Category Archives: Education

Pumpkin Patch Kids

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The older kid, Primo, has been sick the last couple of days. Super sick too, not just the feeling the blues but throwing up on daddy multiple times. I feel bad for him but come on. Getting thrown up on once is part of the deal with being a parent but he seemed to wait for me to comfort him and then let it loose. Grammie and mommy were here and they got no chunks hurled on them, but me, I got a multitude. Monday was evacuation day in Primo’s little body and then Tuesday and Wednesday were sleep it off days. The kid was like his papa back in the day sleeping off a weekend of revelry. He woke up and looked at breakfast before going back to sleep on the couch for 3 hours. Then would be awake for a minute to get some water before taking a 5 hour nap. The rest was good and by Wednesday night the kid was back to pissing off his brother and eating food.

Thursday morning I had to wake the boys up for school and get them dressed, fed, and in the car rather quickly. Luckily I am a world class dad with gathering skills and we made it to school in plenty of time. Segundo had a trip to the pumpkin patch so it was important to get Primo dropped off and get on our way. Only thing was Primo wasn’t in on the plan. That or he was deliberately sabotaging it to tarnish my world class dad image. Either way we did not get the kid dropped off at school because he was not emotionally or physically ready to get back into the learning fray. he latched onto my leg and used all manner of crying, whimpering, and coercion to get me to take him back home. The problem was we weren’t going home, we were going to the pumpkin patch, and had I known he wasn’t going to school today we had a sitter for him. But I canceled that when we left for school and now I was in a pickle. I knew he wasn’t really that sick anymore but that he was not ready for school. I didn’t want him to take over Segundo’s class trip by being the cool big kid that can jump from the high hay bale to the ground. Little brother needs to be his own man at his school so I felt bad. I also didn’t want to reward skipping school for the pumpkin fun land either but thought it better to error on the side of nurture. Going home and skipping the patch was also a terrible idea since Segundo would get punished for big brothers issues.

So we went to the pumpkin patch and let Primo know that he would not being joining in any of the reindeer games. We walked to the pumpkins while the rest of the class rode in the trailer behind the tractor. We carried Segundo’s pumpkin back to the hay maze and watched as he maneuvered the rows with his friends. We sat to the side and ate our own apples while the pre-school kids sat in their circle and counted apples and corn stalks. When it came time to climb the hay pyramid I let Primo loose to play. He was magically healed when we arrived at the pumpkin patch but I let him know that I was frustrated with his actions early in the morning. He will go to school tomorrow, we have talked about it. But today he played hooky without stepping on his brothers game.

 

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Manga Guides to all sorts of subjects

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Lately I’ve been reading a bunch of Graphic novels and really enjoying the story telling medium. I was not much of a comics kid growing up though I do remember reading my cousins Richie Rich comics when we would come to visit. It wasn’t until well into adulthood that I got ahold of a series of comics and really connected with the genere. Recently I was sent a couple of Books from No Starch Press to have a look at and it seemed to go right along with this new found appreciation of graphic novels and comics. The books were The Manga Guide To The Universe and The Manga Guide To Physics. Manga was a genere that I had not really had chance to explore and these books were an interesting entrance into Japanesse comic style.

The Manga Guide To The Universe combines comics, explanatory paragraphs and diagrams, and even a little history of Japanesse culture using a couple of High School characters to guide us through. Answering questions like “Is Earth the center of the universe?“ and “What’s it like at the edge of the universe?” with graphic story telling and in depth explanations. I liked how the comics lead you into a subject and then the more technical part came at the end. There was almost a softening up and easing into new subjects before getting into the meat of the information.

The Manga Guide To Physics uses the same format of comics and paragraphs but this time we are reading about Megumi, an all-star athlete that needs a little help with her Physics. The Law of action and reaction, force and motion, momentum, and energy is covered but through story. There are even lab exercises in the book for the reader to put what they are learning into action. This seems like a great book for those students taking physics right now as well as those that just want a refresher course on the basics. Having not taken Physics myself it was kid of fun to dig into the subject right along with Megumi.

I don’t know that I am a big Manga fan and I think that you should be to fully appreciate these books. While the subject matter is great I think that a familiarity with the comic style would help. If you like Magna already or know someone that does then these are the books for them. They deal with complex subjects in a fun narrative way. There are Manga titles on a wide range of subjects at the No Starch website so if Physics and the Universe don’t grab you attention maybe Statistics, Calculus, or Relativity will. Check the wide range of titles at the site and start learning a new subject or catch up with one you may have forgotten.

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Back to kindergarten plan A

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Way back in March I wrote a couple of posts on the School choice issue. We were in the proces of turning in our applications for the charter schools and our Portland Public School choice form. Since then we settled on our Neighborhood school after not getting in to any of the Charter Schools and changing our mind about the Public school that we got into. We were excited to start the school year firmly established in our local school and the first couple of days were great. Primo loved his friends and the new teacher was excited to be there. She even brought in a sub that played guitar while she had a certification class. We were riding our bike to pick him up each day and he was tired but happy. Then we got the call that our spot on the waiting list of Trillium Charter School was up and would we like the last spot in their Kindergarten class.

So we had the decision, stay with the local school that we wanted to be part of the change of making the school better, or go to the established Charter school that seems to be a great fit for Primo and the way he learns. We thought about it a little bit and didn’t make a decision until visting the school but it was an easy decision in the end. Trillium is smaller school with high parent involvement and a project based teaching style that both Beautiful and I love (and that is no small feat finding a program of teaching that we both agree on). When I told Primo that he might be switching schools he said “it’s OK daddy, I will make friends at the new school too.” After all this we are going to have him write a book on dealing with change since at 5 he seems to have a good handle on the subject.

He has made friends but it has taken a week or so. The rest of the kids have been together from Pre-school on so he had some barriers to over come. Just like when he came into Pre-school and broke through the established social connections he’s making friends again. Friends that write notes to him about how much they love him being in their class. The school day is shorter so it looks like Beautiful’s dream of me getting back to paying work will have to wait, but we are all really excited about the amazing opportunity we have. It feels like we are in a Private school way out of our pay range instead of a free charter school in the public school district. We fell lucky and know our son is getting a great education. There is a likely spot for Segundo since siblings get preference in the lottery process but we will make that decision when he is ready.

Popularity: 6%

Cooking with Kids thanks to Whole Foods

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Last week the boys and I went to Whole Foods downtown and learned to make “Lazy Lasagna” with chef Matt Talavera. We were there with a couple of other parents who blog to make a healthy meal for our family and to learn about a couple of things Whole Foods is doing in Portland and around the nation through their Whole Kids Foundation. The kitchen was situated above the store with huge windows overlooking the ailes of shoppers and food. We grabbed our spot on the end of the table, pulled up a couple of chairs so the boys could reach the ingredients and got started making a tasty beet salad to eat there and Lasagna to take home and share with Grandpa Tom Tom when he comes to visit this week.

The boys were adventurous eaters and commented on everything they tasted like the annoying, precocious, and cute kids that they are. Primo said that the sweetness of the caramelized nuts went well with the saltiness of the goat cheese, and they ate every bite of the beet salad. They had fun building the layers of the lasagna and getting there hands messy with sauce and cheese and then licking them clean. When we were finished you could see how proud they were of the dinner they made and I can’t wait to relive the story when we eat their meal with Tom Tom. Including kids in food preparation not only encourages them to be creative adventurous eaters but also helps build an understanding of where food comes from and what different tastes add to meals.

After the meal was prepared we got a chance to taste a Lasagna that was cooking as we assembled ours and it tasted great. It was a simple meal made with fresh ingredients and all of us enjoyed every bite. We brought our tupperware home and told Beautiful all about how the boys are now chefs too. A cooking class with your kids is a great activity to think about doing by the way. Let me know if you want any of the recipes from our time and if you live in Portland be sure to check out The School Lunch Shakedown Tour at Sunday Parkways, OMSI, or Chapman Elementary School. you can find more information below:

The School Lunch Shakedown Tour Wheels Around Portland

 

WHAT:         Whole Foods Market and B-Line Cycles will be cruising around Portland giving away free salad shakers – healthy salads layered with fresh vegetables in shakeable containers – to children and families at five different locations Sept. 24 and 25. The tour promotes the new Whole Kid’s Foundation School Garden Grant Program, which provides grants for school and community gardens.

During this rolling tour, kids who sign a pledge to eat healthy school lunches will be entered into a drawing to win one of two $250 gift certificates to the Bike Gallery. (One boy and one girl winner will be selected.) By making the pledge, kids (12 and under) will earn a one-year membership to the Whole Kid’s Club which entitles them to a free healthy food item each time they visit a local Whole Foods Market store.

Information will also be provided to parents, letting them know how they can apply to the Garden Grant Program on behalf of their neighborhood school or community garden.

 

WHEN:         Saturday and Sunday September 24 and 25

 

WHERE:       OMSI Power to the Pedal event, 1945 SE Water Ave.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Chapman Elementary School Swift Watch, 1445 NW 26th Ave.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Parkways at Woodlawn Park, NE 13th Ave. and Dekum St.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Sunday Parkways at Alberta Park, NE 22nd Ave. and Killingsworth St.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Sunday Parkways at Fernhill Park, NE 37th Ave. and Ainsworth St.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

 

COST:           FREE

 

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Back To School boost with Emergen-C Kidz

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School is back in session and we have had a busy start to the academic season. Segundo has started pre-school and Primo has already switched schools in Kindergarten. Along with the start of school we have had the start of cold season. Both boys have gotten sick after only one week of hanging out in the germ factories of school class rooms. Luckily we were sent three boxes of Emergen-C  to help fight cold season and compliment the morning vitamins the boys are already taking to boost their immunity and over all health. It’s not just the boost immunity to combat the contact with more kids that we like about Emergen-C, there is also the Kidz Pledge that the company is doing to help provide necessary vitamins to kids:

 For every box of Emergen-C Kidz® sold, we will donate 25 cents to Vitamin Angels, to provide essential nutrients to one child for one year, helping reduce childhood mortality worldwide. For every pledge, we will donate an additional 25 cents† to Vitamin Angels, which means your commitment to your family’s health and wellness can help save a life too!

You can go to Emergen-C Kidz Facebook page to see more information about the pledge and take it your self as well as find great recipes for incorporating Emergen-C into treats, get free samples, and download tips to help kids stay healthy and active. Check out the Facebook page, take the pledge, and help keep our kids healthy. My boys have made Emergen-C part of their vitamin regiment and not only like the taste they like the process of stirring in the powder and watching the reaction in their glass of water. Now with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, and immune boosting vitamins we should be ready to face this new school year and stay healthy year round.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Emergen-C and received samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Popularity: 4%

It begins, but also continues

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Tomorrow is the first day of school for Primo. His first day in the big scary world of public school where we drop him off at 8 and don’t get to see him again until after 2 in the afternoon. We met the teacher, checked out the class room, got the lay of the land. He is excited, anxious, ready for to get started. We talked about his feelings about the new adventure and he has no fears that he can articulate, just nervous excitement. I’m not sure how I feel about the whole thing other than ready. I’m ready for him to get this public education started and see where journey takes us. Beautiful will drop him off tomorrow on her way to work and I think she will respond with the proper emotion sending her baby into the world, releasing more control then we have previously let go of. I will be there to pick him up and pick his brain. Gauge his response, talk about the other kids, and get the lay of the people. He will not provide enough information to satisfy our curiosity but we will learn a lot from his demeanor.

I feel like this should be bigger for me, and maybe it will be tomorrow, but for now I am ready to let him go. To let him drift a little from the boat and see if he can swim, to find his way back. I’m ready to see what he will learn and what he already knows. He’s 5 but already I see a 5 year old that makes good decisions. I’m looking forward to seeing how he makes decisions in this new world and what he brings back. I’m proud of him and I’m excited to see where this roller coaster takes us.

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Even Dads can raise awareness and end infant abuse

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As time passes we remember bits and pieces of early days of having kids and most of it lumps together to form bigger themes but one of the scenes I remember clearly is a night in the first or second month of Primo’s life when he would not stop crying. Beautiful tried to sooth him, I swaddled and shimmied and shooshed all around the room. We took shorter and shorter shifts becoming frustrated by the impotent felling of holding such small thing making such a loud and piercing noise and becoming more and more aware at how powerless we were to fix the situation. We snapped at each other when one would offer a suggestion and I may have even cried in the corner of Primo’s room while he screamed in his bed. It is an awful feeling running out of solutions and having to just bathe in the cries of your young child.  We knew this was normal. We read the books, heard the stories, read the great websites like this one and still it was almost overwhelming not to able to make it better for our little boy.

As a dad I wanted to fix the problem but this was a situation where there was no identifiable fix. That whole helpless uncommunicative thing with babies makes it tough for them to effectively tell us what is wrong and even as we pick up on the easy things like dirty diapers and hungry kids there are still other ailments we don’t know about. I want parents and especially dads to know that this is normal. It sucks balls to go through but it is normal. You need to stay calm and tap into reservations of patience that you never had to use before. There will be times when you need to put the baby down and go into another room to recharge. When you feel that frustration building it is so important that you find a release for it away from the baby. Four times every day a baby is shaken or abused and it is not always some horrible parent doing the shaking. We would like to think that this is an issue somewhere else but we have all felt the frustration and powerless feelings that lead to shaking a baby. I have anyway. I have had those feelings bubble up to the surface while holding both of my boys and it is a scary feeling.  We all need to find tips for dealing with these feelings away from our kids so that we protect them by taking care of ourselves. There are some great tips here for when you feel your patience drying up.

You can also help by spreading the word about The Period of Purple crying and getting involved with Click for Babies to help educate parents about Shaken Baby Syndrome and getting involved locally. Click for Babies has a knitting program going on in Oregon:

Knit or crochet from 5 to 50 purple baby caps using soft baby friendly yarn and send them by mid-October to:

CLICK for Babies

c/o Volunteer Services EH1073

The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel

2801 N Gantenbein Ave. Portland, OR 97227

Now I am not a knitter at all but I am going to try my hand at knitting some caps so can you do it too? Let’s spread the word and help end infant abuse.



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Moms (and Dads) Clean Air Force

			
						

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Living in the Pacific Northwest issues of air quality rarely register on my radar because of all the lush forests and crisp clean air but that is not the case everywhere. The Clean Air Act was signed into law in 1970 and since that time has delivered $30 of measurable health and economic benefit for every $1 invested. It is one of the most successful environmental laws anywhere in the world, preventing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, millions of asthma attacks and tens of millions of child respiratory illnesses.


Congress amended the Clean Air Act in 1990 to control industrial emissions of hazardous air pollutants, but coal‐fired plants were exempt until 2000. Coal‐fired plants are the primary source of toxic air emissions in the United States, responsible for almost ¾ of mercury air emissions. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm fetuses and the developing brains of young children.


Moms Clean Air Force is an organization that is working to make sure that clean air remains a priority for Congress now and moving forward. As a parent can you join in and add your voice to the growing call to protect the air our kids breath. There are a number of ways that you can get involved at the website including contacting the EPA to support the new Mercury and Air Toxics rule, or spreading the word via Twitter and Facebook. Tonight, Wednesday July 13 at 9 PM EST there will be a Twitter chat where you can add your voice and spread the word. Look for the hashtag #MCAF and make some time for some activism for our kids.




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Summer Camp for the animals with the animals

			
						

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Yesterday the boys and I headed up the hill to the Oregon Zoo for a preview of the Summer Camps going on now through September 2. We had the opportunity to learn about the different camps offered, eat some tasty snacks, make a couple of art projects, and see a hedgehog and ferret close up. With train and dinosaur tickets as well we ended up spending most of the day at the Zoo and the Washington Park play structure having a great time. Primo loved interacting with the camp counselors and I think that he would do really well at an all day camp.


There are eight camps for the different age groups ranging from four year olds to kids in seventh and eight grade and the camps compliment the Portland Public school focuses for each grade. While science and the Zoo are natural connections the camps are more than just scientific observation. There is a focus on art through crafts, songs, and songs as well as exercise and exploration. At our weekly Thursday night dinner last night my friend Jesse remembered fondly his experience at Zoo camp in Santa Barbara when he was five.


If you are looking for things to do in Portland for your school aged kids consider the Summer Camps at the Zoo. We are definitely going to try and find a way to get Primo signed up, we just need to convince the grandparents it’s a good idea to help with the cost.


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