urbanMamas Portland

As the mama of a newborn, I have been visiting with many other mamas of newborns - some of them first time mamas, others second- or third-time mamas.  Regardless of how many may have come before, a fussy babe is never easy.  Even the most experienced of us can feel helpless and frustrated by our inability to calm our offspring.

One of my mama friends said she tried everything to calm her babe.  Her bag of tricks included:

gripe water? CHECK
football hold? CHECK
deep lunges/squats while in the moby or ergo? CHECK
white noise machine or fan? CHECK
exercise ball? CHECK
car ride? CHECK
swaddle? CHECK
5ss? CHECK
pacifier? CHECK
cosleeping? CHECK
lame attempt at cry it out? CHECK

Well, what has worked for you and your fussy baby?  Tips and tricks to soothe?  Tips and tricks to keep mama sane?

 

Mamas, I honestly have no idea on this one.  Might you have some thoughts or experience to share with this urbanMama?

I've got 3 boys and another on the way and my mom really wants me to bank the cord blood this time. I've been reading about it, found a cost comparison chart along with basic services, but I was wondering how many families have actually done it and what did they base their decision on when choosing a company? Also, at what age, if applicable, did you decide to stop paying the annual fee?  I read somewhere you had to be registered by the third trimester (which is coming up soon!) and now I'm panicking that I need to make a decision this week.

After a week or two of muttering "OMG we have no time to write anything for Activistas," we found some time (at, uh, 1 AM!).  These days (er, nights) we're talking about:

• 11.4.09 is Women's Day of Action for Health Care Reform.  You've probably seen the slogan "Being a woman is not a pre-existing condition."  Of course, it IS.  Right?  Been denied health care because you had gestational diabetes?  Pay higher premiums because you had a C-section?  If not you, then likely some mama friend or other has.

• Will a Senate bill contain a public option? After lots of work making one bill out of two (from the HELP and Finance committees, respectively), Senate majority leader Harry Reid said this week that a Senate version of health care reform will include a public option.  Good news!   Not to be ungrateful, but... 

• Ms. Magazine has 5 ideas to make our lives way better.  Ms. calls it paycheck feminism.  I don't care what they call it.  I'm just glad that so many people are talking about it.   Here's a favorite blurb from the Ms. article, which argues that with women nearing 50% of the workplace, it's time to rethink the government policies that were designed for a (wildly) different time...

•  What health care reform means to women, from a (woman) Senator.  Hear Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) talk about why women need heath care reform - more than men, and how it should look. As so many people are saying, being a woman shouldn't be a pre-existing condition. But too often, it is.

• Join The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.  Here's a fun fact:  How many chemicals do you think have been banned from cosmetics in the European Union?  1,100!  How many in the good 'ol United States?  9.  That's right.  Nine!

• Mothers ought to have equal rights, right?  I had lunch with Valerie Young earlier this week.  She pays close attention to the policy and politics of the issues that affect us mothers in the nation's capital.  She's like the eyes and ears of mothers everywhere - in DC.  Right where we need her!

• Let's choose, but let's do it together.   When I had my first child, I quickly realized that my "choice" to work or not work was seriously constrained by economic and cultural forces that were well beyond my control.  Last week, a new census report confirmed what I and so many others learned the hard way...

Got an issue that you're all riled up about?  There are plenty to go around.  If you're dying to share it, send your guest post to us at activistas [dot] gmail [dot] com.  We'll happily post it (unless it's wildly off topic or profane, that is).    

PS - Family Forward Oregon has a Facebook page as of about 2 days ago.  Join them to discuss and share all there is to say about creating (right) a Family Forward Oregon. 

Safe and happy haunting!

Friday

The Lonely Little Pumpkin:  A lively puppet show treat from Penny Puppets that is sure to entertain all. $5 each or 4 for $17.  The Off Broadway (Central Lutheran Church fellowship hall, 1820 NE 21st), 10:00 am.

Ghoulish Gathering: Gooey crafts, monstrous activities and a showing of the 1990 movie Hocus Pocus (rated PG). $3 per family, Matt Dishman Community Center (77 NE Knott), 6:30-8:30 pm.

Saturday

Saturday Market Trick-or-Treat and Parade: Decorate a candy bag and trick-or-treat through the market before joining other costumed youth in a parade. 12:00-2:00 pm.

Family Halloween Party: Halloween-themed music, crafts, prizes, costume parade, and more. $5/person, $10 /family. Airplay cafe (701 E. Burnside), 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

Multicultural Healthy Kids Fair: Protect your kids from scary toxins at this community event that will provide healthy snacks, free blood and toy lead testing, and other information on healthy homes and child wellness. Sponsored by the Josiah Hill Clinic. 65 NE Stanton. 11:00 am-3:00 pm.

Campbell Salgado Spooky Snapshots: This fund-raiser for the Oregon Food Bank is a chance to capture your child in full costumed regalia. $15 for electronic photo, $20 for a 5x7 print.  Campbell Salgado Studios (8107 SE 16th Avenue). Costume sessions (call to reserve time):10:00 am-12:30 pm and Spooky Snapshots (drop in): 1:00-3:00 pm.

Not So Spooky Stories: Pumpkins, black cats and not so scary stories. Wear a costume if you like and join the parade. Woodstock Library (6008 SE 49th Avenue), 4:30-5:00 pm.

Trick-or-Treat at Kennedy School: Wander the halls of this old (haunted?) school with ale in hand while the kiddos fill their bags with sugary loot. 4:30-6:30 pm.

Tour of Untimely Departures: Older kids might love this family-friendly tour of the Lone Fir Cemetery. Ghostly guides will share some of the cemetery's history as they show you around and share interesting tidbits about the demise of some of the cemetery's inhabitants.  $5 suggested donation. Leaving from 26th and SE Stark, the tour is 45 minutes and will leave between 6:00 and 9:00 pm.

Sunday

Sundays for Families at Portland Art Museum: Every Sunday in November, families can explore the Museum's China Design Now exhibit, with family tours at 12:30, art projects from 1:00-3:00 pm, and storytime from 2:30-3:00 pm. Kids under 17 are free, adults are $12.  

$2 Sundays at OMSI: $2 admission for all, and appropriately for this weekend, the featured exhibit is Scream! Featuring Goosebumps! The Science of Fear. Hours are 9:30 am-5:30 pm. 

The last time I went to an infant CPR class was probably when I taught them eons ago in college, when one of the four jobs I juggled was as a CPR instructor.  And, thank goodness I had that background.  When my daughter was not even a year old, she put some celophane/plastic wrapper in her mouth, which had perfectly covered up the airway in her mouth, lodging itself completely stuck.  She began to gasp, gag, choke, and even turn blue in the face, and she couldn't get that wrapper moved.  I saw her struggling and did what I remembered of the Heimlich manuever for babies, holding her body, face down against my forearm (like the football hold), and whacking her powerfully on her back between the shoulder blades.  When that didn't work, my husband peered in her mouth and did a finger sweep and grabbed the culprit out.  SO SCARY.

Well, all of this to say: the Oregon Chapter of the American Red Cross wanted to highlight the new class they are offering. 

Just wanted to send a quick note about the Infant CPR for New Parents class that's happening over at Milagros on Oct. 29. I know you already have it on your calendar (THANK YOU!), but I just wanted to mention that this is the very first time we've ever done a "mini-class" on this topic.
 
We're hoping that enough moms find the info helpful -- even though they won't get official CPR certification -- so that we can continue to offer these shorter, less expensive, non-certification classes in the future. So, if there's any feedback about the class (or ideas for other mom-friendly Red Cross classes in the future), we're very open to hearing it!

Your thoughts on an Infant CPR class for New Parents?  Would you go?  Any other thoughts or feedback?  Any other mama- or baby-centric Red Cross offering you'd like to suggest?

When I was growing up, I was acutely aware of the fact that there were very few dolls, celebrities, community leaders, or the like who looked like me.  I had - and still have - medium-brown skin, black hair that is brown in the sunlight, and brown eyes.  As my girls started wanting dolls, I was very particular.  I wanted them to have dolls with a skin-tone similar to theirs.  Now, we have a nice collection of very tan dolls, but I honestly cannot remember from where they came!

We just received an email from another mama who is looking for a plaything that would look more like her daughter.  Any tips?

I have a brown hair, brown eyed caucasaian daughter and I am having a hard time finding a doll that fits her description.  Most of the dolls are blond with blue eyes, though most people are not.  Where can I find a doll that begins to resemble my daughter?

Multnomah County wanted to be sure to relay the most recent information possible regarding the H1N1 vaccine clinics, so they emailed:

Oregon vaccine planners as recently as late September were anticipating initial shipments to be small and then ramp up through the end of October, reaching a point where the vaccine would be widely available to the public through multiple channels.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control announced that unexpectedly low yields from vaccine manufacturers were delaying the roll-out of larger vaccine batches. Vaccine shipments have been at a steady trickle since Oct. 5, with roughly 6,000 to 12,000 doses arriving in Multnomah County each week.

Facing lower initial shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine, the Multnomah County Health Department will focus vaccine that becomes available on two groups at higher risk for flu complications: pregnant women and children under 5.

The county only expects to receive 6,000 doses this week (October 26). There are an estimated 14,000 pregnant women in Multnomah County and an estimated 48,800 children under age 5.

Pregnant women have been hospitalized at five times the rate of the general population; the rate for children under 5 has been 45 percent higher than the general population. The data reflect admissions since September 1 in Multnomah County and are in line with national figures.

Health officials are now making decisions weekly about vaccinations, considering local data and where a limited supply of vaccine can do the most good.  With vaccine continuing to be in short supply, the Multnomah County Health Department has decided to reduce the number of public vaccination sites until vaccine becomes more readily available.

Future vaccination sites will be posted on the county's website, www.mchealth.org. The State of Oregon Flu Hot Line is also a resource to help people determine where they can get a flu shot: 1-800-978-3040

The Health Department also is in charge of distributing vaccines to private medical practices that have asked to be vaccine providers. The department, rather than distribute the vaccine across the board, is placing an emphasis on filling orders placed by obstetricians and pediatricians.

Our Health Department is coordinating with other Health Departments in the region as well as the state to ensure that information is made available to the public as quickly and accurately as possible.  Please visit our website, the state of Oregon's Flu website, and the Center for Disease Control's flu website  for valuable information and resources.

I should have known better; after all, I myself graduated from a couple of rigorous post-high school academic programs. But still, I bought the concept (literally and figuratively) that the Baby Einstein series of DVDs would provide my first son a richer babyhood. I never really thought he'd be made into a certified genius by watching DVDs, but I did think he'd at least pick up some minor smarts from exposure to this heady stuff.

The 'Language Nursery' one had me most enchanted; until I started watching it and wondered, how is this going to teach my baby languages, again? The video consisted mostly of just throwing words and nursery songs at kids without any accompanying explanation. "Frère Jacques," for instance, was accompanied by video of little hands playing with bright-colored toys (now I wonder, darkly, if they were painted with lead-based paint). I could neither understand nor participate; there was no translation, not even a rundown of the lyrics of the lullabies sung in other languages. Later I'd read that there was no worse way to teach children languages than to expose them utterly without context.

We sold our Baby Einstein DVDs on eBay before my second baby was born, and later we learned that, indeed, Baby Einstein videos were not only based on zero infant developmental science but were proven not to make one smarter. The AAP came out with a recommendation that children under two not be exposed to television or DVDs at all. This weekend, the news was even more thundering: after being threatened with a class action lawsuit for false and deceptive advertising (to the most impressionable and defenseless consumers of all, I'd add: new parents), Disney agreed to refund consumers' money for their purchases, should they want it back, $15.99 for up to four Baby Einstein DVDs per household, bought between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, and returned to the company.

That won't provide any monetary help for me... my videos were purchased before June 2004. But that's not really my biggest concern; it's that millions were made deceiving parents about what's good for their babies. "Fostering parent-child interaction always has and always will come first at The Baby Einstein Company, and we know that there is an ongoing discussion about how that interaction is best promoted," said a Disney spokesperson. No, there's no such discussion. We all know now that having a baby watch other babies play with other parents on a screen doesn't teach him or her anything. Actually playing with your baby... interacting on his level sans screentime... is the best way to promote interaction. And it doesn't require a single Disney product, or Mattel, or Hasbro, or Melissa & Doug, or even the super-natural Waldorf toy companies like Maine Toys.

I'd certainly be ill-advised to judge anyone for using so-called "educational" shows to occupy my young children when I'm losing it. A sane mom with kids in front of the TV is probably better than a shouting, hair-tearing mom without a screen in sight. But this whole story provides a lens into the enormous industry of selling intelligence to new parents. With brand names like IQ Baby and Baby Scholars and Neurosmith, it doesn't take a genius to understand how we're being subtly manipulated to feel this will actually separate the eventual results of our children's IQ tests.

It's good to know that baby play is the great economic equalizer: no parent, given the most vast amount of resources imaginable, has a leg up over another parent unless the amount of time he or she can devote to the baby is greater. (I know: this isn't always true given the paucity of maternity leave in our country and the frequent economic necessity of mom working.) But it's important to underscore that, given two at-home parents, one with barely enough money to keep the lights on and the fridge stocked, the other with plentiful disposable income and the entire Baby Einstein oeuvre, both are entirely equally equipped to make their babies smart.

I pulled up to the alley behind Olivia's house around 8:15 last Wednesday night, my mamabikeorama loaded down with 15 pounds of pears and quinces (I couldn't help stopping at the People's Co-op farmer's market) and an armful or two of clothes for the spontaneous clothing swap she'd planned. I had to laugh as I clumsily maneuvered my bike among the half-dozen mama bikes + Xtracycle and a trailer or two. Only a few of the dozen or so mamas who'd come had driven; and this despite the fact we were all loaded down with the bounty of new clothing and whatever else we were carting around the city. At the end of the night, around 10 p.m., we all pulled out of the narrow spot on the side of the house, laughing as we counted the BoBike seats. Someone said: 'it's like a clown car!' It was a moment of unusual tired joy.

We've all come to this for different reasons and at different speeds. But we're all equally in love with biking (even most of the mamas who drove have family bike setups at home) and committed to spreading the family biking love. We have different levels of comfort with putting our kids on the road; differing budgets for new biking gear; different commutes, different neighborhoods, different alternatives to biking. I think of us as co-inspirators; we're all the inspiration for one another. And we all see the future of transportation as far, far different than it is today. Will we reach the goal of 25% of Portlanders commuting by bike by 2030? It's hard to say, but it won't happen unless mamas like us -- like you -- hop on their bikes and quietly inspire other mamas, papas and kids to shift to the two-wheel (or three) lifestyle, too.

Today, I'm leading another meditation about riding bikes with families (no, there's no yoga or spirituality: all you have to do is listen and breathe) to help kick off the Family Biking Solutions Workshop, part of Oregon Manifest's Family Bicycle Transportation Day. While the workshop itself isn't really kid-friendly due to the limitations of the facility (a "museum environment," someone said), we hope what comes out of it, really will expand the boundaries.

I've made a poster to go with my meditation [pdf link]. Consider it one more co-inspiration. I look forward to expanding my concept of what makes a more family-friendly transportation future --  more options, more unique bikes that work in tiny budgets, more infrastructure, more community, more joy.

You would almost think Halloween was this weekend instead of next, with all the holiday fun already happening! 

Saturday

SCRAP Halloween Costume Making: Get your creative juices flowing as you make costumes out of recycled materials. $10 per costume. SCRAP (2915 NE MLK), 12:00-4:00 pm.

Halloween Spooktacular: Wear your costume to this night of Halloween fun and enjoy games, crafts, and treats. Tickets are 5 for $1. St. Johns Community Center (8427 N. Central), 5:30-8:30 pm.

Costume Carnival: This 12th annual Halloween festival will entertain with carnival games, face painting, and crafts, while wrapping up with a costume parade. Cost is $1 for 4 people, bring 2 cans of food and get 4 people in for free. East Portland Community Center (740 SE 106th),  5:00-7:00 pm.

Spooky Night Hike:  Crafts and games (with prizes), plus a guided, age-appropriate hike (times are assigned when you arrive).  Families with kids 3-6 can visit the fairy trail, while families with older kids will get a spookier adventure after 7:30. $6/person. Tryon Creek State Park. 6:00-9:30 pm.

Free Teen Night at OMSI: A special, free evening at OMSI just for visitors ages 13-18. Teens can explore their newest exhibit, SCREAM!, rock out to a live DJ, ride the Segway, play games, and more. Food and drink available for purchase. 7:00-10:00 pm.

Sunday

Family Bicycle Transportation Day: If you want to learn more about biking with kids then this event is for you. There will be many cycling options on hand to try, including bakfiet and cargo bikes, trail-a-bikes, front-loading child seats child seats options, bike trailers, tandems, electric-pedal assist electric-assisted bikes, helpful accessories and more. There will also be information and resources covering safe routes to school and work, tips on riding with children, and bicycle maintenance. Oregon Manifest Bike Union (539 NW 10th at Hoyt), 11:00-4:00 pm.

Spooktacular: This LGBT family party will have pumpkin carving, face painting, live music, caramel apples, and more. Q Center (4115 N Mississippi Ave), free, 2:00-4:00 pm.

Monster March: Join tons of costumed families, Portland Fire Bureau and their fire engines, and Portland Police motorcycles in this Halloween parade through Westmoreland. The march starts and ends at Llewellyn Elementary School (6301 SE 14th Ave). 3:00 pm.

UNICEF Carnival: Thanks to Kiddofor the heads up on this event, which will feature carnival games, nonscary Halloween activities and more. Don't forget your costume! All proceeds benefit the United Nations Children's Fund. Game tickets are 25 cents.  Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst (935 N.E. 33rd Ave), 4:00-6:30 pm.

This year, Halloween is on a Saturday!  What could be more fun than to spend the ENTIRE day in costume?  What are some fun events or activities for the kids this upcoming Halloween?  It's an open thread; feel free to share goings on & post a link if you've got one!

Flipping through Facebook updates, I noticed that a mama mentioned that her son was down with the flu.  A few comments later, she also mentioned that H1N1 has been confirmed in students at her son's school as well as at her daughter's daycare.  Later on this evening, my husband said drearily, "It's confirmed."  His colleague's husband and their school-aged son were also afflicted with H1N1.

It looks like H1N1 has made is appearance here in Portland - in schools and in workplaces.  Has H1N1 been confirmed at your school, daycare, workplace, or commuity at large?  For those who have decided to vaccinate for H1N1, have you done so yet?

Be sure to check out DHS' website on H1N1 in Oregon for more resources and information.

When our little ones pick up a new trait, sometimes it's hard to know whether it's a phase, his/her personality, or the influence of peers.  An urbanMama recently emailed:

I really need some advice.  My 3 1/2 year old daughter recently started a new preschool and she's suddenly exposed to a lot of new kids, many of them older.  Since she started, she has been incessantly talking back.  I don't know what else to call it.  If I ask her to put her shoes away, it's "No!  You put YOUR shoes away!", she screams, tries to order us around, and has even tried calling us names like "stupid".  I realize she is trying things on for size, and we've had many conversations with her about why this is not a respectful way to talk to us (we don't talk that way to her, it is rude, it hurts feelings, etc).  She seems to like her school, so I don't know if this is a normal 3 year old development or if we've got a real tyrant on our hands.  I'm embarrased to say I don't know how to deal with it and it is so frustrating to be bossed around by my child.  Does anyone have any advice on how to handle this kind of behavior?

Looks like it's going to be a wet weekend, might be time to revisit some favorite urbanMamas rainy day activities, part I and part II.  If getting out in your raincoat and boots sounds fun, there is always the Hood River Harvest Fest. Have a great weekend!

Friday

Rose City Co-op Basement Sale: With over 35 families participating, this fund raiser is bound to have something for everyone. Gently used kids clothes, gear, and toys, as well household items. Rose City Park United Methodist Church (58th and Alameda), Friday and Saturday, 9:00 am-3:00 pm.

Apple Tasting Festival: The festival website says "67 varieties of apples to taste".  That is a lot of fruit! Plus live music, cooking demonstrations, kids crafts, free face painting, and more. It sound like Penny Puppets will also be performing a festival sing along around 12:30 pm. on Friday. Portland Nursery (5050 SE Stark), Friday-Sunday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm.

Saturday

Book Fair Fundraiser: This fundraiser for Lewis Elementary School (mention the school as you check out and the school gets 20%) has some fun times planned for kids. Lots of storytimes, crafts, kids yoga, and music. Lloyd Center Barnes and Noble, Saturday and Sunday, check link for details, 12:00-5:00 pm.

The Greatest Treasure:  This Play After Play production from China is about Pang and Li, one is rich, the other is poor. Each seeks happiness in his own way, together they will discover the value of simple pleasures.  Most appropriate for kids ages 2-9.  $7 per person over age 2, reservations required, (503) 772-4005. Saturday at 10:00 am and Sunday at 2:00 pm.

Symphony Storytime:  An Oregon Symphony musician will play and provide an introduction to his or her instrument and orchestral music. Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 2:00-3:00 pm.

Mr. Ben Family Concert: Come hear Ben Thompson (Mr. Ben to his fans) as he plays multiple instruments -- including guitar, ukulele, and banjo -- and sings fun original tunes and lots of favorites as well. Dinner and drinks for adults and kids alike are available for purchase.  $5/person, $10/family, Advance tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com. Airplay Cafe (701 E. Burnside), 5:00-6:00 pm.

Sunday

Kids in Nature: Mushrooms:  Mushroom hunt amidst the beauty of Tryon Creek, learn how mushrooms grow, make mushroom prints, and sample a mushroom treat. For children ages 4-7 accompanied by an adult. $10/child (non-member) $8.50/child (member). Pre-registration required. 503-636-4398, sandi@tryonfriends.org, 10:00-11:30 am. 

Family Sundays at Portland Art Museum: Every Sunday in October, families can explore the Museum's displays of body adornment and jewelry, with family tours at 12:30, art projects from 1:00 -3:00 pm, and storytime from 2:30-3:00 pm. Kids under 17 are free, adults are $12.  

Diviersify, diversify, diversify.  That's what they say about investing and we have the same belief when it comes to supporting our community.  We recently received an email from a new Portland urbanMama:

I have a question I'm hoping you can post to the site.  We're a transracial family new to Portland. I try to support people of color in business whenever possible and also like my kids to know adult professional people of color. So, I'm looking for any recommendations for your readers have for dentists, doctors, lawyers, hair cutters/stylists, etc, who are people of color.  Being in close-in N, NE, or SE is especially great.

We delivered a little guy about three weeks ago at Legacy Emanuel Hospital.  The one night we spent at the hospital, we spent in our room along with our two other children to allow our new family of five to begin to get to know one another.  A couple of nights later, another friend of ours delivered their second child at Legacy's Good Samaritan Hospistal.  They, too, spent the night at the hospital as their new family of four.

When visiting together earlier today, my mama friend reported to me that Legacy would have a new rule in effect: no children under 18 may be visitors in the family birth centers because school-aged children have higher rates of exposure to the flu.  In addition, only two immediate family members or support persons could be present at the birth and during the mom's stay.

Apparently, Legacy isn't the only one.  The Providence Health System is also instituting the same policy at all of its establishments, effective October 9, 2009.  An urbanMama recently emailed:

I am heartbroken!
 
I'm due to give birth on October 26th with baby boy #2 at St. Vincent.  I've been so looking forward to my 3 year old son getting to meet his brother for the first time at the hospital.  For the entire 9 months, I've had this vision in my head of my husband bringing my son into the room and being able to show him his brother for the first time.  I want "that picture" of big brother holding little brother at the hospital, like almost every other mother in America has.  Now, because of concerns over the Swine Flu that will not happen.  I'm just sick with disappointment.
 
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to put anyone at risk and I think it important that everyone is kept healthy, especially in the hospital environment.  But I wonder if there is a place on the maternity ward floor where babies could meet their siblings?  I've already called St. Vincent to ask, but so far there is nothing.  I will call and talk with the head nurse on Monday.
 
Are there any other urbanMamas struggling with this new "visitation restriction" policy.  I understand that every hospital in the metro area has adopted it including OHSU.  I would love to hear what others have to say.

The temperature is dipping, both inside and out.  An urbanMama recently emailed to learn your tricks for keeping the kids warm:

I'm wondering if other mamas have some great suggestions regarding keeping toddlers warm at night and not keeping the house at a daytime (warmer) temperature. My little guy moves around and rarely stays under the covers.  As the cooler nights have set it, he has begun to wake more frequently because he is cold.  And although, we talk about pulling the covers up when we are cold, he doesn't quite get it. 
 
He is closing in on three years of age and isn't a fan of the fuzzy sleepers with feet any longer. He is also mobile, so I am not a big fan of using any type of space heater.   Any ideas?

Over the course of the past several years, I been by friends' sides as they have delivered new life into the world.  And, in ensuing weeks after their babies' births, I have delivered meals to their homes and ooh'ed and ahh'ed over their cute little snuggle-bugs.  One such meal was (embarassingly) a Papa Murphy's lasagna that I brought over to Sarah's house after Truman was born.  Alas, life is so busy for us mamas, with or without newborn.  It is a wonder how delicious, nutritious, fresh homemade meals are made by us busy mamas.  But, they are.

Today, my thrid child is three weeks old.  Already, I have been the gracious and humble recipient of meals and treats and even a few hours of donated time as mama's helper from a fellow mama.  There have been cakes, soups, pot pies, cookies, kale, bread, salad, wine, pasta, and chicken verde.  With all the fixin's.  Delivered to my door, which I open, unshowered, unbrushed, unrested and generally smelling of a savory mama milk and baby barf blend.  To you all, I am so grateful.

This is a wonderful gift to a new mama, no matter how many times I have been a mama to a newborn before.  It gives me time to cuddle with my littlest fella.  It gives me time to focus on helping his two big sisters with their homework or reading.  It gives me a little time to fold some laundry, because there is oh. so. much. laundry.  Every day.  And, a supremely lovely part is I don't have to think about it, I don't have to worry, I don't have to plan.  There are so many other things I need to be doing - namely nursing, diapering, sleeping, and putting someone else to sleep.

It all started weeks before our baby's arrival.  I was asked if we had any dietary restrictions (we don't) and whether we'd prefer meal deliveries every day or less frequently (every other day would be great, thank you).  And, voila!, our friends sent us a schedule of days we could expect a meal delivery.

So, now that I'm done oozing with my love and thanks, I ask you: have you been a recipient, participant, or organizer of one of these meal trains to serve the families of newborns?  Anything you would suggest for a seamless flow of food to the recipient family?  Anything else that seem to be "must-have" in-kind contributions for a family of a newborn?

I ran into Sarah Hart, a friend whose husband is the director of the annual Wordstock festival, yesterday. She was brimming with enthusiasm, and it was all for her son: 'I have to get him to Laini Taylor!' she said, checking the guide I had open to Saturday's schedule. I made a note of it; soon, my children will be reading young adult fiction, and Sarah's son -- and other teenagers like him -- at Wordstock this weekend are key to discovering the next great kidlit gems.

The Wordstock festival, a fairly new entrant into the Portland fair-festival-convention-happenin' scene, is a gift for bookish families like mine. This year's focus on young adult fiction is particularly great; the Target Children's Stage is packed with talented authors that will surely be the devotion of our kids in years to come. A day's ticket for an adult is only $5, and children 13 and under are free. Here are a few highlights you may want to check out today:

11 a.m. -- Eric Kimmel and Amy Costales. Eric has written 100 books, and his mythology-focused children's books like Anansi and the Magic Stick are 'funny' and silly' and beautifully illustrated. Amy is the author of Abuelita Full of Life, a bilingual and multicultural author whose book is described as 'sweet' and 'gentle.

Noon -- Nicole Rubel and Chris Dudley. Chris is a former NBA star who wrote Chris Dreams Big, about his childhood struggle with diabetes. But I'm more excited about Nicole, whose Rotten Ralph series about a naughty kitty is very popular among young children.

1 p.m. Jennifer Holm, Matthew Holm and Addie Boswell. Jennifer and Matthew, a brother-and-sister writing team, write the Babymouse series, of a "a sassy young mouse who dreams of glamour, excitement, adventure, straight whiskers, being queen of the world," targeted at grade school-aged girls. Addie Boswell is a Portland author and artist who has written Rain Stomper, a book that looks a little like an updated version of Ramona Quimby.

2 p.m. April Henry and Sundee T. Frazier. April is a local celebrity: a best-selling author of mysteries for teens and adults. Sundee has written Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It, an award-winning book about a biracial boy who loves science.

5 p.m. Heather Vogel Frederick. Heather's Mother-Daughter Book Club series is very popular and Heather says it "fills her need for a daughter -- I've got two boys!"

TGIF! Hope everyone enjoys the sunshine and the bountiful harvests of fall this weekend!

Friday

The Magic Book:  A lively puppet show treat from Penny Puppets that is sure to entertain all. $5 each or 4 for $17.  The Off Broadway (Central Lutheran Church fellowship hall, 1820 NE 21st), 10:00 am.

Story & a Stroll: Join a park naturalist for nature story time and a brief stroll through the park.  This program is geared toward families with young children (preferably ages 3-6). This week the theme is Be Nice to Spiders. Tryon Creek State Park. 1:00-2:00 pm (note new time for fall).

Ladybug Walks: A guided 60 minute walk around Laurelhurst Park for preschoolers, no registration necessary, $3 per child. 10:00-11:30 am.

Apple Tasting With over 50 kinds of apples to taste and purchase (not to mention the pears) you can hardly go wrong. Live music, activities for kids, and apple strudel makes this an irresistible event. Portland Nursery (5050 SE Stark), Friday-Sunday, check website for details.

NE Moms Playgroup: You don't have to live in NE to join this group of moms that gets together to chat while the kids play.  Bring a snack to share if you can. Milagros Boutique (5433 NE 30th Avenue), 2:00-4:00 pm.

Saturday

Multnomah County Library Book Sale: You can't beat kids books starting at 50 cents and it supports a great cause to boot! 1625 NE Sandy. Friday (members only) through Monday (50% off!), times vary, check website.

Safety Saturday at the Belmont Firehouse: Learn valuable safety lessons and fire department history by exploring the old Belmont Firehouse. Hands on activities include sliding down a fire pole! (Plus this is just blocks away from Sunnyside playground, Laughing Planet, and Saint Cupcake). Belmont Historic Firehouse (900 SE 35th), 10:00 am-3:00 pm.

Symphony Storytime: The Oregon Symphony is on the road for interactive, musical storytimes. This series focuses on books, music, instruments, sound and fun musical crafts. Each week features a visit from an Oregon Symphony musician who will play and provide an introduction to his or her instrument and orchestral music. Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 2:00-3:00 pm.

Nuestros Cuentos: This dynamic performance presents folktales, folkloric dances and songs of Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Cuba. The audience learns the cultural and historical backgrounds of the dances, music and stories, learns about the authentic costumes from the different regions, and participates in Spanish call-and-response singing, clapping flamenco palmas rhythms.  St. John's Library (7510 N. Charleston), 2:00-3:30 pm.

Little Kids Jamboree: Join Lorna Miller as she entertains adults and kids with music, rhythm, and movement.  $5 per family. Mississippi Pizza (3552 N. Mississippi), 4:00 pm.

Sunday

The Curious Garden: Visit the Curious Garden on the second Sunday of every month when fairies, lawn jockeys, bunnies and grumpy daisies play games and sing songs with the kids. $3-5 suggested donation,   Curious Comedy Theater (5225 NE MLK), 10:30-11:30 am.

Family Sundays at the Portland Art Museum: Every Sunday in October, families can explore the Museum's displays of body adornment and jewelry, with family tours at 12:30, art projects from 1:00 -3:00 pm, and storytime from 2:30-3:00 pm. Kids under 17 are free, adults are $12.  

Nuestros Cuentos: See Saturday, Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 2:00-3:00 pm. 

We know how important it is to get feedback on programs that are unfamiliar to us.  To that end, an urbanMama recently emailed:

I have a 5-year-old son with ADHD and am looking at ways to provide him support outside of the services he is receiving in kindergarten.  I am potentially interested in the Children’s Program, but they charge $175 for an initial consultation and I’m nervous about paying that much without having any other feedback on their programs or services.  If anyone out there has used them for any groups or classes or workshops and can share their thoughts (good, bad or other), I would really appreciate it!  The information and group descriptions look promising, but I would feel so much better about moving forward if I hear from some of you.   I would also be interested in hearing about any other places that provide similar services.  Thank you!

Hello mamas & papas!  It looks like we have our first PPS No-School day (Staff Inservice) on Friday.  So, what do you do if it's a no-school day?  Perhaps you have one parent home that is able to stay home with the kids?  Perhaps you have a flex work schedule/workplace that allows for some work-at-home or bringing child-to-work time?  Perhaps you trade care with neighbors or friends?  Or perhaps you enroll your child at a school-sponsored after-care program?  Or even some other all-day program at a Portland Park & Rec community center or another establishment?  Do you have suggestions or recommendations for what our kids can do on Friday?

For ideas from last year, check out "When school's out, where are your kids?"
For the full PPS calendar (English, quarterly) for 2009-2010, click here.

Our last lunch was a great success. Some mamas became Facebook friends and others attended the Portland Pirate Festival together with their families. Let’s meet again to eat and chat.  

Date: Thursday, November 19^th

Time:

12:30

Location: DragonFish, an Asian Café

909 SW Park Avenue (@Taylor) in the Paramount Hotel

(http://www.dragonfishcafe.com/pdx/default.html)

Please RSVP in the comments by Tuesday, November 17.

See you then.

The Halloween countdown has begun and the Sunday night sky may be clear enough to actually see the full harvest moon. Click here if you need some other inspiration for ways to bring on Autumn. Happy fall!

Friday

Story & a Stroll: Join a park naturalist for nature story time and a brief stroll through the park.  This program is geared toward families with young children (preferably ages 3-6). This week the theme is Amazing Dirt. Tryon Creek State Park. 1:00-2:00 pm (note new time for fall).

Greek Festival:Traditional Greek music, food, and entertainment, plus face painting, crafts, puppet shows just for the kids. Oh, and did we mention the most amazing greek pastries ever? Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral (3131 NE Glisan), Friday-Sunday, check website for schedule of events.

Free First Friday at Portland Children's Museum: Experience Disability Awareness Day by trying out wheel chairs, crutches, and other supportive mobility devices. 5:00-8:00 pm.

Saturday

Children's Place 35th Birthday Celebration: 35 years...that's a lot of books bought for a lot of kids! Come celebrate with store discounts, storytelling, pranks, art, and of course, birthday cake. A Children's Place (4807 NE Fremont), check website for schedule of events.

Teeny Tiny Puppet Theater: Join Yvonne as she makes whimsical, clever puppets out of paper and other scraps, and then invites the kids to make their own and join in a brief performance. $5 suggested donation. Airplay Cafe (701 E. Burnside), 10:00-10:45 am.

Vernonia Salmon Festival: Celebrating the salmon returning from the ocean to spawn. Fantastic viewing sites of the salmon fighting there way up stream are just part of the event which will include hay rides, kid’s fishing pond, live music, pumpkin carving, and scarecrow building. Hawkins Park, Vernonia.10:00 am-6:00 pm.

Spaghetti Art: Have you ever been to Chewandswallow, the town made out of food? Come create your own “foodscape,” and turn pasta, beans, candy, and other edibles into a mosaic-style picture. Don’t forget to add the weather, is it cloudy with a chance of meatballs? Best for kids ages 4-10. Albina Library (3605 NE 15th Avenue), 2:00-3:30 pm.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival: Community fair and carnival, entertainment, and crafts for kids. Eastport Plaza (4000 SE 82nd Avenue),11:00 am-6:00 pm.

Mid-Autumn Festival: Create a festive paper lantern with artist Jean Choy, enjoy mooncakes and join library staff for a special presentation. Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 3:00-5:00 pm.

Sunday

$2 Sunday OMSI: A great indoor activity, 9:30 am-5:30 pm.

Portland Art Museum Sundays for Families: Every Sunday in October, families can explore the Museum's displays of body adornment and jewelry, with family tours at 12:30, art projects from 1:00 -3:00 pm, and storytime from 2:30-3:00 pm. Kids under 17 are free, adults are $12.  

Mmmm, cheese: Goat, cheddar, brie, or blue, this tasting at New Seasons will have one for you!  Especially since they stock over 300 different kinds, with a great selectionof locally made cheeses.  All stores, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am-5:00 pm.

In many ways I'm the exact sort of person who would most love the movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic book of disobedient boys and their fantasy lives. I adore Where the Wild Things Are, and often demand to read it to my own wild boys when they'd rather read Thomas or the Berenstain Bears. As the parent of a boy (or two. or three) who could most definitely be classified as rambunctious and rebellious -- the movie synopsis adds "misunderstood," which probably fits too -- and seeks to both celebrate and ease these character traits, I love the wild-boy-as-hero concept. In point of fact, I started a Max-inspired wolf suit for Monroe last year for Halloween (it was never finished, and I'm currently undecided as to whether I'll try to finish it for this year; it certainly still suits his personality).

And yet, the trailer troubles me. Yes: it seems to be a luminous work of director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers. The art is gorgeous, though very different from the book. But the boy is clearly quite a bit older than the way I envision Max (I see him as a five- or six-year-old; certainly no older than eight) and, of course, a 48-page picture book isn't enough material for a whole film. So there are additions, context, timeline juggling. Max is given the family troubles necessary for a boy who could tell his mom "I'll eat you up" (a single mom who's started dating, it seems, and difficulty at school), and a far more complex relationship with the monsters. Evidently, he's developed into a king, not simply given the crown because he stares into all their yellow eyes without blinking once.

It's rated PG; I'd hoped for "G"; probably due to the adult relationships depicted (I'm guessing here as I haven't yet found a more detailed synopsis of the movie's script). Spike Jonze has said the movie's plot came to him when he was despairing over the breakup of his own marriage. I worry that the pure, musical story of a boy escaping into a dark-but-empowering fantasy to deal with his anger will be saddled with context that doesn't work for every child. Instead of honoring the way Max relates to my own children -- Everett's certainly said many things much like "I'll eat you up," and Monroe has done them wordlessly -- I'll be obsessing over how different Max's mother is from me. In other words: this is all about Jonze's world view, and I need it to be far more malleable. This is a book I really honor, and I fear it will become too fraught with a specific and, while relatable, rigid family story.

My boys have seen the trailer and are eager to see the movie; I'd promised in a moment of rashness I'd take them to the theater (something we've never done). Now I wonder if I'd rather leave my knowledge of the movie to my usual: read reviews, watch it 10 years later when it comes out on network TV. What do you think? Will you see the movie? Will you bring your kids to see it? Are you, like me, terrified of having a movie ruin the book? Or do you think the new soul of Jonze's Wild Things is worth whatever the book loses?