Girl’s life to be remembered Sunday
As some of you may remember, a little girl’s life was tragically cut short just a few days before Halloween last year. Zoe Montgomery was killed in a hayride accident at the Orr Family Farm when she was just 18 months old.
In remembrance of Zoe, her parents have set up a special balloon release this Sunday to commemorate what would have been her second birthday, March 29. It will take place at 2 p.m. at Resthaven Funeral Home & Memory Gardens, where she was laid to rest last October.
The ceremony is open to anyone who would like to show support on what will probably be a very hard day on this little girl’s family. If you would like to attend, go to Resthaven, 500 SW 104 St. Directions can be found online at www.resthavenokc.com or by calling 691-1661.
Zoe Montgomery, in an August 2008 family photo.
~Erica Smith
Just between us …
I can honestly tell you I’ve been waiting for it for weeks, if not months — the Just Between Friends spring/summer consignment sale.
The event, which organizers say is the nation’s largest children’s consignment event, is March 23-28 in the Cox Pavilion Building at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The event offers the opportunity for parents to sell and purchase used clothing, toys, furniture, strollers, books, etc. Whatever your child needs, they probably have it.
Last year, I found fancy holiday dresses for $4, a wipes warmer for $5 and a play mat for $10 for my now 5-month-old daughter. Last year, she was still riding around in the womb. This week, I’ll be searching for toys and clothes. She’s outgrown most of hers and will be need some new activities to assist her developmentally as as she prepares to crawl and walk.
Even though it costs $2 to enter, I like to go the first day because you get a better look at what’s available and can, hopefully, find better deals. But I believe they bring in new products midweek, Wednesday, I think. Friday all starred items are 25 percent off and Saturday items are 50 percent off. I hope this information helps you find some great deals and, of course, wonder products for your kids:
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Directions: The best directions I can offer are to drive toward the red, white and blue space needle. But here is the address in case you want to look it up: 333 Gordon Cooper, Oklahoma City 73107.
- Cost: $2 to enter the first day.
- Advice: Bring a laundry basket or bag to carry the items you want to purchase. Better yet, bring a friend to stand in line while you shop. Sometimes the line can be a little long.
- Payment methods: Cash, check, Visa and Master Card
- Information: okc.jbfsale.com
Ronisha Carpenter — This is Ronisha’s first post. She is a married mother of an infant daughter and is learning to juggle work and family and to appreciate the simple joys in life. She’s interested in learning more about how people strike a good balance between home, work and all the other things that compete for our time. Ronisha is a copy editor at The Oklahoman.
See dinos at the zoo!
It was the weekend we have been patiently waiting for … the opening of the exhibit “Dinosaurs Unearthed” at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
Saturday morning, my son had a toddler class at the zoo and even though temps were in the 30s, we still made the trek down to see the dinos after his class. He hesitated to go in at first, hearing the growling of these massive beasts from outside the exhibit tent. But after a little coaxing, he walked in, astonished at what greeted him.
The exhibit has huge, seemingly life-size dinos, skeletons, bones and even a sand pit for the kids to play in, to find dino footprints. All the favorites were featured – the triceratops, stegosaurus and of course, the T-Rex. They were animatronic models (think Jurassic Park) and some could even be controlled by the kids.
If I had to sum up this exhibit in one word, it would be AMAZING. I highly recommend a visit to the zoo to see these dinos. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily and runs through June 30. It is free with paid zoo admission. I’m sure we’ll be spending many weekends among the dinosaurs between now and the end of the June.
For more information about the exhibit and other events at the zoo, go to www.okczoo.com.
Here’s just a taste of what you can see at the exhibit:
~Erica Smith
Time to clear my head
Here’s just a few things that are on my mind now: London, yogurt, the Jonas Brothers movie, nightmares caused by school required reading of some books, potty training, finding daycare (see Erica’s post), time change, the one chocolate donut on my desk, Twitter (I still don’t understand it), that I need to wash my van, whether to buy a lottery ticket, what load of laundry to wash and throw on the couch next, high blood pressure, cholesterol (the donut package says it has no trans fats, but it has 25mg of cholesterol), my family photos need to be scrapbooked, what are we going to do Spring Break, what are we eating tonight (no donuts), temper tantrums, my sticky kitchen floor … how nice it is outside.
Let’s all take 20 to 30 minutes and go for a walk and clear our heads.
– Linda Lynn
Looking for child care?
Recently I have had to search for a new day care center because the one I’ve had my toddler in is set to close the beginning of July. Since I didn’t really have to search when I placed him there, I was trying to figure out the best way to approach finding a new center.
Oklahoma Child Care Resource & Referral Association, Inc. and Oklahoma Department of Human Services published pamphlets full of helpful tips on choosing the best possible care for your child. Here are a few of their guidelines:
1. Start early. As soon as you think you may need child care, start the process. Finding a suitable center takes time and some have lengthy waiting lists, especially for infants and young toddlers.
2. Make a call (and go online). The Oklahoma referral service is free and can provide facts and lists of options in your area. The number is 1-888-962-2772 or you can go online: www.oklahomachildcare.org.
Also, you can go to okdhs.org/childcarefind to search for different day cares based on your personal preferences (how may stars the center is accredited with, ages accepted, type of facility, etc.)
You can also call DHS to request reports on the day cares of your choice. They will detail complaints and violations. For Oklahoma County, the number is 767-2650.
3. Visit & ask questions. Look at important factors in deciding on a facility such as:
-Adult to child ratio. The fewer children to caregiver, the better.
-Group size. Smaller groups are safer and more calm.
-Caregiver qualifications. Find out about their training and education. Degrees/special training for taking care of children are key. Look at the turnover – have the caregivers been there a long time? If they are all fairly new, that may be a red flag. Also be sure someone is CPR certified.
-Star ratings. For any center, be sure they are licensed. DHS gives stars to programs for meeting certain criteria. The more stars, the more the center has done above basic licensing requirements.
-Policies. They should give you a detailed description of all their policies, such as meals, behavior, fees, vacations, field trips, medicine, etc.
Drop in unexpectedly to look around the center. Look at the food menus, methods of discipline, activities, playground areas and anywhere else your child will be. See how caregivers interact with the children. See if it’s the environment you would feel most comfortable leaving your child in.
4. Stay involved. Be a part of planning activities for the children (if there are opportunities for this) and attend any parent meetings. Always address concerns with the caregiver and director. That’s what they are there for.
5. Go with your gut instinct. The safety and well-being of your child comes first. I had visited 3-star day cares, day cares closest to my home and centers with good reputations. In the end, I had to go with my instinct. The center I chose is one in which I don’t think I would ever have doubts leaving my son.
If you’d like further information, or a detailed checklist on what to expect from a day care center and specific questions you should ask, call DHS and request a copy of the handbook “The Parents’ Guide to Selecting Quality Child Care.”
~Erica Smith
