Here are some upcoming events at the zoo:

Nov. 25 – Free day.  No admission fee!  Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nov. 27 – Feast for the Beasts. Some animals will be feasting on traditional Thanksgiving dishes from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

December through February – Free zoo admission every Monday!

Dec. 1 – 24 – Deck the Zoo. Bring and edible wildlife ornament and get admission to the zoo for only $1!

Dec. 5, 12 and 19 – Cupcakes with Santa. Kids can decorate their own holiday cupcake.  They’ll create some unique holiday crafts and end the day with a visit from Santa himself.  Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Cost for children age 3 and older is $20 for ZooFriends members, $22 for nonmembers. Adults are free with a paid child. Pre-registration is required and must be made one week prior to the event. Register online at http://okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.

Dec. 5 – Wreath making class. Everything to make a holiday wreath will be provided. Cost is $20 for ZooFriends members, $25 for nonmembers and the class is for age 16 and older.  Register at the same site or phone number listed above.

Dec. 7 – Coffee Connections. This is a new, FREE program for ages 16 and older from 9 to 10 a.m. Meet at the Rosser Conservation Education Center to learn about the zoo and its happenings while sipping a cup of joe.

Dec. 14 – Santa is stopping by the zoo to delivery goodies to the animals from 10 to 11 a.m. Guests in the Canopy Restaurant can enjoy free hot chocolate and doughnuts and get pictures with Santa.  Activity is free, no reservations are required.  

Dec. 29, 30 – Winter day camps are available for ages 4-11.  They are from 9 a.m. to noon and cost $20 for ZooFriends members, $25 for nonmembers.  Snacks will be provided, but bring a lunch. Advance registration and payment are required.  Enroll at http://okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.

For more information about upcoming zoo events, go to www.okczoo.com.

~Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Experts will be available to give hands-on instruction on installing car seats and booster seats. 

“We are urging everyone to have their child checked to be sure they are using the right restraint – a car seat, booster seat or seat belt.  When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes,” said Christy Cornforth, local coalition coordinator, in a news release.  “Parents should not guess on the installation of their child restraint.”

The coalition says that according to a 2008 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4 out of 5 child restraints are critically misused.

Don’t be one of the 4.  Our children’s lives are too precious.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

“Ma-MEE!” he will say enthusiastically. I reply, “Yes, Cade?” as if he needs something.

Then, “Da-DEE! is shouted out as promptly as I respond. Daddy says, “Yes, Cade.”

And Cade continues his roll call:

“Issie!” (which is for Kaci)

“Nanny!” (which is for his sister Katie)

If any of us say, “Here!,” like you would in an actual roll call, he protests loudly. Or, if you don’t answer right away, he continues until you acknowledge him.”

“Issie!” “Issie!” … “ISSIE!!” Please, Kaci, answer him.

So, on a recent trip to Texas, one of our oldest daughter’s friends, Alex, came with us.

After a few miles down the road, Cade began:

“Ma-MEE!” …. Yes, dear.

“Da-DEE!” … What, Cade?

“Issie!” … Yes.

“Nanny!” … Yes, Cade.

“GAH!” …….

We all paused and realized he had named Alex “GAH.”

After we quickly explained to her what was happening, Alex responded, “Yes, Cade?”

– Linda Lynn

llynn@opubco.com

FREE Kids’ Fishing Classes

For ages 5-15, these classes teach casting, knot-tying, fish identification, angler etiquette and fishing regulations.  No license or permit required and equipment is provided.  Children must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Dates:
July 25 – Dolese Youth Park Pond, NW 50 and Meridian
June 20, Aug. 22 – Crystal Lake, 6625 SW 15
July 11, Aug. 8 – Metro Tech Springlake, NW 36 and Springlake Drive
July 18, Aug. 15 – Edwards Park Lake

FREE Swimming

City Pools are now open and admission is free all summer.  They include:
Northeast Pool, 1300 NE 33
Woodson Pool, 3405 S. May
Carson Pool, 8301 S. Villa
Minnis Lakeview Pool, 12518 NE 36.

Swim lessons are offered for kids and adults at all area pools for $20 per session.  For more information about lessons, or to get a free parks &  pools guide, call 297-2211.

Play in the Park

This annual program offers FREE supervised activities such as arts, crafts, games , reading and field trips for kids age 6 and older.  26 metro-wide locations have the program.  Click here for more information.

Father’s Day Downtown

On Sunday, June 21, Dad gets in free (with a paid family member) to:
Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno
OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive
Oklahoma City National Memorial, 620 N. Harvey.

So take Dad out on his special day and enjoy all downtown has to offer.

For more information about OKC Parks & Recreation’s events, go to  http://www.okc.gov/Parks/index.html.

-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
esmith@opubco.com

I’ll hold up my purse, a sheet of paper, his backpack, anything to keep the sun out of his eyes.  He’s even been seen sporting my huge sunglasses. 

According to Dr. David Granet, a pediatric ophthalmologist who writes in for BabyCenter.com, sunglasses for babies and toddlers is a great idea.  UV rays raise risks for problems later in life, including cataracts or poor vision.   Here are a few tips:

1. Wear sunglasses yourself, because toddlers want to copy their parents. I usually wear mine … unless he insists on wearing mine.

2.If your child is very resistant to wearing sunglasses, try a visor or cap.  I’m lucky that my son love baseball caps.  He’ll occasionally pull it down over his eyes to keep out the sun.

3. If buying sunglasses, make sure the label says it blocks 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.  The lens color doesn’t matter when it comes to blocking rays.  Of course, your toddler will look cooler with some heavy-tinted shades.

4. Good sunglasses don’t need to cost a fortune.  A good pair can be found for $10 to $50.  My son has Hot Wheels sunglasses that block 100% of rays and I got them for $7.  More importantly, he’ll wear them. 

I also used window sunshades when my son was an infant, on the two back windows and rear window of my car as an extra layer of protection.

Like using sunblock to protect children’s skin, protecting their eyes should be equally as important.  It’s not something you always hear about or think about, but just remember when you’re out in the sun, to protect those little peepers.

-Erica Smith, Copy Editor

esmith@opubco.com

It’s that time of year.  The lights, the parties, the festivities, the shopping, the trees, the STRESS of the holidays.  Most of us have more to get done than we think we can possibly handle, especially if you add kids into the mix.  But are there ways to at least reduce some of the stress this wonderful season brings? 

The Oklahoma City-County Health Department offers some valuable tips on simple things you can do to make this season a little easier:  

1. Save decorating until a week before the holiday.  Save irreplaceable decorations for later years when children are older.  My son is two, so I won’t be buying any Swarovski Crystal or Tiffany ornaments this year.   

2. Shop ahead, throughout the year, while children are at school or home.  Good advice, unless you’re like me and just HAVE to close the mall down on Christmas Eve, just for the fun of it. 

3. Limit the number of times children stay with babysitters while you attend events.  Not a problem in my house – my babysitter is terminally unavailable.  

4. Avoid forcing a frightened child to sit on Santa’s lap.  Young children often enjoy stories and pictures but the real thing can be overwhelming. I tried to force my son to sit for a Santa picture last year.  All I got was a photo of a distraught toddler with red puffy eyes. 

5. Avoid forcing children to welcome unknown relatives with a kiss or by handing them over to be held by a stranger.  Allow the child time to warm up. Also good advice, unless you’re my mother ‘Gwennie’ and in that case, there will be no warm up time. Because she said so.

 6. If weather permits, encourage outdoor play to release extra energy.  OK, we live in Oklahoma. This is not hard. It won’t be cold until at least Febraury.  

7. Keep routines as normal as possible.  Be sure to expect behavioral changes anytime routines change. I find that this is pretty much a given with a toddler, at any time, in any season, for any reason. 

8. When traveling with a young child, allow extra time on the road.  Take some familiar objects from home.  Establish a routine as close as possible to your regular routine and be assertive with relatives about how you enforce limits with your child. Unless, of course you’re ‘Gwennie’ and under her roof. Then it’s her rules … or else.

9. Limit holiday candy; give healthy treats along with the seasonal goodies.  So pumpkin pie counts as a vegetable, right?

Any more tips you’d like to share? Leave your comments here or email me at the address below.

~Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com

Not outside of course. It’s hot there! But in a tent in the middle of the living room.

My 5-year-old has been learning about camping at preschool, and so we thought it’d be fun to actually break out the tent stored in an unopened box in our attic.

Putting the thing together was fun for my husband because there were no directions. Bravely, he managed and we soon had a bigger-than-I-expected igloo-shaped domicile. My daughter collected an array of snacks for our “camping” trip and I turned on the Discovery Channel (the TV was right there) to find some scenery.

Despite the whirl of the ceiling fan, it was fun to imagine we were actually on a great adventure. Our dogs became “bears” prowling for snacks. We made fire-free S’mores with chocolate marshmallows and Ritz crackers.

But did we sleep there? Of course not, the floor is hard after all.

Next my daughter wants to go fishing. Maybe we’ll turn the bathtub into a “pond.” Do goldfish crackers float?

Susan”Scared of Mosquitoes” Simpson

By mid-April, as I watched the fuel prices climb, the “Big summer vacation” quickly became “What vacation? Did I say we were going on vacation?”

The good news is we don’t have to spend a lot of money to have some fun. It’s a fact that most good moms and dads must pass on to their children.

Sissy Osteen, Oklahoma State University associate professor and resource management specialist with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, knows where I’m coming from.

She offers the following suggestions for spending time together without overspending:

1. Do your homework. Be smart. Many hotels and resorts are offering rebates on gasoline and airfare. Go online and look for deals. While on the road, a motel pool is cheap entertainment for children and a free continental breakfast for a family of five is $50 that can go into the gas tank.

Above all, if you haven’t budgeted for a trip, don’t succumb to the temptation of using credit cards to pay for it.

2. Stay close to home. Route 66 still offers kicks. The car is still the cheapest formof family transportation and Oklahoma has more miles of the historic roadway to explore than any other state. Visit destinations  the family can reach and return home in a single day, and pack a picnic lunch to save on food expenses. Also communities throughout the state offer a wealth of free summer festivals and celebrations.

3. Let’s get together. Growing average life expectancy means retirement is getting longer for Americans. Hobbies are essential to happiness during retirement. This summer pursue an activity the entire family can share for many years. Begin learning to play tennis, golf or another sport. Learn to play a musical instrument. Take a class together. Buy cameras from a second-hand store and take up photography.

4. Not just for kids. The summer reading program at the public library is an experience the entire family can enjoy. So are volunteer programs. Teach children the rewards of philanthropy by involving the family in a community service activity this summer.

— Carla Hinton     

“You’re walking on the beach,” she’d say. “You can hear the crashing waves. A gentle breeze is blowing on your face.”

Then all of the sudden I could taste the salt in the air and feel the sun on my shoulders. I could hear that crunching squeak the sand makes when it slides under your feet. The way the sand feels cold between your toes but hot on the soles of your feet. The squawk of seagulls. This was powerful stuff because we were in the community center in Durango, Colorado.

My whole body would relax. I could feel a tingle up my spine and scalp and the hairs and the back of my neck stand up. That feeling you get when your feet are being rubbed and that exact spot that you didn’t even know needed rubbed until someone stuck his thumb there gets hit – utter and excruciating pleasure.

So the other day I got my weekly Travelzoo Top 20 newsletter in my e-mail inbox. If this isn’t something that you get, I highly suggest you sign up. Travelzoo is a travel deals Web site, http://www.travelzoo.com/. They claim they check out all of the deals they are promoting to make sure that they are legit, down to trying to book cheap tickets to make sure that you can actually get the prices that ticket brokers are advertising. Each week they send out the best 20. There was Jamaica and Las Vegas, call me crazy but neither have ever really appealed. Then there was Caribbean all-inclusives starting at $499 including airfare. Click.

I planned a whole trip to the Dominican Republic for my little family of four, which included airfare from Oklahoma City, all-inclusive accommodations at a family-friendly resort that was only a few miles away from a national park and some artist colony. I planned an excursion to the site of the largest mating spot for humpback whales … I was walking on the beach. I could hear the waves. A gentle breeze was blowing on my face. And all for the low-low price of $3,065.67.

It was within reach. 3,000 bucks really isn’t that much to take a family of four on vacation. And I even almost convinced my husband that we should use our tax return and stimulus checks to go there instead of paying off some bills.

We didn’t book it, but every once in a while, when deadlines loom and babies scream and the trash has to be taken out, I can slip into a quick Travelzoo coma. Because everything there is within reach. And when I come to I’m totally as relaxed as if I’d just had an hour message.

Try it.

- Lindsey Johnson

Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge: Age 3 and younger FREE.  301 W. Reno. 297-3995. myriadgardens.com.

Science Museum Oklahoma: Age 3 and younger FREE. 2100 NE 52. 602-6664. omniplex.org.

Oklahoma City Zoo: Age 2 and younger FREE. 2101 NE 50. 424-3344. okczoo.com.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art: Age 5 and younger FREE. 415 Couch Dr. 236-3100. okcmoa.com.

Sam Noble Museum of Natural History: Age 5 and younger FREE. 2401 Chautauqua, Norman. 325-4712. snomnh.ou.edu.

Oklahoma River Cruises: Age 5 and younger FREE. Regatta Park, 725 S. Byers. 702-7755. okrivercruises.com.

Oklahoma City National Memorial: Age 5 and younger FREE. 620 N. Harvey. 235-3313. oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Age 5 and younger FREE. 1700 NE 63. 478-2250. nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Frontier City: Age 2 and younger FREE. I-35 between 122 & Hefner Rd. 478-2140. frontiercity.com.

White Water Bay: Age 2 and younger FREE. 3908 W. Reno. 943-0392. whitewaterbay.com.

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art: Age 5 and younger FREE. 555 Elm Ave., Norman. 325-4938. ou.edu/fjjma.

Oklahoma Redhawks games: Age 2 and younger FREE. AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Dr. 218-1000. oklahoma.redhawks.milb.com.

Ford Center: Age 2 and younger FREE at most events.  For a specific event, call 602-8700.

Heartland Flyer: Younger than 2 – FREE, ages 2-5 half off fares. 1-800-872-7245. heartlandflyer.com, amtrak.com.

Oklahoma State Fair: Age 5 and younger FREE. 1-800-511-1552.  2008 Fair dates are Sept. 11 – 21. Tickets go on sale July 12. okstatefair.com.

If you know of any other venues or events that kids can enjoy free of charge, let me know here or e-mail me at esmith@oklahoman.com.  I’d love to add it to this list!

-Erica Smith