aPARENTly Speaking

BABY Einstein Recall, Part Deux

Jackie Burrell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:18:38 +0000

OK, we all know that Disney recalled its Baby Einstein videos a couple of weeks ago because - surprise! - the videos do not turn your baby into Einstein. Following a class action lawsuit, the Baby Einstein company agreed to refund $15.99 for up to four DVDs, purchased between June 2004 and September of this year, per family.

Here’s the question we’re asking, though. Is there anyone on the planet who actually thought these DVDs would turn their little dimple-cheeked darlings into geniuses?

RECALL: Adventure Playsets’ Rotten Monkeybars

Jackie Burrell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:06:27 +0000

You know those colorful, wooden playground sets in every suburban backyard? Yeah, there’s a problem. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission just recalled 275,000 of them after receiving more than 1,400 reports of rotting, horizontal ladders and beams. Among the injuries, nine bad enough to send children to the emergency room with fractures and lacerations. Seems the monkey bars, swing beams and horizontal ladders weaken over time, due to wood rot. Most of the injuries occurred when the swing spontaneously detached from the rotted wood. Several different models of Adventure Playset are listed in the recall, so check the CPSC site for pics, models numbers and next steps.

TWILIGHT in Concord

Jackie Burrell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:50:55 +0000

MovieWeb - Movie Photos, Videos & More

So… there seems to be some kind of vampire movie coming out sometime soon … um, something about Bella…and Jacob … and some guy called Edward? Yep, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” lands in theaters at midnight on Nov. 19 and fans are going absolutely nuts in anticipation. So we have good news for Bay Area Twi-hard fans. Twilighters Anonymous is hosting a vampire party and red carpet screening at the Brenden Theaters in Concord that night. The party starts at 10 p.m. with vampire-related games and activities, goodie bags and prizes, following by the much-anticipated movie at midnight. Tickets are $19.

And after you watch it, come on back, click “comments” and tell us what you thought.

FLAT Stanley Goes Disney

Jackie Burrell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:50:12 +0000

Remember Flat Stanley? He’s the hero of that 1964 children’s classic by the same name, written by Jeff Brown. Stanley is a normal little guy until one morning, he gets flattened by a bulletin board. Suddenly he’s flat as a pancake. But life as a flat kid isn’t all bad. It’s much easier to travel, for one thing, he can fly like a kite or go by airmail - and his escapades have delighted schoolchildren for more than 40 years. For the last decade, classrooms of school kids have made Flat Stanley paper dolls and mailed them off to pen pals around the world, enclosing notes recording their adventures with the little guy. (That’s Josh Greenhut, one of the authors of the Flat Stanley Worldwide Adventure Series, pictured above, reading “The Japanese Ninja Surprise” to third graders at the Library of Congress - AP Photo/Disney)

Now, Disney’s getting in on the action too. Children ages 7-12 can win an Adventures by Disney vacation by creating a Flat Stanley paper doll and writing a 150-word story about his “Next Big Adventure.”
Deadline’s Nov. 30 and details are here.

FAB Five for the Weekend

Jackie Burrell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:32:02 +0000

Five ideas for weekend family fun:
JOIN THE CIRCUS: Oakland’s brand new Kinetic Arts Center is celebrating its grand opening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with circus classes for kids, plus Tai Chi and trapeze fun. Free; 785 7th St.

PAINT THE TOWN: Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Art and the Kids Paint the Town group is hosting its biannual children’s art showcase, with kids’ art exhibitions in Alameda, Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro. The whole thing kicks off this Saturday with a free Art Stroll on College Avenue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet at Rockridge BART to pick up a map or visit kidspaintthetown.org.

MAKE SOMETHING: San Francisco’s Museum of Craft+Design celebrates its fifth birthday this Saturday with a free MakeArt workshop for kids. Tour the museum’s wood sculptures for inspiration, then make your own creations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free for kids, $3 for adults, rsvp at sfmcd.org.

GET ELECTRIFIED: The Exploratorium celebrates its 40th birthday with performances by Dr. MegaVolt, who’ll be amping up the Tesla coils to 200,000 volts and jousting with 14-ft. electrical arcs tomorrow evening from 6 to 10 p.m. — a great outing for teens and grown-ups ($14). Then come back for more fun — all of it free, including wild bubble magic and ice stunts — this weekend.

JUGGLE: In Oakland, Children’s Fairyland hosts Jean Paul Valjean’s “Short Attention Span Circus” this Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Admission to the park $7, including all rides and special events.

EMPTY Nest Ahead?

Jackie Burrell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:32:53 +0000

Julie Renalds, co-editor and contributor to Writin’ on Empty: Parents Reveal the Upside, Downside, and Everything In Between When Children Leave the Nest, is hosting another discussion group for parents (fathers welcome) to begin on a weekday evening in mid-November. Meet other parents who are navigating through this emotional and transitional shift when their kids leave home — in a fun, supportive atmosphere. For more information, you can reach Julie at: 510 531-5670.

DORA the Explorer Giveaway

Jackie Burrell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:43:51 +0000

Halloween’s over and the winter holidays are looming. Don’t know about you, but our supermarket is suddenly flooded with Christmas and Hannukah decorations! So here’s something to make your holiday shopping a little easier. Dora the Explorer, the popular Nickelodeon character, has a new CD out: “Dora’s Christmas.” Pretty cute stuff — it includes all the usual carols, plus “Santa Claus is Coming Aqui” and “Feliz Navidad,” and bonus tracks from “Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure.” And it can be yours! Click “comments” and tell us, what’s your family’s favorite holiday tradition? We’ll draw a winner’s name next Monday, 11/9.

Meanwhile, congrats go out to Beverley, who won last week’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom set!

PARENT TALKS: Toddler Life, Teen Brains & Cyberbullies

Jackie Burrell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:32:22 +0000

“Living with Threes and Fours
Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at Bananas, Oakland
Meg Zweiback leads this workshop on preschoolers. Free.

“Cyberbullying Community Forum”
Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. Community Presbyterian Church, 2800 Georgia St., Vallejo. A community forum for parents of teens and pre-teens, sponsored by the Benicia-Vallejo AAUW with speakers from the Benicia and Vallejo school districts and Napa AAUW Cyberbullying Task Force. Free.

“The Doctor is In”
Nov. 8 from 7 to 8 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM and streamed live on Childhoodmatters.org. Rona Renner, RN, and guests discuss ways to keep your kids healthy and strong.

“How Being Homeless Affects Children”
Nov. 15 from 7 to 8 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM and streamed live on Childhoodmatters.org. Rona Renner, RN, and guests discuss homelessness, poverty and children.

“CPR and First Aid Training”
Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bananas, Oakland
This 15-hour course in English, offered in 2 sessions, includes CPR, First Aid and Preventive Health. Pre-registration and payment is required - call 510-658-7353.

“Passing on Traditions and Values”
Nov. 22 from 7 to 8 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM and streamed live on Childhoodmatters.org. Rona Renner, RN, and guests discuss Native American traditions and family rituals.

“The Teen Brain in the Digital Age”
Nov. 29 from 7 to 8 a.m. on 98.1 KISS-FM and streamed live on Childhoodmatters.org. Rona Renner, RN, and Beth Samuelson of Student Organizational Services discuss teens, the media and how to help your teens improve their learning skills.

Something to add to the list? E-mail us the details or click “comments” and add it right here.

TWILIGHT: New Moon Event at Stonestown

Jackie Burrell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:31:46 +0000

Remember last year when an appearance by Twilight’s Robert Pattinson nearly caused a riot at Stonestown Galleria? Well, guess what? No, it’s not Edward. But there’s a “Twilight Saga: New Moon” event coming to the Bay Area and the tickets - actually wristbands - for the Nov. 9 festivities go on sale tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. at Stonestown’s Nordstrom and Hot Topic. The line starts forming at midnight and it looks like you have to buy a $30 New Moon T-shirt at Hot Topic to score one of the 500 wristbands available. Not sure what the deal is at Nordstrom…

Down in LA, the event itself will include cast appearances and performances by Death Cab for Cutie, Sea Wolf and other bands on the “New Moon” soundtrack. In SF though, the featured attractions are Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) and Kellan Luzt (Emmet Cullen), New Moon activities, trivia games and movie-related prize giveaways.

OK, folks. Anyone planning to go?

HALLOWEEN Treats #4

Jackie Burrell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:40 +0000

Meringue ghosts? Check. Jack o’lanterns? Check. Chocolate spiders? Oh wait, here they come - straight from the pages of Sharon Bowers’ fun new cookbook, “Ghoulish Goodies.”

CHOCOLATE SPIDER CLUSTERS
Makes about 24
Ingredients:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chow mein noodles
¼ cup red hots or red mini M&Ms

Directions:
1. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper or parchment. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave oven on high power 60 seconds; stir well. If not quite smooth, continue to heat in two or three 10-second bursts, stirring well after each burst.

2. Stir chow mein noodles into melted chocolate and drop mixture by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Press 2 red candies onto one edge of each cluster to make eyes and lift a few chow mein legs up to give a spidery impression. Refrigerate about 20 minutes to cool and harden. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
— Sharon Bowers, “Ghoulish Goodies”