Open House for New Guests...come find out why everyone's talking about Dream Dinners. Food Sampling, make a free dinner to take home and special incentives for in-store sign ups. Adults only, RSVP required. May 12th, 6, 6:30, 7 or 7:30 pm. RSVP to 626.796.7863 or eastcoloradoca@dreamdinners.com.

  Calendar, Advice, Tips for Busy
  San Gabriel Valley Families

Issue 162 · April 24, 2009
5,000 Subscribers --- Subscribe here

Mommy Misdemeanors, Sanctimommies and Lackadaddies

By Susan Carrier

They say that confession is good for the mother’s soul.

A few years ago, Romi Lassally started True Mom Confessions, a site that gives moms an outlet for their “mommy misdemeanors.” Stories on the popular site inspired Lassally to publish a book of essays, True Mom Confessions: Real Moms Get Real. And all of this dovetails with ABC’s newest sitcom, In the Mother Hood. The site encourages real-life moms to share their parenting adventures. Add to this hundreds (if not thousands) of bloggers who share parenting adventures and misadventures, and there’s a whole lot of sharing going on.

I often wonder how my own mom would have used the Internet if it was available when she was raising her three children in the 60s. I can only imagine what she would write on a mommy message board:

“I told my daughter to go out and play after I gave her a home perm and then forgot about her. When we took the curlers out, she looked like an electrocuted poodle.” OR “I refuse to share my Bugles corn chips with anyone else in the family.” Of course, confession assumes guilt, and I don’t think my mom felt a pang of guilt about my curly hair or the corn snacks.

Homework help, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. She not only felt guilt, she felt shame. She was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and regretted the fact that she wasn’t able to help her children with their homework. My brother and I were good, independent students and never needed assistance, but her abilities never matched up with her view of a “good mother.” Her chat room confession may have been, “I am ashamed. I cannot help my children.”

MORE BELOW

Family legal issues resolved Peacefully!
Custody, Support, Divorce Less conflict and lower cost!
Family Law Attorney & Mediator
Laurel Tuvim Amaya, Esq.
626-441-2473
www.Ltafamilylaw.com



Mommy Misdemeanors Continued

  My own “mommy misdemeanors” would sound a little different. I’m probably safe in assuming that I’m not the only mom who has locked her keys in the station wagon. With the toddler in the car seat. And the Airedale in the back.

  I may, however, be the only mom who faked a seizure to get her daughter out of the house. I had forgotten (for the second night in a row) to put the tooth fairy money under the pillow. She woke up, found cool sheets instead of cold cash under her pillow and came running to me. I felt like an on-stage improv artist who has to do something, anything.

  I started vibrating and asked her to go outside to get her daddy who was just leaving for work. When she made her exit, I slipped the money under her pillow. It didn’t occur to me at the time that my fake seizure was more traumatic than a no-show tooth fairy.

  I hope that this last tale doesn’t inspire any sanctimommies (sanctimonious + mommies) to get up on their high horses. I wrote about sanctimommies for The Orange Cat a couple years ago, but I think the eye-rolling, holier-than-thou breed of parenting is fading fast. And I think we have the confessions trend to thank for that.

  As a matter of fact, I think the sanctimommy is being replaced by what I call the lackadaddy (lackadaisical + daddy). This lackadaisical parent (not necessarily a dad, but often is) has a que sera sera attitude toward parenting. The lackadaddy frequently asks, “How can I do this with the least amount of effort?” and “How can I make my life easier?”

MORE BELOW

Put Your Ad Here
For $32 an Issue
You Get the Attention of
5,000 Subscribers
orangecatads@gmail.com
626-296-0776

Lackadaddies Continued

  I met my first lackadaddy at Santa Monica Beach years ago. As the dad was catching rays with his three-month old baby by his side, my friend Rose and I pondered the age old question: “Does that baby have on enough sun screen?” We started chatting with Mr. Lackadaddy, and he soon asked us if we could watch the slumbering baby while he went to the men’s room.

  “If the baby’s mom finds out he did this, his beach days will be over!” we agreed. No self-respecting mom would have entrusted her baby to total strangers on the beach. Or would she? I do know this: If a woman did it, she would feel guilty about it.

  I have met more than my share of Lackadaddies on vacations. On more than one occasion, perfect strangers have allowed me to take their children out to lunch with my own daughter, without even asking for my contact information.

  I met the ultimate Lackadaddy in Tokyo. Lackadaddy and his three blonde urchins, ages five to eight, were on route from Canada to Cambodia. I thought nothing of the easy-maintenance, shaved heads of the two girls and one boy until we returned to Los Angeles. Exactly two weeks later, my daughter and I discovered that we were sharing our scalps with Japanese lice. The shaved heads suddenly made sense.

  But Lackadaddies aren’t just about stranger-sitters on beaches or shaved heads. Lackadaddies excel in their lackadaisical approach to meal preparation.

  Take Wayne, a college math professor who was charged with packing his five-year-old daughter’s lunch. His wife’s explicit instructions, written on a Post-it note, told him to pull out the yogurt from the freezer so that it would be unthawed by lunch time. Instead, he grabbed for a half-eaten yogurt from the refrigerator and threw it into the box. By lunchtime, the box looked like it had been attacked by the Blob.

  A friend who teaches at a preschool once told me about a toddler who pulled out an unopened can of Spaghetti-Os from her lunch box. There’s only one explanation: The Lackadaddy had struck again.

  I have a feeling that these Lackadaddies aren’t going to be posting their true confessions or parenting adventures on any websites any time soon. As I mentioned before, confession implies guilt, and the beauty of a Lackadaddy is a guilt-free existence. “Oh, was I supposed to take the Spaghetti-Os out of the can?” the Lackadaddy may innocently ask.

  And even though I may be tempted to become a sanctimommy when I think about the antics of the Lackadaddy, I have one last confession: I secretly wouldn’t mind being one for a day.

 

MOMMA CAT

  I met Orange Cat reader Julia Ward at the Vroman's Mommy Mixer last month. We've listed her son's school's upcoming Pancake Breakfast and Mother's Day Boutique in our calendar (May 2, 8 am to noon), but we also wanted to let our readers know that the boutique has space to sell gift items.

  If you or someone you know owns a business selling gift items such as jewelry, handbags, decorative items, cards, scrapbooking items, kitchen gadgets or candles, you are encouraged to participate. With the modest participation fee, this is an especially good opportunity for home-crafters to see if there's a market for their hand-made goods.

  Cost to participate is just $25.00. Table rental is $5.00. For more information, contact Emilline Nice at 626-376-7757 or emillinenice@yahoo.com. ~Susan

-----------------------

  * Orange Cat mom Melanie Smoron is looking for an arts-centered summer day camp program in the Pasadena area for her five-year-old daughter. Please let us know if you have suggestions for Melanie.


BOOK NOOK


Books for Your Little Earthlings

What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse by Anna Alter. (Henry Holt, $16.95, ages 4-7) “What can you do with . . . ?” Alter answers that question with 13 cool projects from melting broken crayons into drawing cubes to turning an old flip flop into an ink stamp. Ripped shower curtain? New art apron. Used wrapping paper? New greeting cards.

S Is for Save the Planet: A How-to-be Green Alphabet (Alphabet-Science & Nature),by Brad Herzog and illustrated by Linda Holt Ayriss. (Sleeping Bear Press, $17.95, ages 6-10) C is no longer for cookie, or cake, it's for carpooling! This delightfully illustrated title details the ABCs of being green. Addiitonal info for each letter explains in easy to understand terms what V for vermicomposting and X for xeriscape are.

101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet Before You're 12! by Joanne O’Sullivan. (Sterling, $14.95, ages 6+) Encourage young eco-activists to go green in their own lives. O'Sullivan describes simple actions that make it easy to go green from litter-free lunches to building a compost bin. Kids discover how to help their pets, their pals and even their parents to go green!

Earth in the Hot Seat: Bulletins from a Warming World by Marfe Ferguson Delano. (National Geographic, $19.95, ages 9-12)
With a classic National Geographic photo of a polar bear clinging to a slab of ice on the cover, you know this is got to be a great illustrated way of understanding the results and risks of global warming.

 

10-10-10

  Some of our decisions are inconsequential; others are significant. 10-10-10, the latest book by Suzy Welch, offers decision-making strategies that help us contemplate the consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years. In her only Southern California appearance, Welch will discuss the 10-10-10 principals and the balancing act of work and life. Her husband, former GE CEO Jack Welch, will introduce her and be on hand during the question and answer period.

  Welch, a former editor for the Harvard Business Review, is an author and the mother of four teenage children. She is a columnist for O Magazine and co-writes a weekly column with her husband for BusinessWeek magazine.

  When: Saturday, May 9, 2 - 4 pm

  Where: The Forum, All Saints Church, 132 North Euclid Ave., Pasadena

  Cost: $40 in advance, $50 at the door and includes refreshments (All proceeds will support programs at the YWCA.)

  Mention The Orange Cat, and Orange Cat publisher Susan Carrier will contribute $5.00 toward the price of your ticket.

  RSVP: Ashley Phillips at 626-296-8433. Make checks payable to YWCA and mail checks to YWCA, 1200 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104

  Looking for library or bookstore events? There are so many library and bookstore events for San Gabriel Valley families to choose from, that we've devoted a whole online calendar to them! It's called Book Nook and you'll find it HERE.
Can't see this newsletter? Click here

Earth Day Gets Hip!

By Troy Corley

  I'm a hippie at heart. In the early 1970s I wore peace sign t-shirts, made my own yogurt and brewed sun tea. Living in a large family with a very limited budget we recycled and reused before it was fashionable. We used empty frozen orange juice cans for hair curlers, rolled newspapers into fireplace logs and turned soda can pull tabs (remember those?) into Christmas ornaments. I still have one of those ornaments.

  While my saving the Earth consciousness was borne out of necessity, i.e. very little cash, it was infused with a love of nature, of Mother Earth. This, I'm sure, I owe to my mother, who grew up in rural Oklahoma and California, the granddaughter of farmers. She brought that appreciation of nature to her new life in the nation's biggest city—New York City. As a city girl, I was one of the few kids I knew who trekked with her family to the regional park to pick wild blackberries for cobbler, to gather pine cones for holiday decorations and to simply smell the perfume of the dogwood trees in the spring.

  Celebrating Earth Day, April 22, is something I still do every day, in one form or another. My household has two city recycling cans because we recycle twice as much as we throw away. I stop running the shower while I comb conditioner through my hair. I've gone paperless on most of my bills. And I still appreciate nature, putting out snippets of leftover yarn for birds to use as nests, turning hardened bagels into bird feeders and planting flowers to attract butterflies.

  Earth Day, founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970, has now become Earth Week. It's become a global talking point. Kids in elementary school now use terms like "global warming" "carbon footprint" and "alternative energy." It's reached celebrity status even with kids. If Nickelodeon can get NYC's Empire State Building, Chicago's Sears Tower and Seattle's Space Needle to turn off their lights for 1 minute in support of Earth Day, then everyone can do it.

  So how can you support the Earth? Check out the Earth Day happenings on our San Gabriel Valley calendar of events. There are several Earth Day events this Saturday and we highlight GREEN events on a regular basis.

  Check out our quick list of Earth Day books for kids of all ages. Or if you're like me, pull out your dog-eared copy of 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth and pick one new GREEN thing to do today.

San Gabriel Valley Family Calendar

A sampling of upcoming family-friendly events. Find more online! Email us your events: theorangecat.org@gmail.com

Friday, Apr. 24, 2009

FREE Admission @ Pacific Asia Museum, 10am – 6pm 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena California 91101 (map) FREE Admission to the Pacific Asia Museum every 4th Friday of the month. Past the bronze dragons, enter the Imperial Chinese palace-styled courtyard and discover a more detailed version of the Pacific Rim. The courtyard features Oriental figures, landscaping and a koi pond, while within the museum the permanent collection spans 5,000 years of Asian and Pacific Island art and artifacts, including breathtakingly delicate Chinese ceramics. Regular admission: $7 adults, $5 students 12+ & seniors 65+. FREE for ages under 12. FREE parking.

TEENS: Magnetic Poetry @ Crowell Public Library, 3– 4pm Crowell Public Library, 1890 Huntington Dr., San Marino, CA 91108 (map)April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate by creating poems with magnetic poetry. All supplies provided—all you need to bring is your creativity. Middle school and high school students welcome. This program is sponsored by the friends of Crowell Public Library.

Saturday, Apr. 25, 2009

GREEN Recycle E-Waste in Altadena, Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, 185 W. Altadena Dr., Altadena Flintridge. (map) Keep E-waste from the landfills. Round up your old electronics (computers, printers, television sets, etc.) and bring them to this FREE E-waste collection site.

FREE Greening of the Earth Day & Family Arts Festival 10am - 4pmMemorial Park & Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena (map) Celebrate Earth Day and the arts @ this 7th annual fest. Listen to music, see films, peruse environmental exhibits, interactive entertainment, art exhibits, workshops and more! In partnership with Armory Center of the Arts, City of Pasadena, Buy Local Pasadena.

GREEN Celebrate Nature @ LA County Arboretum 1 - 4pm (map) LA County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia Celebrate Earth Day & National Arbor Day, when we remind ourselves of the importance of caring for our planet. Commemorate the day by visiting some very unusual trees at The Arboretum, create a piece of art out of recycled materials and take home your own tree. Children, submit an 8 x 10 drawing of a tree to The Arboretum before April 15th, and your drawing may be selected to be placed in a special Celebrate Nature Art Exhibit in the Arboretum Library. In addition, one design will be chosen to be used for The Arboretum Summer Nature Camp t-shirts. For more information, please visit our website, www.arboretum.org/kids. Free with Arboretum Admission.


Piano Play Expands to Pasadena
Multi-award winning 20+ year old music school... New Pasadena location: 101 N. Lake Ave. #207... Group music classes offered for 19mos & up. 818-789-6110. Call for preview. Orange Cat readers get 50% off registration


Dragon Faire @ St. George's Preschool 10am - 2pm (map) Dragon Faire will feature carnival games, inflatable butterfly maze, petting zoo, pony rides, 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Printefex will be taking photos of the children with Georgie the Dragon. Game tickets, 50/50 raffle tickets, Juice It Up fresh fruit smoothie drinks, In-N-Out meals,and desserts will be available for purchase at the faire. For more information, call 818.790.3842, ext. 12.

Yoga @ The Zane Grey Estate 10:30am - 12pm Zane Grey Estate, 396 E. Mariposa, Altadena (map) Join certified yoga instructor Alicia Brodie in a different setting - the writing studio at the Zane Grey Estate in Altadena. The class is appropriate for beginners. Participants are also invited to share food for a post-yoga potluck lunch. If this one-time class is well received, it may continue on a regular basis. Bring your own mat, towels, water, etc. Park on the street and walk down the driveway. Class is $15, paid directly to the instructor. Cash only.

Sunday, Apr. 26, 2009

Read-In @ Alhambra Public Library 2pm – 4pm (map) Read-In - You'll find reading space, board game space, and space for light conversation with friends and family - all without electronic devices at this TV-Turnoff Week activity.

FREE Family Yoga @ Eastside Cafe in El Sereno 9am to 10am (map) Eastside Cafe, 5469 Huntington Dr., El Sereno Make yoga a family affair. This FREE class is offered to the community in hopes of bringing families together. This Yoga practice, which welcomes all ages and levels, is a great way to spend Sunday mornings with your family. For more information, call 760-880-4542.

Pasadena Area Kitchen & Bath Remodeling
Free 1-hour consultation from BAYLON DESIGN with this ad. We work with your budget, on time with good workers. Ready-made cabinets or custom, granite, tile...Appt: 626-390-3751

Monday, Apr. 27, 2009

Norton Simon Museum Teen Arts Academy: Repurposing: Matisse and the Zine 1 - 4pm Norton Simon Museum of Art 411 W. Colorado Boulevard (map)Inspired by the exhibition Matisse’s Amours: Illustrations of Pierre de Ronsard’s Love Poems, contemplate ideas about collaboration and publishing as you learn to produce your own zine, or self-published periodical. Led by contemporary artist Christopher Russell, teens explore modern and post-modern French poetry, create poems, and design and bind their own innovative zines. The course is $30 for two sessions (May 2 and May 9) and is limited to 18 participants. All materials are provided. Advance registration is required. For further information and registration, contact the Education Department at (626) 844-6980."

Norton Simon Museum Once Upon a Time: Wonder Bear 2 – 3:30pm 411 W. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena (map) How do you create a story without words? Experience Wonder Bear, a wordless tale following the fantastical adventures of two children and a big white bear, told through vibrant colors, bold lines, intricate patterns and fanciful shapes. Author and illustrator Tao Nyeu discusses the process of creating a wordless narrative and reveals some of her inspirations—from Japanese textiles to Vincent van Gogh’s paintings—for the ideas and visuals in the book. A workshop follows in which participants create their own wordless storybook inspired by images from the Museum’s collections.

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2009

FREE Children's Concert @ Shumei Hall, Pasadena 12pm – 1pm Shumei Hall, 2430 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (map)Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music will provide an opportunity for students to hear the music of Toru Takemitsu, one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Playing examples from his Waterscape series, students will be exposed to the Japanese concept of “Ma” – space, breath, pause and silence - through colorful works such as Bryce (inspired by our national park in Utah) and Waterways. Particular attention will be paid to the exotic colorings of 2 harps, 2 vibraphones, and various Japanese percussion instruments. This performance is designed for the 3rd and 4th graders. FREE admission. Reservations can be made by calling 626-584-8841.

Friday May 1, Apr. 16, 2009

A Festival of Flowers @ LA County Arboretum 9am – 4:30pm LA County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia (map) Celebrate the lush and varied bounty of edible plants. This three-day family-friendly event includes display gardens, guest speakers, a Marketplace for garden elements and food, entertainment and gardening activities just for kids. Bring your own wagon, if you like. Discover new ways to incorporate edible plants in containers, small plots or landscapes. Adults $7.00 Seniors (62 and older) and Students with ID $5.00 Children (5 to 12) $2.50, Younger Children Free Free Entry for Arboretum Members For more information, call 626-821-3243

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Pancake Breakfast and Gift Boutique 8am – 12pm Webster School (Kindergarten Playground), 2101 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena (map)Enjoy an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for just $5.00. (Teachers and kids under two eat for free.) Then stay and do a little shopping for mom, grandma or the favorite woman in your life at the Mother's Day Gift Boutique. The boutique will feature a wide range of affordable gift items. Face painting is available for a $1.00 donation. All proceeds will benefit the Webster School PTA.

Sierra Madre Carnival in the Park 10am – 4pm Sierra Vista Park, 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre (map) Kids can ride ponies, create arts and crafts, dig for buried treasure or play carnival games at the Sierra Madre Community Nursery School's annual Carnival in the Park. Adults can shop at a live plant booth, the handmade item shop (perfect for Mother's Day) or dessert booth. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. For more information, call the school at 626-355-1655.

Royal May Pole Celebration @ Paintbox Kids 10:30am – 12pm Paintbox Kids, 1383 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena (map) A Royal May Pole Celebration with Queen Laura of Dramagination will feature dress up, dancing and royal refreshments Girls and boys ages 3-6 with Adult $40 per parent/ child pair, $18 per additional child or adult Register by calling 626-808-0330

Sunday, May 3, 2009

LA Children's Chorus and Orchestra Family Concert @ Alex Theatre 2pm – 3pm Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale (map) The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra closes this season’s Family Concert series with Through the Looking Glass. Led by conductor Lucinda Carver, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus joins the Orchestra for Paul Gibson’s Suite: Alice Through a Looking-Glass, followed by the Orchestra performing Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 in D major K. 385, “Haffner.” Pre-concert activities for the children are hosted by Kidspace Children’s Museum and the California Science Center and feature creative activities centered on the looking-glass theme, including playing with mirrors and kaleidoscopes. The Orchestra also offers its ever-popular instrument petting zoo. Tickets ($10 or $16) may be purchased by phone 213 622 7001 x 215 or online at www.laco.org. Groups of 12 or more receive a 15% discount off single ticket prices.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Kidspace FREE Family Night 4pm – 8pm Kidspace, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, CA (map) Free admission for all guests to this 3-acre indoor/outdoor educational extravaganza! Explore the Digging Deeper Gallery, Interactive Gardens, Early Childhood Center and more. Regular admission is $9 per adult/child. 626.449.9144.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

South Pasadena Strings Celebrates National Book Week @ South Pasadena Library 5pm – 6pm South Pasadena Library, 1100 Oxley St., South Pasadena (map) Celebrate National Children’s Book Week by attending a free performance by the South Pasadena Strings children’s orchestra in front of the Library Community Room on El Centro Street. This award-winning orchestra has been featured in ABC7’s television show Eye on L.A. and on NBC News Channel 4, has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, and has routinely won top honors at regional and national music festivals. In addition to listening to the music, the Library encourages children to check out materials on music, musicians, and composers from the children’s collection.

Find More Events on Our Online Calendar!

 

 
Our Sponsors


Doug Drummond Real Estate
Serving families moving for
30 years. He's always there.
www.dougdrummond.com
818 949 4125o 818 974 1327c

Family Music Class
Foothills Music Together
Fun-filled, research-based,
music and movement program
626-398-4159

Holtzen Insurance
Auto, Home, Business
Family owned business since 1947
Call or click for quote
626-574-1480

Music Lessons
South Pasadena
KinderPiano® class 3+
KinderViolin® ages 4.5 +
Pre-K Training Choir
VisitUS 626-403-4611

FasTracKids
Give your children an
advantage in school
and in life. Ages 3 to 7.
(626) 254-8500

Summer Riding Camp
San Pascual Stables
Come ride, learn and play!
Weekly sessions all summer.
www.sanpascualstables.net

GymnastiKids !!
Gymnastics classes, all ages
Fun Safe, Clean !
www.gymnastikids.com
Pasadena 626-796-KIDS

EYEBRIGHT STUDIOS
Childhood Portraiture
Fun, Fresh & Uniquely Yours

www.eyebrightstudios.com

Music Lessons 4 Kids
KinderPiano® age 3 +
KinderViolin® age 4.5 +
PreK Training Choir
Meet Director 4 Free Consult

Summer Learning
Huntington Learning Center
Math, Reading, Writing,
Phonics, SAT Prep
Now Enrolling for Summer

In-Home tutoring
Comfort Zone Tutoring
Match subjects/personality
of our tutors to your child
we come to you

Grapevine Festival
Sat Apr 25 10AM to 7PM
Entertainment, Booths, Food
Classic Car Show
FREE for the public!

Ellens Silkscreening
Embroidery, Promotionals
School and team uniforms,
custom t-shirts and more.
(626)441-4415 for a quote!

B.E.S.T. kids classes
Children's classes
Math Phonics Spanish Art
Music and more, La Canada
ages preschool and up

La Canada Preschool
has openings for
Summer & Fall 2009
Please call
818.790.2764 or email
lacanadapreschool
@gmail.com

Reliable Child Care
Day or Night
Experienced, loving sitter
626-660-6036
cynthia.sit4u@gmail.com

Time to Turn Over a New Leaf?
A New Leaf Communications
Email Susan Carrier
626.577.7005

Free Fun Guides
Hip Pocket Travel Guides
to free things to do in California
including family-friendly SGV!
www.freefunguides.com

This Position
Is Available
This position gives you a two-row headline, larger text and 13 rows of text. It follows the listings above. Cost is $38 per issue with discounts if you take the position for four or more consecutive issues. Click for additional information.
Contact Us
Copyright © 2009 Orange Cat Media