Valley Parent Magazine, September 2014

Parent V a l l e y

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BACK-TO-SCHOOL Calm Hectic Mornings, Biking to School Safely and Building Math Confidence

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Linn & Benton Counties Vol.13, No.9 September 2014

Halt the Homework Hassels Page 9

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Findings

by Nathaniel Brodie

‘Super-Parent’ Cultural Pressures Can Spur Mental Health Conditions in New Moms and Dads Mental health experts in the past three decades have emphasized the dangers of post-partum depression for mothers, but a University of Kansas researcher says expanding awareness of several other perinatal mental health conditions is important for all new parents, including fathers.

This awareness has become even more critical as “super mom” and “super dad” pressures continue to grow, said Carrie Wendel-Hummell, a KU doctoral candidate in sociology, who will present her study on perinatal mental health disorders at the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. Perinatal is a term that describes the several weeks before, during, and after birth.

“Both mothers and fathers need to pay attention to their mental health during the perinatal period, and they need to watch for these other types of conditions, not just depression,” she said. “Anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and bi-polar disorder are all shaped by circumstances that surround having a baby.”

As part of her research, Wendel-Hummell, who is also a project manager at KU’s Center for Research on Aging and Disability Options in the School of Social Welfare, conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 17 new fathers and 30 new mothers primarily from

Kansas and Missouri. The sample covered a range of low-income to middle-class parents.

She did not require a diagnosis of a perinatal mental health condition, but all participants had experienced prolonged symptoms of at least one.

According to Wendel-Hummell, a major focus of her research is to bring together biological and sociological understandings of the problems that new parents face.

Medical researchers for years had attributed post-partum depression in new mothers to hormonal changes, despite evidence to the contrary.

“It has been framed so much as being a hormonal disorder, but the evidence there is actually very limited,” she said. “Child birth itself is a life change and a life stressor, so actually there’s far more evidence that those risk factors are the cause, more so than hormones.”

Distressed mothers and fathers in the interviews generally voiced concerns about social problems, including cultural expectations of parenting, relationship stress, family-work balance issues, and struggles with poverty.

At the root of their perinatal mental health issues, low-income parents in the interviews mentioned ongoing struggles to tend to their infant’s basic needs in the face of low wages and job insecurity, as well as to

secure affordable quality childcare, reliable transportation, and safe housing.

In terms of middle-class parents, WendelHummell said these people tend to put too much pressure on themselves to be perfect mothers and fathers. “Middle-class mothers often try to do everything to balance work and home life, and fathers are increasingly attempting to do the same,” she said. “This pressure can exacerbate mental health conditions. If everything is not perfect, they feel like failures.”

Fathers in her study often suffered stress from working in places that did not have family friendly leave policies and from generally lacking resources to prepare them for fatherhood, Wendel-Hummell said.

“Nobody is asking about the father and

how he’s doing,” she said. “People typically focus on the mom and the infant, so not only is it more difficult for men to express their emotions, nobody is opening up that window for them either.”

Wendel-Hummell believes we need to recognize the prevalence of these additional perinatal mental health conditions and, in addition, find ways to screen for them.

“We really only have a screening procedure for depression,” she said. “There should be improved screening, and it should be done in the later stages of women’s pregnancy and throughout that first year after the baby is born, for both mothers and fathers.”

Wendel-Hummell said focusing on implementing social policies (e.g., paid maternity and paternity leave, sick pay, and accessible health care coverage) that address the mental health challenges many new parents face is essential. She also emphasizes the need to adjust the cultural expectations around parenting, including reducing pressures to be the perfect parent who can do everything on his or her own, and encouraging parents to accept support from family, friends, and their community.

“We focus way too much on, ‘how do we fix this individual,’ but we really need to address the state of social and family policy,” WendelHummell said.

Mother’s Fears Are Passed to Children Through Smell, Study Suggests Mothers can pass on specific fears to their days-old babies through smell, a new study published Monday suggests.

The findings may help mental health experts better understand how a mother’s old traumas, including post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias, affect her children. They may also help determine why some children of traumatized or depressed mothers are affected differently than their siblings.

“It’s more about increasing awareness that trauma may be passed to the second generation,” said Jacek Debiec, the Polishborn psychiatrist and neuroscientist who led the research. One consequence of the findings, said Debiec, is that psychiatrists treating Afghanistan and Iraq veterans may shift attention to the unborn children of their patients, who are of reproductive age when they return to the U.S. and may pass on their traumas to their babies.

There is clinical evidence that fear is 4 Valley Parent, September 2014

transmitted across generations, though scientists know little about how the transmission occurs.

To test the role of smell in fear transfer, Debiec and other researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and New York University conditioned female rats to fear the smell of McCormick peppermint by delivering mild, unpleasant shocks in tandem with the odor before

they were pregnant, explained the paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Then, the researchers exposed the rats’ pups to the peppermint smell and tested their lateral amygdala—an area that detects and plans response to threats.

The pups learned to fear the smell of peppermint even when their mothers weren’t present, replaced by a piped-in scent of them reacting to the peppermint odor.

“It was really surprising to us that…it could be so early and could be so lasting,” said Debiec, pointing out that infants generally do not form lasting memories unless experiences are repeated during the first few days of life, a concept called infantile amnesia. “Here it was a single exposure and it was enough for these newborn pups to create lasting memories,” added Debiec.

When researchers gave pups a substance

that blocked activity in the amygdala, according to the study, the baby rats did not learn the fear of peppermint smell from their mothers. This could help mental health experts find ways to prevent children from learning certain fear responses from their mothers.

“Infants can learn from their mothers about potential environmental threats before their sensory and motor development allows them a comprehensive exploration of the surrounding environment,” says the six-page study.

Interest in the transmission of trauma through generations began with Holocaust case studies, said Debiec. The next step for his team will be to start human studies, testing how infants respond to maternal distress.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and by University of Michigan funds.

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New Study Focuses on In-Flight Risk to Infants Attention parents: Safety investigators are raising warnings about in-flight turbulence, which is the leading cause of injury to children on airplanes and can sometimes catapult lap children into another row.

Separately, a new study that analyzed in-flight pediatric deaths found them to be very rare, but almost all of the children who did die aboard planes were under the age of 2 and traveling on long flights between continents.

“What was unexpected was the number of healthy lap infants who ended up dead. It’s a rare event but this is clearly a pattern,” said Alexandre Rotta, lead researcher on the study and chief of pediatric critical care at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, which is part of the University Hospitals health-care system in Cleveland. The study was published in July in the journal Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

Researchers said infants appeared to face higher risk of death from sleeping in the same seat as an adult; small children can be suffocated or compressed by an adult shifting position during sleep. Some of the deaths showed similarities with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Lower oxygen levels onboard a plane could adversely affect immature respiratory systems in babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants shouldn’t share a bed or couch with an adult, Dr. Rotta notes.

But “that completely goes out the window on a plane.”

For decades, the debate about travel with infants has focused on what happens in the event of a crash. Less attention was paid to medical issues, sleeping positions or injuries during in-flight turbulence. Also largely ignored have been common hazards such as hot food spilled on children, falling bags from overhead bins and crushed fingers from carts being pushed down the aisle, doctors and safety experts say.

“Children are more protected if they are closer to the window seat,” said Paulo Alves, global medical director for aviation health at MedAire Inc., and one of the researchers on the Cleveland study. MedAire is a Tempe, Ariz., firm offering ground-based medical support to airline crews.

The National Transportation Safety Board has pushed for the use of car seats in airplanes for children under the age of 2.

But many parents traveling by plane don’t want to drag a big car seat around, can’t keep fidgety kids in it for long flights or refuse to buy a ticket for their infants.

The Federal Aviation Administration has refused to require car seats for infants on board flights on the assumption that some

Kids’ View What is your favorite subject in school and why?

Maddy 6 years old “Art...because it is fun!”

families, if forced to purchase a ticket for an infant, would choose instead to drive, which is statistically a more dangerous mode of transportation. The FAA did join with airlines in an educational campaign in 2012 in favor of separate seats for children and use of car seats.

Parents of children with known medical issues should consult doctors before flying, and remember to pack medicine for children in carry-on luggage. Dr. Alves, of MedAire, says in many in-flight emergencies parents suddenly realize they put vital medicine in checked baggage.

The Cleveland medical researchers stressed their research shouldn’t discourage parents from flying with children. “Our intent is not to create alarm but to characterize something unrecognized in medicine and science,” Dr. Rotta said.

The study looked at data from 74 airlines collected by MedAire, which handled about 29,000 in-flight emergencies last year and is the largest of the medical-service firms that support airlines. When a problem develops, pilots and flight attendants can consult by radio with a physician on treatment and decisions, such as whether to land immediately or continue to a destination.

Patient data can be transmitted from medical instruments on board planes to doctors on the ground.

In the 2½-year period through June 2013 that was examined in the study, MedAire handled over 81,000 in-flight medical emergencies, of which 9.3% involved children. Many of the pediatric cases involved infections, including fever and ear infections, neurological conditions and seizures and respiratory issues such as asthma.

There were 10 pediatric deaths aboard flights that consulted with MedAire over that time period. Four of them were related to existing medical conditions, and in some cases, infants were flying to seek medical treatment. One was a 15-year-old, and

five were infants with no known medical condition. Four had the same terrible narrative story: They went to sleep and when the parents woke up, the child was cold and unresponsive. Though the number of deaths was very small compared with the millions of children who fly world-wide every year, it did raise serious concern among the researchers.

“Our data reveal a previously unrecognized vulnerability group: lap infants with deaths occurring during longhaul flights unrelated to a crash or severe turbulence,” the study’s authors wrote.

Turbulence is a persistent problem. Each year, flight attendants and passengers not belted into seats are injured by unexpected clear-air turbulence. In some cases, babies have been thrown several rows from mothers or fathers who stand no chance of holding on to infants against severe gravitational forces.

“We’ve got to get kids restrained on airplanes,” said former NTSB investigator Greg Feith, who now works as a safety consultant. “Everyone is so emphatic that your laptop be restrained and your tray table stowed. But not a child?”

After serving as lead investigator on several crashes with lap-child deaths and injuries, Mr. Feith and a business partner invented an infant restraint called LapKidz, which rests on a parent’s lap and clips onto the seat belt. The child sits in the highdensity foam chair inside restraint straps. If the flight encounters turbulence, the child stays in the parent’s lap.

His invention, which he and partner Tim Testa price at $69 but often discount to $59 or less, weighs 14.5 ounces and folds up, so it is easy to transport. The restraint was launched at the beginning of this year. It isn’t certified by the FAA for takeoffs and landings, but parents are permitted to use it once the plane is in the air, when turbulence can occur.

Brandon 13 years old “Math. I like doing the problems. It is kind of easy.”

Irelynn 6 years old “Art, because I like being creative.”

Ben 13 years old “P.E. because it just kind of burns up most of the stuff I eat. And kids like me usually eat too much chips and pie and all that junky stuff.”

Hannah 12 years old “I like free time and recess, because you can play with friends and have a relaxing time.”

September 2014, Valley Parent

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Teacher strategies that can work at home • Use authentic math models – organize your grocery lists into quadrants for produce, meat, etc.; make a table of family chores; use tally marks to keep track of behaviors. Be creative!

• Talk the talk – use math language whenever possible. Point out shapes like rectangles or circles in nature or your house. Use terms like area and perimeter when cleaning or reorganizing rooms. You may find it helpful too!

• Create a word wall – use PostIt Notes and a marker to stick up math vocabulary words in your kitchen or your child’s bedroom. If your child is artistic, have her illustrate each word’s meaning • Take a motor break – if your homework hour is hitting a wall, take a break and move around.

Often a simple change in position or environment can refresh a tired mind.

Learning

A Teacher’s Guide to Helping Your Child Build Confidence in Math The first day of school is full of excitement: new teachers, new supplies, and the chance for a fresh start. And then the second day comes, and reality swoops in, along with handouts and homework assignments.

While many kids are able to coast through September on back-to-school momentum, others battle anxiety and a lack of confidence from the start. Unfortunately for many students, the cause of these feelings is related to one subject: math.

You’ve heard the claims before: “I can’t do math” or “Ugh! I hate math!” Most often, it’s adults sharing these thoughts, but as a teacher I frequently heard these cries creeping into my classroom. And nothing kills motivation like negative, can’t-do attitudes.

Math anxiety is a real condition, defined as an apprehension or fear of math that interferes with one’s performance.

Researchers have been looking closely at its roots and impact. Causes vary greatly but are largely environmental.

For children who lack confidence in math, or suffer from anxiety, simply seeing a subtraction sign is enough to send them into a panic. If this sounds like your child, read on to find out what you can do to help them overcome their fear of factors (and multiples), and begin building confidence in math.

to have the same sense. So ask them: on a scale of one to five, with five being the most confident, how confident are you in math?

Accept the answer your child gives you, even if it seems way off. Your job isn’t to convince her she’s wrong, it’s to help her feel intrinsically confident. So if she says she’s a two, talk about why. Brainstorm what a three confidence level would feel like, and jot down ideas about what she could learn to get there.

Step 1: Identify a comfort level As a teacher, it’s important to have a sense of how students see themselves as learners. As a parent, and your child’s most important (and influential) teacher, you need

Step 2: Set measurable, achievable goals Too often, kids who struggle in math feel that “not being good at it” is a life sentence. They’ll never get it, so why try?

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Allowing that attitude to prevail is a slippery slope (algebra pun not intended).

Setting small, measurable goals achieves two purposes. Students feel ownership in what they want to accomplish, and success when they master it. The key is to make the goals short and specific. Instead of saying “I want to understand subtraction” start with something manageable, such as, “In two weeks I will know how to subtract using regrouping (borrowing).” This way you and your child can map out the steps you need to take, and there will be no confusion once the goal is met.

Step 3: Eliminate your own negatives An Ohio State University study published in March 2014 concluded that math anxiety

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Learning is not purely environmental. The research indicates that genetics can actually have a role as well. Now this doesn’t mean that if a mom struggled in math, her kids are doomed. But it does mean (for your child’s sake) you should eliminate your negative associations – or at least keep them to yourself.

If you go around saying you don’t like math, or you shudder when your daughter brings home a fractions sheet, you’re sending a message that math is scary. And if your child is predisposed to have some difficulty in math, adding fear into the mix won’t help.

Stay positive, and model the learning process. If your child needs help with something and you don’t have a clue what to do, show her some steps she can take to get going. Check online for ideas or similar problems. Email the teacher and ask for examples. Have her call a friend to see if she can spark a clue. Let her know that being stuck is not an excuse to give up, and that struggling is part of the process.

Step 4: Allow feelings It’s hard to see your child upset. Parental instinct dictates that kids need support, encouragement, and affirmation. And they do – but they also need to feel frustrated.

Students who genuinely lack confidence

in math need to feel like they are being heard. Honor their feelings. Don’t try to change their minds. Accept and acknowledge the way they feel, and give them time to move past that.

Step 5: Let them teach Once your child thinks he has learned a skill, let him practice by “teaching” it back to you or to a younger sibling. Even toddlers can learn strategies like sorting shapes or drawing pictures that solve problems.

But don’t let the lessons stop there.

Parents of my former students were often puzzled about the “new math” and how solving problems isn’t like it used to be.

Okay, so learn. Let your kid teach you how to divide using the partial quotients method.

Or maybe the Pythagorean Theorem is a distant, fuzzy memory? Relearn it. Ask questions, reinforce, and model positive learning habits.

Step 6: Don’t rush the process One of the biggest issues kids have with math is a problem that is not quick or easy to figure out. As kids advance in elementary and middle school, problem solving evolves into a multi-step process, and there are different ways to figure things out.

Encourage deliberation. In math, struggling is a good thing – it means you’re working hard, trying different approaches,

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not giving up. Going through that process will help kids learn perseverance as they continue in math, and in life.

Step 7: Celebrate success Remember those goals your child set?

Achieving them is cause for celebration, especially in the beginning. No, you don’t need to throw a party when your child masters place value, but you do need to acknowledge when a goal has been met. So slip your student some stickers or take her out to her favorite yogurt shop. Celebrating small victories will help maintain momentum as math becomes more challenging, and also let your child feel good about an area that previously caused her stress.

Building confidence won’t happen overnight, but with consistent support at home, it will happen. You may even end up sharpening your own skills. So fight the math fear from the start and help your child go back to school with confidence

Beth Fornauf is a freelance writer and mother of two. A former “math-phobic,” she overcame her fear, and has taught math at the elementary and middle school levels. In addition to helping students build confidence in math, she also hopes they realize that math can be fun!

Read All About It! Books that promote healthy math habits for students of all ages Toddlers - Kindergarten • Duck and Goose 123 by Tad Hills • Chicka Chicka 123 by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson • The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns Grades 1- 3 • A Place for Zero by Angeline LoPresti • Multiplying Menace by Pam Calvert

• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions

by Dayle Ann Dodds

• What’s Your Angle Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis

Grades 4 - 6 • Sir Cumference Series by Cindy Neuschwander • Zachary Zormer, Shape Transformer by Joanne Anderson Reisburg • Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Middle School and Older • Math Doesn’t Suck by Danica McKellar • The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger • Secrets, Lies and Algebra (part of the Do the Math series) by Wendy Lichtman

Law practiced thoughtfully, compassionately and carefully.

Counseling with Heart

“My commitment is to listen, to empower you with options, and view not only your needs today, but also your interests over the long term.”

SMART Needs Readers Reading is the gateway to learning for kids. Yet, right now in Oregon, 34 percent of our third-graders are not meeting state reading standards. Research shows that these students are more likely to drop out of high school, be unemployed and even incarcerated.

SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) engages the community to create brighter futures for Oregon children through books and reading. To do this, they need your help.

SMART is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join SMART programs in Albany, Corvallis, Halsey, Kings Valley, Lacomb, and Lebanon. If you have one hour, once a week, you can help inspire a child’s next chapter by reading and communicating one-on-one with them in a safe and positive environment.

SMART staff are also looking for a dedicated volunteer or two to facilitate a SMART program at Green Acres School in Lebanon.

The goal of the reading program is to serve over 450 children in K-3rd grade in Linn and Benton counties this school year and their current volunteer base falls very short of being able to meet that goal. If you can you help SMART reach their goal, volunteer today at www.getsmartoregon.org or call 541-753-0822.

-Karen Misfeldt

Attorney at Law

Estate Planning Family Care Real Estate Law

(541)754-7477

Linda Harris, MA

310 NW 7th Street • Corvallis

http://linda.m.harris.googlepages.com September 2014, Valley Parent

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Back-to-School

Taming Morning Madness in Six Easy Steps

Do you dread mornings? The mad rush to get everyone up, dressed, fed and out of the house on time can aggravate the mellowest parent. If you are like many families, your mornings involve elevated blood pressure, cajoling, whining, and perhaps even yelling and tears. At the very least, you arrive at your destination frazzled and unhappy. And in the end, the emotional drama does not get you to school or work any sooner.

There is hope for a more peaceful and efficient start to your day. With a little planning you can organize your schedule and create new routines so you can honestly say, “Good Morning!”

Shift lunch-packing duties to the evening. When storing leftovers after dinner, quickly determine what can be packed in tomorrow’s lunch.

Leftover beans, steamed vegetables and grain or pasta salads hold up well and taste good cold. As you put food away, divide portions directly into single serving containers, one for each child.

You’ll rely less on convenience items, waste less food and save a step in the packing process. Designate one shelf in the refrigerator for lunch items. In the morning, grab items from the shelf and pop them into lunch boxes.

Set an earlier bedtime. The mad rush for the bus stop is inevitable if your kids routinely sleep in. According to the National Sleep Foundation, preschoolers need between eleven and thirteen hours of sleep, and school age children ages six to twelve still require a whopping ten to eleven hours of sleep each night. Chronic fatigue will make

8 Valley Parent, September 2014

children groggy and uncooperative in the morning. If your children are not getting enough shut-eye, begin inching their bedtime earlier by 15 minutes Choose tomorrow’s clothing the night before.

Morning brain-fog can inhibit the decision-making process. Lay clothes on a chair or shelf, or hang them on a special hanger. Some families pick a weekend day to choose outfits for the entire week. Planning the next

day’s outfit is a perfect time to check in about your child’s schedule. Is there PE tomorrow, or band practice? Set any special items by the door, ready to be picked up on the way out of the house.

Dress before breakfast. If your children wander back to their rooms to get dressed and you find them still in their P.J.’s, straddling their latest Lego creation twenty minutes later, require them to get dressed before they come to breakfast. No one should have to

run back upstairs for socks once you announce it is time to go. Limit other potential distractions by putting tempting projects away in the evening.

Store it in the backpack. If your kids can never find their homework and other papers, store anything that routinely travels between home and school in their backpack. Finished with that book from the school library? Toss it right in the pack. Permission slip signed?

Tuck it in the bag before it disappears. If your child doesn’t already use a binder to keep track of paperwork, keep a pocket folder in your child’s pack to store homework pages and permission slips. Make the backpack the designated home for these items and no one will be scurrying to find them at the last minute.

Redefine “on time.” Most schools have a first and second bell. Being on time means arriving at school before the first bell so that kids have time to get inside, get settled in their seats, and be ready to learn before that second bell rings.

To assure that you arrive before that first bell, plan a five to ten minute buffer into your schedule. Putting out the call of “all aboard” earlier will get you out of the house and at your destination with time to spare. Just don’t let that buffer lull you into a false sense of security. If you have five more minutes, use them to get everyone in the car, not to throw another load of laundry in the wash.

Heather Lee Leap is a freelance writer and mom. She is guilty of occasionally yelling at her children in the mornings.

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Halt the Homework Hassles:

Preparations Parents Can Make to Help Their Kids Succeed Julie Jung-Kim drinks a lemon-lime soda as her daughter Isabella prattles about the school day. They sit companionably at the kitchen table, Isabella talking between bites of her snack. It’s a pre-homework ritual that suits them both.

Jung-Kim takes Isabella’s afterschool schedule seriously. She knows following it makes a big difference in what happens with Isabella’s homework. But her homework routine didn’t happen by accident, nor did it come together overnight. Jung-Kim has learned what works and what doesn’t.

If you’ve struggled over homework in your household, don’t give up. You may be only a few tweaks away from a more productive process. Here are some tips from experts and parents for minimizing homework trouble: Be informed. Knowing ahead of time what the school and teacher expect of your child can eliminate many frustrations.

Most teachers also explain their homework standards during a beginning-of-the-schoolyear open house. If not, don’t be afraid to ask your child’s teacher about what work you can expect at home.

Neil McNerney, a counselor and author of Homework: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Out Without Freaking Out, strongly encourages parents to attend their school’s “back to school night.” He says, “Learn as much as you can about each subject, homework policies, tests, etc. Then review this information with your kids to make sure you are all on the same page.”

Establish a routine. Teacher and mom, Gwen Stephens, believes in the value of routine. “Establish a time every day that homework is to be done,” she says. “For some kids it works best to get it done right away.

Other kids need time to chill out.”

The key involves ironing out what works best for your family and then sticking with it. When there’s a rhythm in place, kids learn to roll with it. Routine alone can smooth out problems with homework - particularly in assuring a prompt start.

For Jung-Kim the routine involves a quiet environment. Usually she picks Isabella up from school two hours before she retrieves her son from daycare. The two enjoy some one-on-one time at first. Then it’s time for distraction-free homework. No television, no computer, no music. Jung-Kim has learned keeping her daughter calm allows a more trouble-free process. And with no distractions, Jung-Kim also is free to step in when Isabella has questions or needs help.

Mom, Christa Hines, implements a timer in her routine to keep the schedule on track. “I give my son 30 minutes to chill out and play,” says Hines. “We set the timer so there’s no argument at the end of the 30 minutes.”

Finding a good homework routine may take some trial and error. And it may not be

the same for all the kids in your house. One may do best getting right to the homework, while another requires downtime first. And afterschool lessons and sports may require shifts in the routine for a season. But once you find what works, be consistent.

Create a space. Like a routine, workspace needs may vary between children.

Some work best where there are few visual distractions, such as at a desk facing a wall.

Others may prefer company while working, or need to be near mom for help. Again, don’t be afraid to switch around in order to find a suitable spot for your child. But once you’ve created an acceptable space, maintain it.

Michele Smith’s three children work together at one table. “They have dedicated space on our dining room table all week so they can keep their supplies out.”

As Smith notes, it’s important for children to have homework supplies available. Doublecheck your stash of pencils, erasers, and other supplies. Then store them near where your child will be working.

Provide support with boundaries. Be encouraging. Give your child concrete observations about themselves that demonstrate you believe they can succeed at homework. Note past successes, as well as tools and skills they’ve gained.

And when it comes to completing homework, be accessible without hovering.

“It’s good to check for completion, but not a good idea to make your child re-do assignments due to sloppiness or a poor job,” says McNerney.

Above all, avoid the desire to do the work for your child. “Some parents don’t know when to let the child do homework without interfering.” Stephens explains. “(Homework)

should be something the teacher checks, not the parent. Otherwise that’s not the child’s homework any more. It’s the parent’s.”

Stephens also advocates for parents practicing memorization of spelling and math facts. “Take flash cards in the van,” Stephens urges.

Model a firm but positive attitude. Remember that learning to complete independent work is a life skill.

When your child complains about having to do homework, acknowledge her frustration.

Then encourage her to get to work. “I expect every year that homework will increase,” says Stephens. “I say, ‘It’s not going to get easier as you get older.’”

McNerney encourages parents to watch their semantics, particularly with children who would rather skip the work. “When we ask our kids: ‘Did you do your homework?’ they will usually only think of actual homework and not studying, reading, practicing, and working on long-term projects. Instead ask: “What work do you have tonight?”

Using these tools, you can ease your child back into the routine of schoolwork at home. The results should be encouraging to everyone.

While homework isn’t always her family’s favorite part of the day, Jung-Kim is pleased with her setup, especially having personal time with her daughter. “It lets her know I am here,” she explains.

Sometimes that’s the best thing parents can do for their kids when it comes to homework.

Lara Krupicka is a freelance writer who reevaluates the homework routine for her three daughters every school year.

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Strategies

Bicycling Basics for Back-to-School In many schools, fewer hours are allotted to recess and physical education each year, but access to fresh air and exercise doesn’t have to end when classes start up again this fall. Bicycling is a fun and fitness-friendly method of transportation that, with a little planning and attention to details, could replace your carpool.

Read on for tips and advice to minimize the risks and get your child rolling safely down the road.

Child development research by Safe Kids Worldwide indicates that children under the age of ten have difficulty judging the speed and distance of traffic.

Coordination and strong bike-handling skills are not a substitute for the quick decision-making ability needed to ride on the road, so very young cyclists should always be accompanied by an adult.

Before allowing children to ride alone, assess their skills and judgment. Teach them to make eye contact with drivers, particularly before crossing intersections.

This increases the likelihood that traffic will be stopped before they cross the street.

Before your child’s first solo trek, discuss the terrain and type of traffic they might encounter on the way to school.

Even if you have ridden to school together in the past, ride the route together to point out details and identify any potential hazards. A child who has always ridden with an adult has not had to rely on his or her own judgment.

Require children to wear a properly fitting bike helmet

every time they ride. Adults should do the same for safety and to serve as a role model. Helmets should fit snugly and not shift in any direction. Position the helmet low on the forehead, the width of one or two fingers above the eyebrows.

Straps should not rub on the ears. To check whether the chin strap is tight enough, have your child open his or her mouth wide like a yawn. If the strap is tight enough, yawning will tug the helmet down onto the head. When in doubt, visit your local bicycle shop for a fitting. Helmet use

is the single most effective way to reduce bicycle-related fatalities.

Provide your child with a bicycle that fits. A bike to “grow into” is difficult to control and will reduce his ability to respond quickly to changing conditions. When standing over a bike with both feet flat on the ground there should be two or more inches of clearance above the top tube. When seated, the rider should not have to stretch or lean forward dramatically to reach—and steer—the handlebars.

Maintain your child’s bike.

Regularly check reflectors, brakes, chains and tires to assure that they are in good working order. Check the fit of your child’s helmet periodically as well. Tighten straps that become loose and replace a helmet that has been outgrown or suffered damage.

Dress appropriately. Avoid long or loose clothing that can drag or get caught while riding. Wear bright colors, such as an orange or yellow vest, to be more visible to drivers. While messenger bags might be cool, they can slip, flop around and pull your child off balance.

Instead, have kids wear a backpack. Use both shoulder straps when riding and fasten the hip belt to keep the load, and the bike, from shifting unexpectedly.

Obey traffic laws. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), bicycles on the roadway are, by law, vehicles with the same rights and responsibilities of motorized vehicles. Cyclists on the roadway, including children, should always ride with traffic, use signals and obey all traffic signs and rules.

Whether your child is begging for the responsibility of riding alone, or your whole family is ready for a twowheeled commute, take advantage of the opportunity to bike to school. Get fit, have fun and stay safe. What better way to start and end the school day than pedal-power?

Heather Lee Leap is a freelance writer and mother of three girls. She is looking for more excuses to ride her bike.

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10 Valley Parent, September 2014

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Calendar

September 2014 Ongoing Events

Albany Historic Carousel and Museum. 503 First Ave. W, Albany. 10a.m.-4 p.m. MondaySaturday; 10a.m.-9p.m. Wednesday. Free. Come see the creative processes taking place every Monday through Saturday on this hand-carved carousel project. In the lobby, view finished animals and watch the painters work on a number of animals and other hand-crafted projects. In the carving studio, see and touch over two dozen carvings in progress. For information visit albanycarousel.com.

Albany Indoor Park. Mighty Oak Children’s Therapy Center, 3615 Spicer Dr., Albany. Free/first visit. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday through May 30th. Infants, toddlers, preschool, and kindergarten age children are invited to play with a variety of toys and meet new friends. There are climbing structures, a step 2 roller coaster, a railway track, baby dolls, play kitchens, buggies, trikes, wagons and more. For information call (541) 928-9676 or visit www.albanyindoorpark.com.

Clemens Community Pool Open Rec. Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St., Philomath. 1-3 p.m.

Saturdays. $3.50/adults, $3.00/student/seniors, free/ age 5 and under, $10/family (Attendant of at least 14 years old must accompany children under 7). Also offered are lessons, lap swim, aqua fitness, and swim team. Visit www.philomath.k12.or.us/pool or call (541) 929-3584 for information.

Cool Tools! Exhibition. Benton County Museum, 1101 Main St., Philomath. 10a.m.-4:30 p.m. TuesdaySaturday through 2014. Free. Tools for agriculture, engineering, robotics, textiles, distilling, lumbering, surveying, and woodworking are all represented. Visitors can see the surveying tools used by Oregon pioneer Joseph C. Avery to lay out the town of Marysville (later Corvallis) in 1851, as well as a theodolite used to survey Lake Superior in 1869. This exhibition contains a chain saw that might be the largest anyone has ever seen! The HP35 calculator and the Hewlett-Packard ThinkJet printer had profound effects on American life--and the museum has these objects and shares their stories. For information call (541) 929-6230 or visit www.bentoncountymuseum. org.

Corvallis Pokémon League. Corvallis Elks Club, 1400 NW 9th St., Corvallis. 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Free.

All skill levels. Play, trade and learn the rules of Pokémon. Bring own cards or DS games. For information visit http://corvallispokemon.wordpress.com.

Downtown Story Time with Puppets.

Downtown Carnegie Library, 302 SW Ferry St., Albany. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. every Tuesday through December 2. Free. Preschool story time with puppet show. For information call (541) 917-7585.

Drop N Shop. Wacky Indoor Bounce, 202 NW 3rd St., Corvallis. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, and 10 a.m.2 p.m. and 3-7 p.m. Thursdays. $12 per child. It’s parent time to shop or run errands, have a lunch date with a friend or spouse, or work out. Reservations are required one week in advance and are for a two-hour time slot. Child must be out of diapers. Snack crackers and beverages are provided. Call (541) 757-6512 or visit www.wackybounce.com to reserve a spot.

Family Climb Time. Indoor Climbing Center, 425 SW 26th St., Corvallis. 4-8 p.m. Monday-Friday during summer break. Cost is $3 per child, $6 per adult with a two-kids-per-parent limit. Parents who are RecSports members bring only their current OSU ID to get in. Parents/guardians must sponsor and belay

the child at all times. Visit http://oregonstate.edu/recsports/hours or call (541) 737-1595 for information.

Fancy Fourteen. The Flinn Steakhouse, 222 W. First Ave., Albany. Fancy-dressed kids eat free on the 14th of every month. Kids can enjoy a fancy dinner with their family, drink sparkling cider from fancy cups, and pick from fancy accessories to add to their outfits. For information call (541) 928-3052 or visit http://www.theflinnsteakhouse.com/events---specials. html.

Fun-With-The-Animals Work Party. Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, 36831 Richardson Gap Road, Scio.

10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

Free. All ages and abilities. Work parties provide the sanctuary’s abused, abandoned, or neglected farm animals with clean water, bedding, and living conditions.

No RSVP required; just show up wearing farm apparel and boots. For information call (503) 394-4486 or e-mail Volunteer@lighthousefarmsanctuary.org.

Grass Roots Reading Group. Grass Roots Books & Music, 227 SW 2nd St., Corvallis. Free. 6:30-8 p.m. first Tuesdays. 15% discount on chosen book.

For information/book titles call (541) 754-7668 or visit www.grassrootsbookstore.com/book-clubs.

SAGE@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org.

Toddler Time Swim at Otter Beach. Osborn Aquatic Center, 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday through October 3. $5.00/Adults, $4.00/youth 7-17, $2.75/children 0-6.

Children 6 and under are invited to enjoy a fun, mellow time in the pool. One eight-year-old sibling is allowed. Non-toilet trained infants, children, and other swimmers must wear plastic lined, reusable, non-disposable swim diapers. They may be purchased at front Counter at Osborn. A parent or guardian needs to accompany their children. Visit www. corvallisoregon.gov/pool or call (541) 766-7946 for information.

Whiteside Theatre Tour. Whiteside Theatre, 361 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. Noon-1 p.m. first Mondays. Free/members; $5/non-members. All tours of the Whiteside Theatre start promptly. Once a tour enters the building the doors are closed and joining the tour is not permitted. Videography of any kind is not permitted. To reserve a space simply e-mail reservations@whitesidetheatre.org with name, any special arrangements, and the number in the group.

Admission is paid at the door on the day of the tour.

History Inspectors: Exhibit-Based Scavenger Hunt. Albany Regional Museum, 136 S. Lyon St.,

Friday 5

Albany. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Free (donations accepted). Kids can discover the answers to Albany’s history while visiting the museum and earn the title of ARM History Inspector. Includes an activity sheet. For information visit www.armuseum.com/history-inspectors or call (541) 967-7122.

Hoolyeh International Dance. 1180 25th Ave., SW, Albany. 7-9 p.m. every Monday. $4. For information call (541) 967-8017 or e-mail grholcomb96@ gmail.com.

Open Recreation Swim at Osborn Aquatic Center. 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis. 1-3

p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, 1-9 p.m. Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 3. $5.00/Adults, $4.00/youth 7-17, $2.75/ children 0-6. Visit www.corvallisoregon.gov/pool or call (541) 766-7946 for information.

Open Recreation at Otter Beach. Osborn Aquatic Center, 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis.

1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October 3. $5.00/Adults, $4.00/youth 7-17, $2.75/children 0-6.

The water slide at Otter Beach is the second longest at a public swimming pool in Oregon. Visit http:// www.corvallisoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=57 or call (541) 766-7946 for information.

Parent/Child Swim Class. Albany Community Pool, 2150 36th Ave. SE, Albany. 6-6:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. $4/child, free/parents or $37/10 class punch card. Drop in class, no registration required. Visit http://www.cityofalbany.net/ departments/parks-and-recreation/albany-communitypool for details or call (541) 967-4521.

Recreation/Open Swim at Albany Community Pool. 2150 36th Ave. SE, Albany. 6:30-8 p.m.

Mondays; 2-3 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-4 Saturdays. $3/ youth, $3.50/adult, $3.25/senior, $10/family. Children 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult in the water. Visit www.cityofalbany.net/departments/parksand-recreation/albany-community-pool for details or call (541) 967-4521.

Sage Garden Work Parties. SAGE Garden, Starker Arts Park, SW 45th and Country Club Dr., Corvallis. 4-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through October.

Volunteer at SAGE Garden, growing food for local hunger relief organizations. For information e-mail

Cellini. Albany Civic Theater, 111 SW First Ave., Albany. 7:30 p.m. $12/general; $9/senior/junior. The year is 1554, and artist Benvenuto Cellini, the original “Renaissance Man,” is telling us of his life. For information visit http://albanycivic.org/13-14-cellini. htm.

Family Swim. Albany Community Pool, 2150 36th Ave. SE, Albany. 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. $3/youth, $3.50/adult, $3.25/senior, $10/family. Children 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult in the water. Visit http://www.cityofalbany. net/departments/parks-and-recreation/albany-community-pool for details or call (541) 967-4521.

Lava Lake Meadow Hike. Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy. 20, Sweet Home. 8 a.m. $10/ person; $5/senior/Access Pass. Difficult 7-mile hike. Trek along Lava Lake Wagon Road to an old ranger station site and grazing camps. Learn about the prehistoric and historic cultural landscapes. For registration/information call (541) 367-5168 or e-mail tfarque@fs.fed.us.

Preschool Storytime. Corvallis Public Library, 625 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 10 a.m. Fridays.

Free. All ages. Approximately one-half hour long and filled with stories, songs and finger plays designed for infants, wobblers, toddlers, or preschoolers. For information call (541) 766-6793 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/storytime.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. Benton County

Historical Museum, 1101 Main St., Philomath.

Reception 5-7 p.m.; exhibit 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday through October 11. Free.

Hiratsuka’s images bear slight resemblances to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, but also express contemporary aspects of the Western Hemisphere. For information call Mark at (541) 929-6230.

Saturday 6

Albany Farmers’ Market. SW Ellsworth St. and SW 4th Ave., Albany. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through November 22. Free admission. Features fresh, locallygrown, locally-produced dairy, meat, and farm goods.

See http://locallygrown.org/home/ for information.

Annual Open House. Corvallis Academy of Ballet, 108 NW 2nd St., Corvallis. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Try free sample classes, register for fall term, consult with

7th Annual BCSO Chili Cook-off

The Cook-Off will have teams competing against each other along with the Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Fire & Police Departments, Philomath Police Department and various other agencies and departments in Benton County that will be competing to win the title of “Benton’s Best Rootin’ Tootin’ Shoot ‘em Up Chili.” Event benefits the ABC House, a Child Abuse Intervention Center serving Benton & Linn Counties.

Where: Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St, Corvallis.

When: Sunday, Sept. 7; Noon-4 p.m.

Cost: $5/general; $2.50/military ID; free/ children 5 and under.

Info: Nicole Beachboard-Dodson at (541) 231-3719 or e-mail nicole.dodson@ co.benton.or.us. our faculty, purchase ballet attire, and enjoy refreshments. For information call (541) 758-0180 or visit www.corvallisacademyofballet.com.

Antiques in the Streets. Second Ave. and Broadalbin St., Albany. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Antique street sale featuring dealers from across the Northwest. For information e-mail Sharon@albanyantiquemall.com.

Brownsville Farmers’ Market. Corner of Park Ave. and North Main St., Brownsville. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Free. E-mail farmersmarket@gocfa.org for information.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. NW Jackson Ave. and NW 1st St., Corvallis. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays through November 26. Free admission.

Features fresh, locally-grown, locally-produced dairy, meat, and farm goods. See http://locallygrown.org/ home/ for information.

Hidden Treasures: the Backyards of Corvallis.

Corvallis Parks and recreation, 610 SW 55th St., Corvallis.10 a.m.-3 p.m. $15/advance; $20/at event.

Enjoy seven different gardens, plus an added bonus of stopping by a right-of-way planting of over 700 dahlias. The gardens on the tour vary from a Fall grass yard to a close-to-downtown oasis to an integrated, sustainable system. For information call (541) 7666918 or visit http://visitcorvallis.com/event/hiddentreasures-backyards-corvallis/?instance_id=111146.

Pacific Lamprey Geocaching Adventure.

Willamette River from Portland to Eugene. All day.

Free. Ready for an adventure? Get outside to learn about the Pacific Lamprey, one of the world’s oldest and most interesting fish. Explore nature and discover geocaching, a fun, family-friendly activity. A handcarved Lamprey has made its way to the ocean and is ready to migrate back upstream along the Columbia and Willamette, “swimming” from cache site to site

Calendar

continued on page 12

September 2014, Valley Parent

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Calendar

La Leche League of Lebanon. Lebanon

continued from page 11

by way of human helpers. Can you find this cutie and help it on its way? Sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service. For information visit www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=TB58Y59.

Prenatal Yoga. EcoFusion Fitness, 116 SW 4th St., Corvallis. 11 a.m.-Noon. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. $10/class or $70/10 classes. Prenatal yoga is a great way to prepare the body and mind for birth, boost mood, and reduce pregnancy aches and pains. Modifications are available to meet various backgrounds and levels of experience. This class is open to women in any stage of a complication-free pregnancy. For information, call (541) 740-2516 or visit www.ecofusionfitness.com.

Stash Lab. Stash Headquarters, 110 SW 3rd St., Corvallis. 1-3 p.m. $20. Customized knitting workshop. Stuck on a lace chart? Need help navigating sweater seaming? Not sure what project to tackle next? Come to this lab for answers. For information/ registration visit http://stashlocal.com or call (541) 753-9276.

Story Time for Kids. Imagine Coffee, 5460 SW Philomath Blvd., Corvallis. 10 a.m. Free. Story Man, James Warren, reads to children (of all ages). For information visit http://imaginecoffee.net/events-incorvallis.

Cellini. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Sunday 7

7th Annual BCSO Chili Cook-Off. Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St, Corvallis. Noon-4p.m. $5/general; $2.50/military ID; free/children 5 and under. The Cook-Off will have teams competing against each other along with the Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Fire & Police Departments, Philomath Police Department and various other agencies and departments in Benton County that will be competing to win the title of “Benton’s Best Rootin’ Tootin’ Shoot ‘em Up Chili.” Event benefits the ABC House, a Child Abuse Intervention Center serving Benton & Linn Counties. For information contact Nicole Beachboard-Dodson at (541) 231-3719 or e-mail nicole.dodson@co.benton.or.us.

Hoolyeh International Dance. First Congregational UCC, 4515 SW West Hills Road, Corvallis. 7-9 p.m. first and third Sundays. $3/admission. The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances. For information call (971) 2372000 or visit http://hoolyeh.com.

Monday 8

Bedtime Storytime. Corvallis Public Library, 625 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 7 p.m. Mondays. Free.

All ages. Approximately one-half hour long and filled with stories, songs and finger plays designed for infants, wobblers, toddlers, or preschoolers. For information call (541) 766-6793 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/storytime.

Pu’uwai O Ke Kuawa Heart of the Valley Hula.

First Baptist Church, 125 NW 10th St., Corvallis.

5:30-8:15 p.m. Mondays. $5/class. All shapes, sizes, and levels of ability are invited to try this gentle form of Hawaiian dance and expression. For information call Barb Landau at (541) 908-9190 or visit http:// www.corvallishula.com.

Science Pub – Five Fungi That Changed the World. Old World Deli, 341 2nd St., Corvallis. 6-8

p.m. Free. Joey Spatafora will offer a glimpse at five groups of fungi that illustrate the importance of these organisms to medicine, food and the environment. For information call (541) 737-4717 or visit http://oregonstate.edu/terra/science-pub-corvallis.

Wiggly Wobbler Storytime. Philomath Community Library, 1050 Applegate St., Philomath.

10 a.m. Mondays. Free. Ages 0-18 months. Includes simple books, songs, movement, finger plays, and ideas to use at home with little ones. Older sibling welcome. For information call (541) 929-3016.

Tuesday 9

Art Tuesdays: Still-Life Drawing/Painting.

Brownsville Art Center, City Hall, 255 N Main St., Brownsville. 6:30-9 p.m. Free. Work on still-life skills. For information visit http://thesketchbookclub. wordpress.com.

Bow Wow Bingo. Elks Lodge, 1400 NW 9th St, Corvallis. 7 p.m. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. $20 / book and dauber. Six games are played throughout the evening. All proceeds after payout benefit Heartland

12 Valley Parent, September 2014

The Amelia Piano Trio Known for charismatic and extroverted performances, the Amelia Piano Trio has become known as one of the great young chamber ensembles. Also available are CAFA discounts for community members with an Oregon Trail card.

Where: When: Cost: Info:

The Majestic Theatre, 115 2nd Ave., Corvallis.

Saturday, September 13; 7:30 p.m. $15/adults; $10/students/seniors/ veterans/members; $5/children under 12 Call (541) 738-7469 or visit www.majestic.org.

Humane Society. For information call (541) 757-9000 ext. 109, or e-mail www.heartlandhumane.org or donate@heartlandhumane.org.

Celtic Jam. Imagine Coffee, 5460 SW Philomath Blvd., Corvallis. 7 p.m. every Tuesday. See http:// imaginecoffee.net/events-in-corvallis/ for information.

Infant Storytime. Corvallis Public Library, 625 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Ages birth-1. Approximately one-half hour long and filled with stories, songs and finger plays designed for infants, wobblers, toddlers, or preschoolers. For information call (541) 766-6793 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/storytime.

Mama Baby Yoga. EcoFusion Fitness, 116 SW 4th St., Corvallis. 9:45-10:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. $70 for 10 sessions or $10 drop-in rate. A yoga class for moms and babies 2 weeks to 4 months.

For information, call (541) 740-2516 or visit www. ecofusionfitness.com.

Rotary Club of Albany Meeting. Pop’s Branding Iron, 901 Pacific Blvd. SE, Albany. Noon. Free.

Rotary of Albany has purchased and helped install playground equipment, sponsored an annual Christmas party for underprivileged children, provided grants to local service organizations, given scholarships to deserving students, and sponsored recognition programs for outstanding young people.

E-mail dale.stowell@linnbenton.edu for information.

Tuesday Tea Community Event. Live Well Studio, 971 NW Spruce Ave., Corvallis. 11 a.m.Noon. Free. Gather for tea in the studio. Bring a favorite tea to share and a mug. Visit http://www. livewellstudio.com for information.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Wednesday 10

Baby and Me Storytime. Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St., Lebanon. 10 a.m. Free. Designed for ages 0-24 months and their caregivers. Parents can enjoy interactive time with their tot through stories, finger plays, and music. Call (541) 258-4926 or visit www.lebanon.plinkit.org for information.

Health and Environmental Consequences of Genetically-Modified (GM) Crops: Why Labeling Matters. Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 2945

NW Circle Blvd., Corvallis. 7-8:30 p.m. Free. This talk will describe how genetically-modified crops are produced, their role in agriculture, the health and environmental consequences of their use, and the benefits of labeling GM foods. There will be time for comments and questions. For information call (541) 738-2872.

Hey! Look us Over Maternity Program.

Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 NW Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. 7-9 p.m. Second Wednesday. Free. Expectant parents will tour the Center for Women and Families and meet the delivery staff. Call (541) 768-4752 for information.

Irish Dance/New Beginner. An Daire Academy of Irish Dance, Eastgate Business Ctr., 33815 Eastgate Cir., Corvallis. 4-4:45 p.m. Wednesdays. $50/ month. First class is free. For information visit http:// andairecorvallis.com/schedule.html or e-mail corvalliscelticarts@gmail.com.

LEGO Club. Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St., Lebanon. 4-5 p.m. Second Wednesdays. Free.

Ages 6-13. This is an independent activity exploring with LEGOS. We supply the LEGOS the kids supply the imagination and creativity. No registration is

Community Hospital, 525 N. Santiam Hwy., Lebanon.

6 p.m. Second Thursday. Free. Breastfeeding information and support for expectant and breastfeeding mothers. Fathers and babies welcome. For information call (541) 766-0055 or visit http://lalecheleagueoregon.webs.com/locallebanon.

Lebanon Downtown Farmers’ Market. City Parking Lot, Main and Grant Sts., Lebanon. 2-6 p.m.

Thursdays through October 23rd. Celebrating its 5th year as a local market, the large variety of vendors provide fresh farm produce. For information visit http://lebanondowntownfarmersmarket.org/index.htm.

Little Bookworms Preschool Storytime.

Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St., Lebanon.

11 a.m. Thursdays. Free. Children ages 3 through kindergarten. Children will explore their world interactively through books, songs, and more. Weekly themes include craft time. No registration is required.

For information call (541) 258-4926 or visit www. lebanon.plinkit.org.

Teen Makers: Programming with Arduino. required. For information call (541) 258-4926 or visit www.lebanon.plinkit.org.

OSUsed Store Sale. 644 SW 13th St., Corvallis.

5:30-7:30 p.m. 1st Wednesday; 12-3 p.m. other Wednesdays; 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 4th Saturday. Free admission. Items for sale include computers and computer accessories, furniture (desks, file cabinets, tables, chairs, bookcases, etc.), office supplies, sporting goods, household items, bicycles and much more.

See www.surplus.oregonstate.edu for information.

Pre-Natal Yoga. Live Well Studio, 971 NW Spruce Ave., Corvallis. 7-8:15 p.m. $50/30-day intro offer.

Using a carefully chosen set of poses, students learn to support their changing bodies and develop the strength and openness needed for giving birth and the breath and mindfulness skills which are essential to childbirth and motherhood. For information, call (541) 224-6566 or visit www.livewellstudio.com.

Rise and Shine Storytime. Philomath Community Library, 1050 Applegate St., Philomath.10 a.m.

Wednesdays. Free. Children ages 2-4 are welcome to wake up with reading, singing, movement, and rhymes. For information call (541) 929-3016 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/locations-and-hours/ philomath.

Rotary Club of Corvallis Mornings. The Osborn Aquatic Center. 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis.

6:45 a.m. Free. Meet every Wednesday for fellowship, breakfast, and an informative and interesting presentation from a guest speaker. Local projects have included stage curtains for Lincoln School, clothing for residents at Jackson Street Youth Shelter, and art supplies for schools. For information visit www.corvallismorningrotary.org.

Starker Forests & Georgia Pacific Mill Tour.

Comfort Suites Inn, 1730 NW 9th St., Corvallis.

10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Spend the morning touring the Georgia Pacific Mill and the afternoon touring a breath-taking, working forest. The 1/4-mile walk (which is optional) will educate on the different practices of forest management that Starker Forests applies. Remember to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring a lunch.

Seating is limited. For information/registration call Visit Corvallis at (800) 334-8118 or (541) 757-1544 or visit http://visitcorvallis.com/calendar-of-events/ action~agenda/tag_ids~205.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Thursday 11

Baton Twirling Class. Cascade Performing Arts, 800 Harrison St., Lebanon. 4-5 p.m. ages 4-8; 5-6 p.m. ages 9-teens Thursdays. $35/month, ask about discounts. Baton Twirling classes taught by Kailey McKay, former OSU Feature Twirler. Opportunities for performances. For information call (541) 2582572 or visit http://cpac.weebly.com.

Hearts of the Valley Talent Search Open Mic Entry. Old World Deli, 341 SW 2nd St., Corvallis.

7-9 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays. The first and second place winners from this event will be entered into the Next Level, a bi-monthly talent search, where they will compete for a cash prize, a one hour recording session at Wild Rose Studios, and entry into the Hearts of the Valley Talent Search. The first and second place winners of the Next Level go on to compete at the bi-annual Hearts of the Valley Talent Search.

For information contact clay@wildrosestudios.com.

Corvallis Public Library, Youth Activity Room, 645 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. 4-5:30 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays. Free. Ages 12-18. Make cool stuff with SparkFun Inventor’s Kits for Arduino that includes all the bits needed to build a series of basic circuits, no soldering required. Kits will be provided.

Feel free to bring a laptop. For information visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/teen-makers/ or call (541) 766-6794.

Teen Tribal Dance. Odd Fellows Hall, 223 SW 2nd St., Corvallis. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Free.

All –levels. Costuming encouraged. Dance in a group.

Local, family-friendly performance opportunities an option. For information call (541) 740-4632 or e-mail AntigonePilates@comcast.net.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Friday 12

Art Reception: Art of the Garden. Studio 262,

425 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. 6-8 p.m. Free. Stop in for this opening reception celebrating the end of summer and the harvest with a juried show of local artists. Enjoy food, music, gifts, and an awards presentation. For information call (541) 250-2441.

Creativity on the Edge of the Wild. Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy. 20, Sweet Home.

9 a.m. $10/person; $5/senior/Access Pass. Moderate 5-mile hike will descend into the Middle Santiam River at the historic Shedd Camp Shelter through a forest of ancients. Bring a lunch and art supplies. For registration/information call (541) 367-5168 or e-mail odder_or@hotmail.com.

Parents’ Night Out. Osborn Aquatic Center, 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis. 6-11 p.m. $15/child; $12/two or more. Ages 3-12. Ages 3 to 6 yrs. will play games in our Activity Room, and kids 7 to 12 will go for a swim. Visit www.corvallisoregon.gov/ index.aspx?page=275 or call (541) 766-7946 for information and pre-registration.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Preschool Storytime. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Saturday 13

The Amelia Piano Trio. The Majestic Theatre, 115 2nd Ave., Corvallis. 7:30 p.m. $15/adults; $10/ students/seniors/veterans/members; $5/children under 12. Known for charismatic and extroverted performances, the Amelia Piano Trio has become known as one of the great young chamber ensembles. For information/tickets call (541) 738-7469 or visit www. majestic.org. Also available are CAFA discounts for community members with an Oregon Trail card.

Becoming a New Sister or Brother. Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 NW Samaritan Dr., Corvallis. 1-3 p.m. Free. Children will learn about baby care and see a film on pregnancy, delivery, and adjusting to a new sibling. Children should be at least 3 years old and accompanied by an adult. For information/registration visit www.samhealth.org or call (541) 768-4752. ¡los CUENTOS! English/Spanish Storytime.

Corvallis Public Library, Youth Activity Room, 645 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. Free. 11 a.m.-noon second Saturdays. Children of all ages welcome. Venga y disfrute de la fiesta de su biblioteca! Un programa bilingüe cada més en la biblioteca. ¡Gratis! Escucha

cuentos y cante canciones. La sala de reunión. For information call (541) 766-6794 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/los-cuentos-bilingual-englishspanish-storytime

Kid’s Night Out: Nerf Guns with Laser Lights and Fog Machine. Wacky Indoor Bounce, 202 NW

3rd St., Corvallis. 5:30-9:15 p.m. $15 ($12/child for Valley Parent readers). Parents go wacky while kids enjoy a night out. Snacks and beverages are provided.

Space is limited. For reservations call (541) 757-6512 or visit www.wackybounce.com/kidsnightout.html for information.

Little Sprouts: Nature Walk and Pressed Flowers. Garland Nursery, 5470 NE Hwy. 20,

Corvallis. 11 a.m. $5/child. Little Sprouts will be taking a nature walk through the beautiful gardens and picking favorite flowers to create a pressed flower book. For information/registration call (541) 7536601.

Albany Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Brownsville Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Story Time for Kids. See 9/6.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Sunday 14

BBQ Cook Off. Murphy’s Restaurant and Lounge,

2740 SW 3rd St., Corvallis. 1-5-p.m. $10/person.

The 3rd Annual Benton County BBQ Cook Off is a fundraiser that brings the best BBQ chefs in the valley together for a good-natured competition. Sample chicken, ribs and tri tip, then vote for your favorite.

Live music, raffle, and drink specials. For information on entering or sponsoring the event e-mailtrainwiseoregon@yahoo.com or visit https://www. facebook.com/bentonbco/photos_stream

technique and choreography. For information visit www.DowntownDanceCorvallis.com or call (541) 829-0070.

Dance with Me. Downtown Dance, 223 NW 2nd St., Corvallis. 3-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 10-10:30 a.m. Fridays. Pro-rated tuition. Ages 2-3. A joyful first class setting for the very young dancer accompanied by an adult. Provides a fun and imaginative introduction to rhythm, coordination, and expression through dance activities. For information call (541) 829-0070 or visit www.downtowndancecorvallis.com.

Movie at Chintimini. Chintimini Senior Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave., Corvallis. 2-4 p.m. Free/Gold Pass, $5/day pass. 18 and over. Movie enthusiasts, right this way! Each month the theme and movie will change. Popcorn drinks, and other treats available for purchase during the show. Call (541) 766-6959 for information and movie titles.

Starker Forests Tour. Comfort Suites Inn, 1730 NW 9th St., Corvallis. 12:30-4 p.m. Free. Spend the afternoon touring a breath-taking, working forest. The 1/4-mile walk (which is optional) will educate on the different practices of forest management that Starker Forests applies. Remember to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Seating is limited. For information/registration call Visit Corvallis at (800) 334-8118 or (541) 757-1544 or visit http://visitcorvallis.com/things-to-do/starker-forests-tours-2014.

The Incredible Years Class. Department of Human Services Office, 118 2nd St., Albany. 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays through November 19th. Free. For families with children ages 2-10. This 10-week class will teach parents how to use play and praise to build a more cooperative relationship with their children.

Learn how to make clear family rules. Prevent and reduce behavior problems. Free child care. For information/registration call Family Connections at (541) 917-4899 or visit www.parentingsuccessnetwork.org.

The Third Option: Building Better Marriages.

NW 2nd St., Corvallis. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Prorated tuition. Ages 8+ yrs. Fusing a variety of modern techniques and current dance styles. Other times and age groups available. For information visit www.

DowntownDanceCorvallis.com or call (541) 8290070.

Creative Dance. Downtown Dance, 223 NW 2nd St., Corvallis. 3:30-4:15p.m. Mondays; 10:4511:30 a.m. Fridays. Prorated tuition. Ages 3½ -6.

These active classes are a perfect introduction to the world of dance through creative movement games, props, and stories. Skill development includes basic coordination, rhythm, and dance concepts.

For information call (541) 829-0070 or visit www.

DowntownDanceCorvallis.com.

Bedtime Storytime. See 9/8.

Osborn Aquatic Center Meeting Room, 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis. 6:45-8:45 p.m. 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of each month. Recommended donation: $5/adult/evening. The Third Option is a fun, safe place for couples to invest in their marriage 2-3 times a month. Children can have a great time swimming in the meantime. Begin at any time. For details contact Dave Jackson at (541) 760-9637, e-mail ttocorvallis@gmail.com or visit www.mwfm.org.

Baby and Me Storytime. See 9/10.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Irish Dance/New Beginner. See 9/10.

OSUsed Store Sale. See 9/10.

Pre-Natal Yoga. See 9/10.

Rise and Shine Storytime. See 9/10.

Rotary Club of Corvallis Mornings. See 9/10.

See 9/8.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Monday 15

Contemporary Dance. Downtown Dance, 223

Pu’uwai O Ke Kuawa Heart of the Valley Hula.

Wiggly Wobbler Storytime. See 9/8.

Tuesday 16

Art Tuesdays: BAA Member Art Presentation.

Brownsville Art Center, City Hall, 255 N Main St., Brownsville. 6:30-9 p.m. Free. Different BAA Members will present each month. For information visit http://thesketchbookclub.wordpress.com.

Modern Voices Reading and Discussion Group. Main Albany Library, 2450 SE 14th Ave.,

Albany. Noon-1 p.m. Third Tuesdays. Free. Adults.

The group reads and discusses books of all kinds, including fiction and nonfiction. Bring lunch or indulge in one of the treats provided by the Friends of the Albany Library. This month’s book is The Mockingbird Next Door, by Marja Mills. For information visit albanypubliclibrarymodernvoices. blogspot.com or call (541) 791-0112.

Celtic Jam. See 9/9.

Infant Storytime. See 9/9.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Rotary Club of Albany. See 9/9.

Tuesday Tea Community Event. See 9/9.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Wednesday 17

Beginner Hip-Hop. Downtown Dance, 223 NW

2nd St., Corvallis. 3:50-4:45 p.m. Wednesdays.

Prorated tuition. Ages 8+. A fast-paced class fusing dance and athleticism. Classes explore current hip-hop, pop, and funk dance styles through basic

Thursday 18

Anime Club Meeting. Main Albany Library, 2450

SE 14th Ave., Albany. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Ages 11 to adult. Children under 11 must be accompanied by a parent. Fans of Japanese animation are invited to attend Anime Club to play games, create artwork, and meet others with similar interests. For information call Doris Hicks at (541) 791-0015.

La Leche League Corvallis. Multicultural Literacy Center, 128 SW 9th St., Corvallis. 10 a.m. first Wednesday; 6 p.m. third Thursday. Free.

Breastfeeding information and support for expect-

ant and breastfeeding mothers. Babies and children welcome. For information call (541) 766-0055 or visit http://lalecheleagueoregon.webs.com/localcorvallis.

Find us on Facebook as LLL Willamette Valley.

Lebanon Downtown Farmers’ Market. See 9/11.

Little Bookworms Preschool Storytime. See 9/11.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Teen Tribal Dance. See 9/11.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Friday 19

Creativity on the Edge of the Wild. Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy. 20, Sweet Home. 9 a.m. $10/person; $5/senior/Access Pass. Easy, family friendly, 2 ½-mile hike. Follow the historic footsteps of the Kalapuya Indians along the lower floodplains of the South Santiam River. Includes traditional uses of plants. For registration/information call (541) 3675168 or e-mail tfarque@fs.fed.us.

Family Movie Night. Albany Community Pool, 2150 36th Ave. SE, Albany. 7-9 p.m. $3/youth, $3.50/ adult, $3.25/senior, $10/family. Enjoy a G-rated movie. Bring the family and a favorite float. Light snacks will be provided. Movies are shown in the shallow end. For information visit www.cityofalbany. net/departments/parks-and-recreation/albany-community-pool.

Family Movie Swim at Osborn Aquatic Center.

1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis. 7-9 p.m. $4.75/ adult, $3.75/youth 7-17, $2.50/child 0-6. Enjoy a swim-in movie with the family. There will be a different family-friendly movie projected pool-side each month. Visit www.corvallisoregon.gov/pool or call (541) 766-7946 for information.

Parents’ Night Out. YMCA, 3311 SW Pacific Blvd., Albany. 5:30-8:30 p.m. $9/first child; $7/siblings for members; $12/$10 for non-members. Ages 8 weeks-10 yrs. Every month the YMCA will entertain children in a safe nurturing environment while parents take a break. Sign up early; space is limited.

For information call Angie Duncan at (541) 926 -488 ext. 318.

Rollin’ Oldies “50s in the Fall” Car Show. River Park, 1235 East Grant St., Lebanon. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Free. View hundreds of cars, pickups, and motorcycles. Activities include vendor and food booths, live MC-DJ (50s & 60s music). For information call (541) 791-5181 or visit www.rollinoldies.org/Carshow/ PgCarShow.html.

The Sketchbook Club. Brownsville Art Center, 255 N. Main St., Brownsville. 6-8 p.m. $10/annual membership. All ages. The Sketchbook Club is for beginners, experts, and everyone in between. The Club is open to all ages and will teach sketchbook tips and activities to improve drawing skills. For information e-mail shavonne.schu@gmail.com, call (541) 990-9478, or visit http://thesketchbookclub. wordpress.com.

Tony Furtado Concert. The Majestic Theatre, 115 2nd Ave., Corvallis. 7:30 p.m. $18/adults; $15/students/seniors/veterans/members. Furtado is an engaging and entertaining performer who has been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar. His unique sound is a hybrid of Americana and Indie Folk/Rock. For information/tickets call (541) 738-7469 or visit www. majestic.org.

Zumba. Downtown Dance, 223 NW 2nd St., Corvallis. Noon-1 p.m. $8/class or $35 punch card/5 classes. Adult, open level. Join the fun. For informa-

Creativity on the Edge of the Wild Easy, family friendly, 2 ½-mile hike. Follow the historic footsteps of the Kalapuya Indians along the lower floodplains of the South Santiam River. Includes traditional uses of plants.

Where: Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy. 20, Sweet Home When: Friday, September 19; 9 a.m.

Cost: $10/person; $5/senior/Access Pass.

Info: Call (541) 367-5168 or e-mail tfarque@fs.fed.us

tion call (541) 829-0070 or visit www.downtowndancecorvallis.com.

Creative Dance. See 9/15.

Dance with Me. See 9/17.

Preschool Storytime. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Saturday 20

Baton Twirling Workshop. Rise Up Fitness, 734 Queen Ave., Albany. 2-3 p.m. kids; 3-4 p.m. adults. $5 ($4 with own baton). Learn the basics of baton twirling. For information e-mail Kailey McKay at reignbatontwirling@gmail.com, call (541) 760-3467 or visit www.riseupfitnessllc.com.

Albany Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Brownsville Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Stash Lab. See 9/6.

Story Time for Kids. See 9/6.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Sunday 21

Car-Free Festival. Riverfront Park, First St.

between Jackson and Monroe Aves., Corvallis. 1-4 p.m. Free. This family-friendly event will give everyone a chance to gear up for World Car Free Day on Sept. 22. The festival will feature music, food, kids’ activities, information booths, games, and more.

Every attendee will receive a bandanna, arm band, head band, or streamer to hang from their bike or back pack. There will be a collection area at the festival for donations of used athletic shoes through Five Star Sports. Unusable shoes go to Nike for grinding up and recycling, and wearable shoes go to Africa for re-use. For information call (541) 230-1237, e-mail info@sustainablecorvallis.org, or visit www.sustainablecorvallis.org.

Car-Free Themed Story Time. Central Park Gazebo, Eighth St. and Madison Ave., Corvallis.

12:30 p.m. Free. Hosted by the Corvallis library, story time will be followed by a celebratory parade from Central Park to the Riverfront Park Car-Free Festival accompanied by a police escort. For information call (541) 230-1237, e-mail info@sustainablecorvallis.org, or visit www.sustainablecorvallis.org.

G2T (Garden to Table): Hops, Nuts & Garlic.

Garland Nursery, 5470 NE Hwy. 20, Corvallis. 1 p.m.

Free. With fall just around the corner, it’s time to focus on autumn favorites. The focus this month is on hops, nuts, and garlic. Learn how to prep, plant, harvest, and bring this wonderful produce to your table.

For information/registration call (541) 753-6601.

Run for Your Life. Willamette Park, 1350 SE Goodnight Ave., Corvallis. 9 a.m. $15/adults; $5/ youth; free/kids 10 and under (100 yd. dash). Event includes a four-mile easy trail run/walk, a two-mile fun run, walk, or roll on an accessible paved path.

Proceeds will support the multiple sclerosis exercise program in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences. For information/registration call (541) 230-1282 or visit www.corvallisrunforyourlife. com.

The Nutcracker Ballet Auditions. Corvallis Academy of Ballet, 108 NW 2nd St., Corvallis.

Noon-5 p.m. $5. Ballet dancers ages 5-18 are invited to audition for the Eugene Ballet’s Corvallis performance of The Nutcracker. For details visit www. corvallisacademyofballet.com.

Hoolyeh International Dance. See 9/7.

Monday 22

Bedtime Storytime. See 9/8.

Contemporary Dance. See 9/15.

Creative Dance. See 9/15.

Pu’uwai O Ke Kuawa Heart of the Valley Hula.

See 9/8.

Wiggly Wobbler Storytime. See 9/8.

Tuesday 23

All About Breastfeeding. Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, 3600 NW Samaritan Dr., Corvallis. 6:30-8:30 p.m. fourth Tuesdays. Free.

Learn about the many benefits of breastfeeding,

Calendar

continued on page 14

September 2014, Valley Parent

13

Library Story Times Albany Public Library, Main

Mon: 7 pm with puppet show Wed: 10:30 am with puppet show Thurs: 10:30 am with puppet show

Albany Public Library, Downtown Tues:

10:30 am with puppet show

Philomath Public Library Wed:

Philomath Story Time, 10 am, 3-5 years old

Corvallis Public Library Mon: Bedtime Storytime, 7pm, all ages Tues: Infant Storytime, 10 am,

birth-1 year old Wed: Wobbler Storytime, 10 am,

1-2 years old Thurs: Toddler Storytime, 10 am,

2-3 years old Fri: Preschool Storytime, 10 am,

3-5 years old

Calendar

continued from page 13

how to get started and establish a good milk supply, prevent common problems, maintain good nutrition during lactation, and learn baby’s normal feeding behavior in the early weeks. For information call (541) 768-4752 or visit www.samhealth.org.

Art Tuesdays: Open Studio. Brownsville Art Center, City Hall, 255 N Main St., Brownsville.

6:30-9 p.m. Free. Bring projects to work on in the studio. For information visit http://thesketchbookclub. wordpress.com.

Nuturing Skills for Families. Kidco, 300 Market St., Lebanon. 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays through November 25th. Free. 10-week class for parents of children ages 0-8. Parents will learn how to strengthen the bond with their child, take better care of themselves, know what to expect of children at different ages, and use rewards and consequences effectively. Free child care. For information/registration call Kidco at (541) 451-1581 or visit www.parentingsuccessnetwork.org.

Bow Wow Bingo. See 9/9.

Celtic Jam. See 9/9.

Infant Storytime. See 9/9.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Rotary Club of Albany. See 9/9.

Tuesday Tea Community Event. See 9/9.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Wednesday 24

Hell’s Belles at the Majestic Theatre. The Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd St., Corvallis. 7:30 p.m. $18/advance; $20/at door. Come see the one and only, crazy awesome, all female AC/DC tribute act.

Presenting music from both eras of AC/DC – Bon and Brian. An all-out rock-n-roll assault that leaves you both satisfied and begging for more. For more information visit www.majestic.org/hells-bellesconcert Baby and Me Storytime. See 9/10.

Beginner Hip-Hop. See 9/17.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Dance with Me. See 9/17.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Irish Dance/New Beginner. See 9/10.

OSUsed Store Sale. See 9/10.

Pre-Natal Yoga. See 9/10.

Rise and Shine Storytime. See 9/10.

Rotary Club of Corvallis Mornings. See 9/10.

The Incredible Years Class. See 9/17.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Thursday 25

Hearts of the Valley Talent Search Open Mic Entry. See 9/11.

Lebanon Downtown Farmers’ Market. See

14 Valley Parent, September 2014

9/11.

Little Bookworms Preschool Storytime. See 9/11.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Teen Makers: Programming with Arduino. See 9/11.

Teen Tribal Dance. See 9/11.

Zumba. See 9/19.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Friday 26

Walk for the Kids. Century Park, 375 West Rose

St., Lebanon. 5-7 p.m. Donations accepted to support the Lebanon Boys and Girls Club. Walk a mile to help fight child obesity. Door prizes will be drawn after the walk. For information call (541) 990-9000 or visit www.facebook.com/events/719226801471612.

Creative Dance. See 9/15.

Dance with Me. See 9/17.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Preschool Storytime. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Saturday 27

42nd Annual Corvallis Fall Festival. Central Park, 650 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. l0 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission. This event features over 150 Artists from Corvallis and the Pacific Northwest, two stages of live music and entertainment, food and drinks, an Art Discovery Zone for kids, and a 5/10 K run. Saturday Night Street Dance on Saturday of the Festival: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 pm. See http://corvallisfallfestival.org/ for information.

Antique Appraisal Clinic. Samaritan Center, 605 Mullins Dr., Lebanon. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free admission. $10/appraisal (2 items). Featuring Gary Germer, Portland’s highly respected antique, fine art, and personal property appraiser. KSHO 920 AM will be broadcasting live. For information call Shelly at (541) 258-7164.

Baby and Family Walk at the Arboretum.

34901 Frank Parrish Rd. Eugene. Noon-2 p.m. $8/ family; free/members. Having trouble getting outside after the arrival of baby? Wearing baby (or toddler) is a great way to get back into walking and hiking with a young child. Come meet other parents and learn about the many carrier options available these days with Erin Gilliam of The Babywearing Network. Try out a carrier and find the best fit for you and your child during a walk on the Arboretum trails with Jenny Laxton, the Arboretum Education Program Coordinator. Meet at the Arboretum Visitor Center.

For information call ( 541) 747-3817.

Kid’s Night Out: Nerf Guns with Laser Lights and Fog Machine. See 9/13.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Albany Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Brownsville Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Story Time for Kids. See 9/6.

OSUsed Store Sale. See 9/10.

Sunday 28

Audubon Society Bicycle Birding. Benton County Fairgrounds, 53rd and Reservoir Ave., Corvallis. 9 a.m.-Noon. Free. A slow ride to Bald Hill and Campus Day Covered Bridge listening for birds along the way. Bring a bicycle helmet, water and binoculars. For information call (541) 753-7689 or visit www.audubon.corvallis.or.us/field_trips.shtml.

Majestic Readers Theatre. The Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd Ave., Corvallis. $6-$8. Last Sundays.

The Company will offer a production in the “reader’s theatre” style: trained actors, with scripts in hand, make the play come alive through vocal talent, facial expressions, and minimal staging. Reader’s theatre plays are a fun, accessible way to experience contemporary works by famous modern playwrights that might not otherwise be performed here. For tickets/ information visit https://majesticreaderstheater.wordpress.com.

Survival in the Wilderness and Other Places.

Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy. 20, Sweet

Home. 9 a.m. $10/person; $5/senior/Access Pass.

Easy 2-mile hike. Learn survival skills, including how to start a fire in Western Oregon in the snow while it’s raining. Bring a day pack and lunch. For registration/information call (541) 367-5168 or e-mail odder_or@hotmail.com.

Car-Free Festival

Vietnam Veterans of America Breakfast.

American Legion, 480 Main St., Lebanon, 8-11 a.m. last Sundays. $5. All-you-can-eat breakfast includes Belgian waffles, strawberries, bacon, sausage, eggs to order, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, orange or tomato juice, and coffee. For information call (541) 451-1351.

42nd Annual Corvallis Fall Festival. See 9/27.

Monday 29

Bedtime Storytime. See 9/8.

Contemporary Dance. See 9/15.

Creative Dance. See 9/15.

Pu’uwai O Ke Kuawa Heart of the Valley Hula.

See 9/8.

Wiggly Wobbler Storytime. See 9/8.

Tuesday 30

Celtic Jam. See 9/9.

Infant Storytime. See 9/9.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Nuturing Skills for Families. See 9/23.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Rotary Club of Albany. See 9/9.

Tuesday Tea Community Event. See 9/9.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Wednesday, October 1

This family-friendly event will give everyone a chance to gear up for World Car Free Day on Sept. 22. The festival will feature music, food, kids’ activities, information booths, games, and more. Every attendee will receive a bandanna, arm band, head band, or streamer to hang from their bike or back pack. There will be a collection area at the festival for donations of used athletic shoes through Five Star Sports. Unusable shoes go to Nike for grinding up and recycling, and wearable shoes go to Africa for re-use.

Where: Riverfront Park, First St. between Jackson and Monroe Aves., Corvallis When: Sunday, Sept. 21; 1-4 p.m.

Cost: Free Info: Call (541) 230-1237, e-mail info@ sustainablecorvallis.org, or visit www.sustainablecorvallis.org

Albany Fitwalkers. Villas of Courtyard Villa,

1929 Grand Prairie Road. SE, Albany. 7 p.m. First Wednesday. This group sponsors walking events and presents walks around the community. Their motto is “walk for the health of it.” For information, contact Rozy Weatherby at (541) 981-3794 or email wrozy@ yahoo.com.

Live and Learn With Your Baby. Albany Main Library, 2450 14th Ave., Albany. 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Wednesdays through December 3rd. $25. Learn to prepare child for a lifetime of learning. Learn how to support a child’s emotional, physical, and intellectual development through songs, activities, and group discussions. Families can join at any time if space allows. For information call (541) 917-4899 or visit www.linnbenton.edu/parenting-education.

Teen Animanga Book Club. Corvallis Public Library, 625 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis. 4-5:30 p.m. first Wednesdays every other month. Free. Ages 12-18. Teens will preview manga, watch anime, eat snacks, and win prizes in a trivia contest. For information call (541) 766-6793 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/events/teen-events.

Baby and Me Storytime. See 9/10.

Beginner Hip-Hop. See 9/17.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Dance with Me. See 9/17.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Irish Dance/New Beginner. See 9/10.

La Leche League Corvallis. See 9/18.

OSUsed Store Sale. See 9/10.

Pre-Natal Yoga. See 9/10.

Rise and Shine Storytime. See 9/10.

Rotary Club of Corvallis Mornings. See 9/10.

The Incredible Years Class. See 9/17.

The Third Option: Building Better Marriages.

Friday, October 3

Creative Dance. See 9/15.

Dance with Me. See 9/17.

Family Swim. See 9/5.

Preschool Storytime. See 9/5.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Zumba. See 9/19.

Saturday, October 4

Dog Day at Osborn Aquatic. 1940 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis. 10-11:30 a.m., Noon-1:30 p.m., 2-3:30 p.m. $5/dog/session. Celebrate the end of the summer swimming season while dogs play in the outdoor pool. Donations benefit the Corvallis Parks and Recreation Family Assistance Program.

No human swimming. Memberships and punch cards don’t apply. For information visit www.corvallisoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=275 or call (541) 766-7946.

Man with the Yellow Hat Storytime. Corvallis Public Library, 625 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis.

11 a.m. First Saturdays. Free. A special story time for dads (or father figures) & their young children.

Come join the fun. For information call (541) 7666793 or visit http://cbcpubliclibrary.net/man-withthe-yellow-hat-storytime.

Albany Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Brownsville Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Corvallis Farmers’ Market. See 9/6.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Story Time for Kids. See 9/6.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

See 9/17.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

Thursday, October 2

Lebanon Downtown Farmers’ Market. See 9/11.

Little Bookworms Preschool Storytime. See

9/11.

Mama Baby Yoga. See 9/9.

Prenatal Yoga. See 9/6.

Teen Tribal Dance. See 9/11.

Yuji Hiratsuka Works on Paper: Prints, Drawings and Book Arts. See 9/5.

FREE: Your Event in Our Calendar

Deadline 9/26/14 www.valleyparentmagazine.com

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1800 16th Ave SE, Albany 541.924.0160

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