.

Mad Science Birthday Party 480-222-2233 • nephoenix.madscience.org Ages 6-12. Mad Scientists come to your child’s party with surprising chemical reactions, physics and air pressure demonstrations and slimy experiments.

Base packages include an hour of science excitement with your birthday kid as the Mad Science lab assistant. All parties include a Mad Science sticker and a slimemaking activity for each child to take home. $225 for up to 10 kids; $300 for up to 20 kids. Add-ons include a rocket launch, sweet-treat creations, lab coats, test tubes that can be filled with candy and more.

Octane Raceway 9119 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale 602-427-4405 • octaneraceway.com Ages 10 and up; 54-inch height requirement for racing. Octane Raceway recently added a heart-pounding Velocity Virtual Reality experience (recommended for ages 13 and up) to their daily go-kart racing options. The VR game transports players to a distant planet to fight aliens or into a zombie survival scene. VR parties include two hours of game time, mini-bowling, a $5-$10 game card for each guest, plus pizza, drinks, a T-shirt for guest of honor and medals for the top three players. Racing party also available.

Eight-guest minimum; includes reserved tables at the Octane Brickyard Grill. Call for prices.

Party Jungle 12046 N. 32nd St., Phoenix 602-923-9444 • party-jungle.com

Ages 2 and up. Party Jungle recently opened in the former Jambo’s Amusement Park space. Attractions in the renovated indoor play center include mini-golf, a jungle gym and laser tag (for ages 5 and up), plus carnival-style rides and arcade games. Birthday packages include all-day park play plus 90 minutes in a private party room with a party host, two slices of pizza per child, unlimited fountain drinks and a T-shirt for the guest of honor. You can bring your own cake. Add-ons include adult lunch menu, arcade tokens and cake. $249 for up to 10 guests, $12 for each additional guest.

gymboreeclasses.com

Discover the power of play!

Rachel’s Young At Art Studio 6990 E. Shea Blvd. Suite 115, Scottsdale 480-621-6155 • rachelsyoungatart.com Ages 2-9. This art studio caters to little ones, and no one here is afraid of messes. Parties include one big teacher-led activity, table crafts, unlimited easel painting, unlimited glass window printmaking, a decorated art bag for the birthday child and time for free play.

Available on Saturdays and Sundays. $350 for up to 12 children; $15 per additional child.

PLAY & LEARN

BABY LAB

PLAY LAB

MUSIC

ART

SCHOOL READINESS

Our play-based education classes give kids the best start to a lifetime of learning. Ages newborn to 5 years.

Schedule your first class today.

Scottsdale 7077 E. Bell Rd., Suite 205 480-656-0801 scottsdaleaz@gymboreeclasses.com

Glendale 19420 N 59th Ave., Suite A103 623-939-1777 glendaleaz@gymboreeclasses.com

Storybook Entertainment 480-254-3994 storybookentertainmentaz.com All ages. This local company brings just about any character, princess or superhero to life, and most are trained actors. They perform, interact with kids and host a craft project or event. Storybook offers brilliant party packages, such as the Swimming Mermaid Party (that comes with both a mermaid character and a lifeguard) and even a Music Video Party (kids learn a dance routine and a videographer tapes a 30-minute performance). Prices range from $95 to $575. Add-ons include everything from additional characters to party favors and decorations.

Top Golf 9500 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale 1689 S. Santan Village Parkway, Gilbert 480-240-2402 • topgolf.com Topgolf isn’t exactly new, but it keeps expanding in the Valley, including a planned Glendale facility. At this hightech indoor golf range, you can hit microchipped balls into huge targets equipped with sensors that award points (continued on page 26)

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

25

(continued from page 25)

BirtHday parties at

private parties: Trampoline • Gymnastics • Ninja • Dance puBliC parties: Trampoline We Can Fit any Budget!!

k Camps Fall Brrea 9-13 & 16-20 Octobe

s Camp: Wiggles & Giggle Ages 3-5 mp: Going Bananas Ca Ages 5 & up

all week.

Pick your days or go ions available.

Half and full day opt

based on accuracy. Birthday packages include two hours of unlimited play, choice of kids menu items and unlimited drinks. A breakfast birthday package comes with mini waffles, bacon and fruit. Add-ons include Topgolf’s famous “injectable donut holes” and goodie bags with sunglasses and water bottles. 12-guest minimum with two adults per bay. $25-$35 per guest.

Toys & Playtime Oasis 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-948-4630 • toysandplaytimeoasis.com Ages 5 and younger. This longtime local toy store has a new cozy location north of AZ Airtime. The safe indoor playroom features developmental, creative, bouncing and building toys. $250 for two hours; no per-child fee.

Available on weekends. Food can be brought in.

Urban Jungle Fun Park

1515 e. Bethany Home rd.

602-277-0067

www.flipdunksports.com

Learn.

PLay. InsPIre.

Arizona Animal Welfare League

Fall Youth Programs!

To learn more visit us at

aawl.org 26

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

5741 E. McKellips Road, Mesa 480-256-8749 • urbanjunglefunpark.com This east Mesa indoor playground opened in March, and offers birthday parties that include 90 minutes of play on trampolines, indoor climbing walls that look like skyscrapers, super slides, an obstacle course, a ball-blaster arena and a multi-level play structure. Parties include trampoline socks for guests plus pizza, drinks, tableware and 30-minutes in a private party room. $225-$565.

Whipple’s Fun Center 1510 E. Bell Road, Suite 300, Phoenix 602-802-8350 • whipplesfuncenter.com All ages. The two-story climber shoots, blasts and dumps balls everywhere for an all-out ball war among friends.

Other attractions include laser tag, bumper cars, singleperson trampolines, laser missions and redemption arcade games. Birthday packages include 90 minutes in a party room plus a host, two slices of pizza per guest with unlimited soft drinks and a $5 game card for up to 10 guests; $15-$35 for each additional guest. $200-$375.

The Westin Kierland 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale 480-624-1202 • kierlandresort.com This resort offers fully customizable birthday packages for all ages. Base package includes two hours of activities in the OK Corral (lawn chess, limbo, waterballoon fights, basketball, hula-hoop contests, relay races and a craft). Pool party packages includes full access to the waterpark, private seating, the FlowRider surf simulator, a 110-foot-long slide, a lazy river with float tubes and a splash pad. The Ultimate FlowRider package includes two hours of FlowRider (simulated surfing) time, plus full access to the waterpark and five large pizzas. All packages include a customized birthday cake, dedicated party host and balloon bouquet. $450$950. Add-ons include cabanas, sno-cone machine, face painting, gaming truck, laser tag and more.

family time!

TOP OCTOBER EVENTS

OCT. 5-29 Pumpkin and Chili Party. Grab your wagon and head over to the annual fall festival at Schnepf Farms. Pick out the perfect pumpkin, then enjoy a chili dinner. Admission includes rides, games, fall activities, pig races and the newest show, Gypsy Time Travelers. End the night roasting marshmallows by the fire. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fridays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. $20; $15 tickets at Fry’s; free for ages 2 and younger. 24610 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek. schnepffarms.com

By Liz Petroff

October brings a cozy list of outdoor festivals and fairs, and a whole lot of comfort food. Get those Halloween costumes ready, because you’re going to want to show them off this month at the endless spooky (and not-so-spooky) celebrations that scream Family Time!

COURTESY OF ARIZONA STATE FAIR

Find more extensive day-by-day event listings at raisingarizonakids.com/calendar

OCT. 1-31

OCT. 6-29

Pumpkin Days & Corn Maze. Tolmachoff Farms hosts fall fun all month with its six-acre family corn maze, mini corn maze for little ones, petting zoo, jumping pillow, hay pyramid, farm activities and play areas. Noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and Columbus Day. $12; free for ages 2 and younger; additional cost for pumpkins, special activities and haunted corn maze. Tolmachoff Farms, 5726 N. 75th Ave., Glendale. 623386-1301 or tolmachoff-farms.com.

Arizona State Fair. For more than 100 years, Arizonans have gathered at this annual event to fill up on fried foods, seek thrill rides and master carnival games. New this year, families can face a life-sized dragon in the dragon’s den. Check listings for grandstand events, specials exhibits, petting zoos and concerts, which include Gary Allan, DNCE, Billy Currington and Gin Blossoms. Noon to 9 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. $10; $6 for ages 55 and over; $7 for ages 6-12.

Discounts available online. Arizona State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix.

602-252-6771 or azstatefair.com.

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

27

COURTESY OF THE PHOENIX ZOO

TOP OCTOBER EVENTS Continued

OCT. 6-8 Dinosaurs in the Desert Grand Opening. Almost two dozen prehistoric creatures will descend on the Phoenix Zoo’s Desert Lives Trail. Be among the first to go on this self-guided adventure to see the lifelike animatronic dinosaurs. Grand opening festivities include interactive fossil digs, dinosaur artifacts and keeper talks, a meet-and-greet with a baby Triceratops and a T-Rex, plus music and games. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. $5. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Tempe. 602-273-1341 or phoenixzoo.org

OCT. 13-15 Four Peaks Oktoberfest. Bratwurst, brews and music take over Tempe Town Lake and turn it into a Bavarian playground.

Brown’s Amusements returns with adult and kid carnival rides, games and a Kinderfest play area Friday-Sunday. Free admission; rides vary. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. fourpeaksoktoberfest.com.

OCT. 14 ASU Art Museum Family Days. Spend the day as a family learning and playing. Art stations are set up throughout the gallery, with activities revolving around current exhibitions and local artists. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. ASU Art Museum at Nelson Fine Arts Center, 51 E. 10th St., Tempe. 480-965-2787 or asuartmuseum.asu.edu.

OCT. 7-8

COURTESY OF KIDZ BOP

Railfair. Explore vintage railroad equipment and tour the Roald Amundsen Pullman Car and the Scottsdale Railroad Museum. Includes special presentations on railroad and Arizona history. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free. $2 train and carousel rides. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E. Indian Bend, Scottsdale. 480-312-2312 or therailroadpark.com

OCT. 8 KidzBop Kids. This live family-friendly concert will have kids and parents dancing in and out of their seats. The Kidz Bop Kids “Best Time Ever” tour features the best pop songs of the year sung by kids for kids. 4 p.m. Sunday. $29-$189. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. kidzbop.com/tour.

28

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids raisingarizonakids .com .com

OCT. 14-15 Arizona Taco Festival. Forget Taco Tuesday. This tacotopia includes 50 restaurants dishing out $2 tacos. New this year, folks will receive an RFID wristband used for admission and as primary payment for food and drinks. Kids can ride a mechanical bull, hop in a hamster ball or jump in a bounce house. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $12; free for ages 12 and younger. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. aztacofestival.com

SCOTTSDALE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

OCT. 14-JAN. 28 Repositioning Paolo Soleri: The City is Nature. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art unveils a retrospective of artist and architect Paolo Soleri (1919-2013) who pioneered the fusion of architecture and ecology and the Arizona desert communities of Cosanti and Arcosanti. Drawings, models and sketchbooks comprise the largest exhibited collection of Soleri’s original works. $10; $7 students; free for ages 15 and younger. Hours vary.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-874-4666 or smoca.org

OCT. 20-22 Maricopa County Home Show. HGTV’s “Property Brothers” Drew and Jonathan Scott will perform at this home show, which offers hundreds of exhibitors, how-to workshops, a holiday marketplace, presentations and seminars. See the Scott brothers’ live stage show at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (free with admission). Show hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. $10; $3 ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger. Westworld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. maricopacountyhomeshows.com

OCT. 20-29 COURTESY OF SALT RIVER FIELDS BALLOON SPOOKTACULAR

Care Card. It’s shopping week for the Board of Visitors Care Card program. Anyone who buys a $60 Care Card will save 20 percent on purchases at more than 500 participating local and national retailers and restaurants — including family favorites such as Kidstop Toys, Book & Baby; Pottery Barn; The Container Store; Sauce Pizza and Wing and the Shake Shack. Care Card supports the healthcare needs of women, children and the elderly in metro Phoenix. This year and next, Care Card proceeds will help the Foundation for Blind Children. boardofvisitors.org

OCT. 27-28 Salt River Fields Balloon Spooktacular. This safe, fun-filled trick-or-treating Halloween festival offers live music, food and beverage vendors, a kid zone, a haunted trail and fireworks. Did we mention candy? More than 4,000 pounds of it will be handed out. 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday $15; $10 for ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. srfballoonfestivals.com

OCT. 21 International Archaeology Day. Celebrate the thrill of discovery on International Archaeology Day with site tours, hands-on archaeology activities and demonstrations that will have you channeling your inner Indiana Jones. 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday. $6; $5 ages 55 and older; $3 ages 6-17 years; free for ages 6 and younger. Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington St., Phoenix. 602-495-0900 or pueblogrande.org.

Calendar Editor Liz Petroff of Phoenix is the mother of Jack (9) and Lucy (7). Send event info to liz@ RAKmagazine.com.

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

29

FACEBOOK.COM/CYCLOVIATUCSON

family time! around arizona

Cyclovia Tucson (Oct. 29) in Tucson.

DEWEY

PRESCOTT

TUCSON

Pumpkin Festival (Sept. 29-Oct. 29).

Games, farm activities, live entertainment, barn dance and more. Noon to 9 p.m.

Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and Columbus Day, Monday Oct. 9. $15; free for ages 2 and younger. Mortimer Family Farms, 12907 E. State Route 169, Dewey. 928-830-1116 or mortimerfamilyfarms.com

Boo at the Zoo (Oct. 31). Trick-ortreat and see nocturnal animals after the sun goes down. Bring a flashlight.

6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday. $6 ($4 members).

Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, Prescott.

928-778-4242 or heritageparkzoo.org

Cyclovia Tucson (Oct. 29). City streets will be closed to car traffic and open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters and all people-powered movement. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Free. Midtown Tucson, 2000 N. Fourth Ave., Tucson. 520-2618777 or cycloviatucson.org

Folk Music Festival (Oct 7-8).

Arizona’s oldest continuing folk music festival includes fiddlers, banjo players, storytellers, dancers, songwriters and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SaturdaySunday. $10; free for ages 17 and younger. Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley St., Prescott. 928-445-3122 or sharlot.org

Halloween in the Wild (Oct. 28).

Games, crafts, haunted house, treats, costume contest and food trucks. 5-7 p.m. Saturday. $9; $4 ages 4-12; free for ages 3 and younger. International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass, Tucson.

520-629-0100 or thewildlifemuseum.org

FLAGSTAFF Oktoberfest (Oct. 7). Music, food and craft vendors, polka, games and activities. Root-beer garden for kids. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. $7; free for ages 12 and younger. Wheeler Park, 212 W. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff. 928-606-7600 or flagstaffoktoberfest.com Pumpkin Walk and Fall Festival (Oct. 28). Bring your flashlight and a sweater and walk through trails lighted by jack-olanterns. Hayrides, hot cider and cocoa, apple bobbing, food, spooky stories and performances by a campfire. Costumes encouraged. 3-7 p.m. Saturday. $10; $8 seniors; $5 ages 5 and up. The Arboretum at Flagstaff, 4001 S. Woody Mountain Road, Flagstaff. 928-774-1442 or thearb.org

30

Zoofest (Oct. 28). Fall-themed crafts and games, special animal feedings and encounters, light concessions. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. $10; $6 ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and younger. Save $1 on each admission by bringing a canned food item for Yavapai Food Bank. Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, 1403 Heritage Park Road, Prescott. 928-7784242 or heritageparkzoo.org

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

Oktoberfest on Mount Lemmon (Sept. 23-Oct. 15). German food, music, dancing, costumes and more.

Weekends; call for times. Free admission, $5 parking. Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, 10300 Ski Run Road, Mount Lemmon.

520-576-1321 or skithelemmon.com Nightfall at Old Tucson (Sept.

29-Oct. 31). Terrifying town with live shows, haunts and a collection of live characters. 6-10 p.m. Thursday, 6 p.m to midnight Friday-Saturday, 6-10 p.m.

Sunday. Call for prices. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson.

520-908-4833 or nightfallaz.com Night of Fright (Oct. 27). Bring the kids in their Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating, games, planes, prizes and more. 5-9 p.m. Friday. $10; free for ages 12 and younger. Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road, Tucson.

520-574-0462 or pimaair.org

WILLCOX Fall Pumpkin Celebration (Sept.

23-Oct. 29). Pick-your-own pumpkins, corn maze, children’s play area, breakfast and lunch. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekends. Apple Annie’s Produce Farm, 6405 W. Williams Road, Willcox. 520384-4685 or appleannies.com

WILLIAMS Pumpkin Patch Train (Oct. 7-29). Train ride to a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin to take home, haunted train car, refreshments, hay bale maze and crafts. Train departs at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $26; $21 ages 2-15. Grand Canyon Railway, 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd., Williams.

800-843-8724 or thetrain.com

Increase your child’s

grades and confidence!

1-on-1

Move

Learn

Excel

tutoring at home or on-site!

All subjects & grade levels (pre-K through college) Expertise with gifted & special education Specialized programs: Lindamood-Bell & Wilson© (multisensory reading), Foundations™ (study skills), Strategic Connections© (executive functioning) Supporting students of

all abilities since 1999

(480) 563-5588 ontracktutoring.com

A division of Herzberg Educational Services, Inc.

Beginner Through Competitive Classes for Boys & Girls Ages 3-12 years

Risk FREE Trial All Ages FREE Parent/Tot classes Ages 12-24 months

(480) 596-3543 | xtremegymnastics.com 15821 N. 79th St #3, Scottsdale, AZ

Chandler Center for the Arts | Nov 24-Dec 3 | $25, $29 Mesa Arts Center | Dec 8-17 | $25, $29 Tickets: balletetudes.net raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

31

family time! Halloween Events Dia de los Muertos Festival (Oct. 28-29) at Mesa Arts Center.

AZ Field of Screams (Oct. 6-31).

Dare to enter this haunted corn maze.

Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Not recommended for ages 10 or younger. 7-11 p.m. every FridaySaturday in October. $20. Tolmachoff Farms, 5726 N. 75th Ave., Glendale. 602999-3276 or azfieldofscreams.com.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Oct. 6-8). Relive the adventure of Harry and his friends as the Phoenix Symphony performs John Williams’ unforgettable score with the full movie on the big screen above the orchestra.

7:30 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $30-$99.

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St. 602495-1999 or phoenixsymphony.org.

Ghostbusters (Oct. 13). Bring blankets and chairs to watch the original “Ghostbusters” on CityScape’s giant outdoor screen. 7 p.m. Friday. Free.

Patriots Park, 1 W. Washington St., Phoenix. cityscapephoenix.com.

32

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

Enchanted Pumpkin Garden (Oct. 20-29). World-renowned pumpkin carver Ray Villafane hosts live pumpkincarving demonstrations at the town of Carefree’s third annual event. Other activities include an inflatable corn maze, face-painting, arts and crafts, costume and pie-eating contests. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Free. Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 Easy St. 480-4883686 or carefreepumpkingarden.com.

Enchanted Trail (Oct. 20-21). Enjoy guided night hikes, food concessions, wildlife, Halloween crafts and a spooky bat cave at this annual fall festival. 5:30-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, 3131 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-468-6470 or riosalado.audubon.org.

Halloween Dance (Oct. 20). Show off your costume and dance the night away. Visit the haunted house, play games and visit with friends from around the Valley. 6:30-9 p.m. Friday.

Entry requires one bag of candy per child. Chandler Community Center, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler. chandleraz.gov.

Halloween Spooktacular Kids Night Out (Oct. 21). Ages 3-14. Kids will flip for this treat. A night of gymnastics, Halloween-themed games, sports, dancing, bounce house, trampoline time and a movie. 6-10 p.m. Saturday. $30; discounts for siblings; $50 sleepover option for ages 5-14 (pickup is 8 a.m.

Sunday). Preregister with Arizona Sunrays, 15801 N. 32nd St., Phoenix.

602-992-5790 or arizonasunrays.com.

Halloween Spooktacular (Oct. 27). Join the city of Chandler for a safe alternative to trick-or-treating.

From toddlers to teens, everyone can enjoy Halloween-themed crafts, games and activities, a haunted house, souvenir photos and light food and refreshments. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday.

Free. Chandler Community Center, 125

E. Commonwealth Ave. chandleraz.gov.

Howl-O-Ween (Oct. 27-28). Looking for a scare? Join the folks at the Phoenix Zoo for a delightfully spooky event.

Activities are broken down as either merry (all ages) or scary (recommended for ages 8 and up). Meet superheroes, princesses and Star Wars characters; trick-or-treat; dance or even (for older kids) play zombie laser tag. 6-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $12.95; free for ages 2 and younger. 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 602-273-1341 or phoenixzoo.org.

Salt River Fields Balloon Spooktacular (Oct. 27-28). See more than 20 tethered hot-air balloons.

More than 4,000 pounds of candy will be handed out to trick-or-treaters.

Event includes a haunted trail, costume contests, live entertainment, kids zone with inflatables, fireworks and more.

5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $15; $10 ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger.

Strange Garden (Oct. 27-28). Mad botanists will dazzle with fascinating and peculiar plants. Dance with groovy ghouls at the spooktacular Monster Bash. This new event includes pumpkin carving by Villafane Studios, live performances, face painting and food and beverage vendors. Kids 12 and younger get a pumpkin. Family-friendly costumes encouraged. Included with garden admission: $24.95; $12.95 ages 3-17; free for ages 2 and younger.

5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 480-9411225 or dbg.org.

Dia de los Muertos Festival (Oct. 28-29). The Mesa Arts Center hosts this celebration in memory of departed loved ones. The Day of The Dead festival includes live entertainment, children's activities, traditional face painting and a lot of food options. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free.

1 E. Main St., Mesa. 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com.

Boo! Scottsdale's Fall Festival (Oct. 28). Take a trip through the haunted forest, win candy at the game booths, enjoy food and entertainment and a firework show. Includes Tot Alley for ages 5 and younger. 5-9 p.m. Saturday.

Free. Eldorado Aquatic and Fitness Center, 2301 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale.

480-312-0217 or scottsdaleaz.gov.

Creepy Candy Crawl (Oct. 28). All ages. Trick-or-treat from store to store and enjoy music, prizes and more. 3-5 p.m.

Saturday. Free. District Stage at Desert Ridge Marketplace, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd, Phoenix. shopdesertridge.com.

Halloween Comic Fest (Oct. 28).

Participating comic book speciality shops celebrate Halloween by giving away Halloween-themed comic books.

Times vary at each participating store on Saturday. Free. halloweencomicfest.com.

Halloween Monster Bash (Oct. 28).

The City of Peoria hosts a scary good time at this annual celebration. Costume parade, carnival games, inflatables, crafts, live entertainment and balloon illumination. 5-9 p.m. Saturday. Free with a canned-food donation to benefit St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria. 623-773-7133 or peoriaaz.gov.

Tempe's Family Halloween Carnival (Oct. 28). Beware of a bewitching good time at this family event. Carnival games, mini-train rides, inflatables, toddler play area, costume contests, live entertainment, face painting and food. 5-9 p.m. Saturday. Free; 25-cent tickets for games and food (prices vary).

Kiwanis Park soccer fields, 6111 S. All America Way, Tempe. 480-350-5200 or www.tempe.gov/familyfun.

Zombie Walk 9 (Oct. 28). The largest gathering of zombies in the Southwest has a new event site: The Warehouse District. Live bands, costume contest, food trucks, kid zone, zombification station and thousands of zombies!

This family-friendly event benefits the Arizona Hemophilia Association.

3 p.m. Saturday; walk begins at 5:30 p.m. $10; free for ages 12 and younger. Fourth Avenue and Jackson Street in Phoenix. 602-254-8696 or arizonahemophilia.org.

Halloween Festival (Oct. 29). Apache Junction parks and recreation hosts a spooktacular evening with costume contests (human and canine), pumpkin

DESERT BONTANICAL GARDEN

MESA ARTS CENTER

Salt River Fields, 7555 N. Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. 480-270-5000 or srfballoonfestivals.com.

Strange Garden (Oct. 27-28) at Desert Botanical Garden.

carving, games and live entertainment.

5-8 p.m. Saturday. Free; small fee for some games. MGC Parking Lot, 1035 N. Idaho Road, Apache Junction. 480-9832181 or ajcity.net.

includes bounce houses, costume contests, “Thriller� dance lessons, live entertainment and food vendors.

4-8 p.m. Tuesday. 480-837-8168 or halloweeninthehills.com.

Halloween Costume Party (Oct. 29). Jump into Halloween with trickor-treating stations set up around this trampoline park. Also be sure to participate in the costume party. 3-6 p.m. Sunday. $9 for the first hour for ages 6 and younger; $14 for ages 7 and up. AZ Air Time, 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-427-2000 or azairtime.com.

Trick-or-Treat on Main Street (Oct. 31). All ages. Trick-or-treat at participating businesses at this sixth annual event.

Enjoy kettle corn, candy and a balloon artist at D-Lab, pedestrian friendly alley between The Castle on Main and Milano Music. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. 1 E. Main St. downtownmesa.com.

Halloween in the Hills (Oct. 31).

More than 40 local businesses and charities set up carnival-style family game booths along the avenue in Fountain Hills, and businesses stay open for trick-or-treating. Kids can win candy and toys. Free event also

Dia de los Muertos (Nov. 4-5).

All ages. Honor departed loved ones with an Ofrenda exhibition, Mexican food, Mercado, live entertainment and activities. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SaturdaySunday. $24.95; $12.95 ages 3-17; free for ages 2 and younger. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 480-941-1225 or dbg.org.

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

33

MACDONALD RANCH

family time! pumpkin patches in arizona

Above: Families at MacDonald’s Ranch in Scottsdale. Right: A father and daughter at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek.

MacDonald’s Ranch 26540 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale 480-585-0239 macdonaldsranch.com Hayrides, train rides and panning for gold, “Western games” including bean-bag toss, horseshoes, pedal cars and more. A petting zoo and hay maze. Free admission.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays) in October.

Mother Nature’s Farm 1663 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert 480-892-5874 mothernaturesfarm.com Pumpkin decorating, air bounce, Alexander’s Adventure Maze, animals and hayrides. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in

34

October. $10 children, $5 adults.

Mortimer Family Farms 12907 E. State Route 169, Dewey 928-830-1116 mortimerfamilyfarms.com Games, farm activities, live entertainment, barn dance and more during Pumpkin Festival weekends (Friday through Sunday) in October. Hours vary. $15; free for ages 2 and younger.

Pumpkin Patch Train Grand Canyon Railway 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd., Williams 800-843-8724 thetrain.com Take a train ride to a pumpkin patch every Saturday and Sunday in October.

Includes a pumpkin to take home, haunted train car, refreshments, hay-bale maze and crafts. Train departs at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. $26; $21 for ages 2-15.

Schnepf Farms 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek 480-987-3100 schnepffarms.com

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

SCHNEEPF FARMS

Apple Annie’s 2081 W. Hardy Road, Willcox 520-384-4685 appleannies.com Pick-your-own pumpkins, corn maze, hayrides, children’s play area. Fall pumpkin celebration each weekend in October. Pumpkin ice-cream, pies and bread and homemade cider donuts.

Hayrides, miniature golf, 10-acre corn maze, bonfires and marshmallow roasting, petting zoo, inflatables, rides, climbing wall, live entertainment and more during the Pumpkin & Chili Party every Thursday through Sunday in October. Times vary. $19; free for ages 1 and younger; $15 tickets available at Fry’s; pumpkins $3-$15.

Tolmachoff Farms 5726 N. 75th Ave., Glendale 623-386-1301 tolmachoff-farms.com Six-acre family corn maze, mini corn

maze (for little ones), haunted corn maze, petting zoo, jumping pillow, hay pyramid, farm activities and play area. Hours vary. $12; free for ages 2 and younger; additional cost for special activities.

Vertuccio Farms 4011 S. Power Road, Mesa 480-882-1482 vertucciofarms.com Seven-acre corn maze, mini golf, pumpkin patch, inflatables, petting zoo, pedal race cars, barrel train ride, giant jump pad and more. Hours vary. $9-$10; free for ages 2 and younger.

igniting passion ______ Through a globally minded curriculum and our signature Personal Learning Plans, Rancho Solano helps students discover their interests and strengths - and pursue them with conndence and enthusiasm.

As an International Baccalaureate World School, we graduate students prepared to enter top universities - knowledgeable, engaged citizens of the world with a sense of purpose.

PK2-12th GRADE For more information call (480)646-8200 or visit ranchosolano.com Limited available space - Apply now

We teach comfort & confidence

SPLASH, PLAY & LEARN Our programs are internationally-recognized stop in and find out why!

BABY SPLASH 8 wks - 5 mos

LITTLE SNAPPERS 6 mos - 35 mos GROUP LESSONS 6 mos - 12 yrs

PHOENIX, RIVERVIEW & PEORIA

HUBBARDSWIM.COM 602.971.4044

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

35

family time! onstage

Childplay’s Tomás and the Library Lady (Oct. 21-Nov. 12) at Tempe Center for the Arts.

DANCE Arizona Dance Festival (Oct 6-7).

Performances by emerging artists and professional companies offer all dance genres and styles. Presented

by Desert Dance Theatre. 7:30 p.m.

Friday-Saturday. $15-$20. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. 480-350-2822 or tempe.gov/tca.

$90. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. 602-495-1999 or phoenixsymphony.org.

Great Arizona Puppet Theater, 302 W. Latham St., Phoenix. 602-262-2050 or azpuppets.org.

KidzBop Kids (Oct. 8). Here’s a concert that will have kids and parents dancing in their seats. Meet the talented new KidzBop group as they perform pop music hits. 4 p.m. Sunday. $29-$189.

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. kidzbop.com/tour.

Monster Party: A Halloween Tale (Oct. 14-28). See what monsters do during the biggest party of the year. This not-so-scary puppet show is performed under black lights. 10:30 a.m. and noon Saturdays. $6. Theater Works, 8355 W. Peoria Ave., Peoria. 623-815-7930 or theaterworks.org.

MUSIC Fall Concert Series (Oct 7-28).

Shoppers are invited to unwind with the family to the sweet sounds of Valley bands at the Quad. 5-7 p.m. Saturdays in October. Free. Scottsdale Quarter, 15037 N. Scottsdale Road. 480-270-8123 or scottsdalequarter.com.

Voices of Valor (Oct. 5). The Phoenix Boys Choir offers a selection of patriotic and popular songs. 6 p.m.

Thursday. Free. Steele Indian School Park Memorial Hall, 300 E. Indian School Road. 602-264-5328 or phoenixboyschoir.org.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Oct 6-8). Relive the adventure of Harry and his friends as The Phoenix Symphony performs the John Williams score with the full movie on the big screen. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $30-

PUPPETS

36

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

Old MacDonald’s Pumpkin Patch (Oct. 4-29). A brand new Halloween show with everyone’s favorite farmer and his animals. 10 a.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m.

Sunday. $10; $7 ages 12 and younger.

THEATER Hairspray: The Broadway Musical (Oct. 6-Nov. 5). Tracy Turnblad transforms from a social outcast to sudden star when her dream to dance on the “Corny Collins Show” comes true. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m.

Sunday. $28; $22 students. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre, 4720 N. Scottsdale Road. desertstages.org.

Hamlet and Zombies (Oct. 4-6). A new comedy puts a twist on William Shakespeare’s masterpiece when the

dead and dying characters become zombies. Presented by Arizona School for the Arts. 7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. $13.20. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. 602-252-8497 or herbergertheater.org.

King Thrushbeard (Sept. 28-Oct. 8).

East Valley Children’s Theatre performs a musical about an unlikely love match and the peril of forgetting that there’s more to most people than meets the eye.

7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 4 and 7 p.m.

Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Nesbitt/Elliot Playhouse at Mesa Arts Center. $15; $11 ages 17 and younger. 480-644-6500 or mesaartscenter.com Madagascar A Musical Adventure (Oct. 28-Nov. 19). Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo as they escape New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves in Madagascar. 7 p.m. Friday, noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday. $17-$35. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. 602-

253-8188 ext. 307 or vyt.com.

Meet Me In St. Louis (Oct. 12-Nov. 25).

Travel back in time to the 1904 World’s Fair and meet the happy Smith family. 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $20-$32. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. 480497-1181 or haletheatrearizona.com.

HEATHER HILL

Pippin (Oct. 20-Nov. 5). Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince is in search of true happiness. Parental discretion advised. 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Spotlight Youth Theatre, 10620 N. 43rd Ave., Glendale. 602-8438318 or spotlightyouththeatre.org.

Seussical Jr. (Sept. 22-Oct. 8). Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage. 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $18; $15 children. Fountain Hills Theater, 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd. 480837-9661 x3 or fhtaz.org.

Something Rotten (Oct. 31-Nov. 5).

This hilarious smash takes place in the 1590s and tells the story of two brothers who are desperate to write their own hit play, but Shakespeare keeps getting all the hits. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturay, 1 and 6:30 p.m.

Sunday. $50-$150. ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. 480-965-3434 or asugammage.com.

The Addams Family (Oct. 7-15). The Addams Family comes to life in this ghoulishly fun musical by Desert Foothills Theater. 2 and 7 p.m. shows. $14-$20.

Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center, 33606 N. 60th St., Scottsdale. 480-488-1981 or dftheater.org.

Tomás and the Library Lady (Oct. 21-Nov. 12). Tomás loves stories, and when he meets the Library Lady, his imagination takes off. 1 and 4 p.m.

Saturday, 1 p.m. Sun. $23-$26, Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. 480-350-2822 or childsplayaz.org.

C A L LI N G A L L

s

This year, host a party your guests will howl for with an animal-packed birthday party at the Arizona Humane Society.

Book Today! azhumane.org/birthdayparties

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

37

COURTESY OF GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE COUNCIL

family time! October fun runs and walks

5K Thin Mint Sprint (Oct. 7) at Kiwanis Park.

5K Thin Mint Sprint (Oct. 7). All ages.

5K Thin Mint Sprint or 1-mile Samoa Stroll. Proceeds benefit Girl Scout programs. 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. $41.

Kiwanis Park, 5223 S. Ash Ave., Tempe.

602-452-7003 or girlscoutsaz.org.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital 5K (Oct. 7). Join current and former patients and their families at the Phoenix Children’s 5K walk/run and 1 mile fun run in downtown Phoenix. $20-$40 registration.

Proceeds support vital programs and services offered at PCH that are funded through donations. 6:30 a.m. Saturday.

CityScape, 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix.

Phoenixchildrensfoundation.org.

Run for Ryan House (Oct. 7). This 13th annual event offers a 5K and 1-mile family fun run to help provide world-class care and programs for medically-fragile children and their families. Runners, walkers, wheelchairs, strollers, dogs, teams and virtual runners welcome. $15-$45 registration includes a shirt, bib, goodie bag, and

38

participation medal. 7-11 a.m. Saturday.

Mesa Riverview Park, 2100 W. Rio Salado Parkway. ryanhouse.org.

Zoo Walk for Autism Research (Oct. 7).

All ages. Proceeds benefit Arizona State University’s Autism/Asperger’s Research Program. 6:30-11 a.m. Saturday. $25; $15 teens; free for ages 12 and younger; includes zoo admission. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 480831-2047 or zoowalk.org.

A Race for Maggie’s Place (Oct. 8).

All ages. 10K race, 9K run (representing the months of pregnancy), 5K run/walk/ stroller push, Diaper Dash and Kids Dash.

Proceeds benefit Maggie’s Place. Races start 7 a.m. Sunday. Registration varies.

Arts Park at Tempe Town Lake, Rio Salado Parkway at Mill Avenue in Tempe. 602262-5555 or maggiesplace.org.

Walk for Wishes (Oct. 15). The Make-A-Wish Arizona Phoenix Walk for Wishes is presented by Blue Bunny Ice Cream. This 1-mile and 3K run/

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

walk includes activities and vendors.

8 a.m. Saturday. Donations requested.

Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Arizona.wish.org.

wheelchair accessible. 8 a.m. Saturday registration, 9 a.m. walk begins. Donations requested. Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road. alsaz.org.

AIDS Walk Arizona & 5K Run (Oct. 22). All ages. Walk or run to benefit Aunt Rita’s Foundation and programs to prevent HIV/AIDS or assist those living with the disease. Dogs are welcome. 7 a.m. Sunday. $10-$45; free for ages 12 and younger. Parking is $5. Third Avenue and Washington Street in Phoenix. 602904-6001 or aidswalkaz.org.

Zombie Walk 9 (Oct. 28). The largest gathering of zombies in the Southwest has a new event site: The Warehouse District. Live bands, costume contest, food trucks, kid zone, zombification station and thousands of zombies!

This family-friendly event benefits the Arizona Hemophilia Association.

3 p.m. Saturday; walk begins at 5:30 p.m. $10; free for ages 12 and younger. Fourth Avenue and Jackson Street in Phoenix. 602-254-8696 or arizonahemophilia.org.

Buddy Walk Arizona (Sat Oct 28).

Team up for Down Syndrome with your family and friends during Arizona State University’s homecoming parade to benefit the Down Syndrome Network of Arizona. Enjoy face painting, games and dancing. Details TBA. 480-759-9150 or dsnetworkaz.org.

Walk to Defeat ALS (Oct. 28). All ages. Walk to benefit the ALS Association Arizona Chapter. Route is stroller and

Walk Now for Autism Speaks (Oct. 29). All ages. 5K walk, 1-mile family fun walk and community resource fair.

Proceeds benefit autism research, awareness and outreach. 9 a.m. Sunday.

Free; donations accepted. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe.

480-269-2724 or act.autismspeaks.org.

Linda Abril • Alhambra • Bioscience • Bostrom • Trevor Browne • Camelback • Central Cesar Chavez • Desiderata • Betty Fairfax • Franklin • Gifted & Talented • Carl Hayden Maryvale • Metro Tech • Montessori • North • Phoenix Coding • South Mountain • Wilson

Looking for a

FINANCIAL SPEAKER

to inform and educate your members?

4, 2o1R7d. r e b m e v mas y, No 2 W. Tho Saturda. @ Phoenix College • 12o 1o a.m. -

phoenixunion.org/expo

2 p.m

Special Thanks to Our Partner:

6o2.764.1528

Recent topics I have spoken about: • How to avoid fraudulent investments.

• What is really driving the US Economy?

• Is the world in the midst of a World War III ?

• The long range financial stability of the Social Security Trust fund • How to die and not have your kids kill each other!

Contact me today!

DEEANN J. GRIEBEL Managing Director-Investments

Explore all of our high schools in one convenient location, meet our students, learn about the many programs, clubs and services offered, & take advantage of the 1st day to apply to attend one of our schools!

• FREE DRAWSTRING BACKPACK for students while supplies last!

• Live Student Performances • Giveaways & Interactive Activities

480-725-9602 • dgriebel@moorscabot.com www.moorscabot.com 1201 S. Alma School Road, Suite 9950, Mesa, AZ 85210

F D D F [KIDS]

SATURDAY | OCTOBER 21, 2017 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Join the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine–Arizona for a day of free preventive dental care and education for children ages 4 to 13.

Free dental care will include cleanings, screenings, and molar sealants.

Services will be provided by appointment only. For more information and to register call the Midwestern University Dental Institute at 623.806.7150 or visit online at www.midwestern.edu/sealant.

Thank you to our generous sponsor:

5855 West Utopia Road | Glendale, Arizona 85308 (59th Avenue and Utopia south of the 101)

Your Family’s Home for Healthcare

623.806.7150 | www.midwestern.edu/sealant

raisingarizonakids.com OCTOBER 2017

39

behind the ’zine

Graduating to a

IT WASN’T A typical time of year for a high-school graduation ceremony. It wasn’t a typical venue, either. But this wasn’t a typical graduation.

The class was small — just 12 students, a few of whom couldn’t attend the ceremony.

They came from diverse backgrounds but had one important thing in common: Each is already a parent.

This Class of 2017 faced challenges most high school teens can’t even imagine: the responsibilities and stresses of parenting, the dissolution of personal freedom, complicated social lives (or the lack thereof), persisting social stigmas about teen pregnancy and the emotional roller coaster of highs and lows that accompany life with a child whose needs will now and forever eclipse your own.

These were the graduates of the Maricopa Center for Adolescent Parents, or MCAP, a program of Child & Family Resources. Their ceremony, held in late August at The Newton on Camelback Road in Phoenix, started out like countless others I’ve attended over the years.

Proud families filling rows of chairs. Beaming faces. Excited but muted conversations. Balloons and flowers. Squirmy but well-behaved children dressed in their Sunday best.

A flat-screen TV on the wall cycled through a slideshow of senior-year highlights that showed students hard at work. It also showed joyful moments when they could reconnect with babies and toddlers who were cared for in an early childhood center at the same northwest Phoenix site where these parents completed their general equivalency diplomas, or GEDs. For most teen parents, the future looks grim. Arizona has the 12th-highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation and only one-third of those teens complete the requirements for a high school diploma. Many of these young people come from parents who were also teen parents; they may struggle with substance abuse; physical, mental or sexual abuse; neglect,

40

OCTOBER 2017 raisingarizonakids.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES.

BETTER LIFE

Madalyn Cristerna, a recent MCAP graduate, with her child.

long-term welfare dependency and poverty.

At MCAP, however, young parents get support for academic and life skills. They get parenting education and guidance for postsecondary ambitions to help them break out of the cycle of poverty. About 100 teen parents and their children are served in the program each year.

“These young people have a lot of barriers to overcome,” said Julie P. Rosen, vice president of family and community services for Child & Family Resources, as the graduation ceremony began. “But they also have a lot of opportunities to seize.”

Education, she said, is “the great equalizer.”

Jocelyn Dustan, a high school equivalency instructor from Rio Salado Community College, impressed upon the audience that getting a GED is harder than ever: Recent changes in graduation requirements mean students have to “apply critical thinking skills — not just memorize information.” She and others who spoke that night congratulated these students for not giving up.

Students were invited to come to the podium to share their own remarks. Some read notes from smartphones; some spoke spontaneously. All struggled with heightened emotions — the good, grateful kind.

Melissa Soto strode confidently to the podium, then dissolved in tears as she began

to speak. “My children make me want to do better in life,” she said.

“I wasn’t happy with myself until I went back to school,” said Martha Jimenez.

“Knowing my son was next door, being cared for, let me know what I was capable of.”

Luz Rodriguez praised the program’s flexibility: “There are not a lot of places where you can breastfeed and go to school at the same time,” she said.

Breanna Rodriquez wondered aloud if she would “even be alive” if it weren’t for MCAP. Finding the program after a series of “poor decisions,” changed her for the better, she said. “I thank the teachers for pushing us and believing in us.”

Alberto Vasquez, Jr. was the lone dad in the group — and the first young man ever to complete the MCAP program. “I am thankful,” he murmured shyly, as his adorable daughter watched from her grandfather’s knee.

Learn more about MCAP — and how you can support this transformative program — at childfamilyresources.org.

Karen Davis Barr, Publisher karen@RAKmagazine.com

Raising aRizona Kids magazine’s

2017 Saturday, nov. 4, 2017 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. new Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort 7677 N. 16th St., Phoenix

loc

atio n

!

the Valley’s second annual event for families navigating school choice!

One day, one place ... and a chance to meet representatives from more than 75 Valley private, public and charter schools!

• Ask questions • Pick up brochures • Hear from local experts • Gain peace of mind about school-choice decisions!

Plu sPeciA s: A l su guest rPrise from

Sponsored by

FRee to families! Register at

educationFairaZ.com

Riley’s life was saved by the Southwest’s only pectus clinic for kids When Riley was born, his parents noticed a dent in his chest. Doctors told them it was pectus; purely cosmetic and nothing to worry about. When Riley started becoming chronically ill around age two, his parents tried for years to find out what was wrong. Finally, he was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, a fatal condition that put tremendous pressure on his heart.

He needed surgery urgently to survive— a procedure provided by Arizona’s only pectus clinic for kids at Phoenix Children’s. Today, three years later, Riley is a fully recovered, happy, healthy, energetic 11-year-old boy.

Arizona’s best pediatric care, from routine to rare.

PhoenixChildrens.org