Metro Parent

Transcription

Metro Parent

Paleo Bites | Marbling Magic | Lunch box Fixes
[ FREE ]
Kick off
fall with o
Septembeur
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pg. 36. s,
Handmade
Birthdays
PORTLAND | VANCOUVER
BACK TO SCHOOL | SEPTEMBER 2014
metro-parent.com | September 2014
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September 2014 | metro-parent.com
[ Contents ]
Editor’s Note................................................................................................................................................ 6
Play Room...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Top kid-friendly coffee shops, plus a Gorge getaway.
Handmade Birthdays.......................................................................................................................12
Two PDX-area moms take our editor through their
from-scratch kiddo birthday parties.
12
Balance Sheet ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Sustainable budgeting, the Portland way.
Moving To … Milwaukie................................................................................................................. 20
Metro Parent’s inaugural real estate column looks at the market
in this up-and-coming burg.
First Person: Baby Steps........................................................................................................... 22
Our new columnist, Catherine Ryan Gregory, on learning
to love her epidural.
Hands On..................................................................................................................................................... 24
20
Vibe of Portland’s got the blueprint for an easy, at-home,
messy art marbling project.
Family Supper......................................................................................................................................... 26
Paleo bites, fit for small fry, at Cultured Caveman in NoPo.
Recipe File.................................................................................................................................................. 28
New Seasons nutritionist Christi Reed shares
lunch box-friendly recipes.
Time Out........................................................................................................................................................ 36
PDX’s best September activities, from consignment sales
24
to square dancing.
Last Look...................................................................................................................................................... 42
Portland in pictures.
RESOURCES
Birthday Parties.......................................................................................................11, 16 - 17
Our adorable cover
subject, Koa Moreira, all
decked out for his first
birthday celebration.
Local photographers
Chris and Kathy Schreiber
of Vancouver, Wash.based Rusty Aperture
Photography took this
great shot at
Mount Tabor Park on
June 21, 2014.
Back to School.............................................................................................................. 31 - 35
Fall Festivities..........................................................................................................................41
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[ Editor’s Note ]
This is the year I draw a birthday line in the sand. For years, I’ve been one of those parents who goes a little
overboard for my twins’ birthday. We’ve had parties at our (fairly small) house, with babies and their parents
perched on every available surface, parties at local pumpkin patches where toddlers wheeled through the
corn mazes and teased for pony rides, outdoorsy lunchtime parties where I lugged along vats of homemade
soup to feed everyone in drizzly October weather, righteously refusing to take the easy way out and order
the pizza that the kids would surely have preferred. It’s always been a “the more the merrier” kind of affair,
with invitations issued to everyone in their preschool class, piles of presents
collected from all the guests despite my coy protest of “no gifts necessary!”, and
homemade cupcakes dutifully presented. (Well. At least until I realized that
they always came out pretty dry, and decided to spring for the delicious ones
from Le Cookie Monkey in NW Portland instead.)
It stops now, though. This year, the kids will be 6, and just as A.A. Milne put
it, they think they are “clever as clever.” So they each get to pick six friends to
invite, and that’s it. We will not go bananas with the presents. And I’m getting
pizza. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it … but if I were going to backslide, I’d
use our handmade birthdays feature as my go-to guide. It’s just one of the fun,
local stories that you’ll find in this month’s issue of Metro Parent, along with a
great DIY art project from Vibe of Portland, and the debut of both our new real
estate and family finance columns. Now get reading, and don’t forget to blow out
those birthday candles in one go, so everyone’s wishes will come true.
— Julia Silverman
[ Contributing Writers ]
Catherine Ryan Gregory
(First Person: Baby Steps) is a
Portland writer and mom to
1-year-old “Peeper.” She loves
hiking, can’t keep the house
clean and talks about boobs
way more often than is socially
appropriate. She blogs at
TenThousandHourMama.com.
Darcy Cronin and Miel Hendrickson (Balance
Sheet) are identical twins, mothers, bloggers,
and family business partners. They blog at
SustainableFamilyFinances.com. Darcy is a newly
certified Mama Bliss Coach (DarcysUtopia.com),
and mother to Kieran, 8 ½, Makenna, 5 ½, and
1-year-old Teagan. She and her husband spend their
spare energy (what there is of it) gardening and fixing
up their 1904 Victorian house in inner northeast
Portland. Miel and her husband are the proud parents
of baby Clark, born at their Washington, D.C. home
in early June. Miel’s career has been in international
development; she can often be found putting miles on
her new baby jogger.
Courtney Sherwood (Moving
To …) is a Portland-based
freelance reporter and Reuters
correspondent who also works
as a fill-in editor at Oregon
Public Broadcasting. Formerly
business and features editor at
The Columbian, her work has
appeared in the Seattle Times, Brewer’s Guardian, the
Portland Mercury, Oregon Business magazine and
numerous other publications. In her free time, she
paddles competitively on a dragon boat team, and
writes and performs for Transporter Malfunction, a
Star Trek-themed act.
Correction: In our August issue, we mistakenly said that our Take 4 interview subject, Leanne Littrell DiLorenzo,
had been a legislative staffer. In fact, she was a campaign manager. Metro Parent regrets the error.
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Serving the Families of the Portland Metropolitan Area
Metro Parent
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Portland, OR 97213-0660
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& Marketing Strategy
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Design & Production: Susan Bard
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2014 Metro Parent Publishing, Inc. All rights
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cannot be held responsible for the use or misuse of any information contained herein. The
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for informational purposes only and are not
intended to be a substitute for professional
advice or treatment.
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[ Play Room ]
Take Five:
Rachel Roellke Coddington, Portland
author of the children’s book “Monsters
Under Bridges: Pacific Northwest Edition”
talks about inspiration and the cute things
kids say.
Q: H
ow did living in Portland
Author Rachel Roelke
Coddington talks
monsters with MP.
inspire “Monsters Under
Bridges?”
A: I come from California, where “bridges”
are mostly overpasses, so coming to a place
where bridges are an integral part of the
landscape was incredibly moving. The boys, Jolby, (aka illustrators
Josh Kenyon and Colby Nichols) had the initial idea, but it was easy to
run with it and get really immersed in the history of the bridges. Plus,
monsters are weird, and so is Portland, so we knew it’d work.
COURTESY OF ASHLEY FORRETTE
Q: A
lthough you grew up in California,
you seem like a quintessential
Portlander. In addition to writing
children’s books and having a day
job, you sing in a rock band and sell
things on Etsy. Why do you think
Portland embraces people who are
creative jacks-of-all-trades?
A: Portland values a variety of things that contribute to this idea — art,
community and free spirit. Portlanders want to fulfill their own weird
dreams and ideas, so we’re quick to support each other in this quest. Plus,
Portland has always prided itself on being open to all types.
Q: W
hat’s the most memorable thing a kid has said to
you at a book signing?
A: One of our monsters, the Sneaky Squetch, playfully yoinks things
out of cars as they travel across the Yaquina Bay Bridge. He’s notorious
for stealing little human trinkets, so we warn kids to be cautious around
this bridge. One kid yelled out at a signing, “The Squetch stole my mom’s
flip flops!” And it turns out the mom’s flip flops had actually disappeared
on the beach near the bridge.
Q: W
hich monster in the book is your favorite?
A: I love Louis — he was modeled after my dad, who is 6 foot
6 and plays guitar. Louis is a world traveler, but loves landing in
Portland to sit atop the St. Johns Bridge.
Q: S o which bridge in Portland is your favorite?
A: St. Johns. It’s easily one of my favorite bridges ever — not
just in Portland. Love the cathedral arches and the patina, and
that it’s farther out of town than the rest.
Getaway:
Stevenson, Washington
COURTESY OF SKAMANIA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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With the start of crisp fall weather it’s the perfect time to take a drive
is an easy hike for kids and features historical signposts along the way.
out to the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Stevenson, Washington
In Stevenson, feed the geese, skip stones or spy the eagle’s nest
(about 45 miles from Portland) and the surrounding area offer plenty
at Rock Creek Park. Half a mile away, enjoy thin-crust goodness at
of opportunities for a day trip or weekend family adventure. Search
Andrew’s Pizza where they make the dough daily (301 SW Second St).
for Sasquatch and kin (or at least large wooden likenesses of them)
Swing by the Stevenson Farmers’ Market (Saturday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.,
seven miles west of Stevenson at the Bigfoot Discovery Trail in
199 2nd St.) for some kid-grown produce from After School Farm.
North Bonneville (the trail starts at City Hall, 214 CBD Mall Drive, North
Relax in a woodland suite at Skamania Lodge (1131 SW Skamania
Bonneville, WA). Or visit the Bonneville Dam North Shore Visitors
Lodge Way, 800-221-7117). Kids can run around on the big rolling lawn
Center (MP 39 State Route 14, North Bonneville, WA) to view the fish
or hitch up for a ride on the zip line. Before heading home, dig into a
ladders and tour the turbines. The Fort Cascades Trail at the Dam
hearty breakfast at the family-run Big T’s Diner (10 NW Second St.).
Apps We Love:
Any librarian will tell you that the best way to teach
your kids to read is to read with them every day. There’s
no substitute for a book. But there are plenty of early
literacy apps out there that can help out along the way.
COURTESY OF STARFALL
Here are some of our favorites:
Starfall Learn To Read: Starfall
takes kids through a series of
lessons that start with the basics
— the sounds “at” and “an” start
things off — and get progressively
more challenging. There’s plenty of built-in encouragement — kids are congratulated after they complete
simple spelling and matching games. And just when
Go ahead. Ask Dr. Katie
Oldread, a pediatrician at
Sellwood Medical Clinic,
absolutely anything
(related to your kid’s
health, that is.)
Ask Dr. Katie
y Dr. Katie Oldread, Pediatrician,
B
Sellwood Medical Clinic
Q
short alphabet-themed movie clip as a reward. $2.99 for
iPhone and Android
COURTESY OF OCEANSIDE MEDIA
COURTESY OF DR. KATIE OLDREAD.
things start to drag a bit, the app’s creators throw in a
(OceanHouse Media): This
one has broad appeal, both
to younger kids who will love
seeing one of their favorite
stories animated, and for
:W
e’re looking for a new pediatrician. What kinds of
older kids, who can read it to themselves. It’s a very
questions do you think we should ask before making
interactive presentation — tap on Sam’s hat, and the
our choice?
A
Green Eggs and Ham
word “hat” pops up; during the grand finale, when train,
: It can be a daunting task to decide who is going to help
mouse, house, fox, socks, boat and green eggs all wind
you take care of your little ones — whether newborn or
up in the water, everyone sounds like they are
school age or teenager. There are no right or wrong questions
speaking with a bubble in their throats. $3.99 for
to ask when looking for a new pediatrician. I think what’s
iPhone and Android.
more important is the feel of the office as well as the comfort/
Reading Raven (Early Ascent):
some questions that I think will help to give you a glimpse into
The smart app-pickers at Common
the provider’s philosophy as well as the practice.
1. How long have you been practicing?
2. Do you offer same-day sick appointments and are they
generally with your primary provider or another clinician in
the practice? How far in advance do well-child appointments
need to be scheduled?
COURTESY OF EARLY ASCENT
connection upon meeting them. That being said, below are
Sense Media like this one for the
pre-reading crowd, especially
because it lets parents customize
for ages as young as 3 years
old. For kids that young, this app emphasizes letter
matching, tracing and sounds, with fun sticker rewards
along the way. $2.99 for iPhone/iPad.
3. What happens if my baby gets sick after the clinic has closed?
4. What are your views on breastfeeding? Circumcision?
Parenting styles? Antibiotics? Immunizations?
9
[ Play Room ]
TOP 5...
Kid-friendly
Coffee Shops
➊ Open Space Cafe, for a small, sweet space stocked with natural toys, old
telephones and cardboard boxes ➋ Cafe Au Play, for the metro area’s best
sandbox and read-aloud book selection ➌ Munchkin Playland for climbing
toys to get the wiggles out ➍ New Deal Cafe for a full meal and a spacious
play area ➎ Brekken Kitchen, for being a hidden gem.
Bookmark This:
Dad Tales from the Trenches
Dadswhodiaper.com is the brainchild of Chad Carter
and Paul Snowden, two media-savvy Portland new
fathers who spend part of their days as sole caregivers.
Uninspired by the lack of blogs catering to hands-on
COURTESY OF MICHAEL NIPPER.
dads, they started a podcast and eventually their own
website. “Dads Who Diaper is trying to fill that void and
offer dads who love their role as a father and want
an online destination and community for like minded
people,” says Carter. It’s a mix of funny baby videos,
poignant dad stories that highlight the triumphs of
modern day fatherhood, comments on parenting trends,
and a forum for dads to connect with other dads.
“Before I had my son I had no idea what being a father
was like and how my life would quickly change. The only
image I had of a ‘modern dad’ was one of a bumbling, if
not unprepared parent, presented to me by television
shows and movies. After my child was born, I quickly
learned that the perception of an inept dad was just
that, a made-up perception,” says Snowden, dad to
a 19-month-old. “Being a father
has shown me that I can help
change the perception of
fatherhood and be
a role model for my
son growing up.”
Good Deeds:
Knitting for Babies
They say there is no sound so heartbreaking to parents as
the wail of their newborn baby. But all that crying is normal
and expected. Now Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy
Emanuel is spearheading an effort to raise awareness of
this common phase, and reduce related incidents of Shaken
Baby Syndrome, which spikes when frustrated new parents
get overwhelmed. It’s called the Period of PURPLE Caps
campaign, after the characteristics of infant crying, often
called colic (P for peak of crying, which comes at two months,
U for unexpected, R for resists soothing, P for pain-like face,
L for long-lasting and E for evening, aka the witching hour,
when crying often peaks.) Help out by knitting or crocheting
a purple hat, donating baby-soft purple yarn, or tagging,
boxing and shipping the completed caps. They’ll be shipped
to 30 hospitals, and sent home with families in November
and December, along with a DVD about the PURPLE crying
phenomenon. Learn about cap-crafting guidelines, patterns
and more at CLICKforBabies.org. n
Paul Snowden and
Chad Carter are the
Portland dads behind
the new website
and podcast,
DadsWhoDiaper.com.
COURTESY OF CHAD CARTER
AND PAUL SNOWDEN
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
11
HANDMA DE
BIRTHDAYS
Two Portland-area moms share their DIY ideas
for memorable kids’ celebrations.
All Toshya Kauffman’s son Ronen wanted for his third birthday was a Super Why themed party, in
homage to his favorite PBS cartoon. Kauffman of SW Portland was happy to oblige, but she also didn’t
want the party to feel too commercialized. The solution? Homemade capes for all the guests, a
project that Kauffman loved so much that she’s now in the process of setting up a Etsy storefront, where
she’ll sell pre-made and custom capes, plus DIY cape kits, wands and masks. Here, she takes Metro Parent’s
readers through the how-tos of throwing your own playground superhero bash.
Superheroes
Kauffman followed an online tutorial (find it at racksandmooby.
blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-make-superhero-cape-no-sew.html ),
but then varied the design for sizing and decorations. She began
by cutting the felt in rectangles, about 20- by-24 inches. And
then she folded them in half and used a rotary cutter to create
a wavy pattern along the bottom and cut out the neck holes.
She used fabric glue to apply Velcro fasteners.
“The capes were the main DIY project for the
party but I also made a Super Why / Happy
Birthday garland and table confetti using
Super Why table confetti printables from PBS.
org. I glued the printouts to 3-inch circles cut
from card stock and cut out happy birthday
messages in coordinating card stock. It was
all cut using a Silhouette cutting machine … for
the words we popped the letters out
and used the empty space instead.
I hung everything using miniclothespins and ribbon.
— Toshya Kaufmann
PHOTOS BY KASUMI KOZINA.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF
TOSHYA KAUFFMAN.
Once the capes were
on, the kids were off
and running. Kauffman
said she’d considered
some craft stations,
like a design-your-ownsuperhero mask or wandmaking, but because they
were outside, with the
playground at Westlake
Park in Lake Oswego in
plain sight, she decided to,
3 To make your own capes,
you’ll need felt, Velcro coins for
fasteners, fabric glue and/or
fusible backing, a rotary cutter
and a mat. Kauffman bought
her felt by the yard from Jo-ann
Fabrics for $4.99 a yard. One yard
is enough for three capes, with
some material left over for the
“just keep it simple, and let
the kids create their own
fun. They really went with
the Super Why-superhero
theme just using their
capes, imaginations and
whatever they found on
the playground as their
inspirations.”
decorations.
13
These fairies are
Fairies
made with old-school
clothespins. Maruna
hid the fairies all
around the yard, and
the guests didn’t
Southeast Portland mom of two Emily Maruna admits
even notice them
until the party was
it: She goes a little crazy when it comes to her daughters’
birthday parties. It helps to have a partner whose idea
of a good date night is hot gluing yarn onto clothespins for
fairy dolls, and who doesn’t mind wearing an enormous
yellow balloon hat for his daughter’s birthday party.
As a card-carrying member of Portland’s DIY nation
(check out her blog, The
Handmade Experiment,
at emilyflippinmaruna.
wordpress.com), Maruna
is an expert at creating
magical backyard
parties on a thrifty,
make-it-yourself budget.
Here, she takes Metro Parent
through two of the fetes she
threw for her youngest daughter,
Quinby: a fairy princess party
to celebrate her third birthday and
a Curious George-themed bash for
the year she turned 5. n
almost over, so
Maruna turned it into
a fairy treasure hunt.
“It was perfect for that
age group,” she says.
“For older kids, I’d have
them make the fairies
themselves.
“I let Quinby cut out the gold stars for the fairy
wands, so they weren’t perfect stars. We used
gold, stretchy material, like for a dance leotard. I
sewed and stuffed them, and we painted dowel
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY AND FRANZ MARUNA.
sticks and hot-glued them to the stars.”
— Emily Maruna
“I was just trying to think of what fairies would eat at a tea party. We
did roasted chickpeas, cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and
hollowed-out baguettes with a avocado-ranch dip. I hollowed out lemons
with a melon baller and filled them with berries, and I used a cookie cutter
to make watermelon stars. The kids really liked those.” — Emily Maruna
Maruna’s husband, Franz, made this little wigwam in the backyard,
using apple branches from from one of their backyard trees, with some
metal for framing. They took an old Gymboree parachute and attached
it to the top for some shade. The tissue-paper flowers are from a
Martha Stewart tutorial (www.marthastewart.com/265163/pom-pomsand-luminarias-how-to). The tables are from IKEA. The tablecloths are
repurposed gauze baby swaddles from aden + anais. And Maruna
went to various metro area Goodwill stores and picked up $1 teacups
for each kid to take home as a party favor.
14
What else to serve
at a Curious Georgethemed party but frozen
banana treats? Dip bananas
in melted chocolate and roll them
in chopped nuts. Insert a popsicle stick into
each banana and freeze them on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper. If your kiddo is allergic to nuts, roll the
bananas in coconut or dust them with
sprinkles.
Remember “Curious
George Goes to the Circus”?
Party guests headed to the
big-top too. Maruna put out
a box of dress-up clothes
and told each kid to come
prepared with a talent.
“We turned a tent into the
big top, and we had an old
futon for the kids to use as
the stage, draped in weird
fabrics. We even had the
apple barrel upside down,
for the ringmaster.”
For the Curious George bash, Maruna created “stations” all around
their backyard, based on different episodes from the books. The
first stop was based on “Curious George Rides a Bike,” when
the mischievous monkey abandons newspaper delivery in favor
of making boats. Franz Maruna taught all the kids how to make
newspaper boats (See a tutorial at: pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/
printables/fold_boat.html) and then they had races, where the kids
had to blow their boats across the hot tub.
Curious George
After his paper boat adventures, Curious
George goes fishing, so birthday guests
Maruna’s husband learned how to make balloon animal
monkeys for the party, and made himself a balloon hat
(yellow, of course), in homage to George’s
patron/keeper, the man in the
yellow hat. Find a tutorial online at
YouTube. As a party favor, all kids got
to keep their balloon animal, along with a
vintage Curious George book that Maruna picked up
at Powell’s Books for about $1.25 each.
did too. “I had to go to Wal-Mart, because
they have these gummy, glittery fishing
lures that have hooks in their mouths.
We took the hooks out and put in
safety pins,” says Maruna. Then she
fashioned fishing poles by attaching a
string with a magnet on the end to a stick.
continues on page 16
15
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Want to throw your own DIY party? Here are some of the resources Kauffman and Maruna
recommend to get you started, plus a few of our own picks:
Local crafting mavens love Collage, with two PDX locations, at 1639 NE Alberta and 7907 SE 13th.
They’ve got pretty much anything you’ll need for drawing, painting, stamping, card-marking, papercrafting ... the list goes on.
Plan to spend a little time hunting for supplies at Scrap, 2915 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard. It’s a
thrifty crafter’s dream, with bins upon bins full of donated supplies, many of them repurposed. It’s kind
of like trying your luck at Goodwill, and you never know what you might find.
If you still aren’t finding what you need, Michael’s, the national crafting store, has three outposts
in Portland and often has discounted coupons available online (1798 Jantzen Beach Center,
11719 NE Glen Widing Drive and 11211 SE 82nd Avenue).
For projects that require fabric, Portland is home to a number of snug, locally-owned stores with
carefully chosen inventory, including Bolt (2136 NE Alberta) and Cool Cottons (2417 SE Hawthorne),
as well as a number of larger, more all-purpose choices, including Jo-Ann Fabrics (3900 SE 82nd
Avenue, plus locations in Beaverton, Milwaukie and Tigard), Fabric Depot (700 SE 122nd Avenue) and
Mill End (9701 SE McLoughlin Boulevard).
If you’re looking for tableware, try out IKEA (10280 NE Cascades Parkway) for their you’ve-seen-themeverywhere collection of BPA-free “Kalas” kids plastic plates, bowls, cups and flatware, or head to
Whole Foods (4310 NE Sandy Boulevard, and various other metro-area locations) where you can find
several options for compostable plates, forks, knives and spoons.
What’s a birthday party without balloons? The classic Portland source is The Lippman Company,
(50 SE Yamhill) which has so many different balloons that they practically need their own wing. They’ll
even inflate them for you. n
16
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
17
[ Balance Sheet ]
Miel Hendrickson
and her son, Clark
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DARCY CRONIN AND MIEL HENDRICKSON
Darcy Cronin and
her family
Getting Started
Family finances don’t have to be intimidating or
those nagging reminders to check your bank balance or
boring if you find ways to motivate yourself by what
increase your retirement savings is a good first financial
your family truly cares about (maybe a Hawaiian
step.
vacation will spur you on … ). With some creativity,
dealing with your finances can bring you closer to
living your dreams.
We’re Darcy and Miel, identical twin sisters who
blog at SustainableFamilyFinances.com, where we share
our journey of creating abundance while living down to
Earth. Being financially conscious and environmentally
aware are closely linked in our minds; it’s all about
Delay Your Gratification You don’t need to deprive
yourself, but delaying purchases is our most effective
budgeting tool. When you think of something you
need or want, put it on a list. Then check your list in
another month. Do you still really need it? Can it wait?
Whatever it might be for you, there’s a good chance
you can live without it.
living our values. Now we’re excited to bring our stories
Stick to Your Shopping List Only shop with a list in
and resources to Metro Parent’s readers.
hand, and stick to it. Avoiding impulse purchases can
We may look alike, but we are at different places
in our lives. Darcy lives in Portland and is a mama of
three, to 8-year-old Kieran, 5-year-old Makenna, and
Teagan who just had her first birthday. Miel and her
husband, James, are proud parents of baby Clark, born
at home in Washington, D.C. in early June.
Our philosophy is that by focusing some of your
make a huge difference. And it can help you afford
what you really desire.
Give Yourself an Allowance Try giving yourself a
payday cash allowance. Living on cash helps you live
within your means and pay attention to your expenses.
Buy Scrip to Support Schools Buying Scrip gift
valuable energy on your family finances you’ll be
cards helps you track (i.e. control) your spending while
able create a lifestyle filled with comfort and ease. By
supporting your local school. We use it to buy groceries
spending a little time each month, and practicing daily
and back-to-school clothes. Sign up at myscriporder.com.
money consciousness, you’ll gain valuable ground
toward creating what matters most to your family.
September is a great time of year to get back to the
basics and revamp your family finances:
Check Your Gut Take a moment to reflect on how
Now that we’ve gotten you back to the financial
basics, we look forward to digging deeper in the months
ahead, while exploring topics like refreshing your
family budget and surviving the holidays without
overspending on stuff that your kids will forget all
you’ve been feeling about money lately. Do you feel
about by New Year’s Day. In the meantime, we’d
good about your progress toward your goals? Are you
love to hear from you, and know what topics you’d like
stressed about money? Staying positive is the key to
us to cover. Find us on via Metro Parent’s Facebook
creating an abundance mentality. Attracting money is
or Twitter accounts, at www.facebook.com/
all about feeling satisfied, grateful and in balance with
metro-parent-portland or @Metro_Parent. n
your life. Following your intuition and taking action on
18
BY DARCY CRONIN AND MIEL HENDRICKSON
[ Moving To … ]
Milwaukie: Down The Road, On The Rise
S
Families looking
BY COURTNEY SHERWOOD
peed through Milwaukie on Highway 99E and it’s easy to get the
spring of 2006. She’d been living in southeast Portland, and loved
wrong impression: Fast cars, wide lanes and strip malls dominate
the walkable neighborhoods there. But her husband had, as she
the landscape. But if you’re willing to slow down and take city
describes it, “a lot of toys,” including a boat and a dune buggy, so
streets, you’ll soon learn there’s much more to this community of
they were looking for a home with at least a two-car garage, plus
20,500 people.
enough room to hold the family they wanted to grow. In the still-
Founded on the banks of the Willamette River more than
150 years ago, Milwaukie is a city on the upswing. New apartments
for more house
and stores are coming to its walkable downtown. Trails provide
for their money
open in January.
also will find
great schools,
lovely parks and
soon-to-come
light rail access
just southeast
of Portland.
access to the river and to nature. A waterfront park is slated to
overheated market of 2006, that proved hard to find in southeast
Portland.
“We wanted to settle down,” Thomsen said. “We wanted to be
somewhere for a long time.”
Milwaukie fit the bill: Their 1950s-style ranch home is close
“It’s a delightful place to raise a family,” says Danna Freeman,
enough to the Willamette River for her husband to go wake-
who has lived in Milwaukie for 21 years, 14 of them selling real
boarding regularly, has a view of OHSU and downtown Portland
estate in the area. She moved to the community because of its
from the deck and mature, shady oak and fir trees all around them.
sense of place and local schools, and stayed because of the mix of
Since they’ve moved in, the city’s downtown has developed, and
small-town community and big-city access. “We’re so close to the
now they can ride their bikes to trendy taquerias and wine bars.
city, five minutes from Sellwood, but so many people never think
“Our church is walking distance from our house, light rail went
of living in Milwaukie.”
in five minutes away, and we still
live really close to all the amenities,”
The housing market
Thomsen said. “Sellwood is a five
minute drive, I can shop at New
Back in the 1920s and ’30s,
Milwaukie was a bedroom community
Seasons — we still get all these great
for Portland’s elite, Freeman says.
things at a much more affordable
price.” And she points out, property
“They’d take the trolley from
Portland to their country homes,
taxes in Clackamas County are
and today there are still beautiful
significantly lower than they are in
estates on acreage in the community,”
Multnomah County.
she adds. “Then the central area of
Family fun
Milwaukie was developed in the ’50s
From 1893 to 1968, a street car line
and ’60s, bringing smaller ranch-style
homes. You get a bit of everything
connected downtown Milwaukie to
here, and it’s a good value compared
central Portland. Today, you’ll find
to inner Portland.”
bikes, dogs and toddlers making their
This summer, Milwaukie home
way along the city’s six-mile Trolley
sales were up 10 percent compared
Trail. Opened in 2012, the trail is part
to a year earlier, according to
of a planned 20-mile loop that will
data compiled by the RMLS real
estate listing service. About half
of Milwaukie homes sold for more
than $290,000, half for less. Recent
real estate listings show a threebedroom, 2,400-square-foot house
ultimately connect Milwaukie to
PHOTOS BY JULIA SILVERMAN
Top: This Milwaukie home, built in 1987, was recently on the market
for $249,900. It has 1747 square feet, three bedrooms and two-and
-a-half baths.
Bottom: This Milwaukie home at 14900 SE Rupert Drive was on
the market at presstime for $369,900. The 1910 farmhouse has
2,394 square feet, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
with an asking price of $219,900. A
Gresham.
The new trail fits well in a
community dotted with parks,
Freeman says. Development along
Milwaukie’s waterfront will expand
2,600-square-foot house with four bedrooms, 2.5 baths at the end
access to the river, and will also bring outdoor entertainment
of a dead-end street listed at $324,900.
options, including a new amphitheater. There’s a farmers’ market
Families looking for acreage can find similarly priced houses by
looking outside Milwaukie’s strict city limits, Freeman says.
Melissa Thomsen, a stay-at-home mom to three kids, first moved
to Milwaukie with her husband and her then 4-year-old in the
20
Portland, Gladstone, Oregon City and
on Sundays and a First Friday Art Walk that runs from May
through October, and a few local favorite restaurants have set up
outposts in Milwaukie, including Pietro’s Pizza and Cha Cha Cha
Taqueria.
Milwaukie’s annual Umbrella Parade
in early December is a cherished
tradition. The procession is led by
the Milwaukie High marching band,
and ends with a tree lighting
ceremony at City Hall.
Milwaukie
at a Glance
Population:
20,500
Median home price:
$290,000
Family Fun:
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICIA HAMILTON AND THE CLACKAMAS REVIEW.
Sunday Farmers
Market,
First Friday
Art Walk
Local schools
The North Clackamas School District serves public school
students who live in Milwaukie.
Getting ready for a
noontime outdoors
concert in downtown
Milwaukie.
Thomsen’s school-aged kids go to the magnet Sojourner
School, which offers varied learning opportunities to kids
based on their individual intelligences. The Milwaukie
PHOTO BY JULIA SILVERMAN
Academy of the Arts, a charter school nestled inside of
Milwaukie High School, aims to draw on music, drama, and
other arts to develop well-rounded graduates. Students here far
outperform the statewide average — 93 percent of the school’s
class of 2013 earned a diploma within four years, compared to
68 percent of students statewide.
Outside the charter school system, Milwaukie’s public
schools are teaching students with multiple learning
challenges. A quarter of the 1,053 students enrolled at
Milwaukie High School in 2013 were non-native English
speakers, 16 percent had disabilities, and 57 percent came from
curriculum that draws on music, the arts, woodworking,
movement and instruction in Spanish and German languages.
Commuter options
The quickest way from downtown Milwaukie to downtown
low-income households, according to the Oregon Department
Portland by car is via Highway 99E, which takes about 15
of Education. Yet the school is in the top third, statewide, when
minutes, so long as there isn’t too much traffic over the Ross
compared to schools serving similar student populations.
Island or Hawthorne bridges. Drivers who live further east can
Students of color, low-income students, English language
hit I-205, and take that to I-84 or Powell Boulevard. The area is
learners and those enrolled in the school’s gifted program all
well-served by Tri-Met bus lines 31, 32, 33 and 99, which run
consistently do better at Milwaukie High than at most other
through the city about every 20 minutes, except in the dead
high schools in the state.
of night. And the new Portland-Milwaukie light rail line is set
The well-regarded, private Portland Waldorf School,
to open in 2015, and will travel over the new Tilikum Crossing
meanwhile, draws kindergarteners through 12th graders to
bridge, 7.3 miles between Portland State, inner SE Portland and
its downtown Milwaukie campus. Milwaukie is also home
Milwaukie before ending at Oak Grove in north Clackamas
to the Micha-El K-8 school, which offers a Waldorf-inspired
County. n
21
[ First Person: Baby Steps ]
The author with her husband
and Peeper, on the day of
Peeper’s birth.
Making
peace
with my
epidural
BY CATHERINE RYAN GREGORY
W
hen I was pregnant with my daughter last summer, I had
planned a medication-free birth and I was in good company. Most of
the women in the childbirth class my husband, Eric, and I attended said
they’d do without, too. In crunchy Portland, where questions about giving
birth in the woods routinely pop up on Facebook mothering groups, it
seemed as if a “natural” birth was the standard.
In the 40 weeks leading up to my daughter’s birth day, I came to
believe that my body could handle whatever it took to bring this baby,
who we’d nicknamed Peeper, into the world. Millennia of women
managed; I figured I could, too.
But when the time came, that night in the hospital, I found myself
kneeling on a hospital bed, my skin sweaty and muscles shaking. My
contractions built, then crescendoed, and left me feeling like a floodlight
had burned through my every cell, distilling my awareness until I knew
only raw physical sensation.
When the pain briefly ebbed, it left behind doubt.
The struggle left me nearly mute, but I found one word, an unlikely
one. “Durian,” I said to Eric. We had chosen the stinky Asian fruit — not a
word we used in everyday conversation — as our code word. Eric knew
that it meant that I wanted an epidural, and that he shouldn’t try to
convince me otherwise. Birth plan be damned.
To my great relief, an anesthesiologist perched behind me within
minutes, and sweet numbness from the waist down soon followed. I was
too hollowed out to feel disappointment in myself for failing to follow
through on my wishes for a natural birth.
22
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE RYAN GREGORY.
After a short rest allowed by the cessation of that bright, blinding pain,
a nurse checked the progress of our baby. “I see hair,” she exclaimed.
Forty-nine minutes later, at 9:19 p.m., 7 pounds, 14 ounces of perfection
entered this world. Fear, doubt and pain dissolved under a tidal wave of
euphoria. How could I ever feel, or have ever felt, anything but love? In
the moment my squalling purple child was placed on my chest, nothing
existed beyond the glow that held my baby, husband and me.
In the following weeks and months, I shared our birth story with
friends and family. “Did you get an epidural?” some women asked. In
answering, I qualified my answer feeling the need to justify my choice:
“Yeah, but I lasted until 9 ½ centimeters,” or, “Yes, but I had back labor,” or,
“Yes, but it allowed me to relax enough for my body to do the rest.”
Every so often I still feel a twinge of less than because of one tiny
injection in my back, because of the pride wrapped up in my idea of
a natural birth. I routinely write about pregnancy, and every time I
research an article about natural pain relief techniques, a voice in my
head whispers that I could have — should have — held out.
Yet as the months tick by and as Peeper’s milestones pile up, that voice
is overpowered by my daughter’s joyous exclamations of “dog!” and the
jarring, tinny, beautiful music she makes when pounding on her toy
piano.
As I let go of my ideas of how I should have given birth, I see more
room for playing chase. I inhale more deeply to blow kisses. I stretch into
the space of continually becoming a mother. n
23
[ Hands On ]
A Marbled Masterpiece
Try this fun and easy art project from the Vibe of Portland Art Studio with
your little one.
This art technique is super simple and uses items that you probably already
have at home. It is also easy enough that kids as young as 3 can create a fridgeworthy piece of art.
Supplies
Plastic tablecloth, or work outside on a surface that you can easily wash off
Unscented shaving cream
Food coloring (at least 3 colors)
Butter knife
Shallow pan/tray or cookie sheet with a lip (a 9 x 13 pan will work great)
Rectangular piece of wood or a spatula
8½ x 11 white printer paper, or any light colored paper
Container for excess shaving cream
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURA STREIB
a
c
b
Directions:
1. Spray shaving cream into the tray and smooth it out a ½-inch
thickness (a).
2. Drip food coloring around on top of the shaving cream (b).
3. T
ake the butter knife and put it in the shaving cream straight up
and down and pull it through the shaving cream to “marble” the
6. Slowly remove the paper and set the paper shaving cream side up
on the table (c).
7. U
se the piece of wood or spatula to remove the excess shaving
cream and put it in the extra container (d).
8. Set paper aside to dry.
food coloring in the shaving cream.
4. Move the butter knife from one end of the tray to the other and
back again to create the marbling effect. Tip: Pulling the tool
through the shaving cream will help create the marbling effect,
but stirring can muddy and mix the colors to create a less brightly
colored finished product.
5. T
ake 1 piece of printer paper and gently set it on top of the shaving
cream. Pat it gently onto the shaving cream/food coloring.
24
d
You can do two to three prints with each shaving cream layer
before needing to add more food coloring and re-marble it. After
a couple times of adding food coloring, you may need to add more
shaving cream to the tray. The added layers of marbling can add
depth to the artwork.
Experiment and have fun!
— from the Vibe of Portland Children’s Art Studio
Laura Streib, Founder and Executive Director
Vibe of Portland is a 501c3 visual arts and music nonprofit with the mission to “Empower Portland’s Underserved
Youth through art and music.” They primarily offer programming during and after school at a variety of K-8 schools
in the Portland Metro area where little to no arts education is available. Their partner schools are currently
located mainly in North Portland and SE Portland. In 2011, Vibe opened up a children’s fine-arts studio located at
TaborSpace in SE Portland to offer arts education classes to children ages 3 and up. The Vibe Art Studio offers
classes to preschool, home school and elementary age children through weekly classes, workshops, camps and
open studios. Check out their website for more information, www.vibepdx.org. n
25
[ Family Supper ]
Healthy meals for the whole
family at Cultured Caveman
BY DENISE CASTAÑON
D
evotees of the Paleo diet or anyone not feeding gluten to their
2-year-old loved stamping her hands with the T-rex stamp. (The ink pad
kiddos will find a safe eating haven at Cultured Caveman,
was wisely placed on top of a shelf to prevent utter stamping mayhem.)
where everything on the menu is gluten, dairy and soy free.
Be aware that seating around the play area is prime real estate.
The large, loft-like space on N. Denver was packed on an early Sunday
table. We were thankful that our appetizer flight (two dips and raw
zucchini noodles tasted, “just like real pasta.” (In fact so many kiddos were
veggies for $7) arrived first. My daughter loved diving into the chunky
there, the restaurant should consider investing in additional high chairs.)
guacamole and coarsely ground almond butter with sticks of jicama and
To keep all those kids busy while waiting for their dinner, Cultured
carrots. My husband and I also enjoyed the sweet-salty-crunchy bacon
Caveman features a small, well-stocked, dino-themed play area. My
PHOTO BY ALLISON JONES. COURTESY OF HEATHER HUNTER AND JOE BAN.
26
After placing your order at the counter, the staff delivers it to your
evening with young parents who were trying to convince their kids that
almond dates (6 for $4).
Everything on the menu adheres to guidelines of the Paleo
diet, which urges people to eat more like our preagricultural,
hunter-gatherer ancestors — lots of protein from grass-fed sources,
nonstarchy vegetables and no processed foods, grains, trans fats or
Omega-6 fats. This means you’ll find kombucha on tap, not sugary
soda and may need to add a little extra sea salt to your entrée. And
it means piles of protein on your plate, too. Each of my husband’s
three pork carnitas tacos ($13 with a side) contained a mound of
shredded pork the size of a softball. My husband, who is training for
a triathlon and has been known to eat astounding amounts of pork,
couldn’t finish his meal.
My “zoodles” or angel hair zucchini noodles were studded with
five to six grassfed beef meatballs in a savory tomato sauce ($12 with
a side). The ground beef mixture includes heart and liver — hey,
cave people didn’t let anything go to waste, did they? I was hesitant
about eating the organ meat blend, but it just tasted like a slightly
meatier version of conventional ground beef. Since gluten and dairy
are taboo, the meatballs did not contain any breadcrumbs or milk to
make them soft and tender, my favorite style. But I liked the tasty
alternative noodles and might even try them at home.
The person who enjoyed her meal the most was my toddler. We
ordered her the kid-sized chicken tenders fried in grassfed beef
tallow ($6 with one side). The “breading” consisted of seasoned
coconut flour which provided a nice crunch. She happily dipped her
chicken into the lovely ketchup provided; it was not too sweet, just
slightly tangy and bursting with tomato flavor. The carrot, parsnip,
cauliflower mash was unfortunately doused too liberally with white
pepper for my normally veggie-loving toddler to really dig into.
Cultured Caveman does not cater to the foodie in love with stinky
cheese and artisanal bread, but if you are looking for a healthy, kidfriendly restaurant, check it out.
n
Cultured Caveman: 8233 N Denver. Open daily 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and
5 p.m.-9 p.m. culturedcavemanpdx.com.
27
[ Recipe File ]
Beat the
Lunch-box
Blues
Tasty, fresh
ideas to
pack for
your kid’s
lunch.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OREGON ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL.
S
o you’ve got the lunch box and thermos and water bottle all ready to go.
But what to fill them with? The school year is long, and peanut-butter-andjelly gets old pretty quickly. New Seasons Market nutritionist Christi Reed
shares her tips for packing a healthy and varied school lunch, plus a few of her
favorite snack-time options:
• D
on’t be afraid to get creative! If your little one is a PB&J acolyte, change
things up. Try some local honey in their sandwich, or sprinkling in coconut
shreds for a boost of healthy fat and fiber. Or swap out sunflower butter,
soy-nut butter or hemp-seed butter.
• E
at like the rainbow. Put in as many differently colored foods as you can
— it’s more visually appealing than a beige and white lunch, and much
healthier for kids. Reed has noticed kids are particularly partial to purple, so
try beets, purple cabbage and red grapes, which are high in antioxidants.
• I f your kid loves apples, then great! But switch out the varieties that you pack
— Granny Smiths one day, Pink Ladies the next. The same goes for all fruits
and veggies, because different varietals give kids a different nutritional
profile.
• H
ere’s what NOT to buy: Products with high fructose corn syrup listed
as the first or second ingredient or those that are high in trans-fat-heavy
• G
et kids to help with lunch prep. If your child is old enough to cut, have
hydrogenated oils. And Reed recommends keeping an eye on sugar content,
them cut up carrot sticks or slice cucumbers into coins. Younger kids can
too; any single-serving product that’s got
wash off produce. Either way, it gets
more than 11 grams of sugar should
them involved, and gives them some
be considered a treat. That includes a
Christi Reed’s bento-style snack picks:
say over their lunch.
surprising amount of supposedly
• Applegate Naturals Uncured Turkey Pepperoni
• Consider some bread alternatives: col“healthy” foods, including some
• Honey-Pretzel Peanut Butter from Wild Friends
lard greens, sheets of nori and tortillas
yogurts and granola bars marketed
(Good for dipping with carrot sticks, or spread on celery.)
make a great base for a sandwich.
to kids.
• Veggie-Gos fruit and veggie leathers
Or, if you do go with bread, consider
• If your kids are yogurt fiends, try
• Back-To-Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers
offering sourdough to your kids —
plain yogurt with a little fruit(Only
a
few
ingredients,
which
is
hard
to
find
in
a
cracker.)
Reed says it’s easier to digest, and
sweetened jam, fresh berries or
• Crunch-A-Ma-Me freeze-dried edamame snacks
better for blood sugar balance.
maple syrup mixed in.
• Inka Chips Plaintain Chips
• There are plenty of good sandwich
• Don’t be afraid of healthy fats.
• I Heart Keenwah quinoa almond clusters
alternatives, including soups (an insuReed’s a big fan of organic whole
• Bubbies pickles (Rinse them first, to lower the sodium levels.)
lated thermos will keep them warm
milk, avocado, nuts and seeds and
for hours) and smoothies. Reed recomorganic cheese — the kind of fuel
• Pirates Booty with nutritional yeast.
mends blending some cottage cheese
kids need to boost their energy, sup• And, of course, nothing beats fresh fruit and veggies! Try sugar
into a smoothie for a healthy, creamy
port their brain function and make
snap peas, sliced apples and pears, and slices of jicama.
base. You can sneak some spinach in
them feel full and satisfied during a
Got a back-to-school lunch dilemma for Reed? Email her
there too, for an extra dose of fiber.
long school day.
at [email protected] or tweet us at
@Metro-Parent — we’ll pass it on.
28
The team of nutritionists at New
Seasons teamed up with the Oregon
Environmental Council to come up with
some healthy and tasty recipes to liven
up the lunchbox this fall. If you make
this one, keep an eye out for nitratefree and hormone-free lunch meats,
and remember, once you’ve opened
a package of deli meat, it’s got a shelf
life of about three days. The turkey
roll-up recipe should take about 5 to
10 minutes to prepare. It’s also easily
adaptable if your little one doesn’t eat
meat, and pairs well with a serving of
New Seasons Market
nutritionist
Christi Reed.
chia pudding for dessert.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTI REED.
Roasted turkey roll-ups
Christi Reed’s chia pudding
Serves 4
Serves 3
4 whole-wheat, spelt or Ezekiel tortillas
1 ½ cups coconut or almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup chia seeds
2 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 to 10 slices of roast turkey
½ cup of hummus or cream cheese
1 ripe, peeled avocado, sliced lengthwise
1 cup of baby spinach
Shredded carrot, optional
Spread one-fourth of the hummus or cream cheese on a
tortilla. Then place the spinach, turkey and finally avocado
on the bottom three-fourths of the tortilla. If you are feeling
creative, you could add shredded carrot for some nice
texture. Fold the tortilla in on the sides, and start rolling the
wrap, beginning with the end with the filling. Tuck in the
filling as you roll. Slice each roll-up through the middle, on
the bias. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Optional toppings:
Cinnamon
Grated, unsweetened coconut
Berries
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well blended. Cover
bowl and place in refrigerator for at least four hours. Once
pudding has set, sprinkle with your favorite toppings and
serve. n
29
DIAPER SERVICE and
Natural Baby Boutique
www.tideedidee.com
Redeem this ad for
1 FREE WEEK DIAPER SERVICE
with 4 prepaid weeks
One per customer per calendar year
Vancouver and Salem (800) 540-4547
Portland (503) 777-3856
30
BACK TO SCHOOL
31
BACK TO SCHOOL
32
BACK TO SCHOOL
33
BACK TO SCHOOL
34
BACK TO SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER
COUPONS & DISCOUNTS
Art ala Carte........................................17
Beanstalk............................................ 33
Braingystics...................................... 35
Goddard.........................................31
Just Between Friends............... 33
Kruger’s Farm.....................................41
Little Engineers................................16
Tidee Didee....................................... 30
W inners
CONGRATULATIONS!
We are pleased to announce the Family Favorite Winners
in our Birthday and Education resource categories.
BIRTHDAY RESOURCES
Sports & Active:
Rose City Futsal
Amusement Parks/Bowling
Swimming & Water Park:
Oaks Amusement Park
Arts & Crafts/Cooking:
Art ala Carte
Indoor Playspace:
Playdate PDX AND
The Playground Gym
Outdoor Venue:
Oregon Zoo
Party Supplier:
The Lippman Co.
Party Supplies
Dance/Gymnastics
Acrobatics/Martial Arts:
The Children’s Gym
Restaurant/Theater:
Laughing Planet
Entertainer:
Slightly Twisted Balloons
Science/Museums/Horseback:
Portland Children’s Museum
EDUCATION RESOURCES
Sports & Active:
Rose City Futsal
Science/Technology/Math:
Oregon Museum of Science
and Industry (OMSI)
Performing Arts:
Northwest Children’s Theater
and School
Kids Cooking:
Turnip the Heat Cooking School
Arts & Crafts:
Art ala Carte
Tutoring/Learning Assistance:
Minds in Motion Tutoring
School:
German American School
of Portland
Preschool/Daycare:
Small Wonders School
#mp
famf
aves
Find all the 2014 Metro Parent Family Favorites winners and runners up online.
www.pdxkidscalendar.com/mpfamfaves
35
[ Time Out ]
go. play.
explore.
rockin’ with a teen star
Get ready for squeals of delight when you take
your tween to the Radio Disney back-to-school
event. Yes, there will be music, games and prizes,
but the real draw will be the chance to meet
actor Peyton Meyer. He plays Lucas Friar on the
new Disney Channel sitcom, Girl Meets World.
He’ll melt hearts and start signing autographs at
noon. Saturday, September 13, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Lloyd
Center. Free.
September | 2014
fall planting
Just because summer is a
memory doesn’t mean your
COURTESY OF RADIO DISNEY
little gardeners have to
ditch their gardening gloves.
Head out to the Al’s Garden
Center in Gresham for a fall
planting class. Kids can pot
a variety of cool-weather
lettuces to take home
and be harvested in the
weeks to come. And maybe
they’ll be just a little more
enthusiastic about eating
their salad. Registration
is required. Sign up at
als-gardencenter.com.
Saturday, September 20,
11 a.m. 7505 SE Hogan Rd.,
Gresham. $5.
make it, break it, take it, try it
We’re geeking out over the return of OMSI’s
Mini Maker Faire, a showcase of all the people
in our region who make cool stuff, plus plenty
of hands-on experiments for the kids (and you)
to try. There are homemade robots and laser art
projects, 3-D printing enthusiasts and basket
weavers, make-your-own-rocket stations and
DIY paper projects, plus costumed Star Wars
characters wandering around for good measure.
Food carts are on site too. Saturday, September
13 and Sunday, September 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
COURTESY OF OMSI
OMSI’s north parking lot, 1945 SE Water
Avenue. Buy your tickets before September 10 and get early bird prices of $13 per adult, and $8 for kids ages
3-17. OMSI members get 25 percent off the cost of tickets.
COURTESY OF AL’S GARDEN CENTER
passport to asia
36
Let your kids experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of an after-hours Asian market
— without the 12-hour flight to Taipei. Founders of the Jade District Night Market hope to
capture the vibrant, bustling feel of an Asian nighttime market with a Portland street fair
twist. Activities for kiddos will include face painting and carnival games. And Mom and Dad
can sip a glass of Tsing Tao or a local microbrew from the beer garden. The Jade District, the
area around SE 82nd and SE Division, is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, so
expect food vendors selling Asian, Latin American and Eastern European fare. Stick around to
marvel at the dragon dancers and martial arts performers. September 6 & 13, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. In
the Fubonn Shopping Center at 2850 SE 82nd Ave. Free.
making play a priority
When Portland mom April Gutierrez found out her son’s
school had banned the game of tag, she wanted to know
why. Her research led her to learn about the harmful
effects that the lack of free play can have on kids. Now
she’s working with Portland Parks and Rec and Metro
on a series of events to
COURTESY OF GREEN LIONS
highlight the need for free
play, including a screening
of the British documentary
Project Wild Thing — the
last of the Movies in the
Park this season. Listen
to Kathy Boyd & Phoenix
Rising play some tunes and
hear the film’s director,
David Bond, give a talk
before the screening.
Saturday, September 13,
COURTESY OF JACK BARNES
Pre-movie events start at
5:30 p.m., screening starts at dusk. Sewallcrest Park, SE 31st and SE Market. Free.
shop till you drop
Fall is consignment sale season, and two of the biggest
are happening this month — the Just Between Friends
sale at the Portland Expo Center from September 19-21
and Super Kids Resale, from September 25-28 at
Gresham Town Fair. A few pro tips: Inventory what
your kids need beforehand, make a list and stick to it.
Volunteer to work a shift or two at the sale in exchange
for getting in early and getting first dibs on the best
stuff. If an item of basic kid clothing costs more than
a sweet new year
Kvell over your kids at a Rosh Hashanah
celebration at Bella Organic Farms on Sauvie
Island on Sunday, September 21, from 12:30 p.m.
to 2 p.m., co-hosted by the PJ Library Portland
and Portland Jewish Academy. There will be
apples and honey to usher in a sweet new year,
plus crafts, stories, and discounted prices for the
corn maze and cow train rides. Pack a picnic or
buy some lunch at Bella’s Country Kitchen.
It’s Free but you’ll need to preregister at
www.jewishportland.org/onthefarm because
space is limited. 16205 NW Gillihan Road.
$12, make sure you really love it and your kid will, too.
And always start with the shoe table — the good
ones go fast. Check out www.jbfsale.com and
www.superkidsresale.com for more info.
swing yer partner
Fans of Portland’s thriving
kindie music scene went into
mourning when Paul Silveria,
aka “Professor Banjo” up and
moved to Vancouver, BC, back
in 2011. Now he’s back in his
old stomping grounds for a
visit and two special shows at
COURTESY
OF PAUL SIL
VERIA
the Village Ballroom. First up, at
4 p.m., he’ll be performing “Folk Music 101,”
perfect for parents and littler kids to
boogie down, sing along, play a few
instruments and even write their
own songs. Later on, at 7 p.m.,
he’ll be calling the dances at the
“Every Sunday Square Dance,”
best suited for ages 8 and older
($7 on a sliding scale). The fun is
all on Sunday, September 28, so
you’ve got plenty of time to brush
up on your do-si-do skills.
700 NE Dekum Street.
37
[ Time Out ]
s’mores and more
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEGACY MOUNT HOOD
good,
safe fun
Stop by the Legacy Mount
Sing the same songs, paddle in the same pond and
play in same meadow that Camp Fire campers first
did back in 1924 when the Camp Namanu opened.
More than 100,000 kids have stayed at the Sandy,
Oregon campground since its opening and they’re
celebrating with a 90th anniversary shindig. You
and the littles can take a dip in the pool, try your
hand at archery or check out various camp games.
Pack a picnic or purchase delectables from visiting
Portland food carts. Grown-ups won’t have to down
the bug juice; local beer and wine will be available
for purchase, too. End your day by dancing in the
meadow to ’70s cover band Ants in the Kitchen and
partaking of that classic camp treat — s’mores. Visit
campfirecolumbia.org to purchase tickets. Sunday
September 6, 12 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. 10300 SE
Camp Namanu Rd.
Sandy, Oregon.
It’s $30 for
families of two
adults and up
to five kids.
Additional fee
for horseback
riding and aerial
ropes course.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMPFIRE COLUMBIA
Hood Medical Center’s 29th
Annual Healthy Kids Fair for
kids craft activities, info on
healthy living and plenty
of freebies. Your vehicle-
birds of a feather
obsessed toddler can get
a close-up view of the Life
Every year since the 1980s, 30,00 to
40,000 Vaux’s swifts make a stop at the
Chapman Elementary School in NW
Portland as they get set to migrate to
Central and South America. Viewing the
phenomenon is a yearly tradition for many
bird lovers and families. So pack a picnic
dinner, spread out on the lawn and bring a
piece of cardboard so your child can slide
down the hill while you wait to watch the
birds, all at once, tuck into the chimney
for the night. Just about every evening in
September. Plan to arrive around 5 p.m,
the swifts roost just before dusk. And keep
an eye out for the hawk, the villain of
the piece. 1445 NW 26th Ave. Parking is
limited so consider using Trimet. Free.
Flight helicopter, ambulances
and fire engines. And bring
stuffed lovies in need of
some TLC to the Teddy Bear
Clinic where Surgi-Bear will
help kids stitch ’em up with a
cool machine used in robotic
surgery. Bonus: Parents can
get an expert to double check
whether or not that car seat
is properly installed. Saturday,
September 6, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
24800 SE Stark Street,
COURTESY OF SCOTT CARPENTER
Gresham. Free.
38
40
FALL FESTIVITIES
Advertiser Index
Academy Theater.......................... 17
Amiguitos! Preschool.................. 32
Archers Afield.................................. 17
Art ala Carte PDX........................... 17
Bada’s Place................................... 32
Beanstalk Children’s Resale.....33
Bella Organic................................... 41
Bodhi Tree
Language Center.........................33
Braingystics....................................35
Bridge to Health
Chiropractic........................................7
Chinook Book Portland...............35
Circuit Bouldering Gym................ 11
Clogs-N-More Kids........................40
Dentistry for Kids.............................3
Doula Love..........................................7
Dragon Theater Puppets...........16
Draper Girls Country Farm......... 41
Echo Theater Company,
Do Jump School.............................16
Fancy That................................ 17, 30
Franciscan Montessori
Earth School................................... 32
The Goddard School
Corporate.......................................... 31
Gresham Pediatric
Dentistry........................................... 23
Harmony Road Music,
Westside Music School.............. 32
Hollywood Children’s
Dentistry..............................................7
Hopworks Urban Brewery.........30
Joy Central (Childcare)................34
Just Between Friends
Portland, LLC..................................33
Kruger’s Farm Market................... 41
Kumon North America, Inc........34
Little Engineers..............................16
Mad Science.................................... 17
Multisensory Learning
Academy.......................................... 32
Music Together..............................35
New Seasons Market.................. 27
North Portland Orthodontics.....23
Northwest Children’s
Theater............................................. 37
Northwest
Counseling Associates............... 23
Oaks Park Association...........11, 40
Odyssey School............................33
OHSU Doernbecher
Children’s Safety Center...............7
OnPoint Credit Union...................19
Oregon Coast
Scenic Railway................................ 41
Oregon Episcopal
School................................................33
Oregon Zoo.....................................43
Out of this World Pizza................16
Penny’s Puppet
Productions...................................... 17
Pietro’s Pizza.................................... 11
Pizazz Sweets................................ 17
Portland Children’s Museum.......2
Portland Christian Schools.......33
Portland Regional Gem
& Mineral Show..............................40
Providence Health
& Services...........................................4
Rasmussen Farms........................ 41
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge.........40
Rusty Aperture Photography.....30
Scuola Italiana................................35
Sellwood Medical Clinic.................7
Spark Arts Center..........................16
The Storybook School................ 32
Sunshine Montessori
Preschool.........................................34
Super Kids Resale........................ 32
Swallowtail School........................ 32
Sweet Peas Kidzone...................33
Tidee Didee.....................................30
Tillamook Forest Center.............40
Trinity Lutheran School..............34
Vancouver Water Resources
Education Center.........................40
Westside Dance
& Gymnastics.................................. 17
Whole Foods Market...................44
Women’s Healthcare
Associates....................................... 23
World of Smiles..............................30
41
PHOTO BY AMY BROWN
[ Last Look ]
«
IN THE CULLY NEIGHBORHOOD, in Northeast Portland, the Nagmay family gathers for a meal recorded by the
camera for “Dinner in Oregon,” a television special on the way we eat now in Oregon. Sponsored by the Oregon
Department of Agriculture, and hosted by farm-to-school specialist Michelle Ratcliffe, the show spotlights three
local families who answered one challenge: How many Oregon-grown fruits and vegetables can you incorporate
into one meal? Catch the show on KATU-Channel 2 at 4:30 pm on September 14 and September 21, and read
more about the Nagmay family’s adventures in urban homesteading in the November issue of Metro Parent.
Got a great photo of Portland-area kids and their grownups having an adventure that you think would make a
»
great Last Look? Get in touch via Twitter at @Metro-Parent, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Metro-ParentPortland.
42

Metro Parent

Transcription

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