kpc family magazine - sept/oct 2012

Everything you need for baby –and a personal birth planner for you!When baby is on the way, it’s nice to have a little extra help. That’s why all

Parkview hospitals now offer you a personal birth planner. Someone to guide you

through every step of the process – pre-registration, tours of the

Family Birthing Centers, signing up for classes, and more.

She’ll even create an individualized pregnancy and delivery

plan – just for you. Your personal birth planner is here to

answer all your questions and make things easier for you.

Best of all, her services are free!

Parkview Women’s & Children’s Hospital 260.672.6185

Parkview Hospital Randallia 260.373.6856

Parkview Huntington Hospital 260.355.3651

Parkview LaGrange Hospital 260.463.9300

Parkview Noble Hospital 260.347.8345

Parkview Whitley Hospital 260.248.9321

To fi nd out more, call the birth planner

at the Parkview hospital nearest you:

parkviewmom.com

© 2012 Parkview Health PWC-A-036h

fwFamily.com September/October 2012 1

Indiana’s Scholarship Act supports your ability to choose the best education for your child.

Spencer AringtonDylan Bower

We foster economic freedom through education.

Wechose!

Visit schoolchoiceindiana.com to see if you qualify.

Do what our parents did.Check this outand choose!

2 September/October 2012 fwFamily.com

Life Steps6 EXPECTING

Save on your baby’s nursery

8-9 BABIES | 0-1 YEARSTreat mealtimes as an experience

10-11 TODDLERS | 1-3 YEARSBlock play = learning math concepts

12-13 TYKES | 4-8 YEARSChicago a great city for kids

14-15 PRETEENS | 9-12 YEARSWant to be involved in your child’s school?

22-23 TEENS | 13-18 YEARS Activities help boost college applications

6 BABIES | 0-1 YEARSIntroduction to real food canbe fun for babies

14 TYKES | 4-8 YEARSChicago with small kids?One family’s experience

Special features, tips and more 7 Parents can learn how to ‘redirect’ children’s behavior7 PCs For Youth in need of computer donations9 Erin’s House has interim home20 Musical training can improve mental processing23 Could my child have lead poisoning?25 Ice Cream Ball a fun activity with kids30 Alert parents can help prevent substance abuse

Teachable moments5 POOPED-OUT PARENT PAGE

Have fun and get it all done

Humor Helps 26-29 FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY

Local families share their funny stories

Calendar26-29 FAMILY EVENTS

Activities for youand your family

JOEY STELNECKER, 3, AND AUSTIN HARNEY, 4, prepare to enjoy a family-style lunch at the New Beginnings Preschool and Child Care in Milford. Studentsin all classes receive their lunches in large bowls to pass around the lunch table.

ON THE COVER >>>

CONTENTS >>>

16-20COVERSTORYHealthyrecipes, lunchideas, and tipsfor making themost of mealtime with kids


Welcome to this issue all about food — enjoying food and eating together with familyand/or friends … feeding the mind as well as the body by sharing your day, laughter,

plans. Listening. Discussing. It’s nocoincidence that students whoreport eating many or most of theirmeals with their family consis-tently have higher grades and testscores and less alcohol and druguse than students who have littleor no family meal time.

At a very young age, childrencan help with meal preparation ifthey have patient parents. Itis fascinating to learnwhat young childrenare capable of.That was one ofthe themes of thebefore5.org boothat this year’sKidCity. Keepthat TV turned offand watch real life!

When we Skype withour granddaughter who lives inNorway, it is often during mealtime or when her mother is doingsimple chores like folding laundry.Although she has a number ofnice toys, Jane often turnshousehold items and clothes intoplaythings. Big shoes, mittens andhats of all sizes are among herfavorites. Sometimes we just seeher in the background. Sometimes

she “speaks” directly to us.Thank you, again, to the many people who share photos and humor or who volunteer

to write articles. Our goal is to have Family reflect you and your interests; we couldn’t doit without reader input. Thank you!

Thank you also to our Friends of the Family. They keep this magazine free foreveryone in the greater Fort Wayne area who requests it.

Enjoy your family!

Volume 8, Issue 5September/October 2012

Greater FW Family aims to provide parents with helpfulinformation so they can make sound decisions whileraising and educating their children. Every child isunique. Please consider your child’s individual develop-ment and needs when using parenting information.Authors’ opinions and advice presented in FW Familydo not necessarily reflect the opinions of FW Family andmay not be applicable to all children. We welcome yourcomments.

Greater FW Family

Fort Wayne Office3306 Independence Drive

Fort Wayne, IN 46808Telephone 260-426-2640

[email protected]

Greater FW Family magazine is a publication of

KPC Media Group Inc.

PresidentTerry Housholder

Vice President of Sales/General ManagerDon Cooper

Chief Financial OfficerDonna Scanlon

Copyright 2012. Greater FW Family Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may bereproduced without written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do notnecessarily reflect the opinion of this magazine. Distribution ofthis publication does not constitute an endorsement of theproducts or services herein. For quality reprints, please call260-347-0400, ext. 176. Outside the greater Fort Waynearea mail delivery is $15 for 12 issues.

PublisherTerry [email protected]

EditorGrace [email protected]

Photographs by Chad Kline, dreamstime.com, Metro Creative Connection, MultiAd Builder and contributing

organizations and individuals

For Advertising Information and RatesContact Advertising Director

Karen Bloom260-347-0400, Ext. [email protected]

Presentation EditorErin Doucette

[email protected]

Creative ManagerJane Minick

Welcometo our September/October issue!

Grace HousholderEditor, [email protected]

<<< LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

JANE strikes a pose — maybe trying to look like a bigsister?

“WATCH” was the main instruction to parents as theirchildren enjoyed the activities at the before5.orgbooth at KidCity on Aug. 4 at the Noble CountyFairgrounds.

>>>TRICIA WILLARD

Willard is themanager of parentprograms at Early

Childhood Alliance.She lives in FortWayne with her

husband and their three children.Contact her at [email protected]

or 745-2501.


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER CONTRIBUTORS >>>

>>>ERIN DOUCETTE

Doucette is thepresentation editor

for KPC MediaGroup, leading

design and layoutfor several of its

publications. She,her husband, Stephen and daughters

Ella, 5, and Eva, 2, live in Huntertown.Her blog is at fwfamily.com. She canbe e-mailed at [email protected].

<<< KATECOFFMAN Coffman is programmanager for theCollege and CareerCounseling (C3) initia-tive of the IndianaYouth Institute. C3

offers the free driveofyourlife.org andtriptocollege.org websites, which allowHoosier students to explore career optionsand Hoosier students and families to findmore for college, respectively.

<<< MONA MEIGHANMeighan, Ed.D., is an educationconsultant and author of “WhatAre You Doing for Lunch? AFriendly Guide to BrownBagging as a Better Way toLunch,” written in collaboration

with Sara S. DeHart, a former nursing instructorwith a doctorate in developmental psychology. Aportion of proceeds from sales of the books arebeing donated to charities that support awarenessof healthy, economical lunches. Online: whatareyoudoingforlunch.com

MAISIE KNOWLES Knowles co-founded

FreeShipping.org with herhusband. She spends most ofher time at home with hertwo young girls.

<<< KRISTY (GAFF) JOHNSONJohnson is a 2003 East Noble High School graduate. She studiedphysics at Dickinson College and the University of Maryland andnow lives in southern California with her husband, Michael, andtheir son, Felix, 1. Contact her at [email protected].

>>>JOSEPH DYER

Dyer of Fort Wayneis a high school

teacher and formersubstitute teacher. He

and his wife havetwo daughters and a

cat. Contact him [email protected].

<<< BETH ALDRICH Aldrich is the author of theaward-winning new book,“Real Moms Love to Eat.”She is a certified healthcoach through ColumbiaUniversity and the Institute forIntegrative Nutrition. Online:RealMomsLoveToEat.com

>>>CHAD KLINE

Kline works for the Noble County Sheriff’s

Department as adispatcher and is a

member of theCorunna Volunteer Fire

Department. He also takes photos for KPCMedia Group. He can be reached at

[email protected].

<<<


ccess

Dinner from the drive-thru looks and tastes betteron nice plates and real silverware … so ditch thewrappers and Styrofoam and bring on the Corelle.

Kids are more likely to eat meals they helpprepare. Even very young children can set thetable and find things in the refrigerator orcupboard. (For easy cooking ideas visit QuickCreative Cuisine at dinnerdone.com)

<<< POOPED-OUT PARENT PAGE

Experts say that eating dinner as a family lowers a child’srisk of obesity, drug and alcohol abuse and eating

disorders. Plus, it increases their chances of graduatingfrom high school. Good stuff! But what pooped-out

parent has the time to shop, chop and sauté?

H A V E F U N A N D G E T I T A L L D O N E !

^5 4 family dinners *

Want more ideas?Visit before5.org

Children thrive when parents visit before5.org

Rememberoverall thatfamily dinnersare more aboutfamily thandinner. Try tomake sure thatthe conversationand experienceis good foreveryone!

Let kids help with dinner

Dress up a drive-thru meal Get everyonetalking

For the rest of us it’s “High fives for family dinners!”

Relax. No one’s saying you need togo all Food Network about it … justfocus on being together as a family

and try these fun ideas:

Kids love to play waiter, so once in a while let themserve up the food themselves. It will teach them howto treat a real waiter or waitress for those specialtimes when your family eats out.

Have kids wait on you

*

BY MAISIE KNOWLES

Cribs, rockers, changing tables, walldecor. Oh, the excitement of creating acozy haven for your little one! It’s a funproject to fill time while you wait foryour new baby to arrive.

However, before you start shelling outserious cash for your nursery, take sometime and get creative with these money-saving tips.

1. Browse and createFind ideas online for the look and

feel of your nursery. Pinterest.com is myall-time favorite resource for home decorand creative ways to repurpose items.Create your own Pinterest board andstart collecting pictures of nurseries thatyou love – you’ll see a recurring theme ofdesign styles that you are drawn to. Onceyou’ve narrowed down your style andtheme, look specifically for ideas that willbring that to life.

2. Big furniture firstStart building your nursery by finding

those big furniture items first. I suggeststarting with a crib and buying it new toensure it meets all current safety require-ments. Don’t limit yourself. You can alsocheck FreeShipping.org for a list ofonline stores that offer free shipping onbaby essentials.

3. Shop vintageFor items like a rocker or changing

table, hit up your local flea market orantique mall. You can repurpose a lowdresser and use it as a changing table justby adding a changing pad. If you find a

vintage wooden rocker, you can refinishand repaint it to reflect your own style.You may be able to find a small,cushioned lounge chair for your nursery,which you can reupholster or even paint.

4. Beg and borrowYou likely know friends or family who

have had babies within the last year orso. Ask around to borrow items they mayhave in storage while they’re betweenbabies, or items they’re just trying to getrid of. If the item is something like a cribor a baby swing, check the age andcondition of the item before you committo it. Safety is first when it comes toitems like those.

5. Get free samplesAs a new mom, I really wasn’t sure

which products would work best for mybabies, despite the advice I received fromother moms. Since every child is different,it’s helpful to load up your nursery withsamples of wipes, diapers and formula soyou don’t spend a bundle on a productthat ultimately doesn’t work. You can askyour doctor or pediatrician for availablesamples, or better yet, find free baby stuffonline at MrFreeStuff.com.

6. DIY decorWall decor can easily be made if you’re

willing to take some time and get creative.Canvas artwork is easy to make and canbe customized for your baby and nursery.

F R U G A L M A M A


Shop vintage furniture, borrow from friends, create own artwork to cut expenses

Save on your baby’s nursery

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

“FOR A MERE $12,” Maisie Knowles made this piece for her daughter’s room and customized itwith her birth date.

PCs For Youth held its annualfundraising dinner banquet Aug. 7 at theShipshewana Town Center with more than80 guests in attendance. The organizationgives free computers to students inLaGrange, Noble, Steuben, DeKalb, Elkhartand Kosciusko counties.

Students receiving free computers may bemiddle/high school, college students oradults trying to obtain their GED.

Executive director Colton Strawserannounced he will be stepping down as theexecutive director in 2013, and moving intothe role of director of development. SamuelLovelace, previous director of technology forPCs For Youth, will be taking over the

position once Strawser steps down.PCs For Youth is expanding to its

seventh county in 2013 — Whitley County.Strawser said he will be working with

Whitley County schools and organizationsover the next couple of months to get theprogram’s information out.

PCs For Youth is seeking computerdonations from businesses and communitymembers. They also accept flat screenmonitors, hard drives, computer parts,storage devices, keyboards, mice and inkcartridges. For more information about PCsFor Youth or to make a donation [email protected], call 220-9268 or visitpcsforyouth.org.


<<< ONGOING EDUCATION

PCs For Youth in need of computer donations

Children First is accepting registrationsfor its next Redirecting Children’s Behaviorparent education class scheduled to beginSept. 11.

The class will be held at Children First,1752 Wesley Road, Auburn, from 6-9 p.m.each Tuesday evening for five weeks, withthe last class scheduled for Oct. 9. Thecost for the five-week course is $25 perperson or $40 for couples sharing books.Two scholarships are available.

Through guided discussions and rolemodeling, participants will discuss ways toget out and stay out of power struggles.

Also offered will be facilitated guidanceon easy steps to setting limits, along witheffective parenting techniques to help withbickering, whining, not listening,homework, bedtime and chore battles withchildren.

Pam Deetz, a quality assurance coordi-nator for First Steps who will facilitate theclass, says, “Parenting can be tough andemotionally draining and all of us canbenefit from the support and energy thatcome from being part of a group of peoplethat are facing the same challenges andworking toward the same goals.”

Children First has resources, expertise,knowledge and materials that are of valueto everyone who has children.

Great parents create a strong familyunit, better decision making, fewer crisissituations and a more stable homeenvironment.

A stable home positively supportschildren in their academic endeavors andmay lead to improved school performance.

To enroll or to get more informationcontact the Children First Center at 800-824-2698 or 925-3865.

Parents can learn how to

‘redirect’ children’sbehavior

IPFW Community Arts AcademyArt Dance Music Theatre Grades Pre K - 12

Saturday Classes Begin September 8

Call or Go Online for Complete Schedule and to Register!

260-481-6059www.ipfw.edu/vpa/caa

Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University.


BY KRISTY JOHNSON

As a fresh 1-year old, Felix is a foodfanatic. Even without teeth, Felix devoursroasted curry cauliflower, sautéedzucchini, Indian butter chicken,scrambled eggs with spinach and herbs,and — his personal favorite — salmon.

To cultivate an adventurous eater wasour goal from the start, and at least so far,it seems to be working. After exclusivelybreastfeeding for his first six months oflife, per the American Academy ofPediatrics guidelines, we graduallyintroduced Felix to a variety of foods,encompassing a range of tastes, textures,sizes, shapes and colors.

Instead of the traditional puréed “babyfoods,” Felix gnawed on raw carrots andsucked the “juice” out of green beans. Heripped apart spinach leaves and massacredripe avocados. The goal was not necessarilysustenance, as breast milk would continueto supply the bulk of his nutrients until hisfirst birthday, but rather broad exposureand a ton of fun.

After all, squishing, smashing, swirling,slurping and swallowing offers more stimulationthan a whole aisle of gizmos at a toy store.

Thus, we try to treat food and mealtimes as anexperience — a little slice of life that would makeSam I Am and his green eggs proud. In addition,we encourage Felix to regulate the majority of hisfood intake. He gobbles up some meals, practicallycompeting with my husband, while he onlynibbles a few bites at others. Of course, thiswhimsical eating style is not uncommon for kids

his age, and as long as his weekly nutritionalintake is relatively balanced and he’s growing well,then we do not insist that he clear his plate. Notonly does this approach alleviate mealtime powerstruggles, but research suggests that self-regulation— i.e., listening and responding to the body’shunger cues — tends to decrease future risks ofobesity.

Of course, self-regulation is no match for sugar,so we try to avoid juice and keep sweets and treatsto a minimum.

D E V E L O P M E N T

Treat mealtimesas an

experienceSquishing,smashing,

swirling,slurping andswallowingoffers morestimulation

than a wholeaisle of gizmosat a toy store.

Kristy Johnson

‘‘

’’PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

FELIX eating a nectarine.

See MEALTIME Page 9


The benefits, however, extendwell beyond Felix and mealsoften become fond memories. Weget to share in the new flavorsthat Felix discovers, and we havebeen inspired to be more diversediners ourselves.

On the practical side, hismeals represent a minusculeportion of the family budget andtake no extra time to prepare.And while this approach to babycuisine is a little messier at times,the perks seem to outweigh theextra dirty bibs.

The terrible twos may quicklyturn our plans (and our plates)upside down, but for now, wejust hope that as Felix’s fork getsbigger, so does his curiosity and

love for food!A few notes:• Before beginning any type of

non-liquid foods, your childshould have sufficient headcontrol and ideally be able to situnassisted or voluntarily bringher body forward.

• NEVER leave your childunattended during meals, even ifshe is feeding herself. Choking isalways a concern.

• Some gagging is normal andexpected when transitioning tosolid or textured foods.

• Babies’ gums are surprisinglystrong! Even without teeth, yourbaby can likely gnaw throughanything you can cut with theside of a fork.

• Be especially attentive whenintroducing foods containingcommon allergens, such as milk,nuts, fish and eggs.

From Page 8

MEALTIME Erin’s Househas interim

homeOn the heels of Erin’s House for Grieving Children’s

announcement about plans to build a stand-alone home in2013, another move for the organization is in the works.Due to the expiration of the lease at the current Parkwestlocation, Erin’s House will be moving to Georgetown Squareuntil the completion of the building project.

For information about program nights or other services,contact Erin’s House at 423-2466.

Erin’s House was founded in 1993 in honor of grievingchildren and their families. All Erin’s House programs andservices are provided at no cost.

The address for Erin’s House as of Sept. 5 will be 6718 E.State Blvd., Fort Wayne.

<<< GRIEVING SUPPORT

newERState of the art. Close to home.

DeKalbHealth.com


BY TRICIA WILLARD

What do boxes, pots and pans,empty containers and blocks have incommon for children? They are all toolsfor block play — using items of variedshapes and sizes to sort, count, andmake patterns and structures. Blockplay is important for a child’s mathdevelopment, also called numeracy —the math equivalent to literacy.

Children are ready for numeracy asearly as infancy. Studies indicate thatinfants can distinguish the differences

in quantity during their first fewmonths while toddlers are able to solvenon-verbal calculations as early as 3years old. Long before children entertraditional school years, they aredeveloping the skills for later achieve-ment.

Blocks aren’t the only way to developmath and science skills, but they doprovide a fun way. Sequencing, classi-fying, patterning, counting and workingwith height, width and area all happenduring block play. Children canalso learn about estimating,

predicting and comparing, along withmore advanced experiments regardinggravity, balance, and cause and effect,which are important concepts inscience.

Can a large block balance on a smallblock? How many blocks can be stackedwithout falling? Visual discriminationand visual-spatial skills increase aschildren use a structure’s appearance tomake choices and figure out relation-ships between objects and space.

In addition to mathskills, children develop

language and socialskills. Children talk about

what they are building,use their imaginations,

and develop confidenceas their structures

become bigger andmore elaborate.

Tricia Willard

‘‘D E V E L O P I N G M I N D S

Block play= learning math concepts

See BLOCKS Page 11

’’


Through the repetitive motion of building, the brain’smotor pathways develop, fine-tuning children’s motorskills.

In addition to math skills, children develop languageand social skills. Children talk about what they arebuilding, use their imaginations, and develop confidenceas their structures become bigger and more elaborate.

Block play can also helpchildren learn to work in agroup, planning, communi-cating and building together,thus, developing trust andrespect for their playmates.

What can parents andcaregivers do to provide thisimportant learning tool?First, it’s important to allowchildren to discover mathconcepts on their own ratherthan be taught by well-meaning adults. The intellec-tual skills will fall into placeas children become ready.

A variety of activities forchildren of all ages andabilities can help provideopportunities for learning.

For infants, singingcounting songs, sortingblocks by shape and color,identifying common items byshape, and allowing babies totouch and move objects allhelp with early mathconcepts.

With toddlers, parentsand caregivers can count as

they touch objects, trace around objects of different sizesand shapes, and provide a variety of boxes for building.More advanced activities are good for preschoolers, suchas measuring in the kitchen or creating patterns bymaking necklaces with beads, colored macaroni or cereal.

Just as letters are a part of daily life, numbers areeverywhere as well. By recognizing the relationshipbetween block play and math concepts, parents andcaregivers can provide opportunities for children todevelop math skills and reach their learning potential.

From Page 10

BLOCKS

Plank-A-PaloozaWHAT: Come out towatch advanced blockplay in action as teamsdesign and buildstructures in 30 minutes,using KEVA planks. It’s afree event for spectators.

WHEN: Oct. 13 at 10a.m.

WHERE: The Summit —Eicher Student Commons

1025 W. Rudisill Blvd.,Fort Wayne

MORE INFORMATION:Early Childhood Allianceraises funds from thisannual event throughentry fees, sponsorshipsand donations. VisitECAlliance.org for moreinformation plus photosfrom the 2011 Plank-A-Palooza.

Chicago a great city to take kids

F A M I L Y T R I P

BY ERIN DOUCETTE

While my family enjoyed a day in Chicagolast year, we wondered how a longer visit with a2 and 5-year-old in tow would work out. Theshort answer: Fabulous.

My first lesson learned was that Facebook is avaluable tool when vacation planning. Why notseek out your friends’ and family’s advice withone easy Facebook post?

I quickly learned from coworkers and friendsthat while the Amtrak train goes out of Waterloo,it is expensive, and can be unreliable. Peoplespoke highly of the commuter train out of SouthBend Airport and also chimed in on their favoriteChicago activities and hotels. I was ready to startmy research.

Planning aheadAt the top of our list of things to do with the

kids was Shedd Aquarium. But I’ve heard the lineto get in Shedd can be very long, especially onweekends, so we bought our tickets online,ahead of time, and breezed right up to the front.You can find packages that include aquariumtickets with your hotel, but we purchasedseparately.

We also booked our hotel, Hotel 71, based onits fabulous location near the train station andMillennium Park. It came recommended byfriends.

See CHICAGO Page 13


Train ridemakes trip

moreenjoyable; so

many things todo for wholefamily in city

EVADOUCETTE,2, and Ella,5, in thefront of aquadcylerented atNavy Pierin Chicago.

STEPHEN DOUCETTE


As far as tickets for museums, we didn’tpurchase any ahead of time. You could,though, and if you have a list of sites youknow you want to go to, purchasing aCityPASS may be the way to go. For adiscounted price, the pass gets you into awhole slew of city attractions. Check outcityPASS.com.

Public transportationThe train ride was great. It’s not like

flying at all. Not really any security to speakof – just buy your tickets and hop on. Forour family of four the tickets cost $47 forall four of us, both ways. If you considergas money and parking in Chicago, whichis about $40 per day, it makes sense. Not tomention, we could relax. We read booksand talked. No stressful driving around inChicago traffic. I do recommend arriving abit early if you want your pick of seats. Oneach train there is a set of seats that faceeach other, which is ideal if you aretraveling as a family.

People told me that the subway andbuses are easy to use, but honestly wefound that when our kids were tired (andusually we were too) we found it easiestjust to hop in a taxi. We looked into ridingone of the double decker red buses on ourlast day, but honestly we found it expensiveto do for one day. There is a good deal on a3-day pass that I would look into next time.($31.50 per adult, $15 for kids 3-12, free forkids under 3).

Having funAs planned our hotel, Hotel 71, was a

short walk from the train station. While Ican’t say that hotels in downtown Chicagoare going to be cheap — between $200 and$250 a night seem like a range for a nicehotel downtown — the location and vieware worth it. The hotel overlooked the riverand was close to many things. We hadwonderful breakfasts at our hotel and theneighboring hotel with The ChicagoTribune and many other Chicagoskyscrapers looming above.

Shedd Aquarium was a good time. Weeven did the dolphin show and an interac-tive Dora the Explorer movie — whichwas the kids’ favorite of the two. Thedolphin show was actually a little too oldfor my kids. There was more talking andlearning about training techniques thandolphin tricks, which is what my kidswanted to see.

There were two restaurants at theaquarium. One was a little more wallet-friendly and served burgers and othersandwiches (and was packed). The otherwas a little more upscale with some reallyinteresting and local, organic choices. Wechose the latter. Food is half the fun of a

vacation to us.The rest of the trip was a mix of sponta-

neous excursions. Among them, we • walked all around Millennium Park. A

beautiful park with the famous sculpturerefered to as “the bean,” an amphitheater, aflower garden, a zen foot bath … a lot to see.

• walked along shops one day (althoughthis is something better done without kids!).

• took a water taxi to the Sears Tower (at$10 for the whole family, we felt like it was agreat little river tour and way to get acrosstown.)

• went up the Sears Tower. (After sometears from Ella, she decided to brave it, andenjoyed it.)

• rode a quad-cycle at Navy Pier. (Veryfun, a little scary at first crossing intersec-tions, but you get used to it!). We had donethe huge ferry ride last year, so we skipped itthis time. (Also, I think it’s a little terrifying.)

• ate deep dish pizza at Giordano’s — Ihear Gino’s is great too.

We usually went back to the hotel onceeach day so everyone could unwind and geta little rest too. I think the kids needed that.

All in all, it was the perfect mix of doingfun things and relaxing. I think Chicago is agreat city to take kids. We can’t wait to goback.

From Page 12

CHICAGO

<<< FAMILY TRIP

South Shore LineONLINE: For commuter train information, go tonictd.com

Find a quick schedule at the bottom of the site.

COSTS: From South Bend Airport to MilleniumStation

Adults: $11.75 one way

Children: 13 and younger free with anaccompanying adult

ERIN DOUCETTE

ELLA AND EVA DOUCETTE enjoy the South Shore commuter train ride to Chicago’s MilleniumStation.


BY JOSEPH DYER

Who were those mysteriouspeople who would fill in for yourteacher when you were in school?Sometimes they were strict andreserved, punishing the slightestcurvature from the lesson plans theyhad been given, or they were

hilarious, fun and made you thinkabout the subject from a differentangle. Some were young collegestudents, people between careers, orin some cases, a parent of an overlyembarrassed student in theclassroom.

Those people were, of course,substitute teachers, and althoughthey are used in sitcoms and moviesas punching bags, they were, and stillare, vital to education.

If your child sometimes bringswork home you do not understand(the work is getting hard) wouldn’t itbe beneficial to know the teacher, andthe classroom, first-hand because youhave worked in the room? Perhapsyour child tells you they have shortrecesses, and you could actuallymonitor a recess period and see if itis short, or if your child simply wants to play longer. When your

Want to be involvedin your child’s school?

P A R E N T I N V O L V E M E N T

Work there!

If you are unsureabout scheduling a

substitute day atschool, FWCS makes

the process simple.They use an online

program enables youto see months ahead

on the onlinecalendar.

Joseph Dyer

‘‘

’’

See SUBSTITUTE Page 15


child tells you of their day, and discusses walking to aparticular class, wouldn’t it be nice to picture the actualhallway and room they are describing?

All school districts need substitutes, and there aredifferent ways to apply to become one. For all districts,you must complete the application, and for most districts,these applications are on their website and can be filledout at your leisure from home. The criteria are differentfor each school district. Some require at least a Bachelor’sdegree in any field, and precedence is given to regularlicensed teachers. Some require at least 60 hours ofcollege credit or more. Some require only a high school

diploma and experienceworking with children. Allschool districts requirebackground checks.

Pay also differs amongthe districts.

If you are unsure aboutscheduling a substitute dayat school, FWCS makes theprocess simple. They use anonline program that

enables you to see months ahead on the online calendar.A job will appear online (typically the morning of) andyou can see the school name and address, grade level,subject, hours, etc. There is even a place for special notesyou can review before you make a decision on a job. Thespecial notes can include where to park, car rider lineduties, or if locker room coverage is required.

You can choose to work only certain days of the week,and the online program will not show jobs on your non-working days. It is also possible to be on a call list and anautomated machine will phone you, and you will simplychoose yes or no.

Parents, young or old, new or experienced, biologicalor step, know their child’s education is the foundation forthe rest of their future. Involved parents check book bagsas they come home, monitor school websites for informa-tion, and attend parent teacher conferences. But why nottake it one step further?

Why not get into the school itself, and discover whereyour child spends over half of his or her waking hours?When your children see you caring about education, seeyou are in their school and care about it, then they willcare more about being in school. You will model the needfor education.

What more could an involved parent want?

From Page 14

SUBSTITUTE

license.doe.in.gov is the portalfor all license/permits for

education.

Kohl’s Healthy Kids:Meal-time ManiaTry these strategies to maximize nutrition and enjoyment at your family’s dinner table.

Lead by example — If you’re asking your child to eat certain foods, then you should eat them too.

A parent decides when and what to offer — The child decides which and how much to eat. Do not give your child adult-sized portions or force him or her to clean the plate.

Don’t give up on healthy alternatives — Continue to offer healthy foods along with family favorites. It can take up to 20 or more exposures for a child to accept a new food.

Get creative — Try hiding small amounts of pureed or grated vegetables, such as carrots, in casseroles, soups or sauces.

Kitchen helper — Involve your child with age-appropriate tasks. Kids are more interested in what is served when they help plan or prepare meals.

Your child will enjoy helping to prepare this recipe. Leave the apple slicing to a parent.

Turkey, Spinach and Apple Wrap1 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayo

2 tsp. honey mustard

2 whole-wheat flour tortillas

4 thin slices turkey breast (4 ounces)

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced paper thin

2 c. baby spinach leaves, or two large leaves of soft, leafy green lettuce

Wash and dry spinach. Combine mayo and mustard. Spread edges of each tortilla with mayo mixture. Leaving a margin free on the side closest to you, arrange a layer of spinach on top of tortillas and top each layer with turkey. Evenly divide apple slices and lay lengthwise across turkey. Fold over the end of the tortilla closest to you, then the two sides. Roll the tortilla as tightly as possible. Cover each tortilla tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate, seam side down, up to 4 hours before serving. When ready to serve, remove plastic wrap and cut each wrap in half, at an angle.

Reference: www.aicr.org

16 September/October 2012 fwFamily.com September/October 2012 17

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD >>> <<< FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD

Fall in love with your foodReal moms love to eat

BY GRACE HOUSHOLDER

One of the most enjoyable ways to be healthy is to “fall in love with food.”Melissa Pilz helps nurture the love of healthy food with the children

(toddlers to age 12) who come to New Beginnings Preschool and Child Care inMilford. Some of New Beginnings’ children arepictured on our cover and in these photos.

At New Beginnings Preschool, childrendiscuss with their teachers foods that they liketo eat and how things taste, says Pilz, thedirector. They also communicate with eachother during meal time “and feel like a familywhile enjoying healthy meals.”

Tacos, chicken salads, spaghetti and grilledcheese are among the favorites.

The children assist with menu planning,washing fruits and vegetables and mixingitems that need to be baked. They also set thetable.

Pilz advises parents to take the time “toallow your child to help you prepare themeal.” In addition, she urges families to sitdown together to eat meals.

“So many families are in a hurry and theyare missing out on great time with theirchildren by not allowing them to be more apart of the meal,” she says. “Being able to haveyour child help you with dinner helps teachthem the skills of everyday life. Making dinnera family activity is the best way to spend timewith your children!”

Fall in love with foodWhen parents juggle busy lives, enjoying food together as a family is often at

the bottom of the “to do” list.Beth Aldrich, author of the award-winning new book, “Real Moms Love to

Eat,” says “eating in front of the TV is not savoring.”

BY GRACE HOUSHOLDER

We enjoyed this recipe for breakfasta few months ago at a bed andbreakfast in Stratford, Ontario. WhenI made it for a recent familygathering I increased the recipe byabout 1/3, used a 9x13 glass panand increased the baking timeslightly. I also added some leftoverfresh basil.

Easy three cheese pie• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4oz.)• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese(4 oz.)• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jackcheese (4 oz.)• 1 medium onion chopped (about1/2 cup)• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour• 4 eggs• 1 cup milk• 1/2 tsp salt• 1/2 tsp dry mustard• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce• 2 medium tomatoes sliced thin(optional)

Mix cheese, onion and flour; spreadin sprayed 10-inch glass pie plate.

Beat eggs slightly; beat in milk, salt,dry mustard, and Worcestershiresauce. Pour over cheese mixture.Bake uncovered in a 350 oven for 35to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.Arrange tomato slices around edgeof pie, overlapping slightly. STUDENTS AT NEW BEGINNINGS PRESCHOOL AND CHILD CARE in

Milford enjoy a family style meal for lunch at the facility in August.Pictured are, from top left counter clockwise Brianna Zentz, 6, Austin

Harney, 4, Emerson Krull, 4, Joey Stelnecker, 3, Frank Perales, 4 andLakelie Avery, 3.

Easyrecipes

See FFOOD Page 19More RRECIPES AND HEALTHY LUNCH IDEAS, pages 18-19

CHAD KLINE

LAKELIE AVERY, 3, right, passes a bowl ofhamburgers to fellow classmate BriannaZentz, 6, during a lunch at the NewBeginnings Preschool and Child Care inMilford.

CHAD KLINE


COVER STORY >>>

BY MONA MEIGHAN

Luke, 26, did not show up for work onemorning in 2009. A concerned co-workerstopped by Luke’s apartment and found himdead in his bed. An autopsy determined he diedfrom complications of undiagnosed diabetes.

For seven years, through college and into hiswork life, my son Luke lived on pizza and fastfoods, sodas and sweet desserts. Since we haveno diabetes in our family, I can only believeLuke’s diet contributed to his death. Too often,young people aren’t aware of how food affectstheir health. As an educator, I thought the bestway to remember my son was to give people thetools to change their lunch habits. By brown-bagging, you can avoid a lot of processed foodsloaded with calories and carbohydrates.

RecipesPesto and Tomato Sandwich:

Add 3 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt to4-6 tablespoons prepared pesto. Spread on fourslices of whole-wheat bread. Add thinly slicedtomatoes and season with salt and pepper.(Place in a toaster oven for 2-3 minutes, ifdesired.)

Hummus Salad Wrap:

Spread ¼ cup hummus over two whole-wheat or flour tortillas and add one tomato,thinly sliced, two thin slices of Swiss cheese,and two lettuce leaves, cut up. Tightly roll thetortillas and spear with a toothpick.

Tips• Do you have what you need to pack your

lunch? Do you need a cooler-style lunchbox?How about reusable containers for sandwichesand soups? (Going green is, of course, betterfor the planet, and it saves money on itemslike disposable baggies and plastic cutlery.)

• Decide how many days you want to packlunch this week, and plan your menu. Takestock of the ingredients you already have, andmake a list of those you need to purchase. (Tosave even more money, either repeat lunchesor plan lunches with similar ingredients.)

• If you’re used to going out for lunch fivedays a week, start slowly. Try brown-baggingtwice a week at first.

• Make it more interesting by finding abuddy and taking turns preparing a lunch fortwo. If you eat at your desk, plan a rewardingway to spend your lunch hour, whether it’srunning an errand or taking a walk in a park.

Brown-bagging’s a bore?Tips for fast, fun lunches-to-go Apple sweet

potato porkThis recipe is from“Save Your Money,Save Your Family:Guide to SavvyShopping Skills” by ToniHouse.

The author said it’s agood way to use up leftover pork and have acolorful meal.

INGREDIENTS:• 1 1/2 pounds leftover cooked porktenderloin• 4 medium sweetpotatoes, sliced thin• 4 medium apples,cored and sliced• 9 oz. bag frozenbaby green beans

Prepare frozen greenbeans per packagedirections. Preheat ovento 350 degrees. On sixlarge pieces of foil layerpork with sweetpotatoes, then apples.Sprinkle with cinnamon,salt and pepper. Wrapwell and cook no morethan 20 minutes untilpotatoes and apples aredone. (The pork isalready cooked.) Serveon a white plate withthe green beans to oneside and pork with thesweet potatoes andapples on top on theother side of the plate. Itis very pretty.

H E A L T H Y D I N N E R

DO YOU HAVEWHAT YOU NEEDto pack yourlunch? Thevariety ofreusable lunchbags, coolers,thermos, saladcontainers andall around foodstorage hasgrownenormously thelast few years.

“There are plenty of great healthy ingredientsthat you can turn into new foods to love, evenhealthier versions of those favorite comfort foodsfrom childhood. You’ll finish meals feelingenergized, emotionally satisfied and best of all, notguilty. And you’ll look great in your skinny jeans!”she says.

Aldrich offers these tips:• Remember the food experiences of your

childhood. Remember the simple joy you hadcrunching into a sweet apple. How does thatcompare with the high-fructose corn syrup-drenched, refined wheat-flour products that leaveyou bloated and craving more? Foods eaten in theirnatural, unprocessed state, such as a baked potatoversus French fries — give you a fuller eatingexperience, increase energy and help you lookgreat!

• Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers

who foraged for and consumed a wide variety ofcalories, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after youinclude more raw food into your diet. Add freshberries to your breakfast yogurt, include fresh nutswith your lunch, or replace coleslaw from thesupermarket deli with a fresh recipe made fromscratch.

• One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthysnacking binge is ready-made, highly-processedsweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurswhen moms are busy and haven’t planned theirmeals for the day and it leads to a spike in bloodsugar, a crash and then – another monster-sizedcraving. Have healthy options ready to go.Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa,whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmealwill quickly stop cravings.

• High-quality dark chocolate contains naturalchemicals that boost mood and elevate serotoninlevels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Inaddition, dark chocolate helps keep blood vesselselastic and increases antioxidant levels.


<<< FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD

From Page 16

FOODOne of the swiftest

paths to an unhealthysnacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed

sweets and bakedgoods. ... It leads to aspike in blood sugar, a

crash and then –another monster-sized

craving.

Beth Aldrich

‘‘

for the child.I am

Help an abusedor neglected child.Visit neincasa.net

Serving DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben & Whitley Counties

260.636.6101

a child’s voice.a child’s life.

Lift Up

’’


IMPROVING THE MIND >>>

A dynamic pianist, who has been teaching piano inFort Wayne for 11 years, believes children can achieve farmore on the piano than is commonly believed.

Kenneth X. Jiang (pronounced Ling John) got hisdegree at Manhattan School of Music and the JuilliardSchool in New York City. The piano method he designedenables students to learn at a faster rate than most othermethods.

Music education has been proven to improve students’mental processing. “All natural talents can be used to learnmusic if the teacher goes according to the student’s owndiscovered pace,” he said. “Any one of them could reachthe level of so called advanced music playing in their firstyear.

“The benefit is that the now-trained mind can tackleother subjects with ease. Logic is enhanced, memory isdirected and clear and imagination is creative andspecific.”

Musical trainingcan improve

mental processing

KENNETH X. JIANG met his wife, Natalie, a native ofFremont, when they both were with Global ChristianFellowship, a ministry organization that welcomes interna-tional students.

All they need are the tools to get there.These resources are online and totally FREE! Explore different career paths. Prepare for career training or college. Plus students and parents can network and stay up-to-date on the latest college and career planning news via Trip To College on Facebook.

TripToCollege.orgDriveOfYourLife.org CCCOOOOfff fff

fi nd us on facebook:facebook.com/triptocollege

BY KATE COFFMAN

Students’ high school courseselections, grades and test scores areoften the most important aspects oftheir college applications. But activitiesand leadership experiences can be keyfactors in setting apart and pushingahead some applicants over others.Activities and experiences can also helpstudents learn important life skills suchas time management, problem solving,communicating with others and organizational skillsthat help them succeed in college.

Students should avoid “membership overload” —joining any and every club at school but playing nosignificant role in that club. A college admissionsofficer would much rather see students develop apattern of involvement in activities that highlightstheir passions and in which they demonstrate aprogression of leadership.

An example would be a student who joinedstudent government as a freshman, continued partici-pation as a sophomore, ran for office junior year, andbecame treasurer senior year. Athletics, music, drama,community service, and faith-based organizations allcarry equal weight in evaluations by the admissionsoffice. Each college’s admissions office wants torecruit a diverse group of students who willcontribute academically and socially to the campusenvironment.

Working during high school can be very

important as well. Many students need to work tosupport their family or to save money for college orother expenses. This often can impact the time theyhave for activities, which is why detailing their workhistory on a college application is important. Theycan also use the personal statement or essay todiscuss why they choose to work, what they learnedfrom the experience and the skills they gained fromtheir employment.

Activities and high school employment also canhelp students meet individuals who can writemeaningful letters of recommendation on their behalf.Most colleges want to see at least one academicreference who can speak to the student’s performancein the classroom. However, a coach or a manager canmake a strong contribution to a college application bywriting about a student’s work ethic, passion, driveand dedication.

Activitieshelp boost

college applications


C O L L E G E P L A N N I N G

Athletics, music,drama, community

service, and faith-based

organizations allcarry equal weight in

evaluations by theadmissions office.

Each college’sadmissions officewants to recruit adiverse group of

students who willcontribute academi-cally and socially to

the campus environment.

Kate Coffman

‘‘

’’ See COLLEGE ADMISSION page 23

Another benefit to many high schoolservice organizations is access to collegescholarship opportunities. A local organiza-tion’s advisor should know if an affiliationexists with a national organization andwhether or not scholarship opportunitiesexist. Students also can check the nationalorganization’s website to see if it offersscholarships. Many companies offer theiremployees scholarships as well, and parentscan speak with the hiring manager or checkon the company’s website to learn more.

Finally, being involved in campus activi-ties and working part-time jobs often helpsstudents learn what they want to do profes-sionally. Having a career goal can be a primemotivator for students to successfullycomplete college. So encourage students toget involved in activities that interest them— but also help them create some balancethat ensures they enjoy their activities andseek out leadership roles while keeping upgood grades in classes that will preparethem for education after high school.

From Page 22

COLLEGE ADMISSION

<<< CHILD SAFETY


The Centers for Disease Control recentlycut in half the level of lead exposuredeemed to be a health risk. In themeantime, Congress allocated only $2million for lead-poisoning prevention thisyear, compared to $29 million the yearbefore. That leaves very few staff membersto get the word out.

A toxicologist, Dr. Jennifer Lowry, saysit’s up to parents and pediatricians tobecome more proactive. The CDCrecommends that lead testing occur at theage of 1 year and at 2 years and actually

annually up until the age of 6 years.Lowry suggests that doctors go to the

CDC website and make themselves aware ofthe new guidelines. She also recommendsthat parents talk to their pediatricians abouttesting. New studies have found attentionproblems and reduced IQ in kids who arewithin the new guidelines.

Sources of lead include toys, children’sjewelry, paint chips from old houses, andsometimes even the soil around houses.Hoosier parents with concerns about leadcan call the Indiana Family Helpline at 800-433-0746.

Lowry says parents need to get rid of oldpaint chips in houses built before 1978.Dusting the floors and toys in such housesis important. She adds that houses with oldpaint on the outside can make the nearby

soil hazardous as play areas or for plantingvegetables.

“If there’s peeling paint chips out in thesoil from the home, it gets into the soil andthe lead can get there. Usually, it concen-trates around the first feet around thehome.”

Some soil has also been contaminatedfrom the old leaded gasoline. This contami-nation can happen in houses near highwaysor around old factory sites.

The CDC says that all houses builtbefore 1978 probably contain some lead.When the paint deteriorates and gets intothe dust, it causes problems. The CDC saysthat more than 20 million houses haveelevated levels of lead contamination inhouse dust.

More information is at cdc.gov.

Could my child have lead poisoning?Peeling paint chips, some

children’s toys, jewelry can besources of lead

wbcl.orgwbcl.org

RelationshipsRelationships

Spiritual GrowthSpiritual Growth

Mid-Morningwith Lynne Ford

weekdays 10-11 a.m. EDT

TALK Worth Talking About

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Tallkkiinngg AAbboouutt


HUMOR HELPS Readers, if you have a true funny kidstory (or a collection of stories)involving you or your co-workers,friends, students or family, please callme at 260-347-0738 or email me [email protected].

— BY GRACE HOUSHOLDER

Jacob, 6, had gone with his mother to pick up his two sistersand a friend from dance camp. They were all talking non-stopwhen all of a sudden Jacob said, “YUCK! It smells like girls in

here!” Was he realizing he was the only boy in a car full of girlsor did the car really smell after the girls had just danced for

three hours! — SASHA FRAZIER (MOTHER OF JACOB) OF KENDALLVILLE

Caden, 4, and his father Dalen were having a dinner table conversationwith a cousin, Lydia, 15. The topic was schools. Dalen explained to Cadenhow people progress through school — kindergarten, elementary schooland then to high school like Lydia. Dalen said that after high school Lydiawould be going to college. Wanting to indicate that finding a job was thenext level, Dalen then asked Caden, “What should Lydia do after that?”

Without hesitation Caden answered, “TAKE A NAP!”

— SUZANNE ZUEHSOW (GRANDMOTHER OF CADEN) OF LAOTTO

Connie’s daughter’s familyhad experienced some

illnesses. One night beforesupper Isobel, 3, said grace:

“Dear God, I pray forElisabeth (her 4-month-oldsister) that she feels better,please, ‘cause her crying

makes my head hurt. I prayfor Kendra’s shot (her 7-year-old sister) to be better, please,

‘cause she is a whiny butt,and I pray for Grandma

Jane. Please make her betterso I can get out of here and

play with her.” — CONNIE BLOTKAMP (GRANDMOTHER)

OF AUBURN

Anne and her husbandNate were watching theirwedding video and thewedding reception slideshow that included Anneand Nate’s growing up

years. About three-fourthsof the way through Micah,Anne and Nate’s youngestchild, turned to his father

and said, “So you growedup to be our Daddy?” — ANNE LOWE OF LIGONIER

HUMOR HELPS >>>

Bonnie’s daughter, Diane Weeks, had a“tea party” for her granddaughters,Rylee, 5, and Shayla Frain, 3, and

several guests. The party was completewith jewelry, hats, scarves, dresses,gloves and refreshments. When theparty was over the girls said they

wanted to have another one sometime,but wanted to have dragon dresses for

it. Being the great-grandma Bonniewas not at all excited about her

beautiful girls going “Goth.” She feltbetter when they explained that

“dragon dresses” weren’t black, theyjust dragged on the ground! They had

draggin’ dresses for the next party!

— BONNIE BROWNELL OF ALBION


HUMOR HELPS

Kimberley shares this story about a childshe babysits.

Kimberley: “OK, friends, let’s pray.”

Malachi, 3: “Ms. Kim, why do we have topray before snack?”

Kimberley: “So we can tell God thank youfor giving us food for our hungry tummies.”

Then they prayed.

Malachi (after eating a cracker): “Oh!God’s crackers are good!”

— KIMBERLEY HOUSEHOLDER OF FORT WAYNE

<<< PRODUCT REVIEW

I have to say, the packaging for theInflatable Ice Cream Ball got my kids andmyself excited to try this product out.

With simple instructions on thecontainer, a fun-looking ball contraption,stickers inside, and ice cream to lookforward to, my kids were ready to go!

The ingredients are simple: heavy cream,vanilla and sugar for the ice cream. Androck salt and ice to help make the icecream. I will warn you that when I stoppedat our grocery store, Kroger, it didn’t haverock salt. I was sent to the neighboring DoIt Best hardware store, where they didindeed have it.

Also, you could experiment withdifferent flavors if you want — I think mintchocolate chip may be in my future.

Anyway, the procedure is simple: mix icecream ingredients in bowl, then pour intocenter column of the ball. Next, add rocksalt and ice to exterior chamber of the ball.Then throw (with the inflatable cover on),or roll across carpet as we did, the ball for10 minutes. After that, you will need tostop, scrape the ice cream stuck on the sidesdown, and roll for 10 more minutes.

And voila, you have fresh homemade icecream. And it was very good!

— Erin Doucette

STEPHEN DOUCETTE

ELLA DOUCETTE, 5, pours heavy cream into abowl for the ice cream mixture that will gointo the Inflatable Ice Cream Ball.

Ice Cream Ball a funactivity with kids

Jamin, 8, lives where there are a lot of littlegirls. He is the only boy who is nice to

them, so they like to play with him. Oneday Jamin told his mom that the sister ofone of his playmates likes him. Jamin’s

mom replied, “Oh?” Jamin continued, “Shelikes me and and she doesn’t even knowwhat I do for a living.” His mom asked,“What do you do for a living?” Jamin

replied, “Play … and I’m lazy!”

— RITA MAURER (GREAT AUNT) OF KENDALLVILLE

YAYLAB’S ICE CREAMBALL WITH INFLATABLECOVER retails for$39.99 (for the pintsize) and $49.99 (forthe quart) at Amazonand other toyspecialty retailers.

NOTE: All phone numbers begin with 260 unlessotherwise indicated.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

“Half-Stitched”Sept. 1 - Oct. 31. Blue Gate Theater, S.R. 5,Shipshewana. Wanda E. Brunstetter’s best-sellingAmish Novel adapted for stage. Musical comedy.Poignant,heart-stirring ballads, humorous songs. Funfor entire family. Blue Gate Theater, 195 N VanBuren St. Shipshewana. Contact: 888-447-4725;BlueGateTheater.com.

Artistry in WoodSept. 1 - 16. Garrett Museum of Art, 100 S.Randolph St., Garrett. Twelve area woodcarvers willbe presenting their work and some of the art is forsale.

Auburn Cord Duesenberg FestivalSept. 1 - 2. Auburn. Community wide. Enjoy theParade of Classics, downtown cruise-in, ice creamsocial, antique show, collector car auctions andmuch more. Contact: acdfestival.org; 925-3600.

Fun on SylvanRome City. Sylvan Lake Improvement Associationfireworks (postponed from the Fourth of July), flotillaat 4 p.m., Ducks over Sylvan contest, clowns. Raindate is Sept. 2.

Ligonier Marshmallow FestivalSept. 1 - 3. Downtown Ligonier. Selected ABA’sTop 100 Events in North America for group travel.Crafts, amusement rides, car show, entertainment,games, food. Free. Contact: themarshmallowfestival.com; 215-1982.

Soothing Summer GardensSept. 1 - 15. Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S.Calhoun St., Fort Wayne. What could be morerestorative than a quiet stroll through a summergarden designed with restfulness in mind? Eachsmall garden “room” will have its own character andart piece to admire, with strategic seating for thosewho wish to linger.

Art and Tours every weekend10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 1 - 2. Old Mill Shoppes andArt Gallery, 6770 E. C.R. 750N, Fremont. Free toursof the Mill and regional art from the Tri State [email protected].

Free Outdoor Concert5 p.m. Prairie Heights High School, Brushy Prairie.Rock out with Fireflight as they head to the Angolaarea for the 6th Annual PBnJ Concert. Fireflight willbe joined by Ashes Remain and the Matt & JasonBand. Free outdoor concert; food and beveragesavailable for purchase. Bring blankets or lawn chairs.Sponsored by People Believin’ in Jesus (PBnJ).Contact: star883.com.

Bluegrass FestivalAug. 30-Sept. 2. Tri-state Bluegrass Festival. NobleCounty Fairgrounds, 580 N. Fair St., Kendallville.Online: bluegrassusa.net/nibgas.htm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2Sylvan Springs Open House10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sylvan Springs, Northport Road,Rome City. Come share the beautiful SylvanSprings. Sample Sylvan Spring’s refreshing mineralwater. Compare it scientifically to other drinks. Strolllovely grounds. Enjoy refreshments. Step back intime on guided tour of main building; tour is $3adults; $1 seniors and teens.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3Michiana Farm Toy Collector’s Club 25thannual show9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Elkhart County Fairground, 17746DC.R. 34, Goshen. The show will feature more than250 tables of farm toys, trucks, cars and construc-tion items for sale and on display. Admission is $4for age 12 and older.

Kendallville Chess Club5-7:30 p.m. Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22and 29. Kendallville Public Library, Kendallville.Meets every Monday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4Little River Ramblers9-11 a.m. Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and

30. Eagle Marsh Barn, South Side Engle R, one-halfmile east of W Jefferson Blvd, Fort Wayne. Meet atthe Eagle Marsh barn, 6801 Engle Road, FortWayne, to explore the preserve’s interesting plantsand wildlife. Sponsored by Little River WetlandsProject. Free. Contact [email protected] or 478-2515for information.

Story time10 a.m. Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and30. Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County, 322S. Wayne St., Angola. For toddlers 12-24 months.

Story time1 p.m. Sept. 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27, Oct. 2, 4,9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25 and 30. Carnegie PublicLibrary of Steuben County, 322 S. Wayne St.,Angola. For preschool-aged children, 4 years oldand up.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5Free Family Fun Day9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17,24 and 31. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum,1600 South Wayne Street, Auburn. Free admissionfor DeKalb County residents.


EVENTS >>>

Elkhart CountyLaGrange County

Steuben County

DeKalb County

Noble County

KosciuskoCounty

WhitleyCounty

Allen County

AdamsCountyWells

County

HuntingtonCounty

Defiance County

Paulding County

Van Wert County

Williams CountyGoshen

Shipshewana

LaGrangeAngola

Kendallville

Albion

Auburn

Bryan

Columbia CityWarsaw

Fort Wayne

Decatur

Bluffton

Huntington

Paulding

Defiance

Van Wert

SERVING THE GREATER FORT WAYNE AREA


CALENDAR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6MOMS Club9:15 a.m. Sept. 6 and Oct. 4. MOMS Club,Angola. Phone: 665-3092.

$1 Night at Botanical Conservatory5-8 p.m. Sept. 6 and Oct. 4. Foellinger-FreimannBotanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St., FortWayne. On the first Thursday of the month, theBotanical Conservatory offers $1 admissions from5-8 p.m. for adults and children.

iPad Users Group7 p.m. Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25.Kendallville Public Library, Kendallville. New iPadusers will discuss the use of apps and share experi-ences with the powers and the problems of theApple iPad.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7Hot Air FestivalSept. 7 - 9. Van Wert County Fairgrounds, 1055 SWashington St, Van Wert. The 2012 Van Wert,Ohio “Hot Air Festival” to feature 15 balloonsascending from the Van Wert County Fairgroundsand airport on Friday, Saturday and Sunday andperforming “Balloon Glows” on both Friday and

Saturday evenings at the fairgrounds. Other eventsinclude corn hole tournaments, old time Indy Carracing, helicopter and airplane rides and fireworkson the Saturday. Tethered and distant balloon ridesare also being offered, along with rides for thesmaller children such as the merry-go-round androller coaster. On Friday, Kendallville native ToddAllen Herendeen will sing his latest hit, “My Name isAmerica.” Allen will be on stage at 7 p.m. in front ofthe grandstand. $4 fee at the gate to get on thegrounds, but show is free. Free-will offeringsappreciated.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8‘A Few Good Men’Sept. 8 - 16. Arts United Center, 303 E. Main St.,Fort Wayne. “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin.Online: fwcivic.org.

Whitley County Autumn Arts Festival9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Whitley County Autumn Art Festival,Downtown Columbia City- Courthouse Lawn. Over30 artists plus dance groups and musiciansthroughout the day, student art show, children’s artactivity tent, silent auction,chalk walk, carriage rides,food vendors, exhibitors and [email protected]. wcaaf.org.

Grandparents As Parents10 a.m. Sept. 8 and Oct. 13. Grandparents AsParents, 2690 C.R. 36A, Auburn. Grandparents AsParents support group for grandparents raising theirgrandchildren meets second Saturday at 10 a.m. at2690 C.R. 36A in DeKalb County. Free child careprovided.

Stone’s Trace Pioneer Festival10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 8; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9.Stone’s Trace Historical Society, U.S. 33 and S.R.5, Ligonier. 1.5 miles south of Ligonier. Learn aboutlife in Noble County in the mid 1800s. Music, food,crafts, activities. $5 admission; 12 years andyounger free. Free parking at West Noble HighSchool.

The excitement is BUILDING!


CALENDAR

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10Carnegie Story TimeSept. 10 - 13, 17 - 20, 24 - 27, Oct. 1 - 4, 8 - 11,15 - 18. Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County,322 S. Wayne St., Angola. No deadline on registra-tion. Story time includes stories, songs, activities,craft. Parents or caregiver required for toddlers and2-3 year-old class. Fall story time is week of Sept.10 through Oct. 18. Monday 10 a.m., 2-3 year-oldstory time; Tuesday 10 a.m. is toddler story timeages 12 months-24 months; Tuesday 1 p.m. ispreschool story time; Wednesday 10 a.m. is 2-3year-old story time; Thursday 10 a.m. is preschoolstory time; Thursday 1 p.m. is preschool story time.Please call to register, 665-3362, ext 25. RobyneSpillers, children’s librarian Online: steuben.lib.in.us.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12Omnibus Lecture Series7:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and Oct. 24. IPFW Campus, ,Fort Wayne. 18th year. All lectures require freetickets, available to be picked up three weeks priorto event. Mia Farrow, Sept. 12; Jeffrey Toobin, Oct.24; Jon Meacham, Nov. 7; Naomi Tutu, Feb. 21;Grant Imahara, March 25; Susan Orlean, April 18.Free convenient parking. Online: omnibuslec-tures.org; ipfw.edu/box-office Phone: 481-6808.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16Community Picnic11:30 a.m. Avilla Town park, West Albion Street,Avilla. Avilla community invited to free picnic hostedby Immanuel Lutheran Church, Avilla. Food, games,fellowship, fun. More information: 897-2071 orimmanuellutheranavilla.com.

Free to Breathe Fort Wayne1 p.m. Headwater’s Park West, 330 S. Clinton St.,Fort Wayne. The inaugural Free to Breathe FortWayne 5K Run/Walk & 1-mile Walk is looking forparticipants to raise awareness and help build themovement to defeat lung cancer. For more info andto register for the event, go toFreeToBreathe.org/fortwayne.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17Encourage, Empower and Enjoy the AutismSpectrum7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 17 and Oct. 15. Easter Seals Arc,4919 Projects Drive, Fort Wayne. Parents,grandparents, teachers, professionals and otherswanting to learn more about autism are welcome.Topics vary monthly. For more information contactSusan Crowell at [email protected] call 637-4409.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18Light the Night5 p.m. East Noble High School parking lot,Kendallville. 2012 Northeast Indiana Light the Night

walk for Noble, LaGrange, DeKalb and Steubencounties begins with team check-in from 5-7 p.m.,followed by opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. Activitiesin children’s area start at 5:30 p.m. and the MiniWalk on the high school track will begin at 6 p.m.The Mini Walk is for young children or adults whoare unable to walk the longer route. The annual walkraises funds for the battle against leukemia andlymphoma. This year’s goal is 1,000 walkers raisingat least $60,000. Team captains, individual walkersneeded. Pre-registration encouraged atlightthenight.org or contact Kim Davidson at DekkoFoundation, 347-1278 [email protected]. (See photo on.)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21Carmina Burana8 p.m. Sept. 21; 2:30 p.m. Sept. 23. Arts UnitedCenter, 303 E. Main St., Fort Wayne. This famouswork will be staged as a full ballet featuring the FortWayne Ballet, the professional singers of Heartland,the Heartland Festival Chorus and Orchestra andthe Concert Choir of the Fort Wayne Children’sChoir. Online: heartlandchorale.org Phone: 436-8080.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22Walk to End Alzheimer’s10 a.m. Headwaters Park, 333 S. Clinton St., FortWayne. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to EndAlzheimer’s is a united movement to reclaim thefuture for millions. Start or join a team at alz.org/walkor call 800-272-3900. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’sAssociation mobilized millions of Americans in theAlzheimer’s Association Memory Walk; now theAlzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead theway with Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Roar ‘n’ SnoreSaturday 6 p.m. to Sunday 9 a.m. Family overnighttent camp. Black Pine Animal Sanctury, Albion.Online: blackpine.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24DeKalb County Free Fall FairSept. 24 - 29. Downtown Auburn and DeKalbCounty Fairgrounds. Online: dekalbcountyfair.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25Cruise-in5 p.m. Downtown Orland, S.R. 327 and S.R. 120.

More events online at fwfamily.com.

NATALIE SCHMUCKER

NATALIE SCHMUCKER took this photo of Jaeger Kenneth Heidenreich nestled on his father’sfireman coat. Jaeger is the son of John and Abby Heidenreich of Fort Wayne. He was born inMay and only 3 weeks old when the photo was taken.

CALENDAR

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29Wild Game Cook Off6-9 p.m. Gene Stratton-Porter StateHistoric Site. Rome City. Localconservation groups, wildlife expertsand conservation will prepare anevening of “wild” tastes. Cooks willbe preparing foods made fromIndiana fish and game. Try out somefoods. Campfire and s’mores!Donations will cover the cost ofpaper products and go towardsfuture event programming.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1Pumpkin FantasylandOct. 1-31 at Fashion Farm, 2 mileswest of downtown Ligonier. Phone: 894-4498

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6Apple Festival of Kendallville9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 6; 9 a.m. to 5p.m. Oct. 7. Noble County 4-HFairgrounds, Kendallville. Step backin time at the fairgrounds and alsoKendallville’s Historic Main Street.Food, entertainment, crafts, games.Fun for the entire family. Visit theGene Stratton-Porter staff andMemorial Society in the demonstra-tion barn at the fairgrounds. Learnhow to press flowers and how toincorporate them into every daydecor. Free shuttle buses. Online:applefestival.org.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8Kids Count Golf Classic1 p.m. Crooked Stick Golf Club,1964 Burning Tree Lane, Carmel.Golfers have the rare opportunity toplay Indiana’s premier championshipgolf course, Crooked Stick inCarmel. Registration is open for theInaugural Kids Count Golf Classicto benefit the Indiana MentoringPartnership, a program of theIndiana Youth Institute. The eventtakes place, Oct. 8, and the cost is$2,500 per foursome and $750 fora single player. Registration for thisevent is open at iyi.org/golf.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13Plank-A-Palooza10 a.m. The Summit; Eicher StudentCommons, 1025 W. Rudisill Blvd.,Fort Wayne. Watch advanced blockplay in action as teams design andbuild structures in 30 minutes, usingKEVA planks. Free for spectators.More information: ECAlliance.org. (See article on Page 10.)

Autumn TeaNoon to 4 p.m. Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site, 1205Pleasant Point, Rome City. $25 perperson. Reservations required.Experience an elegant and beautifultea. Guest speaker will provideafternoon of entertainment. Guidedtour of cabin and gardens. (Bringappropriate walking shoes if youwear your tea time best.)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14Common Grace 5K and 1 MileRun/Walk2 p.m. Bixler Lake Park, Lake ParkDrive, Kendallville. Course will looparound the entire lake. Freewilldonation. No registration fee. Moreinfo at runindiana.com or callCommon Grace office, 349-1942.Money raised will help NobleCounty families in great need.Matching funds, sponsorship byThrivent Financial for Lutherans.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19Owl-Oween5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 19 - 20. GeneStratton-Porter State Historic Site,1205 Pleasant Point, Sylvan Lake,Rome City. $3 per person, under 4free. Learn what goes bump in thenight! Fun-filled evening providesgreat way to explore the woodswhile learning about bats, owls,coyotes and other creatures of thenight. Kids can explore owl pellets,make crafts and receive goodiesalong the way. Costumes encour-aged! Contact: Tiffany Conrad,naturalist,[email protected]: 854-3790.


TERRY HOUSHOLDER

LIGHT THE NIGHT SEPT. 18. Allison Burton, a fourth-grade student atOak Farm Montessori School near Avilla, was diagnosed a year agowith acute leukemia. She had extensive treatment at Riley Hospital forChildren in Indianapolis and is doing well. Allison, one of the fourchildren of Lance and Belinda Burton of Auburn, is the honoree for thisyear’s Northeast Indiana Light the Night Walk Sept. 18 which beginsand ends at East Noble High School in Kendallville. Participants willcarry illuminated balloons — white for survivors, red for supportersand gold for individuals or teams walking in memory of someone. Thefamily-friendly event begins at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. A“mini walk” will be held for children and adults who prefer a shorterroute. Corporate sponsors include Dekko Investment Services, AMIInvestment Management, Campbell & Fetter Bank, Parkview NobleHospital, Kendallville Walmart, KPC Media Group and Culligan Water.For more information contact The Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyNortheastern Branch Office at 435-2525, or visit lightthenight.org/in.Pictured with Allison and her parents are her older sister Marie and heryounger brother David. Not pictured is her brother Reid.More events online at fwfamily.com.


Alert parentscan help

preventsubstance

abuse

PREVENTION >>>

Talking, listening areimportant tool

Parenting teens and steering them away fromdrugs, alcohol and tobacco use is made even moredifficult by easy access to the Internet. In a matter ofseconds, teens can obtain information online aboutwhere to purchase drugs, such as prescription painpills, and they can find resources that show themhow to get high using over-the-counter drugs. Theuse of social networking sites and slang terms fordrugs and alcohol are methods that teens use tokeep parents in the dark about what they are doingwith free time.

“Teenagers need independence and boundaries,”said Courtney Stewart, research associate at theIndiana Prevention Resource Center at IndianaUniversity. “Trying to maintain both can be a trickybalance for parents.”

So, how do parents keep a step ahead while notstifling their kids’ development? “It may soundsimple but it can be very difficult — talk to yourteens, let them know you notice that somethingseems different about their behavior and mostimportantly, when your teen talks to you, listen anddon’t interrupt,” Stewart said.

Other important steps parents can take includehelping teens make a plan for how to refuse drugs ifthe situation arises; making it clear parents expecttheir children not to use drugs; and making teens

aware of family rules concerning drug, alcohol andsubstance use. Stewart said parents should beinvolved in their teens’ lives, know their friends andknow their friends’ parents.

“Encourage your teen to get involved in activitiesoutside school like volunteering and working,” shesaid.

Some common methods teens use to fool theirparents about substance use:

• Avoidance. This is seen when teens stay awayfrom home until parents are in bed, or when theyspend most of their time at a friend’s house whereboundaries and supervision may not be as strict asin their own home. This also includes faking illnessor sleeping in order to be left alone.

• Lying. This can include giving parents falseinformation about who they are with, where theyare going and what they are doing.

• Manipulation. Teens may act as if they wanthelp for a substance use problem in order to satisfytheir parents, when in reality they are still usingdrugs or alcohol.

This article was provided by The IndianaPrevention Resource Center, a part of the Department ofApplied Health Science in the School of Health,Physical Education and Recreation at IndianaUniversity.

G R O W I N G P A I N S

Teenagers needindependence

and boundaries.Trying to

maintain bothcan be a tricky

balance forparents.

CourtneyStewart

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