'Brain, Child' salon pdx: Summer 2009

Several months ago, a Brain, Child discussion group was hastily thrown together and ended up a (small) series of one-on-one conversations. But as soon as I picked up this season's issue, I was longing to talk to someone about it. So this time, we're doing it right, with two weeks advance notice (ish) and a proper location selected ahead of time!

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 7:30 p.m.
Place: Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, 707 SE 12th (the red house -- there is no sign)
Do I have to read Brain, Child cover-to-cover? No, but the more you read, the more we can talk. If we get enough "yes" responses, I'll order several copies from the publisher.

Respond, s'il vous plait, in the comments, and I look forward to getting all salon with a couple of other urbanMamas. Some of the articles are on the web site; you can purchase the magazine at several local bookstores and grocery stores.

urbanPapas need friends too: Seeking SAHDs

For sure, we have many fewer conversations here on urbanMamas dedicated to the papas, which isn't to say that daddyhood isn't important!  But, we know there are dads who are faithful readers of urbanMamas.  An urbanPapa recently emailed seeking paparaderie with other stay-at-home dads (SAHDs):

Are there dads lurking on the urbanMamas site who have advice for a new dad who's at home with his daughter? Do stay at home dads meet up anywhere in Portland?  My partner just happened to be finishing an engineering program just as the economy tanked.  I've been back at work for two months, while he's full time at home with our five month old daughter. We'd love to hear from other dads who by choice or circumstance are taking care of the kids.

If there are papas out there who'd like to get together for a SAHD gathering or a daddy gathering, please let us know!   We can help facilitate getting that group together.

Sunday Parkways 2009: How was it for you?

This year's Father's Day coincided with the second annual Sunday Parkways, the first of three.  We started the day by hosting a little pre-ride gathering where families from the neighborhood & beyond came by to check out one another's bike gear, test it out, and let the older kids ride solo on a one block stretch of the parkways near our house.  For me, the most magnificent aspect of this year's Sunday Parkways is how completely comfortable I felt letting our girls, ages 5 and 8, bike alongside their friends, aged 6 to 9, well ahead of us.  We had few worries about oncoming motor vehicles.  They didn't want to stop!  They kept pedaling and pedaling and pedaling along.   The crowds were not too thick, so they were able to maneuver quite easily.  The route was relatively flat and intersected with just a few major intersections, where the kids knew to stop and wait for direction from the officers directing traffic.  Really - they would have ridden the entire 7.5 mile loop again if we'd've let them!  It was a great exercise in freedom and independence on our neighborhood streets.  It felt wonderful to see the community taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Apparently, with all our riding around, we missed plenty of action, from music and free tune-ups to bike play parks and more.  Check out the complete coverage on bikeportland.org.

Zinemama in a comment on another thread mused:

I'd love to hear other folks reactions to the Parkways. It felt a lot shorter than last year and a lot less crowded. It was fun, but for me some of the excitement about last year's event was missing. Maybe we were there at the wrong time of day (earlier in the day)?

Did you walk, bike, or play at last weekend's Sunday Parkways?  How was your experience?  If you weren't able to make it, there are still two more Sunday Parkways planned: one on July 19th in Northeast Portland and one on August 16th in Southeast Portland.  And, please, consider volunteering for Sunday Parkways.  The event's success relies on the contribution of many, many volunteers.

Down 'n' Dirty Summer 2009

As we inch toward the last days of school, everyone in the household is buzzing about the fun in store for us here in Portland.  This year, Portland Parks & Rec has outdone itself with by providing a simplified "Summer Free For All" guide to all the fun.  The highlight on the PP&R site this year: the Free This Week calendar featuring an glimpse of activities at parks and pools citywide.  There are summer concerts, generally running every day in parks citywide from July through mid-August.  Every day!  There is free open swim throughout the summer (check the calendar for locations and times), movies in the park, and drop-in playground programs, including a traveling climbing wall and free lunch programs.

Portland Parks & Rec gives us plenty to keep us busy, but there are so many other fun activities to check out:

• Pioneer Courthouse Square hosts Noon Tunes (free music and entertainment at noon every Tuesday & Thursday from 7/7 through 8/20) and Flicks on the Bricks (free movies at dusk on select Friday nights from 7/10 to 8/14)
• Free Films by Regal shows free movies at 10am on Tuesdays (rated G) and Wednesdays (rated PG) from 6/23 to 8/26.  Participating area theaters include Lloyd Mall 8, Bridgeport Village Stadium 18, Sherwood Stadium 10, Tigard Cinemas, Wilsonville Stadium, Movies on TV Stadium in Hillsboro.
• $1 Movies on Wednesdays - along the same vein - the Century Theater at Clackamas Town Center is showing $1 movies on Wednesdays from 6/10 through 812
• Then there are street fairs - a great time to get out in the neighborhood, see neighbors and other community members, hear music, visit with local vendors, and eat snow cones.  There are always snow cones.  Schedules aren't out yet, but - in previous years - we've looked forward to the Mississippi Street Fair (Saturday 7/11), Alberta Street Fair, Fremont Fest, Division/Clinton Street Fair (Saturday 7/25), Belmont Street Fair (Saturday after Labor Day), Hawthorne Street Fair (Sunday 8/16), Montavilla Street Fair.

Do you have other summer events that you look forward to that we should add?  Please share!  There is no shortage of fun to be had.

We're working to get all the summer fun activities onto the urbanMamas calendar  Welcome, summer!  Now get on out there & have some fun.

Beyond Goodwill: Worthy Causes for Donation

We are a diligently recycling bunch.  There are formerly loved goods that we may pass on to friends or neighbors, consign, or donate to a local organization.  We've talked before about donating children's toys and clothes, but what about other suggestions for clothes that have plenty of use left in them?  An urbanMama emails:

I am hoping to find out what people do with their clothes they want to donate. I have done my rounds to the local resale shops and have lots left over. I hate to take it all to Goodwill when I know there are many other worthy causes out there. The clothes are in good condition, some of which were hardly worn at all. I shop at Goodwill myself and would love to drop them off to a charity that gives the items directly to those in need. Any ideas?

The Coffee Playdate - It's BACK! - 04.24.2009

Mamas, I miss getting together with you all, meeting new mamas and seeing old familiar faces.  I'm having a hard time fitting face-time into my calendar, what with the FT job, relationship, two kids, and another one on the way.

With a couple of hot-hot-hot conversations of late, I feel the need to just sit down, shoot the $hit with you, and let you get to know me.  Let's get together, for a good old-fashioned coffee playdate, urbanMamas style.  Bring your kids or not.  I won't have mine; they'll be in school.  I'll be there pretending to work. 

Coffee Playdate, urbanMamas style
Sydney's Cafe
1800 NW Thurman (corner of 16th and NW Thurman, under the Fremont Bridge)
Friday, April 24, 2009
9:30AM

Feel free to RSVP in the comments or just show up and say "HI".  Let's go build some community and meet new mamas.

Two incomes, can't afford child care: Let's potluck this to a better way

I did not have the intended response to the front-page article in the 'O' section of today's Oregonian. The writer meant for me to be sympathetic with the plight of the family depicted; two parents in what seemed a loving, functional marriage with two children under four. I think it was the way the writer approached the story, obvious scrabbling to paint a sad picture of a family left exhausted and strung out, juggling two jobs and only one car.

While I can relate to the stress of the enormous, far-too-dear cost of child care for young children, I came away from the article wishing to share my perspective as a mama of three boys, having drastically changed my work schedule in the past year; though I fear the chasm between the ways we look at life is great. The two parents are working alternate schedules; mom at Costco, dad in sales at a construction and industrial supply company. They pay for only about nine hours of day care a week, or $480 a month, and together make $64,000. They live in a two-bedroom, 800 square foot apartment somewhere in Tigard. No, their schedule doesn't allow for matinees, pedicures, or post-work beer with the guys. Yes, they're "trapped" with one parent, and the car, at work when it rains. The fun for the kids, according to the article: a walk to a toy store, cartoons on 'On Demand,' the shopping mall play area. [The article's writer explained the day she followed the family, it was raining, so they decided not to go to the park; there are parks close by, though the original article wasn't clear on that fact.]

I wish I could fix it for them. What's obvious at first is that we all need a better link to community; to friends who can share childcare providers or swap care for free; to people who can provide that post-work beer experience with the kids; to occasional potluck dinners so each night doesn't seem so harried and lonely. My life today is not perfect (far, far, far!) but thanks to my perspective I can see a number of choices that are worth re-thinking. The sidewalk-less suburb is just one; I know that prices don't vary much from the middle of my neighborhood in inner SE Portland to Tigard, giving the parents far more places to connect and allowing mom & dad to get rid of the car altogether, choosing Tri-Met or the bike for commuting. Then maybe one parent can quit or reduce hours, relieving the pressure and the exhaustion considerably. Harriet calls this concept "householding," and I'm a big fan. (After hearing from the writer who wrote the story, I deleted my comment about food.)

Instead of sitting here frustrated at how isolating, stressful and perhaps more expensive than necessary are the lives we're asked to sympathize with in the Sunday paper, I'll make a challenge. [And judging from the age of the photo illustrating this post, it's a challenge I need badly.] I'll make it easy, because frankly, sharing child care is enormous thing to think about on such a beautiful day. Invite someone over for a potluck dinner -- or invite yourself to their place, if they have more room to set plates and cups. Connect in a simple, relaxed and nonmaterial way. Spend as little money as possible; yes, a carrot and lentil chili and a big salad, with water or homemade iced tea to drink, is perfect. Skip the cartoons and toy stores. Talk about the best place in your neighborhood for nature walks. Make it a regular thing. Start the change small, and see what happens.

Mamas & Blogs & Facebook: is it too much?

When we started urbanMamas almost 5 years ago, I was mama to just a teeny little babe who would wake me up at all hours of the night.  After a feeding at 2am, I would sneak downstairs, open up the computer, and check out the feeds I'd read.  I'd devour the stories, gobble them all up along with a middle-of-the-night snack.  Thank goodness Facebook wasn't around then.  I may have never slept.

Through time, I realized it wasn't terribly healthy to be crawling out of bed and catching up on mama blogroll, as it would keep me up for 1-2-3 hours during prime sleeping time.  I went through a period when I forced myself to stay in bed.  I had to resist the urge, that pull into the blogosphere vortex. 

Now that the kids are older, I am on a much more regulated sleep schedule, but I am still drawn to catch up with friends on Facebook or to check out what's the haps on urbanMamas and other favorite mama conversational sites.  I know I'm not the only one!  An urbanMama recently emailed:

I am hooked on Facebook.  I check it 3-4 times a day and love reading updates, new photos, posting status updates and commenting on my friends' walls.  I can't help it, I feel so connected to people miles and miles away.

I also check my blog rounds throughout the day during my breaks from school, our toddler, and all of our responsibilities. I like being a part of these social networks and forum like discussions but I feel like I am contributing to a society more in touch with ourselves, and less in touch with each other.

How do I moderate this habit?  Any suggestions that have worked for you?  When I am not around a computer I am more creative; and when I talk to friends and hang out with them it is so much more fulfilling than messaging or writing comments on their blog or wall.

Is our generation going through a change of communication, what's going on?  How do I balance traditional social etiquette and lifestyle while being modern, wireless, and digital?

Turnoff Week: Ideas to get out and about

This year's "turnoff" week is next week, April 20 to 26.  And, instead of being billed as "Turn Off TV Week", the organizers, Center for Screen Time Awareness, is calling the week "Turnoff Week", meaning we unplug from not only TVs, but also videos, games, computers, cell phones, and iPods.

Why turn off?

• Screen Time cuts into family time and is a leading cause of obesity in both adults and children.
• In the US and other industrialized nations around the world, screen time use continue to increase every year. 
• The average daily usage for all screens, in some countries, has reached 9 hours per day.  This is for recreational use of screens and does not include work time.
• On average, people watch 4 hours of television and then spend another 4 plus hours with computers, games, video, iPods and cell phones

So, what can we do?  Here are some ideas to start:

• Hit the playground, and invite school/neighborhood friends.  Make it a huge playdate!
• Find out what activities your school may be hosting.  Better yet, offer to plan and host an activity.
• Host a session of board game playing at the community center, library, school, or friends house.
• Check out free or reduced-cost swim sessions at the public pools (Columbia on Wednesdays; Buckman on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; and Dishman on Saturdays.  Call specific pools for details)
• Gather friends for a short bike ride in the neighborhood.
• Organize a scavenger or treasure hunt.
• Check out the urbanMamas calendar for more ideas for fun.  There is something going on every day!

How will you be recognizing Turnoff Week this year?  What activities, if any, are planned at your school?

Need more tips or resources?  Kaiser has a great run down of sample activities, more information, and a screen-time toolkit to learn fun and healthful alternatives.  Check it here.

Veggie Growing 101: Starting Your Kitchen Garden in Portland

My neighbor, Camellia Nieh, is a great gardener -- I often admire her skills from my window and have tasted many of her cherry tomatoes and other goodies. She offered to write an introduction to vegetable gardening in Portland, and I said, yes please!

As weather begins to warm, Portland gardeners begin to anticipate the joys of the growing seasons. Waking up on a sunny morning, strolling outside, and harvesting a basket of fresh tomatoes, basil, spinach, and chives for your morning omelet. Sending the kids out into the yard to graze on sugar snap peas, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes when they clamor for a snack. Browsing a bounty of ripening cucumbers, eggplants, and summer squash as you decide on a vegetable for dinner. Snipping a bowlful of baby greens to bring to a dinner party and garnishing it with edible gem marigolds, day lilies, and sweet violets.

The gardening buzz is everywhere. You’ve heard about the Obamas’ breaking ground for their vegetable garden at the white house, and about the resurgent victory garden movement. You know all the reasons. There’s the statistic about how our average meal travels 1500 miles to reach our plates, and the fact that switching to a local diet is equivalent to driving about 1000 miles less per year. And you’re painfully aware that the average American consumes a pound of pesticides a year, and that we don’t yet know how that chemical load will affect our kids’ growing bodies.

But if you’ve never grown your own food before, perhaps you’re not sure where to start. Not to worry. Growing edibles in Portland is easier than wrangling a wild banana slug. There are tons of resources in this town to help you get started, many of them inexpensive or free.

Choosing a neighborhood, Part II: Schools in the Inner City

About a year ago, we started talking about one mama's dilemma about choosing a neighborhood and whether she ought to consider moving to an "established" school district.  We have recently received an email from an urbanMama who wants to continue the conversation: 

I know I have plenty of time, my son won't be going to kindergarten until Fall 2010 but I've started to research schools in Portland because we're finally shopping for a house.  Yay!  Everyone seems to be pointing me in the direction of the westside or magnet/transfer option schools. Do I have to move to a suburb or apply for the risky transfer option in order to get into a good school?  I love the close proximity of everything in NE and SE but I don't want to trade my son's education for a cool, hip neighborhood.  But on the other hand, I'm not sure if I could handle living in the SW suburbs.  What are your experiences with schools in the inner city versus those of you living in SW Portland and beyond?

New baby for Hau inspires knitting group

Congratulations are in order. Last night at 10:19 p.m. -- less than 3 hours after she emailed to say she was headed to the hospital -- Hau and Joe welcomed baby Hendrik Hagedorn, 7 lbs 15 ozs, 20.5 inches. We're thrilled for them and I can't help but ask myself: what am I going to knit for the baby? A third boy deserves something special; for Monroe, my third little boy, it was a wild, swirly blanket of many colors. Richness is required, don't you think?

Which reminds me. Last Thursday in the Oregonian's In Portland section, I read a little story about a Catholic knitting group in Sullivan's Gulch. "Christ Child Society has met since 1964 at the Calaroga Terrace retirement home on Northeast Second Avenue to sew, knit and crochet clothes and bedding and package them with other items in layettes. But with membership declining from as many as 300 to 80 this year and the limited mobility of some members -- several were in their 90s -- the group decided it couldn't continue and held its final meeting last month," it went on. I was struck with a sudden, utter sadness and thought, couldn't we do it?

Last night, urbanMama Suzame gave me a ride home from an event we had both serendipitously been invited to attend, and mentioned the story, and how she and her husband had thought of me. It's fate, I said, and this morning I called Donna Kipp, from Multnomah County Health Department's Early Childhood Services, who had distributed the layettes to low income mothers, offering our services.

First-timer or third, low-income or middlin', every baby deserves some handmade items prepared with love. Do you have a little extra handmade love to go around? Would you like to get together occasionally to knit (and crochet and sew) it forward? If you're interested, say so; and if you can't wait to get started, meet me at Twisted next Thursday (March 19) around 11 a.m. I love the thought of being spiritual but non-denominational. What do you think?

Portland Parks & Rec: What's New?

A few emails have come to us with some goings on over at Portland Parks and Recreation, and we thought it would be a great time to highlight:

Learn about Couch Park Play Area Improvements:  Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is holding a public meeting to provide information about the proposed safety and ADA accessibility improvements planned for the play area at Couch Park. Please join us to hear about these proposed improvements, how they will help make the play area better for all users, and the timing of the improvements.  Meeting is on Thursday March 12, from 7-8pm, at the Metropolitan Learning Center School Auditorium (2033 NW Glisan).

A community center being planned for Washington Monroe High School:  The Buckman neighborhood in SE Portland is slated to develop 4.7 acres of the former Washington Monroe High School into a Community Center.  Portland Parks & Recreation is recruiting community members to consider key questions such as, "What are the community’s needs?", "Who will be using the facility?" and "What are the activities and programs it needs to provide?"  To be a part of this initial planning process, go to the project website here or download the interest form.

Support the new WEEKEND Indoor Playparks:  We received an email from an urbanMama who has brought weekend indoor playparks to PP&R!  "I returned to work when my daughter was two and quickly realized that there are not enough indoor weekend activities for toddlers. I talked to the folks over at Portland Park and Recreation and they’ve graciously agreed to start a Sunday indoor play park for ages birth – 5 years at the East Portland Community Center, every Sunday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm ($1 per child).  The center is located at 740 SE 106th avenue (very close to Mall 205) and the phone number is 503-823-3450.  I hope that some of you working parents will take advantage of this program – they will keep the weekend park going as long as there is a demand."

Rally it up in Salem, 02.16.2009

We aren't the only mamas thinking about going to the kids rally down in Salem in a couple of weeks.  Several mamas have emailed us to let us know they're interested in supporting this event.  One mama emails:

Last night I learned that, based on the most recent economic forecast, Portland Public School District could face shortfalls of $20 for this year and $70 million over the next biennium ($35 million per year).  That means $20 million would have to be cut from this school year! To put that number in perspective, consider this: $1 million buys 11.5 teaching jobs and $1.2 million buys one school day in PPS.  

Another mama says:

I think we all are passionate about raising happy, healthy children. I was struck by some recent statistics that indicate the poor state of education in Oregon: did you know that Oregon ranks 42nd in the nation for K-12 share of total state spending, 49th in length of school year, 50th in average Elementary class size, and 40th in 4th Grade reading scores?

The most recent e-bulletin from Portland Public School district reads "To be straightforward, the situation is worsening. Despite past cuts and our efforts to manage resources responsibly, we face the likelihood of major budget reductions."  There is talk about making cuts to the current school year.  BUT, there are funds that could potentially come PPS's way via the federal economic recovery plan, which could fund PPS renovations and programs at Title I schools (where levels of low-income students are high).

The North Clackamas School District alone is looking at a 7% cut for the rest of this year and at 13% cut next year. The cuts translate into an even shorter school year.  Programming for arts, music and physical education will fall by the wayside.

The global economy is dire, and funding for our precious resources - public schools - is at risk.  What can we do?  To start, we can let state legislators know that funding for our schools is crucial.  Stand for Children, along with several other organizations, has organized a rally in Salem on Presidents Day.  It's a no-school day for kids, and it seems like a great way to bring our kids to our state capital and get involved with our legislation, on the state level.  The agenda: to let our legislators know how much we care about schools and services, even in an economic downturn.  We know lots of mamas and papas and kids from our neighborhood and schools who are going.

One mama writes:

Quite simply, our kids need us.  If we mamas don't speak up for our children, who will? Please log on to www.stand.org/or/rally and register to attend the Presidents Day Rally. 

Can you and will you go?  Buses are being organized now, just hit the above link for more info!  Get on the bus!

Gonna Volunteer on the 19th?

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling the call.  The call to service, that is. And even though what we do on one single day may not make up for all the days we haven't helped out, or meant to but didn't, for some reason this single day matters to me.  For so long I have wanted a President to once again ask me to do something for my country, something besides buy things.  So I want to show that when called, I do my best to answer. 

We've talked before on urbanMamas about how to best volunteer with kids, and now seems a perfect time to revisit that conversation. What will you do next Monday, January 19th?  I quick checked Hands On Portland for some ideas, and they have a whole MLK Weekend of Service planned.  So if you can't volunteer right on the 19th, which is a Monday, there are activities planned all weekend.  The schedule is filling up fast (yay!), so what other places should we check?  I did just join the Renew America Together group on Facebook - maybe they'll tell me what to do!

And hopefully, whatever I start on the 19th won't stop there.  My aim is to find something ongoing, something to keep this feeling up, to start something new.  What about you?

Inauguration Day 2009: How will you spend it?

Inauguration Day is coming in less than two weeks.  There are many among us who are excited for the moment our 44th president is sworn in and addresses us for the first time as our President. 

Just as the kids stayed up on Election Night 2008 watching votes roll in, coloring electoral college maps, we want them to be part of and remember the occassion on Tuesday the 20th.  Tons of stuff seems to be happening in DC the weekend prior to the event, but the inauguration will happen at noon EST on Tuesday, which is 9am Portland-time.  The line up will start around 8:30am our time with some opening remarks.

We've received several emails now from mamas looking for kid-friendly activities for the day.  Are you planning on partaking, somehow, in inauguration day activities?  The 8-9AM time slot sounds like a mighty fine time to congregate at one of our favorite coffee shops for a little Inauguration Day Playdate, doesn't it?  There are TVs at favorite haunts like Sip 'n' Kranz, Airplay Cafe, and Sydney's.  Perhaps Barackspace (aka Backspace) will project the live televised event on their big screen.  Or, can you TiVo/DVR it and enjoy it in the evening with a little bubbly all around to celebrate?  If you kids are school-aged, do you think they'll show the event at your school?

New year, new commitments

The news of a friend's book deal was paired on a writers' site with an announcement of a book on "My year of living within my means." I had to laugh to keep from crying, because, seriously: isn't that what many of us have been doing forever? It's been several years since I used a credit card (and it's not just because I'm disciplined, but that's another story). Why not a life of living within your means?

All ranting aside, it made me think of all the other "year-of" books that I'd prefer to adopt, at least mostly, as a life and not just a year -- or not just a New Year's resolution. I think of the "resolution" concept as something that should be applied to the moment, not a turn of the page on a calender, a new digit. Every moment is worth starting anew (or else, perhaps I'm just habitually late and this is my mantra of excusal). I'd like to re-commit this year to:

• The year of eating local. I continue to strive for better pathways to eat local, sustainably-produced food, and part of that this year will be to figure out how to do it without paying a lot -- and how to spread local foods beyond their "elite" label. I love what the Portland Fruit Tree Project is doing; part of local eating could be gleaning figs from a neighbor's tree or helping me harvest my cherries!

Facebook Groups: Which Ones to Join, and Why?

A while back we talked about Facebook.  Mostly whether or not we were on or off, or not quite sure what all the fuss was about.  Well now that we're all wasting away our personal and work lives letting all of our "friends" know what we're doing, eating, thinking, & wearing among other things, I'm curious about something else.  Are you a joiner?  I am, but cautiously.  I recently posted about a great group I joined over on Activistas, that I heard about from a friend (natch).  But what next?  Join the rest of 'em?  I'm feeling like my groups are like a teenager's clothes, an outward sign of what I believe in, who I hang with. 

So what about you?  Do you join Facebook groups?  For fun?  Or with a purpose?  To network, or be supportive of friends who 'recruit' you?  Of course urbanMamas has a Facebook group, too, so you can always join that as an extension of this community - another reason for these groups. 

Is it getting to be like websites have become - if you don't have one, you're no-one?  Can't find that group on Facebook?  Must not exist.  For the record (not that you asked), here's a bunch I've joined:

• Activistas
• Parents for Paid Leave
• Moms Rising
• Environmental Working Group
• Oregon Environmental Council
• Emerge Oregon
• No BPA in Kids Products

But that's just me.  Clearly.

On charitable giving (and receiving)

Charity is very much top-of-mind this week. My husband is in the Army Reserves, and either we are the only large-ish family in his unit and thus deemed needful of charity based solely on the number of mouths to feed, or perhaps he has slightly exaggerated our financial plight (I'm freelancing as our main source of income right now, and while the work is plentiful, my time is not so much). Either way we have received two gift baskets in the past week, both stocked with hams, a pound of margarine, and various canned goods and other nonperishables. I am grateful. And yet, given my now year-long commitment to feed my family organic, fairly traded, as-local-as-possible food, it's been a challenge deciding how to face a six-year-old who I found hoarding two boxes of cake mix and a package of Sara Lee dinner rolls in his bedroom. Among other things. One day I'll let the boys gorge themselves on Trix, Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and chocolate icing straight out of the carton, the next day I hide it all and force-feed them sourdough whole wheat baked goods and raw milk. As a culture, we believe that one should not look a gift horse in the mouth and that those receiving charitable assistance should be pleased to eat whatever GMO-ridden, conventional, processed, sugar-packed, wrapped-up-in-excess-packaging goods the givers choose.

I am torn. I wish to be grateful and am thrilled that such largess exists. I know that those who assembled the gift packages did so out of a genuine and generous wish to make our lives better. (And the PGE gift card that was included in one of them will, indeed!, make our lives better. If anyone should be struggling over what to get for a needy family -- go with the PGE gift card!) And at the same time I wish I could somehow send a message to all those who shop for holiday gift baskets and ask if they might consider getting big bags of Bob's Red Mill organic whole wheat flour, and a dozen eggs from Kookoolan Farms, and perhaps a nice local ham from Sweet Briar Farms or the Pacific Village cooperative.

urbanMamas snowed-in health hotline

My sister Hannah just called with a concern; her baby, Angelica, has had a diaper rash for several days, and a fever for the past few. Today she developed a rash on her stomach and Angelica, 15 months old, has been very fussy. She needed advice; she's been calling the pediatrician's office but the line has been busy.

I advised her to see if she's been overbundling Angelica (her power was off yesterday) and switch to breastfeeding only; maybe Angelica's having an allergic reaction and at least that will reduce her exposure to new foods. It couldn't be chicken pox, we decided, as it didn't look like the pox; Angelica's had her regular vaccinations; her only exposure (to my children) couldn't have caused it as they've all either had the pox or been vaccinated long ago. Twitter friends offered the possibilities of thrush, roseola, or hand and mouth disease.

Then it occurred to me that, if Hannah's struggling with a not-necessarily-emergency problem, many other are too, and as doctors' offices aren't answering their phones with great regularity, we'll have to work together to figure it out. So here's an open thread to ask each other for advice (and give yours to Hannah if something occurs to you). I'll start it off: Monroe broke his front tooth in half this weekend (well, in 1/3 and 2/3 vertical chunks) after launching himself face-first into a stack of cookie sheets.One of the chunks is wobbling back and forth and our local dentist office is closed; he hasn't been crying (though he's worked himself a mark near my nipple -- ouch!) and I figure we may as well wait out the storm before getting it looked at. Any problems I should look out for?

Activistas 2009 Holiday Adopt-A-Family

After reading the O's Season of Sharing stories today (a day late, natch), I am intensely sad and simultaneously so very grateful. And also glad that we already have underway our 2nd annual community Adopt-A-Family effort. Like last year, we hope to pool our resources to assist a local family in need over the holiday season. This year we're working with the Children's Relief Nursery. Read more and jump in on Activistas.

NE Pdx Parents Listserv: Join Up!

Heidi, new to Portland from Boston, started up a listserv for NE parents to get more connected and hopes all you NE parents will join. She writes:

When I moved here from Boston, one of the things I missed was my neighborhood parents email list. It was a great forum to talk about parenting issues, local parenting news and events, and find free (or nearly free) kid gear. But more than that, it really made my community, and especially the parenting community, feel closer-- something that is very important to me. I decided that rather than simply miss my old list, it was time to start one here! By creating a list for Northeast Portland, I hope to bring a new circle of parents closer-- connecting my friends, my neighbors, and their friends.

Subscription to the list is free and, for now, this parents list is for those of us in the Northeast (generally speaking)-- the reason being that Portland is large and if we start including folks further away some of the value of making it a truly local list is lost (like being able to find an event you'd really go to before nap time arrives).

One of the great things about the list is that it's not just for one kind of parent-- it really works best when you have parents of all types (and ages!). It is great to get advice both from parents who have been doing this for a longer time and those who are experiencing the terrible twos (or thirteens) in the moment with you. So spread the word and feel free to forward this information to those parents you know and meet in Northeast Portland.

Election results: Our hope for the future

As a group, we founders of urbanMamas were impassioned Barack Obama supporters. His win got to us on a number of levels: it's a thrilling realization of (what we hope is) a new era in which someone's race or gender or familial fortune is far less important than his or her intelligence, character, and values. It's a victory for grassroots politics over corporate politics (I, the MBA, am actually thrilled that the stock market plummeted the day after his victory). It's a victory for children, I truly believe that; as the camera panned across the kids up on stage with Obama and Biden, I cried even more, certain that the future of those little girls in the White House would be a better one for my little boys. It gives us hope that major policies will change for the better: chief on my list are eliminating subsidies that promote monocultures (buh-bye corn and soy subsidies), senseless transport (it shouldn't be so easy to supplant local produce, apparel, or other locally-sourced products with those from across the country, or the world), and wrongheaded decisions by financial institutions.

We're happy that Barack Obama won, and also

• Jeff Merkley (though I could do without his expensive, negative campaign); he campaigned on overhauling No Child Left Behind, fully funding public schools and Head Start programs, and creating universal access to health care.
• Kate Brown for Secretary of State
• The Children's Investment Levy renewal
• The Zoo bond; even though I have mixed feelings about the whole concept of zoos, I'd rather ours be up-to-date and taking best care of the captive animals as possible

We have hope that Obama and the other elected officials can make some enormous changes in America. We need to entirely re-think our priorities as a nation; instead of focusing on jobs above all, we need to focus on people. People who are mothers, fathers, children, aunts, uncles and grandparents. People who are farmers and freelance workers. People who do not have group health care; people who choose to live a more sustainable life. We need policies that support us. We need healthy food, first. This starts by eliminating corn and soy subsidies and making sure it's not any easier to grow food that's been genetically modified or treated with petroleum-based pesticides and fertilizers than it is organic, heirloom, sustainably-grown food. It continues by funding food as part of education; increasing the time spent at lunch and encouraging gardens at schools and the fresh prepartion of food in school cafeterias. We need better transportation policy; we need to make hard choices and recognize that the best option is the one that doesn't use oil. We need enormous infrastructure changes and a renewal of neighborhood schools so children are walking and biking to school and families can make the choice to go without a car, biking and taking public transportation instead. We need government encouragement for telecommuting so that families with parents who choose to work can do so with the minimal impact on their children. We need tax-funded health care so the choice whether or not both parents need to work can be far easier. We need far more generous paid family leave policies so that children's lives can begin with several months of low-stress bonding, easier breastfeeding, and happier mothers.

That's what I hope Barack Obama, his cabinet, and the other elected officials will do for us. What do you hope for?

Getting kids involved without polling places: I voted!

I remember going with my mom to the polling place when I was a kid; there was one right at the end of our block, at 25th and Madison, so watching the people stream by all day was so exciting. I couldn't wait until I was old enough to vote. Now my six-year-old is just like me: only there's no polling place. My husband and I voted after bedtime on Friday and the only evidence was our sealed, signed ballots on the table the next morning, whisked away by my parents to drop off at the elections office.

So, how can we invest our children with the excitement of civic involvement in our vote-by-mail state? Here are a couple of things we've done (and plan to do):

• Electoral maps. There will be electoral maps to color at Backspace for the election party tonight; and last night Everett insisted I fill in every state as blue (he's loyal, that kid) on the New York Times electoral map, a fun interactive map that lets you run different scenarios while you wait.
• Mock election. Asha at ParentHacks has a fun idea with imaginary candidates who espouse candy policies and bedtimes.
• Get your freebies. Though election law now says they can't ask if you voted (nothing of value can be exchanged to induce someone to vote, or to refrain from voting), Starbucks is giving away a free tall coffee in honor of voting, Ben & Jerry is giving away free scoops from 5 to 8 p.m., and Dunkin' Donuts is giving away star-shaped pastries.
• Campaign with every last second. Moms Rising has several "get out the mom vote" campaigns, like offering to be backup childcare for friends who want to vote, and making last-minute calls to remind moms to vote. Maybe the best way to adapt this to Oregon is to offer to drop off ballots for your friends who haven't yet voted, or to stage a "voting playdate" where you bring your ballots, vote, and hand them over to one mama to hand-deliver to a ballot drop-off location.

How will you get your kids enthused about your civic involvement today?

Blog Action Day: Let's buy a Mercy Corps breastfeeding kit

So head on over to Activistas and jump in, 'cause we're not just blogging on blog action day, we're acting.  Join us in buying a Mercy Corps breastfeeding kit.

Surprise!?? There are lots of kindergarteners in Portland

In today's Oregonian, the blaring headline: "Finally, a bumper crop of Portland kindergarteners ... The growing enrollment is welcome, albeit unexpected." In 2008, the Portland Public School district enrolled 3,950 kindergarteners, a 4% increase over 2007 (all metropolitan-area kindergartens grew but Gresham and Lake Oswego). There are all kinds of ways to utilize these numbers; kindergarten enrollment is used to forecast enrollment for all grades (that's obvious!), and it seems to be an indicator of population growth. Due to relatively infrequent census surveys, often localities like Portland are left in a year like '08 just not knowing where the people are.

Silly PPS. I know people here on urbanMamas and elsewhere in the Portland blogosphere have been commenting on the growing population for years. From packed prenatal yoga classes to waiting lists for preschool spots to crowding at Piccolo Park: we've been noticing that Portland is a great place to have babies, and lots of people are doing so.

If I was doing the forecasting, I would have already picked this year to be a growth year, and promised growth in kindergartens for the next 10 years to come. I think 2010 will be a particularly huge one! What do you see in your crystal ball (also known as your neighborhood coffee shop mid-morning)?

Tomorrow: Int'l Walk & Bike to School Day

International Walk and Bike to School day is coming up on October 8th, this Wednesday. This is a one-time, state-wide event in which many schools participate. 90 schools throughout Oregon are signed up to promote healthy lifestyles by walking and biking to school. For more information on the program, see the Walk + Bike web site.

Are you in?

Obama Mamas are Google Grouping: Jump In

If you are a self-described Obama Mama, join this group to collaborate with other local Obama Mamas who are busy on the election volunteer effort.  Over on Activistas.

Moms are voting: Let's show it

Ready to show your stuff?  No, not that stuff.  Your political stuff, your power as a mama to vote like a mama.  The campaigns know we matter, we know we matter, so let's remind everyone that we'll be voting on November 4th, voting to support, uh, moms (and thereby our precious kids).  Get yer bumper sticker from Moms Rising over on Activistas.  Now if only I had one of those excellent little Zapcars to slap it on!  I mean, do I really need a trunk???

How to deal with a problem PPS staff person?

Mamas, we have come up empty in trying to suggest how to research how to move forward with this question.  Do any of you have suggestions?  We have received the following email from an urbanMama:

I'm searching for information on how to deal with a problem staff member in a PPS school. I'm in an "information gathering" stage right now.  Has anyone had a problem staff member at your particular school and gone to the district about it?  Any insights to share?

Are You an Obama Mama?

Some of us who are seeing November 4th right around the corner are getting together to talk shop.  Presidential election shop.  And no, we're not rehashing Palingate anymore.  We are excitedly moving on.  And if you, too, lean the Obama way, join us next Friday, 9.19.08 at Tandem Coffeehouse  - conveniently located right across the street from Obama's Stumptown campaign HQ.  Yes, we're calling it an Obama Mama playdate, because we're figuring on getting involved, with the kids in tow!  See you there there from 9:30 to 11:30 AM for coffee, kid play, mama chit chat, and matters of, well, national importance.  Loads more on Activistas.

Mamas Talk President

The presidential election is starting to heat up what with the Democratic National Convention in full swing.  Curious what other mamas are thinking?  Got thoughts of your own to share?   Perfect, 'cause we're getting in the mood over on Activistas.  Get in on the conversation, get excited - we are. 

Activistas Summer Playdate is Friday! Join Us.

Feeling like an activist?  Free tomorrow (the 8th) from 9:30 to 11:30 AM?  Hey, so are we!  Join us at Air Play Cafe to talk about all things Activistas... and otherwise, of course.  Details here.  Hope to see you. 

Kidical Mass: coming to a neighborhood near you

** updated with new ride locations ** check back for full route details **

photo credit: Jonathan Maus of bikeportland.org

Critial Mass started with a group of 45 people in San Francisco in 1992. Now, the ride is a monthly event in cities all around the world to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists’ right to the road.

Of course, We here at urbanMamas believe that kids and families are cyclists too! A very new effort to this end has started in Eugene, OR in August 2008.  Kidical Mass is a ride to help kids and families feel comfortable riding on our streets, especially as a larger group. Here in Portland, we’ve already had two successful Kidical Mass rides, both starting in the North Park Blocks in downtown Portland.  Rides are being organized in Tulsa, OK, Ashland, OR, Bend, OR, and Toronto, Canada.

We want to bring Kidical Mass to our neighborhoods.  urbanMamas is organizing Kidical Mass rides in N/NE Portland, SE Portland, and NW Portland (the original Portland Kidical Mass ride). 

What will you expect at Kidical Mass?

• A safety talk before we start riding
• A 3-4 mile guided ride on our neighborhood streets
• No child left behind!  We will make sure we have a sweeper biker to bring up the rear
• Tons of families and children riding with trailers, Xtracycles, tag-alongs/trail-a-bikes, bike seats, and kids riding on their own bikes
• Maps, brochures, information, bike decor for the kids
• A post-ride potluck picnic at the park where we can meet other urbanFamilies and chat about our summers, bike rides, and other Portland family fun

What should you bring?

• Tricked out and decorated bikes.  Bring your bike bling!
• Your helmets
• A picnic for your family post-ride
• Bring something to share, if you wish!

Mark your calendars now:

Kidical Mass in Portland's neighborhoods
Friday, August 15th

Locations
N/NE: Peninsula Park (meet at the NE corner of the park at N. Rosa Parks and N. Kerby).  The ride will run South on N. Kerby, west on N. Ainsworth, north on Delaware to Arbor Lodge Park, then loop back to Peninsula Park for potluck picnicking.

SE: Sunnyside School (meet at the playground near 35th and Taylor; here is the route map)

SE: Sellwood Park by the pool.  The ride will head north up the Springwater Corridor then back into North Sellwood. Perfect for those pulling trailers or bringing little ones on their micro bikes. Maps will be available for folks.

NW: North Park Blocks (meet by the playground)

SW: Meeting at Capitol Hill Elemenetary and ride a total of 1.4 miles to Gabriel Park.  At Gabriel Park there will be watermelon (and possibly a watermelon drop?) and a potluck.  Bring your bikes.  Bring some food and drink.  Oh, and bring your kids to KIDICAL MASS!

Time
6:00PM gather
6:15PM Safety Talk & Ride!
7:00PM Post-Ride Potluck Picnic

Can't make it for the ride?  Bring out your family and feel free to join us for the post-ride potluck picnic.  It's open to all!  Planning to come?  RSVP in the comments for any of the rides.  We want to know how many bikey treats & swag to bring.  Want to help guide, plan, or organize a ride?  Shoot us an email at urbanMamas@gmail.com 

What's Up @ Activistas?

Over at Activistas we've been busy lately, even created a mailing list so you can get periodic updates of get togethers and important action opportunities.  Details & sign-up here.  No need to worry about us filling up your inbox, 'cause while we're long on ideas and inspiration, we're short on time.  You know how that goes.  But it's a great way to stay current - on the off, off chance you don't visit the site multiple times daily! 

Have you made plans for NNO 2008?

This year marks the 25th Anniversary for National Night Out, an evening designed to build community and:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

In years past, neighorhoods throughout Portland have celebrated National Night Out by organizing block parties, ice cream socials at the park, bike rides, group walks and just getting out and meeting our neighbors.

This just in from my neighborhood association:

The deadline to register your National Night Out party is coming up quickly! National Night Out parties can be planned for anytime between August 2nd and August 10th, although the great majority of the parties are planned for National Night Out itself on Tuesday, August 5th this year (always the first Tuesday in August). The website link for NNO information, party ideas and registration is www.portlandonline.com/oni/nno or you call register by phone at 503-823-4064. The deadline to register is July 22nd.

What are your plans for National Night Out?  What neighborhood activities have you participated in the past?  We're dying to come with great new ways to meet new neighbors: what are your suggestions?  A BBQ in the park?  Maybe a potluck in the neighbor's front yard?  A lemonade stand!  A neighborhood jam session on the sidewalk?  A dance party? 

Motherhood Manifesto: Scereen it this Thursday 7.10.08

If you haven't already seen The Motherhood Manifesto (think Moms Rising), good news!  We're getting together for another screening this Thursday 7.10.08 @ 7 PM to watch & discuss.  Read more and RSVP over on Activistas.  Hope to see you there!

Sunday Parkways, a HIT!

*photo courtesy Jonathan Maus, www.bikeportland.org

For months we'd been waiting with bated breath for the day had 6 miles of neighborhood streets, car-free.  When the day finally came, we could hardly believe it was true.  We joined thousands of other bikers and walkers to take back our streets.  The streets were packed!  The feeling was overwhelming, and everyone on the street shared some healthy fun.  I felt wonderful with the feeling that my 7-year old could ride her bike freely in the streets, not having to worry about a car zooming past. 

Were you there?  Share thoughts?  Did you and your family have a great time?

Summer, Parks, Sun, Fun - 2008

It is so hard to think that school is out and summer fun is set to begin.  Nothing but grey, but - come July - all that grey will be worth it, right?  Portland summers are gorgeous. 

Beyond clear blue skies, sunshine, and temps in the sweet spot of the 70s, Portland has free entertainment and activities throughout the summer months - fun for all ages and in all parts of the city.

• Pools throughout the city will host Fun Days, Itty Bitty Beach Parties, Teen Swim Parties, Parent Appreciation Day (July 19th at All Pools), and Dive-In Movies (featuring the "Bee Movie").  The full schedule here.
• Summer Movies at the Park start mid-July and run into September.  Movies start at dusk and happen in parks all throughout the city.
• Traveling Rock Walls - we haven't found too much info about the traveling rock wall, but if it's anything like it sounds, it's bound to be fun for the climb-lovers among us.  Looks like the rock wall will make appearances at community centers and parks throughout the city.
• Summer Playgrounds start on June 19th, offering daily drop-in recreation for kids aged 5-12 including games, sports, and arts & crafts at 23 parks throughout the city.  Free lunches for kids will be available daily midday at 17 parks.
• Mobile Playgrounds come to a neighborhood near you!  Four fun vehicles will circulate throughout town every day of the week.  Print out the schedule and keep it handy.
• And, of course, the summer concert schedule 2008 is out.  The line up is full with talented performers representing a breath of styles, including the Portland Festival Symphony.  We love seeing friends and neighbors at the park, some of whom it seems we only see at the summer concerts.
• Oregon Symphony hosts concerts in the neighborhood, this year in late August at Mt. Scott Park and Tom McCall Waterfront park
• Regal Films offers free movies (rated G and PG) on Tuesday and Wednesdays from July through mid-August.  Showtimes are 10am.  A movie theater is a great respite from the heat on hot summer days.  A complete schedule here: http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=OR

We have other summer favorites, which are not FREE, but still worth the honorable mention:

• Oregon Zoo Concerts - featuring Wednesday night Zoo Tunes (free for Zoo members level "plus" and higher or $10 admission) and "Premium" concerts (running $17-24 admission)
• Kruger's Farm Concerts - happen on Thursdays in July and August from 6:30-9:30pm.  Admission is $10 per car and new this year is a $50 season pass.

With all this activity, you wonder: how will I ever keep track?  Not to fret our beleoved mamas.  The *entire* Summer Concert Series is already on the urbanMamas calendar, and we'll be sure to get up all the aforementioned fun stuffs onto the calendar lickity split.  Have some summer fun to add?  Email us at urbanMamas@gmail.com and tell us: "Put this on the urbanMamas calendar!"

Volunteer Opportunities for Mamas with Babes

Finding time to volunteer as a parent can be tough, but what if you want to do so with kid in tow?  Are there any kid-friendly volunteer opportunities out there?  Jeannine writes:

As a stay at home mama, I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be with my son everyday.  However, I am currently experiencing the longing to be out more in the community and "be of service".  I wish to find some volunteer opportunities here in N/NE Portland where my son and I can go together and volunteer (feeding the homeless, community gardening, etc.).  Volunteer jobs aren't always so welcoming to a mama with a toddler in tote.  Any inspirational ideas for getting this mama out in the community and volunteering for a humanitarian project? Thanks for your input!

Sustainable living on a budget: Am I inspired yet?

Monique Dupre was, as everyone seems to agree, not what we expected. She's too lovely, too pulled-together, too funny, too American. (For the record, she is married to a Frenchman, grew up near Astoria, and now lives in Vancouver, Wash.) I half-expect her to start her insanely popular 'Sustainable Living on a Budget' workshop with a little ledger for us to add up our errant spending and lots of judgment, but that's entirely not what she does.

She starts by saying that she just wants to inspire us, reminds us that inspire means "in the spirit," and that we don't have to do everything, just start where we are. And begins to talk about where she is.

It's at once devilishly inspiring (I will admit to having called Comcast to cut off my cable the next day, and removed the TV from the living room, although it was only minorly influenced by Monique) and crushingly overwhelming. Monique, through lots of hard work, much ability to be present and inquisitive, and the oh-so-useful French husband questioning all that is America, has created a life that is truly my dream. She gets all her food locally and organically, creating healthy and whole-foods-y meals for each and every bite her family eats. She leaves her home each morning with a clean kitchen and a small pile of laundry. Her children want nothing for Christmas because they have everything they need. Her eldest daughter can recognize fennel plants when they're an inch tall. She loves fennel!

It's Election Day

First of all: don't forget to vote. Some ballot-drops will accept ballots until 8pm, but some drops are only accepting until 6pm. All branch libraries are accepting ballots. Check the complete list of ballot drop locations.

Second of all: there are election gatherings galore hosted by campaigns and even interest groups.  A small round-up is here.  Are you going?

Our second week on the Walk & Bike Challenge

Last week, on the second week in the Walk & Bike Challenge, we learned to go multi-modal.  We were a one-parent family and felt the logistic challenge of getting two children to two different schools on the bus, foot, or bike.  We have a location near the school where we can store the bike safely.  Therefore, our week last week went like this:

• Monday: we drove
• Tuesday: we took the bus to the bike, biked to the schools.  After school we biked back the the bus, stored the bike, and took the bus home.
• Wednesday: we took the bus to the bike, biked to the schools.  After school we biked to the bus, stored the bik, and took the bus to piano lessons, then took the bus home.
• Thursday: we drove
• Friday: we biked

This is the part of the year when we start to bike/bus more than we drive, which feels pretty gratifying.  Most of the wet and cold parts of the year, we only aim for one car-free day a week, and we are feeling really successful if we are able to have two, three, or even four (!) car-free days.

How are you doing with the Walk & Bike Challenge?  Have you gone multimodal with the family, piecing together walk, bus, and bike in one trip?  Are you noticing more families than week one participating at your school?

Guestivstas: Read All About 'Em, Then Be One!

For a few months now we've been inviting some of the fascinating parents we know to share their opinions with us on Activistas-type stuff.  We call them Guestivistas.  So far we've introduced you to eight people, with a bunch more in the cue.  Head over to Activistas to hear what these folks have to say, and if you, too, feel the urge to share, start typing, mamas, we're all ears!  Being a Guestivista couldn't be easier.

Pdx City Council Candidates: Family-Friendly? You Decide.

You might recall that in the past month or so we were all busy having coffee with a bunch of candidates for city council seats 1 and 2.  Telling them what matters to us in case they get elected, and finding out whether they earn the family-friendly vote.  We're not endorsing a soul.  But we did ask all of the candidates we met with to tell us why Portland parents should vote for them - in 200 words or less.  My attention span is that short.  Read why the four candidates for Seat 1 that we met with think we families should vote for them.  Over on Activistas. 

Activistas is Facebooking: Join Us!

We talked about Facebooking awhile back, and I chuckled to myself since I'd never even considered it.  LInked In, sure, but Facebook?  Twitter?  MySpace?  Not this mama.  Too old, right??   But who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks??

So, now we're live @ Activistas Pdx.  Join the group.  Help us make it work.  One more way we can connect to make the changes we all want to see.   See you there, mamas.

Are there grants available for housing?

It absolutely takes a village, and part of our goal in building the urbanMamas community is to offer resources and guidance to all.  We received a recent email from a mama just outside Salem requesting help accessing grants or other financial assistance to buy a home:

My name is Starla I live in Stayton, OR.  I am 37 years old, single for 9 years. I have 3 kids each with a different type of mental disorder. My daughter is 14 with OCD, Trichotillomania, OCD Hoarder and ADD. One son is 12 with Autism/Asperger’s, PDD and ADHD.  Last but not least my 10 year old son with Bi-Polar and ADHD. My children are my world.  We moved to OR from CA so I can get my children more help through the school and Therapist, things are doing so much better here. I have a Home Day Care, that is so I can be more convenient when I have to drive my children to all of their appointments (therapist, Med Prescribers, a Home Skill Worker, or school teachers or counselors). I just went back to college in Oct. 2007, this is the start for me to a whole new career; my goal is to be a family Therapist for children with mental disorders.

Being a single parent with children with mental disorders, my job options are limited and the so are my finances. I would love to be able to buy a home for us.  I am renting a duplex so the maximum number of children that I can have in my Daycare is limited to 5 children.  If I had a home I would be able to have 10, and that would double my income.  Also my children are loud and they bother the neighbors on the other side of the wall (the neighbors know about my children and their mental disorders).  It is hard enough to try to control the children, and - when a neighbor comes over and gets in the middle of it - that makes it much harder.  My son (the one who has Autism) thinks that the neighbors want to kill him and I can’t get him to play outside, and he thinks that the owner want to kick us out (they don’t).  He lives in fear all the time. My daycare children are wonderful, and my children love them.  They all get along with the great.

If there is a grant that can help my buy a home for us that would help us out so much.

What are resources statewide (or even in Portland that could potentially have similar programs in other cities) that you could suggest? 

Stimulate this! Great ideas for using your economic stimulus package

As soon as I heard about Bush's Economic Stimulus plan, I started in with the subversion. I'd use my stimulus check to buy things, but entirely not the things Bush and big retail corporations wanted me to. My debit card wouldn't be swiped at Target or Sears or Olive Garden; with the whopping $2,100 my family will get (we have three children) I wouldn't buy a single gallon of premium unleaded gas, nor sink a nickel into video poker machines (I'm scandalized and saddened that's where Oregon's kicker went). No. I'd buy things that would work gently against big government and big big oil.

I made a promise to myself that I would spend my economic stimulus money on things that would save me from spending future fossil fuels, future money and future greenhouse gases. I decided I would invest my stimulus package into my little urban homestead's soil, air, and food stores. I'd get off the grid, just a bit, I'd use it to live lighter. I made a list of ideas and (helped by a substantial tax rebate) I've already started in on it. Do you have any ideas to add to the list? Where will your stimulus package go?

• A family bike. I bought this Electra Townie + Xtracycle + Bobike seat from Clever Cycles for about $1500; you could do it a lot cheaper ($450-$600) if you had a base bike to use (you could even use an old Schwinn). I'm waiting for another Bobike seat for Truman. I can transport all three boys on it! There are lots more thoughts about family biking here.
• A couple of garden boxes, fertilizer, compost, seeds and starts. It seems as if I'm not the only one thinking about this! Lots of your great vegetable gardening advice here.

Recycling for a Cause

Earth day had me thinking a lot about the waste generated/collected in our small house.  Then I started obsessing over spring cleaning.  Now I have notes scattered throughout the house about the Plastic Roundups, the Neighborhood Hazardous Waste Roundup, and various other close to home dumping events. But wouldn't it be nice if it was all taken care of for us? A mama wonders:

I like helping people.  I hate waste.  I hate feeding bottles into a machine.  I like tax deductions.  These things seem like they all naturally add up to charitable donations of recyclable bottles and cans.  This has been harder to find than I expected.  Does anyone know of a school, scout troop, homeless shelter, who will come to my house, take my recyclables, and give me a receipt?  Bonus points for a group that does it on a regular basis (i.e. they call me every month or two and say "it's time...").

April 29 = Last Day to Register to Vote

Andrea has the May election on her mind (hard not to with all those yard signs popping up around town).  She wrote in to remind everyone that April 29th is the very last day you can register to vote 'round here.  She writes:

I am more excited to vote this year than I have been in a long time. Probably since I cast my first ballot.  The last 8 years have been long, so it's thrilling to think about what's possible with new leadership.  But there's another reason to be excited.  Even though the battle over the Democratic nomination is getting tiresome , it means that the votes of Oregonians will really matter this year.  Unlike primaries in other years, where the presidential candidate was decided long before May 20th, this year Oregonians will have their say.  Only one problem...you have to be registered as a Democrat to choose between these two candidates.  Hear more from Andrea and find all the right voter registration links over on Activitsas.  The clock is ticking, mamas, so hurry!