From waltz to watusi, charleston to cha cha and lindy hop to hip hop members of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) and teaching artist Brian Gillie explore the relationships between music and dance in From Haydn to Hip Hop, Saturday, February 11, 2:00pm at the Omni New Haven Hotel and Sunday, February 12, 2:00pm at Shelton Intermediate School, part of the NHSO’s Family Concert Series.

Be sure to bring your dancing shoes as a trio of musicians performs this kid-friendly 50-minute program featuring Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, Glenn Miller’s In the Mood, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and everything in between. Brian Gillie shares authentic dance moves and teaches children to improvise steps and perform choreographed routines. He’ll also explore the many facets of culture and music that have influenced the way people have “cut a rug” over the past three hundred years.

Prior to the concert, visit our Instrument Discovery Zone at 1:30pm. Musicians help kids touch, toot, and tap a tune on orchestral instruments.

Tickets ($15/adult, $12/senior citizen, $5/child) can be purchased at 203.865.0831, x10 or www.NewHavenSymphony.org.

Bank of America supports the NHSO’s Family Concert Series. From Haydn to Hip Hop is also generously supported by the George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation, Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, and the Omni New Haven Hotel.

For the 23rd year, the National Geographic Society sponsored the National Geographic Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades in thousands of schools across the United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world.  Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC) is host for the National Geography Bee for all Connecticut homeschoolers.

On Monday, 23 January 2012 nine students took their places on the stage of the auditorium of the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Connecticut.  These students have all been working to prepare for the day’s event – The National Geographic Geography Bee!  After the preliminary round containing seven questions to determine which four would be moving on, there was a tie for the third finalist and third-place winner.  The tie-breaking round commenced, followed by a final championship round, which ultimately determined our 2012 Bee champion!  Willow Coleman of Guilford is this year’s winner.  Willow will now take a written exam that could qualify her for the state competition, which will be held at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain 30 March 2012. The National competition follows thereafter in May in Washington, D.C.  Students were all very pleased and proud to have been a part of this Geography Bee, now a CELC tradition, and are already preparing for the 2013 Bee!

This month’s craft is so cute and once again uses materials that you probably have around the house.  I’m always thinking of creative crafts that kids can potentially do on their own but parents also have fun doing them.

For January, I chose to transform an ordinary salsa jar into a functional barn owl. The barn owl jar can be used as a coin jar, gift container or candy jar. The possibilities are endless!  This craft has many alternatives so feel free to put a different spin on any of the materials used.

Materials used:

• Clean glass salsa jar

• Two 4inchx4inch pieces of fabric

• Brown felt

• White paper

• Markers

• Orange paper

• Black string

• Hot glue

Tip: Use any old fabric from clothes, curtains or sheets.

Alternative materials:

• Instead of markers use any writing instrument you have

• Use pipe cleaners or thin rope instead of black string

• The orange paper is for the wings but any color will work

• The felt is used for the body of the owl but any color could be used

• Instead of a jar use a can or similar container. Anything with a lid will work

• Hot glue dries fastest but regular glue or tape can be used in its place.

The first step once you’ve got all your materials collected is to glue the felt or chosen material around the jar to create a “body”. This creates a clean workspace for the owls face and wings.

Next, draw the face of the owl your chosen paper (I used white paper for the face). Below is a photo of how I drew my owl face.

Tip: you can always put your own spin on the owl face! Try adding funny eyes or a sideways beak.

After the face is drawn, glue it onto the felt just beneath the jar lid.

Next, take your fabric and glue it to the top of your lid. You can do this before it is screwed onto the jar or vice versa. I found it easiest to screw the lid on and then glue it.

Once the fabric is secured on the top, take your string (or whatever you have chosen) and tie it around the bottom of the lid to allow the fabric to “fringe out”. This creates a hat or bonnet illusion on the owl.

Tip: If you are turning this into a coin jar be sure to safely poke a slit into the top after putting fabric on.

Lastly, cut out 2-3 inch long wings for the sides of the jar. I used a pen to draw scalloped feathers. An easy way to do this is make wave-like squiggles that represent feathers.

With the finished owl jar you can place candy, coins, stickers or other treats inside as a fun rewards jar. You can also use it as a cute gift contained for small presents.

**Always remember to save your cans and jars from the kitchen for fun do-it-yourself projects!

Thanks for checking out this month’s craft!

- Christina

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Christina works at the Painted Pomegranate and also runs her own blog, CT Green Gal. Visit her sites for fun DIY home décor crafts, eco-friendly ideas and everyday need-to- know information for kids and adults!

CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRESS?  If you want information on evaluations and treatment, the Center for Speech and Learning, LLC in New Haven, CT has created a list of child development resources available to New Haven area parents.  Use these resources to determine whether your concerns merit more attention.  If you are aware of other resources we might add, please inform us!

Is your child on-track developmentally?

• Developmental Milestones from 2 months to 5 years.  A checklist from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):  http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

• Milestones for Hearing and Language, provided by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA):  http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm

• How to determine if your child is late-blooming or has a language problem (ASHA):  http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LateBlooming.htm

• Fact Sheets and Web pages about many developmental concerns (CDC): http://cdc.gov/NCBDDD/actearly/facts.html

• Free parent resource kit about Child Development (CDC): http://cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/freematerials.html

• Stuttering checklist, from the Stuttering Foundation of America (SFA): http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=554

• Stuttering Questions for Parents (SFA): http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99

Help talking with doctors and educators

• Tips on how to express your concerns to your child’s physician or school personnel (CDC): http://cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned-whattosay.html

 Good places to get your child evaluated

• For a speech evaluation, or to receive a free stuttering screening, call the Center for Speech and Learning in New Haven, CT— #203-397-3224

• If concerned about developmental progress of your birth-to-age-3 child who might benefit from an evaluation, call the Child Development INFOLINE toll-free— #800-505-7000.

• If your child is 3 to 5 years old, call your local public school, even if he or she is not yet enrolled, and ask to have your child evaluated.

• Resources for early intervention in Connecticut: http://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-state

• The Yale Child Study Center Conducts evaluations.  To make an appointment or for information on their clinical services, call Betty Litto, #203-785-3420, or email betty.litto@yale.edu

• Also, the Yale Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: For information contact Gail Novey, #203-785-7251.  For scheduling, #203-785-4081.  Ask to be placed on the waiting list.  They accept insurance.

• The Yale Toddler Developmental Disabilities Studies Clinic works with young children, but does not take insurance.  Contact Evelyn, #203-764-5933.

The best way to alleviate concerns about a speech or learning delay is to see a speech pathologist

• Center for Speech and Learning, LLC, 801 Edgewood Avenue in New Haven.  #203-397-3224  Email: info@CenterForSpeechAndLearning.com .  Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurance accepted.
• For additional listings of speech pathologists: http://www.asha.org/proserv/
• Southern Connecticut State University provides developmental evaluations for which they require a modest fee.  They do not accept insurance.  Southern Connecticut State University, Department of Communication Disorders, Center for Communication Disorders, Davis Hall Room 012, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven.  #203-392-5955.  E-mail:  mcnamarak2@southernct.edu

 Like the Center for Speech & Learning on Facebook

Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, January 31st!

The holidays can certainly be a busy, stressful time, a time when all around us waste goes up and conservation goes down. I admit that holidays throw me for a loop; I can get easily overwhelmed and let best practices slip. A month later, I have finally caught my breath! Below is a quick assessment of how I did this year during the holidays — What I did well and not so well. How did you do? What will you try to change next year? (Remind me to look back at this next November!)

Top 5 Things I Did Right (i.e. Green) This Holiday Season

Santa goes tag-sale-ing: My son’s gifts included a secondhand stroller and kitchen (plus a new water bottle “like Mommy!”)

1.     Giving: Our son was over the moon about his two big gifts — a wooden kitchen and a baby stroller — both of which Santa acquired at a tag sale last August. For my son’s teachers, we candied organic almonds and packaged them in reused (and reusable) decorative tins. For a close friend, I bought a gift certificate at an upscale local consignment store.

2.     Wrapping: We wrapped everything in reused or reusable materials, including cloth, empty cereal boxes, pillowcases, and decorated bags/boxes, old wrapping paper, and re-used ribbons seeing their nth Christmases.

3.     Receiving: We convinced grandma to give my son about half the number of gifts she gave him last year (yay!) and requested from grandpa a stainless steel water bottle and dish set — both of which my son adores.

4.     Cleaning Up: I meticulously separated out every piece of shrink wrap (recyclable with grocery bags), paper & cardboard wrappers (went right to my son for drawing), and reusable material before putting anything in the garbage. (After a chaotic Christmas morning, it was rather soothing to drink a cup of tea and smooth old tissue paper into neat piles for next year.)

5.     Swapping: A few weeks after the holidays ended, I hosted a swap meet. Friends cleaned house and showed up to trade no-longer-needed clothes, children’s stuff, and housewares. (Think tag sale, but everything is free!) All leftovers were donated to charity.

Top 5 Things I Want to Change Next Year

1.     Better Buying: While I purchased a number of things locally this year, I still depended way too much on ultra-convenient two-day shipping. Ugh, the size of those boxes!

MY GOAL: Next year everything I give for Christmas will either be made locally (including home-made by me) or will be a non-tangible/non-shipped (a gift card, a charitable donation, a coupon for babysitting, etc.).

2.     Holiday Cards: I love sending them; I love receiving them. But is this use or waste? We can definitely reduce our impact in this area.

MY GOAL: Next year, I will send fewer cards by at least half. (People we see regularly will probably get e-cards — hey, maybe those will actually be on time!) With the savings, we’ll print cards on recycled and recyclable paper instead of photo stock (we keep our cards, but maybe others toss them?). I think I’m also going to follow a friend’s lead: send holiday postcards this year instead of card in envelopes. The postcards had photos on the front, and messages and addresses on the back. The photo still looked great on the mantel, but they saved all those envelopes (and some $ on postage, too). I think we’ll give that a try next year, too.

3.     Lights: We’ve been using the same decorative lights for years and we are meticulous about running them for only a few hours each evening for a few weeks. (Anyone got tips on hinting to the neighbors that no one sees their illuminated reindeer at 3am?) The lights do absolutely help my mood on days when it’s pitch black out before my son’s nap is over. But we are still using too much energy. I need to research who makes the best LEDs and maybe scoop some up on sale out of season.

Part of my collection of reusable Christmas wrapping, including a holiday-themed tissue box circa 2003.

MY GOAL: I will replace two strings of holiday lights with LEDs each year for the next three years.

4.     Cleaner Eatin’: I really get a low score for food over the holidays. At celebrations, I indulged in plenty of junk — chips, desserts, and drinks full of chemicals — just because it was in front of me and I was hungry. I even found myself giving in to my son about what ended up on his plate (e.g. the cupcake with the fluorescent frosting) because I was tired and it was easier. Usually I am up to the food challenge, but during the holidays, I lost my resolve a bit.

MY GOAL: I will stick to my guns next year when it comes to how my family eats. I will arrive at celebrations fed and rested, and I will bring with me a healthy, delicious food contribution that, if all else fails, I will eat all of  it (just kidding).

5.     Okay, so I don’t really have a fifth major category to tackle—everything else either fits in one of the above or a little off-topic for greenHaven (e.g. argue less with relatives). So I’ll just say this: I know that to be successful with my goals during the next holiday season, I will need to be better organized and less harried. That means I will need to be calm and not over-committed, with realistic expectations about what I can get done.

MY GOAL: I will slow down during the next holiday season so that I have the wherewithal to remain strong in my convictions. I could even start that now . . .

…

Green Mama, kidHaven’s newest contributor, is a local parent doing the best she can to raise her toddler with sustainability in mind. She first got involved with green efforts while working at a local university and found that she really enjoys learning and sharing green knowledge, especially time and money-saving tricks! She looks forward to hearing tips and ideas, from readers.

One question that comes up often when writing a personal blog is just how personal to get. Before embarking on Old Mom, Young Child, I debated (for instance) whether to refer to my child by his real name, his first initial, or a pseudonym. I settled on the last, both in respect of his privacy and to offer him a little protection, because, well, you never know.

How much of my personal life should I share to make this blog “authentic”? I wonder about this regularly. On the one hand, I’d like to have the cajones to just lay it all on the table (so to speak), but on the other, that seems like a truly boneheaded thing to do. Especially in this day and age when you can’t take stuff back: You never know where in cyberspace your shit is floating around.  Uh… so to speak.

A friend, whom I’ll call Sue Collins, left Facebook for privacy reasons. She was afraid the opinions and affiliations she disclosed might one day come back to haunt her. I told her, C’mon. Your name is Sue Collins. If one day somebody confronts you with something you wrote you can claim it was one of the other 63,452 Sue Collinses on Facebook.

Moi, last I checked I was the only Aviva Luria on Facebook. (There is an Aviv Luria, though. He’s a young Israeli.) Still, without being a complete moron about it (“Going on vacation. Door unlocked. I’m sure no one will steal the heirloom jewelry”) I make my posts available only to my Facebook friends and state my opinions pretty freely. I’m sure I piss even my friends off at times, but I truly consider airing my opinionated opinions on Facebook an expression of free speech. If someone decides not to hire me one day because I stated that Rick Perry is an ass (which is a fact, not an opinion), then they’ve saved me the misery of working for someone who doesn’t think Rick Perry is an ass. And that can only be a good thing.

But back to the question at hand, which is, in case you’re wondering, What is “authentic,” anyway? It’s not just an issue of what makes a blog, or a memoir, or novel, film or whatever else authentic, but what makes a person authentic? How can we tell if we, ourselves, are authentic in everyday life, or with our partners, or children?

One of the wonderful things about spending time with young children is their lack of skill at covering up who they really are. That’s not to say my little guy doesn’t exaggerate his injuries sometimes, or try out the persona of a friend, or pretend he’s Luke Skywalker. All these are experiments in branching out into other selves or ways of being or feelings or what-ifs, and perfectly understandable and healthy. But with most of us adults, we’ve built up layers and layers of sediment and rust and residue over the years, which we’ve carefully applied and accumulated in order to protect ourselves and to project certain images in different situations. Yet with each additional layer it becomes more and more difficult to strip down to our essential selves. You couldn’t remove some of that plaque with a chisel. What’s underneath it all? What the heck are we, anyway? Am I a jumble of my thoughts, impressions, feelings, opinions? Some might say my actions determine who I am, but what about motivations and intentions? Which is more real: my public or private self? If my tastes and sensibilities, opinions and even political affiliation (gasp!) change over time, am I the same person I once was?

Crap if I know.

There’s that old philosophical conundrum: You buy a car and keep it for decades. (Because you’re cheap or poor or sentimental—I don’t know why. Just work with me.) You replace the brakes, then the engine, then whatever else until, over the years, every last bit of that car has been replaced by a new part.

Is it the same car?

Sometimes, after running into someone I haven’t seen in years, I have this odd sensation. I’ve changed so much: my hair is shorter and grayer, I’ve aged, I’m skinnier or fatter than when they last saw me, I didn’t own this sweater then…. How the heck do they recognize me? What is it about me that’s the same, that makes me me?

That also raises the question of appearance, how much emphasis we put on it, and how much of our identity is wrapped up in it. When someone gets plastic surgery, aren’t they hoping it’ll change something more than the size of their nose? Really, aren’t we hoping a haircut, new makeup, those expensive new shoes will transform us more wholly, more profoundly?

And isn’t that very, very silly?

…

Aviva Luria recently created the blog Old Mom, Young Child, which can be found at omyc.wordpress.com, a glimpse into the mind of a sometime writer who became a mom at the ripe age of 42. Aviva, who has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in English and creative writing, has published work in an array of places, from The San Francisco Examiner and The National Post(one of Canada’s national newspapers) to the literary journals The Mississippi Review, Kalliope, andGrain,and the magazine Canadian Living. A radio junkie, she also contributed stories to a couple of CBC radio programs. (That’s in Canada, eh?)

Having grown up on Long Island, she has lived in London; San Francisco, Berkeley, and Davis, California; Ontario, Canada; and other odd and wonderful places. She lives with her husband, a physics professor, and their son, born in 2007, who is the wonder and light of her life.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays well behind us, it’s time to reclaim “me-time”. Yeah, right. Seems impossible, right? Not so! A few easy tricks can help you find the time you need to pour a cup of tea and relax with a good book. Now I’m not promising that you can take a whole afternoon for yourself, but those few found moments can make each day gloriously relaxing. Aim for an extra half-hour each day. Before you know it, you’ll be glowing from the inside out!

• Trick #1: The Play Date. While it seems overwhelming to invite your child’s friends over to play, the payback is that, every so often, they’ll go to their friend’s house to play, leaving you with some time to yourself. The trick is to use that time for yourself, rather than to run errands or grocery shop. And it needn’t be chaos when you have extra kids in the house. An organized activity like making cookies or a craft activity is usually rewarding for all concerned, rather than letting them run around the house making mayhem.
• Trick #2: The Chore Chart. Even young kids can help you get your chores done and learn valuable lessons at the same time. When you get your kids to pitch in with the laundry, cleaning and meals you can gain a few extra minutes each day. And when they’re helping you get household chores accomplished, they’re not unsupervised making a mess in one place while you’re cleaning another. The trick is to make it fun, and not be too judgmental, especially at first. Give them a star on the chore chart for each task they help with, and reward them for every 10 or 15 stars. Before you know it, they’ll be able to do the laundry themselves, which will save some REAL time down the road.
• Trick #3: The Book Buddy. If you want time to relax and read a book, help your child appreciate the fun of it. Through our partnership with ReadKiddoRead, I’ve come to appreciate that not every kid starts out being a voracious reader. Some are downright reluctant. James Patterson insists that parents take control here, rather than assume that your school will do that job for you. (Read James’ article on this topic here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html). Find books your child will love. And there’s nothing wrong with comic books or manga. The trick is, if you can gather their favorite reading material in one place and make it available to them, you’ll find some quiet time for yourself while they’re reading quietly; something that can’t happen while the tv is turned on.

Need some suggestions for books your kids will love to read? Start with these ReadKiddoRead Kiddo Award nominees:

E-MERGENCY by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer
When the letter E falls down the stairs and breaks her leg, the only way for her to get better is if everyone stops using her. The whole cast of letters rolls with puns along the way.
Ages 4 – 8

EVERY THING ON IT by Shel Silverstein
A new collection of 30 never-before-seen poems and drawings from the remarkable writer and artist Shel Silverstein.
Ages 6 and up

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER by Jeff Kinney
The travails and triumphs of a young middle school boy are chronicled in a laugh-out-loud diary format complete with drawings from Greg himself.
Ages 7 and up

ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from Just the Right Book for $14.99 per week or month. Once each week (or month) your child will receive a new book chosen specifically for him or her based on reading level and individual interests from the recommended book list at ReadKiddoRead. Get your kids involved and let their voices be heard when they (and you) vote for their favorite books. View the Kiddo Award nominees for this year at http://www.readkiddoread.com/uploads/kiddos2012.php and vote for the ones your kids just can’t put down!

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.