WNCParent July 2010

W N C M O M . C O M , T H E P L A C E W H E R E L O C A L M O M S C O N N E C T 1

c o n t e n t s

In every issue

This months features

On the cover

P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802828-232-5845 I www.wncmom.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHERRandy Hammer

WNC PARENT EDITORKatie Wadington - [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORNancy Sluder

[email protected]

FEATURES EDITORBruce Steele

[email protected]

STAFF WRITERBarbara Blake

[email protected]

ADVERTISING/CIRCULATIONMiranda Weerheim - 232-5980

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CALENDAR CONTENTDue by July 10. E-mail to [email protected]

ADVERTISING DEADLINEAdvertising deadline for the August issue is July 13

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Both of my children were born in July, soits quite timely for me that the magazinesbirthday issue is this month. While itsstressful to have parties in the same month this year, both parties will be held withinthe same 24-hour period it is also handyto get all the birthday mayhem taken care offor the year at the same time.

By planning ahead, parents can avoid alot of that stress. Heres where WNC Parentcomes in. Starting on Page 13 is the maga-zines annual Birthday Guide, with listings of places to hostparties, people who entertain kids for a living, bakeries and icecream shops to fulfill your birthday childs sweet tooth andstores where you can find all manner of supplies (not to men-tion names of party planners). Before the guide, youll findstories on party crafts, ideas for older childrens parties andmore.

This months issue also highlights two great summertimeactivities: fishing and farming. Learn what youll need andwhere to go to fish on Page 38. And find out where you and thekids can go to pick your own fruits or veggies in the story onPage 25.

See you next month, when my children are a year older and Idont have to bake a birthday cake for another year.

Birthday madness

Katie Wadington, editor

2 For the older setTry a more active birthdayparty for your tween or teen.Gift etiquetteThe ins and outs of giving andreceiving.Healthier cakesTips for baking a better-for-youbirthday cake.The Birthday GuideFind where to have a party,where to get the food andsupplies and more.Party craftsJean Vant Hul of The ArtfulParent offers group craft ideas.Pick your ownBring the kids to the farm andexperience summers bounty.Boost speedBrian Lawler offers five tips toyoung athletes for increasingtheir speed.Parent 2 ParentSee how Dr. Susan Mims,director of Mission Childrens

Hospital, balances workand family.Go fishLearn the how and whereof fishing in WNC.

Kids Voices ......................24Recall Roundup .................32Home-school Happenings ....41Librarians Pick..................42Story Times ......................43Growing Together ...............44Divorced Families...............46Parenting in a Nutshell .......48Video Games.....................49Puzzles ...........................59-60Calendar ..........................61

Mya Willover, of Clyde. BySonya Stone Photography,sonyastone.com.

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Remember when cake, ice cream anda clown made for the greatest birthdayever? If youve got tweens or teens,those days are over.

Middle-schoolers and young teensstill want to celebrate, but it has to besomewhere cool, or to have cool ele-ments brought to them if the partys athome.

Fortunately, there are a number ofoptions to consider, from old standbyslike bowling or roller skating to moreexotic adventures such as ziplining or

Airsoft parties, a relatively newfangledphenomenon where kids shoot eachother with tiny, lightweight plastic balls.Think paintball without the mess.

I have boys that age right now, andthey like the Airsoft parties, doing warswith a bunch of other boys, said AmyGlover Duckett, of Asheville. Thoseparties are held at friends homes thathave quite a bit of running aroundroom.

Her sons middle-school friends whoare girls have shown great creativity increating birthday events, Duckett said.

They do dress-up parties at varioustea rooms, spa days and dance parties at

a community center, she said. And poolparties are cool, especially with boys andgirls there.

Martha Ball, of Weaverville, agreed.I rented the Erwin pool for an after-

hours party when my daughter Alexturned 13, Ball said. It only works for thesummer babies, but the kids loved it. Itmade them feel important, swimmingwhen the pool was closed to the masses.

Carolyn Tingle, who lives near Kenil-worth Lake, said a party at home can beas much fun as at any other venue.

I just had a birthday party for mydaughters sweet 16, with between 30 and40 kids, boys and girls, Tingle said. We

Parties for big kidsOptions abound for birthday celebrations that appeal to tweens and teens

By Barbara BlakeWNC Parent writer

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERNavitat Canopy Adventures, near Barnardsville, is one option for a birthday child age 10 or older who wants a little action at his or her party.


had kids out in canoes, playing bad-minton, sitting by the lake with tikilamps, ping pong, a fire pit with smores,lots of pizza and veggies lots of kidsare vegetarian.

The party ran from 5-11:30 p.m., andthe kids were absolutely fantastic,Tingle said. I didnt have to say a wordto anyone.

The party also afforded an opportuni-ty for altruism.

We did it as a fundraiser for the Su-san G. Komen for the Cure (breast can-cer research), and (her daughter) raised$300, Tingle said. It was all a big hit,and theyre already wanting a repeat fornext year or sooner.

Heres a sampling of other party ven-ues and ideas for tweens and teens.

Navitat Canopy AdventuresThis world-class canopy zipline tour

about 20 minutes north of Ashevillefeatures 10 zip lines ranging from 120-1,100 feet in length, including one thatsends guests soaring 200 feet above theforest floor. Canopy guides lead groupsof eight through a series of zip lines, skybridges, trails, rappels and platformshigh in the treetops. Guests are attachedto a safety system at all times.

Navitat tours run daily from 7a.m.-4:30 p.m. through November. Reser-vations are required. Regular tour priceis $85 per person for adults, $75 for kidsages 10-17. Discounts are available Tues-days, for groups of eight or more and forN.C. Arboretum members. Tours lastabout 3.5 hours.

Contact: navitat.com;[email protected]; 626-3700.

Rent a poolAll five pools operated by Buncombe

County Parks and Recreation are avail-able for rental for birthday parties. Costis $60 per hour, including one lifeguardfor 25 kids or less. There is a $10 chargefor additional lifeguards.

The pools are: Cane Creek in Fletch-er; Erwin in Leicester; Hominy Valley inCandler; North Buncombe in Weaver-ville; and Owen in Swannanoa.

Contact: [email protected]; buncombecounty.org; 684-5072.

Head to the ballpark

McCormick Field has areas set asidefor birthday parties for people of allages, from tots to a 70-year-old baseballfan who celebrated recently at the ball-park.

Cost ranges from $14 to $17 per head,and includes dinner typically pizza orhot dogs birthday cake and the game.The birthday honoree is invited to go outonto the field before the game and getautographs from Asheville Touristsplayers.

Contact: theashevilletourists.com;[email protected];258-0428.

Party on wheelsThe 360 Party Bus is essentially a

rolling adventure that will take groups ofup to 20 wherever they want to go. Itfeatures an elaborate sound and gamingsystem, large TVs, DVD players, Playsta-tion2s, Sirius satellite radio, club light-ing, fog machine, a tall ceiling to danceunder and seating for up to 20.

Prices range from $150 for a two-hourride before 7 p.m. any day to $575 for asix-hour trip on weekend nights. Teenand kid parties on weekday nights are$195 for two hours, $250 for three hoursor $300 for four hours. A parent orguardian must be on board if riders areunder 18.

Contact: 360partybus.com; 236-2841.

Backyard cinemaFirefly Backyard Movie Theatre will

create a movie party on the lawn foryour kids and all their friends. The mo-bile cinema includes a 9-by-12-footscreen, Blu-Ray H.D. video, professionalaudio and fresh popcorn. Full cateringalso is available. Pricing begins at $149.

Contact: [email protected]; 273-9093.

Get on the riverTake a party down the French Broad

Continues on Page 4

PHOTO BY JOHN FLETCHEROlder kids may enjoy a birthday celebrated at an Asheville Tourists game at at McCormick Field.The birthday child can get a ball autographed by the players.

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with the Asheville Outdoor Center, for-merly known as Southern Waterways,along the river on Amboy Road nearCarrier Park. Canoeing, kayaking, raftingand tubing are available. Or just party bythe river under the pavilion or an eventtent. Theres also a gem-mining optionon site.

Contact: paddlewithus.com; 232-1970.

Pizza and a partyAsheville Pizza and Brewing at 675

Merrimon Ave. has all the makings of agreat party pizza, pasta and sandwich-es, cheap movies and a lively game roomwith entertainment for all ages.

Contact: ashevillebrewing.com; 254-1281.

Party on skatesTarwheels Skateway in Swannanoa is

Ashevilles only roller-skating rink, and apopular destination for teens and tweensto socialize and burn off some energy.The rink also has a video arcade, andthere is space set aside for food and gifts,and even for cake if thats not too un-cool. Cost and hours vary according today and season.

Contact: tarwheelsskateway.com;298-6606.

Party at the lanesBowling alleys are a fun and deli-

ciously retro scene for young partiers,and a relatively inexpensive way to en-tertain a group for two or three hours.The lanes will make space for cake andparty food, and there are always ampleofferings of teen-friendly fare in thesnack shops.

Star Lanes is at 491 Kenilworth Roadin East Asheville. Call 254-6161 or visitamf.com. Sky Lanes is at 1477 Patton Ave.in West Asheville. Call 252-2269. TarheelLanes is at 3275 Asheville Highway., Hen-dersonville. Call 253-2695 or visittarheellanes.com.

Older kidsContinued from Page 3


They say its the thought that counts,not the gift. Try telling that to the birth-day child!

Whether your child is the guest ofhonor or one of the guests, birthdayparties offer a prime opportunity toteach kids the joy of giving and apprecia-tion for receiving.

Buying giftsAny way you wrap it, buying just the

right birthday gift can be a challenge.But dont sweat it theres no right orwrong, says Victoria Fall, of Arden, whohas sons ages 8 and 10.

To save time, Fall keeps handy a stackof gender-neutral cards for the kids todecorate for their friends celebrating

birthdays. She gives them a $10 bill totuck inside, along with a small gift fromher stash of little things that kids reallylike, like Pokmon cards or Silly Bandz.

Whats the right amount to spend on agift? Its up to the individual, says eti-quette expert Sallie Middleton Parker. Ifyou or your child has great imaginationor talent and can come up with some-

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTCarson Land, of Asheville, opens a gift for his 7th birthday. Experts agree children should show appreciation for presents by writing thank-you notes.

Teaching the artof giving and receiving

By Pam J. HechtWNC Parent contributor

Continues on Page 6

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thing fabulous for $2.50, go for it, Parkersays.

But dont go overboard $30 is toomuch, she adds.

Wendy Land, who runs Party Pixie, achildrens party service based in Ashe-ville, recommends spending between$10-$15 for ages 2-10 and for older kids, upto $20. Gift cards are especially popularfor the older set, she adds.

Most gifts my kids have given orreceived have been in the $10 to $15range, says Mary Pratt, of Asheville,whose twin son and daughter are 11. Forvery special friends, we may spend up to$20 on a gift.

Its fine to give a gift even if yourchild cant attend the party, but a cardwould be plenty, says national etiquetteand protocol coach Patricia Rossi. If achild had planned to attend but couldntat the last minute, consider giving thegift anyway.

At the partyOpening presents is an important part

of the party because each child wantstheir friend to see what they brought,says Land.

With a little planning and structure,opening gifts at a birthday party can alsobe a lesson in manners, adds Land, whowhispers to the birthday child to saythank you and make eye contact withthe gift giver, rather than saying it to theair.

A pre-talk can prepare children toshow appreciation if they happen toopen a gift they dont want, Parker says.

Spend about 15 minutes opening gifts its hard for kids to watch their friendgetting gifts they wont get, says Land. Ifthe party only lasts an hour or less, theremay not be enough time for openingpresents, she adds. Waiting until afterthe party may also make sense for espe-cially large parties or if kids are tooyoung to sit still or comprehend theprocess.

If presents havent been opened yetand a guest has to leave the party early,

offer to have the birthday child openhis/her present it seems best to openthe gifts in the presence of the giverwhenever possible, says Pratt.

Thank-you notesTeaching kids to show appreciation

for what they get, particularly in theform of thank-you notes, is essential,experts agree. Send within three daysafter the party, Parker advises; Landrecommends within 10 days.

Pratts kids always send thank-younotes they create, which creates an all-important sense of accomplishment andappreciation, she says.

When Lands 7-year-old son was 4,she gave him fill-in-the-blank cards to

sign now he writes his own thank-younotes. Kids should at least sign theirname, if they can, and be part of theprocess, she says. Even a very small childcan draw a picture, which can be dupli-cated and sent as a thank-you note.

Although hand-written notes arealways nicer, electronic thank-yous arealso acceptable for tweens and teens,says Land.

Rossi tells her sons, ages 9 and 11, thatthey cant play with their birthday giftsuntil they write thank-you notes.

She gives them fun markers andpaper and they have a good time withthe notes, she says.

In addition to being good etiquette,Rossi says, it teaches them to delay grati-fication while showing thanks.

Gift etiquetteContinued from Page 5

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTCaleb and Hannah Pratt, 11, of Asheville, enjoy making their own birthday cards, to go along withgifts, for their friends. They also make their own thank-you cards.


While few guests or parents wouldexpect a birthday cake or cupcake tobe a diet food, there are ways to makecelebratory sweets a tad healthier foryour little one.

Jodi Rhoden, owner of Short StreetCakes, suggests first using all fresh,natural ingredients.

Local eggs, organic flour and natu-ral sugars are going to go a long waytoward giving you a delicious treat thatyou dont have to eat a ton to feel satis-fied, she said. Whereas using artifi-cial sweeteners, shortenings and mar-garines, as well as the option of leavingingredients out to make the cakehealthier, will often just lead to cre-ating a dry cake that your guests wontenjoy.

She suggested trying scratch reci-pes that naturally use less fats andsugars, like angel food cake andstrawberry shortcake.

Also, vegan cake recipes give anexcellent flavor and texture withouteggs or butter.

Beyond using local and organicproducts, easy recipe substitutions canbe made to reduce the amount of fat orsugar, or increase whole grains.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hereare a few ways to lighten your baking: All-purpose (plain) flour: sub-

stitute whole-wheat flour for half ofthe called-for all-purpose flour.Whole-wheat pastry flour will workbetter than regular whole-wheat flour

Bake abettercake

By Katie WadingtonWNC Parent editor

Continues on Page 8

for baked goods. Butter, shortening or oil:

Substitute apple sauce for halfof the called-for fat. (Do notreplace all butter or shorten-ing with oil, as this willchange the cakes density.) Eggs: Two egg whites

can replace one whole egg. Oruse one-quarter cup of eggsubstitute. Dairy: Use no-fat or re-

duced-fat versions of sourcream, cream cheese, milk,evaporated milk or sweetenedcondensed milk. Sugar: Splenda, and

other sweeteners, have formu-lations that are easy substitu-tions for bakers. Splenda Sug-ar Blend is made for bakedgoods; regular Splenda willnot produce the same resultsin baking.

CakesContinued from Page 7

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Basic (vegan) chocolatecupcakes1 cup soy milk1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar3/4 cup granulated sugar1/3 cup canola oil1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or morevanilla extract1 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular3/4 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon saltPreheat oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with paper orfoil liners.Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, andset aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil,vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milkmixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift to-gether the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powd-er, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beatuntil no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 min-utes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes outclean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Frosting:1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamerBeat the shortening and margarine togetheruntil well combined and fluffy. Add the sugarand beat for about 3 more minutes.Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat foranother 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World,by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry HopeRomero (Da Capo Press, 2006)

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PARTY PLACESAMF Star Lanes Bowling, 491 Kenilworth Road,Asheville, 254-6161, amf.com. A two-hourbowling party, offered Saturdays and Sundays,includes one hour of bowling, rental shoes,invitations and goody bags. Minimum of 10guests. Each guest receives a slice of pizza andunlimited fountain drinks. Parents can bring abirthday cake. The birthday child receives anAMF Birthday Bowling Pin that can be auto-graphed by the guests. Basic parties at 12:30p.m., Extreme Parties at 2:30 p.m. with glowbowling.

Annas Playhouse, Mills River, 674-6653, [email protected], annasplayhouse-.biz. Host a tea party at a playhouse. Partiesinclude drinks and treats. Play dress-up, learntea party manners, play a game and do a craft.Two-hour parties for maximum of six girls andtwo adults (one adult required). Book two weeksin advance.

The Arcade on Main, 305 N. Main St., Hen-dersonville, 692-6090. Arcade games galoreincluding Dance, Dance Revolution, skeeball,basketball, air hockey, pool, pinball, more.

Asheville Tourists, McCormick Field, 258-0428,theashevilletourists.com. Celebrate your childsbirthday with Ted E. Tourist. Two party packagesavailable, with a 10-person minimum. Packagesinclude invitations, cake, game ticket, drinks, hotdog or pizza (varies by package), public addressand scoreboard recognition during the game; avisit from Ted E. Tourist; and a marker and base-ball for autographs in the dugout before thegame. Parties begin one hour before a game.

The Birthday GuideWhere to party, what to eat, howto entertain the kids and more

Continues on Page 10

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Asheville West KOA campground, 309 WigginsRoad, Candler, 665-7015. New pavilion andpool rented out for parties. Cake and food avail-able for additional cost.

Ashevilles Fun Depot, 7 Roberts Road, Ashe-ville, 277-2386, ext. 104, AshevillesFunDepot-.com. Birthday parties in a private party roomwith a Party Pal to accommodate your needs.Three package options, all of which includeT-shirt, invitations, thank-you cards, decoratedpaper products, cupcakes, pizza, drinks and aloaded Boxcar Buck card for each child to usefor activities. Also offered are hats, balloons,blowers, piatas, food platters, ice cream. Par-ties available in a real train caboose.

Bounceville USA, 614 Market St., Henderson-ville, 696-4949, bouncevilleusa.com, [email protected]. Three party packages, from anopen play party to private parties. Private partypackages include an hour in the party room, anhour of bounce time, a free jump pass for thebirthday child, help with set up and cleanup,invitations and paper goods. Open play partiesoffer an hour in the party room and cleanup.Pizza, drinks, personalized treats, and outsideentertainment available for additional cost.

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Asheville Mall, 298-1852, buildabear.com. A party leader guidesguests through choosing and stuffing a newfriend. Printable invitations and thank-you cardsare provided online. Favors for the guests areincluded. Food and drinks are not allowed in theworkshop. Minimum of six guests. Parents canset the price beginning at $10 per guest.

Buncombe County pools. All pools are availableon a rental basis for parties. The cost is $60 perhour. This includes one lifeguard for 25 kids orless. There is a $10 charge for additional life-guards. Visit buncombecounty.org/governing/depts./parks/facilities/pools.

Chimney Rock Park, 431 Main St., ChimneyRock, 625-9611, chimneyrockpark.com,[email protected]. Birthday partiesare available for all ages. Options include scav-enger hunts, reptile demonstrations, rock climb-ing and hiking. Parties include admission for up

to 12 children and four adults. Cupcakes andfood available for additional cost.

Chuck E. Cheeses, 104 River Hills Road, Ashe-ville, 2967330 299-3750, chuckecheese.com.Party package includes two slices of single-topping pizza, a soft drink with free refills, TicketBlaster experience for birthday child, 20 tokensfor each guest, decorated table, cake, visit fromChuck E. Cheese and more. Space reserved fortwo hours. Online bookings available.

Clarion Inn Airport, 550 Airport Road, Fletcher,684-1213. Offers pool parties for up to 15 chil-dren at indoor or outdoor pool, weather permit-ting. Parties available on Friday nights, Sat-urdays and Sundays. Guests must bring theirown towels. Food and drinks may be brought in.

Claying Around, 1378 Hendersonville Road,Suite D, Asheville, 277-0042, clayingaround-.com. Offers four parties, starting with theBasic 90 minute party, cost per child plus thepottery. At a silver clay party for children 10 andolder, guests make a silver charm to take home.Clay parties and Fancy Nancy craft partiesavailable. All parties include a helper, balloonsand a birthday plate for guests to sign.

ClimbMax, 43 Wall St., Asheville, 252-9996,

climbmaxnc.com. ClimbMax offers climbingparties for groups of six or more. Party room isavailable.

Dino-Kinetics, Biltmore Park Town Square,676-1622. Host a party in this interactive exhibitthat combines engineering, art and science. Ledby a prehistoric safari tour guide.

Earth Fare, 1856 Hendersonville Road, Ashe-ville, 210-0100. Host a party in the storescommunity room. Purchase healthy meals forall. The cake is free.

East Asheville Recreation Center, 906 TunnelRoad, 251-4041, [email protected] of packages available. Venue and clean-up provided for two-hour Saturday parties. Par-ties must be booked two weeks in advance.

Fired Up! Creative Lounge, 26 Wall St., Ashe-ville, 253-8181, and 321B N. Main St., Hen-dersonville, 698-9960; fireduplounge.com.Two-hour reserved parties are available forgroups of six or more. Per person fee plus thecost of pottery each guest chooses. Guests canbring food, drinks (including wine and beer foradult parties), balloons, presents, etc.

PARTY PLACESContinued from Page 9

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUERAshanti Cobb, 8, and Juliana Maurer, 7, roller skate at Tarwheels Skateway in Swannanoa, whereAshanti was celebrating her birthday.


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Fun Factory in the Smokies, 1024 GeorgiaRoad, Franklin, 349-8888, thefactory.bz. Pack-ages include cake, drinks, set up, paper goods,balloons, Bonus Cash, more. Four packagesavailable. Parties are 90 minutes.

Fun Things Etc., 196 N. Main St., Waynesville.456-7672, funthingsetconline.com. Party spaceavailable. Store can provide themed deco-rations, food, staff member to oversee party,favors, game time, entertainment and more forextra cost.

Hahns Gymnastics, 18 Legend Drive, Arden,684-8832, hahnsgymnastics.com. Birthdayparties include on hour on gym activities and 30minutes in party room. Activities include para-chute, games, trampoline, foam pit and obsta-cle course. Two instructors guide party guests.For up to 15 children. Cost is $100 per party.Parties scheduled on weekends.

Hands On! A Childs Gallery, 318 N. Main St.,Hendersonville, 697-8333, handsonwnc.org.Parties include museum admission for up to 12children (additional cost for up to 15 gueststotal), party room for two hours, set up, in-vitations and a T-shirt for birthday child. Bringyour own food, paper goods and provide oneadult for every five children.

Hollywild Animal Park, 2325 Hampton Road,Welford, S.C., 864-472-2038, hollywild.com.Cool Cat party in the screened pavilion includescake and ice cream, paper products, drinks,popcorn, bags of animal food, free return passand one hour in the party room. Birthday childreceives a bottle to feed a baby animal, a safarihat and T-shirt. Pony rides additional. All guestshave full-day park access.

KidSenses, 172 N. Main St., Rutherfordton,286-2120, kidsenses.com, [email protected] parties from Cinderella to Batman toSpongeBob, along with noncharacter partiesavailable. Package includes party room for onehour, unlimited play time in museum for 20child guests and their parents, invitations, bal-loon bouquet, T-shirt for the birthday child.Crafts, goodie bags, themed paper productsavailable for extra cost.

Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge and Ice Cream, 26Battery Park Ave., Asheville, 252-2639; 116 W.State St., Black Mountain, 669-6119. Up to 10children can celebrate a birthday by creating achocolaty treat. Kids pick two snacks, dip themin chocolate and decorate. Ice cream available.Balloons provided. Parties last about an hour.

Marble Slab Creamery, 14 Biltmore Ave., Ashe-ville, 225-5579, marbleslab.com. Party room forrent. Ice cream and cakes available.

Michaels, 111-A River Hills Road, Asheville,299-0183; 5 McKenna Road, Arden, 684-1961;Michaels.com. Birthday parties for creative kidsinclude several themes to choose from, in-vitations and staff at the party. Bring your ownfood, decorations and party goods. Minimum offive children, maximum of 10.

Outdoor Family Fun Center, 485 BrooksideCamp Road, Hendersonville, 698-1234, [email protected], outdoorfamily-funcenter.com. Birthday party packages for allages with miniature golf, batting cages, drivingrange and more.

Phoenix Gymnastics, 50 Coxe Ave., Asheville,

252-8746, phoenixgymnastics-etc.com. In-structors lead two hours of activities, includingwarm up, trampoline, foam pit, relay races,obstacle course, dancing, more. Spend 75minutes in gym and 45 minutes in party room.Parties are Saturday and Sunday afternoons.Fun Night Birthday Parties are available 7:30-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays when gym isopen to the public. Bring your own decorationsand refreshments; cleanup provided.

Ramada Biltmore West, 275 Smoky Park High-way, 667-4501, ramada.com. Offers pool par-ties year round, which includes an area setaside for party adjacent to indoor-outdoor pool.

Regal Cinema Biltmore Grande Stadium 15,292 Thetford St., Asheville, 684-4726, reg-movies.com. Rent the party room for an hourbefore a movie. Rental includes paper goods,decorations and staff assistance. Bring your owncake. Maximum of 18 kids. Party package in-cludes movie ticket and kids meal ( additionalcost per child). Guests get select seating intheater and tour of projection booth. Birthdaychild gets to start movie on projector.

Sky Lanes, 1477 Patton Ave., 252-2269. Par-ties include one hour of bowling and 45 minutesin the party room, as well as lunch for each child(pizza, hot dog or grilled cheese and a drink).

Smith-McDowell House Museum, 283 VictoriaRoad, Asheville, 253-9231, [email protected], wnchistory.org. Six historic themes tochoose from or plan your own theme. Partieshave one-hour use of party room and one hourof program. Activity materials and tableclothsincluded. For 10-20 guests.Bring your own foodand paper goods.

Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation, 23Turtle Creek Drive, Asheville, 274-2188, [email protected], southeast-ernfitness.com. Get exclusive use of the pool forbirthday parties at our indoor heated pool. Atabout 88 degrees, the pool is comfortable for allparty guests.

STJs Inflation Station, 710 Tracy Grove Road,Flat Rock, 696-0674, [email protected], stjspartie-sandevents.com. STJs Inflation Station offersparty room, indoor play area with five inflat-ables, parent seating, preschool soft play area.



SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTTry a birthday party with a bowling twist at oneof the three bowling alleys near Asheville.

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Tarheel Lanes, 3275 Asheville Highway, Hen-dersonville, 692-5039 or 253-2695, [email protected], tarheellanes.com. Offers partiesfor 10 or more people. Bring your own cake.

Tarwheels Skateway, 2134 U.S. 70, Swannano-a, 298-6606, tarwheelsskateway.com. Birthdayparties offered during any regular session. Priceincludes invitations, admission and skates,paper goods, balloons, drink and ice cream forguests, free pass for birthday person. Minimum10 people. Private parties available when therink is closed.

Tender Mercy Retreat, 383 Heath RetreatRoad, Waynesville, 648-3524, tendermercy-retreat.com. Farm offers fishing, animal educa-tion and hands-on visits with horses, donkeys,llamas, chickens and more. Stocked-pond forfishing. Fire pit for a bonfire. $80 flat fee.

The Health Adventure, Pack Place, 2 S. PackSquare, 254-6373, ext. 316, thehealthad-venture.org. Offers age-appropriate programs.For ages 1-5, use the Creative PlaySpace for 45minutes, with 45 minutes in the party room. Forages 5-10, choose from three 90-minute partyoptions, including a robotics party for childrenages 8-10. All birthday parties include admis-sion for up to 20 children, a decorated privateparty room and a gift bag for the birthday child.Minimum of one adult for every three children.Reserve at least two weeks in advance.Partytimes are 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturdaysand 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, 640 Merrimon Ave.,Asheville, 254-2224, thehopicecreamcafe.com.Shop featuring all-natural, homemade icecreams offers four packages, from space rentalwith decorations, to a sundae bar or cake, facepainting, the Jolly Balloon Smiths and more.

The Little Gym, 1000 Brevard Road, Suite 168,Asheville, 667-9588, tlgashevillenc.com. [email protected]. Two qualified in-structors lead 90-minute parties that includegymnastics, music, games and more. Partiesinclude invitations, set up and cleanup, allpaper goods, drinks, balloons and a T-shirt for

the birthday child. For up to 21 children. Facilityis closed to the public during parties.

360 Party Bus, 236-2841, 360partybus.com.Host a party on wheels and take birthday gueststo a favorite fun spot. Bus includes TVs, DVDplayer, satellite radio, party lights. For up to 20people with two-hour minimum. Parent or guard-ian required on bus.

Tropical Gardens Mini Golf, 956 Patton Ave.,Asheville, 252-2207. Party package includes anhour in a decorated gazebo, soft drink, snowcone and future free pass for each child, oneround of 18 holes of mini golf and paper goods.

Waynesville Recreation Center, Vance Street,456-2030, waynesvilleparksandrec.com. Call forinformation on pool parties.

WNC Activity Center, Sugarloaf Road, Hen-

dersonville, 698-5577, wncac.com, [email protected]. Parties include structured andfree activities in the gym before time in the partyroom. Bring own food, goodies and supplies.Table, chairs, refrigerator or freezer available.Parties are 90 minutes on Saturdays. Includes10 children.

WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road,Asheville, 298-5600, ext. 305, wildwnc.org.Parties offered Saturdays and Sundays. Includedare 25 guest passes to the Nature Center forthat day only, a small gift for the birthday child,use of the birthday room and kitchen facilities.

YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Ave.,254-7206, ext. 209, ywcaofasheville.org. TheYWCA offers two-hour packages that include anhour in the pool and an hour in the party room.Party for up to 30 people. Party has the YWCAssolar-heated pool by itself with a lifeguard.


WNC PARENT PHOTORegal Cinemas Biltmore Grande theater hosts parties in a party room then lets the birthday childpress the button to start a film.


PARTY FOOD

Anita Cup of Tea, anitacupoftea.com, 545-1236. Transform your party space into a teaparty. Themes include Princess Party, Regal Ball,Fancy Nancy, Hollywood Mystery, Tink Tea andmore. For children 4 and older. Packages in-clude baked goods and brewed fruit tea, lemon-ade or apple cider. Games, dress-up time andmore vary by theme.

The Bake Shoppe, 146 Weaverville Highway,Asheville, 645-2038, bakeshoppeasheville-.com. Offers a large selection of custom birth-day cakes.

Bi-Lo, 801 Fairview Road, Asheville, 299-1400;205 N.C. 9, Black Mountain, 669-2306; 511Smoky Park Highway, Candler, 670-1961; bi-lo.com. Personalized birthday cakes in a varietyof themes or cupcakes, cookies and other treatsare made to order.

Black Mountain Bakery, 102 Church St., BlackMountain, 669-1626, blackmountainbakery-

.com. Variety of flavors and sizes, made fromscratch and to order.

Blue Ridge Bakery, 400 S. Broad St., Brevard,883-8444. Childrens cakes are the bakerysspecialty. They are made with real butter, orga-nic vanilla and fresh, local eggs.

Cakes by Jane, 9 Old Burnsville Hill Road, Suite4, Asheville, 285-9292, cakesbyjane.com.Southern cream cheese pound cakes in a vari-ety of flavors.

Calico Corner Gifts & Goodies, 290-3990,calicocornergiftsandgoodies.com. Personalizedcakes made to order. Daytime delivery availablefor a small charge.

Carolina Mountain Bakery, 1950 Henderson-ville Road, Asheville, 681-5066. Any color ortheme can be incorporated into your cakedesign.

SPECIAL TOWNC PARENTShort StreetCakes in WestAsheville special-izes in natural,hand-craftedSouthern des-serts and cakes.


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CinToms Frozen Custard, 3080 Sweeten CreekRoad, Asheville, 274-5853. Homemade custardavailable in several flavors.

City Bakery, 88 Charlotte St., Asheville, 254-4289; 60 Biltmore Ave., 252-4426; citybakery-.net. Cakes made from scratch in a selection ofsizes with a variety of cake flavors, fillings andfrostings. Traditional layer cakes to poundcakes.

Cold Stone Creamery, 129 Bleachery Blvd.,Asheville, 296-0004; 30 Town Square Blvd.,Asheville; coldstonecreamery.com. A variety ofice cream cakes with childrens themes, servingfrom two to 50.

Dairy Queen, 2304 Hendersonville Road, Ar-den, 687-1883; Asheville Mall, Asheville, 298-1068; 26 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 253-6835.Ice cream cakes that serve eight to 24 people.

Great American Cookie Co., Asheville Mall, 3

Tunnel Road, 298-2849, greatamericancoo-kies.com. Specializes in customized cookiecakes, cupcakes and cookies.

Harris Teeter, 1378 Hendersonville Road,

Asheville, 274-5304, harristeeter.com. Cakes ina variety of sizes and themes made to order.

Ingles, various locations, ingles-markets.com.Cakes in a variety of themes and 12-inch cook-

PARTY FOOD

Continued from Page 15SPECIAL TOWNC PARENTBlue RidgeBakery in Brev-ard says chil-drens cakes areits specialty.


ies made to order in store and online.

Kamms Custard Shop, Grove Arcade, 1 PageAve., Asheville, 253-7464, kammscustard.com.Specializes in frozen custard pies, cookie sand-wiches, bulk packaging for scooping into cupsor cones, custom-made flavor treats with mix-ins. The store also has a transportable rollingserver cart with umbrella that can keep custardfrozen for up to nine hours without electricity.

Kilwins, 26 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, 252-2639; 116 W. State St., Black Mountain, 669-6119. Treats include ice cream, novelty choco-lates, fudge, caramel corn, caramel apples,more.

Marble Slab Creamery, 14 Biltmore Ave.,Asheville, 225-5579. Ice cream cakes in sever-al sizes and varieties.

Sams Club, 645 Patton Ave., Asheville, 251-5243; 300 Highlands Square Drive, Henderson-ville, 698-6889; samsclub.com. Cakes in avariety of sizes made to order.

Short Street Cakes, 225 Haywood Road, Ashe-ville, 505-4822, shortstreetcakes.com. A familyowned cakery specializing in naturally hand-crafted down-home Southern desserts. Deliveryavailable. Gluten-free and vegan available.

The Hop Ice Cream Cafe, 640 Merrimon Ave.,Asheville, 254-2224, thehopicecreamcafe.com.Shop featuring all-natural, homemade icecreams, ice cream cakes, and vegan treats.

The Sisters McMullen, 840 Merrimon Ave.,Asheville, 252-9330; 1 N. Pack Square, Ashe-ville, 252-9454; thesistersmcmullen.com.Pastries and cakes in several sizes and flavors,including gluten-free and vegan choices.

TCBY, 1800 Hendersonville Road, Asheville,274-1100; 671 Spartanburg Highway, Hen-dersonville, 693-0925; 2344 U.S. 70, Swanna-noa, 686-7900; tcby.com. Low-fat yogurt cakesand pies.

True Confections, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave.,Suite 147, 350-9480, trueconfections.net.From scratch, all-natural birthday cakes using

no artificial coloring or flavoring, or preserva-tives, and less sugar than conventional bak-eries.

Ultimate Ice Cream, 1070 Tunnel Road, Ashe-ville, 296-1234. Dozens of ice cream flavors about 30 featured at any one time availablein pints and quarts. Nondairy soy cream andgelato also available. Ice cream pies available.

Walmart Supercenter, multiple locationsaround WNC. Birthday cakes made to order.

West End Bakery & Caf, 757 Haywood Road,West Asheville, 252-9378, westendbakery.com.Variety of flavors and combinations using orga-nic flour, sugar and fresh local ingredients.Gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan cakes avail-able in most flavors.

Worlds Best Carrot Cake, 175 WeavervilleHighway, Asheville, 658-2738, worldsbestcar-rotcake.com. Five kinds of all-natural carrotcake made by hand in small batches. Organic,vegan and gluten-free options. Cupcakes avail-able.

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PLANNING

Par-T-Perfect, Asheville, 687-2494, [email protected], par-t-perfect.com. Acomplete childrens party servicethat offers a wide variety of inflat-ables, face painters, balloon twist-ers, games, crafts, bear stuffingparties and more. Fully insured andstate inspected.

The Party Pixie, Wendy Land,606-4827, thepartypixie.com. Achildrens party planning businessfor the all-inclusive birthday party.Services include mailed custominvitations, costumes, games,crafts, snacks, decorations, musicand more. Themes include (but arenot limited to) pirate, cowboy,superhero, knights, princess, dayspa, rock star/diva and pink poo-dle.

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTPar-T-Perfect provides party planning as well as entertainment, from inflatables to clowns and more.


SUPPLIES

Baggie Goose, 3 Swan St., Asheville, 274-3333, [email protected], baggiegoose.com.Invitations for every occasion.

Carolina Party & Paper, 1000 Brevard Road,Suite 167, Asheville, 681-0026, carolinapar-tyandpaper.com. Carries a large selection ofhandmade paper, stationary, party supplies, giftwrap and unique gifts. Store specializes in print-able invitations to match any theme.

Celebrations Party & Gift Store, 1829 Hen-dersonville Road, Asheville, 687-7774; 265Tunnel Road, Asheville, 255-5868. Party sup-plies in dozens of themes and a rainbow ofcolors.

If Its Paper, 28 New Leicester Highway, Ashe-ville, 253-3910. Party supplies and party goodsfor many themes and patterns are stocked. Bothmylar and helium balloons can be purchased.Candles, favors, banners, piatas, confetti, giftwrap and treat bags also are available.

K&Cs Party Supplies, 598 HendersonvilleRoad, Asheville, 274-7773. Themed and plainparty supplies.

Kmart, several area locations, kmart.com.Themed and plain party supplies, invitations,wrapping paper and ribbon.

MLH Party Supplies, 309 White St., Henderson-ville, 693-8287, mlhparty.com. Party supplies forvarious themes, Wilton cake decorating supplies,more.

Party Blvd., 21 Long Shoals Road, Asheville,676-0314, partyblvd.com. Party supplies inthemes and a variety of colors. Store specializesin giant balloons, balloon bouquets, party favors,banners, gifts and invitations for every occasion.

Target, two area locations, target.com. Partysupplies, invitations, wrapping paper and ribbon.

Walmart, several area locations, walmart.com.Party supplies, invitations, wrapping paper andribbon.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Anita Cup of Tea, anitacupoftea.com, 545-1236.Transform your party space into a tea party. Themesinclude Princess Party, Regal Ball, Fancy Nancy,Hollywood Mystery, Tink Tea and more. For children4 and older. Packages include baked goods andbrewed fruit tea, lemonade or apple cider. Games,dress-up time and more vary by theme.

Asheville Face Painting, 606-0598, AshevilleFace-Painting.com, [email protected] Michelle Bevans specializes in artistic, uniqueface painting.

Asheville Magic, 828-526-1859, ashevillemag-ic.com, [email protected]. Tom Hughes twistsballoons or puts on Professor Whizzpop MagicShow, a blend of magic and comedy.

The Balloon Fairy, 423-2030, balloonfairymag-ic.com. Marcie creates balloon art and performsinteractive magic for events. She is a deco-twister,creating custom balloon sculptures for events.

Bill Grimsley, Magic Productions Inc., 687-7774,billgrimsleymagic.com. A professional entertainerfor more than 20 years, Bill Grimsley providesmagic and humor for a variety of events.

Bounce About Ltd., East Flat Rock, 693-9959,bounceaboutltd.com, [email protected] rented for events, including bouncehouses, obstacle course, slide and more. Tents alsoavailable.

Caricatures by Helen Nagan, 298-8546;[email protected]. Fun, exciting, color caricaturesin less than five minutes. Get a drawing involving afavorite sport, hobby or just having fun. Nagan saystheres no need to sit still while she put your like-ness on 11 x 17 paper in black and colored mark-ers.

Carolina Caricatures, 298-1350, brianvasilik.blog-spot.com. Brian Vasilik has drawn caricatures atBele Chere and the Grove Park Inn. He draws atparties and other events, and can draw gift car-icatures.

CrossWay Creative Ministries, 410 Old Fort Road,

Fairview, 777-2711. Specializes in party theme balloon decor and programming, includingblack light puppetry, clowning, illusion, balloon entertaining and sculptures for all ages.

Funtastic Faces Face Painting, Lesley Barkett, funtasticfaces.net, [email protected],280-7926. Specializes in elaborate face painting using only FDA-approved nontoxic, hypoal-lergenic face-painting makeup.

Good Times Inflatables, 775-3232, goodtimesinflatables.com. Provides inflatable games andrides, and other interactive games for parties of any size. Includes delivery and set up.

Helen Holifield, storyteller, 216-8849, [email protected]. Entertain children at birthdayand holiday parties with stories. Holifield specializes in world tales and myths, and can designprograms based on a childs interest, like princesses, pirate, animals and more. Programs caninvolve songs and movement as well as stories, depending on the ages and interest.

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTTom Hughes, of Asheville Magic, performs Professor Whizzpops Magic Show at parties.


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HighTouch HighTech, 684-3192, [email protected], sciencemadefun-.net. Provides hands-on science programsfor kids at your party venue. Parties in-clude a fun-filled, fast-paced 75-minutescience adventure, all science suppliesand materials, participation for the birth-day child 4 and older and up to 14 ofhis/her friends (fee for each additionalchild), take-home experiments for eachchild, science certificate of participationfor each child, special science gift for thebirthday child.

Jolly BalloonSmiths,680-1066,balloons-mith-s.com.Entertainkids withballoon fun.Available bythe hour forbirthday cele-brations andother events.

Mark DeVerges, 713-6396, [email protected], markdeverges.com. Fromballoon twisting and large-scale ballooncreations to roving magic and full magicshows.

Par-T-Perfect, Asheville, 687-2494, [email protected], par-t-perfect.com.A complete childrens party service thatoffers a wide variety of inflatables, facepainters, balloon twisters, games, crafts,bear stuffing parties and more. Fully in-sured and state inspected.

STJs Inflatables, 710 Tracy Grove Road,Flat Rock, 696-0674, [email protected],stjspartiesandevents.com. Inflatables,climibing wall, mini golf, dunk tank, limbo,concession supplies and more for rent.

ENTERTAINMENT

Continued from Page 20


Ever since my daughterturned 1 and I started a week-ly toddler art group, wevetried many, many group artactivities. And, being who Iam, every birthday party Ive

planned for my daughter since has had an arttheme. Weve decorated elaborate cupcakeswith 2-year-olds (involving garish combinationsof icing, sprinkles and teddy grahams that theyate happily as they decorated). Weve doneshaving cream painting with 3-year-olds (sofun!) and made decorate-your-own party hatswith 4-year-olds (There was some pretty amaz-ing head gear at that party). Maia is almost 5now, and its time to start planning her next artparty.

Art with a group can be extra fun, but it can also be extra work, so its impor-tant to plan carefully. Choose art activities that are suited to a group generallyones that dont involve a lot of steps or one-on-one parent involvement. Messy isOK if youre OK with it and if you warn parents ahead of time so kids dont comedressed in their fanciest party dress. Combine it with some backyard water fun(pool, sprinkler, or slip-n-slide) for built-in clean up afterwards.

One of the best parts of an art party? The children can make their own partyfavors!

Jean Vant Hul blogs as The Artful Parent at artfulparent.typepad.com.

the artful parent

PHOTOS SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTHave children lie down on butcher paper. Adults can then trace the bodies.

Body tracing and paintingMake a full size paper doll chain by tracing the bodies of the birthday child and her friends holdinghands.Large roll of butcher paper (Note: contractors paper is sold at Lowes for an economical $10 a roll)MarkersTempera paintCups or egg cartons to hold the paintPaintbrushesTape two long pieces of butcher paper together to form a sheet tall enough for the children to lie downfull length.Have the children lie down, side by side, on the paper with enough space between them so they canspread their arms and hold or touch hands. (Alternately, let them assume action poses.) Adults tracethe children with dark markers.Give each child half of an egg carton filled with six paint colors and let the children paint and decoratetheir own body. Or you can have cups of paint available.It can be fun to bring out additional materials to add, such as glitter (and glue), sequins, colored tissuepaper, etc., when the interest in painting begins to wane.Take a photo of the finished painting, then, at the end of the party, cut each childs painting off to takehome.

Simon Says, Draw!Watch the fun unroll as Simon says draw dots,squiggles, and funny faces.Large roll of butcher paper (Contractors paperis sold at Lowes for an economical $10 a roll)MarkersCover a table with a large sheet of butcherpaper.The children circle around the table, each with adifferent marker color.An adult can direct the drawing by being Simon.Here are some possible instructions: Simon Says, draw dots Draw stripes Draw squiggles Switch places with the person across from you Draw zigzags Draw a funny face Hand your marker to the person to your right Draw a monster Draw something really tiny Take five steps to the left around the table Draw something really BIG Draw something that lives under the seaEtc... Have fun making up your own Simon Saysinstructions!When the drawing is finished (Simon says,Stop!) stand back and admire the group effort.Note: this project can also be done with paint.

Celebrate with artBy Jean Vant HulWNC Parent contributor

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It never hurts to dream big, especially when it comes to adventure. We askedkids at the Asheville Art Museums Summer Art Camp to describe where theywould go on a dream vacation if money was no object, and what they would dothere. Heres what they told staff writer Barbara Blake.

I would go to an amuse-ment park and live there.Not in the park, but in ahouse where I could takemy car or truck and gothere every day. Riding theroller coaster is the bestpart. My favorite amuse-ment park is Disney World.I would like to live in thecastle there. But I dontthink they let you do that.

Grayson Demos, 6

I would go to Colorado,to the Great Sand Dunes(National Park). Ive neverbeen there, but Im goingnext week. Theres a creekright beside it, and theresa zoo there. I dont knowwhat town its in, but Imgoing to take a lot ofplanes to get there.

Collin Moore, 7

My perfect vacationwould be at Disney World.I would go and eat withMickey Mouse, and Min-nie. Id also go to the Cin-derella castle. Ive beenthere, but I want to goagain.

Samiyyah Hassan, 7

Id go to Hawaii. Itsreally pretty there. Ivenever been, but Ive seenpictures. I would go on aboat, and go fishing, andId swim all the time. I likegoing places like that bet-ter than amusement parks.I think were going (toHawaii) when Im a teen-ager.

Anna Long, 7

I would go to St. Mar-tin. I was there before, on acruise ship with my family.There was lots of stuff todo on the boat, and I swamwith my cousins. I swamall the way out to a buoy.When we were on theboat, we watched TheGrinch because it wasaround Christmas.

Rachel Zivony, 6

I would to go Paris.South Paris. They havecool stuff, like dresses andclothes. I went there withmy family, and they hadstuffed animal stores. Thebest part besides the storeswas the Eiffel Tower. Imgoing back this summer.

Ava Menkes, 6

Dream vacationskids voices


Fruits and vegetables are good andgood for you, no matter where you getthem. But theres something about pick-ing your own fresh produce, straightfrom the bush, vine or tree, that doesntcompare with the store-bought variety.

There is a bounty of farms in themountain region that invite people tocome and fill their baskets with home-grown berries, tomatoes, beans, squash,apples and other produce. They alsooffer opportunities for parents to proveto their kids that food comes from naturerather than a bag or cellophane-wrappedpackage in the grocery store.

Pete Dixon, whose family ownsBroadwing Farm in Hot Springs, said hes

Pick-your-own bountyBy Barbara BlakeWNC Parent writer

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTA young visitor enjoys an apple he picked from a tree at Justus Orchard in Hendersonville.Continues on Page 26

26 W N C P A R E N T | J U L Y 2 0 1 0

heard many children marvel at the factthat the blackberries they pick at thefarm actually grow on bushes.

There was one kid here who was atthe front of the farm, where its rockyand looks out over the river, and heasked me, Who put all these rockshere? Dixon said.

A number of repeat guests who stayin the cabins on the farm come back toenjoy the fresh food grown at Broadwingin addition to picking their own black-berries.

We also have a good, reliable crowdof local people who enjoy our black-berries every year, he said. Blackberry-picking is a tradition for a lot of fami-lies.

Margo Justus, whose family ownsJustus Orchard in Hendersonville, saidapple-picking has been a family traditionthere since 1968.

We have parents that, as children,picked apples here in the 1970s and 80s,and now bring their children back eachyear to enjoy picking apples like theydid, she said.

Heres a sampling of some of the pick-your-own farms in the region. To seemore, visit the Appalachian SustainableAgriculture Projects website at buyap-palachian.org.B&Js Fruit Farm, 25 Triton Way, Old Fort, 668-8217, [email protected] the offerings are red raspberries, black-berries, blueberries, grapes, apples, peaches,pears and figs in appropriate seasons. Pickingby appointment; call first.Justus Orchard, 187 Garren Road, Henderson-ville, 243-2420, justusorchard.comOffering blackberries in early July, apples in midAugust and pumpkins in September. Peacheswill be available for sale this year and for U-pickin 2011. The farm also offers fried apple piesand apple cider, boiled peanuts, canned goodsand local vegetables. Open 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.J.W. Mitchell Farms, 405 Bradley Creek Road,Franklin, 349-2725U-pick options include heirloom tomatoes,peppers, cabbage, corn, beans, strawberries,melons, peas and more. Everything on the farmis available for U-pick and available at the

roadside stand at the farm. Open 8:30 a.m.-5p.m. Monday-SaturdayBroadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, HotSprings, 622-3647, broadwingfarmcabins.comU-pick blackberries by the flat sold mid-Julythrough mid-August by appointment. The farmalso has organic heirloom tomatoes.Hugh Kuykendall Farm, 450 Parker PadgettRoad, Old Fort, 593-9078Offering pick-your-own tomatoes, green beansand peppers, along with a produce stand sell-ing cucumbers, potatoes, corn, cabbage,squash, watermelon and cantaloupe by thepound. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.Billy Laughter Orchards, 111 Tullahoma FarmsLane, Hendersonville, 685-3241Specializing in pick-your-own apples in the fall;most varieties are available. Drop by anytimebetween 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Sat-urday.Legacy Farm, 330 Jubilee Lane, Rutherfordton,863-4829U-pick blueberries are available through July.Also available for purchase are organic cucum-bers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, egg-plant, arugula, spring mix, squash and Swisschard. Call ahead before visiting.Dogwood Hills Farm, 369 Ox Creek Road,Weaverville, 645-6286, [email protected] blueberries, blackberries, black, yellowand red raspberries, grapes and apples. Call ore-mail to check for picking availability andhours.

Long Branch Environmental Education Center,278 Boyd Cove Road, Leicester, 683-3662,LongBranchEEC.orgOffering U-pick raspberries, blueberries, thorn-less blackberries, wineberries, apples, pears,cherries and chestnuts. Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m.Monday-Saturday. Call ahead.Queens Produce and Berry Farm, 858 David-son River Road, Pisgah Forest, 884-5121,queensberryfarm.comU-pick black raspberries, red raspberries, blue-berries, blackberries and flowers. Vegetables ofall kinds grown on the farm are available at itsstore. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Callahead for picking times and availability.The Ten Acre Garden, Chambers Farm Lane,Canton, 235-9667, [email protected] pick-your-own strawberries, greenbeans, sweet corn, potatoes, carrots, rasp-berries and blueberries. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Monday-Saturday. Call ahead.Zimmermans Berry Farm, 2260 Revere Road,Marshall, 656-2056, zimmermansberryfarm.comU-pick red raspberries, blackberries, sweetcorn, blueberries. The farm store also has ho-megrown and handmade preserves and craftitems. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call aheadfor availability.Lady Luck Flower Farm, 36 Kel-Co Road,Candler, 545-7294, ladyluckflowerfarm.comThe farm offers two acres of cutting flowers andmedicinal herbs, through October. Call ahead.

Bring the freshness home from pick-your-own farmsContinued from Page 25

WNC PARENT PHOTOAnna Mae Black and Sienna Piscatelli pick blueberries at Sylvia Hatchells blueberry patch lastsummer. Blueberries are at their peak in mid summer in WNC.

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Does your childsprint, stop or changedirection with perfectmechanics? Or isthere room for im-provement?

Contrary to popu-lar belief, speed is not something thatyou are either born with or not. Speed isjust like any other movement skill, suchas shooting a basketball or kicking asoccer ball, and can be improved withpractice.

Most athletes have never beencoached in how to properly align theirbody so that they can move as explosive-ly as possible. Instead they have beenleft to figure this out on their own. Un-fortunately few athletes ever get itright.

It is rare for me to find an athlete whois operating even remotely close to theirpotential. I often find the opposite. Someof the most successful athletes make thebiggest mistakes in their sprinting me-chanics. They have gotten by on pureathleticism. Just imagine what theycould do if they did things the right way!

Below are some tips to help childrenperfect their sprinting mechanics and toachieve greater success on the playingfield. Keep the ankle cocked. Many young

athletes run with a floppy ankle, espe-cially if they have undergone a recentperiod of growth. A floppy ankle willresult in lost power at foot strike. Bykeeping the toes pulled up when the footstrikes the ground, the foot and ankle

will act similar to a spring and will pro-duce greater force and power.Maintain a forward lean with the

trunk. A common mistake during accel-eration is to run tall or upright. Theamount of forward lean that your childhas is dependent on his or her strength.The stronger the athlete, the greater thelean that children will have until theyhave reached top speed, at which time itis proper for them to achieve an uprightposture while sprinting. Avoid over-striding. Many young

athletes will take too long of a first stepin order to attempt to run faster. Un-fortunately this has the opposite effectand actually causes them to run moreslowly. Speed is all about angles, and theshin should be positioned during accel-eration so that the lower leg is drivingdown and back in order to propel thebody forward. Drive the leg forcefully into the

ground. Newtons first law states that forevery action there is an opposite and

equal reaction. The more force a childapplies to the ground, the faster he orshe will run. Most runners do not natu-rally apply as much force as they arecapable of but this can be improved withtraining and conscious effort. Fully extend the hips during push

off. Most children spend the majority ofthe day sitting and consequently developtightness in their hip flexor musculature.This creates the tendency for them tonot fully extend their hips during accel-eration resulting in a shortened stridelength and decreased speed. Encouragechildren to stretch their hip flexors regu-larly so that they can perform at an opti-mum level.

Brian Lawler is a physical therapistand sports performance trainer at Ashe-ville Physical Therapy. For more informa-tion about his clinics and summer speedcamps, visit ashevillephysicaltherapy.com.He can be contacted at 828-277-7547 or [email protected].

5 ways to improveyour childs speedBy Brian LawlerWNC Parentcontributor

SPECIAL TO WNCPARENTThere are tech-niques yourchildren canuse to improvetheir speedwhen on thesoccer field,ballfield, trackand more.


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The following recalls have been is-sued by the Consumer Product SafetyCommission. For more information, visitrecalls.gov.

McDonalds Shrek glassesShrek Forever After 3D collectable

drinking glasses, sold at McDonalds inMay and June, have been recalled be-cause designs on the glasses containcadmium. Long-term exposure to cad-mium can cause adverse health effects.The collectable drinking glass are 16-ounce glasses that came in four designs,Shrek, Fiona, Puss n Boots and Donkey.

Consumers should immediately stopusing the glasses and return the glassesto any McDonalds for a refund of $3each.

Target childrens beltsTarget Corp. has recalled boys and

girls belts because the belt buckles con-tain excessive levels of lead, violating thefederal lead paint standard. The recallinvolves two types of belts: The Chero-

kee boys belts and Circo girls belts. TheCherokee belts are black and brownreversible belts with heavy stitching insizes M-XL. The belts came in a pack oftwo with the numbers 202/08/0018, 202/08/0019 or 202/08/0020 embossed on thebelt. The girls Circo belts are pink andwhite with heart buckles in sizes XS-L.They were sold in a 2-pack with thenumbers 202/05/0071, 202/05/0072, 202/05/0073 or 202/05/0074 listed on theproduct label attached to the inside ofthe belt. They were sold between De-cember 2008-December 2009 for be-tween $7 and $9. Consumers should

return the belts to any Target store for afull refund.

Regal Lager infant carriersCYBEX 2.GO Infant Carriers distrib-

uted by Regal Lager Inc. of Kennesaw,Ga., have been recalled because a shoul-der strap slider buckle can break, posinga fall hazard to babies. They were sold atbaby furniture and baby product storesnationwide, and on various websites,from August 2009 through April 2010 forabout $100. Call Regal Lager at 866-678-8940 for a refund.

recall roundup


Dr. Susan Mims is medical director of the Mission Childrens Hospitaland former medical director of the Buncombe County Health Center. Sheand her husband, Dr. Dawson Mims, a hospitalist at Mission Hospital, havetwo sons, Dawson, 13, and Will, 11. She is on the boards of the YMCA ofWNC and Kids in Parks, and is president of the Buncombe County MedicalSociety Foundation and volunteer medical director of Project Access, aphysician volunteer program providing free care to uninsured BuncombeCounty residents. She holds M.D. and master of public health degrees fromthe University of North Carolina. The family lives on Busbee Mountain inthe Reynolds Community, and her parents, Liz and Bill Rupp, live nextdoor.

Dr. Mom

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENTDr. Susan Mims with her family, husband Dr. Dawson Mimsand sons Dawson, 13, and Will, 11.

Susan Mims hectic schedule as doctor andvolunteer doesnt keep her from enjoying family life

By Barbara BlakeWNC Parent writer


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Q.Whats a typical day like for you?A. I really do not have a typical day,

and thats one of the things I enjoy aboutmy work every day is different. Mostdays start with some quiet time in themorning with a cup of coffee beforeanyone else gets up. I usually go for aswim (in her treadmill pool), then Imoften off to the hospital for 7 a.m. meet-ings. Doctors like to meet early in themorning. My days are filled with meet-ings, problem solving, facilitating con-versations on health issues, educating,fundraising, advocacy work, seeing pa-tients and more meetings.Q. How about evenings at home?A. I enjoy doing activities with my

boys. When they were doing taekwondo,I did too. Im a blue belt, my boys areblack belts. Now that they like to run, weall will go out for a run on the Mountainsto Sea Trail, or run 5Ks together. We areat the stage of being chauffeur for theboys soccer practice, track, piano, art.Q. Do you think having a background

in pediatrics makes a difference in howyou parent your boys?A. Since I have been a pediatrician

the whole time I have been a mom, itsdifficult to know how I would be if Iwere not one. Having the book knowl-edge about children and child develop-ment is very different from living it ev-

Dr. MomContinued from Page 33

PHOTO BY STEVE DIXONBeing around kids makes me happy, said Dr. Susan Mims, the medical director of Mission Chil-drens Hospital, seen here in the sculpture garden at the front of the hospitals Reuter OutpatientCenter.


ery day. It is much easier for me to givesomeone else advice on how to handle adiscipline situation with their child thanit is for me to carry it out with mine.Through training, I have learned howimportant consistency and routine arefor children.Q. You are a nine-year breast cancer

survivor. What was one of the toughestparts of that experience?A.My boys were just 1 and 3, and it

was very difficult for them to under-stand why I had to take so much med-icine, lose my hair and could not carrythem around. The day my hair startedfalling out was one of the hardest days.But my best friend advised me to just goahead and cut it off when that happened.It was good advice, and we had a Letsshave mommys head party. The boyspicked up the hair and put it in the trashas my husband buzzed it off. It helped usall feel a bit in control of something wewere not.Q.What are three simple rules you

would encourage to keep kids healthy andfit?A. 1. Move every day; kids just do

better when they are active. They feelbetter, they concentrate and learn better,and they will be in better overall health.2. Limit sodas and other sugar-sweet-ened beverages. 3. Watch portion sizes.We are so accustomed to eating doubleportions. We need to teach our kids whata healthy portion size really is.Q.When youre in line at the grocery

store and see a mom with kids, what doyou see in her cart that makes you cringe?A. Sugar-sweetened soda.Q.What do you admire most about

each of your boys?A. I admire their artistic ability and

their determination. Dawson amazes mehow he can build things. Since I do notconsider myself artistic at all, his abilityto put together three-dimensional artimpresses me. He has been doing thatsince he was 3. Will is just so happy to beWill. He is very at ease with himself andputs others at ease. He is very competi-tive, though. I remember one night whenI overheard the boys saying goodnight toeach other. Will said, I love you, Daw-son. Dawson said, I love you, Will.Then Will added, But I love you more.Q.Whats your favorite vacation desti-

nation?A.We enjoy traveling. I dont think

we have gone to the same place twice. Iwant the boys to experience differentpeople, places and cultures.Q.What do you do for pleasure?A. I enjoy hanging out in the moun-

tains with my husband and boys, makingbead jewelry, taking photographs andmovies and piecing them together intosomething interesting, and swimming.Swimming is my sport, meditation andtherapy of choice. I could have been afish in another life. Swimming gives meenergy to keep up with my boys and allthe other kids in my world.Q.Whats it like having your parents

next door?A. I am fortunate that my parents get

to be a very special part of my boyslives. As mom says, we share a dog andtwo boys. Although my mom is notthrilled about it (yet), we now also shareseven baby chicks, our newest pets.

Since I have been a pediatrician the whole time I have been amom, its difficult to know how I would be if I were not one.Having the book knowledge about children and child develop-ment is very different from living it every day. It is much easi-er for me to give someone else advice on how to handle a dis-cipline situation with their child than it is for me to carry it outwith mine.

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Summer is here, and fishing season isupon us.

WNC Parent gathered tips from theexperts on equipment, technique andfishing locations to get the most out ofyour outdoor excursions.

Aspiring anglers will need a fishinglicense and what is known as a troutstamp if they plan to catch trout. Theselicenses can be obtained at most hard-ware stores, Wal-Mart and tackle shops.

Shane Buckner, manager of HunterBanks Co., which specializes in fly-fish-ing, elaborated on the differences be-tween bait fishing and fly-fishing.

In fly-fishing, the line on the rod isheavier, and you have to learn to guide itcorrectly to effectively lure the fish toyou, he said. In bait fishing, the lineautomatically goes where it needs to.

Depending on whether you plan tofly-fish or use live bait, checking in withthe employees at your location might bea good idea because some streams arefor fly-fishing only.

For more traditional bait fishing, spe-cialty stores like Franklins OutdoorSports offer various rods, bait and equip-ment to get you started.

Franklins offers spin cast rods andreels for beginners for around $20-$25.Equipment can also be found at othersporting goods retailers such as DicksSporting Goods and Walmart.

Good bait to use for bait fishing is thelive variety. Minnows, night crawlers andchicken livers seem to work best. Foreasier bait, fishing try a stocked pond.Morgan Mill Trout Farm, with locationsin Brevard and Cherokee, offers fishingfor a small entry fee. Fishers pay by thepound to take home what they catch.

Terrell Finley, of the Mountain Gate-

way Museum in Old Fort, offered someadvice to beginners in fly-fishing.

Each body of water has its own peakperiods and conditions and can be con-sidered the best, or worst, fishing spotdepending on the time of year, he said.

There are several different categori-es of trout streams in North Carolina,Finley said. Some require special equip-

ment, such as light, freshwater tackle,the most common of which is known asHatchery Support Stock.

Another difference between fly-fish-ing and regular fishing is that the luresand bait, as well as the way in which afisherman casts a rod and baits the fish,closely resemble stream life and itsmovements.

Fishing 101Never fished before? Well help you get started

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKISAnderson Adams, 3, of Raleigh, reels in a fish that shook itself off while fishing at Beaver Lake withher grandfather Tim Galvin, of Asheville.

By Damien ChambersWNC Parent writer


The Mountain Gateway Museum,which has a trout stream runningthrough it, offers visitors the chance tofish in its stream.

Visitors are allowed to keep any fishthey catch here if it is open season forthat type of fish, Finley said. There arealso no restrictions on the size of thefish or the bait used to catch it.

There is no shortage of places to fisharound WNC, and each angler is goingto have his or her favorite.

The French Broad River is probablythe best spot in WNC to fish, said JeffWilson, one of three co-owners ofFran-klins Outdoor Sports. It really is hardto beat because you can catch just aboutanything in there.

FISHING SPOTSSome excellent fishing spots in WNC in-clude:Lake Julian, South AshevilleBeaver Lake, North AshevilleCharles D. Owen Park, SwannanoaLake Tomahawk, Black MountainMorgan Mill Trout Farm, BrevardSwannanoa RiverFrench Broad River

FOR INFORMATION N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission:Visit ncwildlife.org/regs/regs_fishing.htmfor details on fishing regulations and per-mits. Lake Julian Park: buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/parks/facilities/parks/LakeJulian.htm for details on fishing at LakeJulian.

HOW TO MAKE FISHING FUNCapt. Matthew Cline of Trio Charters, aprofessional fishing guide service in Up-state, S.C., and fisherman Matthew Hydeoffer the following advice to make fishingeasy and fun for children: Be prepared. Pack essentials such asdrinks, layers of clothing and sunscreen aswell as bait and tackle. Celebrate the activity and all accomplish-ments. Congratulate kids who bait their ownhooks and cast their own lines.Upstate Parent magazine

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If youre any-thing like me, to-ward the end of ourschool year, I startto make plans forthe fall. I know,theres all summer.But summer zips by so quickly, and Iwant to take my time making mychoices for the new year of school.

One of the best and most difficultthings about home-schooling here inWNC is the number of choices we have.There are numerous cooperatives, sup-plemental classes, professional tutors,art classes, music classes, athletic en-deavors you name it, weve got it. Forme, being a right-brained type of think-er, too many choices are not a goodthing! Add to that the thousands of cur-ricula choices out there, and ugh picture me pulling my hair out!

Ive learned that asking around abouta class or a curriculum idea is often thebest way to find out if it is going to workfor you and your family. A lot of times aclass sounds fantastic on paper but inreality it is actually something entirelydifferent.

Ive also learned that it is really im-portant to know what kind of learneryou have on your hands. Ive writtenbefore in this column about the differenttypes of learners, and I would reiteratethat nothing is more important. TheBuncombe County Library System haslots of books on learning styles. Pick upa few and peruse them poolside, thenchoose classes and curriculum that areappropriate for your childs learningstyle.

The Internet can be a big helpwhen researching curriculum.Google just about anything youhear about, and you will find awebsite and maybe also some re-view pages. Join local Yahoogroups devoted to home-schooling,

and ask questions from many experi-enced home-schoolers. I belong toWNC Homeschoolers, HOME Ashevilleand Asheville Unschoolers. I am surethere are probably other local groups,and you might even find it helpful tojoin a national group related to the styleof home-schooling you plan to use.

I am always interested in what otherpeople are using, and would love to hearfrom you if youve got some great findsto share. Our family uses an eclecticgroup of styles and resources to createour perfect schedule, and it looks some-thing like this for the fall: Tuesday andThursday classes outside our home,which include science, history and writ-ing; Latin and Italian; Wordly Wise 3000for spelling/vocabulary; TouchMath andThe Key To Series for Math; lots ofreading of both nonfiction and fictionfrom the library; and horseback ridingalmost every day for my eldest child.

For my first-grader, weve been usingand will continue to use First LanguageLessons by Jessie Wise (classical curric-ulum); TouchMath and ScholasticWorkbooks for Math; Thursday cooper-ative classes that include science/geog-raphy/history; and CursiveWriting Skills by Diana Han-bury King. We use early readersweve collected at home, as well assome borrowed from the library topractice our reading skills, listen to lotsof books on tape, and read out loud fromclassics. We supplement with musiclessons and athletic pursuits.

We also watch lots ofPBS and History

Channel movies to reinforce history andscience studies, and occasionally do aunit study, if someone gets really in-terested in a subject.

We work together with other home-school families if there is something wecan do together efficiently, and try totrade off same-interest kids to pursuestudies together when we need a breakfrom each other.

The most important thing we do to-gether as a family is read. I think thatthis is the foundation of any homeschool. Encourage your children to read,buy them books, borrow books from thelibrary, create a library in your home ofwell-loved books.

The second most important thing isto support your children when they findsomething they are really interested in.Whether its poetry or cartooning, film-making or Barbies, encourage their in-terest and help them find friends whoshare that interest.

I would love to hear from you aboutyour families home-schooling plans forthe fall!

Contact Nicole McKeon [email protected].

Time to plan for fallhome-school happenings

By Nicole McKeonWNC Parentcolumnist


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Each of thesethree bookschampions ec-ologically kindliving, but thestyles and tech-niques the authorof each book employs are varied won-derfully.

Frances Barrys picture book, LetsSave the Animals: A Flip-the-Flap Book,is an exquisitely illustrated tribute toendangered animals all over the world.Barry uses torn and cut pieces of deeplycolored papers to create collages ofanimals and their habitats.

Each illustration has a speciallyshaped flap that folds back to revealanother view of the habitat and animal.Then, using a large, bold font and sim-ple, declarative sentences, Barry verbal-izes the images: Id save the Africanelephant, stomping across the plains andshowering at the lake.

Using a much smaller font and moresophisticated language, the author in-cludes specifics about the challengeseach animal faces: Humans are takingover the land where elephants live.Sometimes elephants are killed for theirivory tusks. While the animal themewill appeal to kids of all ages, the picturebook format and simple writing makesthis title especially suited to early ele-mentary school students.

Using lyrical wording that invitesreading aloud, and folksy, mountain-hued illustrations, author Anne Shelbyand illustrator Cor Hazelaar rework anold Appalachian folk tale in their newpicture book The ManWho Lived in aHollow Tree.

In it, an old carpenter makes every-

thing from cradles tocoffins. Because herequires so muchwood for his work,he plants trees allover the mountain-side: Somebodyelse might need atree someday was(his) philosophy.

The story morphsinto a tall tale of agereversal and a SwissFamily Robinson sortof living, but theheart of the story isthe replenishment of trees for the useand enjoyment of future generations.This is a clever way to engage pre-schoolers and early elementary schoolkids in talk (and hopefully action) aboutconservation.

For older children, Jacqueline A.Balls Traveling Green uses dynamic,full-page photographs and chatty, kid-accessible language to describe hownew and still developing energy effi-cient modes of transportation outshinetheir energy-hungry counterparts.

Ball points out theenergy efficient mod-els shortcomings aswell. For example,while vehicles thatuse electricity do notemit greenhouse gas-es directly, if theelectricity they usecomes from a powerplant that burns fossilfuels, theyre indirect-ly causing pollution.

Ball concludes thebook with three case studies that de-scribe energy-related success stories inlarge cities. Ball provides readers withtips on shrinking their carbon foot-prints, and offers advice on how to en-courage family members to reduce theamount of driving done in a week. Thisbook has enough substance to it thatkids can use it for research.

These books are available through theBuncombe County Public Libraries. Visitwww.buncombecounty.org for more infor-mation.

librarians pick

3 books promote green message,from animals to vehicles to treesBy Jennifer PrinceBuncombe CountyPublic Libraries


Buncombe County Public LibrariesVisit buncombecounty.orgJuly 13: Pajama Party Story Time. 6:30 p.m. atWeaverville Library. Call 250-6482.July 20: Firefly Family Story Time, 6:30 p.m.,Enka-Candler Library. All ages.Mother Goose Time (ages 4-18 months)11 a.m. Mondays: West Asheville10:30 a.m. Tuesdays: Fairview2:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Black Mountain10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Weaverville (non-walkers)11 a.m. Wednesdays: Swannanoa, Weaverville(walkers)11 a.m. Thursdays: Oakley11:30 a.m. Thursdays: Enka-CandlerToddler Time (ages 18-36 months)10 a.m. Wednesdays: N. Asheville10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Fairview, Skyland11 a.m. Wednesdays: W. Asheville10 a.m. Thursdays: Swannanoa10:30 a.m. Thursdays: Black Mountain, Enka-Candler11 a.m. Thursdays: Weaverville (first Thursdayonly)

Story time (ages 3-5)11:15 a.m. Tuesdays: Weaverville10 a.m. Wednesdays: Oakley10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Black Mountain,Enka-Candler, Leicester11 a.m. Wednesdays: E. Asheville, N. Asheville10:30 a.m. Thursdays: Fairview, Skyland11 a.m. Thursdays: Swannanoa, W. Asheville11 a.m. Saturdays: E. AshevilleSchool-age story time (ages 5-7)3:15 p.m. Thursdays: N. AshevilleFamily story time11:15 a.m. Tuesdays: WeavervilleStorylineCall 251-5437 for a story anytime.

Henderson County Public LibraryVisit henderson.lib.nc.us.Story time on the Porch11 a.m. Saturdays at EdneyvilleBouncing Babies (ages 0-18 months)11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays: Main11:15 a.m. Wednesdays: FletcherToddler time (ages 18 months-3 years)10 a.m. Mondays: Edneyville10 a.m. Tuesdays: Etowah10 a.m. Wednesdays: Fletcher

10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Main Library10 a.m. Thursdays: Green RiverPreschool story time (ages 3-5)10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays: MainPreschool to second grade story time11 a.m. Mondays: Edneyville11 a.m. Tuesday: Etowah10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Fletcher11 a.m. Thursdays: Green RiverFamily story time (all ages)11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays: Mills River4 oclock Craft Club4 p.m. Thursdays: Main Library

Barnes & NobleAsheville Mall, 296-733511 a.m. Mondays (toddlers) and 2 p.m. Sat-urdays (young readers).Biltmore Park, 687-068111 a.m. Wednesdays (toddlers) and 2 p.m.Sundays.

Spellbound Childrens Bookshop19 Wall St., Asheville, 232-2228,spellboundchildrensbookshop.comStory time Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. (ages 3-5)and 3:30 p.m. (ages 5-7). Free.

area story times

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I saw themtoday for the firsttime in a longwhile. The end ofsprings lingeringchill has finallygone and they have returned to theirwalks. He is ill recovering from astroke, I would guess and each step isboth a struggle and a triumph.

She walks beside him, reaching herright arm across her body to hold hishand. Her left hand swings gently be-tween them, except when she reaches itaround his hip in what must be musclememory from the hundreds of thousandsof times she has returned his embrace.When he occasionally falls behind, sheslows her already quiet steps until theyare once again side-by-side.

They chat with the easiness of twowho know each other so well, words justgild the lily of conversation. Part of mefeels that even watching them from afaris an intrusion into the most intimate ofmoments. Some dismiss them as old andirrelevant, incapable of or uninterestedin romance thought reserved for theyoung.

But I see it when she looks at him andwhen he smiles at her. I see them youngand vibrant and full of dreams. I seethem now, basking in the glow of dreamsfulfilled and treasuring the life they havemade, even in the valleys they didntanticipate. What they share is no lesspassionate than the love of newlyweds,those who are joyously past the days ofmiddle-of-the-night feedings and thosewith a recently emptied nest. Theirs issimply a different season.

Just 21 years ago, I married the bestperson I know. With a little more thantwo decades behind us, we still relishdate nights and quiet evenings at home.When I have good news or bad, my firstthought is sharing it with him. He makes

me laugh, his mind amazes me and hesees me through the rosiest of glasses.His arm around me can still save the day.

So as I watch them walk in the sun-shine, I smile, too. And I silently thankthem for a glimpse of a very good future.

Chris Worthy is an attorney who tookdown her shingle to be a stay-at-home.Contact her at [email protected].

growing together

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

By Chris WorthyWNC Parentcolumnist

Love has its seasons


From the mailbag:Comment: Jakes Little League team

went 3-9 during the season but the kidskept working and we kept working withthem. The result is now theyre a muchbetter team and theyve won two straightplayoff games.

Last game they scored four runs onfive hits for a walk-off win after havingtwo outs and no one on base in the lastinning. The team they beat lost only onegame all year and averaged 25 runs agame and we held them to eight!

Jake is having a great time and doingvery well both at the plate and in thefield. He even accepted a move to leftfield for the playoffs because the teamneeds him there, so he learned that theteam comes first and he embraced that.

This is one of the many ways in whichyouth sports are so good for kids. Theylearned that if they keep practicing, keepworking hard and keep fighting thenthings always have a chance of goingtheir way. Theyve also learned to trustand depend on one another for success.

Response: The redemptive story here isnot the fact that they won some gamesafter some hard work and affirmationfrom the coaches, but in the life skillsthat they have learned and discovered.

Learning that it takes hard work, prac-tice and perseverance to get to wherethey want to be is more valuable thanwords can say.

I love that these guys have learned thevalue of relationships through workingtogether and trusting in their teammatesto change things around for the good.

Heres for hoping that every kid inyouth sports gets to be on a team thatfinds itself in last place, so players canknow the feeling of redeeming a lostseason by staying in there and watchingthings turn around!

E-mail Kuyper at [email protected].

kids and sports

Lessons learnedon the ballfield

By Tom KuyperGannett

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One of the complica-tions of birthday wishesin our time tends to bethe desire of children toask for gifts that areelectronic in naturesuch as cell phones,iPods, computers andvideo game systems.Unfortunately, you did not grow up withthese

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WNCParent July 2010