Tacoma Kids

The wonderful Grand Cinema, our local non-profit “art-house” cinema at 6th & Fawcett downtown, is partnering with Click Cable to offer FREE family movies every 3rd Saturday from March 21, 2009 to August 15, 2009, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM.

How’s that for great local support in the current economy?!!

They start March 21st with the Princess Bride. Here’s what’s showing subsequent months.

And if you missed Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, it’s playing there now. Support the grand!

Spring is just around the corner, and if it ever stops SNOWING, it’ll be time to head up to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Like the Sequim Lavender Festival (see previous post under July 2008), this is a primo day trip and great photo op. Located off of I-5 near Mount Vernon and Burlington, several large bulb farms feature special events during the Tulip Festival, which lasts from April 1 - 30th and features fields of daffodils and tulips stretching as far as the eye can see.

Bloom times obviously vary depending on Mother Nature, but you can check what’s going on in the fields with the “Bloom Map” on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival website to determine when is a good time to go. Weekends get pretty crowded, so if you go on a weekend be prepared for lots of traffic. It’s lovely to go on a week day and I have friends who have taken bikes and ridden from field to field and had a great time (note: there is a lot of traffic and riding is on narrow farm roads so this may not be a great riding situation for younger/novice bikers).

Check the website for maps to the farms, driving directions, and other community events going on, as well as tips on places to eat and stay if you want to make it an overnight trip. This is definitely a feast for the eyes, not to be missed!

Northwest Trek Animal Park is running a special deal Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend, February 14-16 2009. They are offering FREE admission for up to four children (regularly $10.50 each) with one adult or senior paying full admission.

It’s part of their “Kids n Critters” annual wintertime celebration. We have never actually been to Northwest Trek, but have always wanted to go, and I think this will be the time we check it out! More info available on their website: www.nwtrek.org.

We are currently (FINALLY!!! Don’t ask — long story) going through the joys of potty training with Reilly. We also just got a puppy. So I recently realized I absolutely cannot live without this product — BAC-OUT Stain and Odor Eliminator from BioKleen.

If you’ve got pee happening where it’s not supposed to, and you’ve got carpets, this is the stuff for you. (more…)

Santa train time is here again! They are starting this weekend (Dec 6-7) and run the 13 & 14 and 20 & 21st. This has become our favorite local holiday tradition, and we will definitely be riding again this year. There is nothing that says quintessential northwest Christmas like riding the train through the old growth forest in Point Defiance Park, and the Santa experience on the train cannot be beat. See last year’s post (December 2007) for more info.

The Santa Train is run by the Tacoma Chapter of the National Historic Railway Society out of the Camp 6 Logging Museum and all the info you need is on the website. Happy Holidays!

We came across a really lovely memory game made by this company, eeBoo, a company that says they are “about producing beautiful, useful and well-made products for children.”

I think they live up to their intent. Their games are made of nice heavy cardboard, and the illustrations have a wonderful vintage feel that make you think of treasured old childhood books passed from generation to generation. The subjects are fanciful (old fashioned robots, fairy bowers, animal circuses …) and the illustrations are whimsical and marvelous. They have everything from simple games (Bingo, Memory, Dominoes) to sketchbooks and journals. (more…)

Mike just came across what appears to me to be a very savvy parenting blog called the “Momversation.” Mike liked the “Sex after Baby” blog, and I laughed all the way through “Disagreeing With Your Partner’s Parenting Decisions.” The women in this blog really affirm what we are going through! Check it out — but be forewarned there is some colorful (read: rated-R) language.

If you are hitting the stores early for holiday shopping this year, here’s one not to miss: Childtrek Natural Toys, which opened in Freighthouse Square last summer.

They specialize in “unique, natural and eco-friendly toys for babies and toddlers … made of natural, biodegradable, recyclable, and/or recycled materials.”  They have all the great brands — lots of beautiful wooden toys from Haba and Plan toys, as well as a fun new discovery for us … Automoblox cars, which are beautiful little high-performance race cars with interchangeable parts. (All the neighbor kids are getting these from us for birthdays! My husband even got one for his 40th.) They also have my absolute favorite, Barefoot Books! (I love these so much I sell them … see ad at right). (more…)

The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA), which is based in Seattle,  is now offering classes in the Tacoma area — this sounds like real fun!

In class students will learn to walk on a tight wire, balance on a rolling globe, juggle, and tumble. We have not actually tried this, but have a friend who has been wanting to get her daughter into this for the longest time. Hopefully this will take off and they will expand their schedule in the future. Definitely something different!

Classes take place on Wednesdays in the Safety First Protective Personal Strategies space at 8307 27th Street W, University Place, WA 98466. (more…)

I love the website Parentcenter.com. (Also found as Babycenter.com) I got it from a friend when I was pregnant and have been getting regular once-a-month updates e-mailed to me ever since. This is the site I go to first when I have questions about development or need some ideas about how to handle different behaviors.

This month’s article was one I particulalry wanted to share, as the taboo subject of child abuse does not come up often. Thankfully, this is not a subject we have any first-hand knowledge about! I do have a friend (far, far away from Tacoma) who pulled her child out of daycare after noticing repeated bruising on her son’s arms. The following article on Child Abuse has some good info on how to recognize signs of child abuse, and also how to get a dialogue started with your child so they can talk to you about it if something does happen. (more…)