Today's Family August-September 2011 by Today's Transitions

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contents

Volume 20 • Number 5 PUBLISHER

august september 2011

Cathy S. Zion

publisher@todayspublications.com

EDITOR

Anita Oldham

editor@todayspublications.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

Elaine Rooker Jack

elaine@todayspublications.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Jennifer Thompson

jennifer@todayspublications.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Susan Allen

susan@todayspublications.com SALES DIRECTOR

Cheryl Suhr

cheryl@todayspublications.com account executives

Rose Helm

rose@todayspublications.com

Teri Hickerson

teri@todayspublications.com SENIOR graphic Designer

April H. Allman

april@todayspublications.com photographer

Melissa Donald

melissa@todayspublications.com

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production coordinator

Kathy Kulwicki

kathyk@todayspublications.com OFFICE MANAGER

Jacklyn Walker

4 Introduction 6 On the Cover

jacklyn@todayspublications.com COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Melissa Donald

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Silvia Cabib

8 Breakfast of Champions before School

EDITORIAL INTERN

Jessica Smith

Published bi-monthly by: Zion Publications LLC 9750 Ormsby Station Road, Suite 307 Louisville, KY 40223 Phone (502) 327-8855 Fax (502) 327-8861 www.todaysfamilymag.com www.facebook.com/todaysfamily

By Bob Uberti

10 Parents, Broaden Your Child’s Education By Nadyne Lee

14 What You Need to Know about Area Schools By Stacy Westray Tackett

16 Pretty, Please?? Are School Rules Ever Broken? By Barb Hartman

Subscriptions are available by sending $15 to the above address for 6 bi-monthly issues.

18 Kid Food: Bright Colors 22 Kids & Technology By Stacie L. Martin

28 A New Mother’s Story:

Today’s Family magazine is published bi-monthly by Zion Publications LLC and distributed free to the people of metropolitan Louisville and Southern Indiana. Circulation 33,000. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. Today’s Family magazine does not endorse or guarantee any advertiser’s product or service.

By Laura Clark

30 Take a Trip

MEMBER Greater Louisville, Inc., Metro Chamber of Commerce, Area Chambers of Commerce, Better Business Bureau.

Part 5 in a series

By Kelly Watkins

36 Calendar 40 Inside the Playgroup By Carrie Vittitoe

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BBB Rating of

For advertising information, call (502) 327-8855 or email advertising@todayspublications.com.

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introduction

Moving Up a Grade

t is back to school time, and we are ready to get promoted to the next grade. Today’s Family is finding

ways to offer you more information in different settings. We have added to our group of Today’s Family parent writers this year with the intent of pursuing relevant subjects and issues that can enhance the life of your family. Watch for our new Today’s Family Wellness Advisory Group — experts and parents who will talk about health issues affecting children and how to find the best care at the right time. We have introduced Party Places as a section in this issue, so you can have some fun in celebrating the big moments of your life. For this month, don’t forget the American Girl kickoff party on September 16 from 6-7:30 pm at Barnes & Noble at The Summit, where we will introduce the Today’s Girl winners. We partner with the Children’s Hospital Foundation on this fundraiser event for neonatal care. Also, you can keep up with our contests and events via our Facebook page or our online magazine, www.todaysfamilymag.com. We want to be helpful to you and your family. Please send me an email at anita@todayspublications.com if you have specific ideas or suggestions for Today’s Family magazine.

Anita Oldham, Editor

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on the cover

Advertorial

Are they Ready for School? Luke Norris, 10, is a fifth grader at St. Aloysius and is “not ready for summer break to end, but am looking forward to seeing my friends.” Luke is a busy, active student who likes science and playing four different sports for his school. Luke’s cousin, Dani, officially Danielle Kay Norris, 7, is a second grader at St. Aloysius and is “nervous and excited about my new school.” Dani loves horseback riding, playing with puppies, gymnastics, volleyball, and being on the swim team. Luke is the son of Randee and Keith Norris. Dani is the daughter of Krystal and Brian Norris. Luke is wearing a First Wave t-shirt, a Hurley green button up shirt, Levi Skinny jeans, and Nille Mavrk Mib 2 Jr all from Dillards. Dani is wearing2Hip Jean Shorts, MoA pink top, Copper Key tights, and Kenneth Cole Rose Around Zebra shoes, all from Dillards. Photo by Melissa Donald Styling by Wendy Anguiano COVER Artwork by Silvia Cabib

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Breakfast of Champions before School

By Bob Uberti

etting my kids out of bed on the first day of school can be a challenge.

Who can blame them for wanting to stay under the covers? The novelty of riding the school bus wore off long ago. And while staying up late is fun, getting up early is not. Several years ago, the moms in our cul-de-sac began a tradition to make getting up more fun. They planned a start-of-theschool-year continental breakfast at the bus stop for the families in our neighborhood. Our neighbor, Ann Mundt, sets up a couple of tables at the bus stop, and each family brings some of the food: donuts, muffins, bagels, fruit, orange juice, water, and coffee. The coffee is for the parents who hang out with their kids as well as for neighbors driving by on their way to work. My son, Brian, says that he likes the breakfast because he gets to eat donuts for breakfast and hang out with his friends. I must admit that’s why I like it too. The original idea was to host “Breakfast at the Bus Stop” on the first day of school, but these moms are clever. The party takes place on the day before the first day of school at the same time that the bus will arrive the next day. That way the kids can roll out of bed and head to the bus stop in their pajamas. Afterwards, they can hang out and play. But the extra benefit for the parents is that the kids may be tired enough at the end of the day to go to bed on time. Well, maybe.

To get back into the school schedule after the carefree days of summer, some neighborhood mothers created a way to make getting out of bed more fun. They planned a startof-the-school-year continental breakfast at the bus stop for kids and parents.

Bob Uberti lives in Prospect with his wife Mary Beth and Morgan (13) and Brian (9). This is his first piece for Today’s Family magazine.

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Parents,

Broaden

Your Child’s Education By Nadyne Lee

hen we were first married, my husband and I were sitting in the living room watching TV. I heard the annoying sound of running water coming from the bathroom. “The toilet in the guest bathroom is still broken,” I said. “It’s been running for the last three days. I’ve jiggled the lever, but that doesn’t work. It still runs. Tomorrow I’m going to call the plumber.” “No, you’re not,” said my husband, Joe. “I’ll just fix it.” After tinkering with the toilet for a time, Joe jumped in his car and went to Lowe’s. He arrived home with a parcel of plumbing supplies. Within 30 minutes, I had a silent potty and a proud husband. “Mission accomplished,” he said. I looked at him in genuine awe. “They certainly didn’t teach you how to do that in medical school!” I said. “Where did you ever learn how to fix a toilet?” “My dad taught me,” Joe said. As parents, we are our children’s first teachers. We begin our job as teachers as soon as our little ones come into the world. Before our children start kindergarten, they’ve spent over 1,800 days learning everything from walking and expressing themselves through language, to dressing themselves and understanding basic moral principles. Once they begin their formal education, our children are only in school for 180 days a year. The rest of the time, they continued on page 12

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Broaden Your Child’s

Liberal Education Personalize history by telling your own family story. If you have just watched a movie — such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” — do some research. Were there really pirates in the Caribbean? Who was Davy Jones?

Make social studies come alive by shopping together for canned goods and delivering them to the food pantry. Talk about hunger and poverty.

Put a new spin on English by helping your child write and illustrate a story.

are with us. We educate by teaching our children skills, taking them on trips, playing with them, and leading by example. As parents, we support teachers in their jobs as educators. At school,our children learn about math, English, and social studies. They’ll be taught to read and write. They’ll study history and science. Teachers will inspire them and help prepare them for their future. In school, teachers educate in a vertical way: when a first grader graduates to the second grade, the second grade teacher builds on the skills and knowledge the child already possesses. This process continues throughout grade school and high school in all subjects. Teachers assume that they cannot teach everything to everyone. Parents have the opportunity to broaden their child’s liberal education. We offer things not taught in the school system but are useful for survival, like plumbing 101. And we can broaden areas of history and social studies to make those subjects more personal or exciting. As we send our children back to school, we’re grateful to the teachers who will educate them. We hope that through their efforts and through our own, our children will grow to be

Teach your child to read a map. The next time you go on a trip, let your child navigate. Get the atlas out before your journey and plot out your excursion. When in the car, let your child tell you when to exit the expressway or make the next turn. (It’s a good idea to know the route yourself, though, just in case.)

When walking in the woods, educate your youngster about the edible and poisonous plants. Warn her that rhododendrons and azaleas can be fatal. Jack-in-thepulpit contain needle-like crystals that cause intense irritation of the mouth and tongue. Tell your child that mistletoe and nightshade are both lovely to look at but deadly if eaten. But fiddlehead ferns can be eaten if one is lost in the woods.

Show your children how to raise a garden. Help them plant seeds and watch them grow. If you have a black thumb, pumpkins are hardy and usually don’t disappoint. Plus they can be a big hit at Halloween.

Teach your children how to swim. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years. Research has shown that swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children ages 1 to 4 years.

Older children should know how to perform CPR. For classes, contact cpr. center@louisvilleky.gov.

Teach teens how to wash and wax a car, how to fill a car with gasoline, how to change a tire, how to fix a leaky faucet, and of course how to fix a running toilet. If you don’t know how to fix it yourself — like 60 percent of adults in our country— find a copy of The New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean, and Maintain Anything and Everything In and Around Your Home by Reader’s Digest.

Make math practical. When you go shopping, have your child count the money before giving it to the sales person. Have your child make sure you got the right change.

(www cookingatthecottage.com).

Teach These Survival Skills

To boost science and math skills in a very practical way, enroll in parent-child classes offered at Cooking at the Cottage

happy, well-educated, productive members of society. Some of our children may grow up to be authors, some may be able to curb the spread of poverty, while others may become gourmet chefs. Some may save a life. Some may be historians or teachers. And a few may even be able to fix a leaky toilet.

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What You Need to Know about Area Schools By Stacy Westray Tackett

ach year, generally during the week prior to the beginning of school, desperate families appear at our door pleading for help. Most of these families are

new to the area and have recently purchased a wonderful home, close to a Jefferson County elementary school that they know will be a great fit for their family. Just this past August, a young family, Mr. and Mrs. Perfect and their three children, appeared at my door, agonizing over the fact that they were “stuck between a rock and a hard place.” They were new to the area. They had researched the locations of what they thought were “neighborhood” schools and largely based their home-buying decision on their desire to be located close to that wonderful school. The shock and surprise came when, as I have been told on numerous occasions, the school secretary laughed out loud when she heard that the Perfects were operating under the delusion that their children could actually attend that “perfect school.” Louisville’s Jefferson County Public Schools • For a review of each JCPS school, go to www.jcpsky.net. • School assignments are by your address, and the closest school to you is called your “resides school.” This means it is also your home or neighborhood school. You can check an address by going to www.jcpsky.net. Click on schools, then click on resides school. • If your resides school (aka: neighborhood school) does not have an opening, you will be assigned to a school in your cluster that has an opening. It may or may not be close to your home. When you register at your home school or resides school, you are notified whether or not they have openings. You will also have to write down your first, second, and third choices of other schools in your cluster. • Transfers for all students begin May 2, 2011 and go through April 2, 2012. • Option/magnet programs become available October 2011 through January 1, 2012. To apply for one of these programs, you must have the qualifications that apply to that specific program. For more information on option/magnet programs, call JCPS Magnet Programs at 502.485.3323. Louisville’s Catholic Schools • The Louisville Archdiocese has 39 elementary schools, kindergarten through 8th grade. There are eight high schools within the Louisville Archdiocese. Visit http://www.archlou.org/archlou/schools for more information and links to individual school websites. • Thirty-six of these elementary Catholic schools are parish school communities. Joining the parish may improve the chances of your children attending the parish school. But many students attending these schools are members of churches of different denominations. • All of the Catholic elementary and high schools have at least one open house each year in the fall and some have two. Attending 14 A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

open house is a good way to see what each school has to offer. • Each elementary school that I contacted in the Louisville Archdiocese agreed to give me a tour at my convenience. Some schools provide monthly parent information sessions for interested families. • Registration for most elementary Catholic schools is in the month of January. Students often have to start in the middle of the school year, and the Louisville Catholic schools are very accommodating if they have openings. • A placement test is given for all students entering a Catholic high school in the Louisville Archdiocese. The first or second Saturday in December is usually the test date for all high schools. Private Schools There are websites that list private schools in the metro area, including www.greatschools.org. Just enter the search criteria (including public, public charter or private) for the area you desire. Other Public Schools In Kentucky: Bullitt County Schools - www.bullitt.k12.ky.us Oldham County Schools - www.oldham.k12.ky.us Shelby County Schools - www.shelby.kyschools.us In Southern Indiana: Greater Clark County Schools - www.gcs.k12.in.us West Clark Community Schools - www.wclark.k12.in.us Clarksville Community Schools - www.ccsc.k12.in.us New Albany/Floyd County Schools - www.nafcs.k12.in.us How to Pick the Perfect School • Visit the school multiple times and speak to other parents who have kids attending, as well as teachers and administrators, to get as much information as possible. Also have your child “shadow” at the school you are interested in to see a day in the life of a student at a particular school. • Turn in all of your registration paperwork and fees associated with enrollment ON TIME! Don’t be one of those disappointed parents who finds out there are 16 kids ahead of them on the waiting list because paperwork was late or information was missing. • Ask questions and look through each school’s website. Most schools post their school board meeting and parent organization minutes online. Read through these and you will get a wealth of information. • Remember, schools that have open doors to parent volunteers and helpers are usually schools that have a lot to offer. Stacy Westray Tackett is assistant principal at St. Aloysius Catholic School in Pewee Valley. She lives in St. Matthews and is mom to Alexandria (23), Westray (20), and Gib (9). She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Family magazine. She considers herself one of the pickiest parents when it comes to finding just the right school. Between them, her two older children attended Sacred Heart Model School, Manual High School (JCPS), Sacred Heart Academy and St. Xavier High School. Her son is in third grade at St. Aloysius Catholic School in Pewee Valley. t o d a y ’ s

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Pretty, Please??

Are School Rules Ever Broken?

By Barb Hartman

e always knew Sean was different, but it hasn’t worked to our advantage.

My son was born October 2, 2005. This means he missed the cutoff for kindergarten by one day and that he doesn’t qualify to enter kindergarten in the public school system until he is almost six. I wanted him to go to kindergarten last year, just before his fifth birthday. I fought the good fight, but I learned that doesn’t happen in Kentucky unless you are willing to send your child to private school. Before I attempted to work the system, I waited to see what he was capable of. At the end of his year in the “3s” class in preschool, he was able to recognize his letters and write them with some degree of clarity. Numbers were not and never will be an issue for him. I’ve been a room mom for both of my other children’s kindergarten classes, and I knew Sean fell well within the parameters to meet the requirements for entry. I began to talk to locals, and they would all smile and wish me luck. Before I went to the school board, I did my online research and saw evidence of the state legislature making exceptions to the cutoff for other students. I made my appointment with one of the higher-ups to discuss my plight. He could not have been more pleasant, but I could see what was coming in his eyes. “Mrs. Hartman, although I believe that you are doing this for the right reason, (we) won’t approve your request.” When I asked him why, his reply was, “We just don’t — haven’t in all the years I’ve worked here.” He then went on to tell me that I could certainly write to the superintendent and that he would talk to him as well. Home I went and penned a note to the superintendent. This was met with silence. Never heard back. Effectively ignored. Most people quit at this point, but I wanted to see how far up the bureaucratic ladder I could climb. I took it to my state legislator, whose polite response (which was at least a response) was, “We like to let the local jurisdictions make these decisions for themselves.” He told me if there were “serious mitigating circumstances,” an exception could be made. I wracked my brain for hours trying to come up with a “serious mitigating circumstance,” to no avail. So this fall we will have a kindergartner who knows his numbers up to a million (no exaggeration) and can read your basic Dr. Seuss book with little hesitation. He routinely sits down with the family to play the game of “Life” and today was able to tell me what he was owed after he passed payday, paid taxes, and decided to buy life insurance. I can’t even do that without QuickBooks. Don’t tell me holding boys back is good for them because they’re less mature than girls. I’ve got both; if you discipline boys, they respond very much the same 16

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as girls. Don’t tell me holding boys back is good for them because they’ll have the advantage of size for sports. My kids aren’t going to be professional athletes, and as long as they have fun and are active, I don’t care about the team. And don’t tell me to enroll him in private kindergarten, because I PAY TAXES! What I have seen when children exceed the abilities of their age group, is the system attempts to create something that works without shifting the child completely from their systemically approved level of education. For example, a kindergartner who is gifted in math may be put in with a first grade class for that subject. When a child is shifted through multiple grade levels in a given day, that child might balk at the intrusion that the more skill-appropriate classroom offers in favor of a more socially comfortable situation in the lower grade. It then becomes a battle between learning and friends, and what parent is going to tell their youngster they can’t stay where they are most comfortable? What frustrates me most as a parent is all the flowery rhetoric telling me that my child’s best interests are in mind. In reality the system doesn’t seem able to work on a case-bycase basis. If you don’t fit the mold, you are out of luck. I have no doubt that Sean will succeed regardless of the outcome of this little skirmish. Who knows, maybe someone with a little flexibility will cross our paths at school and allow him to go where he will best be served. HE WAS BORN A DAY TOO LATE! If the system can’t work with that, it certainly isn’t going to be willing to tackle more extreme requests. Remember, Indiana isn’t all that far away… Barb Hartman lives in Crestwood with her husband Rob and kids Maeve (10), Liam (7), and Sean (5). She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Family magazine.

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Kid Food: Bright Colors Cook lunchtime recipes that are kid-friendly, quick and nutritious.

eelicious is the brainchild of actress, model, mom, and Louisville native Catherine McCord.

Weelicious is a realistic approach to quick, nutritious eating with unedited videos of cooking demos featuring — who else? — Catherine, her 4-year-old son Kenya and 2-year-old daughter Chloe. Unlike other kid-friendly cooking sites, Weelicious focuses on educating kids and involving them in the process. No cheap tricks, sneaking or hiding pureed veggies into the usual kid-fare like mac and cheese — a trend that has become popular and concerns Catherine. “Our philosophy is to be honest, and include and engage your kids in the kitchen,” says Catherine. “Do this, and you will undoubtedly see a change in their eating habits, particularly if they are picky eaters.” Having grown up in Louisville, Catherine credits her parents and grandparents for her early understanding of the impact food has on our health and well-being. Cooking and enjoying healthy, delicious food were priorities for Catherine’s mom, as was sharing this philosophy with her children. “I also learned a lot from my grandparents about respecting food,” says Catherine. “Gardening, composting, canning, shopping at farmer’s markets; these are traditions I’m now passing along to my children.”

From Model to Mom

Discovered by Elite Models Management at 15, Catherine went on to win “Look of the Year,” Elite’s premier and prestigious modeling contest. From there, she spent her summers in New York or Paris modeling for Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and other prestigious designers in the fashion industry. Catherine soon ventured into television, as well, landing roles as reporter on “Extra!,” “Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve,” and a run as cohost on MTV’s “Loveline” with Dr. Drew and Adam Corrola. Impacted by the devastating attacks of 9/11, Catherine decided

to finally follow her dreams and enroll at the Institute for Culinary Education in Manhattan. She modeled during the day and went to school at night. “It was a juggle,” she says, but powerfully fulfilling. In hindsight, that juggle was nothing compared to balancing work and family. Now a wife and mother, Catherine strives to find solutions to the challenges of busy life. After having her children, Catherine realized she wanted them to delight in fresh, seasonal food the way she did as a child. Observing a lack of resources for other parents to do the same, Catherine created Weelicious as a platform to show parents around the world how easy and beneficial it is to expose children early on to whole, delicious, homemade food. “Involving kids in the process,” Catherine concludes, “will help lead them to make healthier choices as they grow.”

See page 20 for healthy, kid-friendly recipes! Tips for getting kids to eat healthy: • Colors, Textures and Shapes, Oh My! — The appearance of food is just as important as taste, so use shapes, texture, and color to get your kids excited about lunch. • Get Your Kids Involved — Try getting kids into the kitchen to help you cook — they’ll be thrilled they actually made something in their lunch box. 18

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• Remember the Food Groups — Include a fruit, vegetable, carb, and protein in each lunch. Be creative! For instance, the protein doesn’t have to be deli meat; try cheese instead. • Do The Dip — Kids love an interactive lunch, so incorporate a dipping sauce for items like fruit and veggies. • Include the Right Sweet Treat — Avoid processed or high sugar foods and opt for healthier alternatives such as dried fruits, chewy granola balls, or Cheerio cookies. t o d a y ’ s

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Here are some Weelicious recipes from Catherine McCord your kids may enjoy: Red Beet and White Bean Hummus (Makes 3 cups) 1 medium beet 1 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained 1 large garlic clove, unpeeled Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 tbsp) 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp salt 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Wash beet well and place with garlic clove on a sheet of foil. Bring up sides of foil and fold to make a packet leaving room for heat to circulate inside the packet containing the beet and garlic. 3. Bake for 45 minutes or until beet is tender when poked with a knife. 4. Remove skin off of the garlic and the beet (I use a zip lock bag on my hand and slip the skin off so my hand doesn’t turn red). 5. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. 6. Serve.

Kale Chips 1 bunch kale 1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil spray 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Wash and remove stems off the kale and cut leaves into 2-inch pieces. 3. Divide the kale between two cookie sheets lined with a Silpat or parchment paper, drizzle with oil (or spray with oil), and toss to coat (make sure there is a bit of space between the pieces of kale so they don’t steam). 4. Bake for 18-20 minutes (keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of cooking so they don’t burn).

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Strawberr-Wee Fruit Leather (Makes 8 long strips) 3 cups strawberries 1 tbsp honey 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 2. Remove the stems from the strawberries and rinse. 3. Place the strawberries and honey in a blender and puree until smooth. 4. Pour the mixture on to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle (my rectangle was 11x15 inches), making sure that the mixture is completely even. 5. Bake for 2-3 hours (or until it’s dry and not sticky to the touch). Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit. *Every oven is different, so the cooking time may be less than 2 hours if your oven tends to be hot. 6. Allow to sit and cool at room temperature. It takes several hours for the fruit to soften up (when you first take the “leather” out of the oven, the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit overnight, it softens up nicely). 7. Cut with a knife or pizza cutter into strips or use scissors, keeping the paper on, and then roll the “leather” into “roll ups”. 8. Serve. 2 0 1 1

Chocolate Tofu Pudding 1 14 oz package soft silken tofu (I like House Foods soft silken or Mori-Nu firm silken.) 1/3 cup pure cocoa powder 1/3 cup agave nectar (feel free to use a little more if you want it sweeter) 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine. 2. Scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend again to make sure everything is incorporated. 3. Serve immediately or chilled.

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kids

& technology Don’t let your kids open up that cyberdoor. By Stacie L. Martin

magine you are walking down the street. You notice a parent and child standing in the doorway of a house, the parent with briefcase and keys in hand. The 8-year-old child waves from the open front door as the parent leaves for work, calling back, “Have a good day by yourself. Leave the front door open and tell anyone who calls that I’m not home. I’m sure nothing will happen; you’ll be fine.” Unlikely, right? Unfortunately, a child who has access to technology with no security measures in place is just like that child at the front door — vulnerable to all kinds of danger. Today’s technology is definitely a good thing. Kids have information at their fingertips for homework and research projects; teens are within a phone call or text to parents; photos of today’s soccer game can be shared with grandparents across the country before the game is even over. But it can also be dangerous if not monitored. The internet is full of predators preying on kids, inappropriate content is just an innocent click away, and social networking sites

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can turn into a playground for bullies. With 93 percent of Americans ages 12 to 17 years old using the internet1, this is no small problem. So what can parents do to keep kids safe? Plenty! I spoke with parents and contacted Mary Beth Uberti of Operation Parent for some advice on this subject. What follows are some tried and true solutions from those who’ve been there. Teach kids safe netiquette. Make sure your kids know never to give out personal information online. A simple comment about where they go to school or what sports team they play for can be enough for a predator to track them down. Teach kids to use only their first name or nickname, never give out their phone number or address, never send photos of themselves to someone they don’t know, and never agree to meet anyone they’ve met online. “Playground rules” should also apply: no name-calling, starting rumors, or bullying. Establish technology rules. No computers in the bedroom. Restrict the amount of time or the specific hours kids can be online. Have a deadline for technology to be off at night. No texting or phone calls during dinner. And parents must follow the texting-during-dinner ban, too! No downloading anything without permission. Use parental controls. Nearly all technology comes with built-in parental controls. Ask your mobile provider how to activate mobile device controls. Wii, Xbox, PSPs and DSIs all have parental controls. Parents can set restrictions on Windows 7 and Vista and also set up user-specific profiles for each child. Also remember to check out the parent panel on televisions to make sure that children aren’t allowed access to inappropriate content. continued on page 24 t o d a y ’ s

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Take advantage of protection software. Today’s market has many choices for parents who want to protect their kids. Parents should start with a basic protection program such as SafeEyes, BSecure, Net Nanny, or Windows Live Family Safety. These programs allow parents to track the sites kids visit, limit time spent online, and block specific websites, chat, and other applications. Programs such as Slife Web and Rescuetime.com allow parents to track and restrict the time kids spend online. If you suspect that your child might be doing something dangerous online, you can move up to keystroke recording software. This type of software records the actual keystrokes your kids type, allowing you to see exactly what they are saying in e-mails, texts and social media. Use family contracts. Contracts help everyone to understand what they should and shouldn’t do online. Contracts can be age-specific for each child in the household and should be revised as needed. Allow your child to help draft the contract so they have a voice in the rules. Post the rules of the contract next to each computer in the house. A sample contract can be found at www.operationparent.org.

For links to parent resources on technology, driving, relationships, and more, go to www.operationparent.org/prrlinks.html Restrict social sites for children under 13. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace require a minimum age of 13 to open an account. However, Consumer Reports recently reported that as many as 7.5 million Facebook users are 13 or under. Aside from the obvious — a parent who allows an underage child to register for a Facebook account by lying is affirming that lying is okay — ads, posts, and photos that may appear on Facebook are not always appropriate for young children. When your child is old enough for a social networking account, make sure she knows that anything she posts could be seen in public. Don’t just tell her that a particular post or photo is inappropriate; explain to her why it is inappropriate. “Friend” your child so you can see what he is posting. Let your kids know you will be checking on them. Your kids should know that you will be checking up on them. Know their passwords. Check the history to see where they have visited. Review their e-mails and posts to make sure they are being safe. Google your child’s name to see what kind of information is floating around in cyberspace. Set up a Google Alert to let you know when your child’s name shows up anywhere on the internet. As with all areas of parenting, communication is the key to technology safety. Talk to your kids. Make sure they know they can come to you with questions about anything they see online or if they feel uncomfortable about anything they’ve found. It is our job as parents to keep our children safe. We talk to them about the dangers of drugs, teach them how to drive safely, talk to them about good touch/bad touch, and we need to talk to them about being safe in the digital age. Stacie L. Martin lives in Mt. Washington and is mom to Taelor (12) and Andrew (10). She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Family magazine. Lenhart, Amanda and Madden, Mary. Teens, Privacy, and Online Social Networks. Pew Internet and American Life Project, April 18, 2007 1

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A “technology free” weekend – specifically no computers, internet, e-mail, cell phones, landline, iPods, Blackberrys, or TV. The Challengees:

The Martin family – which includes two tweens!

Stacie Andrew

Taelor

Can they do it? Could YOU do it? By Stacie L. Martin • Photos by Melissa Donald

have to admit that when my editor sent out the challenge to go off the grid for a week to the writers’ group, I thought, “Wow, that’s cool. I hope someone will do it so I don’t have to!” No such luck!

When they didn’t get any takers, my editor asked me specifically if I would take the challenge. I had to take a few days to really think about it. I have a Blackberry that I’m required to carry for work. My tweens have lots of scheduled activities, so telephone and e-mail contact is important. And society almost completely revolves around technology these days. I was overwhelmed at how to even begin to “unplug” and still function in the world. However, the part of me that loves a challenge was intrigued. So I said yes, although I talked her down to just a weekend! But it wasn’t just about me. By saying yes, I was also saying yes for my kids, 10 and 12, who are part of the digital generation. For them, life has never existed without the internet, satellite TV, cell phones, and computers. I decided to break the news by making it sound like something fun, but they didn’t buy it! They whined and griped at first. Ok, they whined and griped all the way into the second day of the challenge. But I explained to them that we are a family, and we are going to do this challenge as a family. I thought it would be good for them to unplug for a weekend and learn that it isn’t always necessary to be connected. I hoped I would learn that also!

Friday

9:00p – Sitting with friends when the challenge officially begins. They want to know “WHY are you doing this??” I tell them it is an assignment for Today’s Family; they proceed to continued on page 26 t o d a y ’ s

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good-naturedly tease me about how I can’t use my debit card to pay my restaurant bill or drive my car home because all of those things include technology! 10:00p – I remind the kids that it is past sundown, so the challenge has officially started. Their response, “the sun is still up somewhere in the world, so technically it isn’t sundown!” While I try to stop laughing, they try to find a loophole in the rules that will allow their iPods. 10:30p – Does the washing machine and dryer count as technology? If so, maybe this challenge does have a few bright spots! 11:15p – I thought this would be a difficult time, and I was right – after the kids go to bed, I usually watch the 11:00 news. It is very quiet with no TV on. I also realize my calendar for my busy weekend is on my now off-limits Blackberry!

Saturday

7:00a – Way too quiet in the house – TV is usually on while everyone gets ready in the morning. 9:30a – I pick up my cell phone to find out if a product I ordered came in. Guess I’ll be driving over there instead. Noon – Excited that my newest Netflix came in the mail; I think we’ll watch it tonight. Oops, no TV this weekend, so maybe not! 12:30p – Arrive at a family gathering, but my mom and dad aren’t there yet; I want to call them to see where they are but can’t. 2:00p – My daughter gets a snack from the kitchen, then automatically reaches for the TV remote. She says, “I guess it is just habit to turn on the TV while I eat my afternoon snack.” 2:30p – While passing some time before going out for the evening, I play a game of Monopoly with my son while my daughter reads a book on the couch next to us. For the first time, the quiet is nice! 4:30p – My cell phone rings, but we just ignore it. I have to admit that it is hard not to go see who called.

9:00p – While out with friends tonight, a few of the other kids had iPhones and PSPs; my kids say it really didn’t bother them not to have theirs. 11:00p – That difficult time again; not any easier tonight than it was last night.

Sunday

8:00a – Morning #2 is a little easier, and I got up faster than normal. Usually I would turn on the news and stay in bed to catch a few stories. 2:00p – Preparing lunch, both kids busy doing “non-tech” activities – not really missing the technology much. 4:00p – The kids are counting down the hours now that we are close to the end! We talk about how the weekend has been; my daughter admits the challenge really hasn’t been too bad. Sundown – Challenge concluded! My daughter celebrates by picking her e-book up immediately!

Lessons Learned

We all agreed that the hardest part was not having the television as background noise. I had no idea that we had become that used to it! My son said the challenge wasn’t too bad, but he was tempted several times. I was also surprised at how I began to feel a little isolated by not being able to pick up the phone whenever I wanted. I felt a little “left out” of the world of instant contact. Obviously, in today’s society, there is no way to completely avoid technology. I realized this weekend that it is everywhere and touches nearly every single thing we do: driving, cooking, leisure time, contact with others. Even waking up requires an alarm clock for most of us. For my kids, technology was everywhere around them during this challenge. Their friends all have either handheld video games or phones, the scores at my son’s baseball game were posted on an electronic scoreboard, and there were TVs at the restaurant where we dined Friday night. All in all, a very interesting weekend. Our challenge even inspired some friends to do a tech-free weekend with their kids! So, could you do it? I challenge each of you to try a “tech-free” weekend. If you are feeling particularly brave, go for a whole week! You don’t have to go completely technology free. If your family can’t live without phones, then turn them off! If your kids can’t seem to make a move unless it is on a video screen, then turn the games off. If you can’t speak to others unless it is in the form of a Facebook post, then log off for a weekend. Oh, and be prepared for your kids to think this is the dumbest idea in the world! Come on, I dare you! If your family takes the challenge, let me know about it at www.facebook.com/todaysfamily

Stacie Martin and her kids Taelor (12) and Andrew (10) are back on the grid in Mt. Washington. She is a frequent contributor to Today’s Family magazine. A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r

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a new mother’s

STORY

PART 5 in a Series — In this story series throughout this year, Louisville freelance writer Laura Clark, 28, guides us through her experience as a first-time mother.

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By Laura Clark

ne afternoon I was taking the interstate home when the cars ahead came to an abrupt stop. Fender-benders

were narrowly avoided, and I cursed for a second before I saw the reason for our standstill. A mama duck and halfdozen speckled ducklings scampered across the road. We slowly began moving again when I realized the duck family would have to cross the westbound lane, oblivious to 70 mph tanks, to reach safety. My chest was tight, and I blinked back tears that surprised me. But oh, yeah — this is what it means to be a mother. Carter’s half-year birthday seemed to mark a huge milestone for both of us. In the weeks after Derby, my baby took off. He was scooting, sitting, and attempting peek-a-boo. He wanted to chew on the furniture with his sharp new teeth. He gave me rough affection, digging his nails into my neck and landing an open-mouth slobbery kiss on my cheek. His personality shined as he giggled and said, “ba ba.” Such verbal advancement means I’ve got a limited window to stop using certain four-letter words. Six months into motherhood I thought I might be getting the hang of my new role. I was learning to be easier on myself. So what if Carter learned to crawl chasing dust bunnies? So what if I can barely speak in complete sentences? And sometimes my letdown is out of control and squirts baby up the nose. So what if my energy was so sapped by 5 p.m. that I just wanted to eat cereal, watch “NCIS” reruns, and call it a night? My latest pet peeve is the “good baby” phrase. And I know; we’ve all said it. Sometimes a baby is going to cry no matter what. He could be fed, changed, rested, and listening to his mother do her best Will Ferrell impersonation and he’s still gonna scream all night. Carter is not that baby. “He’s so good. You’re so lucky,” people flippantly say. t o d a y ’ s

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Carter has been mobile now since the end of April. He scoots and slithers across his home’s wooden floors, sits up, though his wobbliness has raised the question of helmet or not, and he tries to pull himself up on practically everything, including a glider and gliding ottoman. LEFT PAGE: Carter and mom, Laura, spend an afternoon rocking on the family’s porch during a nice spring afternoon. PHOTOS: CHET WHITE

“He is,” I reply. “But lucky? Have you smelled me? That B.O. and curdled milk signifies hard work. Nature gave him a sweet disposition; nurturing keeps him content.” Okay, I don’t really say that. Such a response falls somewhere between too honest and nobody-gets-my-sense-ofhumor, which has finally returned. Had I really been so serious? That painful realization came about after a week of teasing my husband. His automatic response was concerned defensiveness. “Jeez, I’m just kidding,” I’d say with a sigh. The ability to laugh at myself, fitting back into clothes without elastic waistbands – yup, six months was a big step for this mama. Somewhere in there I had a confidence breakthrough, too. I feel no regrets about how we’re raising Carter. I feel like I know my baby and can meet his needs (usually with a nipple). I am keeping an open mind as I stand up for my beliefs. It’s overwhelming to know that you’re raising a future citizen, who at the bare minimum needs to learn to survive and cooperate with others. Supposedly having a baby opens up more neural pathways, effectively making us moms smarter. Well, that explains everything. What most people would dub neurotic is really just an advanced intellect and protectionist instinct. This is what I told myself, anyway, when I was overwhelmed with certain epiphanies after giving birth. Amidst the hormone fluctuations and zombie state, my brain eked this thought: We are all connected and should do more for our children. Simple enough, right? But like the

ammonia-stench in a diaper pail, this idea grew and grew until it was so big, it nearly knocked me out. My old belief in not trashing the planet, our bodies, and each other was all I thought about as a snowy winter became a long, wet spring, and late afternoons were spent holding a sleeping baby in the rocking chair. I’d be too tired and too afraid of waking him up to move. So after I fantasized about eating a chicken-pesto pizza and half a cheesecake with raspberry AND chocolate sauce, I thought about things like neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors in plastic toys or the dismal air quality in the city. The sun would fade over the back tree line and baby would quietly sleep in my arms. Meanwhile I wrote letters in my head to congressmen about light rail, pesticide runoff, and the lack of recess in schools. Right about this time you may be thinking what I really needed was to wash a Valium down with a gin and tonic. I thought so, too. But I’m breastfeeding, so self-medication is a no-go. It does seem very intense to condense the world’s ills, but these were old beliefs cultivated through a compassionate upbringing and several years of independent ecological and humanitarian studies. No student loans required. The question really is: What to do with such awareness? Try a little retail therapy and slip into willful complacency? No! That’s never been my style. Parenting means making hundreds of choices a day around some vague, larger picture of turning out a decent human being. Parenting means prioritizing, and such

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priorities are intensely personal in each family. Each family has a right and perhaps an obligation to live their values. I tell my husband this means I want us to be thoughtful parents, even if we wing it much of the time. So we didn’t waste any time decorating a nursery — because we didn’t have one to decorate. We made plans to breastfeed for at least a year and cloth diaper. All other reasons aside, these two choices save us thousands of dollars. We garden and buy local and organic as much as we can. Soon we’ll have our own chickens. Sometimes living our values means saying no to the overload of baby paraphernalia out there. Hand-me-down clothes are awesome, but I drew the line at most toys. Don’t panic, it’s organic! My friends gave me that tagline after I talked about nontoxic toys for half a playdate. Baby slings? Amazing. They keep him calm and sometimes help him off to sleep. Baby music classes? Overrated. If I took my kid to a music class, he would quickly discover how badly I sing. I’m not being humble. I sound like post1990 Bob Dylan when my voice isn’t cracking like a 12-year-old boy’s. Much to our delight, Carter loves to be outside. He’s fascinated by the sounds of birds and wind chimes. A walk in the park blows his little mind. We show him geese and flowers and bugs. All natural stuff aside, I have to admit that I hacked the head off a snake. It was on our screened porch. It wasn’t poisonous, but it was big. Oh well. This is what it means to be a mother. g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 29

Take a Trip By Kelly Watkins

ur weekend getaway was a study in contrasts. We went from hot to cold, from historic to modern, from luxury to roughing it. The whole family, my husband Ross and my children Ethan (12) and Autumn (9), enjoyed it all. We began our adventure with dinner at The Overlook Restaurant (www. TheOverlook.com or 812.739.4264) in Leavenworth, Ind. The restaurant sits on a bluff high above the Ohio River at a spot called Horseshoe Bend. The view of the barges chugging upstream and the surrounding countryside was fantastic, but the fried chicken was a close second. After dinner, we drove across the street to the Leavenworth Inn (www. LeavenworthInn.com or 812.739.2120). The historic main building was built in the late 1800s. There are now four buildings — each with porches and rocking chairs beckoning — which offer Southern Indiana hospitality to weary travelers. I left poor Ross to deal with the cranky kids. I went for a walk on the paved path, complete with little white wooden bridges. Even in the waning twilight, I enjoyed the vista: miles and miles of hills and trees. I had no idea we were up so high, or that the valley below was so — well — low. After walking, it was a treat to return to the welcoming house with the delightful room and the big inviting bed. Following breakfast back at the Overlook (where Ross swears the french toast was just like his mom used to make), I showed Ethan and Autumn the path so they could enjoy the view. They were more interested in playing tag. They are kids, after all. The morning was already scorching hot, so I patted myself on the back for planning a trip to someplace cool: Marengo Cave (www.MarengoCave.com or 812.365.2705) in Marengo. My favorite part of the cave was at the beginning. To our left was a ledge, and below it was another magnificent cavern. 30

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Weekend Getaway

in Southern Indiana

Or so I thought. I was flabbergasted to discover it was an illusion created by illuminating a shallow body of water. What had appeared to be the cavern below was actually a reflection of the roof above. I admit to being a little leery of potentially gimmicky stuff. However, the staff at Marengo Cave was so friendly that I couldn’t say no when they suggested Ethan and Autumn try gem mining and The Crawl. It turns out, I had as much fun mining in the outdoor sluice as the kids did. Once we figured out how to rinse our pans in the water, we found lots of gems. And Ethan and Autumn loved The Crawl, too. The dark and cramped passageways simulated crawling through a cave. But I bragged too soon about planning

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Ethan and Autumn Worrall spent the night in a rented RV when they visited Santa Claus, Ind. Top photo: Autumn poses at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.

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Child’s Eye View

By Ethan Worrall, age 12

Ever spent the night in an RV? We did. There was a refrigerator, microwave, bathroom, bunk beds, and plenty of space. It was like playing in a fort. It was awesome. When I went to Santa’s Candy Castle, I felt like a kid in a candy store (because I was). They had so many choices. There was flavored popcorn, flavored taffy, and their own chocolate creations. Everything looked so good. I finally decided on a chocolate-covered caramel candy. While I drank a frozen hot chocolate, one of the employees made snow. Imagine snow in the summer! I had fun at the Splashin’ Safari water park. Despite all the stairs, the short lines made riding the Zinga and Bakuli worthwhile. Both are big tunnel slides where you go down on a raft. My favorite water ride was the Wildebeest, where you get in a raft and go down a series of tunnel slides and open slides. All the while, magnets give you a boost. The Wildebeest is fast and bumpy, a good combination. My favorite section of Holiday World was Halloween because it has The Raven and The Legend, two awardwinning wooden roller coasters. Some other fun rides were the Rough Riders Bumper Cars (where I chased Autumn and Dad around), the Scarecrow Scrambler (where I tried not to squish Autumn), and the Gobbler Getaway (where I scored the most points in my family, right, Mom?). t o d a y ’ s

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Opening this summer are cool activities. The rest of our new, upscale cabins with huge adventures were outside. We drove decks. These will be available at to Lincoln City and visited Buffalo Christmastime. Hmmm. I’ve heard Run Farm, Grill, and Gifts (www. the Christmas light show is fantastic. LegendaryPlaces.org/BuffaloRun As we drove through the park, I or 812.937.2799). I had never seen loved all the trees which provided a buffalo up close before. They are lots of privacy, even though the majestic creatures. sites were close together. I was Kathleen Crews, the gracious amazed how much room there and knowledgeable owner, assured was in our rental RV. The bedroom us those buffalo were pets. The on one end had a king-sized bed buffalo they raise for meat are kept and half-bath. On the other end in the back fields. I was relieved. was a full bath and a bedroom I didn’t want to think about eating with bunk beds for four people Bambi the Buffalo. and a queen-sized bed. We also got to explore two cabins The kids loved fighting over built in the early 1800s. President which bunk bed they could sleep Lincoln spent the night in one of them in. When I awoke the next morn(probably). Kathleen did a great job The Watkins family enjoyed the beautiful view from ing, I found them in their forts (aka telling us the story. Overlook Restaurant. lofts) reading books. Next, we drove a couple of miles to Needing a hearty breakfast the next morning, we drove down the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (www.nps.gov/libo). I can’t the street to St. Nick’s Restaurant (www.SantasLodge.com or believe that I was born and raised in Indiana, and I’ve never visited 812.937.1902). Upon arrival, I almost formed a wrong impression. here. Shame, shame. We started by watching a 15-minute movie, The dining room was packed, and the buffet table appeared mighty but we were soon back in the sweltering heat walking around the small. Never fear! The staff kept the food continually refilled, and living historical farm. This is the site where President Lincoln grew every bit of that food was good. up. Although the actual cabin is gone, there is a reproduction of the We were ready to take on a full day of adventure at Holiday homestead. Ross enjoyed showing the kids the ingenious design of World (www.HolidayWorld.com or 877.463.2645). The park is the lathe in the carpenter’s workshop. divided into themed sections, celebrating various holidays. I was more intrigued by the house. Ethan and Autumn were During our visit, we experienced weather representing excited to climb the pegs wedged into the wall that led to the loft. all the seasons. The forecast called for 97 degrees, and we At one point, there were five children living in the one-room house dressed accordingly. Then the cold spring rains came. These along with the adults. I can’t imagine. were followed by winter chills, as the breeze blew through It was snack time, and Autumn claimed it’s never too hot for hot our rain soaked clothes. I volunteered to trudge back to the chocolate. She proved her theory at Santa’s Candy Castle (www. car for jackets. Everyone else wanted to keep riding. Nothing SantasCandyCastle.com or 812.544.3900). They serve frozen hot would stop my gang from enjoying Holiday World. By the time chocolate. It was scrumptious. What else do you need on a hot day? I reached the parking lot, the sun poked through the clouds, Why, snow of course. Martha, the infectiously friendly staff person, and the humidity soared. Forget the jackets! made snow in a bowl right in front of our eyes. Then she made it The only season we hadn’t experienced was fall. However, snow in the room. A 3-year-old boy who was in the store got so we managed a couple of nice falls on the Frightful Falls log excited that he stuck out his tongue and tried to catch the snowride. The best part of the strange weather was — no lines. flakes. It was precious. What’s better than riding the best wooden roller coasters In the store’s two-story circular room, Ethan and Autumn sat at in the world? Getting to ride them multiple times. We did computers and chatted with elves. Yes, elves. When Autumn’s elf, stop occasionally for some free soft drinks. You have to love Gilbert, started asking tough questions about cleaning her room, a park that gives you so much for free — drinks, sunscreen, Autumn began to get nervous. In the end, she was delighted to parking, Wi-Fi hotspots, and a “Holiday World & More!” app receive a framed certificate proclaiming she was on Santa’s good for my iPhone. list. Pshew! That was a close call. We rode the Gobbler Getaway three times in a row, and my Santa’s Candy Castle specializes in gourmet popcorn, with twenty turkey caller was defective every time. (Really, the caller was rotating flavors. The most colorful ones in the glass display jars were fine. I just didn’t like admitting to my slightly competitive famgreen apple, grape, and chocolate banana. ily that I couldn’t shoot.) For dinner, we drove off the beaten path to the Chateau When the temperature continued to rise, we moved to the wet Family Restaurant & Bar (812.937.4386) in the small town of side — Splashin’ Safari water park. Autumn can verify that the best Mariah Hill. The place was filled with locals, and I always conpositions on the Wildebeest (voted “Best New Water Park Ride”) sider that a good sign. We chose the buffet, and the ribs were are front and back, where you can “catch air.” How did she know? melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. Perfect timing. Ethan had just She managed to test all four seats. been whining that he wanted ribs. He also loved the mud pie What a weekend. Who knew that combining hot and cold with pudding, a concoction made with crumbled up Oreo-like cooknew and old could be so much fun — so close to home? ies. I concurred with his recommendation. We spent the night at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort Kelly Watkins helps companies develop leaders and improve (www.LakeRudolph.com or 877.478.3657) next to Holiday World. their service. Her work takes her all over the planet, and she They were twice named “National RV Park of the Year.” The place is loves to write about her travels. You can reach her at huge, with 472 places to stay — cabins, RV rentals, tent campsites, www.KeepCustomers.com or 812.246.2424. and sites for your own RV. 32 A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1 to d a y ’ s F A M I L Y

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c se

Pa r t y Pl ace s Featuring …

local children’s birthday parties held at fun places of business. Party coverage includes: • We will send a professional photographer to photograph and report on the Party. See Party at the YMCA for example on opposite page. • Business Directory Listing describing party options. See example below. • Coverage on Facebook … facebook.com/todaysfamily, plus viewer comments. • Inclusion in E-blast to registered readers. • Posted on www.todaysfamilymag.com

This is a unique venue for businesses offering children’s party services. For advertising rates and information, call 502.327.8855, or email advertising @ todayspublications.com. The October/November issue deadline is: August 25, 2011

PARTY PLACES DIRECTORY BUSINESS/ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER/WEBSITE

EVENT OR ACTIVITY FEATURES

YMCA

502.587.9622 www.ymcalouisville.org

The Y has several great ways to celebrate birthdays with fun filled activities! Options vary at Y locations and include pool, Calypso Cove, Hawaiian luau, Wii play, rock climbing, party art, pirate, Disney princess, Twilight, Justin Bieber, Toy Story and more! Come and celebrate with the Y; have your party with us and it will be a blast!

Several Kentuckiana locations

Quality Resource for Quality Time 9750 Ormsby Station Road, Suite 307 • Louisville, KY 40223 • 502.327.8855 facebook.com/todaysfamily • Email: advertising@todayspublications.com • www.todaysfamilymag.com A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r

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today ’ s

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Party Trends Party at theYMCA

Zander Chan (dad), Zada Chan, and Marissa Mudd

Zada Chan celebrated her 7th birthday with a Wii Play Party.

Photo cour

tesy of amy

Lisa Easton of Cakes by Lisa E. created this cake for Emery Colleen Dawn Martin on her third birthday because of Emery’s love of giraffes.

This birthday party had something for everyone! Zada Chan celebrated her 7th birthday on July 9 at a Wii Play Party at the Oldham County Y. Besides playing multiple Wii games and sharing birthday cake, the 25 guests also got to swim in the Y’s pool. “We chose the Wii birthday party because it allowed us to have two fun activities for the kids,” says Danelle Chan, mother of the birthday girl. “While we were eating and opening presents, and also waiting for guests to arrive, kids were able to play Wii. After birthday festivities, the kids were able to swim in the pool for an hour. The Y staff was very friendly and helpful.” Happy Birthday Zada!

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Parents are hosting a variety of parties for their children that range from the simple to the most elaborate. The trend continues toward keeping with a child’s interests and passions. You can customize the party to be perfect for your child. Many parents are ordering cakes or cupcakes specially decorated to surprise and entrance their child. Cake decorators are rising to meet the demand and can create almost anything imaginable.

Beyond the cake, the location and activities seem to be the most important thing. You have so many local options for locations to host parties for your children. The best thing to do is to look at your child’s interests and find the place that will thrill your child the most. So many kid-friendly places offer party options. Bowling alleys, movie theatres, gymnastics studios, beauty salons, museums, swimming pools, cooking schools, paintyour-own craft places, and parks all offer birthday party packages. For instance, the Louisville Nature Center offers a birthday party that includes a nature hike. The Louisville Science Center has a Super Genius party that includes full run of the museum’s exhibits. The Louisville Slugger Museum’s package includes the batting cage and souvenir slugger miniature bats. The YMCA offers a party for all kinds of interests, including those with pool, pirate, and Justin Bieber themes. Louisville Gymnastics has an hour of instructor-led gymnastic activities included in their party package. So, spend some time thinking of your child, and you can find a party that he or she will remember forever.

(left to right) Abby Baker, Zada Chan and Leah Brough

While we were eating and opening presents, and waiting for guests to arrive, kids were able to play Wii.

PA R T Y P L AC E S

CALENDAR

BIG: The Musical

Drop-In Family Science Event: Merlin’s Beard!

Discover how fun science and history can be. Find out how castles are built, design your coat of arms, investigate the science of sword fighting, and get the true story behind medical leeches and magical alchemists. The activities will conclude with a story-telling by the Louisville Free Public Library.

WHEN~ August 5-14 WHERE~ Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theatre COST~ $27.50 CONTACT~ 800.775.7777

Louisville Walk Now for Autism Speaks

According to the organization Autism Speaks, Autism is the most rapidly-growing developmental disorder in America. Come support families and kids with autism on this fun, family-friendly day. Participants will do a charity walk along the Louisville waterfront to raise awareness for the cause.

WHEN~ August 27, noon-4pm WHERE~ Louisville Science Center COST~ $6/members, $9/non-members CONTACT~ www.louisvillescience.org

Apple Picking Time at Huber’s

WHEN~ August 20, 9 a.m. WHERE~ South Great Lawn COST~ Donations accepted. CONTACT~ 785.492.8773 or http://givenow.autismspeaks. org/louisville.

Fall is in the air and apples are in season! Catch a wagon ride at Joe Huber’s Family Farm and Restaurant out to the orchard to pick your own delicious red fruit. Then take the kids over to the cornfield maze and search for the hidden scarecrows. Stop by the gift shop for beautiful, fall items to decorate your home with a seasonal look.

Wine Tasting and Auction

This event will raise money for the Exploited Children’s Help Organization (ECHO). Louisville’s First Lady, Dr. Alex Gerassimides, is serving as the local honorary chairperson.

WHEN~ September WHERE~ Joe Huber’s Family Farm and Restaurant COST~ Apples priced per pound CONTACT~ 812.923.5255 or info@joehubers.com

WHEN~ Friday, August 26, 6-8pm WHERE~ Starks Building Atrium, 455 South 4th St. CONTACT~ ECHO at 502.636.3670 or echolou@aol.com.

Bernheim’s ECO Kids Discovery Days: Cryptzoology

Touch a Truck

Does your child like cars or trucks? During this children’s program, which coincides with the 13th Clarksville Community Yard Sale, kids will have the chance to explore a displayed fire truck, police car, school bus, and many other interesting vehicles.

Children and their families will learn about cryptzoology, the study of hidden animals, and see how many hidden animals they can discover in the process. The On-Your-Own Challenge will be offered in the Visitor Center from 9am to 5pm and Discovery Stations will be present from 1pm to 4pm.

WHEN~ August 27, 10am-noon WHERE~ Clarksville Town Hall/ Community Center COST~ Free CONTACT~ 812.283.5312

WHEN~ September 3 WHERE~ Bernheim Visitor Center, 2499 Kentucky 245, Clermont, Ky. COST~ Free, *non-members pay a regular $5 admission fee CONTACT~ 502.955.8512

Are you DEADLINE: AUGUST 31, 2011!

of events

CONTEST

See Lady Antebellum in Concert! You could win tickets to the Lady Antebellum concert at the Kentucky State Fair on August 18. Go to www.facebook.com/todaysfamily for more details! Frazier’s Family Days “Native American Heritage” Discover the lives of the “First Americans” through activities, crafts, and performances in celebration of Native American history. WHEN~ September 10, @11 a.m. WHERE~ The Frazier History Museum COST~ Museum admission and activities are free for Kids Club Members CONTACT~ 502.753.5663 or visit www.fraziermuseum.org/ visit/admission-hours/

American Girl Kickoff

Join in fun American Girl activities, hear from Lisa Yee, award-winning author of the 2011 American Girl of the Year book, “Kanani,” win door prizes and find out who will be honored as Today’s Family magazine’s Today’s Girl winners. See below on how to enter. WHEN~ September 16 from 6-7:30pm WHERE~ Barnes & Noble, located at The Summit

Today’s Family magazine is accepting entries for an essay contest for the Today’s Girl award, which will be given to three girls in different age groups (ages 7-8. 9-10, and 11-12). The personal essays should be less than 300 words and should answer the question, “Which American Girl do you have the most in common with and why?” The essays should be written by the girl and be in the girl’s voice. Essays will be judged on content, originality, and the girl’s level of community involvement.

Each winner will receive 2 tickets to the American Girl Fashion Show Tea opening night October 7. Winners will also be featured in Today’s Family magazine.

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