T h e M a g a z i n e Pa r e n T s l i v e b y i n d e n T o n c o u n T y

september 2013

the schoolguide

special advertising section:

103september

local districts crack down on unexcused absences

reasons to love

Your mom-approved

dentists

teaching creativity to your kids

meet mom next doorsasha agent-marrier

kiddietruants

s l i v e b y i n d e n T o n c o u n T y

partyplanning

pins to inspire theirbirthday bash

Copyright©2013 TheMills®

Client: Grapevine Mills Job Name: Grapevine Mills BTS Fashion Ad REVISED Job Number: 750-1557Specs: 4C AD 8.25˝ x 10.75˝ PUB: Ft.Worth Child

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LAYOUT 08/06/13 REVISED 08/09/13

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2 Miles North of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and 1 Mile from Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center at Highway 121 North and Grapevine Mills Parkway. 972.724.4900

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 3

14 18

38 Manifesto words Rudy Klancnik

noted5 Igniting the Creative Spark6 Sound Advice / Helping Children

Cope With Strong Emotions6 Highland Village’s Lower Sellmeyer Park6 Friends & Monsters

Real MoMs 9 Mom Next Door / Sasha Agent-Marrier

10 Leave Your Marc10 Time Travel10 Shut the (Front) Door12 Mommy Diary / Rachel Nichelson

MoM-appRoved doctoRs22 This Month: Dentists

KId cultuRe25 Agenda

26 Places / 3 Days in Amarillo, Texas 29 EveryDay

Petite PerPstoo many tardies could land you and your first-grader in court as more districts crack down on elementary truancy.words Carrie Steingruberphotography Nick Prendergast

features

columns

departments

page s / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3

On the COver: 5-year-old Ashlyn of Flower Mound Photography: Steven Visneau Hair/Make-up: Shane Monden, Wallflower Management

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJoylyn Niebes

EDITORIaLExecutive EditorJulie Lyons

Arts + Culture EditorElizabeth Smith

Lifestyle EditorNicole Jordan

Web EditorCarrie Steingruber

Editorial InternCiera Velarde

aRTCreative DirectorLauren Niebes

Graphic DesignerSusan Horn

Editorial DesignerKatie Galasso

aDvERTISINgAccount ExecutivesBrynn Ginsberg, Susan Hassel, Nancy Martin, Nancy McDaniel, Sandi McKean, Sara Zollars-Conner

Classified SalesJill Kelley

PR/MaRKETINgAudience DevelopmentJenn Whiddon

aDMINISTRaTIONSales + Marketing CoordinatorsAmanda Burleson, Lauren Glick

OperationsLeah Wagner

NorthTexasChild is published monthly by Lauren Publications, Inc. NorthTexasChild is distributed free of charge, one copy per reader. Only NorthTexasChild authorized distributors may deliver or pick up the magazines. Additional or back copies of NorthTexasChild are available for $2 per copy at the offices of Lauren Publications, Inc. We reserve the right to edit, reject or comment editorially on all material contributed. We cannot be responsible for the return of any unsolicited material. Subscriptions are $24 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NorthTexasChild. NorthTexasChild is ©2013 by Lauren Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission prohibited.

We CaMe tO PartyLet our latest party obsessions inspire you to take your next fête from dull to darling.photography Steven Visneaustyling Lauren Niebescompiled by Nicole Jordan

Peek at our party inspiration board for ideas for your child’s next birthday bash, p. 18.

T H E M A G A Z I N E PA R E N T S L I V E B Y I N D E N T O N C O U N T Y

103SEPTEMBER

local districts crack down on unexcused absences

REASONS TO LOVE

YOUR MOM-APPROVED

DENTISTS

kiddietruants

T H E M A G A Z I N E PA R E N T S L I V E B Y I N D E N T O N C O U N T Y

103103103103SEPTEMBER

local districts crack down on unexcused absences

REASONS TO LOVE

YOUR MOM-APPROVED

DENTISTS

kiddietruants

PARTYPLANNING

pins to inspire theirbirthday bash

Copyright©2013 TheMills®

Client: Grapevine Mills Job Name: Grapevine Mills BTS Fashion Ad REVISED Job Number: 750-1557Specs: 4C AD 8.25˝ x 10.75˝ PUB: Ft.Worth Child

ART PREPARED BY: nogginwerks® llc. / 6523 North Carrollton Ave / Indianapolis 46220 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ART, PLEASE CALL 317-202-9863

LAYOUT 08/06/13 REVISED 08/09/13

Chalk up more brands at low prices!Enjoy up to 70% off name brand stores like Disney Store Outlet, Gap Factory Store, Janie and Jack Outlet, and Old Navy Outlet.

Plus, visit theme restaurants and entertainment venues such as AMC Dine-In Theatre, LEGOLAND Discovery Center,Polar Ice House Grapevine, Rainforest Cafe and SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, Grapevine Mills is the right answer in every classroom!

Mention this ad at Simon Guest Services and you’ll receive a FREE coupon book worth hundreds of dollars in savings!

2 Miles North of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and 1 Mile from Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center at Highway 121 North and Grapevine Mills Parkway. 972.724.4900

Each Primrose School is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools and The Leader in Educational Child Care are trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2013 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved.

To fi nd a Dallas-Fort Worth area school near you visitPrimroseSchools.com/DFW

Educational Child Care for Infants through Private Kindergarten and After School

The Right Foundation for Learning and Life.Just Ask a Mom or Dad.

“Primrose has been such an important

part of my child’s life, and now as she

enters Kindergarten, she enters with

confi dence and a love for learning.

I could not have asked for a more

nurturing environment for my

precious daughter. I feel I

have established a forever

friendship and forever

family with Primrose.”

Ghada, Primrose MomPrimrose School of Chase Oaks

42 Dallas-Fort Worth Area Primrose Schools

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 5

ong overdue for a date night? Call that great sitter. Want to sleep in for once? Nana would love to have the kids. But

beginning each morning with three pages of longhand journal-ing designed to “provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand?” Well, maybe this time you’ve stepped into parental fantasyland.

Or have you? For the creat- ive thinkers who follow Julia Cameron’s classic guide to foster-ing creativity, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Cre-ativity, the journaling ritual serves a slightly different func-tion for moms and dads. In her highly anticipated follow-up, The Artist’s Way for Parents, Cameron urges parents to do their best to protect the daily “Morning Pages” ritual. “We lose sight of ourselves,” she says of new parents. “We feel isolated.” Morning Pages remains a vital tool for creative thinkers who find themselves suddenly concen-trating on a child 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

First published in 1992, the bestselling Artist’s Way fed the inner lives of millions of readers eager to hurdle artistic blocks and gain confidence in their creative abilities. With this sum-mer’s release of The Artist’s Way for Parents, Cameron embraces her experience as a mother and grandparent to show parents how to build family rituals that nurture creativity not only in their children but in Mom and Dad too.

“For 20 years, people would say to me, ‘How do you make your children more creative?’” Cameron says. “And I would respond, ‘Be more creative your-self. Children emulate what we do.’” At that point, Cameron’s readers would turn away, deject-ed by the lack of specific advice. “I was sort of tough and I would say, ‘Just work The Artists’ Way, and everything will work out.’”

The Artist’s Way for Parents starts off with two of Cameron’s original tools for creativity: Morning Pages, which is three daily pages of journaling for a parent, and Creative Expeditions, a weekly field trip for both par-ents and children. Highlights, the

new component, adds a nightly bedtime ritual for sharing, reflecting on and bonding over a favorite moment from the day.

In fact, local child develop-ment specialists observe that the roadmap to creativity in The Artist’s Way for Parents looks remark-ably similar to the roadmap for strong, connect-ed families and relationships. “The word here is relationships,” says Casey Call, Ph.D., an asso-ciate research scientist at the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. “Children who don’t have that secure base, who don’t have that confidence and the trust built up, they kind of stay in their more primitive brain. Children

who have the secure relationship with their caregivers … are able to use their prefrontal cortex, which is where there’s sophis-ticated and complex thinking. There’s imagination. There’s planning. It all goes back, in my opinion, to relationships.”

What is creativity, then, and can parents somehow nurture it at home? At its most basic, creativity is about thinking flex-ibly. “It’s taking discrete things and turning them into something they were never meant to be,” says Debbie Miller, a home-schooling mom of four in Plano whose brood relies on LEGOs as their engine to replicate, imitate, imagine and portray. “It’s a way of thinking that you haven’t read, you haven’t seen. You just do it.”

Allowing natural opportuni-ties to experiment is vital, Cam-eron says. Once parents have recovered their own sense of cre-ative balance and built a secure home base for children, they can fling open the doors to creativity and allow kids to explore. “I grew up in a family where creativity

was nurtured and expected,” she says. “My mother would set us up with toys or paints or Cray-olas or scissors and paper, and then she would go off to her writing desk. She gave us the materi-als to work with, but she didn’t try to control or overly meddle with them.”

Cameron says she hopes her lat-est book will pass on that sense of freedom to other parents, helping them dismantle the mythology that tells them they should be with their chil-dren 24/7. “I would hope the book brings people back

to themselves,” she says. “I would hope that they start to feel opti-mistic, and it would dismantle perfectionism.” Cameron seeks to lead families along another path – with plenty of opportunity for bumps, messes and creative exploration along the way. ntc

PeoPle would say to me, ‘How do you make your cHildren more creative?’ and i would resPond, ‘Be more creative yourself. cHildren emulate wHat we do.’”—Julia Cameron, author of the artist’s way for Parents

noted. W o r d s L i s a P o i s s o

i l l u s t r a t i o n K y L e C o n f e h r

creativity guru julia cameron tells how to raise a more successful child and build a stronger family too

6 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

noted / m i n o r d e t a i l s

A*

(21 points/24 points)

Convenient locationlots of shade

Picturesque garden

no parking lot nearby creek with

stagnant water

*Based on the national Program for Playground safety’s report Card at

playgroundsafety.org

Emotions, no matter how intense or negative, help us to figure out what we like or don’t like. They help us figure out what we’re willing to tolerate. When a child is experiencing difficult emotions, it’s important to help them figure out how to cope with them in a manner that allows them to develop in an emotionally healthy way.

The first step is to acknowledge the child’s right to feel the emotion. Avoid statements such as “no, you’re not angry” or “don’t be sad.” This minimizes their emotions and confuses the child about what they truly feel. The long-term effect of minimizing a child’s emotions can be a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Here are some key points to remember:

• Allow them to feel what they feel without minimizing it.

• Allow for a cooling-off period and/or direct them to healthy physi-cal ways to expend their emotions, i.e. basketball, punching a pillow, working with clay or other soothing forms of art.

• Help ground fearful children with facts.

• Show the child that he is important by giving him your full attention. Ask him to wait if you’re in the middle of something.

• Most important, show them that they are capable of dealing with difficult emotions. Just because the child is unhappy doesn’t mean it has to be fixed for them. This demon-strates to the child that they can cope with disappointment: “What can you do to make this better?”

Tammy Terrell, LPC, is supervisor owner and therapist at Terrell Counsel-ing, Inc. Lori Martin, LPC, is a partner and therapist at Terrell Counseling.

HElping CHildrEn CopE witH Strong

EmotionS

sound advice

This quaint one-acre playground is nestled in the heart of highland Village and conveniently located just minutes away from biking and hiking trails that run the course of the city. While the playground has suffered sun damage, the slides and monkey bars were clean and showed no signs of rust. several benches and picnic tables were located under trees with a barbecue

grill nearby, which would serve well for a family outing. also worth noting is the small but beautiful garden located near the back of the playground. exotic flowers could be seen blooming as well as tomatoes just beginning to ripen. The large plot of land opens up for extra activities such as relay races or informal games of soccer. 600 Sellmeyer Ln., Highland Village. —Erika Lambreton

highland village’s lower sellmeyer park

this review was distributed to the City of Highland Village Parks and recreation for further review and/or action.

Howard Boward is a school nerd and frequent victim of school pranks and bullying at the hands of popular kids. Tired of being a loner, the bespectacled, brace-faced seventh-grader decides to put his science know-how to use by hitting the lab and literally making a new friend. The result is Franklin Stein, jovial monster and instant buddy. Once the secret gets out, Franklin puts Howard on the map with the cool kids and helps his social status soar. But as Frankin (and Howard’s) popularity grows, things start to spiral out of control. Hilarity ensues as Howard learns valuable lessons about social status and the

true meaning of friendship. Written from a middle-schooler’s perspective, How to Make Friends and Monsters by Frisco journalist-turned-author Ron Bates is an easy-to-read chapter book that tackles issues important to real-life tweens with lots of humor and charm. —Nicole Jordan

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Friends & Monsters

How to Make Friends and Monsters // $12.99 // Barnes & Noble, Multiple locations // zondervan.com

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 7

Opening Oct. 5

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real moms.

w o r d s J e s s i c a B o w e r s

S

Sasha Agent-MarrierSasha Agent-Marriermom next door /

asha Agent-Marrier hasn’t danced at all since she did her last jump split – at Cowboys Stadium in December 2012. Wearing a simple T-shirt stretched over her obviously pregnant belly, the petite mom

smiles as she watches her daughter Sienna play with the family dog at a Lewisville park near their home. It’s hard to connect this simple scene with the glossy glamour photo of Sasha that hung in the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader locker room from 2010-2012, but it’s a perfect picture of her life right now. “I’m just enjoying taking it slow,” she says with a shrug.

Sasha’s life in the slow lane includes caring for 7-year-old Sienna, teaching middle school special

education and coaching cheerleading at Vivian Field Middle School in Farmers Branch, as well as working on her master’s degree in school counsel-ing. Only compared to the nonstop pace of teach-ing, parenting and cheering for the Dallas Cow-boys could a schedule like that seem like a break. “I’m not going to lie,” Sasha says. “That was an insane schedule, but I don’t regret a minute of it.”

As a four-year veteran of the Sacramento Kings Dancers, Sasha’s dream was to end her dancing career at the top with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She knew she was an unconventional candidate for the job, however, and that was almost enough to make her turn her back on her dream. Newly divorced with a young daughter to care for, Sasha felt trapped in California, but instead of letting her situation

hold her back, she used it to propel her to her dream. “I had to get over a lot of insecurities and self-doubt,” she says. “It felt easier to stick with what I knew, but I decided to trust in myself and take the risk of rejection.”

Making her cheerleading dream a reality was a multistep process. To move to Texas, Sa-sha needed to find a teaching job. Vivian Field Middle School was willing to hire her to teach special education, but she had to pass the Texas certification exams to get the job. As someone who’d struggled with school, passing the exams seemed like a huge obstacle, but she did so hand-ily and began teaching in a classroom for students with behavioral challenges. As she established her teaching career, she also developed a relationship with her classroom aide, an athletics coach at the school named Chase Marrier. Although it wasn’t part of Sasha’s original plan, Chase became a huge help in making her DCC dream a reality as he stepped in to baby-sit and offer encouragement.

With her teaching career on solid ground, Sasha turned to her dream: making the team. In 2010, she began the nail-biting process of audi-tioning for the elite squad. With each round of cuts, she was one step closer to her goal, and at the end of the summer, she was thrilled to see her name listed on the official roster. That’s when the real work began. Her daily schedule was a whirl-wind of work at school, then picking up Sienna from school to come home and spend a few min-utes on homework before heading off to practice. After practicing all night, Sasha was lucky to get home to tuck Sienna in bed, and many nights she came home to find her daughter already asleep.

Like any mom, she had plenty of guilt-ridden days as she tried to balance living her dream with caring for her daughter. She chose to focus on the positive. “Most people will have to tell their chil-dren about their most precious accomplishments, but my little girl got to witness it,” she says. “She saw me accomplish a goal that I set for myself.”

After two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Sasha hung up her pom-poms. Six months later Sasha and Chase were married at the same resort where the DCC swimwear calendar was shot, a fitting location to close one chapter of her life and start another. The couple will welcome a new baby girl to their family in October. Sasha has other big plans in the works too. After years of planning and dreaming, she’s hoping to start a summer dance and cheer camp. “I want to share the things I learned while I was at DCC, and there is a part of me that still just wants to dance.” ntc

LEFT / SaSha agent-marrier, with Sienna and huSband chaSe, iSenjoying life in the Slower lane.

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Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

10 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

real moms / o b S e S S i o n S

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Shut the (Front) Door

Front Door Fashion // frontdoorfashion.com

What fashion-forward gal hasn’t dreamed of a date with stylist to the stars rachel Zoe? get the next best thing with front Door fashion. the brainchild of north texas entrepreneurs nina lowe and andrea isom, front Door fashion curates custom looks and delivers them right to your door. Just create a custom style profile, and the stylists at front Door fashion will select four to six fully accessorized outfits that fit the look you’re shooting for. try the outfits in the comfort of your own home, and if something is a no-go, simply ship it back free of charge. Pieces come from an array of designers, including some of our favorites such as nicole Miller and Citizens of humanity. Prices vary depending on the pieces. —N.J.

Make-up junkies rejoice! Designer extraordinaire

Marc Jacobs has taken the next step in expanding his fashion empire by adding a beauty line: Marc Jacobs

Beauty. We’ve been anxiously awaiting the launch of the

120-piece collection since it was first announced more than a year ago and can hardly believe it’s finally

here. from plush shadows to super-pigmented blushes, Marc Jacobs Beauty is cheeky

and high fashion – as if we expected anything less.

Be sure to pick up a tube of lip Vinyl; word around the beauty counter is this

sleek tube is bringing back the high-shine lip gloss of yesteryear. starting at $18.

—Nicole Jordan

Leave Your Marc

sephoraFlower Mound, 972/874-6725sephora.com

traveling takes time. time to plan, time to travel and time to unwind from all the traveling and planning. Most often for families, we squeeze it into a weekend and take 36 hours away from our normal life to enjoy the sights and sounds of a foreign land. or nashville. The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada is a compilation of the grey lady’s famed weekly feature laying out an agenda for the too-busy-to-plan traveler to places near and far in the u.s.a. Whether it’s a weekend jaunt with the girls or a romantic weekend for you and your love, we prize this book for its spot-on recommendations and relief from the stress of planning. it’s a must in our library for this fall when we start planning our next getaways to deal with our wanderlust. —Lauren Niebes

time travel

The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada, Edited by Barbara Ireland, $39.99Barnes & noble, multiple locations. taschen.com

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GrapevineSunday, September 29

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12 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

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rachel nichelson is a home-school mom and

designer for her clothing line, Madeline Wood. she

lives in Denton with her husband eric, a musician

with the band Midlake, and their three children: owen,

9; Claire, 7; and tate, 2.

rachel nichelson

Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the North Texas area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by NorthTexasChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfw-

child.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space.

the fine

real moms / M o M M y d i A r y

5 :30aM tate wakes up crying. i get him and bring him back to our bed. now back to sleep for a few more hours.7:30aM i want to get up and run

before tate wakes up but decide not to. i can’t pull myself out of bed.7:45aM still thinking about getting up, but lying in bed feels too good.8:05aM tate is awake and pulling me out of bed. i get us both some water, and we go to the living room to let him play. i check my email; i have an order from my etsy shop that i’ll need to work on today.8:25aM i start making breakfast and get some coffee going. Kids will be up in a little while. eric is off to meet his bandmate for coffee and then to the studio. 9:04aM Claire comes into the kitchen. sits next to tate at the bar, and i give her some water and a plate with eggs and fruit.9:15aM owen finally comes into the kitchen. 9:35aM Breakfast is over and the kids go get dressed; i remind them to feed the animals before we start school. owen goes to feed our two dogs and his fish, and Claire feeds gracie, our cat.10:05aM We are all sitting at the kitchen table working on school for the day. tate is

playing with stackable blocks; i’m working on math lessons with Claire and owen.12:12PM after finishing most of our schoolwork, we come to a stopping point. i fix lunch. eric will be home soon, and i need to get him something to eat.1:15PM everyone is done with lunch, and the kids get a Popsicle and go out on the front porch for a little dessert and playtime. eric leaves to go back to the studio.1:40PM i take tate back to his room for his afternoon nap. i read a few books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Goodnight Moon and Five Little Monkeys.2:05PM tate is sleeping. i get owen and Claire started on afternoon reading so i can work on my etsy order.3:35PM tate is up from his nap, and we’re off to see neighborhood friends for a craft play date and maybe some afternoon tea. almost out the door, and i remember i’m supposed to bring my hot glue gun. got it. tate is in his stroller. Claire and owen have already taken off down the street.5:05PM on our way home from our craft and play time. Kids on their bikes. i’m telling them that as soon as we get home, they need to get their stuff together for baseball and ballet. We’ll have only 10 minutes before we have to leave.5:25PM heading out to the car and just remembered to get our water bottles. oops – i need to change tate’s diaper too. i’ll have to do that when we get to owen’s baseball game.5:31PM i run Claire inside to ballet practice and tell her i’ll be back before class is over. she’s learning a new dance and wants me to see some of it.5:42PM We get to the baseball field just in time. i change tate’s diaper and let him play a little before we head back to get Claire.6:15PM Walking into ballet practice with tate – and a couple of hot Wheels cars to keep him occupied while i watch Claire dance.6:37PM Back in the car and heading to owen’s baseball game. everyone’s getting hungry, and i know his game won’t be over till around 8pm. i decide to go through the drive-through at schlotzsky’s and grab some sandwiches.7:15PM at owen’s game, and he’s playing catcher. Claire sees her friends and runs off. tate and i sit in the grass to eat and watch owen.7:35PM eric arrives from his church gig where he plays guitar and sits down with us to eat his sandwich. Claire comes back to finish hers. 8:10PM heading back to the house. 8:22PM i start tate’s bath water while owen and Claire decide what game they’re going to play before bed. i tell them to take baths before they play spin uno.

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 13

What ShE’S REadIng Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business FavoRItE IndulgEncE i love hail Merry macaroons and a nola iced Coffee from my local coffee shop seven Mile. nIcknamES FoR thE kIdS tate goes by tator; Claire will get called Claire Bear but says she doesn’t like that anymore; owen has had a few – odog and o. on hER dvR Well, we don’t have a DVr, but my hulu favor-ites are Nashville, New Girl and Parenthood. SIgnatuRE mEal garden salad with chicken and homemade sweet potato fries In hER Bag Diapers and baby wipes, Klean Kanteen, several different kinds of Chapstick, sunglasses, pen, little idea notepad and toy cars FavoRItE SPot FoR a gIRlS’ nIght out Paschall Bar here in Denton StoRE WE mIght catch hER BRoWSIng In i love anthropologie, but in Denton you might find me at the DiMe store. on hER IPod st. Vincent, grizzly Bear, tame impala and the new Midlake dESERt-ISland ESSEntIal tumbleweeds handcraft sunglasses

printthe fine

8:30PM tate and i are heading to the kids’ room to read some books and get him in bed. all my kids share a room, so sometimes bedtime doesn’t go that smoothly. But tonight seems oK; tate is tired.9:14PM i’m back in the living room with owen and Claire, who are playing their game. they want me to play, and i tell them i’ll play one round before bed. Well, of course one round turns into two.9:40PM owen and Claire are in bed, and i’m bringing them water. i tuck each one in and pray with them.10:05PM Kids are all finally asleep, and now i can finish cleaning the kitchen from lunch and load the dishwasher. Quickly start a load of laundry. 10:20PM into my sewing room/studio to finish a dress for an etsy order and complete some alterations for a customer who is coming by tomorrow.12:15aM eric just got home from his studio, and i’m done with my sewing. 12:30aM finally comfortably in bed! one of my favorite parts of the day. now to get some sleep before tate wakes up. ntcil

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n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 15

petiteIt’s a typical two-story red brick house on a typical street in a

typical Frisco neighborhood. The yard has been mown and edged, the hedges are clipped and there’s a well-worn toy car parked in the side yard. Nothing in this ordinary suburban scene suggests that a serial truant lives here: the subject, no less, of Collin County Justice Court Case No. 32-TP-13-00207.

Inside, Sabrina Tariq and her daughter are comfortably ensconced in the family room, Mom pajama-clad on the sectional, 5-year-old Leanna circling the toy-strewn room and whistling, while the vast flat-screen assaults us with KERA’s summer programming. A butterfly-princess-glitter-wand makes a beeping noise, and Leanna picks it up, grinning shyly. The kindergartener is tall for her age, with dark bangs and expressive brown eyes. She spells her name for me in slow, deliberate tones, clinging to her mom’s side.

Leanna’s teacher reports that she “follows classroom rules” and “always participates.” She never disrupts class, loiters at the mall or stashes marijuana in her backpack. But this bashful girl snuggling up to her mom landed in court a few months ago. And now her mother has a stain on her permanent record.

Her offense? Leanna was late to school.On Tariq’s official Collin County record, the offense appears as “Failure to

Attend School – Parent/Guardian Contributing.” It’s a Class C misdemeanor, the least serious criminal offense, punishable by fines ($175 in Tariq’s case), but the bigger punishment for both mom and daughter was the embarrassing court appearance, coupled with a four-hour wait that required Leanna to miss school.

w o r d s c a r r i e s t e i n g r u b e r

perpsperps

Too many tardies could land you and your first-grader in court. Don’t believe it? northtexasChild talks to two families who

were brought before the judge as more districts crack down on elementary truancy.

o p p o s i t e / / i s t h i s t h e s m i l e o f a r e p e a t o f f e n d -e r ? 5 - y e a r - o l d l e a n n a t a r i q s t o o d b e f o r e a j u d g e t o a n s w e r f o r h e r r e c u r -r i n g t a r d i e s . P h o t o g r a P h y b y N i c k P r e N d e r g a s t .

16 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

missed” count toward truancy. This means a child who arrives a couple minutes late has the same truancy record as a child who arrives halfway through the day, or not at all.

Though the law distinguishes between kids younger than 12 and kids 12 and older, it must be applied across the board to be effective, Judge Payton argues. Which produces the jarring scene of a first-grader standing before the bench to answer for his tardies.

Here comes the judgeIn his Allen courtroom one

sunny day in June, Judge Payton has nixed the black robes and has his light blue oxford rolled up to the elbows. His tone is kind, conversational – not the vituperative language you hear on daytime court dramas. (Though he does insist that kids tuck in their shirts.) Some of the kids he’s seen only once before, but he talks to them like he’s known them for years. One high-school student presents the judge with his certificate for completing a court-ordered boot camp, and Judge Payton absolutely beams.

Another student is having trouble registering for a similar course. “I will go to blood for this kid,” he booms to his clerk after the student exits the courtroom.

I can’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. He shoots me a challenging look. “You think I’m kidding? I’m not kidding.”

At times, the courtroom becomes a strange sort of group therapy session, where parents sit at the prosecutor’s table-turned-couch and discuss their woes – from rocky finances to unpredictable traffic to drug-toting children – while Judge Payton listens attentively and offers solutions. The kids stand in the middle of the courtroom digesting their parents’ concerns, and both parties ideally leave the session with a renewed sense of obligation to each other.

The judge makes a point of pursuing truancy as early as possible. If these kids are brought in at the elementary level, he says, he will likely never see them in middle or high school. “My theory is, if we

The irony is not lost on the many families who’ve had to attend truancy court in Collin County – not for their wayward high-schoolers, but for their 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds who just can’t seem to get out the door. Though Texas truancy laws and individual district policies are designed for older kids, elementary families – and even a few preschoolers, like Leanna – get caught in the gears of Collin County’s well-oiled anti-truancy machine. For these families, the courtroom becomes the place to hash out their organizational problems, get a court-ordered parenting class and maybe even learn how to get their children dressed in the morning, all on the taxpayer dollar.

Frisco is leading the way in this truancy revolution that’s taking place in the suburbs. Some districts are choosing to crack down on elementary truancy in the courtroom; others, like Lewisville, have implemented extensive new intervention programs to ward off truancy before charges must be filed. As a result, the number of truancy cases referred for prosecution in Lewisville fell steeply last year, while Frisco’s numbers continue to rise – over the last two years, the district has sent 239 elementary and preschool kids to court. “A lot of people see the number of truancy filings and think we’re out to get people,” says Frisco ISD Assistant Superintendent Doug Zambiasi. “In fact the opposite is true – we’re really out to help people.”

Tommy Ellington, executive director of student services for Lewisville ISD, offers no apologies for his district’s policies. “Sorry if you think it’s too strict,” he says. “Bottom line is we don’t do anything that is against the law, and our priority is to have your child in that seat every day that we possibly can.”

Saved by the bell (not)Tariq and Leanna accumulated

17 unexcused absences – a combination of run-of-the-mill tardies, unexcused doctor’s visits prompted by asthma flare-ups and one family trip that Leanna’s teachers

were aware of and had approved. (Note to parents: In Frisco ISD, approved does not mean excused.) Doctor’s appointments can be excused with a note, and even tardies caused by traffic problems can be erased if enough students are made late by the incident. But without sick notes or widespread roadway dilemmas, any tardy – whether by one minute or five hours – counts as one day missed. They can add up quickly.

When your child reaches 10 absences in a six-month period, school districts are required to take legal action, though many appear to ignore the law for elementary kids. In Collin County, the enforcers of the law include truancy officers employed by the school districts and Justice of the Peace John Payton, a one-man truancy crusade. At 17 1/2 years of age, he was the youngest judge ever elected in the state of Texas. More than two decades later, his initial goal to get kids to school on time has become his passion. “We make a difference here,” he explains. “We get to help people change their lives.”

Though he doesn’t have a law degree, Judge Payton, father of one teenage daughter, is a stickler for enacting the letter of the law as kindly as he can. He has underlined, highlighted and lovingly abused his copy of the Texas Education Code, which he referred to several times when I visited his Plano courtroom.

Section 25.093 outlines the consequences for “Parent Contributing to Nonattendance,” which include a day in court, fines to pay and a Class C misdemeanor on the parent’s record. The law refers to children at least 6 years of age, because preschool is not required in Texas; children enrolled in public preschool, however, are subject to the same laws that govern primary and secondary students. While some 4-year-olds don’t attend school at all, those such as Leanna who were enrolled in preschool must be on time or face a court date for nonattendance. And the law does not distinguish between tardies and half- or full-day absences; Section 25.094 states that “days or parts of days

Frisco ISD179 / 25,812*

by the book

fort worth ISD147 / 46,182

McKinney ISD68 / 13,583

Allen ISD44 / 11,079

arlington ISD43 / 33,707

keller ISD26 / 17,250

lewisville ISD33 / 28,477

carroll ISD0 / 3,870

highland park ISD0 / 3,669 *

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n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 17

can breed it out of them before the student can be held accountable for it, and we teach good habits, then that student will become self-reliant, self-motivated,” he says.

Frisco ISD’s Zambiasi agrees. “What we’ve found is that if you can begin to work with families that are struggling to get their kids to school early on, then you see a reduced number of kids you have to see at the secondary level,” he says. “There is a method to our madness.”

You are hereby summonedJudge Payton says those who

don’t crack down on truancy early and often are just plain doing it wrong. “It’s not the code that’s broken,” he asserts. “It’s the people that are executing the code.” His claim is given credence by the numbers, which show that enforcement levels vary widely among area districts. Your child’s attendance record – and, consequently, your criminal record – might look different if your child were enrolled in Carroll Elementary in Southlake, for example, rather than Carroll Elementary in Frisco.

Frisco ISD keeps rigorous attendance records; Carroll ISD’s attendance records are uneven at best. Two Carroll ISD elementary schools have reported zero unexcused absences for the entire student body for two years running, while another school with similar enrollment reports 28 absences over the same period and a fourth school in the same district nearly 2,900. A representative from the district explained that this huge discrepancy is because of a difference in the way each school records absences, but maintains that district-wide, they enjoy “good student attendance rates and cooperative families who value education and ensure their children are in school.”

Does this mean that families in Southlake care more about getting their kids to school on time? Probably not. Instead, it means that where you live could determine whether you go to court for being tardy. Carroll, in fact, did not refer any elementary families to court during the last two school years.

According to Judge Payton, the five districts whose truancy cases he sees – Frisco, Allen, Plano, Celina and Lovejoy – are pursuing truancy with the necessary amount of exactitude and verve. “My districts do it right,” the judge says. “Are they going to follow through with what they tell you? Yes. Are some of the parents shocked when they follow through with what they told you? I can’t tell you how many are.”

Frisco began the last school year with a 40-page PowerPoint presentation to staff outlining every detail of the district’s truancy procedures with meticulous relish. This includes the extensive measures Frisco takes to warn parents of accumulating absences. The district notifies parents by letter, voicemail or person-to-person contact at least three times on the road to truancy court, which is two beyond what is required by the state Education Code. Amidst the colorful fonts and occasional clip art, the PowerPoint asserts that “Truancy Charges SHALL be filed” after a student – any student – reaches 10 absences.

Allen attacks truancy with similar gusto – sans PowerPoint – as Janine Weaver discovered last school year. Her daughter McKenna (not their real names) was late to school 10 times because of morning meltdowns and wardrobe dilemmas. On more than one occasion, McKenna was inside the school building but outside her fourth-grade classroom when the bell rang. A week or so after her daughter’s 10th tardy, Weaver received a call, then three weeks later an email, with two court dates – for the original hearing and a follow-up appearance. The hearings would take place at the courtroom inside Allen High School on school days (excused absences, of course).

Nine-year-old McKenna had no idea what to expect in the courtroom, and neither did Weaver. McKenna asked her mom if it would be like Law & Order or Judge Judy, or if they would cart her off to prison. “Those were real kinds of fears,” Weaver says, “and even though I was saying, ‘No, no, no,’ I think there was a part of her that was unsure.”

Weaver herself was embarrassed. “I just felt like a crummy mom,” she says, even

though the problem was simply disorganization, not

lack of motivation. “I am vested in

her education, and I don’t like letting her be late, and I’m not OK with it,” she says. “It just kind

of happened.”On the

big day, they entered the waiting

area through a metal detector then sat for two

hours in the small, dull room until being ushered in to see Judge Payton. The courtroom is closer to Judge Judy, with raised bench, generous wood paneling and two tables for defense and prosecution. McKenna stood between the two tables and faced Judge Payton, while Weaver sat to her right at the prosecutor’s table and truancy administrator Barbara Barker took notes at the defense table. An armed constable stood guard near the bench. To a 9-year-old, it was a scary place.

“I think a courtroom should be for crimes – bad crimes – and that stuff,” explains McKenna. She tried to recount to me some of what Judge Payton told her, but she couldn’t remember most of it, because she was “like really concentrated, and my brain was jumbled off with different thoughts about this.”

What were you thinking? I ask.“I was thinking, ‘What would

happen if we accidentally do it again? What happens if other people found out? What happens if

it gets worse? What happens if my mom gets in trouble when I’m not there?’ And that stuff.”

Better shape up “Lay out three outfits the night

before – then in the morning, you’ll only have three choices.” Such were the common-sense suggestions Judge Payton dispensed from the bench to Weaver and McKenna. But they didn’t have to follow the good judge’s advice after all. Fear, it seems, administered its own swift kick in the rear.

The courtroom experience “kind of triggered something,” McKenna says; she and her mom started getting up earlier, and as of the end of the last school year, McKenna had no more tardies.

Leanna, too, changed her behavior after her day in court. “She got really scared from the process,” Tariq explains, “and then she just started waking up on time.”

So the question is not whether the process is effective at the elementary level, but whether the courtroom is necessary, and if so, why. Why is fear of the courtroom the necessary motivator for a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old to get ready in the morning?

“I don’t see government’s role as a role to take care of you,” Judge Payton says. But he adds that he is many families’ “last resort” when it comes to putting their lives in order. He court-orders parenting classes and gives advice about speeding up the morning routine. And he appears to be doing a good job; just ask the older kids who proudly bring him their high-school diplomas.

Tariq concurs that the courtroom is the right place to handle truancy at the middle and high-school levels and even acknowledges that the parenting class Judge Payton assigned her was “wonderful.” But she was not impressed with the four-hour wait outside the courtroom, where she – and more important, her daughter – saw other kids getting arrested. “I don’t think it’s a good place for a little kid to be,” she says. “I just feel like jails and courtrooms and stuff should be away from kids until they start understanding better.” ntc

“there is a method to our

madness.” —Doug Zambiasi, assistant superintendent, Frisco ISD

we came to par typ h o t o g r a p h y s t e v e n v i s n e a u s t y l i n g l a u r e n n i e b e s c o m p i l e d b y n i c o l e j o r d a n

le t our latest par ty obsessions inspire you to take your next fête from dul l to darl ing

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n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 19

we came to par ty1 . C u s t o m C a k e s : C a n d y H a v e n , d e n t o n , 9 4 0 / 5 6 5 - 1 4 7 4 . c a n d y h a v e n a n d c a k e s . c o m . 2 . C u s t o m I n v I tat I o n s : t H e M a g i C P e n , g r a P e v i n e , 8 1 7 / 4 2 4 - 4 2 0 7 . m a g i c p e n a n d pa r t y. c o m . 3 . C u s t o m P e n n a n t B a n n e r s , $ 1 0 - $ 3 5 : C r e at i v e d e s i g n s b y t o n i , d F W a r e a . e t s y. c o m / s h o p / t o n i ay n e . 4 . G o l d s Pa r - k l e r s , $ 4 . 9 8 : n o t H i n g b u n d t C a k e s , F l o W e r M o u n d , 9 7 2 / 5 3 9 - 8 2 8 2 . n o t h i n g b u n d t c a k e s . c o m . 5 . P I n t h e C h e r r y o n t h e C u P C a k e G a m e , $ 3 0 : P o l ly W o g Pa r t i e s , d F W a r e a , 8 1 7 / 4 8 7 - 8 6 5 6 .p o l ly w o g pa r t i e s . c o m . 6 . s P r I t z d I s P o s a B l e s t r a w s , $ 1 . 9 2 : ta r g e t, M u lt i P l e l o C at i o n s . ta r g e t. c o m . F o r M o r e r e s o u r C e s , v i s i t d f w c h i l d . c o m a n d F o l l o W u s o n p i n t e r e s t. c o m / d f w c h i l d . ntc

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this month: dentists

Family dentistryCleveland, Kellie DDSLantana Family Dentistry, Flower Mound

Couch, Bryan DDSComplete Smiles Dentistry, Coppell

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Kuba, Reena DDS, MSChildren’s Dental Centre of Irving, Irving See ad on page 23

Morgan, Robert DDS, MSDPediatric Dentistry of North Texas, Irving See ad on page 23

Rozas, Melissa DDSOffice of Dr. Rozas, Coppell See ad on page 23

Wickersham, Tom DDSDental Care 4 Kids, Flower Mound

What is the biggest dental health problem Facing kids today?

Cavities are still to this day, unfortunately, the most common, chronic and debilitating disease in the country. It’s a problem. It’s a real problem.

What should be a parent’s First step in preventing cavities?

It starts with the dental home – the estab-lishment of a relationship with the dental office that is ongoing and comprehensive. We like to see our patients by age 1. At that time, we can educate our parents about these other things revolving around preventing dental decay.

What do you tell parents at those early visits?

It’s the assessment and adequate recommen-dation for a level of fluoride supplementation.

It’s educating them about bottle feeding and introducing refined carbohydrates into the diet. Let’s become aware of what good snacks are versus bad snacks.

All this is done at these early visits, and by doing this early and repeating this, we hope to establish good habits early. Because if we can prevent decay, all of us would love to avoid hav-ing to drill on children’s teeth – that’s no fun!

Why else are dental visits so important?

There are more things than just brushing teeth. We want to make the connection between oral health and systemic health. If parents are looking at the teeth and it doesn’t look right, it doesn’t just have to be decay. We want to have anything that looks suspicious checked early.

taking care oF tiny teetha chat With dr. robert delarosa, vice president, american academy oF pediatric dentistry

Revering, Brad DDSCross Timbers Dental, Flower Mound

orthodonticsGronberg, Kimberly DDS, MSGronberg Orthodontics, highland Village See ad on page 24

Machado, Irelia DDS, MSSmiles for Life Orthodontics, Flower Mound

Ohlenforst, Patrick DDS, MSOffice of Dr. Ohlenforst, Irving See ad on page 24

Stich, Frank DDS, MSDOffice of Dr. Stich, Coppell

pediatric dentistryBell, Jessica DDSPediatric Dental World, highland Village

Bui, Tina DDS, MSABC Children’s Dentistry, Irving See ad on page 24

Clapp, Jason DDSPediatric Dental World, highland Village

Duffy, Debra C. DDSOffice of Dr. Duffy, Flower Mound

“hoW do We begin a WonderFul preventive

program For our patients? it starts With

the dental home – the establishment oF

a relationship With the dental oFFice

that is ongoing and comprehensive.”

—Dr. robert Delarosa

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n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 23

Robert E. Morgan, DDS, MSDPediatric Dentistry

Dr. Bob Morgan has two private practices serving the Dallas area. His mission is simple and the reason for his patients’ trust and con-fidence, “to treat all of my patients as though they were my own children.” Dr. Morgan, a native Dallasite, graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory, received his B.S. from Texas A&M University and his D.D.S. and master’s degree from Baylor College of Dentistry. He completed his residency in pediatric dentistry at Children’s

Medical Center, where he served as chief dental resident. From 2010-2012 he served as Presi-dent of the medical dental staff at Children’s Medical Center and has a faculty appointment at Baylor College of Dentistry.

375 Municipal, Ste. 104, Richardson, TX 75080 972-669-3663

3219 N. MacArthur, Ste. 100, Irving, TX 75062 972-252-7569

robertmorgandds.com

Being a mom herself, Dr. Melissa Rozas understands the importance of making a child feel comfortable. She is passionate about creating a positive dental experience and has designed a fun and friendly environment to reflect this mission. “Having a positive dental experience early in life creates a lifetime of healthy teeth and a happy smile,” says Dr. Rozas.

Dr. Rozas grew up in Galveston, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Science. In 1995, she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas. Following dental school, she completed a two-year residency at the University of Texas at Houston and Hermann Hospital, where she received her specialty certificate in pediatric dentistry.

Dr. Rozas is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She is active in local, state and national dental organizations, including the Greater Dallas Pediatric Dental Society, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Rozas currently serves as the Director of District V of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is President of the Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Melissa Rozas, DDSPediatric Dentistry

Melissa Rozas, DDSDentistry for Infants, Children & Teens, PA

632 E. Sandy Lake Rd., Coppell, TX 75019972-393-9779 • RozasDDS.comDentistry for Infants, Children

& Teens, P.A.

Reena Kuba, DDS, MSPediatric Dentistry

A proud Dallas native, Dr. Reena Kuba received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from The University of Texas at Dallas. She then earned her DDS degree from Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry. While at Baylor, she completed her certification in pediatric dentistry in addition to a master of science in oral biology. Dr. Kuba is a certified Diplomate of The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of

Dentistry. She is dedicated to working together with families to create a positive educational atmosphere where a child can build positive dental memories, which lead to positive dental habits and health in the future.

8870 N. MacArthur Blvd., Ste. A-101 Irving, TX 75063

214-484-3199irvingchildrensdental.com

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24 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

Moms, tell us about your favorite OB/GYN

Nominating ends November 1st

dfwchild.com

Patrick M. Ohlenforst, DDS, MSOrthodontics

Dr. Ohlenforst is a board-certified orthodontist who has been practicing in Irving since 1976. He and his professional team are committed to providing top-notch treatment for children, teens and adults in a relaxing environment. Dr. Ohlenforst received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Baylor College of Dentistry, where he was inducted into the OKU National Dental Honor Society. Then Dr. Ohlenforst completed two years of specialty training at the UT Health Science Center in Houston, where he received his master’s degree and Certificate in Orthodontics. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a member of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Recently Dr. Ohlenforst welcomed his daughter, Dr. Lauren Ohlenforst Carney, into practice with him! She has an office in North Dallas—where Dr. Ohlenforst also spends time each week. Dr. Ohlenforst and Dr. Carney love getting to work together to create beautiful smiles.

3200 N. O’Connor Rd., Irving, TX 75062972-257-3200 • dr-ohlenforst.com

Kimberly Gronberg, DDS, MSOrthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics

Dr. Kimberly Gronberg is a specialist in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. This means she completed 2 additional years of advanced training in orthodontics after her 4 years of dental school. She is past president of the Baylor Orthodontic Alumni Association, Greater Dallas Association of Orthodontists and Denton County Dental Study Club. She loves providing children,

adolescents and adults with a beautiful smile in a fun, caring environment.

3000 Village Pkwy. #430 Highland Village, TX 75077

972-966-2326gronbergorthodontics.com

Tina H. Bui, DDS, MSPediatric Dentistry

Dr. Tina Bui received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, graduating Magna Cum Laude. After practicing dentistry for two years, she spent two cold winters at the University of Minnesota, where she completed her pediatric dental residency program with a master’s degree in Pediatric Dentistry. She returned to Texas and completed her board certification in Pediatric Dentistry. She is now a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Bui’s love for children and passion for dentistry started at a very young age. She considers it is a blessing that she is able

to work with children. One of the greatest enjoyments in her everyday work is the ability to help children overcome their dental fears and seeing them grow with a healthy, happy smile.

7457 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 101, Irving, TX 75063972-910-0003

abchildrensdentistry.com

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 25

w o r d s e l i z a b e t h s m i t h

I L L U s T r A T I o N P a u l W i n d l e culture.

kid

seeIf one of your family’s

favorite things is musi-

cal theater, then don’t

miss The Sound of Music september 6–15

when the Irving Arts

Center will come alive

with music inspired

by the real von Trapp

family singers. watch

as Lyrics stage and

their 40-piece orchestra

present rodgers and

Hammerstein’s classic

production about the

governess who wins

everyone’s hearts.

Tickets start at $25.

Irving, 972/252-2787irvingartscenter.com

giveUp for a little friendly

competition? Keep

Flower Mound Beautiful

will be handing out

prizes for the most trash

collected, the most recy-

clables collected and

the oddest item found

for the Fall trash bash & environmental/

Health Fair on

september 28. Trophy

or no trophy, all will

be rewarded with free

lunch, children’s activi-

ties and games at the

volunteer party at Home

depot through 1pm.

Flower Mound, 469/828-9074

kfmb.org

doThink Cowboys

stadium (now AT&T

stadium) is enormous?

wait until the kids see

what it looks like from

field level. Boys and girls

ages 6–15 can vie for a

chance to show their

stuff to football fans at

a Cowboys half-time

show by joining one

of two local competi-

tions for nFL Punt, Pass and Kick on

september 14 and 19.

register online.

Highland Village, 972/317-7430

denton, 940/349-7275

nflppk.com

eatFor the carnivores in

your family, take a

break from hamburgers

and hot dogs to hunt

for more exotic cuisine

at the seventh annual

Wild beast Feast on

september 28. Get all

you can eat plus treats

at the sweet Tooth

Booth for $20 for adults

and $5 for ages 4–12.

Enjoy activities and live

music from 6–10pm at

the North Texas

state Fairgrounds.

denton, 940/382-2787dentonarts.com

playYour kids ever ride a

stick horse in the living

room? Let them play

cowboy or cowgirl

on a bigger stage in

the Western Days Festival’s stick horse

rodeo. riders from

age 1 through second

grade will compete

for medals at 2pm

and 4pm on saturday,

september 28. Then

stick around for live

music, a catch-and-

release pond, bounce

houses and more at this

weekend festival.

Lewisville, 972/219-3401lewisvillewesterndays.com

READ ABOUT THIS

MONTH'S FEATURED

ILLUSTRATOR

ON OUR BLOG:

DFWCHILDBLOG.COM

26 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

take a trip to the texas panhandlew o r d s j e s s i c a b o W e r s

3 days in amarillo, texas

1 / Ten Technicolor Cadillacs jut out of a dusty Amarillo field, serving as a monument to the weird and wacky. 2 / Playtime and learning collide at the don Harrington discovery Center.

1

kid culture / p l a c e s

day onePropped with pillows on the

rough-hewn bed at the back of a cozy stone cabin, you can gaze through the window as the sun rises over the rusty stripes of Palo Duro Canyon. Known as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” it is the second-largest canyon in the coun-try, offering both natural beauty and activities for families. Three cabins on the rim of the canyon are the ideal lodging choice when exploring the state park, and while the amenities are humble, the views from the patio overlooking the canyon are outstanding.

Rising early is the perfect opportunity to hit the Lighthouse Trail, a popular hiking and bik-ing trail that leads to the park’s signature geological formation, the Lighthouse. The six-mile round-trip hike is the best way to see the formations of the canyon and encounter the desert creatures that live here. Or, explore the canyon on horseback – in the way of the

Apache and Kiowa Indians, who made their home in the Canyon more than 12,000 years ago. Old West Stables hosts one-hour rides into the canyon for ages 6 and up.

As evening brings cool breezes to the sunny Canyon, crowds gather in the Pioneer Amphithe-atre for an outdoor presentation of TEXAS. The struggles of settlers in the Texas Panhandle of the 1800s are dramatized in rousing song and dance with the beauty of the canyon as a backdrop. TEXAS serves as the official state play and runs Tuesdays–Saturdays in the summer months only.

day two Start the day at the Panhandle

Plains Historical Museum, where you can cover 26,000 miles and millions of years in a matter of hours. As the largest history muse-um in Texas, PPHM covers every-thing from dinosaurs to conquis-tadors and highlights the struggles to settle this land. Step back to the Old West with the life-size Pioneer

Town, and explore the history of the vital petroleum industry. Backpacks at the front desk filled with books, scavenger hunts and other activities are available for kids to borrow.

No visit to Amarillo is com-plete without a trip to Cadillac Ranch, and although it is slightly less academic, it is still a part of the history of the city. Perhaps one of the most recognizable roadside attractions, this collection of 10 Cadillacs, built between 1949 and 1963, is embedded tail up in a dusty Texas field. Bring along a can of spray paint and make your mark on this constantly evolving art exhibit.

Fill a Texas-size appetite with a stop at the Big Texan. First built on the original stretch of Route 66, this steakhouse and motel has been keeping up the big reputation of Texas since 1960. Its well-known shtick is to offer a 72-ounce steak free to anyone who can finish the meal in under an hour, but they also offer normal-size meals and activities such as sluice mining and a cattle pen maze to entertain the kids.

day threeGear up for the day with some

grub from the Stockyards Café, a historic restaurant located inside the stockyards, where live auctions take place every Tuesday. What-ever your interest, you can fill the

day with museum exploration in Amarillo. The Don Harrington Discovery Center and Space The-atre is the place for science lovers, while the Kwahadi Museum of the American Indian gives visi-tors a glimpse of the culture of the Plains Indians. The RV Museum is a unique collection of camping vehicles from every decade since the 1920s and a nostalgic way to see how family travel has evolved, making it a perfect last stop before you load up the kids and mosey out of town. ntc

2

Palo duro Canyon 806/488-2227; palodurocanyon.com

Texas 806/655-2181; texas-show.com

Panhandle Plains historiCal museum

806/651-2244; panhandleplains.orgbig texan

806/372-6000; bigtexan.com stoCkyards Café

806/342-9411; stockyardscafeamarillo.com

don harrington disCovery Center and sPaCe theatre

806/355-9547; dhdc.orgkWahadi museum of the

ameriCan indian 806/335-3175; kwahadi.com

rv museum806/358-4891; rvmuseum.net PH

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oF

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AM

ArI

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IL

As a city that sits an equal distance from each coast, Amarillo has always been at a crossroads. Long before the time of the Pilgrims, Spanish conquistadors traveled through Amarillo in search of gold. As history marched on, the city stayed in the center of the action as a stop on Route 66 and is still a major route to the West. Holding such an important place over time, the city gives families a chance to explore the landscape of the Panhandle as well as stories from the past that make this city uniquely Texas.

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 27

We’ve got the inside track on fun.

For schedules, rates and train information visit www.GVRR.com or call 817.410.3185.

HOP ABOARD the Grapevine Vintage Railroad and ride between Grapevine’s Cotton Belt Depot and the Fort Worth Stockyards, or on the Stockyards Trinity River Ride. Travel in authentic 1920s Victorian-style coaches.

NOW AIR-CONDITIONED

18858_GCVB_Child_Mags_Sept_2013_train_ad_v1.indd 1 8/5/13 12:44 PM

28 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

September 12, 13, 14 & 15, 2013www.Gr apevineTexasUSA.com/Gr apeFest

For information, entertainment schedules or to purchase tickets, visit us at

www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com/GrapeFest or call 800-457-6338.

Grapevine, TexasFour Days of Family-Friendly Festival Fun

Carnival Rides, KidsWorld presented by Baylor Regional Medical Center of Grapevine, Live Music on Five Stages, Great Food, Art Studios, GrapeStomp, Culinary Pavilion AND MUCH MORE!

18857_GCVB_Child_Mags_Sept_2013_GF_ad_v2.indd 1 8/5/13 12:37 PM

Win Kids

H Gymnastics

H Martial Arts

H Dance

H Cheerleading

H Tumbling & Trampoline

H Sports Skills

H Swimming Lessons

H Piano, Guitar & Drums

H Gym-N-Learn Preschool

H NEW TENNIS PROGRAM!

$40 OFF!Present this ad at

the time of registration for a class and get $40 off the Annual Registration Fee!

New Members Only. Not to be used in combination with other offers. No cash or credit value.

$40 off per new family, expires Sep. 30, 2013.

CALL TO RESERVE YOUR CHILD’S SPOT!

972-355-99883000 WAKETON ROADFLOWER MOUND, TEXAS 75028(Corner of 2499/Waketon Road)

To view our Fall Class Schedule, visit our web site at www.winkids.net

NEW BACK-TO-SCHOOL CLASSES

NOW ENROLLING!

n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 29

Pho

to C

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rtes

y o

f th

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ity

of

irvi

ng

e d i t e d b y e l i z a b e t h s m i t h

Educational PaWS for Reading irving Public Library,

multiple locations. 972/721-2691. irvinglibrary.org. 2–3pm each first sun at

West irving Library; 1:30–3:30pm each third sun at valley ranch Library. read to trained

therapy dogs and practice reading and compre-hension skills in a fun environment. for kids in K–sixth grades. space is limited. Call to register. free.

aRtS & cRaftS Studio creations dallas Museum of Art, 1717 n. harwood st., dallas. 214/922-1803. dma.org. 1pm, 2pm and 3pm sat–sun through sep 27. on sep 1, learn about wayang kulit, an elaborately staged performance art from Central and east Java, and create your own moving charac-ter. on sep 7– 29, use recycled materials to make art inspired by family Portrait 1963. Pick up tickets outside the Art studio in C3 30 minutes before each workshop begins. free.

continuinG: see dfwchild.com for more events.

2 MondayHiStoRy

labor day train Cotton belt depot, 705 s. Main st., grapevine. 817/410-3185. gvrr.com. 1–5:45pm. board the grapevine vintage railroad’s diesel train for a round-trip journey to the fort Worth stockyards. tickets start at $20 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12.

StoRy timE mother Goose time flower mound flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 11:15–11:35am Mon–tue. enjoy stories, music and movements in this program for new parents and babies younger than 18 months. registra-tion is required. free.

1 SundayaRtS & cRaftS

art lab Perot Museum of nature and science at victory Park, 2201 n. field st., dallas. 214/428-5555. perotmuseum.org. 10am–5pm Mon–sat; 12–5pm sun. explore creativity and science with your child inside the Moody family Children’s Museum with hands-on projects that are guided by an early childhood professional. for ages 5 and younger. $15 adults; $10 ages 2–11.

fEStival Bedford Blues & BBQ labor day Weekend festival bedford City hall Complex, 1951 L. don dodson dr., bedford. 817/952-2107. bedfordbluesbbq.com. gates open at 2pm. sample and vote for your favorite barbecue and listen to Jimmie vaughan and rock and roll hall of famer buddy guy headline this fifth annual festival. Admission is $5 (cash only); free for ages 5 and younger.

aRtS & cRaftS drawing from the collection for children the Modern Art Museum of fort Worth, 3200 darnell st., fort Worth. 817/738-9215. themodern.org. 2–3:30pm. bring a sketch-book and pencils to learn about art through informal drawing exercises led by artists Micah yarborough and Kris Pierce. for ages 5–12. sign up at the information desk before the program. free.

HiStoRy Great train Robberies Cotton belt depot, 705 s. Main st., grapevine. 817/410-3185. gvrr.com. 1–5:45pm sat–sun. Watch desperados on horseback in staged train robber-ies during the round-trip excursion on the grapevine vintage railroad from grapevine to the fort Worth stockyards. tickets start at $20 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12.

REcREation outdoor Water Park Splashtacular Community Activity Center Chill Zone, 1200 gerault rd., flower Mound. 972/874-6300. flower-mound.com/cac. 1–5pm. Celebrate Labor day at the water park with daylong games and activities for all ages. nonresidents: $6 children and $8 adults; residents: $4 children and $6 adults.

StoRy timE Preschool Story time irving Central Library, 801 W. irving blvd., irving. 972/721-2458. irvinglibrary.org. 7:30pm Mon; 10:30am tue. enjoy storybook readings, finger plays and music at this weekly story time for ages 3–6. free.

ExHiBitSuper Kids Save the World sci-tech discovery Center, 8004 n. dallas Pkwy., frisco. 972/546-3050. mindstretchingfun.org. 10am–5pm. this is the last day to see the exhibit that empowers kids to reduce, reuse and recycle. Work in a miniature farmers market, plug a power cord into a smart car, repair discarded toys and wear capes at each activity station. $7; free for ages 2 and younger.

StoRy timE Story time flower mound flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 10am and 2pm Mon–tue. enjoy stories, music and rhymes for ages 3–6. Kids can attend alone but caregiv-ers must remain in the library. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1.

3 TueSdayStoRy timE

Bilingual Story time irving irving Public Library, multiple lo-cations. 972/721-2458. irvinglibrary.org. 11am tue at east branch; 7:30pm thu at Central Library. Listen to readings presented in english and spanish and engage through stories, finger plays and music. for all ages. free.

09/13 IrvIng MaIn Street event @ IrvIng HerItage DIstrIct

kid cultureeveryday.

kid culture / e v e r y d a y

30 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / n o r t h t e x a s c h i l d

aRtS & cRaftS first tuesday at the dma dallas Museum of Art, 1717 n. harwood st., dallas. 214/922-1803. dma.org. 11am–2pm. decorate a toy puppet and enjoy more art activities, listen to storybook readings and watch performances at this monthly program in the Center for Creative Connections. for ages 5 and younger but open to all ages. free.

StoRy timE toddler Story time irving Central Library, 801 W. irving blvd., irving. 972/721-2458. irvinglibrary.org. 7pm tue; 10:30am Wed. engage through stories, finger plays and music. for children ages 18 months–3 years. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2.

4 WedneSdayStoRy timE

ones upon a time William t. Cozby Public Library, 177 n. heartz rd., Coppell. 972/304-3658. coppelltx.gov/library-programs. 10:30am. enjoy short story read-ings, music, rhymes and movement activities in this language-based program for ages 12–24 months and a caregiver. space is limited. tickets are required and available 30 minutes before the class at the information desk. free.

Educational Read to Rover emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 4:30pm. get some reading practice in a non-judgmental environment in this one-on-one session with a trained, certified therapy dog, presented by the therapy Pals of golden triangle. registration is required. for children ages 6–11. free.

StoRy timE toddler time flower mound flower Mound Public Li-brary, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 10am and 11am Wed–thu. enjoy 30 minutes of stories, music and rhymes in this program for ages 18–36 months. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. toddler Story time irving see sep 3.

5 ThurSdaymuSic

concerts at the arboretum – the Killdares dallas Arboretum, 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. gates open at 6pm; concert at 7pm. bring a picnic and blankets or chairs to sit on the lawn and listen to live music performed by a Celtic rock band. Wear a costume to compete in the contest before the show. tickets start at $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12.

StoRy timE JumpstaRt Stories and art irving Arts Center, 3333 n. MacArthur blvd., irving. 972/252-2787. irvingartscen-ter.com. 10am. Wish a happy birthday to Johnny Appleseed during this story time that combines art and children’s literature and make an art project to take home. for ages 2 and older. free.

muSic unicorn lake Summer concert Series unicorn Lake, 2900 Wind river Ln., denton. 940/382-7895. discoverden-ton.com. 7–8:30pm. bring a lawn chair and listen to live music by the fountain in front of beth Marie’s old fashioned ice Cream & soda fountain. bring a picnic or get dinner at the nearby restaurant. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler time flower mound see sep 4.

6 FridayEducational

first fridays at the farm nash farm, 626 ball st.,

grapevine. 817/410-3185. nashfarm.org. 10am–2pm. Watch demonstrations by farmhands to learn about craftsmanship during this program featuring life skills in late 19th-century texas. $3.

natuRE Kiwanis Butterfly festival southlake town square Pavil-ion, 1350 southlake blvd., southlake. 817/703-5266. netckiwanis.org. 9am–6pm fri–sat; 9am–5pm sun. Walk through a 600-square-foot tent with hundreds of butterflies and flowering plants, listen to experts and on sunday at 5pm watch the butterfly release. $7 adults; $5 for ages 3–12.

on StaGE The Sound of Music irving Arts Center, 3333 n. MacAr-thur blvd., irving. 972/252-2787. irvingartscenter.com. 8pm thu–sat; 2pm sun. through sep 15. Watch Lyric stage present rodgers and hammer-stein’s musical based on the classic story of the von trapp family. A 40-piece orchestra will perform live. tickets start at $25.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1.

7 SaTurdayaRtS & cRaftS

adventureasia – family days at the crow the Crow Collec-tion of Asian Art, 2010 flora st., dallas. 214/979-6430. crowcollection.org. 10am–2pm. Learn about the different traditions of the Autumn Moon festival and celebrate the moon and all its myths with art activities, storytelling, face painting and family meditation. free.

natuRE canoe tour fort Worth nature Center and refuge, 9601 fossil ridge rd., ft. Worth. 817/392-7410. fwnaturecenter.org. 8:30–11am. tour a stretch of the West fork of the trinity river to view ducks, herons, beavers and other critters. Canoes, paddles and life jackets are provided. Children must be 5 years or older. Preregistration is required. $20 per person; includes admission fee.

muSic concert in the Park Pilot Knoll Park, 218A orchid hill rd., highland village. 972/317-7430. highlandvillage.org. 7:30pm. grab your lawn chairs and blankets and head out to the park. enjoy day activities and pick a spot at the campground to hear live music. free.

REcREation Guided Biking tour ray roberts Lake state Park – isle du bois unit, 100 PW 4137, Pilot Point. 940/686-2148. tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake. 10am–12pm. bring your bicycle, a helmet and water for a 2-mile ride. Meet at the greenbelt Corridor parking area located on u.s. 380 in denton. $7; free for ages 12 and younger.

REcREation Kid fish bass Pro shops, 2501 bass Pro dr., grapevine. 972/724-2018. basspro.com. 11am sat, weather permitting. Learn to fish at the outdoor pond with provided equipment. for ages 4–12. free.

REcREation Kids’ fishing days Lewisville Lake environmental Learn-ing Area, 201 e. Jones st., Lewisville. 972/219-3930. ias.unt.edu/llela. 10am–12pm. Learn from expert in-structors about fish identification, fishing safety and ethics, types of tackle and bait and how to cast a line in this workshop on the elm fork of the trinity river. for ages 7 and up. $2 per child for the workshop; $5 for entrance fee.

natuRE Knee High naturalists fort Worth nature Center and refuge, 9601 fossil ridge rd., fort Worth. 817/392-7410. fwnaturecenter.org. 1–2pm. Learn about dragonflies in this program for kids ages 5–8 who are “knee high to a grasshopper.” $5 adults; $2 ages 3–12.

PlaytimE lEGo Star Wars Weekend LegoLAnd discovery Center,

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3000 grapevine Mills Pkwy., grapevine. 469/444-3050. legolanddiscoverycenter.com. 10am–6pm sat; 11am–4pm sun. see the new star Wars MiniLAnd on display and join special model and minifigure builds, a kids’ costume contest and a scavenger hunt. earn a Jedi fighter certification and visit with costumed characters from the 501st Legion. $19 adults; $15 ages 3–12.

film Planetarium Show unt sky theater, 1704 W. Mul-berry st., denton. 940/369-8213. skytheater.unt.edu. 2pm and 8pm sat. Learn about the launch of sputnik as well as lunar landings and privately operated space flights in dawn of the space Age on the planetarium’s high-definition projection system. for children in fifth grade and older. $5 adults; $3 for ages 12 and younger. Cash only.

muSic Plaza music Series town Center Plaza, 255 e. Parkway blvd., Coppell. 972/462-5100. coppelltx.gov. 7–9pm. bring your blankets and chairs, pick up dinner and snacks and listen to live mu-sic by a different band each sat through sep. free admission.

SciEncE Science Surrounds us Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall rodgers fwy., dallas. 214/716-4500. klydewarrenpark.org. 11am–2pm. Join educators from the Perot Museum of nature and science in the Children’s Park for hands-on experiments and investigative activities. free.

Educational Star Party rafes urban Astronomy Center, 2350 tom Cole rd., denton. 940/369-8213. astronomy.unt.edu/starparties.html. 30 minutes after sunset, weather permitting. gaze at celestial bodies through telescopes and learn about the night sky from university of north texas staff members and students. Check the website for an alternate route because of construction. $5; free for ages 4 and younger.

aRtS & cRaftS target first Saturdays nasher sculpture Center, 2001 flora st., dallas. 214/242-5100. nasher-sculpturecenter.org. open 10am–5pm; activities 10am–2pm. Make a Mini Me Portrait of yourself and enjoy a scavenger hunt, sculpture demon-strations and family tours through the current ex-hibition. Listen to stories, join a writing workshop and learn yoga moves in the garden. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Kiwanis Butterfly festival see sep 6. The Sound of Music see sep 6.

8 SundayExHiBit

Wari – Lords of the Ancient Andes Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp bowie blvd., fort Worth. 817/332-8451. kimbellart.org. 12–5pm. this is the last day to see the exhibit of more than 200 objects that represent the artistic production of the Wari, ancestors of the inca who created a complex society that many today regard as ancient Peru’s first empire. $16 adults; $12 for ages 6–11.

GamESchecks and mates flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 2pm. Play chess matches against fellow children with provided sets. Players are welcome to bring their own sets. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Kiwanis Butterfly festival see sep 6. The Sound of Music see sep 6. lEGo Star Wars Weekend see sep 7.

9 MondayExHiBit

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2201 n. field st., dallas. 214/428-5555. perotmu-seum.org. 10am–6pm. this is the last day to see the 60-foot catamaran made of 12,500 2-liter plastic bottles and other recyclable materials on display outside on the museum plaza. free admission to outdoor plaza.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower moundsee sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. lEGo Star Wars Weekend see sep 7.

10 TueSdayBooKS & PoEtRy

firecracker Book club flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 4–5pm. Meet and discuss a new book each month in this program for children in fourth–fifth grades. free.

StoRy timE twilight toddler time emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 6:30pm. Join this evening story time that promotes literacy, social interaction and caregiver bonding for toddlers 12–24 months old. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler Story time irving see sep 3.

11 WedneSdaynatuRE

fall vegetables fort Worth botanic garden, 3220 bo-tanic garden blvd., fort Worth. 817/392-5534. fwbg.org. 11am–12pm. Meet at the backyard vegetable garden to learn about the tasks of a fall garden for this family discovery program for ages 4 years and older. Maximum of two children per caregiver. Participants should bring gloves. free.

StoRy timE Something’s fishy flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 4–4:50pm. enjoy stories, activities and a snack in this rockin’ readers program for children in K–third grades. free.

StoRy timE Story time denton emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 11am every Wed. Join this preschool class that teaches listening comprehension, social skills and the foundations of reading through stories, songs and puppets. for children ages 1–5 and their caregivers. free.

StoRy timE toddler time denton emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 9:30am every Wed. Join this class designed to promote literacy, social interaction and caregiver bonding through stories, songs and activities. for toddlers 12–24 months old. free.

aRtS & cRaftSWonderful Wednesdays the Modern Art Museum of fort Worth, 3200 darnell st., fort Worth. 817/738-9215. themodern.org. 4–4:45pm. visit the work of artist Agnes Martin on view at the museum. then make a gallery project reflecting her work. sign up at the front desk before the program. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. toddler Story time irving see sep 3. ones upon a time see sep 4. toddler time flower mound see sep 4.

12 ThurSdayStoRy timE

afternoon adventure club emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonli-

brary.com. 4:30pm every thu. Learn fun facts about distant lands, make a craft and explore new stories and books each week in this interactive class for kids in K–third grades. free.

fEStival Grapefest historic downtown grapevine, 636 s. Main st., grapevine. 817/410-3185. grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest. 10am–10:30pm thu; 10am–11:30pm fri–sat; 11am–6pm sun. head to the 27th annual, four-day wine festival with live music, wine tastings, concessions, carnival rides and midway games as well as family activities including a petting zoo in the Kids World. $8 adults; $5 for ages 6–12; free admis-sion thu and on fri until 5pm.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler time flower mound see sep 4. The Sound of Music see sep 6.

13 Fridayon StaGE

Disney’s Aladdin Jr. studio b Performing Arts Center, 2400 fM 407, highland village. 972/966-2787. studiobtheater.info. 7:30pm fri–sat; 2:30pm sun. through sep 22. Watch the children’s stage adapta-tion of the disney hit film. $10.

fEStival irving main Street Event irving heritage district, 200 Main st., irving. irvingevents.org. 5–10pm fri; 11am–8pm sat. enjoy live music, a car show, carnival games and rides and a family fun zone with free activities, rides and dance performances at the City of irving’s largest street festival. free admission.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. The Sound of Music see sep 6. Grape-fest see sep 12.

14 SaTurdayfEStival

arts, antiques & autos Extravaganza downtown denton, 115 W. hickory st., denton. 940/349-8529. denton-mainstreet.org. 9am–3pm. Check out the classic and custom cars, hot rods and motorcycles and enjoy live music, arts and crafts, antique appraisals, chalk art and kids’ activities. free.

Educational Build your city Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall rodgers fwy., dallas. 214/716-4500. klydewarrenpark.org. 12–5pm. Meet at the dallas Morning news reading & games room to construct buildings, parks and bridges to learn how a city comes together. for all ages. Presented by the dallas Center for Architecture. free.

Educational discovery days Perot Museum of nature and science at victory Park, 2201 n. field st., dallas. 214/428-5555. perotmuseum.org. 10am–4pm. discover what it means to be human during this children’s program featuring live demonstrations, performances and pre-sentations by local experts. $15 adults; $10 ages 2–11.

natuREGreer island discovery fort Worth nature Center and refuge, 9601 fossil ridge rd., fort Worth. 817/392-7410. fwnaturecenter.org. 1–3pm. Meet at the greer island parking lot and join a hike through the island’s trails. Water, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable hiking shoes are recommended. $5 per person; free for members.

SPoRtS nfl Punt, Pass and Kick Multiple locations, highland village and denton. nflppk.com. times vary by loca-tion. Join one of two local competitions for a chance to perform at a dallas Cowboys half-time show. open to boys and girls ages 6–15. sep 14 at unity Park in highland village, sep 19 at north Lakes Park in denton. register online. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. The Sound of Music see sep 6. Kid fish

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see sep 7. Planetarium Show see sep 7. Plaza music Series see sep 7. Grapefest see sep 12. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. see sep 13. irving main Street Event see sep 13.

15 SundaycontinuinG:

art lab see sep 1. PaWS for Reading see sep 1. The Sound of Music see sep 6. Grapefest see sep 12. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. see sep 13.

16 MondaycontinuinG:

art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2.

17 TueSdayon StaGE

Peter and the Starcatcher Winspear opera house, 2403 flora st., dallas. 214/880-0202. attpac.org. 8pm tue–fri; 2pm and 8pm sat; 2pm and 7:30pm sun. through sep 29. Watch the tony Award-winning musical called a grown-up’s prequel to Peter Pan. suitable for younger audiences but most enjoyable for those 10 and older. tickets start at $20.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler Story time irving see sep 3.

18 WedneSdayStoRy timE

travelin’ tales flower Mound Public Library, 3030 broadmoor Ln., flower Mound. 972/874-6167. fmlibrary.net. 7pm. Join this program for an hour of stories, songs, activities, a craft and a snack for families with children ages 2–10. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. toddler Story time irving see sep 3. ones upon a time see sep 4. tod-dler time flower mound see sep 4. Story time denton see sep 11. toddler time denton see sep 11. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17.

19 ThurSdayBooKS & PoEtRy

Boys only yucky Stories emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 6:30pm. read James and the giant Peach by roald dahl and enjoy a related project for b.o.y.s., a book club for boys ages 7–10. free.

muSic concerts at the arboretum – Good Question dallas Arboretum, 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. gates open at 6pm; concert at 7pm. bring a picnic and blankets or chairs to sit on the lawn and listen to live music performed by a variety band. tickets start at $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12.

aRtS & cRaftS family drop-in fort Worth botanic garden education Classroom, 3408 West fwy., fort Worth. 817/392-5534. fwbg.org. 6–7pm. bring old clothes from home and make a scarecrow at this come-and-go craft time for all ages. one scarecrow per family. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler time flower mound see sep 4. afternoon adventure club see sep 12. nfl Punt, Pass and Kick see sep 14. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17.

20 FridaySPEcial EvEnt

‘til midnight at the nasher nasher sculpture Center, 2001 flora st., dallas. 214/242-5100. nashersculpturecenter.org. 6pm–12am. bring a blanket for a family picnic on the lawn, listen to live music by the unlikely Candidates and watch oz the great and Powerful. free.

on StaGE Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat dallas Children’s theater, 5938 skillman st., dallas. 214/740-0051. dct.org. 7:30pm fri; 1:30pm and 4:30pm sat–sun. through oct 27. see thing 1, thing 2 and more characters in this play based on one of dr. seuss’ most beloved children’s books. for all ages. tickets start at $13.

aRtS & cRaftS late night at the dma dallas Museum of Art, 1717 n. harwood st., dallas. 214/922-1803. dma.org. 6pm–12am. browse through the permanent collections and enjoy concerts, dance performances, films and family programming including yoga for Kids and bedtime stories with Arturo. free.

GamES lEGo Builders club emily fowler Central Library, 502 oakland st., denton. 940/349-8752. dentonlibrary.com. 4pm. build with the library’s Lego blocks during this open playtime for ages 6 and older. free.

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continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. see sep 13. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17.

21 SaTurdayExHiBit

Autumn at the Arboretum dallas Arboretum, 8525 gar-land rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. 9am–5pm daily through nov 27. see the storybook pumpkin village made of 50,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash, enjoy family programs, a hay bale maze and music performances and take home a jack-o-lantern from the tom thumb Pumpkin Patch. $15 adults; $10 ages 3–12.

SPEcial EvEntRory meyers children’s adventure Garden dallas Arbore-tum, 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dalla-sarboretum.org. 9am–5pm daily. see the new 8-acre, $62 million children’s garden with more than 150 interactive exhibits. the ribbon cutting and opening day dedication will take place at 12pm. Admission for the dallas Arboretum is $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12, plus $3 to enter the children’s adventure garden. Purchase your tickets online in advance.

fEStival Blues fest Quakertown Park, 321 e. McKinney st., denton. 940/382-9100. dentonblackchamberonline.org. 1–10:30pm sat; 1–9pm sun. Watch live per-formances on two stages and a talent show at this annual festival hosted by the denton black Chamber of Commerce. free admission.

PlaytimE dallas children’s theater at the Park Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall rodgers fwy., dallas. 214/716-4500. klydewarrenpark.org. 10:30–11:30am. Meet at the learning tree in the Children’s Park for stories, songs and games led by the dallas Children’s theater. free.

SPEcial EvEnt dct’s 30th anniversary Birthday Party dallas Children’s theater, 5938 skillman st., dallas. 214/740-0051. dct.org. 3–5pm. Join a community party with family-friendly activities, food and giveaways after the 1:30pm performance of dr. seuss’s the Cat in the hat to celebrate the theater’s 30th season. tickets are required for the show. free.

SPEcial EvEnt NorthTexasChild model Search ridgmar Mall, 1888 green oaks rd., fort Worth. 972/447-9188. dfwchild.com. 10am–3pm. enter your child ages birth–12 years for a chance to be the next dallasChild, fortWorthChild or northtexasChild cover model. Judges include representatives from Kim dawson Agency and northtexasChild magazine. $35 preregistration; $45 on-site registration.

aRtS & cRaftS Kids club – Science Saturday golden triangle Mall, 2201 s. i-35e, denton. 940/566-6024. shopgoldentriangle.com. 11am. receive science lab stickers and make a lava castle, slime and fizzing lemonade at this monthly kids program for ages 3–12. Meet at Center Court. free.

SPEcial EvEnt Red Bull flugtag Lake Carolyn, Las Colinas. redbull-flugtagusa.com. hangars open at 11am. first flight at 1pm. Watch as about 35 local teams launch their man-powered flying machines off a 30-foot ramp in this first national competition. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Guided Biking tour see sep 7. Kid fish see sep 7. Planetarium Show see sep 7. Plaza music Series see sep 7. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. see sep 13. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat see sep 20.

22 SundayGamES

lEGo mania Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W. Main

st., Lewisville. 972/219-3570. library.cityoflewisville.com. 2–3pm. build with provided Lego and duPLoblocks in this open play session for all ages. Children under age 6 must be accompanied by an adult. free.

ExHiBitAnimal Inside Out Perot Museum of nature and science, 2201 n. field st., dallas. 214/428-5555. perotmuse-um.org. 10am–6pm Mon–sat; 12–6pm sun. through feb 17, 2014. discover the form and function of both exotic and familiar animals in this exhibit of 100 specimens that have been preserved by the process of plastination. $27 adults and $18 for ages 2–11; includes general admission.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. see sep 13. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat see sep 20. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21. Blues fest see sep 21.

23 MondaynatuRE

mommy and me mondays dallas Arboretum, 8525 gar-land rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. 10am–2pm each Mon through nov. visit the Pecan grove for face painting, nature art projects, petting zoo and Kindermusik on the Martin rutchik Concert Lawn. $15 adults; $9 for ages 3–12.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21.

24 TueSdaynatuRE

little Sprouts fort Worth botanic garden, 3220 botanic garden blvd., fort Worth. 817/392-5534. fwbg.org. 1–1:45pm. discover the crackling leaves in this program for kids ages 18 months–3 years. Meet in the backyard vegetable garden. one child per caregiver. free.

natuREtiny tots tuesdays dallas Arboretum, 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. 10am–2pm each tue through nov. visit the Pecan grove for face painting, nature art projects, petting zoo and Kindermusik on the Martin rutchik Concert Lawn. $15 adults; $9 for ages 3–12.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. toddler Story time irving see sep 3. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21.

25 WedneSdaycontinuinG:

art lab see sep 1. toddler Story time irving see sep 3. ones upon a time see sep 4. toddler time flower mound see sep 4. Story time denton see sep 11. toddler time denton see sep 11. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21.

26 ThurSdaymuSic

concerts at the arboretum – Hunter Sullivan dallas Arboretum, 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. gates open at 6pm; concert at 7pm. bring a picnic and blankets or chairs to sit on the lawn and listen to big band music led by singer hunter sullivan. Wear a costume to compete in the contest before the show. tickets start at $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12.

muSic decks in the Park Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall rodgers fwy., dallas. 214/716-4500. klydewarren-

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park.org. 7–10:30pm. Listen to a variety of music genres played by a lineup of local dJs at this monthly event. Pack a picnic or grab dinner from the food trucks and have a seat on the lawn in front of the Muse family Performance Pavilion. free.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Bilingual Story time irving see sep 3. tod-dler time flower mound see sep 4. afternoon adventure club see sep 12. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21.

27 FridayfEStival

chinese lantern festival fair Park, 1121 first Ave., dallas. 214/928-7670. chineselanternfestival.com. 10am–10pm daily through oct 20. dates and times vary through Jan 5. enjoy acrobatic shows, handmade crafts and authentic Chinese food and take a stroll around fair Park’s lagoon to see 25 lantern displays including the 300-foot imperial dragon boat and a porcelain pagoda made with 68,000 pieces. $14 adults; $9 for ages 4–12.

mom & dad new Parents tour Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp bowie blvd., fort Worth. 817/738-1933. cartermuseum.org. 10:30–11:30am. explore a new aspect of the museum during this monthly tour for parents, grandparents and other caregivers with children ages 2 or younger. free.

natuRE Preschool discovery club fort Worth nature Center and refuge, 9601 fossil ridge rd., fort Worth. 817/392-7410. fwnaturecenter.org. 10:30–11:30am. Learn about animal tracks in this program for ages 3–5. registration is required. $10 per child; includes admission fee for one child and one adult.

fEStival State fair of texas fair Park, 3921 Martin Luther King Jr. blvd., dallas. 214/565-9931. bigtex.com. exhibit buildings open 10am–9pm sun–thu; 10am–10pm fri–sat. Midway hours and museum hours vary. through oct 20. enjoy the carnival rides and midway games, auto shows and a full entertainment schedule. ride the Log flume and the 500-foot top o’ texas tower. the new and improved big tex will be unveiled on sep 27 at 2pm. $17 adults; $13 for children between age 3 and 48 inches tall.

fEStival Western days festival old town Lewisville, 151 W. Church st., Lewisville. 972/219-3401. lewisvillewesterndays.com. 7–11:30pm fri; 10am–11:30pm. sat. Watch old West gunfights, world champion competitive eaters and cook-ing demonstrations and enjoy children’s activities at Kid Country. At 2pm and 4pm on sat compete for medals in the stick horse rodeo for riders from age 1 through second grade. $20 at the gate; free with ticket available online.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat see sep 20. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21.

28 SaTurdaySPEcial EvEnt

day in the district fort Worth Cultural district. 817/738-9215. fwdayinthedistrict.org. 10am–5pm. enjoy family activities and live performances and get free admission to 10 cultural destinations in fort Worth’s Cultural district, including the Amon Carter Museum, Log Cabin village and the Modern Art Museum of fort Worth. free.

ExPo denton county Birthnetwork Baby fair north branch Library, 3020 n. Locust st., denton. 940/349-8752. dcbn.word-press.com. 10am–1pm. Meet in the Community room to win door prizes and visit with vendors including doulas, childbirth educators, chiropractors, midwives, photogra-phers and lactation consultants. free.

SPEcial EvEnt fall trash Bash & Environmental/Health fair home depot, 852 international Pkwy., flower Mound. 469/828-9074. kfmb.

Times, dates and locations are subject to change. Please call ahead before every event. If you have an event that you’d like us to consider for the next calendar, please go to dfwchild.com and click on calendar to submit your event. Or fax to 972/447-0633 by the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication.

Want to see even more events? search our up-to-the-minute online calendar by date, location and event type at dfwchild.com.

org. 8:30am check-in; volunteer party from 10am–1pm. Join a trash cleanup at parks, trails and waterways around town and then get free lunch at home depot’s volunteer party with children’s activities and games. register online. free.

aRtS & cRaftS family funday irving Arts Center, 3333 n. MacArthur blvd., irving. 972/252-2787. irvingartscenter.com. 2–4pm. Celebrate smithsonian Live! Museum day by creating an art project inspired by the george Mendoza – Colors of the Wind exhibition in the Main gallery. free.

REcREation Greenfest on the Greenbelt ray roberts Lake state Park, 5900 fM 455 east, denton. 940/390-3212. friendsoft-hegreenbelt.org. 2–8pm. test your skills at archery, climb-ing, kayaking, biking and geocaching and take a carriage ride at this outdoor festival with food and live music. enjoy a live reptile exhibit, pony rides and an inflatable obstacle course. $7 at the gate; $5 in advance.

Educational instrument Petting Zoo Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall rodgers fwy., dallas. 214/716-4500. klydewarrenpark.org. 3–4pm. see and touch a variety of the instruments presented by the school of rock in the dallas Morning news reading & games room. free.

SPEcial EvEnt Wild Beast feast north texas state fairgrounds, 2217 n. Carroll blvd., denton. 940/382-2787. dentonarts.com. 6–10pm. sample an array of exotic wild game dishes, vote for your favorite cooks and listen to live music by the boxcar bandits at this seventh annual event. Pro-ceeds benefit the greater denton Arts Council. All-you-can-eat tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for ages 5–12.

continuinG: art lab see sep 1. Kid fish see sep 7. Planetarium Show see sep 7. Plaza music Series see sep 7. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat see sep 20. Autumn at the Ar-boretum see sep 21. chinese lantern festival see sep 27. State fair of texas see sep 27. Western days festival see sep 27.

29 SundaycontinuinG:

art lab see sep 1. Peter and the Starcatcher see sep 17. Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat see sep 20. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21. chinese lantern festival see sep 27. State fair of texas see sep 27.

30 MondaycontinuinG:

art lab see sep 1. mother Goose time flower mound see sep 2. Preschool Story time irving see sep 2. Story time flower mound see sep 2. Autumn at the Arboretum see sep 21. mommy and me mondays see sep 23. chinese lantern festival see sep 27. State fair of texas see sep 27.

onGoinG eXhiBiTS & FiLMS

Want to have some fun with the whole family? here are some nearby happenings that everyone will love.

dallaS aRBoREtum 8525 garland rd., dallas. 214/515-6500. dallasarboretum.org. 9am–5pm daily. $15 adults; $10 ages 3–12.

Rory meyers children’s adventure Garden discover the natural sciences in this new 8-acre, $62 million children’s garden with 17 learning galleries and more than 150 interactive exhibits. Admission for the dallas Arboretum is $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–12, plus $3 to enter the children’s adventure garden. Purchase your tickets online in advance. opening sep 21.Autumn at the Arboretum see the storybook pumpkin village made of 50,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash, enjoy family programs, a hay bale maze and music per-formances and take home a jack-o-lantern from the tom thumb Pumpkin Patch. on view sep 21–nov 27.The Adventures of Great Explorers see a special exhibit of five small replication playhouses with designs inspired by

the destinations of explorers Marco Polo, Ponce de Leon, Cabeza de vaca, Captain James Cook, and Lewis and Clark. through dec 31.

dallaS muSEum of aRt 1717 n. harwood st., dallas. 214/922-1803. dma.org. 11am–5pm tue–Wed and fri–sun; 11am–9pm thu. free general admission; special exhibit tickets: $16 adults; free for ages 11 and younger.

The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece see more than 120 objects exploring the human form through exquisite artworks exclusively from the british Museum’s collection of greek and roman sculpture. through oct 6.

foRt WoRtH muSEum of SciEncE and HiStoRy 1600 gendy st., fort Worth. 817/255-9300. fwmuseum.org. 10am–5pm Mon–sat; 12–5pm sun. $14 adults and $10 for ages 2–12.

Elvis at 21 see the exhibition from the smithsonian institu-tion featuring 56 photographs by photographer Alfred Wertheimer that chronicle elvis Presley’s emergence into stardom in 1956. through sep 2.

KimBEll aRt muSEum 3333 Camp bowie blvd., fort Worth. 817/332-8451. kimbellart.org. 10am–5pm tue–thu; 12–8pm fri; 10am–5pm sat; 12–5pm sun. $16 adults; $12 for ages 6-11.

Wari – Lords of the Ancient Andes see more than 200 objects representing the artistic production of the Wari, ancestors of the inca who created a complex society that many today regard as ancient Peru’s first empire. through sep 8.

naSHER SculPtuRE cEntER 2001 flora st., dallas. 214/242-5100. nashersculpturecenter.org. 11am–5pm tue–sun. 10am–5pm first sat monthly. $10 adults; free for ages 12 and younger.

Katharina Grosse – WUNDERBLOCK see two new works of brightly colored acrylic paints sprayed onto walls, ceilings, piles of dirt, sculpted styrofoam and fiberglass shapes, created by berlin-based artist Katharina grosse. through sep 1.Return to Earth see 70 ceramic sculptures in an exhibi-tion that explores the phenomenal increase in interest that ceramics received from artists of the avant-garde period from 1943–1963: Lucio fontana, fausto Melotti, Joan Miró, isamu noguchi and Pablo Picasso. on view sep 21–Jan 19, 2014.

PERot muSEum of natuRE and SciEncE at victoRy PaRK 2201 n. field st., dallas. 214/428-5555. perotmu-seum.org. 10am–6pm Mon–sat; 12–6pm sun. $15 adults; $10 for ages 2–11.

Animal Inside Out discover the form and function of both exotic and familiar animals in this exhibit of 100 specimens that have been preserved by the process of plastination. on view sep 22–feb 17, 2014. $27 adults and $18 for ages 2–11; includes general admission.Plastiki see the 60-foot catamaran made of 12,500 2-liter plastic bottles and other recyclable materials on display outside on the museum plaza. through sep 9. free admission to outdoor plaza.

Sci-tEcH diScovERy cEntER 8004 n. dallas Pkwy., frisco. 972/546-3050. mindstretchingfun.org. 10am–5pm tue–fri; 10am–6pm sat; 12–6pm sun. $7; free for ages 2 and younger.

Super Kids Save the World see the traveling exhibit that empowers kids to reduce, reuse and recycle. Work in a miniature farmers market, plug a power cord into a smart car, repair discarded toys and wear capes at each activity station. through sep 2.

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love Texas. There’s just no place like it in the United States. In the world, for that matter. And the best thing

is that Texas knows this better than its favorite BBQ joint.

Case in point: In what other state could you count 72 state flags between Flower Mound and Holly Lake (just outside of Tyler)? If you’re reading this and you’re from another state, tell the truth … do you even remember what your state flag looks like? Yeah, didn’t think so. But I know you know the Texas flag. Can’t miss it. It’s loud and proud at every bank, fast-food restaurant and car lot in this fine state.

So here I am, driving the kids to their grandpa’s house in Holly Lake, and we’re counting Texas flags to keep us occupied. We’ve already played 12 games of Cash Cab, and I’m out of questions and money. So we either count Texas flags, fireworks stands or meth labs. OK. Just kidding about the meth labs.

Time for a quick pit stop at Dairy Queen. It’s mandatory to stop at DQ when you’re driving through towns smaller than my daughter’s freshman class at Flower Mound High. And what farm-to-market road is com-plete without some chocolate-dipped goodness that only can be found at DQ? Outside this particularly tidy and newly built DQ in picturesque Emory stands a big, beautiful Texas flag. No American flag in sight. But then again, we’re in Texas – East Texas, to be exact – so that’s no coincidence.

Other than the avidity for the awesomeness of the Lone

Star State, small-town East Texas represents something else to me. Sure, fireworks stands. And, sure, lots and lots of churches. And, yes, lots of successful bond elections that built some won-derful new school buildings. But it also represents an inter-esting question that occupies my head as I zip from town to town via FM-Whatever … the question of what if?

As in what if tomorrow I moved to one of these tiny towns of 551 people with the one DQ, 12 churches, countless farms and a Brookshire’s just a meager 24 miles down the road? Not surprisingly, my first thought goes to how big of a mansion I could build in one of these one-horse towns. Of course, then my mind drifts to my daughter hating me forever because I moved her to a town that has no mall, not to mention no meaningful shop-ping other than a fruit stand (great peaches!) and two weird antique stands, one featuring a giant ceramic gorilla outside and a Vietnam-era MiG jet.

But what if we hadn’t lived in our comfortable Middle-America suburbs all our lives?

What if we grew up in Emory or Mineola or Hawkins, home of the Hawks? What if I were the editor of the local weekly news-paper or the local mechanic or the mayor? It always seems so simple when you’re blowing and going down FM-49 trying not to catch a speeding ticket cour-tesy of the local Barney Fife. And it’s always a success story, the what ifs. My kids are always valedictorians, Homecoming King and Queen and captain of whatever sports team they chose to dominate at their 1-A high school.

Of course the truth would probably be far different. If we moved to one of these tiny en-claves after years of easy living and a doughnut shop on every corner, I’m sure we’d last about three months. Between the lack of a SuperTarget, select baseball and a job that pays more than $8 an hour, we’d never survive. All things considered, when your biggest decision each evening is whether to eat at Pei Wei, Mi Cocina or Palio’s,

small-town East Texas probably isn’t for you.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not a teaching moment on this drive through the backwoods. Kids, look at the cool lawn art, except for the one that looks like a gigantic naked lady. Kids, did you know that East Texas has more meth labs per square mile than there are casinos in Las Vegas?

OK, I’ll stop right there. I’m just kidding, East Texas. I’m not laughing at you as much as I’m laughing with you. Small-town living just ain’t for me. I admit that I wouldn’t last long enough to get my Texas flag hoisted or have my above-ground pool filled. I get it. I’m a snobby sub-urbanite who doesn’t deserve an invite to your next fireworks stand grand opening. ntc

Rudy lives in Flower Mound, works in Fort Worth and plays everywhere in between. He has one wife, one daughter, one son, one published book, one obsession with sports and 20 million observations on marriage and children. Follow him on Twitter: Manifesto10.

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