birmingham parent magazine - october 2014
DESCRIPTION
Happy Halloween! This issue provides tips for getting rid of those treats, best local fall festivals and pumpkin patches, haunting college application errors and more!TRANSCRIPT
BirminghamParentTHE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA
OCTOBER 2014
FREE
TRICKS FOR GETTING RID OF THOSE TREATS
THE TOP 11 MOST HAUNTING COLLEGE APP ERRORS
BRACES ARE ALL IN
THE FAMILY!
top areatop area FALL FESTIVALS & PUMPKIN PATCHES
Inside! SEE PAGE 27
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4 | birminghamparent | october 2014 october 2014
3590-B Hwy. 31 S. #289
Pelham, AL 35124
205-987-7700
205-987-7600 FAX
www.birminghamparent.com
editorial Publishers David & Carol Evans
Editor Carol Muse Evans
Associate Editor Lori Chandler Pruitt
Calendar & Business David Evans
Contributors, Dr. Vivian Friedman,
Christopher “Bull” Garlington, Mandee
Heller Adler, Gerry Paige Smith, Lara
Krupicka, Paige Townley, Jamie Routman, MD
sales Special Events Coordinator Sharon Menachemi
Account Executives Kayla Fricks
Webmaster Digital Doo-Wop
art & production Art Director Hilary Moreno
Distribution T&P Deliveries
Legal Counsel Balch & Bingham LLP
BIRMINGHAM PARENT IS A PUBLICATION OF EVANS PUBLISHING, LLC. Publish-ers: Carol Muse Evans, David K. Evans Sr. Birmingham Parent (EIN20-0694149) is published monthly by Evans Publishing LLC. www.birminghamparent.com or [email protected]. Birmingham Parent is © 2013 by Evans Publishing LLC. Family Connections Media ©2011 by Evans Publish-ing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Editorial submissions are welcome. For back issues, please send a self-addressed 10” x 13” envelope with $4 for postage and handling.
Th anks for picking up this issue!Carol Muse Evans, Publisher/[email protected]
EDITOR'S NOTE
It’s that time of year – leaves are turning lovely shades of yellow, orange, red and brown, they are dropping to the ground, and the air is a little crisper each time we go outside.Soon the time will change and dark will arrive
about dinnertime. Our attention is now away from beaches, swimming and summer activi-ties for a bit, and more focused on fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and even Halloween, for those who celebrate. We’re even changing the way we eat – turning more to soups, comfort foods and fall baking in anticipation of Th anksgiving.
All these things make me remember this time of year when my children were young – and the fun we had going to the fall festivals, trick-or-treating, visiting the pumpkin patch, and so much more. We were making memories. Some of my favorites surround times like these, when my children were all about the holidays, the adventure and the fun.
Like our little cover models this month, I hope your child has fun dressing up, no matter what you celebrate this season. And I hope what we’ve shared this month in Birmingham Parent will help, encour-age and touch your heart. Whether it’s fi guring out what to do with all the left over Halloween candy, or learning about the King’s Home, or fi guring out which pumpkin patch/fall event to visit, we hope Birmingham Parent has a little place in your family to help you fi gure out how to make memories of your own.
I’m reminded it’s another season when you are reading our magazine – and we are grateful! Happy Fall and Happy Halloween from the staff at Birmingham Parent.
Fall is in the Air
birminghamparent.com | 5
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ON THE COVER: Emma Kate and Macie, of Helena, have fun modeling their Halloween costumes from Buy Costumes at www.BuyCostumes.com, 800-459-2969. Photo by Kim Brantley Photography, KimBrantleyPhotography.com, 615-812-6427.
BirminghamParentTHE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA
OCTOBER 2014
FREE
TRICKS FOR GETTING RID OF THOSE TREATS
THE TOP 11 MOST HAUNTING COLLEGE APP ERRORS
BRACES ARE ALL IN
THE FAMILY!
top areatop area FALL FESTIVALS & PUMPKIN PATCHES
Inside! SEE PAGE 27
departments
04 Editor’s Note Fall is in the Air
07 Parenting with Dr. Friedman
08 Short Stuff
09 School News
20 October Pull Out Calendar
22 October Expanded Calendar of Events
features
30 PEDIATRIC BRAIN
TUMORS: One Family's Journey
32 A PAGE IN A BOOK: The Journey
35 ASK THE SPECIALIST: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
38 DEATH BY CHILDREN: Captain Hook
OCTOBER2014
GIVING HOPE A HOME— THE KING'S HOME
28
BRACES: IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY
1416
18
10
27
14 Tricks for Getting Rid of Those Treats
16 COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE: The Top 11 Most Haunting College Admissions Errors
18 PUMPKIN PATCH & FALL EVENT GUIDE
10
birminghamparent.com | 7
A: I was in a large warehouse store the other day. Th ere I saw a boy, who looked to be about four-years-
old, running up and down a small section of a wide aisle. He was running back and forth, rather than in one direction, so as not to get too far from his father and sister. His dad was busy shopping and was not paying much attention to the child who really didn’t need his attention at that moment. He was enter-taining himself while his dad was busy with other things. He was not disturbing anyone as no one was nearby and the aisle was wide enough for others to pass him.
When his movement caught his father’s attention, the father said, “Stop running and stand still.” Th e child was obedient and stopped for about as long as he could control himself. Th en he started swinging his arms in fantasy combat eventually, hitting his sister- not hard enough to hurt her but forcefully enough to engage her. Th e father then had to stop his shopping and deal with the aggression.
Th e impression I had was that some-times parents intervene when they don’t really need to. Th is child’s behavior was probably habitually active- maybe some would even call it hyperactive. He needed to move and there was plenty of room to do so. He was not disturbing anyone else. I know this because I was the person closest to him. Had the dad just let him vent his need to move, no harm would have been done. When he intervened and stopped his mov-ing, the boy then venting tension in another way that was less benign. At this point the dad had to intervene, as he could not allow him to harm his sister.
Some of the increased parental atten-tion of this generation has been helpful to children. Th ose with developmental delays are identifi ed early and oft en helped to catch up. Others are able to understand that their problem is specifi c and so they don’t generalize one defi cit to a general self-image as “dumb.” For example, the child with dyslexia can be helped to understand that he
has more trouble reading than some other children do but that he is quite capable at math, sports or music.
Yet some parents go too far. Th ey take over the child’s life, doing too much for him and leaving him ill prepared for adulthood. Th ey demand special education adaptations so that the child not only can optimize his potential, but so he can get good grades whether he has earned them or not. When parents have a child of average ability, who makes average grades, they seeks a diagnosis of attention defi cit disorder or depression, hoping that a pill will make raise grades and make their child competitive with the neighbor’s children.
A pendulum tends to swing to both extremes. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could stop it in the middle?
Vivian K. Friedman Ph. D. is a child and family psychologist at UAB, Department of Psychiatry. Send questions for response in this column to [email protected]. No personal replies are sent.
Parenting with Dr. Friedman
parenting
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Q: Back when I was raising my children, who are now grown, parents were not as involved with their children as par-
ents are today. We just let the children ride their bikes and run around the yard. We just felt that boys were boys and
that being active was a part of that. We didn’t drive them to soccer practice or tell them to hold still, except maybe in
church on Sunday. Nowadays, it seems that children get no exercise and then we put them on pills to keep them from moving.
Do parents over-control their children to the point where we see too many of them as sick?
8 | birminghamparent | october 2014
short stuff
Mercy Animal Hospital Joins Cause for Aff ordable Spays/Neuters
Gardendale veterinarians and Mercy Animal Hospital co-owners Miranda Trammell, D.V.M., and Brandon McKim, D.V.M., will join statewide eff orts to make spaying and neutering more aff ordable by launching a new outpatient pricing structure for both procedures this fall.
In addition, Trammell and McKim will partner with Stevan Parsons, D.V.M., co-owner of McAdory Veterinary Associ-ates and former owner of Pleasant Grove Veterinary Clinic, to open Mercy West, a separate outpatient spay/neuter only facil-ity serving the Birmingham metropolitan area. Th e clinic opens Monday, October 6, at 131 Park Road in Pleasant Grove.
“We truly want to lead by example,” Trammell says. “It’s time to make a diff erence in the veterinary fi eld and in our community. We hope others will follow suit.” All three veterinarians will spend the next few weeks reaching out to local non-profi t animal rescue organizations, shelters and humane societies to off er discounted spaying and neutering.
“Th ese organizations, more than anyone, need our help,” Parsons says. “We’ve carefully craft ed our mission and we’re committed to seeing it through for our community.”
Mercy West’s mission is to provide a non-lethal solution to the problem of homeless, abandoned and feral animal populations in Alabama, reducing the need and cost of euthanasia as a means of population control. Animal shelters throughout the Birmingham area are overwhelmed with unwanted animals, and consequently have high euthanasia rates. Th e purpose of the clinic is to attack the issue of pet overpopulation by focusing on the root of the problem - too many animals having unwanted litters.
Prices for spaying and neutering at both locations range from $50-$95 for outpatient proce-dures. Annual rabies vaccinations are $16. Feral cat surgeries, including rabies vaccinations and ear tips, are $35. All surgery prices include 24-hour fl ea treatment and post-operative pain medication to take home. According to McKim, non-profi t organizations will receive additional discounts. Both inpatient and outpatient procedures will be available at Mercy Animal Hospital in Gardendale. For more information visit www.mercyvets.com.
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Camp Moves Me (www.acacamps.org/campmovesme), a movement off ering children an invaluable camp experi-ence, kicks off October 1 with three goals: raise money to send children to camp, encourage physical activity, and create awareness about the value of camp.
All money raised will fund scholar-ships given by the association’s Send a Child to Camp Fund. Th e cost to send a child to camp for one day is $35; $500 will provide for a weeklong camp adventure. Th e campaign off ers opportunities to actively participate or be a sponsor. Learn more at www.athlete.com/aca.
“Camp gets kids out in nature. Unplugged from the computer, the video games, the cell phone, they gain an appreciation for the natural environ-ment and discover the wisdom and fun it has to off er,” says Peg Smith, CEO American Camp Association.
American Camp Association® Announces National Fundraising Campaign to Send Children to Camp
DR. ALISON HEATON& DR. BILL HUDSON
DR. BETHANY CAMPBELL &DR. KATIE PETRO McKINNEYWelcomeOB/GYN SERVICES
at ST. VINCENTSCALL TODAY205-536-7676
WOMEN’S HEALTH SPECIALISTS of BIRMINGHAM
birminghamparent.com | 9
school news
5751 Pocahontas Road Bessemer
Three convenient locations to serve you!
3045 Independence Dr.Homewood
415 West Oxmoor RoadBirmingham
When you imagine their future - Imagine a beautiful smile!
Great smiles for children... and Mom & Dad Too!
When you imagine their future - Imagine a beautiful smile!
Deborah A SemaD.M.D., M.S.
specialist in orthodontics
205-942-2270www.ovortho.com
CLEAR BRACES, INVISALIGN, AND INVISALIGN TEEN
Odyssey Early Schools
Odyssey was created by educators who dreamed of opening an early learning center where children could be nurtured and taught by a highly trained and loving staff. That dream was real-ized when our Inverness school opened in 1995, and then again in 2001, with the opening of our second school in Trace Crossings. Odyssey’s goal is to create a life-long love of learning.
We have developed our own age-appropriate curriculum, specifically designed to intro-duce each age grouping to language, reading, math, sci-ence and more, so that your child will possess a strong foundation for Kindergarten and beyond. Additionally, we guarantee teachers with four-year education degrees in all preschool classrooms and offer exceptional child-to-teacher ratios.
At our schools, you can watch your child’s entire day in live, streaming, HD video over the Internet, through an individual, secure connec-tion linked directly to your child’s classroom. We want our parents to know what happens during their child’s day, and Odyssey is the only Over-the-Mountain daycare to offer this service. Our team works tirelessly to earn its reputation as the
best childcare option for Birmingham parents, and we invite you to visit today to witness for yourself what so many other families have known since 1995!
INVERNESS CAMPUS104 Heatherbrooke Park Dr.Birmingham, AL 35242(205) 991-0039
TRACE CROSSINGS CAMPUS401 Emery Dr. Hoover, AL 35244(205) 988-8829
PROU D S P O N SO R O F
www.OdysseyEarlySchool.com
In order to achieve Safe Sport School status, the school must:
✱ Create a positive athletic health care administrative system.
✱ Provide or coordi-nate pre-participation physical examinations.
✱ Promote safe and ap-propriate practice and competition facilities.
✱ Plan for selection, fit, function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment.
✱ Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes.
✱ Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environ-mental conditions.
✱ Provide or facilitate injury intervention.
✱ Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emer-gency Action Plan.
✱ Provide or facilitate psychosocial consulta-tion and nutritional counseling/education.
✱ Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsi-bilities.
OMHS Receives National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School AwardOak Mountain High School is the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Safe Sports School award for its Athletic Training and Athletics Programs. The award cham-pions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes; and reinforces the im-portance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment.
For more information please visit: www.athletictrainers.org.
10 | birminghamparent | october 2014
– either with their kids are on their own – to get the smile they’ve always wanted. In fact, according to the American Association of Orthodontists, one in fi ve orthodontic patients is an adult.
“More than 30 percent of our
patients are adults,” says Dr. John Phillips
of PT Orthodontics, which has several loca-
tions in the metro area. “Honestly, when you get
older, there are a lot of things you cannot change about your
body, but you can defi nitely change your smile.” Many parents opt for braces now
because they weren’t able to get them as a kid, still remember when braces wearers were called “metal mouth” (and maybe they were one of those braces wearers); or they had had braces as a child and their teeth have since shift ed or other dental health issues have come up. Plus, many orthodontists off er a discount for family members.
“Th ey bring in their kids, and they see the results their children’s braces have, and they want that too,” says Dr. Deborah Sema of Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics. “And it doesn’t hurt that a lot of celebrities have braces, too.”
Dr. Olga Sanchez-Hernandez of McCalla Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry says braces can give adults a more confi dent smile, something they may not have thought they could have without wearing lots of hardware. “Braces have become more streamlined – they are smaller and less noticeable,” she says. “Th ere are more options available, too.”
Sema’s patient Becky Orr of Hoover had braces at the same time her daughter, Abby, 13, did. “My jaw popped and my bottom teeth had shift ed. Th en, I got my top teeth fi xed. Everything looks great. I have other friends
who just got them, too.” Some adults may have had braces as a
child, when it once was believed that corrected teeth would stay that way, or they didn’t wear their retainer to keep the teeth aligned. Th ey also remember how much they disliked it. But today’s braces are much more aesthetically pleasing, with many barely visible. “Usually when an adult comes in, they are concerned about braces showing a lot,” says Erica Lantrip, clinical assistant to Dr. David Sarver of Sarver Orthodontics in Vestavia Hills. “In selected cases we can off er clear aligners like Invisalign or we can put brackets on the back side of teeth. We now have fi xed retainers so that the teeth can stay put.”
Orthodontists say the biggest reason many adults seek braces is crooked or turned teeth, especially on the bottom, which is noticeable when they speak. “Some of the reasons adults get braces is as simple as changing their smile, straightening crooked teeth or that their bite is not functional,” Lantrip says.
Sema, along with other orthodontists, says many practices have whole families in braces. “It’s the thing to do for many families when parents realize they can aff ord to get the same results as their children. “
For some parents, braces mean better health, too. Tamara Hicks of Oak Grove, a PT Orthodontics patient, is in braces, as is her 13-year-old daughter Savannah. “My lower teeth were turning, I have bad TMJ (a painful condition in which the jaw is out of alignment) and an overbite,” she says. “I have been in braces two years, and it is the fi rst time I have been able to actually close my mouth and completely bite down.”
Health – and being a good example for her children – motivated Mica Jackson of Weno-nah to get braces. Th e mother of four children, her two teens needed them but they were a little afraid of what it would be like. So Jackson took the lead, deciding to get the smile she had always wanted – and to show her kids that it would be OK and totally worth it. Jackson and her family are Sema’s patients.
braces: IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY! By Lori Chandler Pruitt
older, there are a lot of things you cannot change about your
body, but you can defi nitely change your smile.” Many parents opt for braces now
because they weren’t able to get them as a
IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY!
Many people associate the orthodontist with children who need braces. But increasingly, adults are the patients too
Tamara Hicks and daughter Savannah
October is National Orthodontic Health Month
birminghamparent.com | 11
“I had my braces put on last year, and they should come off next year,” says Jackson, of Wenonah, whose husband also is thinking about it. “I’m 45 years old. I had a bad overbite and some teeth that had turned and it was no-ticeable. It has already made a diff erence.” Her 16-year-old son Jacobe wears braces now, and her 14-year-old daughter will next year.
Phillips says many adults get braces for periodontal health reasons, too. “It’s easier to keep the bones and gums straight and neat and avoid problems,” he says. “It’s oft en a domino eff ect – if one family member gets braces, another will – and well, usually dad is last.”
Sanchez-Hernandez says it is easier to take care of straight teeth, as well as being able to chew and avoid teeth wearing down unevenly. “Th ey are less likely to become damaged over time,” she says.
Braces can have a positive eff ect that isn’t even thought of at fi rst, Phillips says. “One of our moms just got her braces off she told me her oldest son had gotten engaged. She was so happy she would have her new smile for the wedding,” he says. “We have so many treatments available to give people of all ages a healthy smile.”
And if anyone wants proof of that, “I just removed braces on an 80-year-old patient of ours – it’s never too late!” Sema says. Many orthodontists off er a discount for family members, too.
Lori Chandler Pruitt is associate editor of Birmingham Parent. WE FILE ALL INSURANCE AS A COURTESY. WE ARE PROVIDERS FOR MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES.
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“Honestly, when you get older, there are a lot
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12 | birminghamparent | october 2014
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erin nelson, d.d.sfamily dentistry
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“A smile is just a curve that sets
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www.SarverOrtho.com • 205-979-7072
WHY are we here? We believe that orthodontics is more than “braces”, that our role in you or your child’s life is an important one… to enhance their health and appearance enriching their lives and sense of well-being. Orthodontic treatment can have a meaningful impact on quality of life,
and the relationship we strive to develop is that of the long-term view, not just the braces experience.
HOW do we do this? We believe that we should work with you to define your vision… and we have multiple
technologies designed to help us diagnose health issues and esthetic issues. We help you see and understand
what the possibilities are, and what you choose for treatment is up to you. With your help, along with
Dr. Sarver’s experience in orthodontics and research, we can help guide you to achieve your goals.
WHAT do we do? We as a team, believe in this vision and it is our mission…every day! Smiles are important,
but taking into account the overall appearance in terms of both the smile and facial appearance we believe is
an integral part of what we do!
birminghamparent.com | 13
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14 | birminghamparent | october 2014
LET THEM EATDo you ever wonder why we let our children collect so many sweets if we have no intention of having them eat it all? Aft er all, they do work hard (run around the neighborhood in clumsy getups) to get it. Th ey "deserve" to enjoy some of it. But how much and when can vary widely depending on your view of sugary diets.
Our house follows a closed cabinet policy. Our children know to ask before grabbing a snack. So when it comes to Halloween candy we typically say, "one piece." Th e Halloween haul takes a long time to disappear, but we know they're not ruining their teeth or their health. You may dole out your candy piecemeal this way or at-tach a healthy-eating rule such as requiring your children to eat a piece of fruit before having any candy.
Lunchtime provides another opportunity to whittle down your stockpile of treats. Let your child select a candy to pack in their lunch bag in place of a cookie or dessert.
Or you can create a candy countdown for an upcom-ing event, like a holiday, a special visitor or vacation. Make paper links of construction paper cut into ½-inch wide by 3-inch long strips – one for each day of the count-down. Glue each strip into a loop, linking each successive loop into the one ahead before gluing. Tape or glue a piece
of candy to each strip. Hang from the wall or ceiling. For the countdown, simply have your child tear off one loop with candy each day until the awaited day arrives.
GIVE IT AWAYTh ere's no reason to pitch good candy, particularly when there are those who'd love to receive a special treat. Af-ter you've sorted through your children's stash to remove any broken or unwrapped pieces (and left a few for your kids), you can package them up to give away.
To donate close to home, ask if your local food pantry takes candy. Th e families who patronize pantries welcome sweets as much as our own kids do.
Or if you'd like to support our military, they also wel-come donations of candy for care packages. Operation Gratitude and Operation Shoebox are two of the larger non-profi t organizations accepting donations of candy.
Donations to Operation Gratitude can be sent to:Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard17330 Victory Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91406Attn: Rich Hernandez
Donations to Operation Shoebox can be sent to:Operation Shoebox, PO Box 1465, Belleview, FL 34420
tricks for Getting Rid of Those treatsIf you're like me, Halloween goes like this: Wrangle kids into costumes. Take pictures. Tag along
while kids run from house to house, collecting candy. Occasionally fi x costumes and hold heavy
candy bags. Watch kids sort candy, count candy, eat candy. Wait for kids to fall asleep late, post-
sugar rush. Sneak candy from kids' bags.
It’s fun and exhausting, like any good celebration. And like many good celebrations, it leaves
behind cleanup work – only in this case, the cleanup issue in question is how to dispose of all that
candy. If you've scratched your head over this dilemma before, I have a few solutions for you:
By Lara Krupicka
birminghamparent.com | 15
CLARK HOLMESoral facial surgery
“As a Board Certifi ed Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeon, I understand
that surgery can be stressful for
you and your child. As a Mom, I
also know how scary it can be and
my goal is to create an atmosphere
of trust and comfort to help bring
a lifetime of smiles to your family.”
— DR. L IS A MIL L ER
W W W . C L A R K H O L M E S . C O M
INVERNES S
205-933-2710
SOU THSIDE
205-933-2773
T RU S SV IL L E
205-655-9002
MARK CLARK DMD, MD . JON D. HOLMES DMD, MD, FACS
LISA L. MILLER DMD, MD . GEORGE W. MATTHEWS, JR. DMD
THERE’S NO GREATER PLEASURE THERE’S NO GREATER PLEASURE THAN SEEING MY CHILDREN SMILE...THAN SEEING MY CHILDREN SMILE...
To schedule an appt with Dr Miller, contact our Inverness location at
933-2710.
HALLOWEEN C N D Y BUYBACK C N
Children consume thousands of pounds of candy each year at Halloween. Sugar is the number one cause of tooth decay. So, what did we decide to do about it?
We are paying CA$H for your candy!
TRADE OR SELLSome dental offi ces have gotten creative in recent years. Th ey realize the need to discourage excess consumption of sugary treats. But they also recognize the economics of collecting Halloween candy. So they bargain sweets out of kids' homes by off ering to "buy" Halloween candy. Some off er cash per pound, while others trade toys for quantities of candy. Ask if your dentist has a program like this or search Operation Gratitude's database of participating dentists at:http://www.halloweencan-dybuyback.com/.
If your dentist doesn't do this but you feel a need to com-pensate your children for their (free) candy, consider your own buyback program. Off er to swap so many pounds of candy for a new toy, or better yet, book they've been eyeing at the store. Just be sure once you've "bought" the candy you promptly remove it from your house before your children want it back – unless you are buying it for yourself.
GET COOKINGYou can also use up left over Halloween candy the same way you use up left over turkey at Th anksgiving: hide it in a recipe. Th is is easiest using chocolate candies. Simply break them into smaller pieces, if necessary and mix into chocolate chip cookie dough. Th en bake. Or melt down chocolates for brownies or fondue.
To make use of a wider variety of candies, set up an ice cream sundae bar. Crush larger candies and place into bowls to use as ice cream toppings.
If you want to add more "nutrition" to your left over candy, try the Snickers® salad recipe in the sidebar. Th e caramel and nuts in the candy, combined with apples, gives this salad the fl avor of an old-fashioned taff y apple.
With a strategy or two in hand for where the excess treats will go, you can relax this Halloween and let your children ring doorbell aft er doorbell. Because the only cleanup challenge you'll face this year is where to hide the empty candy wrappers.
Lara Krupicka is a fr eelance writer and mom to three trick-or-treaters. She appreciates that they put aside a few of her favorite treats when they sort their candy.
Recipe: SNICKERS® SALAD4 full-size Snickers® bars (or 9 miniatures)4 apples, cut up4 bananas, cut up4-serving size vanilla instant pudding1/3 c. milk8 oz. non-dairy whipped topping Combine milk and pudding. Stir in whipped topping, then add rest of ingredients. Top with crumbled Snickers® to garnish. Chill before serving.
16 | birminghamparent | october 2014
college knowledge
1 Waiting until the dead-line: Unseen spirits wreak
havoc, computers and websites go down. Many students who wait for the last minute to submit their applications find that all their hard work is not received on time. Colleges and universi-ties expect students to confirm that their complete application has been received. Students who wait until the last minute to get everything in have no time to follow up. Those who apply online should receive confirma-tion that the school received the application. Make sure that the application has been received or be afraid.
2 Saying the same thing again and again: There
is only so much space on an application. Use that real estate wisely. With so little space, students need to make sure that every part of the application adds to the story, and doesn’t repeat it.
3 Asking bad questions: Yes, there are questions
that will spook the admissions team. Do not ask for informa-tion that is easily found on the Internet. When visiting colleges or going on a college interview, good questions are the ones with answers not found anywhere else. For example, ask the coun-selor what his or her favorite things are about the school. Do the research and ask thoughtful questions.
4 Asking the wrong teachers to write
recommendation letters, or
asking too late. Teachers need to know a student in order to write the kind of recommenda-tion letter schools want to see. Translation: students should only ask for recommendations from teachers who like them and know them well enough to write about their particular strengths and specific abilities. Students should not wait until the deadline to approach these teachers either. If they do, they will not get the thorough and thoughtful letters colleges want to see. Students should choose their teachers early, talk with them, and provide them with information on each program they are applying to.
5 Missing the curriculum requirements: Inter-
ested in a school? Learn what that school’s specific curriculum requirements are before senior year. Students who look into the course requirements too late risk not having the time to take them. Start researching colleges as early as freshman or sopho-more year.
6 Making Messy Errors: Make sure the name of the
college is correct on the applica-tion and in the essay. Do not leave any part of the application blank. Read everything carefully and respond appropriately. Do not make grammatical errors or misspell words. Reread each application carefully, and have someone else proofread it, too.
7 Writing a generic essay: Poorly written essays will
not trick schools into handing out acceptance letters. Schools want to know that a student re-ally wants to attend and is ready to attend; the essay factors into this decision. Essays provide applicants an opportunity to share more information about themselves with a school. Also, don’t get tricked into thinking optional essays are optional.
They are never really optional. When colleges have supplemen-tal applications, take the time to provide a thoughtful answer.
8 Using more than one name: Rebecca, Becky,
Becca…Only a student’s legal name should be used when completing a college application, and counselors and teachers should be asked to use the same name. Using variations of a legal name may result in materials being filed in different places.
9 Prioritizing quantity over quality with extra-
curriculars: Schools want to see that a student uses time out of school to pursue passions. Show them consistency and commit-ment by choosing a few activities and sticking with them. Do more than the minimum required and take on leadership roles. Students with an idea of their career path (i.e. health care) should take part in at least one activity that demonstrates inter-est in the area (i.e. volunteering at a hospital).
10 Missing Deadlines: The college admissions
process is filled with deadlines, and missing a deadline can mean rejection or lost financial aid. A typical college applicant has dozens of dates to remember from application deadlines to financial aid and scholarship deadlines. It’s a student’s job to keep track of them all.
11 Catching Senioritis. Do not slack off during senior
year. After 11 years of hard work, this is the last one and colleges are watching. Keep up the grades and don’t start taking easy classes. Most college accep-tances are provisional, meaning the admissions team will review final transcripts after gradua-tion. Do poorly and schools have a right to withdraw acceptance. Senioritis can be fatal.
JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN:
By Mandee Heller Adler
Mandee Heller Adler is founder and CEO of International College Counsel-ors, one of the world’s largest college admission counseling companies, and author of From Public School to the Ivy League: How to get into a top school without top dollar resources.
These are the application
mistakes nightmares are
made of. “Boo-ti-fully,”
they are all avoidable.
The Top 11 Most Haunting College Admissions Errors
birminghamparent.com | 17
Indian Springs School Grades 8-12 • Open House Nov. 11 • ExperienceSprings.org
ready for college,prepared for the world.
www.alpediatricdentistry.com
Welcoming children 6 months & older.
DR. CLARK THOMASDR. LAUTEN JOHNSON
KIDS LOVE US, PARENTS TRUST US!KIDS LOVE US, PARENTS TRUST US!Treating children, not just their teeth, for a lifetime of healthy smiles. M-F 8-5
MONTCLAIR LOCATION3918 Montclair Rd. Suite 206
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205.879.6150
HOOVER LOCATION1015 Brocks Gap Pkwy
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petting zoo • hay maze • hay ridemoonwalk • infl atable slide
obstacle course • fi shing • playgroundface painting and concession stand
FORRESTER ROAD . JASPER, ALABAMA 35504www.fayewhittemorefarms.com
PUMPKIN PATCHIN JASPER, AL
FAYE WHITTEMORE FARMS
OPENING DAYSATURDAY,OCT. 4TH
Open to the Public all 4 weekends in October
Saturdays 10a.m.–5 p.m. & Sundays 1 p.m.–5 p.m.
$10.00 per person
For school reservations, contact Ricky at 205.522.4137 or email [email protected].
Trail Rides available now through Nov 5th. PICK A PERFECT
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SATURDAY, OCT. 4TH - 10 AMNewborn -19 years old
Categories include Prettiest eyes, Best Dressed, Prettiest Smile, Best Hair
and Most BeautifulEmail [email protected]
for entry forms
First InauguralMiss Pumpkin Patch Pageant
18 | birminghamparent | october 201418 | birminghamparent october 2014
1 4D FARM CORN MAZE & PUMPKIN PATCHOpen Sept. 27-Nov. 1Thursdays & Fridays- 2 — 6pmSaturdays – 10am — 6pm7066 County Road 703, Cullman, AL256-775-2924www.4dfamilyfarm.comRide on our cow train, zoom down our 80ft slide, pick a pumpkin from the vine, get lost in our corn maze, squeal at the pig races, jump on Johnny Jumper and MUCH MORE! $10 + tax admission includes most activities. Under 2 free.
2 36TH ANNUAL ALABAMA TALE TELLIN’ FESTIVALOctober 10-11Beginning at 4:30pm dailyOffi cial Tale Tellin’ Capital of Alabama3 Church St., Selma, AL 36702334-878-ARTS (2787)www.artsrevive.com
Opens early at 4:30pm with swap-pin’ ground & food court. Tale Tellin’ at 6:30pm.Expect plenty of homespun humor with Lyn Ford & Suzi Whaples and toe-tapping music as Michael Reno Harrell shares the spotlight with The Dill Pickers.
3 FALL KIDS’ FESTIVAL(for 5th grade and under)Sunday, October 12, 1- 3pmMount Chapel UnitedMethodist Church2541 Rocky Ridge Road, Vestavia, AL 205-822-0020Rain or shine, with special guests Mick-ey and Minnie, featuring a children’s carnival. Enjoy the trackless train, car-riage and pony rides, 18’ super slide, lots of games, moon walk and face painting. $5 per person festival pass includes all games and rides (unlimited). Please bring cash for food and drinks.
4 FAYE WHITTEMORE FARMS, PUMPKIN PATCH AND TRAIL RIDESOpen the Month of October!(All 4 weekends) beginning Saturday, Oct. 4Saturday 10a.m. – 5p.m.Sunday 1 – 5p.mForrester RoadJasper, Alabama 35504Mobile: Ricky 205-522-4137Email: [email protected] www.fayewhittemorefarms.com Our Pumpkin Patch is the best fun fam-ily farm trip in Jasper! Activities include petting zoo, hay maze, moonwalk, infl atable slide, obstacle course, fi shing, playground & face painting. Trail Rides available.
5 PUMPKIN PATCH EXPRESS AT HEART OF DIXIE RAILROAD MUSEUMSaturdays (Oct) 10am, 1pm and 3pmSundays (Oct) 1pm and 3pm1919 Ninth St., Calera, AL 35040www.hodrm.org205-668-3435Enjoy an autumn ride aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express. Hayride, jump station, and cornstalk maze. Pick your favorite pumpkin from the patch and en-joy good ol’ fashioned boiled peanuts for an additional charge.
6 BOO AT THE ZOO5-9pm: October 3-5, 10-12, 19, 26, 29-30 & November 15-10pm: October 17-18, 24-25, & 31One Wild Place, Birmingham, AL 35223www.birminghamzoo.com16 nights of spooky attractions featuring our new attraction, the Monster Slide -an exhilarating inner tube ride of over 100 feet! Come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Hay Ride, take a spin on the Scarousel, animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival, trick-or-treat your way through the Zoo and more! (The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo. Daily attraction fees still apply.)
1
4
3
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2
PUMPKIN PATCH &FALL EVENT GUIDE
ADVERTISE HERE IN 2015 205-987-7700
6
birminghamparent.com | 19
Farm Fresh & Fu of Fun!
Visit www.4dfamilyfarm.com for hours & more info • 256-775-2924 • 256-708-5353LOCATED IN CULLMAN… JUST A SHORT COUNTRY DRIVE!
& Fu of Fun! & Fu of Fun! S� Ya’ on the Farm!
OPENING SEPT 27 FOR OUR FALL SEASON
THURS, FRI & SUN: 2-6SAT: 10-6
Make memories worth repeating... visit 4D Farm!
80ft Black Mamba Slide • corn bintwo story play barn • tire mountainhayrides • cow train • friendly farm animals • 2,000 sq ft jumping pillow
Barnyard Ball Zone • rubber duck raceslive pig races and much more!
CORN MAZE & PUMPKIN PATCH
NEW THIS YEAR!
MonsterSlide
October 3-5, 10-12, 19, 26, 29-30 & November 1 • 5–9pmOctober 17-18, 24-25 & 31 • 5–10pm
Members $6* • Non-Members $8* • Ride Tickets $3.50* Unlimited Attraction Wristband $12* – Best Value!
*Plus tax
The Zoo will close at 4pm each night of Boo at the Zoo. Animals will not be on exhibit during Boo at the Zoo.
birminghamzoo.com
FEATURED PARTNER
2014
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Dance Party Scarousel* Booterflies & Wonderland
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Creepy Carnival* And much more! *requires ride tickets
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22 | birminghamparent | october 2014
2 Thursday Marvel Universe Live! 7pm, BJCC Arena. Marvel Uni-verse is an original, live-action arena experience featuring more than 25 Marvel characters together on one epic quest. Tickets, www.marveluniverse-live.com. fee.
30th Annual Southern Women’s Show 10am-7pm, BJCC. Shopping, food, fun and more! The 30th year celebration will feature prizes and fun. Admission: adults $10 at the door; advance tickets available at Walgreens for $7. Youth ages 6-12 $5; children under 6 free with paying adult. Special pricing available. Information, www.southernshows.com/wbi. fee.
Antiques at the Gardens 1-5pm, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Birmingham’s premier antiques show, featuring dozens of dealers across the United States specializing in art, jewelry, Oriental rugs, rare books and home décor. This is a ticketed event, with separate tickets required for the exclu-sive Gala at The Gardens and Lecture Series. 205-414-3960, www.bbgardens.org. fee. Alabama Family Rights Association 6pm, Hoover Public Library. Dealing with post-custody child rearing Issues during the school year and limiting negative impact on the child and school administration. How to deal with these challenges is very important to both you and your children’s lives. www.alfra.org. FREE. 3 FridayMarvel Universe Live!7pm, BJCC Arena. See Oct. 2. Mothers Of PreSchoolers (MOPS)9:30-11:30am, Pelham First Baptist Church. Mothers Of PreSchoolers (MOPS) helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today’s mothers of young children. Join us as we meet the 1st & 3rd Friday of each month at Pelham First Baptist Church. Child care is provided. [email protected]. FREE. 30th Annual Southern Women’s Show 10am-8pm, BJCC. See Oct. 2.
Alabaster Library Fall Book Sale – Members Only Day 5-7pm, Albert L. Scott Library, Alabaster. Thousands of books; something for all interests and ages. Buy all you want. Friday is preview for friends of the library members only. 205-664-
6822, http://cityofalabaster.com/departments/library. FREE admission. Antiques at the Gardens10am-5pm, Birmingham Botani-cal Gardens. See Oct. 2. 4 Saturday Pepper Place Market 7am-12pm, Pepper Place. The best Alabama growers, food producers and artisans. Rain or Shine! www.pepperplacemar-ket.com. FREE. Alabaster Library Fall Book Sale 9am-3pm, Albert L. Scott Library. See Oct. 3.
30th Annual Southern Women’s Show 10am-7pm, BJCC. See Oct. 2.
Hikes for Tykes with Fresh Air Family 10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Pre-school children and their families will go on a shape hunt with Anwen! 205-540-6642, www.freshairfamily.org. FREE. Bart’s Art Cart11am-1pm, Birmingham Museum of Art. Drop into Bart’s Art cart for a fun hands-on activity! 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham. 205-254-2565, www.artsbma.org. Marvel Universe Live!11am, 3pm & 7pm, BJCC Arena. See Oct. 2. Antiques at the Gardens10am-5pm, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, see Oct. 2
5 Sunday 4th Annual Magic City Mile1:30pm registration, 2-4pm, downtown Homewood. One-mile fun run through downtown Homewood. All levels welcome. The post-race party, The Bell Center Festival, will feature live music by Festival Expressions,
Calendar sponsored by
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Events may change after publication, deadline; please phone ahead to confirm important information. The deadline for submitting calendar items for the Nov. 2014 issue is Oct. 3. Mail calendar items to: Calendar, Birmingham Parent, 3590B Hwy 31 S #289, Pelham, AL 35124; fax to 987-7600; e-mail to [email protected]; or enter directly to the online calendar at www.birminghamparent.com. Entries added online after the print deadline will not appear in the print version. Information cannot be accepted over the phone. Birmingham Parent publishes a calendar 11 times a year. January events are included in the December issue.
Guidelines: Birmingham Parent’s calendar is designed to be a resource and service to the community and our readers. Events which are open to the public, fund-raisers, free classes, etc., are events that may be included in our monthly calendar. We reserve the right to reject any event or listing due to rules or space restrictions. For questions regarding calendar entries, call 987-7700.
october
OCTOBER 2-5 — MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE!
7pm, BJCC Arena. Marvel Universe is an original, live-action arena experience featuring more than 25 Marvel characters together on one epic quest.
Tickets, www.marveluniverselive.com. fee.
birminghamparent.com | 23
Calendar sponsored by
a climbing wall for kids, face painting and pumpkin deco-rating. $10 for individuals, family rates available. 205-879-3417., http://imathlete.com/events/mcm2014. Fee.
30th Annual Southern Women’s Show 11am-6pm, BJCC. See Oct. 2.
Marvel Universe Live!1pm, 5pm, BJCC Arena. See Oct. 2. Whispers from the Past – A Native American Experience11:30am-7:30pm, Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Bringing in more than 1,500 people annually, this community-based project partners
Aldridge Gardens with schol-ars in anthropology, archae-ology, history, horticulture and ethnobotany, as well as leaders and representatives of the local Native American community. The purpose is to provide an accurate portrayal of the past and present of Alabama’s various tribes through engaging in-troductions to the traditions, art, cultural practices and folkways of Southeastern Native Americans. www.aldridgegardens.com, 205-682-8019. Alabaster Library Fall Book Sale1-3pm, Alabaster City Library, see Oct. 3. Antiques at the Gardens11am-3pm, Birmingham Bo-tanical Gardens, see Oct. 2.
7 Tuesday The Bell Center Charity Golf Classic 11am, Robert Trent Jones-Oxmoor Valley Course. Lunch and registration will begin with lunch provided by Taziki’s Mediterranean Café. A shotgun start at 1pm will kick off the round of golf. Come out and play with our sponsors, members of WJOX radio. 205-879-3417, www.thebellcenter.org. fee. 11 Saturday Pepper Place Market 7am-12pm, Pepper Place. See Oct. 4.
Every Saturday and Sunday in October, the entire family will enjoy an autumn train ride to the pumpkin patch for a hayride, jumpstation, temporary tattoos, and good ol’ fashioned boiled peanuts! Pick out your favorite pumpkin from the patch.
For Tickets and Informationwww.HODRRM.org205.757.83831919 9th St. • Calera, Al 35040
Pumpkins & Peanuts extra charge
SPECIAL GUESTS: MICKEY & MINNIERAIN OR SHINE
13th ANNUAL
FALL KIDS’FESTIVAL
(FOR 5TH GRADE AND UNDER)
Trackless Train • Carriage Rides • 18’ Super SlidePony Rides • Football Toss • Fire Trucks • Police Cars Carousel Moon Walk • Kiddie Bell Striker • Ring Toss
Duck Pond Game • Face Painting • Shaved IceGo Fish Pond • Fire Department “Smoke House”
Race Car Ride • Puppet Show • “Little” Cake Walk
CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL
SUNDAY, OCT. 12th, 1-3PMMOUNTAIN CHAPEL
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH2541 Rocky Ridge Rd., Vestavia, 205-822-0020
$5 PER-PERSON FESTIVAL PASSCOVERS ALL RIDES & GAMES (UNLIMITED) • CASH FOR FOOD & DRINK
4 SATURDAY — PEPPER PLACE MARKET
7am-12pm, Pepper Place. The best Alabama growers, food producers and artisans. Rain or Shine!
www.pepperplacemarket.com. FREE.
2 THURSDAY — 5 SUNDAY
30TH ANNUAL SOUTHERN
WOMEN’S SHOW
10am-7pm at the BJCC
24 | birminghamparent | october 2014
Hikes for Tykes with Fresh Air Family10am Birmingham Botanical Gardens. A member of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens educational staff will take pre-school children and their fami-lies on a hands-on educational adventure through the gardens. 205-540-6642, www.freshair-family.org. FREE.
Bart’s Art Cart11am-1pm, Birmingham Museum of Art. See Oct. 4.
12 Sunday Vulcan AfterTunes Concert 3pm, Vulcan Park. Food and beverage available for sale. No outside alcohol allowed. No pets allowed. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Today’s act: Dumpstaphunk. Admission $15 for adults, $8 for children 5-12 years old. www.visitvulcan.com/vulcanaftertunes. fee.
16 Thursday Taste of Hoover 5-8pm, Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Taste of Hoover celebrates the variety of culinary
styles found throughout the city. Enjoy an autumn evening strolling through the Gardens, listening to live entertainment, and of course sampling delicious dishes from some of Hoover’s best restaurants. 205-682-8019, www.aldridgegardens.com. fee.
Principles of Fall Planting6pm, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Fall can be the most satisfying planting season of the gardening year. The days are cooler, pests are fewer and watering demands are lower. Join Plant Adventures Program Specialist Brooke McMinn for this free program and learn the best gardening practices for fall planting. 205-414-3960, www.bbgardens.org. FREE. 17 Friday Mothers Of PreSchoolers (MOPS)-Pelham First Baptist 9:30-11:30am, Pelham First Bap-tist Church. See Oct. 3. 18 Saturday Fall Plant Sale6:30am-7pm, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Get expert advice from volunteers. Sales benefit The Gardens’ mission to promote public knowledge and appreciation of plants, gardens and the environment. 205-414-3960, www.bbgardens.org. Pepper Place Market7am-12pm, Pepper Place. See Oct. 4.
Jefferson Christian Academy Heritage Festival10am-3pm, Jefferson Chris-tian Academy, Irondale. This popular event draws families from throughout the Birmingham area. Enjoy carnival rides, huge inflatables, live music, arts and crafts vendors, informational booths, several food choices, great values in the silent auc-tion, pony rides, games and more! For information on how to be a vendor or sponsor, contact Wendy Burrows at [email protected] or 205-956-9111. www.facebook.com/Jefferson-ChristianAcademy. Hikes for Tykes with Fresh Air Family10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Go on a magical storytelling hike with Fresh
Air Family’s Verna Gates. Are there fairies and dragons in the Gardens? Fairy house building to follow. 205-540-6642, www.freshairfamily.org. FREE. Bart’s Art Cart11am-1pm, Birmingham Museum of Art. See Oct. 4. 19 Sunday Birmingham Botanical Gardens Fall Plant Sale6:30am-7pm, Birmingham Bo-tanical Gardens. See Oct. 18. DSA 15th Annual Buddy Walk2-4pm, Hoover Met. Kids activi-ties, arts and crafts, inflatables, dancing, photo booth. Tickets $10 per person (includes wrist-band for admission). Individuals with Down syndrome and chil-dren 3 & under admitted free. 205-988-0810, www.downsyn-dromealabama.org. Register via the website or 12:30-1:55pm the day of the event. 24 Friday Anne of Green Gables 7:30pm, Alabama School of Fine Arts. The bestselling 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery takes the stage at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater. 205-458-0360, www.djdtheater.org. fee. 25 Saturday Anne of Green Gables7:30pm, Alabama School of Fine Arts. See Oct. 24. Maple Leaf Run8am 5K, 9am, kids fun run, The Mall in downtown Trussville. Presented by the Trak Shak. 5K registration, $25, $30 day of race; fun run, $10. www.trussvil-lechamber.com. fee. Pepper Place Market7am-12pm, Pepper Place. See Oct. 4.
2nd Annual Sole to Soul 5K and Fun Run7am, Shades Mountain Christian School. Proceeds benefit the Prescott House Child Advocacy Center. Enjoy food, door prizes, age group awards and more. Early registration accepted through Oct. 24. To register online visit www.raceit.com; keyword: Sole to Soul. www.soletosoul5k.org/. fee.
Calendar sponsored byoctoberd
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19 SUNDAY — DSA 15TH ANNUAL BUDDY WALK
2-4pm, Hoover Met. Kids activities, arts and crafts, inflatables, dancing, photo booth. Tickets $10 per person (includes wristband for admission). Individuals with Down syndrome and children 3 & under admitted free. 205-988-0810, www.downsyndromealabama.org. Register via the
website or 12:30-1:55pm the day of the event.
birminghamparent.com | 25
Calendar sponsored by
Hikes for Tykes with Fresh Air Family10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. A member of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens educational staff will take pre-school children and their fami-lies on a hands-on educational adventure through the gardens. 205-540-6642, www.freshair-family.org. FREE.
Bart’s Art Cart11am-1pm, Birmingham Museum of Art. See Oct. 4.
Storytelling and Booksigning2pm, Pelham Library. Author, paranormal investigator and Chelsea resident Kim Johnston will come for a storytelling and book signing. Johnston is the author of Haunted Shelby County, Alabama, which recounts stories
and legends about various haunted locations across Shelby County. Seating for humans (but not ghosts) is limited-call to reserve yours! 205-620-6418, http://facebook.com/Haunted-ShelbyCountyAl. FREE.
26 SundayAnne of Green Gables2:30pm, Alabama School of Fine Arts. See Oct. 24.
Vulcan AfterTunes Concert3pm, Vulcan Park. Food and beverage available for sale. No outside alcohol allowed. No pets allowed. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Featuring Milo Greene. Admission $15 for adults, $8 for children 5-12 years old. www.visitvulcan.com/vulcanaftertunes. fee.
28 TuesdayThe Hidden World of Bats6-7:30pm, Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Found in virtually ev-ery part of the world except the polar regions, bats are the only mammals capable of true fl ight. Families can learn about the many qualities and adaptations of these fascinating animals. Be prepared to see some of our
regional bats up close! 205-682-8019, http://aldridge-gardens.com. fee.
31 FridayHALLOWEEN
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EVERY SATURDAY — BART’S ART CART
11am-1pm, Birmingham Museum of Art. Drop into Bart’s Art cart for a fun hands-on activity! 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods
Jr. Blvd., Birmingham. 205-254-2565, www.artsbma.org.
28 TUESDAY — THE HIDDEN WORLD OF BATS
6-7:30pm, Aldridge Botanical Gardens.
31 FRIDAY — HALLOWEEN!!
BIRMINGHAM PARENT’S
Ask the Expert
Want to participate as one of our experts? Contact your account executive or call 205-987-7700, or email [email protected].
Each Thurs. afternoon/evening, an expert will take over Birmingham Parent’s Facebook page and answer your questions for an hour!
Questions about healthcare, nutrition, education, tutoring, special needs and more will be answered by our experts.
Watch for information about who the expert will be and the topic each week.
Coming to Birmingham Parent’s FACEBOOK & TWITTER in October
26 | birminghamparent | october 2014
ALDRIDGE BOTANICAL GARDENS 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover. 205-682-8019, www.aldridge-gardens.com
ALABAMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME1631 Fourth Ave. N., Birmingham. 205-254-2731, www.jazzhall.com
ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTSJohn Heine Visual Arts Exhibi-tion. Revel in the talent of John Heine’s colorful and quirky paintings exhibited in the Vulcan Materials Gallery at ASFA. Through Oct. 3. 8:30am- 4pm. 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd. Birmingham, AL. 252-9241
ALABAMA SPORTS HALL OF FAME2150 Richard Arrington Blvd. N., Birmingham. 323-6665, www.ashof.org
ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER100 Terrace Drive, Pelham. 205-663-7930. www.awrc.org
ALBERT L SCOTT ALABAS-TER PUBLIC LIBRARY• Tunes & Tales: Wednesdays at 3:30pm in Library Meeting Room • Toddler Tales: Fridays at 10:30am in the Library Meeting Room • Lego League: Tuesdays 4-4:45pm100 9th Street NW, Alabaster, AL, 35007. 205-664-6822, www.cityofalabaster.com/de-partments/library BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENSBe sure to download the trea-sure map to take with you! www.bbgardens.org/docu-ments/treasuremapforweb.pdf2612 Lane Park Road, Birming-ham. 205-414-3900, www.bbgardens.org
BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S THEATRE 1001 19th St. North, Birmingham, AL, 35203, 205-458-8181, www.bct123.org
BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTEBrushstrokes Between Cuts. BCRI presents the first major vi-sual art exhibition by local bar-ber and artist Carter “Pooley” Moorer, Jr., featuring 31 paint-
ings that Moorer created during his 60+ years as a barber at Carter’s Barbershop, an Ensley landmark. Hundreds of his art-work and painted furniture have found a resting place in homes all over America, through Octo-ber 12 in the Milestones gallery.16th St. N., Birmingham. 205-328-9696, www.bcri.org
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham. 205-254-2565, www.artsbma.org.
BIRMINGHAM ZOO • Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. The Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attrac-tions for 16 nights. New this year, experience the thrill of the Monster Slide as you glide past your friends and family on this exhilarating inner tube ride of over 100 feet! Dates: October 3-5, 10-12, 19, 26, 29-30 and Nov. 1 from 5-9 pm; and Octo-ber 17-18, 24-25 and 31 from 5-10pm. Admission charged.
IN-PARK SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
Giraffe Feeding & Keeper Chat, Saturday & Sunday 11am-12pm & 2-3pm, $3.00. See Griffin, the first giraffe born in a North American accredited Zoo in 2014! Sea Lion Training, Daily 10am & 2pm
Predator Zone, Saturday & Sunday 11:30am & 3:30pm 2630 Cahaba Road, Birming-ham. 205-879-0409, www.birminghamzoo.com
HEART OF DIXIE RAILROAD MUSEUM1919 Ninth St., Calera. 205-668-3435, www.hodrrm.org
SHOP SAVE & SHAREJUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM. Shop Save & Share will be held October 22-November 2. The league is partnering with Bir-mingham’s finest retailers to of-fer you the opportunity to both give and receive this fall. Pur-chase your Shop Save & Share card for a $40 donation and receive a 20 percent discount at our exciting list of retail part-ners. Your entire donation will support the over 30 community projects of the Junior League of Birmingham. See www.jlbon-line.com/?nd=shopshare for more details. 205-879-9861.
MCWANE SCIENCE CENTER • Earth Science Week. McWane will offer hands-on activities and programs designed to promote earth sciences. Learn how geoscientists gather and interpret data about the Earth and other planets, impacting society through their research. October 12-18, 2-14.
• National Chemistry Week. McWane joins the American Chemical Society in celebrating National Chemistry Week by offering hands-on activities and programs designed to commu-nicate an understanding of the importance of chemistry to our everyday life. October 19-25. IMAX MOVIES• To the Arctic. An extraor-dinary journey to the top of the world, the documentary adventure “To the Arctic” tells the ultimate tale of survival. Through April 30, 2015. • Jerusalem. Explore for the first time in IMAX this crossroads of civilization and faith. The film conveys the story of Jerusalem in all its beauty and diversity, illuminating global public opin-ion and understanding about Jerusalem on a vast scale, pre-senting an exceptional vision of Jerusalem – as a city of univer-sal historical, spiritual, cultural and archaeological importance. Through November 26. • Island of Lemurs: Madagascar. Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman narrates the incredible true story of nature’s greatest explorer, lemurs. Madagascar takes audiences on a spectacu-lar journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar. Through January 8, 2015. 200 19th St. N., Birmingham. 205-714-8300, www.mcwane.org.
MOSS ROCK PRESERVEPreserve Parkway, Hoover. 205-739-7141, www.hooveral.org.
OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK 200 Terrace Drive, Pelham. 205-620-2520, www.alapark.com.
RUFFNER MOUNTAIN NATURE CENTER 1214 81st St. S., Birmingham. 205-833-8264, www.ruffner-mountain.org.
SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT4343 73rd St. N., Birmingham. 205-833-8226, www.southern-museumofflight.org
TANNEHILL IRONWORKS HISTORICAL STATE PARK12632 Confederate Parkway, McCalla. 205-477-5711, www.tannehill.org
VULCAN PARK 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham. 205-933-1409, www.vulcanpark.org
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CelebrationsMAKING YOUR PARTY A REAL CELEBRATION!
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If you would like your kid to be a Birthday Kids contestant, complete and send this form, along with a recent photograph of your child (photos will not be returned) to Birthday Kids, Birmingham Parent, 3590-B Hwy. 31 S., #289, Pelham, AL 35124. Child must be 13 and under to win. By entering, contestants and their parents or legal guardians release the photo to Birmingham Parent with no further obligation to Birmingham Parent, and give consent to Birmingham Parent to reproduce and publish any photographs submitted whether or not the entry is chosen as the winner. All entries must be signed by parent/guardian. Employees of Evans Publishing and contest sponsors are not eligible. Nov. entries much be received by Oct. 11, 2014. Entries can be sent ahead for later months.
If you would like your kid to be a Birthday Kids contestant, complete and send this form, along with a recent photograph of your child (photos will not be returned) to Birthday
Congratulations to Summer Schepker
who will be 11 on Oct. 10th.
As the winner, she receives a party at Pump It Up Pelham
Child’s Name _______________________________________________
Child’s Age __________ Birthday ______________________________
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The search is on to find fresh faces & smiles to light up Birmingham Parent
magazine covers in 2015!
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THE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA April 2012
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Finalists will be chosen, then voted on online. Winners chosen will be on a cover in 2015.
All entries must be received by Dec. 31, 2014. Finalists may be featured on main covers or specialty
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A portion of the proceeds from Cover Kids Search will be donated to the American Red Cross.
c verkidsSEARCH 2015
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE!
28 | birminghamparent | october 2014
For more than 40 years, the King’s Home has provided help, hope and hospitality to others in the community when they need it most. Th e nonprofi t organization operates a variety of services that are dedicated to
youth, women and mothers and children experiencing diffi cult or extreme circumstances, such as abuse, abandonment and homelessness.
“We’re all about hope and opportunity,” says Lew Burdette, president of King’s Home. “We want to be that hope and opportunity that moms and teenagers maybe have never had before.”
With six campuses located in Jeff erson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa and Blount counties, the King’s Home operates 22 total residential group homes. Twelve of these homes are dedicated to at-risk youth. Approxi-mately 98 percent of the youth at King’s Home, which includes boys and girls ages 10 to 21, have suff ered some sort of abuse, neglect or abandonment.
“We are trying to instill in them that even though life hasn’t treated them fairly, they have the rest of their lives in front of them and it’s really what they make out of it from this point forward,” Burdette says. “We try to point them towards hope and goals and give them time and space to heal from the abuse and the deep wounds that come with it.”
To help each child, the King’s Home provides spiritual development, educational assistance and counseling. Th e children are also placed in loving homes that include parents and their own biological children. “We are trying to teach them safe, loving
boundaries, which is a healthy structure for life,” Burdette explains. “Our model is to have loving homes with loving house parents we call family teaching parents. Th at shows the youth what a family looks like – a loving mom and dad interacting with each other, loving each other. Th ese youth have never had that modeled for them. In many cases, if you were abused as a kid you will be an abuser as an adult because you’ve never learned healthy living or appropriate
relationships. We want to see that cycle broken.”
Living in a home with a family also teaches youth many life skills that so many take for granted. “We are teaching every single day, many times just basic things like good table manners, how to greet someone and personal hygiene,” says Burdette. “We also teach
other life skills, like how to be successful fi nancially and budget wisely. We want them to be successful in every area.”
To help youth develop and one day be indepen-dent, maybe even attend college, workers at King’s Home meet every week to discuss each child’s goals and how they are developing. “We want every kid to be successful, so we are intentional about that as a team,” Burdette says. “No child is going to be left
The King’s Home provides help today and hope for tomorrow
By Paige Townley
GIVING HOPE A HOME
ALL
PH
OT
OS
CO
UR
TE
SY
OF
TH
E K
ING
’S H
OM
E
We want to be that hope and opportunity that moms and teenagers maybe have never had before.
birminghamparent.com | 29
behind here. We know it’s no one’s dream to live at King’s Home. We want them to one day live independently, so we challenge them to set goals and achieve them and really work for success.”
King’s Home also hosts nine homes that are dedicated to women and mothers and children who are fleeing abuse and domestic violence. In addition to offering a safe place to live, King’s Home provides food, medical expenses, counseling, childcare and educational support. “We sit down with the women and look at what they have been through and encourage them to figure out what they want to do and what they want their future to look like,” says Liz Sherrell, the King’s Home’s operations director. “We help them decide on some goals, both short term and long term, and then we help them achieve them.”
For many women, those goals are all about getting a job. To make that process as stress free as possible, King’s Home helps the women create resumes, prepare for inter-views and even transport them to and from interviews. “We had one mom who was actually locked in a closet
with her three children for days at a time,” Burdette says. “The physical abuse was horrible and when she came to us she shared that her dream was to go to college. She ended up getting her masters degree in accounting and then a high-paying job as an accountant. She has been out of our program for more than five years now and is doing great and providing a great life for her children. All she needed was a chance.”
With so many lives impacted every year – King’s Home served 328 residents last year alone – motivation to continue providing life-changing compassion, love and hope is never hard to find. “It’s amazing to see God at work transforming lives,” Burdette says. “That’s the most rewarding part for us—to see the residents that come to us with hurt and suffering and disappointment and find hope and opportunity.”
Paige Townley is a Birmingham freelance writer.
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30 | birminghamparent | october 2014
Until April 2010, life was fairly normal for the Burnette family. LaNaye and her husband, Mike, had recently welcomed their fifth child, Ryan, into the family, joining siblings Andrea, Me-gan, Lauren and Courtney. But on April 19, everything suddenly
changed when daughter Courtney was diagnosed with a brain tumor.Every year, approximately 2,000 children are diagnosed with brain
tumors. A result of an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain, brain tumors are one of the most common solid tumors in children and are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in pediatrics. Typically, brain tumors are diagnosed in children between the ages of three and eight, but they can occur at any age. Courtney had recently turned nine.
“Before Courtney was diagnosed, we really didn’t have a lot of warn-ing signs,” says LaNaye. “She had been healthy. She had complained of dizziness a couple of times about six months before diagnosis, but that was about it.”
Although LaNaye took Courtney to the doctor when she originally complained about dizziness and nothing was found – the doctor thought the dizziness might be caused by dehydration – LaNave knew something was wrong and scheduled another doctor’s appointment. “I just had a nag-ging feeling that something wasn’t quite right,” says LaNaye.
Before Courtney ever made it to her checkup, she began having eye problems. LaNaye quickly got her an appointment with an eye doctor. During the exam, the eye doctor informed LaNaye that he saw a lot of fluid when he looked into her eyes and that she might have a brain lesion. “He said that if it was his daughter he would take her straight to the emergency room because there was so much pressure in her head,” LaNaye says.
Taking the doctor’s advice, LaNaye took Courtney to the hospital where a CT scan showed she had a brain tumor, but it didn’t show much
PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS:
By Paige Townley
One Family’s Journeyelse. “The scan could tell that something was there, but not much else,” says LaNaye. “A CT scan doesn’t show as in depth as an MRI, so they sent us home that day, a Friday, with a scheduled MRI for that following Monday.”
The MRI revealed that Courtney had diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, often re-ferred to as DIPG. DIPG is a tumor located in the middle of the brain stem. Not only is it inoperable, but also it is difficult to treat because the tumor cells grow between and around normal cells. Typical survival time for those with DIPG is less than one year.
“The doctor explained she had the worst kind of brain tumor a person could have in the worst place with the worst prognosis,” says LaNaye. “I felt like it wasn’t real because I was in such shock. The doctor said that there was a tremendous amount of pressure in her head and if we didn’t get her admitted into the hospital and started on steroids to relieve the pressure she wouldn’t live more than a few days.”
Courtney was admitted to the hospital and chemotherapy and radiation soon began. “That was a hard decision because chemo and radiation were more to control her symptoms than to actually cure her,” LaNaye says. “We knew there was a very small chance it would cure her. But she wanted to try to fight it, so we did.”
Despite at least 30 treatments of radia-tion and weeks of chemotherapy, Courtney survived just 186 days – a little more than six months. “In July, an MRI had revealed the tumor shrank significantly, but about two weeks later the symptoms came back and she went downhill from there and never really recovered after that,” says LaNaye. “Then in October we found out it had grown back and was growing in her spine. She lived just 22 days from that time.”
Unfortunately, stories like Courtney’s are far too common. Children’s of Alabama, the state’s only hospital with a comprehen-sive center for pediatric cancer and other blood disorders, sees one to two children every week with a newly diagnosed brain tumor, says Dr. Alyssa T. Reddy, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s.
“With that being said, there are many different types of brain tumors, and the
The Burnette family with Courtney (in front of dad)
birminghamparent.com | 31
prognosis and treatment vary depending on the type and its location,” Reddy says. “Specifically regarding the type of tumor Courtney had, it’s not very common. DIPG probably accounts for 10 percent of the brain tumors that we see which translates into only four to five children per year.”
While research is ongoing, nothing has been shown to impact the long-term outcome for many pediatric brain tumors. Until a cure is found, organizations like the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children, now called the Georgia Chapter of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, exists to help families like the Burnettes cope with the reality of pediatric brain tumors. The foundation provides financial assistance, social support and information for families.
It was during Courtney’s ordeal that LaNaye first became connected with the organization. After Courtney lost her battle with DIPG, the Burnettes started a fund, called Courtney’s Sun-shine Fund, to help other families with children suffering from brain tumors. “After Courtney died, it was really hard and we
went through the first year in shock,” LaNaye says. “The second year it was more like a nightmare, and I told my husband that we had to do something to help people – something to give back and also create a legacy for Courtney because I never want her to be forgotten. This awful thing happened to our family and I knew we had to try to make something good out of it.”
Established through the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children, Courtney’s Sunshine Fund assists local families in need of financial assistance, as well as funds research. The Burnettes host various fundraisers throughout the year to raise money, 100 percent of which goes to the fund. “I couldn’t do anything about the fact my daughter was gone, but I could help make life a little easier for someone else going through what we went through,” LaNaye says. “Doing this has really been therapeutic for me. There’s something very healing about helping others.”
Paige Townley is a Birmingham freelance writer.
“Doing this has really been therapeutic
for me. There’s something very healing
about helping others.”
— LaNaye Burnette
Courtney Burnette celebrates her 8th birthday
A concussion is an injury caused by a blow to the head in which the brain moves rapidly and may collide with the inside of the skull.
Even a minor fall or collision may be of concern, so be alert to symptoms such as headaches, unsteadiness, confusion or other types of abnormal behavior.
Any athlete with a suspected concussion:
n Should be IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PLAY/ACTIVITY n Should be urgently assessed medically n Should not be left alone n Should not drive a motor vehicle
www.ChildrensAL.org/concussion
KNOWwhat to do in case of
SUSPECTED CONCUSSION
In case of medical emergency, call 911 or go directly to your local ER
32 | birminghamparent | october 2014
THE JOURNEY: There and Back AgainEvery day is a journey for children. The travel to and from school, questing around neighborhood, and journeys of the spirit and imagination are all opportunities for children to pursue adventure beyond the normal confines of home and hearth. And for most journeys, the final leg brings a traveler full circle; back to where they started. We return from our travels with a fuller appreciation for home, friends, family and all the things that we carry in our heart when we’re away. The following titles all embody the spirit of adventurous journeys, while carrying along the fond-ness for home that’s never
By Gerry P. Smith
A Page in a Book©
R E CO M M E N D I N G TH E B E S T B O O KS F O R C H I LD R E N & TE E N S
Following Papa’s SongBy Gianna Marino (Viking/Penguin)
In the seemingly endless ocean, Little Blue, a young blue whale, is preparing with his family for his first migration. But he’s worried about being separated from his father on the journey. Traveling thousands of miles through the deep sea, a blue whale’s home is vast and moveable. Home is where his family is. His father assures him that if he will listen, Little Blue can hear Papa’s whale song and find him should he become lost. When Little Blue is distracted on the journey and becomes lost in the deep, he will need all his listening skill to hear the song of home. Lush edge-to-edge illustrations sub-merge the reader in all the hues of the deep oceans as they plumb the depths with father and son. Following Papa’s Song is a moving and beautiful reminder of the call of home that resonates through every journey.
JourneyBy Aaron Becker (Candlewick)
Faced with a distracted family and a yearning for adventure, a young girl plucks up a red crayon and draws a door into another world. As she travels through the neutral and pastel colors of the alter-nate landscape, her vibrant red crayon creates the things she needs to venture forth. She draws a red boat that takes her to a kingdom of kind people who welcome her exploration of their world. She then draws a red balloon that wafts her among a not-so-kind army of the air. When she’s cap-tured by the airmen, her red crayon is lost …along with her means to return home. But a flash of rich purple emerges and may solve her problems both at home and abroad. A brilliantly executed work of art and storytelling, Journey is a steampunk-styled flight of wordless fancy that children will revisit again and again.
Three Bears in a BoatBy David Soman (Dial/Penguin)
When three bears (playing where they shouldn’t) break their mother’s favorite blue sea-shell, they immediately run to the beach to hide. And as they huddle in the shadow of their boat, the brothers decide under-take a quest; to sail away to find a blue shell. They query other seafaring bears for clues as their journey carries them far afield, but their search yields no blue shell. As their odyssey lengthens, their tempers grow shorter and home seems farther away than ever. It takes the stir-ring of a great storm to reveal the welcome calms and turn their voyage homeward. Com-plete with a cheeky nod to ‘Moby Dick’, this title is a reassuring testament to treasures and safe welcome found at home.
birminghamparent.com | 33
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34 | birminghamparent | october 2014
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Since October is breast cancer awareness month, it’s prime time to talk about
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For early detection, Th e American Cancer Society, Na-tional Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend annual mammograms starting at age 40. Women aged 20-39 years should have breast exams
performed by a physician in clinic every one to three years and annually for women older than age 40. Breast self-aware-ness is also recommended.
Th is concept of breast self-awareness has largely replaced the breast self-exam. Rather than looking for abnormalities in our breasts during a self breast exam, breast self-aware-ness focuses on being familiar with the normal consistency of your breasts and underly-ing tissue, so you’re aware of any abnormal lumps or other changes.
Most women have lumps or changes in their breasts that fl uctuate during their menstrual cycles, and this is normal. If you have breast implants, you may want to ask your doctor to help identify the edges of the implants. A woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding also can perform regular breast self-exams in order to establish her “new normal.”
Changes to look for and talk to your doctor about include:
� Dimples, puckers, ridges or bulges of skin on the breast
� A nipple that turns in rather than sticks out
� Skin that itches, or has scales, sores or rashes
� Discharge from the nipple, other than breast milk
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Th e importance of breast self-awareness as a tool for women is highlighted by the fact that about 50 percent of breast cancer cases in women older than 50 years old, and more than 70 percent of breast cancer cases in women younger than 50 years old, are detected by women them-selves. In addition to knowing your own body, make sure to also get an annual mam-mogram.
Make time for a mam-mogram at the Brookwood Medical Center Mammothon on Th ursday, October 16 and Saturday, October 18. We’re adding extra hours to our week to make getting your annual mammogram a little easier. Reservations are encouraged, so call 205.802.6900 today.
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ask the specialist
October is Breast Cancer Awareness MonthARE YOU BREAST SELF-AWARE?
By Jamie Routman, MD
Jamie Routman, MD, is an OB/GYN with Brookwood Medical Center.
Send us your questions for "Ask the Specialist" at [email protected]. No personal replies are sent.
birminghamparent.com | 35
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birminghamparent.com | 37
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THE ABOVE ADS HAVE NOT BEEN SCREENED BY THE SOUTHEASTERN ADVERTISING PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION (SAPA) or BIRMINGHAM PARENT; Therefore, any discrepancies thereof shall not be the responsibility of the aforementioned association or this publication. Your publisher has agreed to participate in this program and
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national classified ads
Are your child’s doctors and pediatric healthcare professionals exceptional?
Do they take time to listen and respond to your concerns?
Has your child received medical care that exceeded your expectations?
Testimonials and nominations must be submitted by local moms or dads of real patients. Nominations or testimonials submitted and/or
written directly by practices will be screened by the publisher and face the possibility of being eliminated.
If so, make sure they are recognized and honored in the December 2014
issue of Birmingham Parent by nominating your favorite doc today!
It’ll only take 5 minutes!Visit www.birminghamparent.com to tell us your nominee and WHY.
38 | birminghamparent | october 2014
Full disclosure: I am also an Uncle. I am, in fact, the greatest uncle on earth, as is evidenced by my newest
niece who loves me so much she puts a picture of me on the table when she eats dinner. Th at’s quality uncling, people.
I have four nieces: the scholar, the hippy, the philosopher, and my newest, the diminutive, manipulative, lying, pinky swear pirate queen. I call her Capt. Hook.
It should be noted, though all my nieces are delightful, attractive, and wildly intelligent, Hook was appar-ently designed by Disney animators to be cuter and more charming than most girls by an order of magnitude that could blind a supernova. It works in her favor and she knows it. Most
kids are hyper and noisy and irritat-ing. Hook is hyper and noisy and delightful. She could sing 99 bottles of beer on the wall and I’d listen to every verse. It is her super power.
Th at she uses for evil.Like yesterday, her second day of
school, her mother having diligently included a lunch check which posted on the internet about 11:30 in the morning so my sister knows the kid’s gonna eat. When we pick her up, cinema ensues:
SISTER: “How was lunch, puddin’ head?”
CAPT. HOOK: “I didn’t have any.”
SISTER: “Why not?”
CAPT. HOOK: “I didn’t have any money,” noble pause; “So I watched the other kids eat.”
Besides being a bald faced lie, this was cogently manipulative, aimed precisely at her mother’s guilty bulls-eye. I watched the other kids eat. Not,
I didn’t have anything. Not I wasn’t hungry. Not, you didn’t give me any food you penniless hag – none of that elementary stuff for Hook. No. She pushed it like a Victor Hugo set piece, forming a ghastly scene of abject poverty: Hook all alone, starving, quietly watching the other children maul their chicken legs, grease running down their fat chins as our coy corsair’s stomach growls and her eyes sink delicately into her malnour-ished skull and I swear for a minute the background music from Les Miserables underscores her suff ering which is noble and heroic—
SISTER: Bull hockey. I paid your lunch this morning.
CAPT. HOOK: Fine. I had chicken and tater tots.
Later, I watched her kick her sister in the shins for no reason. Th is is not entirely outlandish behavior for a child just entering kindergarten, and not a symptom of her piratical soul. But when she saw me see her, she leaped across the room, pinky extended like a rapier, and caught her tiny digit around mine in a grip as immovable as a rack, then hung, her body dangling in the air from my extensus digiti mimimi, all 32 pounds of her pulling me down until we’re nose to nose whereupon she leans her swashbuckling visage into mine and growls: we pinky sweared, you can’t tell.
Of course I tell you all this in secrecy. I haven’t slept in days. I startle easily. I’m worried, man, cause I totally told and somewhere, somehow, when I least expect it, that pocket sized privateer is gonna creep up behind me; heck she’s probably right behind me even as I write these last wor—
kids are hyper and noisy and irritat-ing. Hook is hyper and noisy and delightful. She could sing 99 bottles of beer on the wall and I’d listen to every
death by children
CaptainHookBy Bull Garlington
Christopher “Bull” Garlington is a syndicated humor writer and a Birmingham native. His fi rst book, by the same name as his column, is available at Amazon.com.
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