The 3-year-old with the Powerful Thump

Sep 20th, 10 / 0 Comments
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by Auntie Em

For a couple of years, my peace and quiet was interrupted by our next door neighbor’s teenage son and his garage band.  They practiced almost every weekend, playing everything from hip-hop to county western and jazz, until the “wannabe musicians” were silenced when the five of them left for college a year ago.

I was so thankful for the return to normal sound levels on our block.

But early last Saturday morning, I heard a steady thumping of drums.  It was hard to label the sound, but it kind of sounded like a rock band drummer with a bad hangover.   Thud, bang, bang, thumpity, thump, thump, thump!

Oh my God……I suddenly remembered that my husband had mentioned that Raymond, the 3 year old across the street had just gotten a drum set. How could such a little person make so much noise?

Thank goodness he didn’t live next door.

Don’t get me wrong.  I definitely believe that music is an important part of children’s lives, but when I was a kid I took piano lessons and my banging on the keys was never loud enough to be heard outside.

After the shock of it all I tried to listen more objectively and decided it really wasn’t that awful.  In fact, if he keeps practicing he will probably be on America’s Got Talent by 2017.

The point is, music is critical to our lives, and that love and enjoyment starts at a very young age; and enjoying music includes playing music.  Plus, researchers in the field of neurology believe that musical training can play a profound role in the development of a child’s sensory system.  Experts believe that playing music might help children process speech and enable them to better interpret the subtleties of language that are conveyed in the human voice.

Not sure if drums fit into that language category but they certainly help a kid get good rhythm and coordination. Plus, percussion instruments give kids a constructive——although noisy—-outlet for their energy.

The percussion family includes large, stationary instruments as well as small and portable instruments and there are toy replicas made for children.

If drums are too costly or big for your taste, you can find a variety of smaller percussion instruments that are perfect to help children learn rhythm. They can ring a hand bell in time to music or a metronome. Maracas are another popular toy for children. You might also try the triangle or a tambourine, which can be found at music stores.

A homemade instrument, such as a rain stick is another option. Use an empty paper towel tube for the body of the rain stick. Glue cardboard to one end to seal it up, then add unpopped popcorn, sand, coarse salt and small beans to the tube so it becomes a noisemaker. Seal up the other end with cardboard and decorate.

These are fun and easy to make.  In fact, I plan to invite myself over to accompany Raymond with my rain stick next weekend

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Parenting

Surviving the Back to School Blues

Sep 14th, 10 / 0 Comments
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by Double Duty Mama

When you’re a kid, the calendar has a lot more meaning. But, once you leave school, the words “summer vacation” no longer evoke feelings of freedom and images of lazy days filled with beach visits, long afternoons playing with friends or sleeping late. Save for weekends, holidays and a few vacations each year, adults become attuned to a year-round schedule.

For more than 10 years, that’s how I operated. The seasons changed, birthdays came, and came again, and Christmas was a low-key, day off to spend with family. Kids, though, changed all that.

Never is Kid Time more different for me than September. In the summer months prior to the start of school, my family gets comfortable in the homework-free evenings where we play outside in the late light and get lackadaisical about bedtimes. When school starts in the fall, though, it’s like we’ve been hit by a wrecking ball. It takes us weeks to get into the school groove again as we mourn the loss of our free time, now spent filling in school forms, putting together disaster kits and making sure everyone is in bed on time – bathed and fed. This can seem so difficult – especially in a family, like mine, where both parents work.

The keys to a smooth transition back into the school year are organization and routine. Here are a few or my tried and true tips to surviving the Back to School Blues:

  • Reduce the disorganized feel that clutter inevitably brings by giving everything its own place. When the kids come home, they put their backpacks on one dining room chair where I can inspect their contents. I make a pile for homework or other forms that need immediate attention, another pile for things that need to be dealt with at some point and throw the rest away – like fliers with event dates that I record immediately in my calendar. I look at all the school work that comes home, giving it the appropriate ooohs and aaahs. I save a few great or personal pieces in an underbed storage box, and throw the rest away (when my child is sleeping, of course).
  • Since my first-grader does his homework at the kitchen counter, I keep nearby a basket of supplies I know he’ll need: kid scissors, pencils, sharpener, glue, crayons and markers.
  • Make a routine, and stick to it. Kids thrive on predictable schedules and, if you know your child needs to be in bed by 8 p.m. to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6 a.m., then make that a priority. Accept that, sometimes, you have to cut corners (like a quick scrub down with a wash cloth some nights instead of a full bath every night).
  • Fall doesn’t just bring school, but all the other kid activities that require their own sets of forms and events, like sports, scouts, religious school or music and art classes. Find a calendar system that works for you, whether it’s a color-coded wall calendar, an online system you can access from home, work or your cellular telephone or a bound calendar that goes with you. Our family’s calendar is online and overlaps with mine and husband’s work calendars. This keeps us from double-booking (most the time) and ready for whatever is coming next.
  • I try to do as much as I can the night before to cut down on the early-morning responsibilities. My 4-year-old’s clothes are laid out for him and my 6-year-old’s lunch is packed before I go to bed.
  • I find that doing a quick house “re-setting” every Sunday evening helps get the school and work week off to an organized start. Before bed, everyone helps return toys that migrated to the living room floor back to their rightful spots and pitches in sorting and folding laundry.

It may seem like a race trying to fit it all in. But remember, at some point, you will get it all done. Even if it has to wait for the weekend!

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Parenting

Back to (Pre) School

Sep 9th, 10 / 2 Comments
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by Momanista

I often think of our first preschool, as the summer winds down. It was September when I had one of those first parent episodes where I trusted my instincts and it did not end disastrously,  much to my surprise.

“Your son seems to prefer playing alone,” the preschool teacher remarked, after one month with my toddler. Inferred: This may be a bad sign.

Given that my 3-year-old was quite sociable at home — some might say chatty — I should have asked more questions, worried less.  But the teacher had taught kindergarten, which gave her credibility.  And so I fretted over the next few weeks, scrutinizing every playground encounter.  Is he mixing? Wait, he threw down that kid’s shovel. Why is he alone under the slide with the dump truck?

My Greek chorus of friends would counter with the usual refrain: So what?

As weeks wore on, a question I’d shoved from my mind boomeranged back, and back. Who gives up public education benefits for low daycare wages?

Her answer was that she got tired of bureaucracy, which took her away from the students. Sounded good.

Six weeks in, I delivered my son’s forgotten lunch mid-morning. He laughed and ran around the yard with six others. Later that week, the teacher again mentioned that my son was playing alone, building blocks in class solo, again with the tone of “I’m just letting you know….”

So I asked my kid, and other kids, how does your day go? What games does Mrs. So-and-So play at recess?

Turned out, the teacher smoked, and didn’t play with the kids at all. Rather than outdoor time with the kids, she went “on break,” as my son put it. She thus had no idea that he was playing fine in the yard. It turned out, she’d said the same to other parents. It turned out, the class was a bit cluttered and playing alone with the blocks preserved precious breathing room for a few kids like mine.

People are human and have their days, and this family-owned center had a terrific playground built by parents, and windows galore. Still, the vibe was off, and I missed that due to its service to my need: It had an opening when we needed one.  Daily at pickup, 10 ‘til 6, the secretary was sporting her handbag and standing at the door, meeting me with silent, pursed lips. You again.

By the time I’d spent 40 minutes to reach the daycare, I was frazzled and met with reproach. My friends and I would wonder: Who works only until 5 anymore? These centers don’t fit our schedules.

On a whim one lunch hour, I walked across the street from my Long Beach office to the World Trade Center, and entered a chain daycare called Childtime. A coworker had described the place two years earlier as windowless, when her son was a newborn. But it was five minutes away.

Come to find out, Childtime was floor-to-ceiling windows — the varying naptimes for snoozing infants necessitated shading just one room. The play yard was so enormous that there was a track for big trikes. More importantly, every teacher seemed happy to be there. Huge. The director was Celeste Perez, whose family is a San Pedro fixture. Teachers were bilingual. Parents hailed from a diverse range of jobs: waitresses, FBI agents, government clerks, engineers, lawyers.

My son visited. He ran open-armed into the yard of trikes. We moved him there two weeks later.

The notion had seemed so scary, but the place defied the rap on childcare chains.  We felt we’d joined a family. We remain friends with those classmates today.

All this is to say: Trust your gut. As a parent, you know more than you think you know. If something seems not right over the course of a few days, or multiple times a month, your Mom radar — Mamadar? — is telling you something your brain doesn’t yet want to see.

Go with it.

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Parenting, Preschool

Why Are Toddlers So Moody?

Aug 24th, 10 / 0 Comments
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by Auntie Em

“Alfredo has multiple personalities,” jokes his mother.  She tells me that one second he’s fine and then, if he can’t get his puzzle together gets really prickly and starts screaming.

“I don’t want to tell you what happens if I put the meat and gravy too close to his vegetables.”

So I am wondering why so much drama over a little gravy?

The majority of these ups and downs are a very normal part of growing up, and it’s important not to mistake them for misbehavior, according to a child psychiatrist.

But I don’t care what the experts say; Alfredo’s mom was frustrated by his mood swings.

And I don’t blame her!  This is my favorite story: Alfredo gets in one of his moods and tells her he wants ice cream.  They get on the freeway and sit in traffic for over an hour just to take Alfredo to his favorite ice cream shop.  They finally get there, grab ice cream and get back in the car to go home.  Once in the car,  Alfredo changes his mind and dumps his cone in the back seat of the car.

We all know that some toddlers become drama queens and kings – Alfredo being one of them. But, why are they so moody and explosive at times?

Lots of reasons I’ve been told, and all of them purely developmental.

Toddlers can’t communicate their wants and needs as well as they’d like to.

Problem #1 – Lack of Vocabulary: Between the ages of 1 and 3, the world is enormous, fascinating, and ever changing. It sounds great, but most toddlers are little people with only a 20-word vocabulary, so their lives can be frustrating.

What to do: Sometimes you’re not going to be able to figure out what your child wants right away, “so stay calm and realize that the situation isn’t anyone’s fault.” “Then, try to help him by picking up items he might possibly want and labeling them.” Say the name of each item out loud and point to it.

Problem #2 – No Concept of Time: Your child may know that he’s thirsty, and may even tell you so. But when that juice box doesn’t appear immediately, watch out.

What to do: There’s a big upside to this particular toddler phenomenon. Having no concept of time means that many toddlers get sidetracked very easily.  Anger over a delayed drink can quickly turn to joy over a sink full of bubbles, so always be at the ready with a distraction.

Problem #3 – Trouble Switching from One Task to the Next: “Kids get very focused on one activity and then we expect them to change gears instantly. This sort of transition takes a toll on even an adult mind, so those expectations are way too high for children.

What to do: Take advantage of your child’s burgeoning skills. Toddlers have a solid understanding of sequencing; they are well aware of how one action follows the next. Activity changeovers can be eased with warnings that come early and often.

In the bath, say, “Now we’re going to wash your hair and then rinse it. After we rinse it, we’re getting out of the bath.”

Problem #4 – getting Tired and Hungry Very Quickly: Some toddlers tucker out within three hours of awakening in the morning. And unlike older kids, toddlers don’t fuel up at meals because they tend to graze all day. You won’t be surprised to learn that tired, hungry kids are moody kids who cry on a dime.

What to do: First, try to plan your day around nap time. Don’t schedule play dates or doctor appointments during the nap zone.

And, I don’t visit Alfredo’s house unless I know he has had his nap

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Parenting

First 5 LA Gives Tips on Preparing Your Children for Kindergarten

Aug 17th, 10 / 0 Comments
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While most kids are now on their first or second week of school, some of the anxiety preschoolers feel when they embark on their new chapter in life – preschool – may still be there.  Here is a press release First 5 LA published that may be helpful to ease some of that anxiety.  By helping them be successful in the classroom, kids will be more confident and will welcome going to school with a smile!

First 5 LA Gives Tips on Preparing Your Children for Kindergarten

LOS ANGELES———Parents may think the markers for a child’s success in kindergarten are knowing colors, counting into double digits, and recognizing letters of the alphabet.  But equally important is a child’s ability to successfully socialize with others – and parents can do plenty to support their child’s development in that and other areas, smoothing their transition to school.

In kindergarten, children learn more about communication and social skills than academics, so they must be able to cooperate and play with other children. “Most of your child’s kindergarten day will require that he or she relate to and work with the other children, collaborate on projects and share toys,” said Evelyn V. Martinez, chief executive officer of First 5 LA, a child advocacy and grantmaking organization. “Children who are comfortable working in groups do the best, and if your child has been in preschool, he’s probably already adept in this area.”

But if your child hasn’t attended preschool or seems uneasy in groups, Martinez suggested parents consider enrolling their child in a group activity such as a gymnastics or music class or taking her to playgrounds, libraries and other neighborhood places where she can meet other children and learn to play with them.   And if you know your child is reluctant to join in games like “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” or “Musical Chairs,” practice these at home with her.

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, First 5 LA offers the following tips on activities parents should continue through kindergarten to help support their youngster’s successful transition to elementary school:

Social and Character Building Skills

  • Provide opportunities for your child to spend time with other children playing and talking.
  • Encourage your child to share and to take turns.
  • Give small chores or jobs to your child so that she may experience what it’s like to have responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.
  • Maintain a daily routine so that those early school days go more smoothly.
  • Talk and model how to express feelings appropriately and with self control.
  • Remind children to listen when others talk. Teach them to look into the speaker’s eyes, and to wait their turn to speak.

Letters and Numbers and Color Skills

  • While unpacking grocery bags, parents can count the items and ask the child to count with them.  
  • Ask your child to put the cans in size order, or to alphabetize them if he already knows some letter sequences.
  • Have your youngster identify colors on his clothes, cereal boxes, etc.

Teaching Concepts

  • Help your child understand the difference between words like “same” and “different” or “more” and “less” when she expresses her thoughts.
  • Put three oranges and a banana in a bowl, and ask your youngster to choose the one that’s different.
  • Discuss words that describe a place such as the prepositions “under,” “above,” “beside,” and “through,” and words that describe time, such as “before” and “after.”

Developing Fine Motor Skills

  • Before children can learn to write, they have to develop their fine motor skills. To help this development, give your child small jobs to do around the house that encourage him to use the muscles in his arms and fingers, such as opening mail, sorting silverware, stirring batter and tying shoes.
  • Buy thick markers or pieces of chalk and encourage your child to spend some time drawing — whether on a big pad of paper or on the driveway. Playing with fluid materials like water and sand will help coordination as well.

Encouraging Your Child to Read

  • Read to your child each day, and encourage her to make up her own stories as she looks at pictures. You can also ask your child to tell a story for you to write down; then you can read it back to her, and she can “read” it back to you.

About First 5 LA
First 5 LA, a child advocacy and grantmaking organization, was created by California voters to invest Proposition 10 tobacco tax revenues to support programs for improving the lives of children from prenatal through age 5 in Los Angeles County.  For more information on First 5 LA’s programs for parents and children call 1-888-347-7855 or visit www.first5la.org.

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Parenting

How to Train a Babysitter

Jul 26th, 10 / 0 Comments
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by Auntie Em

“She can’t do this to me.”

I heard anger in her voice so decided not to say a word until she calmed down.

Ginger is the daughter of a good friend of mine and I knew she was talking about her mother…my girlfriend.   This was awkward.  I didn’t want to hear this rant and I certainly didn’t want to be a part of it.

Silence.   Then Ginger sat down with her 3-year-old and explained: “Mother is going away for her vacation.  A ten day cruise in fact and it’s around the same time that my class starts.”

Yikes.  I knew exactly where this was going, my mind was racing and I was prepared to jump up and get away as fast as possible.   She wouldn’t have a babysitter and I was not the person to fill in while her mom was away.

Yes, I did feel her frustration, but to stay friends with Ginger I knew I would have to help her find another alternative.

I used my Auntie Em skills to console her.   “It will be fine,” I said in my sweet and sympathetic voice.   Then I told her that I would help her pay for a babysitter for the two mornings she would be away at school.   The hard part was finding a good babysitter, but we had a plan.

We both made calls to other mothers, friends and neighbors for recommendations and then set up 15 minute interviews for about three of the young ladies that Ginger felt would be the best ones.

The interviews weren’t just with Ginger.  She also had her toddler with her and paid attention to how the potential babysitter and her child interacted.  That eliminated one candidate and the other one didn’t have reliable transportation.

But that was only the first step.  Once you have found the perfect babysitter, the real fun begins.  How do you make your babysitter adapt to your parenting style?

Here  are some tips on training a new babysitter.  Remember that it takes time, so be patient!

  • Set up a time for her to come over while you are at home for about a half hour and let her play with your child while you are in the house doing other things. This way she feels comfortable that you are near and you feel comfortable as well. Have her do this several times until you both feel comfortable.
  • Your toddler will test the babysitter-in-training to see if she will tell him what he can’t do. Be sure to let your babysitter-in-training know that she’s allowed to tell him no and send him to the time-out spot. Also be sure to let your child know this too.
  • Let your babysitter-in-training know that she is doing a good job. A confident babysitter will make you feel confident with leaving your child with her.
  • The next time let her know that you’ll be going outside the house s if you were leaving to go somewhere. Tell your toddler that you are going out and take your purse with you. You can just sit outside where your toddler can’t see you or go to the neighbors. When you “leave” let your toddler know that he should listen to the babysitter. This way your toddler won’t see the babysitter as a “playmate” but more of an adult. This allows your babysitter to get used to the idea of you not being around.
  • Next have her come over while your toddler is napping and really go somewhere. You can ask the babysitter to call you if your child wakes up then arrange to return home about a half hour afterwards. This way you give the babysitter some time with full responsibility, but you know that you are on your way home too.

And don’t forget to keep in touch with your babysitter in case grandma takes another vacation.

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Parenting

Lost and Found

Jul 22nd, 10 / 4 Comments
lost-and-found

by Momanista

I was watching “Modern Family” the other night and even a rerun of that TV show cracks me up. It was the episode where the gay couple leaves their baby in a hotel elevator.

I was laughing at their freak out, but any parent I know, Mom or Dad, has had this happen at least once, or so they tell me. It tends to etch in your memory–the time you lost your child.

The first time I remember was at my son’s 2nd birthday party. We had a palm-to-palm hand-off system, and my husband had him. While packing up, he assumed I’d taken him. A football field away, our toddler wandered toward a busy street. Our teen nephews ran like track stars, screaming, and this so startled our boy that he stopped…at the curb. My husband had to drive alone for an hour to recover.

Maybe it’s more accurate to say that we lost track of our child, and momentarily. But the terror is no less deep.

You’d think we’d be scared straight.

Let’s see, there was the time I lost him at Target in the baby department. He was way too old to test drive those saucers that save your sanity, and his tennies prevented him from getting back out of the leg holes. Occupado. Yes!

I even let him scoot to the next aisle, where I could still hear him as I browsed.

The silence strikes you. It’s way too quiet….

And bolt I did. Next aisle, the next aisle, jogging now, hollering his name, louder, frantic head swivels. Then I found the empty walker, my son’s sneakers tossed to the side. Oh my God, someone pulled him out. He couldn’t think this up.

Not 30 seconds later, I charged toward a red-vested associate.

“My child is gone,” I said in muted hysteria.

Him: “Well now if you go over to customer-“

Me:  “No. You need to get on that radio now. Tell them to head to the door.”

Him: “But it will be—“

Me: “A kid just vanished, which would make it bad publicity for the store. I’ll meet them at the door.”

Now listen to this, because I did something right here. The associate radios, the call comes back in an instant, and the P.A. announces “Code —-“to the whole store. The staff knows the code. The doors seal shut, and nobody gets out with a child until the missing one’s found.

I somehow knew from news that you squander precious minutes wandering a vast square footage; it takes only seconds to pull a small child out of the store and drive away.  Only now that the doors were secured could we search aisle by aisle.

I kept telling myself that the vast majority of abductions are by someone known to the child. But who listens to themselves at a time like this? We’ve heard the warnings. Keep your child in sight. And I didn’t.

Three long minutes later, a clerk spotted my three-year-old against an upholstered display, kicking back, clueless. “Hi Mom!” he said, pleased with his new hideaway. It was quite close to the abandoned saucer. But store managers said I’d done the right thing.

Most people would learn from that ordeal. Then you go to an amusement park in peak season. Standing in a 20-minute line at Knott’s Berry Farm for a mother-son dinner, I finally get to order. As I wait for the food, I look down to find my 4-year-old no longer climbing the western handrails.

Nightfall amid the fake rocks of Ghost Town. I repeated my Target move and walked straight to a cowgirl with a nametag. She radioed then walked me to a nearby lost and found office, where my kid had been taken. I was furious yet proud, because as soon as he knew he was lost, my boy went to a uniformed security guard.

Now before you call authorities, consider the balance we parents strive for, the one that sometimes tips out of our favor. You want to give your child freedom to explore, discover, experience and yes, even fall down and get hurt. They learn cause and effect and physics (you climb out onto a weak branch that is lighter than you are, and you will crash down).

In these experiences and mistakes made, small predicaments solved, they are alive and learning. You hope they will be enchanted. Try to test and figure things out. This takes letting them take risks.

But it’s never easy, is it?

MissingKids.com suggests these steps:

  1. Obtain a detailed description of the child including clothing.
  2. Go to the nearest in-house telephone and page “Code Adam,” describing the child’s physical features and clothing. Designated employees are to immediately stop working and look for the child. Designated employees monitor front entrances to ensure the child does not leave the premises.
  3. If the child is not found within 10 minutes, call law enforcement.

Personally, I’d insist parking lot personnel start hunting and I’d call the police sooner.

For an English-Spanish parent guide for what to do in such situations:

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=244

For more on what to do if your child goes missing at home or elsewhere, as outlined in the Code Adam, named in honor of 6-year-old Adam Walsh:  http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=244

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Parenting, Safety

What is Your Toddler’s Personality Type?

Jul 19th, 10 / 1 Comment
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WHAT IS YOUR TODDLER’S PERSONALITY TYPE?

“If babies are angels, then toddlers must be cavemen.”

My neighbor says that a lot on those bad days.

“I just wish I could have prepared myself better for the attack of the Flintstones,” she whines while telling me that her 3 and 4 year-olds are uncivilized, oblivious to danger and totally egocentric. “They shove toy trucks and puzzle parts in their noses. They eat light bulbs.”

Toddlers are full of surprises.  But parents can master understanding these little creatures. The first step: figure out your toddler’s personality.  Knowing your child’s temperament helps you know when to pamper and when to push.

Generally, toddler personality is divided into three broad categories, experts say:

  • Easy or happy, but not constantly.
  • Shy or slow to warm — often thoughtful and quiet.
  • Spirited (a nice term for “Get down off the refrigerator right now!”)

The Easy Child: About half of kids are easygoing — waking up on the “right side of the bed,” cheerful and ready for a new day. They’re active, tolerate change, and basically like new people and situations. Parents need to just use common sense if this is their toddler’s personality. Easy children sometimes can be lost in the crowd — spending too much time left alone with the television, or not enough time with their parents because other children demand the attention. Make sure that a child who is easy doesn’t become a neglected child.

The Shy Child: About 15 percent of kids are shy or slow to warm up, experts say. By age 9 months, many easy babies will smile at strangers, but shy kids will frown and cling. Experts say children with this toddler personality type need a lot of transition time from one activity to another activity. They might be late walkers and they will often study, with intensity, how a game is played before jumping in. “Their motto is, ‘When in doubt, don’t!’ Parents, these are gentle souls — and should be shielded from harsh criticism and ridicule. Also, parents need to make sure children with this toddler personality type can’t be rushed into getting dressed or sitting on Santa’s lap.

The Spirited or Wild Child: About one in 10 toddlers is a strong-willed, challenging kid, experts say. These roller-coaster kids have high highs and lows.  Parents usually know they have a spirited child because they’re the ‘more’ kids.” More active. More impatient. More impulsive.  More defiant. M ore intense. More sensitive. More rigid. The best recommendation to parents with this toddler personality type: Keep them active. Get them outside to play — a lot. These kids need to burn off their energy and work through their moods, experts say. They also need firm structure to keep them safe and stable — and lots of patience.

Of course, no child is contained within one toddler personality type, but these three types can be a helpful guide on how to interact. And I must add that on the good days my neighbor calls her toddlers little darlings and she tells me all of the impressive and sweet things they are doing.

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Parenting

The Fish that Got Away

Jul 16th, 10 / 1 Comment
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by Momanista

It was midnight on Cabrillo Beach, way out at the tip of San Pedro, so I was surprised by how many preschoolers were still up, frolicking in the waves.

We had been on the sand for hours, me and my friend Trish, bundled in our $10 nylon tote chairs, waiting for the grunion.

I was a first-timer, she the seasoned grunion monger. Two nights earlier, we’d gone to Seal Beach with our families for a 9:40 p.m. potential arrival time. The grunion were no-shows. Since they were not expected until 10:15 p.m. at the earliest this weeknight, we left the offspring at home. (Just to assure you, showing up minus kids was nowhere near as weird as going childless to Chuck E. Cheese).

As a native Californian, this grunion pilgrimage had eluded me. I don’t care to catch and kill these one-of-a-kind creatures, the only fish in the world to flop out of water to spawn. I hear they taste like sardines and at a skinny five inches, are a bother for a meal.

Yet something about the grunion lore, which I learned while researching a travel story, suddenly intrigued me.

These shimmering fish are found nowhere but the California coast, from Santa Barbara south the Mexican border, only for four consecutive days, twice a month, from March to August. And only with a new or full moon are the tides high enough to ferry the fish ashore.

By the hundreds, the females use their tails to burrow out a hole into which they wriggle vertically until the sand comes halfway up their bodies. Then, they release their eggs just about when a half-dozen males curve around them, releasing a foamy milt. This milt rolls down her body to fertilize the orange eggs. The males catch a wave first, followed a few moments later by females riding the tide back to the sea.

Too bad I don’t smoke.

This all sounded almost romantic for something I might previously have used to bait a hook.

And here we now were, poised at the front row for this mating life cycle. I now realized I would not be crashing this reproductive party, but I did want to watch. How often in the animal kingdom can you and your kids witness life being created?

It is the trifecta of teachable moments: a bit of hands-on science, entertainment and the novel bliss of being allowed to stay up late, even night swim in the ocean.

In the end, Trish and I talked about all that stuff you talk about when forced to sit still and not ‘’do’’ something. We met at the preschool but only at Cabrillo did I learn she had once taken trampoline in college. That says something about a person.

We didn’t care that much when high-beam lanterns and shrieking kids around us were certain to result in a grunion no-show. A few flopped ashore, but the rest of the bunch remained behind the breakers, eventually swimming off to a quieter stretch of sand. Elsewhere on the beach, families delighted in their arrival, and in two weeks, their eggs will hatch in safe captivity of the aquarium.

It is a wonderful, smaller aquarium to visit, and the grunion program later in July only cots $1 for kids and seniors, $5 for adults. http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/education/programs-individual-family/meet-the-grunion.asp

The grunion may show at any south-facing beach through summer’s end, mostly free or for the cost of parking. For the schedule and locations, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/grunionschedule.asp#runs

For some excellent fish tales, go to www.grunion.org

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Just for Fun

Top 10 Ice Cream Parlors

Jul 8th, 10 / 0 Comments
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Top 10 Ice Cream Parlors by Elise

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!  And yes, I did practically scream a couple weeks ago when I was informed that in 1984 Ronald Reagan declared July as National Ice Cream Month.

It has been a joke in my family that whenever we go to get ice cream, I get the exact same thing.  That classic scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough on a sugar cone has never let me down!

This month I plan to contribute to the USA being the country that consumes more ice-cream than any other country in the world.  My goal is to take some risks, experience new ice cream parlors and try unique flavors.

Join me in this month-long celebration! Below is the scoop on the top 10 kid friendly ice cream parlors I recommend trying.

Charlie Temmel’s Ice Cream

This little storefront ice cream parlor is a good alternative for those who aren’t huge fans of the frozen yogurt that is sold up and down the boardwalk. They don’t mind if you rollerblade in, or come in directly from the beach!

Location: 1313 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291

Hours: 11am-8pm

Contact: (310) 664-9564

Price: 2$ per scoop

Bennett’s Ice Cream

Tasty, tantalizing, and an all around treat, Bennett’s is one of the only Ice Cream places that still makes their own ice cream from fresh ingredients mixed on the spot right in front of you.  Bennett has won numerous awards for his fresh and flavorful ice cream!

Location: 6333 W. Third Street Stall # 548, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours: Mon-Thur. 9am-9pm, Sat. 9am-10:30 pm, Sun. 10am-8pm

Contact: 323-939-6786

Price: 3-4$ per scoop

Other: 2 hours free parking with validation in the Farmer’s Market Lot

Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain

Fair Oaks embraces the old soda fountain feel with its décor and classic menu.  They use only the highest quality ice cream for their hand-dipped shakes and malts as well as sundaes and ice cream cones.

Location: 1526 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9am-9pm, Sun. 10am-7pm

Price: 2-3$ per scoop for kids

Gelato Bar

Gelato Bar is a neighborhood gathering spot featuring Italian style gelato in over 24 different flavors.

Location: 1936 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Hours: Mon-Thur. 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat. 8am-11pm, Sun. 9am-10pm

Price: 3.50$ per scoop

Other: Street parking available

Milk

The homemade delicious treats (including their well known chocolate cookies) makes this place a favorite!

Location: 7290 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours: Sun.-Tues. 9am-10pm, Fri. & Sat. 9am-11pm

Price:3.50$ per scoop

Scoops

This shop has earned its reputation for creating out-of-this world flavors such as pistachio and brown bread.

Location: 712 N. Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Hours:  Mon.-Sat. 12pm-10pm, Sun. 2pm-6pm

Contact: 323-906-2649

Price: 3$ per scoop

Diddy Reise

At any point in the day this small shop will have a line trailing down the street.  Don’t be fooled though, it moves fast and the warm cookies and creamy ice cream is well worth it! This build your own cookie sandwich is one of my favorite places!

Location: 926 Broxton Avenue, Westwood, CA 90024

Hours: Mon.-Thur. 10am-12am, Fri. 10am-1am, Sat. 12noon-1am, Sun. 12noon-12am

Contact: 310-208-0448

Price: 1.50$ for the ice cream sandwich, 1$ per scoop

Fosselman’s Ice Cream

Fosselman’s Ice Cream has been open for over 91 years and is still continuing with its same powerful philosophy of hand-making the most delicious ice cream.  “Quality, consistency, and customer service,” are their guiding values.

Location: 1824 W. Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am-10pm, Sun. 11:30am-10pm

Contact: 626-282-6533

Price: 2.50$ per scoop

Glacier

Glacier features close to 80 different flavors of ice cream and gelato that are homemade with all-natural ingredients. Some of their most popular flavors that the kids might enjoy are Peanut Butter Blast or Carmel Crunch.

Location: 1605 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90266

Hours:  Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat. & Sun. 10am-6pm

Contact: 310-545-9730

Price: 3.95$ per scoop

Disney’s Soda Fountain

What is so great about this shop is that they not only have extra creamy ice cream but they tie in new sundae designs to the new themed movies that they are showing at the theatre next door!

Location: 6834 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood CA,

Hours: open daily

Contact: 323-817-1475

Price: 2.95$ per scoop

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