A New Adventure

At the end of August, I walked out the door of The Washington Post buildings for the last time in nearly a dozen years there. It was with trepidation, but with an internal knowledge that the only way for me to move forward, to find my new path, was to leave.

It was, to say the least, a risky decision in the midst of a recession. And it was one that wasn't made lightly. My husband and I experimented not living with my salary for a year, putting it all into savings. The Post, in case you haven't heard, isn't the best place for a Web journalist to be these days. Many of my good friends and colleagues left before me. More have been unofficially cut this past month. Journalism is the kind of job that can beat you down and wear you out. I survived newspapers and their Web sites for 18 years, a lifetime in that profession. But there's a reason I call myself a "recovering journalist."

The question, though, became, now what? What was it that I really wanted to do? I'm lucky. I realize that. I could take a break, spend valuable time with my kids, getting the youngest acclimated to kindergarten, getting the 2nd grader on a good homework path. I spent time teaching one to ride a bike. We went to Spanish class together. We formed a walk-to-school group with other neighborhood kids. The boys learned to climb fences to the backyards of other friends. We read. We played. We hosted impromptu play dates after school. I cooked -- a lot. I found a calm that I never knew existed. All of a sudden, I didn't need to multitask 24 hours a day. I didn't need to start my day answering e-mail and posting blogs the moment I woke up. Instead, I could give lots of morning hugs without worrying about being late to something. I didn't need to rush the boys into bed if they wanted to read for an extra 15 minutes, just so I could spend another 2-3 hours on the computer working.

There's no question that life's been busy. But it hasn't been crazy. And it turns out, that busy, not crazy, is what I've been looking for.

A couple of months ago, I spotted a job posting that seemed like a good fit. The timing was horrible. I saw the posting just as I was heading to Boston for the unveiling of the plaque on my mother's grave. By the time I returned from the trip, which unexpectedly got extended by a day because of snow, I had less than two days to write out a resume and answer tons of essay questions for it -- those of you who have applied to government jobs can totally understand the craziness. For those who haven't, applying for a government job is like writing a bunch of college essays.

Much to my surprise, I made it through the screening, got called for an interview and eventually received a job offer.

The quiet around here the past couple of weeks isn't because I wanted to abandon you. It's because I start my new job on Jan. 4 and, well, I needed an ENTIRELY new work wardrobe. A decade of not shopping for formal work clothes finally caught up with me. Plus, I needed to get a TON of things done before I begin the juggle anew.

I truly think Montgomery County parents need more places that give parents useful information that makes their lives easier. D.C. Urban Mom is a decent community, but it's too anonymous, with too many trolls. A few local communities, like Silver Spring and Takoma Park, have yahoo listservs stuck in the early 1990s that reach way too few in our overall community. I'd hoped to launch communities and amazingly intricate databases of day cares, preschools, classes, camps and such that you, our community of parents, could talk about to help the next parent down the line. Unfortunately, a job that at the moment seems like a really good fit has come calling.

And so, it's time for me to give it a go. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year's everyone.

Toothless Wonder

Nipper's loosey goosey teeth are FINALLY out! And so, he gets a special treat: Two consecutive nights of the tooth fairy.

Thoughts and Prayers for the Spey Family

Two days ago, a Takoma Park stay-at-home mom and her two young children were in a terrible car accident at New Hampshire and University Blvd. Wendy Spey was hit from behind while stopped. In the car, strapped into car seats, were 2-year-old Nathan and 10-month-old Eleanor.

This afternoon, family friend Corinna Crockett reports that it looks like Nathan, who suffered a skull fracture and is at Children's Hospital is not going to make it.

Wendy asks that the family be given some time alone. When they are ready to see folks, the Spey family will need meals, help and support. Wendy's arm is broken in five places and will require surgery. If you can help out with meals, baby food, child care for the baby, or anything else you think could be helpful, e-mail Corinna.

UPDATE from Wed. at 10 p.m.: Corinna reports the latest from Wendy: The Spey family consulted with another neurologist and there's a chance that Nathan might be able to pull through and improve. "I know all of the love and prayers out there are powerful!"

Why the Quiet?

If you've been checking back here this week, you may have noticed a bit of a lull here at MoCo Moms. My apologies for that. Despite all our preparations for trying to avoid illness (H1N1 vaccine, seasonal flu vaccine, handwashings, etc.), 5-year-old's been sick. It all started way back on Nov. 30 with an ear infection. His 102-degree fever's behind us now, but a killer cough has meant many sleepless nights in a row.

His illness was perfectly timed with the replacement of collapsing kitchen cabinets. Yes, that meant I had to empty all the cabinets and have my kitchen torn apart. Oh, and Hanukkah's been going strong.

We're all hoping Nipper's able to return to school tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you're up for a touching, tear-jerker, take some time to read this story of an Arizona mom who's battled back from a fiery plane crash that burned 83 percent of her body. Thanks to Lisa Belkin at the New York Times' Motherlode for pointing us all to Stephanie Nelson's story.

Holiday Bah Humbugs

It's the happy, happy holiday season. The air is filled with children excited about looming presents. Christmas trees are back at the neighborhood street corner. Houses are decorated with sparkling lights. Nipper's kindergarten class is reading about the gingerbread man. And just this morning, the boys put up our Hanukkah decorations.

Ah, December, the time of year when this Jewish girl turns somewhat defensive. It wasn't always this way. I grew up in South Florida, where large portions of the general population hailed from New York and were Jewish. Having so many kids like me around made Jewish holidays more normal, I suppose. And I always liked watching the boats all lit up on parade.

Then I went off to college at a well-regarded Midwestern school. There were Jewish kids there, of course, but somehow, I didn't really get to know many of them. At one point, I got so fed up with my friends talking Christmas this and planning Christmas that, that I asked for them to just once refer to the holidays as, well, THE HOLIDAYS.

I got a blank stare. "Some of us don't celebrate Christmas," I said, explaining I was Jewish. "Really? You don't look Jewish. You don't act Jewish." Needless to say, I was a bit perturbed about the whole situation and took to wearing my Jewish star necklace every December for years.

Now, it's my kids' turn to feel the December bah humbugs. Just take our recent trip to Disney, where the parade was entirely Christmas focused. Nipper, age 5, looked up at me innocently and asked why they didn't have anything about Hanukkah. At the airport on the way home, a TSA worker in the family line couldn't stop hounding them about Christas, even after the kids said they celebrate Hanukkah. Soon after, a woman in line to get on the plane did the same. After school, friends are abuzz with talk of putting up Christmas trees, asking when we're getting ours. I speak up for Pumpkin Pie, age 8, and say we don't put a tree up in our house. It's not such a big deal to 8-year-olds. They know that some kids celebrate Hanukkah, some Kwanzaa, some Christmas and some nothing at all. But, at the same time, my son knows who the other 3 Jewish kids in his grade are (out of roughly 60 kids). He knows that somehow, he's just a little different.

Maybe this is why I whip up a great batch of latkes every year and share with some of the neighbors. Or why I suggest to kindergarten teacher that there's a Jewish version of the gingerbread man that she can read to the kids, too. And why our rule of gifts under $5 seems to have sprung wider and bigger in the past couple of years. Or why I should probably bring the kids to some local Hanukkah celebration ... just so they can see lots of other kids are in the same boat as them.

Here's a list of those, by the way, around town:

• Hanukkah on the Ellipse: Music, latkes and donuts, dreidels and menorahs and more.
• Hanukkah Wonderland at Kentlands in Gaithersburg: Hosted by Chabad of Upper Montgomery County. Events run throughout the holiday.
• Lights, Latkes and Laughs: Rockville JCC's event runs from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday
• Chanukah Magic and Miracles: a Community Chanukah Celebration: The DC JCC bills this as "Mad Science lights up the 16th Street J's Community Chanukah celebration."

Happy Hanukkah everyone!

And Finally, H1N1 Vaccines for All

Montgomery County is opening its first walk-in H1N1 vaccination clinic to the general public, adding healthy adults and seniors to the target groups currently being vaccinated.

Here's the latest schedule of clinics, announced today:


High-Risk Groups By Appointment Only:

• Tuesday, Dec. 15 in Germantown and Silver Spring: Nasal spray and injectable available. Call 240-777-4040 on Friday, Dec. 11, between 2 and 4 p.m. for an appointment.
• Wednesday, Dec. 16 in Silver Spring: Nasal spray and injectable available. Call 240-777-4040 on Friday, Dec. 11, between 2 and 4 p.m. for an appointment.

General Walk-In Clinic

• Sunday, Dec. 20 at Montgomery College, Rockville campus, 51 Mannakee St. time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Of course, all this follows analysis released earlier this week that H1N1 has thus far been milder than expected. While such information will likely have some of us rethinking whether we should get vaccinated (if we haven't already gotten the shot), experts are still recommending vaccinations.

Indoor Play Spaces

This week, Jessica over at A Parent in Silver Spring is running past and present profiles of indoor play spaces around town. Once upon a time, there were just few of these: Gymboree, Port Discovery in Baltimore (which I only recommend to older kids given how easy it can be to lose a little one in the 3-story climbing treehouse), PlayWiseKids in Columbia and Ikea (yes, yes, I know that's not an official indoor play space).

But the world of indoor play spaces has blossomed into a flourishing garden. The new Be With Me Playseum in Bethesda offers a cool indoor space for kids ages 9 months to 14 years old and it looks like TONS of fun (Just look at Jessica's photos!). If you want someplace to exercise along with your kids, FunFit in Rockville and Germantown focuses squarely on the childhood obesity epidemic by providing a place for kids AND parents to exercise. Interactions Learn and Play in Kensington, meanwhile, is all about kids ages 4 and under.

Folks in D.C. also recommend Jonah's Treehouse in Glover Park, D.C. (also for the 4 and unders). Of course, there's the overpriced Kidville in Rockville, which has gotten a couple of good reviews on DC Urban Mom; mostly, though, everyone agrees, it's just too expensive.

And the latest, just in from the Silver Spring Moms Yahoo Listserv:

PlayWise Kids' new manager wrote to a parent that PlayWise is hoping to sign a lease in downtown Silver Spring. This is far from a done deal, folks. Andrew Ross tells the parent that his meetings have dragged a bit. He's hoping to open in January, but doesn't yet know if that will be realistic. Here's some extra info from Ross's e-mail exchanges:

"We look forward to having great events on site, including the Great Zucchini at least every other week. It will be smaller than our Columbia location,
but lots of fun still. We'll also have classes and are exploring with the
childcare licensing dept whether we can operate a drop-in daycare there
(part of the discussion tomorrow). If that happens, we'll have drop-in
daycare at all times -- if it isn't appropriate for licensing, we'll still
offer drop-off classes, clubs, and parent nights out on a scheduled basis. ...

We'll essentially have 4 stations (a store & kitchen, a toddler area, a room with a train, playhouse, sand table and few other things, and then a TBD
room (which could possibly rotate and was originally the sand room). We'll
then have a stage with puppet theater, dress-up and occasional karaoke, and
a centerpiece (likely a trampoline or possibly a moonbounce of some kind).
We'll have a small toystore setup and some tables for projects/eating. At
first, we won't be making our own food there, but we will have a
relationship with Fractured Prune and likely a few other places to bring
food in."

RIP: Once upon a time, Mayorga in Silver Spring was a favorite gathering spot of moms and kids. But Mayorga soon will be no more. South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association's Evan Glass confirms a rumor on SoCoEats that Mayorga is closing at the end of the year.

Lessons from a Homemade Mad Science Birthday Party

Slime = GREAT! Just don't try to pick up the bowl with your hands right after mixing up and handing out the slime or you WILL drop it on the floor. And remember to remove all rings before you slime up your hands or you could knock your ring right into the sink. (Thankfully, mine didn't go down the drain.) Oh, and don't listen to those Internet recipes that call for coloring the slime with food coloring. Use paint; it works, much, much better.

Alka Seltzer + Water in Film Canisters = FUN! (Film canisters found at Penn Camera on Rockville Pike in case you want to replicate this one. You must use the canisters with tops that seal tightly.)

Toothpick towers built with candy and other junk food -- Engaging, but not so successful, surprisingly.

Mentos in Diet Coke = One big mess with lots of laughs.

Thank goodness the snow fell the day BEFORE the party.

Weekend Best Bets: Dec. 5-6

Dollar Days at the National Aquarium in Baltimore: It's better than Cyber Monday! It's get into the coolest aquarium in our region for $1! There are some caveats here: Admission opens at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, tickets are limited and not available for advance purchase. Plus, the lines get long. So, arrive early, dress warmly and prepare for rain if you go on Saturday. There won't be any dolphin shows on Dollar Days. And remember, this is a no-stroller place. The aquarium also reports that there will be special dollar discounts in the gift shop and at the cafe.

Chanukah Wonderland: Chabad is hosting Hanukkah playtime at Kentlands Market Square in Gaithersburg. The first day of the event, Dec. 6, will focus on decorations for the holiday. Then, during Hanukkah, there will be challah, latkes, jelly donuts, edible menorahs and Hanukkah paddleball. Sunday time: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Annual Holiday Lights Displays

There are four main annual lights displays in our area. The best of the bunch, in my opinion is Brookside Gardens' Garden of Lights display. The folks at Brookside spend weeks putting up all the lights. This year, they report two new displays on their Web site: a flock of geese landing in the Gude Garden and an 11-foot giraffe covered with 9,000 lights. In addition to the 940,000 lights presented in a non-secular, natural theme of celebration, Brookside also has an indoor train exhibit. When the weather feels too frightful and you're ready to warm up, head indoors for live music and warm cider. The exhibits are open every night through Jan. 3 except for Dec. 24 and 25 from 5:30 until 9 p.m. The last car is admitted at 8:30 p.m. If this year is anything like years' past, you're best off both going early in the holiday season and getting there early in the evening. The cost is by the carload: $15 on Monday-Thursday nights, $20 cash on Fridays through Sundays. Discount weekend tickets ($15) can be purchased in advance at the Brookside conservatory or visitors center.

Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival: Seneca Creek State Park lights up with more than 380 illuminated displays and 60 animated vignettes along 3.5 miles. Unlike Brookside's display, this one's a drive-through, so there's no need to worry about chilly weather. Times: Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. Closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Cost: $12 cash per car Monday-Thursday; $14 per car on Friday-Sunday. Two dollar discount coupons valid Monday through Thursday only are available at nearby Lakeforest Shopping Center.

Zoolights: If you'd rather see animals at night with your holiday lights excursion, you may want to try the National Zoo's Zoolights. Maybe because the zoo's so much larger than Brookside, or maybe because it's still in its infancy in relation to the number of years Brookside's been doing this, but Zoolights pales in comparison. The lights are good, but not as interesting and with less motion than Brookside. Still, if you're in the city and want to experience it for yourself, here are the details: $5 for FONZ members, $8 for non-members. Dates: Friday through Sunday nights on Dec. 4-13; every night from Dec. 18-Jan. 2 except Dec. 24, 25 and 31.
(Every night except December 24, 25, and 31). Time: 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple in Kensington: If you'd like a more religious experience, friends recommend this annual December light display. It's got a light display, an outdoor Nativity scene, international Nativity scenes indoors and 16 decorated Christmas trees. The temple is open until 10 p.m. on weekends.

Now Showing:

Mulan: Imagination Stage. Here's a story about it in The Washington Post. Tickets cost $10-$21.

The Nutcracker: The Puppet Co. at Glen Echo. Tickets cost $10

The Little Engine That Could: Opens Dec. 7 at Adventure Theater in Glen Echo

Sleeping Beauty: Pumpkin Theatre in Baltimore. Tickets $12 in advance, $13 at the door.

More H1N1 Vaccine Clinics Announced

Montgomery County is holding more H1N1 vaccine clinics to vaccinate a total of 5800 more people. Here are the details:

By Appointment Only

• Dec. 7 in Silver Spring: Call 240-777-4040 on Friday, Dec. 4 between 3 and 4 p.m. for an appointment.
• Dec. 9 in Silver Spring: Call 240-777-4040 between 2:30 and 4 p.m. for an appointment.
• Dec. 10 in Germantown: Call 240-777-4040 between 2:30 and 4 p.m. for an appointment.

Clinics will have both injectable and nasal spray vaccines. These clinics are only for people in high risk groups: Children and young adults ages six months to 24 years; pregnant women; adults 25 to 64 years of age with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS or cancer; adults who are caretakers of infants younger than six months of age, and health care and emergency medical services workers.

Walk-in Clinic

The next walk-in clinic for high-risk people will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 20 at Montgomery College's Rockville campus at 51 Mannakee Street. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Just a reminder to dress warmly, bring water and snacks, and prepare to wait. The Montgomery County Department of Health warns that people in this line will wait partially outside.

Will Facebook Changes Make It More Private?

I am, admittedly, a fan of Facebook. I was one of the first non-college adopters, at first learning the tool for work. Then, later, enjoying the simplicity of networking via status updates and sharing photos with a few clicks. It's amazing to me that the tool's only been around for five years. It feels like it's been a lifetime.

For years, my privacy settings were so strong that even friends looking for me couldn't find me. After I loosened them a bit, I'd wonder every time I posted pictures of the boys whether it could cause a problem down the line. I've often "chatted" with a niece and nephew about posting carefully on the site.

So, it's heartening to read the latest changes coming to Facebook, presuming that they really do deal with some of the rather large social networking sites' flaws. Here are some outtakes from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg:

Facebook's current privacy model revolves around "networks" — communities for your school, your company or your region. ... However, as Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we've concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy.

The plan we've come up with is to remove regional networks completely and create a simpler model for privacy control where you can set content to be available to only your friends, friends of your friends, or everyone.

We're adding something that many of you have asked for — the ability to control who sees each individual piece of content you create or upload. In addition, we'll also be fulfilling a request made by many of you to make the privacy settings page simpler by combining some settings.

Since this update will remove regional networks and create some new settings, in the next couple of weeks we'll ask you to review and update your privacy settings. You'll see a message that will explain the changes and take you to a page where you can update your settings. When you're finished, we'll show you a confirmation page so you can make sure you chose the right settings for you. As always, once you're done you'll still be able to change your settings whenever you want.

We've worked hard to build controls that we think will be better for you, but we also understand that everyone's needs are different. We'll suggest settings for you based on your current level of privacy, but the best way for you to find the right settings is to read through all your options and customize them for yourself. I encourage you to do this and consider who you're sharing with online.

Will this be the perfect solution, the one that makes me post more pictures of my kids without worry? Only time will tell. But for now, thank you good Facebook folks for at least thinking about my family's social media privacy.

School Open Houses

Happy December! In this crazy world of planning for children's schooling, it's the time of year when a parent's workload can get hectic.

Preschool and private school applications (and testing) need to get done in time for January deadlines. While it's easy to get caught up in the hoopla, it's also good to remember that schooling decisions can always be changed the following year. Kids are more flexible than we parents sometimes give them credit for.

Just look at Pumpkin Pie (who is turning 8 next week!). Our first nanny left us three months before he turned 2, when I was already planning on putting him in a local preschool that is now officially "on hiatus" -- Shaare Tefila. So, off he went to a day care in the Thurgood Marshall building downtown for three months, then to Shaare Tefila. When he finished up his "fours" year in preschool, he was too young for kindergarten and the school decided to unexpectedly move. So, well after those January deadlines, I was forced to find a new preschool. Enter Silver Spring Learning Center, which had a terrific "older" fours class. After his last year of preschool, it was off to elementary school. And despite all my hand-wringing over whether he'd survive, he's just fine. He loved all his schools and all the friends he made.

I've been digging around the Web to put together a calendar of school open houses. This is intended to make your lives just a tad easier. The list is by no means complete. If you know of an open house somewhere in the county, please send it to mocomoms@gmail.com. Also, many preschools, like the well-liked Children's Learning Center in Rockville don't have open houses posted on their Web sites. Your best bet for preschools are to call those you are interested in and schedule a tour with the director. If you want a fairly comprehensive list of preschools in Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Parents of Multiples group sells booklets for $10 plus $2 shipping.

Sibling Rivalry Workshop

Are you tired of your kids bickering all the time? PEP, our very own local parent encouragement program, is holding a workshop on defusing sibling rivalry and fights on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at PEP's Kensington location, 10100 Connecticut Ave.

The workshop costs $30 per person or $55 per couple for non-members and $25 per person or $45 per couple for PEP members. Call 301-929-8824 to pre-register.

Traveling Tidbits

Happy Monday after Thanksgiving! I'm back from a fabulous trip to California with family with some tidbits of useful information:

1. At a gathering yesterday, a woman I met shared a terrific story of generosity. Someone freecycled Thanksgiving meal leftovers as dinners for four available for pickup after 2 p.m. (I think this was in Laurel).  While I've got no information on how many takers the Thanksgiving meal freecyclers had, I loved this idea of sharing the wealth of food. Of course, that may be because my sister and I cooked up a feast fit for way more people than we had! Anyways, if you're preparing a large Christmas feast next month, think about sharing your extras!

2. San Francisco airport's TSA family line may have just been the best invention of recent times. I will admit that when I read eons ago that the TSA was implementing family lines at airports, I was a bit skeptical that we'd be stuck waiting in long, slow lines while all those non-kid folks whizzed through security. Instead, we got through easily with little wait while everyone else endured massive lines. The only downside: The TSA security woman who kept asking my kids if they were excited for Christmas even after the kids said they celebrate Hanukkah.

3. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., really is doable in 12 hours on a Monday. Tiring, yes. Expensive: absolutely. A bit aged: yep. Fast Pass, which lets you sign up for one ride and then go on another while you wait, is quite an improvement from my childhood. The boys' favorites: Tomorrowland's Astro Blasters and Star Tours (a hydrolic Star Wars adventure).

H1N1 December Vaccine Clinics Scheduled

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Sister and I spent the day cooking up way more food than any large group should eat. We're exhausted, but having fun.

In the meantime, Montgomery County has announced two December H1N1 vaccine clinics. Here's the info:

December 2: This by-appointment-only clinic for children ages 6 months to 35 months is from 9 a.m. to noon. Both the nasal spray and the injectable vaccine will be offered; there are 300 doses available. Call 240-777-4040 for an appointment on Monday, Nov. 30 from 3 to 4 p.m.


December 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: This is the first open Montgomery County clinic in quite awhile. Five thousand doses will be available first-come, first-served to the target groups. The clinic will be at the Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee St., Physical Education Center.

Weekend Best Bets: Nov. 21-22

Happy weekend before Thanksgiving everyone.

First and foremost this weekend is the Thanksgiving Day parade in downtown Silver Spring from 9:30 to noon on Saturday. The weather should be nicer than most years (a partly sunny day of 59 degrees is forecast), and the parade's always a kid-pleaser.

Farther north, the Sugarloaf Festival at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds will feature artist demonstrations, including glass blowing, copper spinning, ironforging, and pottery and furniture making. The festival, which features around 350 artists, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Heading down into D.C. on Sunday, the Great Zucchini will be opening for Rocknoceros at the Sixth and I historic synagogue. The doors open at 10 a.m. for the 10:30 show. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

If you've been considering a Musikids class, Sunday's the day to check it out. Kids up to age 5 can try out a free class between 10 a.m. and noon. MusiKids is at 4900 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. For more information, call 301-215-7914.

Coming Soon:

Is your child a fan of Henry and Mudge? Then you won't want to miss the musical based on the books. It's at Montgomery College's Rockville campus at 11 a.m. on Nov. 28. If this date doesn't work for you, the TheatreWorks presentation of the musical will be at the Lisner Auditorium on the GW campus on February 16.

Dollar Days at the National Aquarium: I've put this information in the calendar over on the right, as well, but whenever you can get into the aquarium in Baltimore for a buck, it's worth the trip. The aquarium's Dollar Days are Dec. 5 and 6. Plan to arrive by 10, as the number of dollar tickets is limited and you can't reserve them in advance.

Friends from New York have all told me stories of watching the Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall with sparkles in their eyes. Well, the Rockettes are on tour and will be at the Verizon Center from Dec. 18 through Dec. 20 for a Christmas show.

And continuing on the theme of the holiday season, the Washington Revels, which recently moved their headquarters into Silver Spring, is holding it's annual Winter Solstice celebration at the Lisner Auditorium on Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 11-13.

And a note from me: I'll be offline this coming week, spending some time with family. Besides being holiday month, December is also when all the school open houses (preschools, private and immersion programs) get into full swing. I'll have more on that once I return.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

H1N1 Vaccine Updates

Montgomery County has announced another H1N1 vaccine clinic, this one for adults ages 18 to 64 with chronic health conditions. The clinic will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Nov. 24. For an appointment, call 240-777-4040 on Monday, Nov. 23 between 3 and 4 p.m. Callers will be asked for their name, phone number and doctor’s name when making an appointment

In addition, D.C. announced a change in its H1N1 vaccine clinics a few days ago. The clinics, which will continue to serve priority groups for the next two weeks, have moved from school buildings to park and recreation centers around the city. "The move will allows DOH to use larger spaces for giving out the vaccine and provide more indoor space for residents to wait in as the weather turns colder," according to the news release. The next dates are: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at Kennedy Recreation Center and Hillcrest Recreation Center and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov.21, at North Michigan Park Recreation Center and Bald Eagle Recreation Center.

Teaching to the Test

Last night, I attended Literacy Night at school. The teachers were impressive, the information useful. But this is the second time in about a week (the first being at parent-teacher conferences last week) that I realized just how much teaching to the test is going on.

In kindergarten and first grade, I'd heard such talk from parents of older kids. But other than MSA practice for older kids disrupting the younger ones' schedules, I hadn't really experienced it.

Do you know, for instance, what a BCR is?

The answer: Brief Constructed Response. If you're scratching your head, saying "huh?" you're not alone. Here's how it works. Child reads or is read to. Child answers question. For instance: What is the problem and solution? Use details to explain your answer. The details part is the catch here. Not only must a child be able to identify the information, the child also must be able to refer to information from the text to explain how he knew the answer. Oh, and not too many details, please. The answer shouldn't be longer than a paragraph as it needs to fit in a specified box.

I followed up with kid this morning. Do you know what BCR is? Yes, he said, answering brief constructed response. Do you know what that means, I asked? "No," he said with that deer-in-a-headlights look.

We learned last night about the developmental inappropriateness of memorizing lists of spelling words and how to approach them through patterns. We learned about different games we could play to make reading work fun. We learned about the importance of continuing to read aloud to our second-graders. So, how 'bout those BCR's? They're really developmentally-appropriate, huh?

Our Sweet and Salty Schools

Earlier this month, Hemi Weingarten wrote about one of those things I always think but don't say enough. The food at our schools is not helping kids.

Weingarten's nemesis? Chocolate milk. To be fair, I, too, love chocolate milk. It's not completely banned in my house. Rather, it's a treat here and there, particularly for Nipper, who loves the stuff. But what drives me crazy is walking into our school's cafeteria and seeing the lunch ladies OFFERING chocolate milk to kindergartners. Walk around the cafeteria and you'll see very few children with plain milk. If a slightly different approach were taken, such as giving chocolate milk only on demand with those little ones, I'm willing to hold out hope that fewer kids might spend their afternoons on a sugar high.

That point hopped into my head this morning as I read about a successful breakfast program in D.C., which also mentioned Montgomery County Schools' breakfast program. In the program, some schools are providing kids breakfast in the classroom. Personally, I think this is a fabulous idea and am thrilled the schools are noting officially that kids learn better when they've been fed. (Yes, yes, many of us could have told them that!) But here's what threw me into a tizzy: The meal described is Fruit Loops, milk, juice and graham crackers. I hate to be the person around when those kids come crashing down from all that sugar and those carbohydrates. How about bananas, apples, oranges or grapes anyone? Or maybe a cereal that's not a dessert?

But just look at a few food items on the Montgomery County Schools menu, which does have some whole grain cereals and grains along with oatmeal, and the list is only slightly better: French toast sticks with 8 grams of sugar and 2 grams of trans fat (syrup, by the way, adds an additional 18 grams of sugar); egg and cheese wraps with 490 milligrams of sodium, strawberry milk with 23 grams of sugar. And that pizza my 7-year-old insists on eating every Friday for lunch: 13 grams of fat (4 saturated) and 920 milligrams of sodium (that's almost as much as he should have in a single day!). While such things are fine every so often, our school offers pizza twice a week. And when my son forgot his lunch and ate school food last week, he said he couldn't even find fresh fruit or a simple grilled cheese sandwich to grab.

I know schools have a huge undertaking to feed tons of kids at an unreasonably low cost, but come on. Healthier foods should be in the forefront; the unhealthy ones should be less accessible. Somehow I can't imagine I'm the only one who feels this way. Anyone else?

Montgomery County Schedules Two More H1N1 Clinics

The county has two new H1N1 clinics scheduled for this next week.

The first one is Wednesday, Nov. 18, for children ages 6 months to 35 months old. Only 300 doses are available for this appointment-only clinic, at which both nasal spray and injectable vaccine will be given. Call 240-777-4040 on Monday between 3 and 4 p.m. for an appointment. Obviously, the earlier you call, the more likely it is that you'll get a spot. The county's H1N1 page does not list where this clinic will be located.

The second one will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College (the physical education building). Vaccines (5000 are available) will go to the priority groups on a first-come, first-served basis. These groups are: children ages 6 months to 24 years, pregnant women, parents/caregivers of children younger than 6 months, Adults ages 25-64 with chronic health conditions, and health care and emergency medical service workers.

In addition, the county now recommends that you bring snacks, water and entertainment for children as you should expect to wait for your vaccine. (And yes, we did sort through all that weeks ago!) When you arrive at a clinic, you should expect to receive a numbered ticket.

Weekend Best Bets: Nov. 14-15

If your child is anything like mine and can tell you the difference between an Allosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, look no farther this weekend than the Maryland Science Center. Noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday is Dino Day. There will be the typical digging for fossils. Plus, a live reptile show, and dinosaur crafts.

If the rain ever stops, and yes, it's supposed to by Sunday, head on over to the National Gallery of Art Ice Skating Rink. Yes, Wheaton and Cabin John, and even the ice rink in College Park are closer. But there's something magical about  skating outside to music, surrounded by sculpture. Saturday is the outside rink's opening day for the season.

Finally, the Montgomery County recycling center, which is one of those great, little-known spots to bring kids for a tour on an indoor kind of a day, is celebrating America Recycles Day by providing shredding and donation locations on both Saturday and Sunday. Click here for more information.

Coming Soon: Next week is the big Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown Silver Spring. And on Nov. 27, the Garden of Lights opens at Brookside Gardens. For those of you with Thomas enthusiasts, a Day Out With Thomas will be at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania from Dec. 4 to Dec. 6.

Overheard -- Bakugans

It's Day 2 of half-day school (hence the slowdown in blogging around here). And today is Bakugan play date.

Bakugans have recently infiltrated our house. And the appeal for elementary school boys is somewhat amazing. Little round balls roll onto magnetized cards to open. They battle each other with g forces, ability cards and rather inane rules. Somehow, via basic addition, someone wins and someone loses.

The appeal is universal, whether the child is a follow-the-rules-of-the-game kid or a pretend-play one. Here's how it goes when there are two types together:

Wow! Cool! Can we trade? I really like that one. You can have this one. Wait, no, that's one of my favorites. And on, and on, and on...

Let's play the game ...

This game is too weird. Why do you have to follow the rules?

That's just how the game is.

Well, you don't have to do it that way. This game is too long.

But you're winning. Look, you just won this card.

I just like the Bakugans themselves; not the game.

Next up: Bakugans meet Transformers.

For obvious reasons involving boys and their toys (and yummy pumpkin bread in the oven), Weekend Best Bets will publish tomorrow.

Goodbye, Sniper

Seven years ago, Pumpkin Pie was 2 months shy of a year and just learning to walk. The thought of keeping him indoors rather than out in the world exploring was a foreign one.

The time, of course, was during the Sniper shootings in our neck of the woods. There was a shooting by Michael's, which I think of every time I head over to the craft store in Aspen Hill. There was the constant hunt for THE white van, which, as we know now, was the wrong car.

And there was plenty of fear. Before Sniper, our neighborhood park was filled with nannies, parents and young children. During the Sniper Scare, our large neighborhood park became a ghost town. And still, every day at the usual gathering time, I took my son to the park. Only one other mom would be there, with her son, who is about 9 months older than mine. We'd chat about the usual things. And, of course, we'd talk about the shootings.

What was similar about this mom and me was that we both were journalists. She'd left her job at a major newspaper, I was still embroiled in mine. We wondered if, as journalists, we were less worried than everyone else. Were we simply too cynical to freak out about who could be lurking behind a tree? Were we so used to reading and writing about random acts of violence that when they entered our world, we were too jaded to care?

Whatever the reason, we  were out there, playing and enjoying life, when everyone around us was too afraid to bring the little ones outside. If someone was going to randomly show up at our neighborhood park and shoot us all ... well, we were willing to take that risk.

Eventually, of course, Muhammad and Malvo were caught, tried and convicted. And today, Muhammad was executed for his crimes.

As for my friend and me, we still don't run our lives out of fear. Even though, as it turned out, Muhammad and Malvo likely crossed paths with us way back then. After all, we all exercised at the same YMCA.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Twenty minutes. That's how long you'll likely get tomorrow or Thursday when you head into your child's classroom to chat with his/her teacher.

And as we all know, 20 minutes can go fast. So, here are a few tips to make the most of your session:

• Arrive a few minutes early so you are ready to head right in at your assigned time.
• Plan ahead for what you're doing with your kids. For one conference, I'm doing a parent/kid swap with a neighborhood family. I watch her kids during my conference and vice versa. For another, they'll be sitting outside the room reading books. The National Education Association recommends having your kids attend the conference with you. So long as your teacher is amenable, go for it.
• Be positive and collaborative.
• Write a list of questions for yourself ahead of time and prioritize them in case you run out of time. They can be about anything you're wondering about: Writing skills, spelling, homework, math, social skills, classroom behavior, science and social studies. The more specific you can be with the teacher, the more likely she can give you specific examples as responses.
• If you don't already have it, find out the best way to contact your teacher if you have further questions. Does she answer e-mail promptly? Is a note in the backpack better?
• If your child switches classrooms for one or more subjects, ask to meet with all of your child's teachers.
• Get a plan of action. By the end of a conference, you should know what your child is working on and the steps being taken at school and what you may want to do at home to achieve the goals laid out.
• Take notes and review them later. If anything is unclear afterwards, follow back up with the teacher.

For a list of questions to think about, check out the National School Psychologists guide to parent-teacher conferences or Discovery Education's conference tips.

Beware of Those MacLaren Strollers

Whether you've recently purchased a Maclaren stroller or inherited one from a previous parent, the recall that's expected to be released tomorrow is one to keep an eye on. News reports today are saying that the company is planning to recall 1 million strollers that have been manufactured between 1999 and today because a hinge on the side of the stroller can and has amputated little fingertips.

"The hinge is on the side of the strollers and there have been incidents with children getting into the strollers as well as when they're already seated in the strollers," ABC News reports.

The company, according to these reports, plans to send hinge covers to stroller owners.

3 p.m Update: Here's the link to the recall on the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site. The affected models, according to the news release, included Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. For additional information, call Maclaren USA at (877) 688-2326 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.maclaren.us/recall

Montgomery County's Next H1N1 Clinic

Pregnant women have another shot at getting the thimerasol-free H1N1 vaccination shot in Montgomery County. This one will be on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. by appointment only. For an appointment, call 240-777-4040 between 3 and 4 p.m. today.

D.C. Scales Back H1N1 Clinics

D.C. reported yesterday that it has vaccinated more than 11,000 people and still has enough vaccine to host more vaccination clinics for priority groups. However, the city is scaling back the number of clinics and will start to distribute the vaccine, as more becomes available, to pediatricians, family physicians and community health centers. There will still be 5 clinics per week for those of you planning to get the vaccine soon.

Meanwhile, there's no new word in Montgomery about more vaccine becoming available. As of Oct. 30, the CDC reports the following number of doses shipped to our area: 49,000 to D.C.; 306,900 to Maryland and 489,700 to Virginia.

In addition, the flu is widespread in nearly every state.D.C. is one of the few places where the virus is localized versus widespread. More and more, it seems like most folks will get H1N1 before they have a chance to get vaccinated, as David Brown reported in The Washington Post yesterday.

Weekend Best Bets: Nov 7-8

Happy November, everyone. The leaf pickup signs have started to show up on poles around the county, so I'm sure many of us will be raking and piling.

Playing in our big piles is one of the boys' favorite things to do. Of course, that doesn't make it easy to actually get the leaves to the street, but hey, isn't that what fall is all about?

For those non-raking hours, there are plenty of activities going on -- if you can stand driving after all the ongoing traffic light problems, which still haven't been fixed as of this posting.  Here's a link for up-to-date information from the county on that one.

First up, is the Montgomery Child Care Association's 5K and Wacky Run off of Needwood Road in Rockville. Proceeds from the event benefit the Montgomery Child Care Association’s Family Emergency Scholarship Fund, which provides temporary tuition assistance to MCCA families who experience a sudden financial hardship.Last year, the run raised about $8,000, according to its Web site. For the fun run, kids are welcome to come dressed in costume. There are three courses in the event: a flat/obstacle course, a 1/2 miler with a hill and the 5K. The signup deadline is by midnight tonight, so go sign up NOW! Here's the link.

Lego Master Build: Lego has FINALLY come close to our neck of the woods, namely to Anne Arundel Mills. Anyone who stops by the store Friday through Sunday can help build a 12-foot-Christmas tree out of Legos. So, for those of you who celebrate Christmas, it should be fun. Too bad, they don't have a menorah in the works, too.

Barrio Grrrl! for ages 9 and up is on stage in the Kennedy Center Family Theatre through Nov. 15. Here's The Washington Post review. And here's information on the show from the Kennedy Center, including a link to buy tickets.

Pumpkin Chunkin':  It won't be often that I recommend a long drive for an event, but this one at Great Country Farms is sure to be a hit with most kids. You can let your jack-o-lantern loose on the Zip Wire Sploosh or drop it on the Silo Drop. Address: 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont, Va. Admission cost: $8. Here's a link for exact times for each activity.

Do you know of another good event this weekend? Please add it in or e-mail me at mocomoms@gmail.com.

What To Do With That Extra Halloween Loot

After one of our early Halloween years, when Pumpkin Pie came home with a pumpkin filled with loot that weighed nearly as much as he did, I implemented the Halloween candy limit. That year, he picked out a few and I told him the rest was going to kids who didn't get to trick-or-treat.

So, yes, as my husband often reminds me, I lied and I'm not allowed to do it again. When I brought a huge container of candy in for my officemates, they thought I was the meanest mom ever.

Well, now, there are better things you can do with all that extra candy (presuming you don't want to eat it all yourselves). Here's one option:

Donate to the Troops: MoverMoms is collecting candy through Nov. 7. Drop-off locations are at:

• Bethesda home at 7101 Loch Lomond Dr., now through Nov. 7,  any time of day 
• Potomac home at 11110 Candlelight Lane, now through Nov. 6, any time of day
• Potomac home at 9504 Falls Bridge Lane, now through Nov. 6, any time of day  
• Chevy Chase home at 7202 45th St., now through Nov. 6, any time of day  
• Allentuck Landscaping Co., 24320 Frederick Road, Clarksburg, now through Nov 6, 6:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Anyone know of any others?

Cold-Weather Birthdays

Pumpkin Pie's birthday is about a month away; Nipper's is at the beginning of January. And so, the planning starts, along with my envy for all you folks who can plan for outdoor birthdays in the spring and summer.

Now that I'm on my 8th year of planning these things, I've had plenty of time to research birthday party options:

The Rough and Tumble Party

Gymnastics places around the county will rent their space for birthday parties. Parties at Silver Stars in Silver Spring and Bowie start at $305. MarvaTots off Randolph Road in Rockville is slightly less expensive at a starting price of $250. Of course, you could have the tumbling come to you, via the Tumblebus. Cost: 275.

The Sports Theme

Would you rather some other kind of sports theme, preferably at a lower cost? Well, try the bowling lanes at White Oak (minimum cost of $80). We hosted a party there once and have been guests at several others. The kids always have a blast. Another new find, thanks to mom Joan, who had to make a last-minute switch to an indoor venue recently: Extra Innings in Laurel. Parties start at $110.

Science and Nature Themes

These are the choices of both my boys this year. The Audubon Naturalist Society charges $200 for members, $250 for non-members. Mad Science starts at $240.

Bringing the Theme Home

Given that I'm not working right now, I'm not really into spending a lot to celebrate a kid's birthday. In fact, even when I was working full-time, I really wasn't into that. And so, we've traditionally brought the desired theme home in some way. There was the Frog and Toad year, when we read "The Button" and sent the kids on a scavenger hunt around the house looking for things (goody bags: Frog and Toad books). Last year, Nipper wanted to honor his two favorite animals: red-eyed tree frogs and cheetahs, and so hubby made frog and cheetah balloon animals that we hung around the room. And we played games like "frog, frog, cheetah" (yes, duck, duck, goose renamed). I managed to make the best looking frog cupcakes ever for that one. The rock theme involved finding geodes to crack with the kids and making homemade catapults  (paint stick, spool and duct tape) to launch ping pong balls into a basket. A friend has successfully hosted two Lego parties by buying bricks at the Lego store (Note to readers: The Lego Store is hosting a grand opening at Anne Arundel Mills this weekend). Kids pick topics to build from a hat and keep their topic a secret. Once all is built, there's a big guessing game around the table of what the challenge was. Party favors: What the kid built. Another past success: making play dough from scratch, playing with it and sending the stuff home

And so, not surprisingly, I'm now researching science activities to do with a bunch of 7 and 8 year olds and nature activities for 5-6 year olds. Suggestions anyone?

High H1N1 Vaccination Clinic Marks for D.C. Again

Despite the sporadic difficulties last week at Wilson High School and the long waits at Hardy Middle School for those tooling around town looking for H1N1 shots, D.C. is still scoring the highest marks on their H1N1 clinics from area moms. Here's the word from two moms who headed over to Coolidge High School on Saturday:

Emilia: "I took my 2 1/2 year old to Coolidge to get her shot. The volunteers were very helpful and the process was organized. We had a bit of a wait since we went around 10:30 a.m., but otherwise we had a pleasant experience. I'm also 4 months pregnant and got my shot days before at Kelly Miller Middle School in NE. I was 11th in line and I was in and out in less than 30 minutes."

Lisa says she "went to Coolidge High School with my kids on Saturday about 1:30 and we were out by 2:00. There were lots and lots of health workers. They had flu shots and mist for ages 2-24 and pregnant women. They ask for address, etc., but do not require you to be a D.C. resident. It was an easy experience.

The set up is in the new gym -- walk past the football field to the end of the parking lot -- and you will see the health workers."

Finally, Andy reports that McKinley Tech "was amazingly well-organized. People

were explaining things constantly, helping guide us, and we got to sit down in an

auditorium to keep things neat and keep people from shoving. It worked very, very well." Andy's wait time start to finish was between 35 and 45 minutes.

Anyone else want to report on their experiences? I'm all ears. Please post them in the comments or e-mail me at mocomoms@gmail.com. Here again is the list of D.C. clinics. And while it's not ideal that many MoCo moms are heading into the city for vaccinations, the city isn't turning people away. Here's what the city had to say about it last month.

Finally, many thanks to Montgomery County Health and Human Services public information officer Mary Anderson who posted in the H1N1 blog comments last week about the frustrations everyone, parents and health workers are experiencing in the county.

Trick or Treat Hot Spots

Happy Halloween everyone!

In lieue of weekend best bets, I've put together some hot trick-or-treating spots around the area. The creme de la creme, from what I hear is "Scary Perry" in Kensington.

Here's what mom Pam, who lives a few blocks away, has to say:

The block (Perry Avenue just east of University for one block) is closed to cars and houses virtually all do really all-out decorations. It is crowded, according to past news reports, with hundreds and thousands of people showing up. (Here's a Gazette article on Scary Perry from two years ago)

"The main tip I have, especially if your kids are small, is to get there the minute they open, which is usually at 6 p.m. (not sure if it might be earlier this year because it's Saturday). It is not too bad in terms of crowds between 6 and 6:45 but after that it is wall-to-wall people and I'm always worried about losing my kids in the dark. We usually move on to nearby streets at 6:45.

From a parental perspective, my favorite part of Perry is that they give each kid only one piece of candy per house because they get so many kids. Of course as kids get older this could become something they actually notice and resent but mine are oblivious and I like that we do a lot of cool houses and have only a small amount of candy at the end."

Besides Scary Perry, here are two other gems:

Takoma Park: Mom Wendy reports that there's a house at the corner of Maple and Tulip that usually does a literary haunted house every year. It's apparently put on by a bunch of adults who are into theater, including the directors from Lumina and Blair High School.

American Plant across from the Whole Foods in Bethesda has a Star Wars Haunted House, equipped with a corn maze that leads to Darth Vader, an X Wing Fighter and Yoda. Address: 5258 River Road, Bethesda. Time: 9-6 (store hours). Haunted House donations benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

If you're more into heading to a city-sponsored or mall event, here are some of your choices. Unless otherwise noted, all events are on Halloween:

Halloween Rocks Festival in Kentlands Market Square, Gaithersburg: Starts at 3 p.m. today.

City of Gaithersburg: Live entertainment, juice, glow sticks and crafts (for a $1 fee) at the City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 South Summit Avenue, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Monster Mash in Silver Spring: Halloween music, scavenger hunt, costume contest, hay ride and more from 2-5 p.m. in downtown Silver Spring

Takoma Park Halloween Costume Parade and Contest: Contest is at 4 p.m. at Carroll and Laurel in Old Town. The parade begins at 4:45 p.m. and ends at Piney Branch Elementary, where the award ceremony will be held at 5:15 p.m.

Halloween for Teens in Rockville: Middle-schoolers can come out for a Halloween dance and costume contest from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight at the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway. The event will feature the 95.5 WPGC Radio Community Street Team. Cost is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents. Student ID needed for entry.

Wheaton Mall Trick-or-Treating: 2-4 p.m.

Your Weekly H1N1 Update

There's lots to report from the past two days of vaccine and Tamiflu searching. Here goes:

1. D.C. had it's first clinic run out of the injectable vaccine at Wilson High School tonight. There's no word on the D.C. Swine Flu page about availability at the other clinics. Meanwhile, at Hardy Middle School, parents reported 3-hour waits, but still had praise for D.C.

2. Montgomery County is holding a by-appointment only injectable H1N1 thimerosal-free vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Nov. 4, for pregnant women ONLY. To make an appointment, call 240-777-4040 on Monday or Tuesday between 3 and 5 p.m. The county reports that it is currently out of all other vaccines right now.

3. All reports from yesterday's Montgomery County H1N1 vaccine clinics at area high schools was that they were a disaster. Several parents reported to me that the county started giving out the vaccine at 3:30 and was completely wiped out by 4:15. And several folks reported that they couldn't even get their cars close to Rockville High School and simply turned around and left.

4. If you're one of the unlucky ones with Swine Flu running through your house, your probably stressful hunt for Tamiflu hasn't gone unnoticed. The Washington Post took notice today of the shortage of the liquid form of the medicine, which, of course, is what all young kids need. Here's the important tidbit for those of you on the hunt: Call Kensington Pharmacy, where the independent pharmacists are experts at compounding.

An aside: Barring a continued fever in a certain 5-year-old, I'll finally publish the Halloween trick-or-treating info I promised earlier this week.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Yes, I'm tired of the rain, Particularly tired because 10 years ago, husband and I didn't have the foresight to question skylights in a bedroom. (And then we left them in place, even after a tree smashed one.) If you've never experienced the sound of rain on a skylight, think pitter patter on a metal roof. So, when Nipper hopped into my bed at 3:30 this morning with a slight sore throat that seemed more like a desire to cuddle with Mommy, well, that spelled the end of sleepy time for me.

Add to that a sore heel made temporarily worse by a cortisone shot yesterday, and let's just say, I'm taking the day off today.

Coming tomorrow, though, if I can pull it off are places to go trick-or-treating around Montgomery County. I know there are some fabulous places out there. But since my Halloween trick-or-treating hours are spent every year within a four block radius of my house, I need the rest of you to pitch in and tell all. Please e-mail me with the must-visit neighborhoods in your neck of the woods at mocomoms@gmail.com and I'll share it with all 750 of you and counting!

One more note: For all of you heading into D.C. for H1N1 shots, D.C. has loosened its H1N1 priority groups a bit. In addition to pregnant women and youth ages 6 months to 24, adults with underlying health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, and caregivers of children under 6 months, can now get vaccinated. The clinics will continue to be in every ward once a week for the next three weeks. Here's the clinic list.

Coming Soon: Dinosaur Park

Just last week, Pumpkin Pie said he wanted to go to Arizona to search for dinosaur fossils. Every so often, he chooses a new place where he thinks he might do such exploration. So, when I read this morning about a new soon-to-be-opened Dinosaur Park in Laurel, my heart skipped a beat.

What an AWESOME place for dinosaur-loving kids to dig. The new Dinosaur Park, which is near Laurel, is not yet open to the public, but it was dedicated yesterday, according to multiple media reports. It's a 7.5-acre piece of land that is now owned by the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation. "The main purpose of the park is to preserve these very rare fossil deposits," archaeologist Donald Creveling told the Baltimore Sun. "But we also will do limited public programs ... particularly geared toward children, where they can come and work with scientists."

While no details on the programs or public opening times and dates are available yet, Creveling did tell The Sun that Dinosaur Park won't be like one of our other favorites: Calvert Cliffs and the surrounding beaches. You won't be able to find a fossil and take it home. Instead, you might be able to find a fossil while being supervised by a scientist and donate it to the Smithsonian.

That's just fine in our house. The point for my kids is finding the fossils in the first place.

H1N1: Yes, D.C. IS Better Than MoCo

As much as I'd love to stop the one-trick pony of H1N1 on this blog and move on to other topics, this one keeps coming up. So, here's the latest:

1. The Wednesday evening clinics in Montgomery this Thursday will NOT have injectable vaccines; the county only has supplies of the nasal spray vaccine.

2. All reports over on the flu board on DC Urban Mom as well as word of mouth from other area listservs and moms I've chatted with at soccer and elsewhere is that D.C. is doing a fabulous job doling out the H1N1 vaccines. If you're child needs the vaccine, head there. The best locations for getting in and out seem to be in the NE quadrant.

3. For those of you wondering about the ingredients in said vaccines, Dr. William Sears has a breakdown on his Web site.

4. Some folks are reporting that they've gotten the vaccines at their pediatricians. A mom who brings her children to the Bernstein, Paxton, Feldman practice in Silver Spring got the vaccine there. And Hirsh Pediatrics reports they've got it in. So, if you're still searching, be sure to call your pediatrician first.

5. Yes, folks, H1N1 is prevalent and many, many folks are surviving it: While it's easy to worry with all the hoopla about the vaccine and President Obama declaring a national emergency over the weekend, it's important to remember that for many who actually get H1N1, they'll feel awful and then recover. At soccer this weekend, one mom of a 5-year-old described his H1N1 case as a fever that spiked to 104, a terrible cough and a week of misery. In other words, he had the flu and recovered.

Anyone else have information to share?

Get Your Money Back on Baby Einstein Videos

Yes, those Baby Einstein videos that you may or may not have lying around the house really were simply television babysitters. But let's face it; that's not news to most of us.

Still, because of Disney's marketing claims that the videos would make babies geniuses, you can now send your Baby Einstein videos (up to four of them) back to the company and get a refund of $15.99. Here are the details.

Going to D.C. for H1N1 Vaccinations

Mom Heather in Silver Spring sent the following information to other moms in her area this morning:

"I just want to let everyone know that I had a great experience last night getting the H1N1 shot and mists for my son and nephews. After hearing all the crazy Montgomery County wait stories, I decided to go into D.C. We went to Kelly Miller Middle School in NE and had a great experience. There was parking in the adjacent area, cross guards, no lines, the staff was lovely and kind to the children and they got stickers and candy. I highly recommend going -- you do not have to be a D.C. resident to get vaccinated. They had an ample supple of both the mist and shot. We got there around 5:45 p.m. and we were out by 6:20 p.m. Staff was literally just standing around there was such a small turn out. I would think the weekend clinic coming up may be more crowded, but I just wanted to share our experience."

I just followed up with D.C. spokeswoman Dena Iverson about the information. Here's what she has to say:

D.C. is not checking resident identifications. The county is not encouraging non-residents to come into the city because the District's allocated supply is based on the number of people who live in the city (not the number of people who work there). Turnout has been medium to high, numbering around 200 to 600 people depending on the clinic. Iverson doesn't have numbers of how much spray and injectable supply the city has, but said that the CDC has warned all jurisdictions of a slowdown of availability of injections.

If you decide to head into D.C. for vaccinations, here's D.C's Department of Health listing of where the clinics are. One extra note about the D.C. clinics, they are for kids and pregnant women only. Vaccinations for other priority groups will come later.

(Pre-Halloween) Weekend Best Bets: Oct. 23-25

This weekend, it's all about Halloween. Yes, yes, I know, the spooktacular trick-or-treating sugarfest isn't till next weekend, but try telling that to all those folks who want to lure you to their spots. A few interesting ones are listed here:

Calleva's Enchanted Forest: Brought to you by the folks who put on Markoff's Haunted Forest, the enchanted forest lets kids walk through different scenes interacting with stories that we grew up with.  "Fish with Hiawatha, cast a spell with the wicked witch, and enter a castle of classic lure," writes the Web site. Plus, you leave with a pumpkin. Recommended age: 8 and under. When: Oct. 23, 24 and 30 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. Cost: $10 person. Get Directions

For the older kids, you can try the spooky Markoff's Haunted Forest mentioned above. Beware, though, the two trails are terrifying. So, judge for yourself whether your kids will laugh at the spooks are get nightmares from them. Dates: Oct. 23-25, Oct. 29-Nov. 1. Cost: $25 all days except Oct. 29, when the cost is $20. Time: Dusk until all patrons are finished.

The Wheaton Haunted Train & Creepy Carousel  runs Friday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. The scary folks who put on the event recommend it for ages 8 and up. "We try to really up the scare factor at Wheaton," they say. Buy same-day tickets for $6 ($5 with a canned food donation) at the train station each day. Tickets will have a scheduled running time printed on them so you won't need to stand in line for hours. Instead, arrive at the station at least 15 minutes before your boarding time.

For the 8 and under or easily scared kids, the "Eye Spy" Halloween Train will be running in Cabin John Regional Park. Writes the Montgomery Parks Web site: "Kids can peer into the woods as they chug along, and pick out the friends they see hiding there. Is that Sponge Bob sitting up in a tree? And look! Isn't that the same friendly skeleton that's on my 'Eye Spy' card?" Cost: $5 ($4 with canned food donation). Dates: Oct. 22-Oct. 30. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. The same ticket purchase as the Wheaton train applies, with same day tickets on sale at the train station at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Boo at the Zoo still has tickets available for tonight and Sunday. 

In addition, there are daytime fall festivals around the area in Olney, Gaithersburg.

A fuller calendar now appears on the right-hand side of this blog underneath the Google ads. It's a work-in-progress. Please send your events to mocomoms@gmail.com to help me continue to fill it out.

Beyond Halloween (yes, it will come and go), a few events have come my way that may interest you.:

Sesame Street Live "1-2-3 Imagine! With Elmo and Friends" is coming to the Patriot Center Dec. 17-20. To purchase pre-sale tickets, use the password SEWP. Presale tickets are available until Nov. 8. Here's the cost breakdown, per the e-mail: Opening night: All seats $14! (excluding Premium & Gold Circle) Other performances: $15, $18, $27 (Premium), & $37 (Gold Circle)

Taylor Swift will perform at the Verizon Center on Friday, June 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23.

Share Your H1N1 Stories

Are you a parent who got the nasal spray without the wait two weeks ago? Did you wait in that crawling line last week at the Dennis Avenue Health Center for 2-3 hours and get your shot/spray without a problem? Were you caught in the craziness of Rockville today?

Dad Chris reports that he got in line in Rockville around 6:30 a.m. "The line moved pretty well when they opened up at 9," he said. His wife and daughter met them at 9:15; his daughter had the shot by 10 a.m. Here's what the line behind him looked like:

Meanwhile, mom Lisa, who got there at 7:30 was out of luck. She left at 10:15 sans shot for her youngest.

What about you?

Status Report on H1N1 Clinics

Last Wednesday, many of us sat in lines for 2-3 hours to get vaccinated against the H1N1 (Swine) flu with the limited supply in Montgomery County.  Today, in Rockville, the lines are just as tremendous, maybe even more so. So, if you're heading out to the Piccard Drive Health Center, 1335 Piccard Drive, Rockville, come prepared with coffee and snacks. You've got a ton of folks in front of you. Also, this just in at 10 a.m.: the Piccard Drive Health Center is OUT of the injectable vaccines. They started the day with only 200 doses.

Here's the scene via Ch. 5:



The next opportunities for getting vaccinated through the county are at high schools for the next four Wednesday evenings from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., starting next week. Here, again, are the locations:

• Northwood High School
  919 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring
• Northwest High School
  13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown
• Rockville High School
  2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville

In addition, most area pediatricians still report that they are awaiting shipments of H1N1 vaccines and many are currently out of the seasonal flu vaccines.

Also around town, I've heard some parental confusion about how the H1N1 vaccines should be administered. Here's a rundown via the CDC:

• Pregnant woman should get the H1N1 shots, not nasal sprays, which are not approved for pregnant women. H1N1 shots are made with killed virus, versus the nasal sprays, which are manufactured with live virus. It is okay to get both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 shot  on the same day so long as they are given in different arms. The shots can be given at any time during pregnancy.
• Nursing mothers can get either the nasal spray or the shot.
• Children ages 6 months to 9 years old need two doses of H1N1. These should be administered 28 days apart. People ages 10 and up can receive just one dose.
• Healthy children ages 2 to 24 can receive either the H1N1 nasal spray or the shot. Because of limited supply at the county clinic in Silver Spring last week, the shots were reserved only for people with underlying health conditions that prevent them from receiving the nasal spray and their caretakers.
• The vaccine is made with thimerosal; the county department of health advises that you get a doctor's prescription if you want thimerosal-free vaccine. However, those vaccines have not yet become available.

Denver Girl Denied Health Coverage for Being Too Small

In the "oh, my" category of news comes this little story out of Denver: Underweight Girl Denied Insurance Coverage." Now, I know this family lives across the country. And I know that this has little to do with any of us here in Montgomery County, Md. But seriously, denied coverage because she weighs too little?

Aislin Bates is healthy say her parents and her pediatrician. At age 2, she weighs 22 pounds, which puts her below the 5th percentile on the CDC charts.

Aislin's story follows another one earlier this month, also out of Denver, in which a 4-month-old breastfeeding baby was denied health coverage because he weighed too much.  In 4-month-old Alex Lange's case, the insurance company, Rocky Mountain Health News, changed its attitude -- and its policies.

While there are so many questions here, it's hard to get started, one that sticks in my head is this: What other small children have been denied health coverage because of their weight? If this is happening in Colorado, it must be happening elsewhere as well.

Join My Mom Panel

Today's Monday pickings are gonna be light today as what was supposed to be a quick into Boston/out of Boston weekend trip to unveil the plaque on my mother's grave turned into a getting-stuck-at-Logan-because-of-the-weather trip. So, now that I'm FINALLY back home, here's what's on tap for later this week:

1. Halloween: I know there are tons of great neighborhood events around the county. And I also know that I only hear about a sprinkling of them. So, help me inform all of you. E-mail me at mocomoms@gmail.com about any and all Halloween cool stuff that you know about. An entry's coming later this week.

And speaking of helping out MoCo Moms. My goal for this blog is to make it a rich resource for all moms over the next several months. To make that happen, I need help from some of you. If you're that In The Know Mom in your neighborhood, please e-mail me at mocomoms@gmail.com about joining my In The Know Panel. You know who you are. You're the moms who e-mail your friends about all the events going on in your neck of the woods. You're the ones who organize sports classes for neighborhood kids. You're the ones who take your kids galavanting around to tons of really cool places and see lots of the same familiar faces. If you're that Mom and want to join my panel, please e-mail me and let me know where you live. Ideally, I'll find representatives from Gaithersburg, Germantown, Darnestown, Olney, Bethesda, Potomac, Kensington, Aspen Hill, Fairland and any of the other areas I've missed on that list.

The Gymnastics Scene Keeps Growing

Yes, Rockville, you, too, have joined the kiddie gymnastics scene. The new player in town is called Dynamite Gymnastics Center and it's at 4956 Boiling Brook Pkwy. Like it's competitors around the region, it's got classes, open gym, summer and winter camps and hosts birthday parties. Original? No. But closer than Silver Stars or Hill's Gymnastics for folks living near the Pike? Yep.

In case you're wondering, the gymnastics scene around here has exploded in the past few years. Here's a rundown of some of the players:

Silver Stars: After being forced to close it's leaky Wheaton location, Silver Stars opened a facility in Bowie in addition to its warehouse location in Silver Spring. The Silver Spring venue is easy in/easy out with good instructors for the toddler/preschool set who can come in the quiet mid-day hours. But after school, it's a zoo. The Bowie location now boasts laser tag, which Silver Stars has been hyping to the max every chance it gets.

The Little Gym: Compared to Silver Stars, the Kemp Mill parking lot for the Little Gym is a dream. It takes a non-competitive approach to the sport and isn't just about gymnastics. Other offerings there include dance, karate and cheerleading.

Hill's Gymnastics: If your child is serious about gymnastics, this is the place to be. In our preschool days, there was a little girl who thought it was fun to do flips off a closet bar. As an elementary schooler, this is the gym where she ended up.

Fairland Gymnastics: Over in neighboring Prince George's County, the Fairland Sports and Aquatics Complex houses competitive gymnastics and trampoline tumbling programs.

All that brings us back to Dynamite Gymnastics Center. The gym boasts a 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility with new equipment. It's hosting an open house from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. If you go or have tried their classes, let us know what you think of it.

Weekend Best Bets: Oct. 17-18

It's raining, it's pouring ... and it's downright chilly.

So, with early fall raking out and pumpkin patches not a great rainy, cold day activity with kids, we're heading indoors for some ideas this weekend. Here goes:

The Kids Euro Festival began this week. The festival, now in its second year, will host free events by European children's entertainers throughout the region through Nov. 10. Here's a schedule of events. Some offerings are opera for children, improvisational storytelling, puppetry, dance, and acrobatics.

Maryland Science Center: The Science Center in Baltimore is one of our favorites for indoor days. It's currently got a DaVinci traveling exhibit in house.  But what seems more interesting for kids is the Imagination & Creation Exploration in the kids room going on Friday, Oct. 16 -- when most of us will have our kids home from school. Kids will investigate Da Vinci inventions and explore how science and art come together.

Strathmore's Family Concert series is on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer perform both folk and silly songs. Strathmore recommends the concert for kids ages 6 and up. Cost: $7.

If you're more a museum person, the African Art Museum has an "Artful Animals Family Workshop" at 1 p.m. on Saturday where kids make masks inspired by animals in the museum's exhibit. Age recommendation: 7 and up. Cost: Free, but call to reserve a space.

And looking ahead to family events that require some extra planning:

The Wiggles will be at the Verizon Center on Nov. 5 and Disney on Ice will be at the Patriot Center in Fairfax from Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 25 and at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore from Wed., Oct. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 1. Here's a full list of upcoming family shows in the region via Ticketmaster.

H1N1 Flu Shots Are Now Available

Wednesday afternoon update: 

So, after seeing last minute that the H1N1 vaccine injectables are now available, I called the pediatrician, who had a small supply but has already run out, and then pulled my asthmatic son out of school to get the shot at the county-run clinic at the Dennis Avenue Health Center in Silver Spring. I'd heard the first clinic (nasal spray only) was easy in, easy out. Not so this time.

Parents who arrived at 8:30-8:45 reported a 2-hour wait after coming out vaccinated. Those of us who arrived in the 10:30 range didn't leave until about 1:30. The whole thing, wait included, was both well-staffed and well-run. The crowds were calm and the lines did move. But if you head off to one of these clinics, go prepared with water, food, coats and even lollipops or stickers for the kids. I'd forgotten the requisite shot lollipop and Nipper, who normally has no problem with shots, thought the needle was super long and hurt more than his seasonal flu shot last week. I attribute that to my bad mommy syndrome of forgetting the lolly. The nurse who gave him the shot lamented that she didn't have stickers to give the kids.

For those of you looking for the flu clinic info, here's  the latest from the Montgomery County Department of Health:

Free H1N1 vaccination clinics (providing nasal spray and injectable) will be held for priority folks first. These are pregnant women, children and young adults, ages 6 months to 24 years, household contacts and caretakers of infants younger than 6 months old, health care workers, adults ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, cancer and HIV. The currently posted clinic dates are:

• Wednesday, October 14 (That's today, folks)
  9 a.m. to noon
  Dennis Avenue Health Center
  2000 Dennis Avenue, Silver Spring

• Wednesday, October 21
  9 a.m. to noon
  Piccard Drive Health Center
  1335 Piccard Drive, Rockville

Free H1N1 vaccination clinics (both nasal spray and injectable) will be held for all children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years beginning on Oct. 28. Here are the dates and locations:

• Wednesday, October 28 from 4 to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 4 from 4 to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 11 from 4 to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 18 from 4 to 8 p.m.

Northwood High School
919 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring

Northwest High School
13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown

Rockville High School
2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville

Area pediatrician Web sites continue to report that they have not yet received the H1N1 vaccine.

Where the Wild Things Are

I LOVE Maurice Sendak's works: The "Where the Wild Things Are" characters are about as unique as they get. The illustrations in the "Little Bear" series still enchant. "In the Night Kitchen" allowed us a fun game when the kids were little of gently pounding them and stirring them like dough.

Throughout his career, Sendak has been no stranger to controversy: Both with the drawings of "Wild Things" when the book was first released and with showing the full anatomy of a little boy in "Night Kitchen."

But even a favorite author can go too far. And that, in my opinion, is what Sendak has done in a Newsweek interview recently about the Wild Things movie, which opens in theaters on Friday. The movie is rated PG, for any parents contemplating taking their little ones to see the film. A quick look at the trailer will show you that yes, the monsters look real, and yes, the boy truly travels in rough waters alone on the high sea. In case you're wondering whether the movie might be too scary for your little ones, there are some good Web sites that will tell you that sort of thing. Unfortunately, they haven't posted their reviews just yet. As for Sendak himself, he really doesn't care for any of us parents who consider whether a movie is too scary for our children before spending the gobs of money movie theaters charge these days:

Newsweek: What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?
Sendak: I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate.
Because kids can handle it?
Sendak: If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered.

In other parts of the interview (bonus interview here), Sendak pans movies that cater too much to little child/big parent sensibilities. After all, scary movies molded his childhood 70+ years ago (Sendak is 81) and life as a child is scary. While he may well be right, he needn't have been quite so angry and dismissive of those of us with children who won't sit through movies that scare them. I'd much rather have seen both Sendak and the others intricately involved with making the movie give a clear age range of who they think the movie will appeal to and who it's appropriate for and not. Yes, there are always exceptions to such questions, but general guidelines can apply.

Let's just run through a few choices in which information overload isn't a problem:

Finding Nemo: A movie perfect for the toddler set, EXCEPT the first scene where the mom and all the eggs get eaten by a barracuda. I discussed the never-before-watched scene with my elementary schoolers this morning, revealing in words the part they'd never seen. And even they agreed it wouldn't have been something they wanted to see a few years ago. Now, though, they both want to finally see it; and I'm happy to show it to them. On DVD, it's easy to skip that first scene without the kids ever knowing since the credits start after the shark attack.

The Wizard of Oz: The book was wonderfully imaginative and on our summer reading list a few months ago. We followed it up with the movie. Nipper (age 5) couldn't sit through it because he found it too scary. Instead, we let him put on a movie that wouldn't give him nightmares in another room.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- the original: Another book/movie charmer that was on our summer list. Neither boy was scared by the boat in the dark tunnel, but hubby recalls vividly that scene scaring him as a kid.

Charlotte's Web: I made the mistake of taking our kids to see this movie in their preschool days. As elementary schoolers, they'd be fine. But back then, the death of Charlotte brought a four-year-old to tears. My mistake: Pumpkin Pie has an intense love of all things living -- ants, spiders, beetles, crickets, cicadas, etc.

The Lion King:  Pumpkin Pie (age 7) hasn't seen the movie by choice. He knows the dad dies and made the call that he didn't want to watch a movie in which that happens. Again, information can be a good thing.

Will you be going to see Wild Things this weekend? If so, come on back and share your thoughts on age-appropriateness.