Birmingham Parent Magazine May 2017 Issue

THE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA

FREE

MAY 2017

GROCERY DELIVERY: DOES NO-STOP SHOPPING DELIVER?

10 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF

your summer Internship/Job

PREPARE EARLY FOR COLLEGE APP PROCESS FAITH-BASED ACTIVITIES AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BABY BOXES ARE HERE

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editor’s note

Happy Mother’s Day May is full of celebrations, from graduations and lots of spring birthdays, ballgames, to Mother’s Day. I’m thrilled each year to be honored by my two children, but I still miss my mother, who has been gone from this earth almost 23 years. It seems like yesterday when she was still here and my kids were little.

I wish I could talk to her one last time, tell her things about my life, my husband and children (who all adored her) and honor her. My daughter still remembers her. My son, not so much, as he was barely 2 years old when she died as a result of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. She was only 56 when diagnosed and 65 when she died.

Throughout the years she has been gone, I’ve almost canonized her, idolized her. And she WAS a great woman and a great mom. But this year, as I’ve really reflected on family as a whole and looked at lots of mothers on my husband’s side and mine, I realize she was just a person, and a person who made mistakes like the rest of us. She wasn’t the perfect mom, but she was the perfect mom for me. She always made me believe I could do anything, be anything, and I was loved by her beyond measure. You know it’s big when relatives continue to tell you she would be proud of you, how proud she was of you, and how much she wanted you and loved you.

We were far from wealthy or even comfortable, but when I think back on my childhood, I don’t remember that part. I remember being loved, being cared for and lifted up. I do remember family vacations (my mom would do everything with me – I had no siblings), holidays, illnesses and hospital stays, and even times I got into trouble. But I never wanted to disappoint her, so that didn’t happen too often as I got older.

I know there are some who haven’t been so blessed. Their experiences with their mothers have not been good. I hope on this special day you break the cycle and show your own children what it means to be a great mom!

I hope this month as you reflect on Mother’s Day, that you remember your mom fondly, honor her, and I hope that you have a mother figure to aspire to be like as you mother your own children.

Happy Mother’s Day, Carol Muse Evans publisher/editor carol@birminghamparent.com

ABOUT THE EDITORS: Carol Muse Evans is the publisher/editor/owner of Birmingham Parent magazine, a publication she and her husband David began in 2004. The Birmingham, Alabamabased parenting publication attracts more than 60,000 readers monthly in a four-county area and receives 10,000 hits per month on its website. The magazine has a 20,000+ print circulation, plus several thousand in readership of the digital edition online. It is the only independently audited free publication in our area. Evans is an award-winning writer and editor who has also has written for several other publications as a freelance writer since the late 80s. She is a graduate of Auburn University in journalism and is a graduate of Scottsboro High School. She is married with two grown children and lives in Alabaster. She is a member of the National Federation of Press Women, Alabama Media Professionals and Southeastern Advertisers and Publishers Association (SAPA). Evans also serves on the board of directors of Childcare Resources.

Lori Chandler Pruitt is associate editor of Birmingham Parent, where she is responsible for the calendar and editorial editing. She also is a freelancer for Business Alabama magazine and has written/edited for several other publications. This award-winning writer and editor is a graduate of the University of Alabama in news/editorial and Hueytown High School. She is married with two children.

4 | birminghamparent | may 2017

P.O. Box 326 (add 800 Hwy. 52 E. for pkg) Helena, AL 35080 205-987-7700 205-987-7600 FAX www.birminghamparent.com

editorial Publishers David & Carol Evans Editor Carol Muse Evans Associate Editor Lori Chandler Pruitt Office Assistants Bethany Adams Hunley, Kate Hankins Calendar Lori Chandler Pruitt Contributors Becky Beall, Dr. Vivian Friedman, Dr. Corey Hartman, W. Bishop Kelley, MD, Charles Ghigna, Cherie Liebowitz, Paige Townley, Stephanie Rodda, Pam Molnar

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art & production Art Director Hilary Moreno Distribution T&P Deliveries E-blasts Simple Southern Lace Designs Legal Counsel Balch & Bingham LLP

BIRMINGHAM PARENT IS A PUBLICATION OF EVANS PUBLISHING, LLC. Publishers: Carol Muse Evans, David K. Evans Sr. Birmingham Parent (EIN20-0694149) is published monthly by Evans Publishing LLC. www.birminghamparent. com or editor@birminghamparent.com.

Birmingham Parent is © 2017 by Evans Publishing LLC. Family Connections Media ©2017 by Evans Publishing 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.

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table of contents COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

THE PREMIER PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA

FREE

MAY 2017

10

GROCERY DELIVERY: DOES NO-STOP SHOPPING DELIVER?

10 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF

your summer Internship/Job

PREPARE EARLY FOR COLLEGE APP PROCESS FAITH-BASED ACTIVITIES AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS BABY BOXES ARE HERE

departments Note: 04 Editor’s Happy Mother's Day

12

COLLEGE-BOUND KIDS: PREPARE EARLY FOR COLLEGE APP PROCESS

Parent’s 2017 14 Birmingham College & Career Directory

Ways to Make the 18 10Most of Your Summer Internship or Job Gotta Have Faith, 20 You Faith, Faith:

22 Try a New Career in a Year

Parenting with Dr. Friedman

8 Short Stuff 0 the Specialist: 32 Ask Health Effects of Poor Sleep

Good Habits for 16 Start College in Middle School

Faith-Based Activities in College Admissions

07

38

Healthy Skin is Beyond Beautiful: What is a Healthy Skin Care Regimen?

49

May 2017 Calendar of Events

54

Poetry Party: Mini-Motivators in Verse!

22 10

10

GROCERY DELIVERY SERVICES: DOES NO STOP SHOPPING DELIVER?

24 Foster Parents have Hearts of Gold 28 Baby & Me: Baby Boxes

destination guide

30 Birmingham Holocaust Education

40 TRIP.COM Unveils its 2017

34 Top 10 Questions to Ask a Summer

42 GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN at the

Center: Keeping History Alive

Camp or Program Before Signing Up

ON THE COVER: Jeremiah, age 17, of Columbiana is making the most of his summer job.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIM BRANTLEY PHOTOGRAPHY, www.kimbrantleyphotography.com.

Family Travel Awards

Sandestin Hilton

44 GATLINBURG: Still the South’s Favorite Mountain Getaway

18 12 20 28

parenting

Parenting with Dr. Friedman

Q:

I have been an at-home wife and mother for the last 14 years since my first child was born. Now my 12- and 14year old daughters act like they are ashamed of me.

Most of their friends have moms who are doctors or accountants.

One is a high school principal and another is a stockbroker. When their friends ask, “What does your mom do?” I have overheard them say, “Nothing. She just stays at home.” Apart from dealing with my own hurt feelings, how do I help my girls see the value of motherhood and homemaking?

Young children offer parents unconditional love. You might occasionally hear a child say, “I don’t like you,” when he is angry about being denied something, but generally, small children adore their parents and feel they can do no wrong and make no mistakes.

This is not so for the adolescent. Adolescents reevaluate parental teachings. No longer do they just accept what they have been taught but they think for themselves and decide which parental views they want to keep and which they want to throw away. In this process, teens can become very critical of parents.

The teen years can be a pendulum swing at its extremes. It will typically return to center with increasing maturity. However, parents don›t need to just wait for this to happen. They can share their views to temper the extremes of adolescence. Just because your daughters don›t agree with you right now, doesn›t mean that they don›t hear you.

Use their interest in a career to your advantage. Encourage them to do their best at school and to set high goals for themselves while at the same time helping them to see the value of your lifestyle. For most women, it is not an either/or choice. Many women juggle work and child rearing while others stay at home with children but return to the work world after the children are grown.

As part of your talk with your girls, you might want to include one of your child›s friends who has a working mom. I would guess that the friend with an absent mom, raised in day care or by a housekeeper, will have some positive things to say about your child›s growing up with a mom at home.

Examine your own feelings about your choice to be at home with children. If you are proud of what you do, your children will absorb your attitude. If, on the other hand, you too feel like you do nothing, your girls will feel the same way.

Being at home is not “doing nothing.” Help them to realize how your work has changed their life. Ask them to imagine how it might be if there were no dinner on the table or the house were unclean. Ask them what they think it would be like to be home alone for hours after school. Remind them how happy it made them feel when you were the chaperone for the class field trip.

One of the wonderful things about being a woman is that there are choices. Some women flourish as accountants and school principals while others prefer to nurture their own family at home. Be proud of what you do and they will be proud too.

Vivian K. Friedman Ph. D. is a child and family psychologist at UAB, Department of Psychiatry. Send questions for response in this column to Viviankf@gmail.com. No personal replies are sent.

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short stuff

Helping Law Enforcement Help Those With Special Needs A new educational program offered by the UAB School of Health Professions, in conjunction with the Interaction Advisory Group, will train law enforcement to recognize and react to situations involving people with special needs.

The Recognition and Evaluation of Autism Contact Training, or REACT, program, offered totally online, is open to all law enforcement serving across the United States. The online training is custom-designed specifically to be self-paced and learned without instructors present.

A committee of UAB professors, working directly with experts from law enforcement and authorities in various areas of special needs, designed the curriculum to meet all standards of academic excellence.

The REACT program, which had previously been taught only in a face-to-face format, evolved in response to incidents of law enforcement personnel mistaking certain behaviors from persons with autism or developmental disabilities as noncompliance or defiant behavior. The UAB-IAG partnership, recognizing the budget strains facing law enforcement across the nation, created the online format as an affordable solution accessible to everyone in an effort that would meet this growing societal need.

The REACT training involves real-world scenarios designed to deliver information to law enforcement in a way that is most retainable. Used in conjunction with in-person trainings, this is the best way to ensure the safety of the law enforcement community as well as the community each department serves.

8 | birminghamparent | may 2017

PBS Kids Family Night debuts PBS KIDS launched their 24/7 channel in late April, and since then, the channel has debuted “PBS Kids Family Night,” offering weekly family viewing events featuring movie specials or themed programming.

The Family Night will run from 7-9 p.m. on Fridays, and will repeat on Saturday and Sunday nights. By the end of the year, 90 percent of U.S. TV households will broadcast the PBS 24/7 channel, which includes 108 PBS licensees. Currently, 75 licensees are broadcasting the 24/7 channel.

New App From Children's of Alabama IDs Poisonous Plants, Insects and Animals The Regional Poison Control Center (RPCC) at Children’s of Alabama has launched Poison Perils, a free app that helps identify potentially dangerous plants, snakes, insects and common household items.

“Alabama has a rich array of biodiversity, and this app gives parents, grandparents and caregivers critical information about Alabama’s toxic and poisonous flora and fauna landscape,” says Ann Slattery, managing director of the RPCC at Children’s.

Poison Perils provides users with a detailed description of each insect, animal and plant, as well as the most common household items the RPCC receives calls about, accompanied by a photo of each. Users can also quickly connect to a specialist in poison information in the RPCC in the event of an emergency with just the touch of a button.

Poison Perils is available for both Apple and Android devices. “In an emergency, time is precious, and with this app, parents and caregivers can have information at their fingertips,” Slattery says.

The RPCC handles more than 50,000 poison calls per year, plus an additional 60,000 follow-up calls. The app was developed with support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Children’s.

short stuff

Practice Fire Safety at Home Whether you’re focusing on household cleaning projects or gearing up to buy a new home, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) wants you to make fire safety a priority. With just a few steps, you can protect yourself and your family from fire.

First and most importantly, make sure your home has working smoke alarms, because fire is fast. Most people don’t realize how quickly a home fire can become deadly. Half of home fire deaths happen at night when people are asleep. The early warning from your smoke alarm can help to save lives.

Here’s what your home needs, right now: • Working smoke alarms on every level, including the basement.

• Working smoke alarms inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas.

• Interconnected alarms, so when one sounds they all sound.

• A home escape plan: Find two ways out of every room.

• Talk about your plan with everyone in your home.

BIRMINGHAM PARENT’S 2017

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You can make sure your alarms stay working by: • Testing your alarm each month.

• Dusting your smoke alarms when cleaning.

• Replacing smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older.

If You’re Buying a New Home You already know where you want to live and what kind of a home you want to buy, but consider fire safety, too.

Think about the needs of your current and future family and consider finding a home with bedrooms on the ground level.

Also, consider buying a home with home fire sprinklers already installed. A smoke alarm alerts you to a fire in your home, but home fire sprinklers can begin to put out the fire right away.

For additional home fire safety information, visit USFA online at usfa.fema.gov/prevention/. Follow USFA on Twitter at @USfire and on Facebook at facebook.com/usfire.

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Photo courtesy of KATS

Grocery Delivery: DOES NO-STOP SHOPPING DELIVER?

By Paige Townley

10 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Millions of people have turned to online shopping over the past few years, and that trend has grown to include grocery shopping. In fact, as people have searched for ways to save time, home grocery delivery services have gained in popularity just in the past couple of years. More and more people are ditching their weekly – or biweekly – trips to the grocery store and opting for home delivery services. “I love all things delivery,” said local resident Shauna Burrows. “Delivery services allow me to have more time with my kids and less time at the store.”

It’s no surprise why home grocery delivery services have taken off with consumers. The Time Use Institute states that the average person spends about 41 minutes in the grocery store, and that doesn’t include the time it takes to get there, load the groceries in the car and then get them home and put them away. If you multiply that 41 minutes by the average 1.5 trips per week average, that’s more than 53 hours per year the average person spends at the grocery store alone.

In addition to saving time, which can help

reduce stress, online grocery delivery services can also help consumers save money and better stick to a budget. Studies have shown that up to 30 percent of grocery store purchases are impulse buys. Not going to the store yourself means less opportunity for adding on unneeded items. “I find that I actually save money grocery shopping online because I’m only buying what I need,” adds Burrows.

While there are some potential drawbacks, including the fact that it does come with an added cost and some companies only deliver from certain stores, for many people the benefits far outweigh them. “I used grocery delivery services for the first time when I was sick and couldn’t go to the store,” says Birmingham resident Vicki Tingle. “It was so easy to do. I was really surprised. It’s great to use if you can’t go to the grocery store or just don’t want to go.”

While there are lots of grocery delivery services out there, here is the rundown on three delivery companies that have made a home in the Magic City.

FULL PANTRY Billing itself as “Birmingham’s personal grocery assistant,” Full Pantry is one of the newest grocery delivery services in Birmingham. Founder/Owner Madison Murphy started the company in early 2016.

“I want Full Pantry to be as much of a ministry as a service,” she says. “In addition to delivering for customers who need help in saving time, I feel that I can help those who aren’t able to get out and do things like grocery shopping, whether that’s due to illness, inability to drive, or some other circumstance.”

Full Pantry delivers to the Greater Birmingham area, and unlike some other services, the company will deliver from practically any grocery store. “We can shop any grocery store the customer would like, and we don’t require grocery lists to be submitted a particular way,” Murphy says.

“Customers can simply type their grocery list and email it to us. And there’s no contract or membership fee. I have some clients that use us once a week and some clients that use us every few weeks.”

Being a local small business, Full Pantry is also doing all it can to help other small businesses by also making deliveries from farmer’s markets, farms, and bakeries.

For more information: fullpantrybham.com.

KATS KATs was founded in August 2014 by Maurice Mercer in memory of his mother, Kathryn “Kat” Jenkins. Because of an autoimmune disability, Jenkins had to retire

from her job at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after many years of service.

Her sickness actually took away her ability to perform many everyday tasks and activities, including going to the grocery store. From this, KATs was born.

“At the time my mother needed a service like this, there was nothing,” says Mercer. “It was hard on us at that time to manage her grocery shopping for her, as my job at that time required that I travel a lot. We realized there was a real need for a service like this, especially for people who are too sick to manage grocery shopping on their own.”

Mercer established KATs as much more than a grocery delivery service – they also will pick up a prescription or prepared meal at a requested location. There are no monthly fees – the cost for the service is based on the total amount of groceries purchased and number of stops needed – and the company delivers to the Birmingham metro area.

“We try to make it as easy as possible for our customers,” Mercer says. “Customers don’t have to be tech savvy to use our services. They can phone, email, text or even fax their order to us, or they can go on our website. And we will go to any grocery store, even membership warehouse stores.”

KATs also does commercial delivery for small to medium-size restaurants, caterers and chefs and other small businesses.

“We have a heart to help people,” Mercer says. “We aim to add convenience to the experience of getting food.”

For more information: Katsdelivery.com.

SHIPT Birmingham’s biggest and perhaps most well-known grocery delivery service is Shipt. The company was first launched in 2014 as a same-day delivery company, but became a focused grocery delivery company the following year after Shipt Founder Bill Smith made a visit to the grocery store with his wife and two small children. “He quickly realized the need for something focused on grocery delivery,” said Shipt Outreach & Events Team Lead Julie Coop. “That is when we switched gears to focus on grocery delivery, and we made our first delivery in May 2015.”

Shipt focuses on customer service through the Shipt app, which is where customers select their groceries, choose the delivery option that best suits their needs and checkout. “We like to think of what we do as a person to person experience,” Coop says.

“We are a tech company, but we focus a lot of time on coaching our shoppers to provide excellent customer service to our members.”

Today, Shipt has members in 35 cities across the country. Specifically in Birmingham, Shipt offers grocery delivery from Publix, Whole Foods and Western Supermarket – and the company is always looking to add to its platform. While Shipt doesn’t accept store coupons through its app, they are most always running their own sales. The company also, through relationships with CPG partnerships, offers rewards for purchasing multiple items from the same brand or category.

For more information: shipt.com.

Photo courtesy of SHIPT

birminghamparent.com | 11

COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

COLLEGE-BOUND KIDS: PREPARE EARLY FOR COLLEGE APP PROCESS

By Paige Townley

For many high school students, college probably seems too far away to even think about, much less plan for. But even in the ninth grade, college is much closer than they think, and thinking about the application process early on can greatly benefit the student when the time comes to officially apply.

It’s never too early to begin the preparation. Here are seven tips to jumpstart the planning process to help get your student into the school they most desire.

MIDDLE SCHOOL INDICATORS

Middle school is too early to start the college prep process, but it is a good time for parents to gauge their student’s academic abilities. Paying close attention to courses in which a student excels – or fails – can help determine the type of academic path the student should be on in high school. “You wouldn’t throw an average student in an AP course too early in high school if they haven’t demonstrated they can handle the regular course first,” says Amy Hayes, director of admission for Birmingham-Southern College.

“Parents should look at what subjects their child is strong in. That tells the story of the classes they need to start out with in high school.”

12 | birminghamparent | may 2017

ALL GRADES MATTER

Oftentimes, students think college admission counselors don’t care about the grades they make until their junior or senior year. That line of thinking is completely false: early high school grades are typically reviewed as well.

“It’s important for students to have the framework going into high school that every class counts,” Hayes says. “While not all colleges look at grades for the ninth grade, many do. Most schools in the state of Alabama do. So going into high school knowing that all grades count is important.”

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ACADEMICS

While grades are obviously important, it’s not all about academics. Getting involved in extracurricular activities and clubs and volunteering at community organizations can help a student stand out in the college application process.

“Students should find something to get involved in and really get involved,” says Bobby Deavers, counselor at Oak Mountain High School. “There’s a difference in just being a member of a group or organization and having no involvement and truly being connected and involved to that group or organizations. It’s obvious when you’re part of a group just to help fill a resume.”

Hayes suggests students use their ninth and tenth grade year to try out various activities to see what they are most passionate about and then really lock in to the group or groups that interest them by the eleventh grade. “It looks better on a resume to see a student focused in by the eleventh or twelfth grade,” she says. “That’s why students should get involved early so that they have time to find what best suits them.”

MAKE SUMMER COUNT

It’s important to take time during the summer months to relax and have fun, and students should take advantage of summer to participate in a camp that interests them, which is a great addition to a college resume. “If there is a potential major that interests a student, he or she should find a camp on that topic,” says Deavers. “If they are interested in pharmacy, attend a pharmacy camp. If they like technology, find a technology-focused camp. That makes the student more appealing to a college if they can see the student’s true desire to research a potential major or program.”

A summer camp can also be a prime opportunity to begin getting on college campuses, adds Hayes. “Many camps are held on college campuses, and

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attending would give the student an opportunity to think about what it would be like as a student there – all while building their college resume,” adds Hayes. “There are a number of short-term camps and events that students can get plugged into.”

TALK ABOUT MONEY

Going into the junior year, students should start narrowing down the specific colleges they are interested in. Before the actual application and/or visiting process begins, it’s important that parents have talked with their student about their financial ability to pay for college.

“Parents shouldn’t be afraid to have discussions with their student about the amount of money they can spend for college,” says Oliver Aaron, college counselor at Vestavia Hills High School. “That conversation needs to happen early so that the student has a realistic idea of what they can afford and what their real options are.”

LET THE STUDENT TAKE CHARGE

While parents are certainly involved in the college process—taking the student on official visits and most likely helping fund it—it’s important that parents take a step back and let their student take charge of the application process. “It’s obvious when parents fill out the application,” notes Hayes. “The student should spearhead that effort. A little independence in the application process is important.” That doesn’t mean parents should be completely hands-off, however.

Parents can help make sure students don’t miss the ever-important application deadlines.

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Besides their parents, there are other people who are important for students in the application process. One specific asset for students is their college counselor at school. “School counselors are a great resource that students shouldn’t overlook,” Aaron added. “Counselors can help provide all sorts of critical information, such as deadlines, application requirements and scholarship and grant opportunities.”

Another significant relationship for students to build is with the admission counselor at the college they are applying to. “Admission counselors will advocate for students for certain scholarship opportunities or space in a program, but if we don’t know then well enough to advocate for them, they might miss out,” Hayes explained. “That’s a big reason as to why students should build relationships with admission counselors.”

Admissions counselors are also great resources to go to with any specific questions about the school, such as deadlines, scholarships and financial aid – and that relationship should start building much earlier than typically thought. “It can be beneficial for students to visit the schools they are interested in and connect with the admission counselor when they enter their junior year,” said Brian Kennedy, director of recruitment for the office of admission at Samford University. “This is often the best way to find out what a successful applicant for admission and scholarship looks like.”

Paige Townley is a Birmingham freelance writer.

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May 2017 College & Career Directory COLLEGES & SCHOOLS Alabama Ballet School 2726 1st Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-322-4300 information@alabamaballet.org www.alabamaballet.org The official school of the Alabama Ballet, the state’s premier professional ballet company. Train with the ProsFall registration now open!

Birmingham Southern College 900 Arkadelphia Rd. Birmingham, AL 35254 800-523-5793 www.bsc.edu Founded in 1856, BSC, a liberal arts school, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Auburn University at Montgomery 7400 East Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117 334-244-3000 admissions@aum.edu www.aum.edu Auburn University at Montgomery was founded in 1967. The nationally accredited university offers more than 90 degree programs to more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate student.

Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy 5509 Timber Hill Rd, Birmingham, AL 35242 205-995-8709 For over 30 years, JBMA has equipped children with the essential skills and knowledge they need to thrive as a successful adult.

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Advertise here next May, and in our Back to School issue in August for your educational institution.

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College & Career Planning Guide

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At BSC, you’ll discover your own passions. You’ll find your own path, all while building the skills today’s employers want. You'll experience learning in a new way, tackle challenges you never imagined, then take what you learn beyond the classroom. Whatever you choose—an internship, research with a professor, a one-on-one mentorship, a service project, or your own invention—you’ll get the tools you need.

Our students are among the very best, and our alumni exceed all expectations. U.S. senators, museum directors, prize-winning authors, NASA scientists, attorneys, entrepreneurs, physicians, and more credit BSC for their success.

They’re also eager to help you meet your goals. With more than 50 areas of study, we have countless routes to your future.

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birminghamparent.com | 15

COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

1. ESTABLISH GOOD STUDY HABITS

Middle school is the opportune time to develop time management, organizational and study skills. Things to work out include choosing the best study spaces, establishing a homework and study routine, and obtaining all the needed materials to complete assignments. It’s easier to address these issues now than when the work gets more challenging.

2. EXPLORE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

On their college applications, students will need to show depth and leadership in at least one or two extracurricular areas. Middle school is a great time for students to try new things and figure out what activities and community service they enjoy most. Talk to different people about their careers, and explore sports, hobbies and volunteer opportunities that match a student’s interests. A child who enters high school committed to one or two activities or with a career goal in mind, will find it much easier to focus on building their resume during their four years of high school.

3. READ, READ, READ

Reading strengthens a student’s verbal, writing and critical thinking abilities. Reading is great preparation for the SAT, ACT and high school reading assignments. Almost any reading material – from graphic novels to books and blogs – will improve vocabulary and introduce new ideas.

4. CHOOSE CHALLENGING COURSES

START GOOD HABITS FOR COLLEGE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Courtesy of International College Counselors

Today we’re talking about middle school. The perfect time to start college planning! Starting the process now, before high school will make the process easier. There is less pressure and the more time you have to prepare for the admissions process, the better.

In middle school, the focus is different than it will be in high school. Unless a student is taking high school level classes in middle school, grades do not appear on the college application. So this is the best time to make mistakes and learn from them. During seventh and eighth grades, students should be setting themselves up to have the strongest possible start in high school.

To accomplish this, students and their parents should:

16 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Colleges look closely at what high school courses students choose to take. They want to see that a student is taking challenging courses.

Students who challenge themselves in middle school will have more opportunities to choose the courses colleges want to see. Students want to position themselves to take full advantage of the AP/IB or other upper-level courses their high school offers. To get on the right track, parents and their students should meet with their guidance counselor or their independent college counselor and discuss the courses that can be taken in middle school to prepare for high school.

5. GET CAUGHT UP AND/OR AHEAD

Students should seek out extra help and tutoring if they are not doing well in a particular academic area. Improving academic performance in middle school will better position them to earn better grades.

Parents need to stay on top of their child’s grades and stay in contact with teachers and counselors, so they can inform about any changes in behavior or schoolwork.

6. TALK ABOUT COLLEGE

Envision the future with your child. Talk about his or her interests, and how college can translate their dreams into a career. Parents should also share their expectations with their middle school student.

Parental expectations have a huge influence on what children expect of themselves, even if they don’t say or show it.

7. GET FAMILIAR WITH COLLEGE COSTS AND HOW TO SAVE MONEY

Start learning how to make college affordable. Options to cut college costs include scholarships, low-interest loans, work study, taking college classes in high school, and attending a community college before going to a four-year school. Knowing how the system works can save families a lot of money and prevent panic. Students can cut costs by earning college credits through Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school or dual-enrollment classes at a local community college.

Keep in mind, middle school is not the time to stress about college.

This is the time to get study habits, academics, and extra-curriculars on the right track so there will be less stress in high school.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY WE LEARN? After all, it’s hard.

It’s work. Is it worth it?

We learn because that’s what makes us human. We learn to make something more of our lives.

That’s why we do the work.

To give ourselves more opportunities.

To find what we love to do — and to become great at it.

That’s why college matters. And that’s why we’re here — to help you build the life you choose. #whywelearn | aum.edu

EXPLORE

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October 21, 2017

March 30, 2018

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COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

10 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP OR JOB

By Cheree Liebowitz

Summer is here. If you have a job or internship, plan on making the most of your opportunity. At the end of the summer you’ll want to be in a position where you can get a recommendation from your employer. Your other goal should be to turn your experience into a resume builder. Internships are an important way to impress a college, gain experience and even launch your future career.

2. Be realistic. Sometimes realities don’t match expectations.

Rather than dwell on any negatives of the job or internship, seek out and embrace the opportunities offered. Chances are you won’t be given an assignment that saves the company and makes you a star. But, that’s not why you’re there. You’re there to learn, expand your horizons, and add to your resume. No matter what, always be enthusiastic and upbeat.

1. Stand out with your professionalism. Show the company you’re the one they should be watching and giving the best assignments to. Be professional, serious and responsible.

This should earn you more respect and responsibility. Be on time for work, meetings, conference calls and team building exercises. Even better – come early. Make sure you dress for success, too.

3. Be proactive. Even if your assignments appear to be a sea of menial and repetitive tasks, don’t complain. Ask to have a meeting with your supervisor to ask about new opportunities or projects. You won’t know, unless you ask. However, if they say no, respect the answer. Even if they say no, you will gain the respect and attention of your older colleagues for demonstrating initiative and motivation. Very importantly, always do the best job you can no matter what the task.

18 | birminghamparent | may 2017

4. Learn about yourself. Use this time to find out more about yourself. See what kind of people you relate to. What kind of work you like to do.

5. Develop your professional people skills. Compare yourself to people on the job who you admire. Study the qualities you admire in them. Do they have skills you lack or can work on acquiring? Take notes on their dress and what character traits put them ahead. Then try to emulate those traits.

6. Build up your resume. Volunteer for extra tasks and look for opportunities. The best first step is to prove that you’re responsible and resourceful. For example, if you’re working in an ice cream shop and your boss needs to leave a few hours early, volunteer to be put in charge. If you’re given the responsibility to lead, this counts on your resume as Management.

If you’re working in an advertising firm and think you might want to be a copywriter, ask for the current assignments.

Write the ads then ask for feedback. Who knows, they may even love your ad so much, they’ll run it.

7. Ask questions. Always remember that a summer job or internship is a learning experience for you. While your employer expects to get some work from you, you are expected to be interested in what’s going on. So ask questions and take notes. This is your chance to get advice and learn.

Find a mentor, if possible.

8. Learn to take criticism gracefully. No one likes to be criticized, but you’re sure to encounter many negative opinions throughout your life and career. Criticism can help you. Every so often, ask your manager for their thoughts on your performance. If an answer is negative, follow it up by asking what you could have done better.

Then put that information to use. The best part about a summer job or internship is that you’re not expected to know everything. Both you and your employer know that you are there to learn.

9. Make connections and stay connected. After the summer is over make sure to stay in touch with the people you met and connected with – and stay connected. It’s never too early to start building your professional network.

A professionally geared site like LinkedIn.com is a good place to keep in touch.

10. Treat the internship like a real job. If you want an employer to take you seriously, you need to take the job seriously.

Courtesy of www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

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COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH, FAITH, FAITH: FAITH BASED ACTIVITIES IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

By Cheree Liebowitz

the cause, growing a tutoring group/ youth group/choir, writing articles for a bulletin, increasing membership or donations, and generally making a difference in the community.

When it comes to college admissions, a student’s grades, course rigor, and test scores are always the most important factors of consideration. But a student’s extracurricular activities can really differentiate an application.

Activities let schools know what a student is interested in. More importantly, extracurricular activities can (and should) show a student’s leadership, commitment, passion, perseverance, teamwork skills, initiative, focus, character, effort, maturity and interest in others. But when it comes to extracurricular involvements, many students shy away from faith-based involvement for a variety of reasons.

Some may feel that colleges or admissions officers prefer a particular religion. Other students feel that colleges would prefer a different type of activity such as a sport or performing art. For most students, all it does is ensure that this child will have a “one activity” resume – something not coveted by colleges.

On the other hand, joining a synagogue, church, or mosque youth group gives a student many opportunities to showcase their positive traits, including leadership and character,

20 | birminghamparent | may 2017

while gaining service hours and even work experience. Anything from attending a mission trip, taking a leadership role to teaching helps.

Another reason to get involved in your local religious group is because in many communities, this is where much of the non-profit work takes place.

Sure, you can go on the Internet and hunt down organizations looking for teen help. Or, you can go directly to your local rabbi, priest or clergyperson to find out about one of the many service projects taking place in your own backyard. What you are looking for is quality work with a purpose. To shine on an application, a student must maximize the time spent in extracurricular activities – any activities – by focusing, getting really involved, and working hard.

When writing about any extracurricular activities, students will want to do the following: Show that the involvement has been growth-producing, productive and/or meaningful. Colleges are looking to see if the student made a real difference. This can include starting a website or social media campaign for

Demonstrate leadership and initiative. Colleges like to see students have moved up in the activity.

Typically, this is signaled with a change of title and an increase in responsibility. Students who have progressed from a regular member to a position of leadership demonstrate this, for instance. Initiative includes anything a student comes up with and then executes that makes the group/organization better. For example, a student may suggest and then carry through a new fundraising effort, or participate in and then organize an event for the congregation or clergy.

Received recognition. As possible, students should take their initiative and ideas to the highest levels they can. For example, if a student is working on a project for their JCC, they should focus on reaching further and try to spread their initiative to many or all JCCs. Significant efforts that go beyond normal efforts made by students should be publicized in hope they can gain national or international media attention. Awards and honors earned are also important. If there is an award or honor offered by the group, a student should make every effort to reach that level of recognition.

Courtesy of International College Counselors

COLLEGE & CAREER PLANNING GUIDE

THINKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO WORK? TRY A NEW CAREER IN A YEAR

By Pam Molnar

Springtime is a great opportunity to reevaluate your career goals. According to CNN Money, the millennial generation, those born between 1977 and 1995, switch jobs four times by the time they are 32. It is not surprising, then, that the average age of a community college student is 29. It seems that people are switching careers in addition to changing just their jobs.

If you are in the market for a new career, consider these mom-friendly options. They offer flexible learning at an affordable price and will have you working in a new industry in about a year. Take a look at our suggestions below.

22 | birminghamparent | may 2017

REAL ESTATE AGENT – This is one of the most affordable re-education option for a new career. Classes are offered through local real estate firms as accelerated courses (2-3 weeks), home study or classroom learning. Each state has different requirements, but the average course time requires 90-135 hours, plus 30 post-license hours. According to Simply Hired, the average real estate agent makes $33,000 their first year.

COSMETOLOGIST – This licensure covers hairdresser, colorist, makeup artist, nail technician and esthetician. Depending on the state you are working in, the programs require 1200-2100 hours of education. Classes are flexible and include daytime, evening and weekend hours and can be completed in one to two years. If you are looking to spend less time and money, the nail technician program ranges from 600-750 hours for completion. The salary range for a cosmetologist is $16,000$44,000 according to Payscale.com.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST – With this degree, you can perform diagnostic imaging exams

and administer radiation treatments. Most community colleges offer an associate’s degree, which is a two-year program. However, if you already have a college degree,

many of your general education classes should transfer, allowing you to complete your degree in less time. According to Salary. com, the median income of a radiologic technologist is $52,216.

MEDICAL ASSISTANT – If you are interested in the medical field down

the road, this is a great foot in the door. The career outlook for a medical assistant is better than average – 23 percent growth over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

The job entails administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals and physician’s offices. You can be certified in a year and go back to complete your associates degree, if desired, after you are employed. Median salary for a medical assistant is $30,590.

DENTAL HYGIENIST – This is the person you have the most interaction with at the dentist office. The amount of time it takes to complete this program through a community college depends on your previous education. Both two and four-year degrees are accepted in the industry. Some community colleges even offer 2+2 plans, allowing you to obtain a bachelor’s degree for the cost of community college classes. According to Payscale.com, the earnings of a dental hygienist is $46,775 to $87,356.

DOG GROOMER – Did you know that most dog groomers are women?

The average dog grooming school teaches safety, proper use of grooming tools and breed standards in a hands-on learning environment much like a cosmetologist. The program time averages 500 hours to certification. Sadly, many states do not regulate a licensure program for dog groomers. Payscale.com

reports that the average dog groomer makes between $18,119 and $47,673. Since dog groomers split their pay with the shop owner, there is greater income potential for dog groomers who are self-employed.

BOOKKEEPER – If you don’t have the time to get an advanced

accounting degree, why not start with a bookkeeping certificate? A bookkeeper, otherwise known as a para professional accountant, assists business owners with general accounting procedures, payroll and tax preparation under the assistance of a CPA. It takes approximately 18 months and $6,500 to complete the program through a community college and often includes opportunity for job placement. According to the Accounting Training and Testing Center, bookkeepers make between $38,500 and $57,250 per year.

COMPUTER AND INTERNETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES – There are many oppor-

tunities in this field and often requires less than a year for certification. The most common positions are in network security and support and system specialists. In other words, these are the people who set up and maintain large computer systems.

Depending on your certification, you can expect to make $36,000-$75,000 according to Payscale.com.

Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and mother of three. With the help of her supportive husband and family, she was able to go back to school and start a new career in less than a year.

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FOSTER PARENTS

HAVE HEARTS OF GOLD

By Stephanie Rodda

I first heard the phrase at an awards ceremony for foster parents in Jefferson County about 20 years ago. We were each given shiny, heartshaped keychains with the words “Foster Parents Have Hearts of Gold” engraved on them. I still have that keychain tucked away as a memento of some of the richest years of our lives.

My husband and I fostered for 15 years and had dozens of children enter our home and our hearts. We adopted seven of the children who were originally placed with us as foster children, but there were many other long-lasting relationships that were formed during that time.

For instance, there are three little girls in Georgia who call me Grandmommy. I’m so proud to be a small part of their lives. When their daddy was only a boy, he came to us as a foster child and found a permanent place in our hearts after being with us several years. Adoption was not declared, yet love was declared and lasting bonds were formed.

In Colorado, another of our former foster children lives with her three little sons. I’ve never met them in person, but I care for them because I care for their sweet momma. I have since I first held her, decades ago, when she was just a tiny infant. They are an important part of our extended family, and I am glad they are.

In a nearby Alabama town is a cherished former foster daughter who was adopted by loving parents. We try to stay in touch, sharing prayer requests and concerns, and encouraging each other. She now has two children of her own, a little boy and a girl. She, too, has a permanent place in my heart.

Those are only a few examples of the long-lasting bonds that can be made during what is designed to be a short-term situation. Foster care is intended to be temporary. Foster care is intended to provide a safe place for children while they are displaced. Foster care is intended to be a system that supports the restoration of birth families when possible. Although they are intended, these goals are not always achieved.

When complications occur, which is more often than you might imagine, foster care can become a way of life for some children. Some even “age out” of the system, becoming young adults that are still wards of the state and then on their own without the support a family can provide.

Sometimes, reunification is simply not possible. Birth parents might

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“My biggest support base is definitely other foster parents. We support each other quickly because we understand each other’s needs in a huge way!”

—

N ATA L I E BRU M F I E L D

24 | birminghamparent | may 2017

continued on page 26

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refuse to comply with court orders. Mental illness, incarceration, or even death can be factors in particular cases.

I recently interviewed three current foster parents to gain their insights concerning foster care. I was not surprised to hear that their biggest desire is to see permanency achieved for foster children in a timelier manner. While the goal initially is to reunite families, unfortunately, that is not always achievable. When that is the case, children can be left in limbo; unable to be placed for adoption and therefore, unable to move forward with their lives.

Stephanie Hixon, who has fostered for nearly five years, expressed her concerns: “Currently, TPR (termination of parental rights) trials may be canceled and rescheduled up to TEN times before the case is finally heard. These kids need permanency, and it needs to happen much faster than it is happening now.”

I couldn’t agree more strongly. In our own family, our oldest son came to us at age eight.

He was in and out of foster care from the time he was a young baby. Although his journey happily ended with being adopted, far too many times there is no such happy ending after such lengthy drawn-out cases. No child should be left waiting for years in the system.

While they are waiting, however, they do need a home; a safe place to wait. We

often hear about foster parents who misuse the system, mistreat the children, and in my opinion, misrepresent the vast majority of the foster parenting community. While those who are abusive and negligent should certainly be exposed, the fact remains that many foster parents can be scrutinized and criticized while doing their very best within an overwhelmed and faulty system.

Foster parent April Lane shared about the importance of good relations with social workers. She and her husband, Greg, have their first foster placement after raising their young adult children. She speaks highly of their relationship with their social worker, “She is not only our mediator, but she is our mentor as well. She has made this experience as easy as possible.”

Natalie Brumfield and her husband, Matt, have fostered six children and adopted one of those children. They are now in the process of adopting twins they are currently fostering.

She shared about the importance of a good support system as foster parents. “My biggest support base is definitely other foster parents,” Brumfield says. “We support each other quickly because we understand each other’s needs in a huge way!”

Hixon also shared some valuable advice concerning receiving offered help. “It’s so tempting for us to say, ‘Oh no, I’m fine!’ when

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our friends and family ask, ‘What do you need?’ But I have learned that in doing that, I am robbing them of the opportunity to serve.

Foster care can be very lonely at times – accept help from those who offer it.”

If you’ve ever considered being a foster parent, there’s never been a greater need for more homes and more hearts that are willing to love without a promise of love returned.

That is why it is often said that foster parents have hearts of gold. Get some information.

Attend an orientation. You may be surprised to discover the number of ways to get involved.

When asked about what prevents people from being foster parents, Lane added her thoughts. “Knowledge. Most do not understand how it works. I can understand how some could be overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes to get approved.

Classes, fingerprints, etc.”

Brumfield added, “It is easy to get overwhelmed or even burned out with fostering. However, if you can focus on the wins in each day, or better yet, forget the hard day you just had and move on to the next day – Jesus will give you the strength you need to keep fostering.”

Stephanie Rodda is a local freelance writer and adopted 7 children through the foster care system.

birminghamparent.com | 27

baby&me

Baby Boxes Credited with Reducing Infant Deaths Arrive in Alabama Expecting and new parents who complete online parenting education in Alabama will be able to receive a free Baby Box, a durable cardboard box that can be used as a baby’s bed for the first months of life – a box bed that is credited with helping reduce infant mortality.

The state of Alabama, The Baby Box Co., the Alabama Rural Development Office, the Alabama Department of Public Health and numerous network partners are teaming in this initiative.

The use of Baby Boxes has been credited with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates, according to the World Health Organization. The Baby Box also includes newborn essentials such as diapers, baby wipes, breast pads, nipple cream, a onesie, a waterproof tote bag, Vroom activity cards from the Bezos Family Foundation and more.

It takes only three easy steps for Alabama’s expecting and new parents to get their free Baby Box: 1. Register for free online at babyboxuniversity.com as an Alabama resident. Be sure to include your correct contact information, including mailing address.

2. Watch the 10-15 minute Alabama syllabus at babyboxuniversity.com. After taking a short quiz, you will receive a certificate of completion and be able to select local pick-up or direct delivery of your Baby Box. 3. If you select direct delivery, your Baby Box will ship to the address you provided when you registered on Baby Box University. If you select local pick up, bring your Baby Box University certificate to the closest participating distribution to collect your Baby Box.

10 Things to Do When your Baby Outgrows your Baby Box While your baby may only be able to sleep in his or her box up to six months, that doesn’t mean you need to ditch the box once your baby graduates to the crib. Here are the top 10 ideas for what you can do with your box after the baby moves out of it:

1. KEEPSAKE BOX: Use it to keep memorable items you’ll always want to remember the early days with your baby, such as a favorite blanket or toy. You can add to it as your little one grows up.

2. NEXT-SIZE-UP CLOTHING: Use the box to put the next side up clothes that your little one may not quite fit into yet, but will soon. That way they’ll be organized and easy to access once a growth spurt comes along.

3. CLEANING SUPPLIES: Keep your cleaning supplies, sprays and soaps out of reach for kiddos but placing them in the box and putting in a pantry or on a high shelf. This also makes it easy when you’re in cleaning mode to bring all your supplies in a quick and organized way.

4. ROAD TRIP SURVIVAL BOX: If you’re packing up the kids and hitting the road, put all the things they’ll want in the box and make it easy for them to access in the backseat so you can have a little sanity up front.

5. ART BOX: As your baby gets bigger and begins to make art, this is a perfect box to collect those one-of-akind treasures to keep for a long time.

6. IMPORTANT FILES: The box fits multiple file folders and as your child grows, you’ll accumulate materials along the way (birth certificate, hospital records, school files, etc.). This is a recognizable and large enough space to store all the important docs needed for your child.

7. GAME NIGHT: Keep your board games, cards, dice and other game night essentials in the box so not pieces are lost and it’s easy to take down for a fun night of games.

8. TOY BOX: Quick! Guests are coming over and you have a hundred mini-race cars all over your living room.

Grab your box and use it for quick toy storage that can hide a mess in a matter of minutes.

9. DIY GALORE: Crafting is a great activity as your child gets bigger and keeping all those DIY materials in one place will ensure you have a mess-free home! From paper to popsicle sticks to googly-eyes, keep them in your box and know when you take it out, fun lies ahead.

10. MAGAZINE STORAGE: Keep magazines and newsletters in the box to easily access when you have a little downtime (ha!) to catch up on reading. When the magazines start to overflow the boxes that’s when you throw out what’s in there and start over.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FINNBIN.COM

28 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Courtesy of Finnbin.com

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BIRMINGHAM HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER: KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE

By Paige Townley

Dr. Robert May has lived in Birmingham for more than 50 years, but he arrived in the Magic City through a combination of chance and desire to survive.

May was born in Germany in 1926, shortly before the persecution of the Jews began. He attended school in his small town until it became impossible to continue due to the persecution by the Nazi regime. He then moved to Frankfurt with his aunt in order to attend a Jewish day school. Two years later, in 1939, he was forced to flee Germany.

“I was just about 12 years old when I left,” May says. “My uncle had already left Germany and resided in Holland, and he was able to get me out of Germany and into England.”

May left Germany alone to move to England, and his parents were able to join him about eight months later. “My parents were some of the last people out of Germany before the war started,” he adds. He and his parents immigrated to the United States in 1940. May went on to attend school in New 30 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Orleans, Louisiana, and eventually moved to Birmingham to practice medicine in the early 1950s. The fate of his aunt and uncle, however, wasn’t as fortunate. His uncle was caught during the German invasion of Holland and deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, the largest camp of its kind established by the Nazi regime, where he was killed. His aunt was also killed at Auschwitz.

May is one of the many Holocaust survivors who shares his story through the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate the people of Alabama about the Holocaust.

“Our mission is to keep the history of the Holocaust alive,” says the center’s Executive Director Rebecca Dobrinski. “We do our best to make sure students and adults alike learn from the lessons of the Holocaust.”

The center seeks to fulfill its mission through a number of public outreach programs. One of the main ways the center educates students is by educating teachers.

“Unfortunately, the Holocaust tends to be just a couple of paragraphs in the middle of the WWII section of a history book,” Dobrinski says. “We’ve found that teachers really do want more information to better teach students about the Holocaust.”

To make sure teachers have the information needed to teach, the center has annual teacher workshops and a scholarship program for teachers to travel to various workshops around the country. Teachers can apply for a scholarship to one of the many vetted workshops, and if chosen, the center will pay for their travel and necessary expenses to attend.

“We want to help provide teachers with the tools needed to help them do their job to the best of their ability,” Dobrinski says.

“It’s important for us to make sure that teachers have no barriers in advancing their knowledge about the Holocaust so they can best teach about it.”

The programs offered by the center extend much further than programs for

teachers. The center participates in an annual film series, it has a photography exhibition (Darkness into Life, which travels around the state to various schools, libraries and universities); and has a book club and partnered with other groups for an opera last year. The center is also open to the public for individuals and classes to visit.

“There are so many different ways to teach about the Holocaust, and we do our best to provide a variety of learning opportunities,” Dobrinski says. “There are so many ways to share the information besides just lectures. We want to use all of the tools we can to keep the stories alive.”

The center also has a network of speakers that go into classrooms and to various community groups to share stories of Holocaust survivors. “While we’re focused on the education and remembrance of the Holocaust, it goes well beyond just teaching about a historical event,” says the center’s education coordinator and May’s daughter, Ann Mollengarden. “The Holocaust teachers about human nature and social and personal responsibility. This part of history can teach so many lessons to students.”

Teaching students about such an important part of history is also critical for the future, adds May, who visits schools all around Birmingham to share his story. “This type of event can happen anywhere, and it’s still happening today,” he says. “The more you propagate the history of the Holocaust and what really happened – the more information that is passed on and the consequences of it – the better we can help put a stop to it.”

For more information about the center, go to www.bhamholocausteducation.org.

Paige Townley is a Birmingham freelance writer.

BIRMINGHAM HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER: 2222 Arlington Avenue* Birmingham, AL 35205 (*located on the ground floor of the Bayer Properties building)

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ask the specialist

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Health Effects of Poor Sleep

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Dr. W. Bishop Kelley is a sleep medicine physician with the Brookwood Baptist Health Specialty Care Network.

If you’re a mother, you know all too well how difficult it can be to get a full night’s sleep. So how much sleep is enough? Well just like no two people are exactly alike, we all have different sleep needs as well. In general adults should average seven or eight hours per day. Some may need only five, but others can require as many as 10.

We all know the importance of a full night’s sleep for children – infants need about 16 hours per day – but poor sleep habits can have negative health effects no matter your age. In the short term, inadequate sleep can cause memory loss, poor concentration, and increased risk of injury to you or your child. The long term effects vary more widely and can lead to serious medical problems. They include high blood pressure, heart attack and heart failure, stroke, obesity, depression, attention deficit disorder, mental impairment, and growth retardation for fetuses and children.

Trouble sleeping is nothing new for mothers, nor is it uncommon. Here are a few tips to improve your sleep:

• Go to bed at night and get up in the morning at approximately the same time every day.

• Adopt a pre-sleep routine to help you relax.

• Get out of bed if you cannot fall asleep after about 20 minutes.

• Exercise (but not right before bed).

• Avoid sleeping pills.

32 | birminghamparent | may 2017

We all know the importance of a full night’s sleep for children – infants need about 16 hours per day – but poor sleep habits can have negative health effects no matter your age. In the short term, inadequate sleep can cause memory loss, poor concentration, and increased risk of injury to you or your child.

• Avoid daytime nap.

• Eat a small snack before bed to avoid going to bed hungry.

Talk with your doctor if your sleeplessness occurs more than three nights per week for over a month, or if have other symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. For more information call Princeton Sleep Care at 205-781-3752, or visit www. bbhcarenetwork.com.

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healthy skin is beyond beautiful sponsored by

What is a Healthy Skin Care Regimen?

By Dr. Corey Hartman

Skin care begins with regular cleansing.

Washing your face daily is the best way to remove dirt, sweat, and makeup, which can cause acne, blackheads, and other skin problems. A gentle cleanser will do the trick in making sure your pores and skin are clean every day.

Second, using a moisturizer is key in order to keep your skin soft and supple.

Well-moisturized skin will have a “glow” and will make you look healthy and radiant all year round!

Third, sun protection. Using sunscreen every day will help protect you from the damage that sun can cause to your skin.

A low SPF is fine for days when you don’t expect to be outside, while higher SPF is essential if you plan on spending the day outside and on-the-go. Using a moisturizer

Taking care of your skin is one way that you can help minimize the risk of skin cancer, keep a younger appearance longer, and enjoy glowing, healthy skin throughout your life.

Oftentimes, individuals do not think about their skin until it is too late, and the sun exposure and free radicals have taken a toll on their face. If you want to keep your skin healthy and radiant, start following a regimen for skin care. Birmingham and Chelsea area residents can look to Skin Wellness Center’s doctors to learn more about skin regimens and help slow their signs of aging.

Using sunscreen every day will help protect you from the damage that sun can cause to your skin. that also contains SPF protection is a great way to pull double duty in one product.

Fourth, regular exfoliation can help turnover skin cells by making sure you have your freshest face forward. Exfoliation should be done regularly and often, in order to rejuvenate your skin and keep it looking its best!

Skin Wellness Center of Alabama will be providing great dermatologic info each month for Birmingham Parent. Send your questions to info@skinwellness.com. No personal replies will be sent.

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DESTINATION GUIDE

TRIP.COM UNVEILS ITS 2017 FAMILY TRAVEL AWARDS Reveals the Attractions For Kids That Are Redefining “Must-See” Plus Rising Star Destinations and More The award-winning travel planning app and website is announcing its 2017 Family Travel Awards, with top attractions that go beyond the tried and true, noticeably quirky Rising Stars destinations, amazing beaches, and unique resorts all earning their spots on this year’s list.

“Summer is rapidly approaching and that means the opportunity to make some good memories with your kids,” says Travis Katz, CEO and Co-founder of Trip.com. “Get out there and base your vacations around some amazing attractions that go beyond a standard cruise or theme park.”

He continued, “Climb all over the architectural art and spark young imaginations at the City Museum in St. Louis or see Oregon’s incredibly tall Multnomah Falls via easy paved paths.

Our Tripsters also loved Monterey Bay Aquarium for its jellyfish exhibit and its range of really well done marine life exhibits. If that’s not your thing, the Houston Zoo is remarkable for its curated grounds and thoughtfully constructed habitats.”

For those looking with an eye to splurge, Katz noted that the Tower of London and London’s Natural History Museum plus Barcelona’s Park Güell are great with children in tow.

RISING STARS DESTINATIONS FOR FAMILIES Trip.com also revealed which cities that experienced the largest growth in reviews and interest in the past year.

1. Yosemite National Park 2. Hot Springs

TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS 1. City Museum: St Louis’s excuse for combining play and learning in one highly informative but fun museum.

2. Monterey Bay Aquarium: An eerie jellyfish display, the ability to get up close and personal with marine wildlife, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean — need we say more?

3. American Museum of Natural History: The largest dinosaur collection plus a pretty impressive meteorite fragment - all in one of America’s greatest cities, the Big Apple.

4. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Free, with a whopping 325,000 square feet of public space for young minds to get excited.

5. Houston Zoo: Houses thousands of animals, an education center, aquarium and — it must be said — adorable lettuce-munching giraffes.

6. Stanley Park: A Vancouver oasis that keeps families busy with an array of outdoor and indoor activities. Walk or bike the seawall, visit the aquarium, totem poles, gardens and beach — there’s even a miniature train.

7. Exploratorium: 600 hands-on exhibits lets families explore, play and learn together, all in beautiful San Francisco.

8. Multnomah Falls: Paved paths, a 620-ft tall waterfall, and Oregon fresh air, it’s no wonder this is consistently a winner for Tripsters and their families.

9. Natural History Museum: The earthquake room and earth escalator are some of the many highlights, along with a dino-themed restaurant where kids truly come first.

10. World of Coca-Cola: History, art and memorabilia combine in a fun tour that concludes in a tasting room where you can sample Coca-Cola products from around the world.

3. Santa Fe 4. Knoxville 5. Singapore 6. Flagstaff 7. Madrid 8. Reno 9. Pennsylvania Dutch Country 10. Chattanooga 40 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Trip.com takes various factors into account when selecting its winners, including reviewing data across the more than 60,000 destinations in its database. All lists are based on the number of reviews from distinct travelers visiting the destination, the number of people creating trips on Trip.com for these destinations and real travelers recommending these spots to the Family Travelers Tribe in the past year.

For more info on why each place made the list and ideas on where to stay, eat and play in each destination, visit Trip.com’s Awards page.

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DESTINATION GUIDE

Photo courtesy of Sandestin Hilton

Photo by Carol Muse Evans

Photo by Carol Muse Evans

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun AT THE SANDESTIN HILTON

By Carol Muse Evans

Looking for a great girls’ getaway that’s not too far away? Look no further than the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa in the heart of the Florida panhandle – and all the fun.

Everyone loves the Florida panhandle, but there’s something extraordinary about the Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa in the Miramar Beach area, just east of Destin. It’s more than a hotel, and offers the best of both worlds – an upscale hotel with many condominium amenities. The advantages to staying in this hotel are great restaurants, swimming pools including an indoor pool and hot tubs, a spa on site, coffee shop, and all the benefits of room service, hotel transportation, and daily maid service – sitting right on the silver sands of the Florida panhandle. (Did I mention beach service, too?)

No girls’ getaway is complete without a spa service, and Hilton’s Serenity by the Sea was top notch. Go in for one special treat, like a massage or facial, or spend the entire day here. There are manicures, pedicures, hand and foot treatments, waxing, salon and color services and even makeup design and services. Ask about having lunch at the spa! Memberships are also available. See more at www.serenitybytheseaspa.com.

Whether you are looking for a girls’ getaway, or time with family, friends or kids, there is something for everyone here. Don’t miss the terrific swimming pools at this resort, complete with a poolside restaurant, Barefoot’s Beachside Bar and Grill, great for eating lunch or a fruity drink or special treat throughout the day. Be sure to have at least having one dinner at Seagar’s for prime steaks and seafood. This restaurant has earned AAA’s four-diamond rating for 15 consecutive years. It offers more than 600 different labels from the wine cellar, and extraordinary desserts, too. It is great especially for a parents’ night out or a girls’ getaway special evening.

If you want something a bit more casual, try Sandcastles Coastal Cuisine, where Chef Julio Lucero uses local ingredients infused into delicious coastal recipes. Have a big buffet breakfast here in the morning, something simple from the coffee shop on site, or take advantage of the microwave and fridge in your room to prepare your own breakfast. Love Sushi? Try the Hilton’s Hadashi Sushi Bar located within the Sandcastles Lounge.

On my girls’ getaway here, we ventured off site for several fun activities. Eden Gardens State Park was fun and beautiful (www.

42 | birminghamparent | may 2017

floridastateparks.org) and brought history and nature together nicely. Spend several hours or make a short visit here. Free admission; admission charged for the home tour.

Try your hand at creating art at Shard Art (www.shardshop.com).

I was skeptical. I’m not very artsy. However, this was so much fun to create a work of art with a little help or a lot of help from the folks there who create beautiful pieces from bits and pieces of colored and clear glass. Copy something on display in the shop, use a stencil or create your own piece from your imagination. Check the website for pricing. Classes are also available.

No girls’ trip can be complete for me without a trip to the Silver Sands Premium Outlets (www.premiumoutlets.com/.) With great stores like Vera Bradley, Coach, Columbia, Disney, Eddie Bauer, Harry & David, Saks Fifth Avenue/Off Fifth, and many eateries and other great stores, you could spend an entire day here, or simply dash into one special store for what you need. They’ve worked hard to keep this outlet center current, and it shows.

While this filled my weekend at the Hilton Sandestin, there’s so much more to see and do. With children in the mix, you can find all sorts of fun things to do at the resort or off site, and their concierge will help you. If you want a little getaway while visiting with children, a seasonal kids club the Hilton offers such as Kids Krew or Kids Night Out might be just the ticket for a night out. Ask the hotel to organize a bonfire for you, make a picnic, make s’mores, roast marshmallows and other great services. Inquire with the concierge for all the special offerings. And of course, there’s nothing more special than what lies right outside your door – the beautiful white beach and Gulf of Mexico.

For more information on the Hilton Sandestin, visit www.hiltonsandestinbeach.com.

Carol Muse Evans is editor and publisher of Birmingham Parent.

Don’t be late. Your adventure awaits—all under one roof.

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ADVERTORIAL

DESTINATION GUIDE

GATLINBURG: Still the South’s Favorite Mountain Getaway

By Becky J. Beall

DINOSAURS ARE COMING TO STONE MOUNTAIN PARK THIS SPRING! Say goodbye to the winter blues and get ready to roar this spring at Stone Mountain Park! New for 2017 is “Dinosaur Explore,” featuring 20 animatronic dinosaurs representing 14 species. At the center of the fun is the Dinotorium, an all-new indoor experience with T. rex meet and greets, baby dinosaur interactions and a dino dig play area.

Also making its debut this spring is the loveable herd from Ice Age in the new “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs™ 4D Experience.” Sid, Manny, Diego and the rest of the crew embark on an action-packed adventure when they discover a lost world of dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Explore is open now and will only be available for the 2017 season. Admission to Dinosaur Explore is included with a daily adventure pass or Mountain Membership. An Adventure Pass also gives you access to the park’s family fun attractions such as Summit Skyride, Geyser Towers®, SkyHike®, The Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, Scenic Railroad, Historic Square and Discovering Stone Mountain Museum.

A special sneak peek of The Lasershow Spectacular™ in Mountainvision® can be seen April 1-8 during Spring FUN Break and Saturdays until Memorial Day weekend.

Stay and play with three great lodging choices inside Stone Mountain Park: The Evergreen Conference Center and Resort Stone Mountain Inn Stone Mountain Family Campground Stone Mountain Park is directly off of U.S. Hwy. 78 and is easily accessible from Atlanta interstates. To view our operating calendar or for more information, visit

WWW.STONEMOUNTAINPARK.COM 44 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Gatlinburg, the gatekeeper of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has long been considered the premier mountain town for southern folks. In November 2016, the area suffered wildfires that garnered national media attention and has many folks thinking it’s not worth a trip now. The opposite is actually the truth – there couldn’t be a better time to visit the Tennessee community including the National Park!

While there are distinct areas where the damage is noticeable, most are fine and businesses you’ve always treasured are still open along with some new ones! Everyone asks, “What can I do to help?” The best answer is: Go! Visit! Spend money there! They are a tourism-driven community and, similar to the Gulf Coast oil spill a few years back, they will survive and thrive if folks continue to vacation there.

THE PARKWAY Frequenters of the ‘Burg love the Parkway with unique, one-ofa-kind shops, eateries and fun attractions. Use the trolley to get around and avoid traffic jams in high-season. Tourists can hop on and off to enjoy the many available activities including the world-class Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, the Space Needle and Ober Gatlinburg (the town’s only ski area). The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community is also unaffected and poised to serve visitors.

THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK For years this park has reached record-breaking numbers for visitors with over 11.3 million in 2016! Part of this success is attributed to the NO ADMISSION FEE to enter the park, and with the gorgeous scenery, trails and wildlife, folks always want to come back. From campers to day-trippers, there’s something for everyone including stunning views from Clingman’s Dome, beautiful waterfalls and great hikes!

GATLINBURG IS ON THE GROW! Anakeesta (www.ANAKEESTA.com) is a 72-acre outdoor adventure slated to open summer 2017 and it guarantees fun for the entire family! The new attraction will feature a shopping complex in the downtown area adjacent to the Chondola Station that will offer transportation to Anakeesta Mountain and Aerial Adventure Park.

There is a hillside area close to traffic light number 3 in downtown Gatlinburg that will soon become Rowdy Bear Mountain (https://rowdybearmountain.com/) with two awesome rides. The Gravity Coaster is a roller coaster (gravity-propelled) taking thrill-seekers on a ride through the woods and the Mountain Glider hosts an amazing ride through the treetops!

Even more is under construction, including several hotels, restaurants and more.

As you can see, the area is resilient and it won’t take long to rebuild and redevelop the affected areas. As for the rest, Gatlinburg is wide open and ready for visitors! Festivals abound and everything you love about the town is still there. Check out www.gatlinburg.com to plan your trip!

Becky J. Beall is a travel writer, blogger, speaker, radio host and television personality. Keep up with her travel shenanigans at www. thetravelvoicebybecky.com.

O NO PE W N !

NEW AND ONLY IN 2017!

You won’t want to miss this unique and interactive prehistoric creature experience. Dinosaur Explore will feature more than 20 life-size dinosaurs, moving and roaring just like their ancient ancestors. Join in a dino dig to uncover your own dinosaur and even meet a fierce raptor.

AT L A N TA , G E O R G I A

For dates, hours, tickets or to reserve a lodging or camping package, visit stonemountainpark.com

ADVERTORIAL

Make it a Summer of Discovery at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Photo by Jerrod Brown Studios

Adventures for all ages Day Camps Teacher Workshops Summer Excursions 251-861-2141 Following his reveal, Vulcan returned to Birmingham in pieces. It was not until 1939 that the big guy was perched atop Red Mountain, where he still stands today.

Did you know that Vulcan, Roman god of forge and metal works, was chosen to symbolize Birmingham and the state of Alabama because of his figurative representation of the iron and steel industry?

Sculptor Giuseppi Moretti was commissioned by city leaders to design and build this 50-ton statue, which was completed in only a matter of eight short months. Vulcan was “birthed” in June of 1904, just in time for his debut at the St. Louis World’s Fair. There, he was placed on display inside the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy and Moretti won a prize for his work of art.

Every June, Vulcan Park and Museum commemorates the creation of the world’s largest cast iron statue and one of the most memorable pieces of civic art in the United States at Vulcan’s Birthday Bash.

This year, Vulcan will turn 113, and we invite you to join us as we celebrate him in style on Sunday, June 4, from 12 – 4 p.m.!

Sing “Happy Birthday” alongside Mayor William Bell and other partiers during a fun-filled, family celebration held at Vulcan Park and Museum. Adults are $8, children are $6, and children under 4 and Vulcan Park and Museum members are FREE. Admission includes birthday refreshments as well as a wide variety of exciting activities for guests of all ages. See visitvulcan.com for full details!

1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209 205.933.1409 . visitvulcan.com 46 | birminghamparent | may 2017

101 Bienville Blvd.

www.disl.org Dauphin Island, AL

the

TRAVEL

VOICE

BY BECKY

The only voice in travel that MATTERS! Catch The Travel Voice by Becky on Saturday’s in Shelby County on FM 99.9 APH Radio at 11 a.m. and anytime on iHeart Radio!

Great travel information, special deals, awesome guests, spectacular on location LIVE events and amazing giveaways!

For more information, visit thetravelvoicebybecky.com

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Rebecca Osberg . 205-557-0536 . 22qalabama@gmail.com 48 | birminghamparent | may 2017

highlights

Calendar sponsored by

MAY

May is a busy and exciting month. The school year is ending, school graduations abound and thoughts begin to turn to summer vacation. Start it off right by contacting your public library to enroll in their summer reading program! Check out the numerous outdoor activities this month, too. Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14, so plan something special! And, it’s a month of remembrance – Monday, May 29 is Memorial Day, a day where we honor those in the

It’s baby bird season! Help the Alabama Wildlife Center by coming to its annual Baby Bird Shower, Saturday, May 6. Bring a gift (wish list at www. awrc.org), or send a gift via smile.amazon.com (name AWC as the non-profit). Enjoy cake and refreshments, tour the nursery and aviaries, enjoy fun kids’ activities and more! www.awrc.org

6

armed forces who gave their lives for our nation.

may The Birmingham Barons baseball team is full speed ahead on its regular season!

Catch a game this month! www.barons. com.

All aboard Thomas the Tank Engine! Always a favorite, Thomas will roll into the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera for a Day Out with Thomas on May 12-14 and May 20-21. Arts and crafts, Thomas-themed activities and merchandise, bounce house, carpet golf, bubble station, sandbox and more! Advance purchase required.

866-468-7630. www.hodrrm.org.

12-14 & 20-21

SUMMER ART CAMP

at the Birmingham Museum of Art

REGISTRATION:

ARTSBMA.ORG Art Camp is sponsored by the UAB School of Medicine. birminghamparent.com | 49

CALENDAR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALABAMA WILDLIFE CENTER

may calendar

Calendar sponsored by

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 3 WEDNESDAY Mexican Fiesta 3:30pm, Birmingham Public Library. Tweens, celebrate Cinco de Mayo early with activities and fun! Make maracas from recycled materials.

Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves 7:05pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

4 THURSDAY May the Fourth Be With You 4-5:30pm, Albert L. Scott Library, Alabaster. Special Star Wars program blasts off for families with children 6 and older. All children must be with an adult. Activities include Lego, light refreshments and more. Sign up suggested; fans encouraged to wear costumes! 205-664-6822.

CALENDAR

Oak Mountain Spring State Fair Oak Mountain State Park. May 4-14. Family fun! Entertainment,

live music, food, fun, games, activities, rides and more. www. oakmountainstatefair.com.

Bartok’s most popular works.

Tickets, 205-975-2787.

Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves 7:05pm, Regions Park. www. barons.com.

The Market at Pepper Place 7am-noon, Pepper Place, 2829 2nd Ave. S. Rain or shine!

5 FRIDAY Alabama Folk Fair 9am-4pm, Bessemer Hall of History Museum (Pleasant Hill Methodist Church Family Life Center). Arts and crafts, live music, food, children’s activities and more. Adults $5, children 12-under free.

Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves 7:05pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra EBSCO Masterworks Series 8pm, Alys Stephens Center.

Celebrate conductor Carlos Izcaray’s 40th birthday with

6 SATURDAY

44th Annual Southern Appalachian Dulcimer Festival 8am-5pm, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Gate admission $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children, 5-under FREE. 205-477-5711, http://sdulcimer. wordpress.com.

Alabama Folk Fair 9am-4pm, see May 5.

Hikes for Tykes 10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join Fresh Air Family and the BBG for a magical walk for preschool children and their families! Activities include scavenger hunts, dinosaur plants and building fairy houses. Hands-on learning! FREE.

LEGO Club 10-11am, North Shelby Library.

All ages!

Baby Bird Shower!

11am-2pm, Alabama Wildlife Center, Oak Mountain State Park.

Approximately 1,000 baby birds will arrive at the center this year!

Bring a gift (wish list at www. awrc.org), or send a gift via smile. amazon.com (name AWC as the non-profit). Enjoy cake and refreshments, tour the nursery and aviaries, enjoy fun kids activities and more! www.awrc.org.

Trussville City Fest 11am-9pm, The Mall in Trussville.

Fun, family event! This one-day event will finish at 9pm with a fireworks show. Admission $5 per person, children 2-under FREE. Once inside, all activities are FREE! 205-655-7535, http:// trussvillechamber.com.

Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves 6:30pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Events may change after publication deadline; please phone ahead to confirm important information. The deadline for submitting calendar items for the June 2017 print issue is May 5. Mail calendar items to: Calendar, Birmingham Parent, P.O. Box 326, Helena, AL 35080; fax to 987-7600; e-mail to calendar@BirminghamParent.com; 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 intended to be a resource and service to the community and our readers. Events which are open to the public, fundraisers, 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 or e-mail calendar@birminghamparent.com.

50 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Calendar sponsored by

7 SUNDAY Southeastern Outings Sunday Stroll 1:30pm, Dunnavant Valley Greenway. Approximately 4½ miles. Rated easy to moderate.

Well-behaved children 7-over welcome. Depart 1:30pm from the trail head on Shelby County Highway 41. Information, Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680.

Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves 3pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

8 MONDAY Southeastern Outings Bicycle Ride 9am, Horse Creek Trail, Dora/ Sumiton. Easy 6.4 or 12.8 mile bicycle ride; trail is 3.2 miles long but one round trip or two offered. Smooth trail. Optional lunch afterward. Depart 9am from Kmart Green Springs. Dan

Frederick, 205-631-4680, seouting@bellsouth.net.

9 TUESDAY Southeastern Outings Hike 10am, Cahaba River Walk, Mountain Brook. Beautiful, well-maintained trail through the woods.

Depart 10am from the parking lot for the park on Overton Road next to the bridge going over the Cahaba River to River Run. Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680, seouting@bellsouth.net.

10 WEDNESDAY Homeschool Hour Jr. 1:30-2:30pm, Homewood Public Library. Theme: Inside the Human Body! 205-332-6619.

11 THURSDAY Alabama Symphony Orchestra Classical Masters Series 7:30pm, Lyric Theatre. The first of Haydn’s Paris symphonies.

Tickets, 205-975-2787.

12 FRIDAY Alabama Symphony Orchestra Red Diamond SuperPops! Series 8pm, Alabama Theatre. Music of epic Hollywood films such as

Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar and Lord of the Rings. Tickets, 205-975-2787.

13 SATURDAY The Market at Pepper Place 7am-noon, Pepper Place. Rain or shine!

Race for the Grace Place 8am-3pm, Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Gate admission $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children, 5-under free. Registration fee with event. 205-4775711, http://www.imathlete.com/ events/raceforthegraceplace.

Southeastern Outings Cahaba Lily Walk 9am, Bibb County. Come see the largest display of blooming Cahaba lilies in the world!

Well-behaved, properly supervised children 7-over welcome.

Optional dinner after. Five-mile hike; wear old shoes, bring picnic lunch and drink. Depart 9am from the McDonald’s at the Riverchase Galleria. Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680, seouting@ bellsouth.net.

Hikes for Tykes 10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join Fresh Air Family and the BBG for a magical walk for preschool children and their families! Activities include scavenger hunts, dinosaur plants and building fairy houses. Hands-on learning! FREE.

14 SUNDAY

MOTHER’S DAY 14th Annual Motherwalk 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run 8am 5k start, 9am 1-mile fun run start, Homewood Central Park.

Benefitting the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation.

Friends and families come together dressed in teal in honor and in memory of those lost to ovarian cancer. Information, motherwalk.com.

Mother’s Day at McWane!

McWane Science Center. All moms get in FREE on this special day! www.mcwane.org.

birminghamparent.com | 51

CALENDAR

Alabama Symphony Orchestra EBSCO Masterworks Series 8pm, Alys Stephens Center, see May 5.

may calendar

Calendar sponsored by

Hikes for Tykes 10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join Fresh Air Family and the BBG for a magical walk for preschool children and their families! Activities include scavenger hunts, dinosaur plants and building fairy houses. Hands-on learning! FREE. 8th Annual Bob Sykes BBQ and Blues Festival 11am-8pm, DeBardelaben Park, Bessemer. Gates open at 11.

Family-friendly event with large kids corner, food, arts and crafts, vendors and more. Tickets, information, 205-426-1400.

15 MONDAY Itty Bitty Magic City Birthday!

McWane Science Center. Itty Bitty Magic City is turning two, and it’s time for a party! Special programs in this magical city for kids. 205-714-8300, www. mcwane.org.

Neuroscience Café: Adolescent Psychosis 6:30-8pm, Hoover Library. The UAB Comprehensive Science Center presents “Identification and Treatment of Psychosis in Young People: Experience from a First Episode Psychosis Clinic” led by Clinton Martin, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and Adrienne Lahti, MD, professor of psychiatry. 205-444-7840. FREE.

17 WEDNESDAY Regions Tradition PGA Champions Golf Tournament Greystone Country Club. May 17-21. This tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game. 205-9699229, www.regionstradition. com.

Homeschool Hangout 1-2pm, North Shelby Library. An exciting program for ages 7-12.

FREE.

18 THURSDAY Homeschool Hour – Our Universe 2pm, Homewood Library. Learn about stars, the moon and planets with David Weigel from the Samford University Planetarium.

Suggested age 10-up. Online registration required at www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

52 | birminghamparent | may 2017

Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies 7:05pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

19 FRIDAY Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies 7:05pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

20 SATURDAY

ARMED FORCES DAY The Market at Pepper Place 7am-noon, Pepper Place. Rain or shine!

12th Annual Zoo Run 7:30-10:30am, Birmingham Zoo. Run wild through the zoo to benefit the Marine Mammal Center! The 5k race will begin at 7:30am in the zoo parking lot and finishes in Trails of Africa, and kids races begin at 8am in the children’s zoo. All run participants receive free admission to the zoo; discounted tickets to family members. www.birminghamzoo.com.

Barber Historics 9am-7pm, Barber Motorsports Park. This event held May 19-21 features on-track racing action from museum quality racing cars, including the IMSA GT series that thrilled fans between 1971 and 1993. Sports car clubs, event merchandise, barbecue competition and more. Tickets, 877-332-7804, www.barberracingevents.com.

Do Dah Day 11am-6:30pm, Caldwell and Rhodes Parks, Birmingham.

Since 1979, this event has raised more than $1.5 million for local animal charities. Arts and crafts, kids activities, great bands, food/beverages and collectible T-shirts! Free admission for spectators and festival attendees. Sign up to win prizes! Bring your family, your pet on a leash and a blanket! FREE admission. www.dodahday.org.

Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra Spring Concert 2pm, Alys Stephens Center.

Triumphant last hurrah of the regular season for the youth orchestra to shine! 205-9752787. FREE. Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies 6:30pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

21 SUNDAY Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies 3pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

22 MONDAY Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies 7:05pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

23 TUESDAY Race into Reading Fun Run 5:30-7:30pm, Homewood Library. One-mile run for birth5th graders and their families (strollers welcome)! Entry fee $10 for individuals and $20 for families (limit 4). On-site registration begins at 4pm, Zumba warm-up at 5:30pm and race at 6pm. Online registration, www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org/ summer-fun-run.

24 WEDNESDAY Flicks Among the Flowers 6pm gates open, 8pm movie, Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Make it a date night, or bring a group of friends! Movie TBD. Bring a blanket and find a spot on the lawn. Admission free, but a $5 donation is encouraged. No pets or outside alcoholic beverages allowed. www.bbgardens. com.

25 THURSDAY Alabama Symphony Orchestra Classical Masters Series 7:30pm, Lyric Theatre. ASO principal and assistant principal cellists Warren Samples and Andrew Dunn take center stage in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos. 205-975-2787, www.alabamasymphonyorchestra.org.

27 SATURDAY The Market at Pepper Place 7am-noon, Pepper Place. Rain or shine!

Hikes for Tykes 10am, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join Fresh Air Family and the BBG for a magical walk for preschool children and their families! Activities include scavenger hunts, dinosaur plants and building fairy houses. Hands-on learning! FREE.

28 SUNDAY Southeastern Outings Dayhike 2pm, Moss Rock Preserve, Hoover. Moderate two to fourmile hike. Bring water. Well-behaved, properly supervised children 7-over able to complete the hike welcome. Depart 2pm from the dirt parking lot just off Preserve Parkway near The Village Green in The Preserve subdivision. David Shepherd, 205-240-4681, davidshep2@ yahoo.com.

29 MONDAY

MEMORIAL DAY 30 TUESDAY Birmingham Barons vs. Chattanooga Lookouts 7:05pm, Regions Park. www. barons.com.

31 WEDNESDAY Birmingham Barons vs. Chattanooga Lookouts 12:30pm, Regions Park. www.barons.com.

may events&attractions

Aldridge Botanical Gardens

Birmingham Children’s Theatre

3530 Lorna Road, Hoover.

205-682-8019, www.aldridgegardens.com

1001 19th St. North, Birmingham, AL, 35203, 205-458-8181, www.bct123.org

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

1631 Fourth Ave. N., Birmingham.

205-254-2731, www.jazzhall.com

¡NUEVOlution! Latinos in the New South. This large-scale, bilingual, multi-dimensional, interactive exhibition uses personal stories to examine the complex stories of Latinos in the South. Through May 31. 16th St. N., Birmingham. 205-328-9696, www.bcri.org

Alabama School of Fine Arts 1800 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame 2150 Richard Arrington Blvd. N., Birmingham. 323-6665, www.ashof.org

Alabama Wildlife Center 100 Terrace Drive, Pelham.

205-663-7930. www.awrc.org

Albert L Scott Alabaster Public Library 100 9th Street NW, Alabaster, AL, 35007. 205-664-6822, www.cityofalabaster.com/departments/library

American Village Highway 119, Montevallo.

205-665-3535, www.americanvillage.org

Barber Motorsports Park 6040 Barber Motorsports Parkway, Leeds. 205-298-9040, www.barbermotorsports.com

Birmingham Botanical Gardens 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham. 205-414-3900, www.bbgardens.org

Birmingham Museum of Art 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham.

205-254-2565, www.artsbma.org

Birmingham Public Libraries Find a library near you! www.bplonline.org

Birmingham Zoo In-park Special Attractions: Pirates! Set “rail” on the all-new Pirate Red Diamond Express Train Ride at the Zoo! Dozens of life-size, animatronic swashbucklers take over the zoo trains. May 5-December 31.

2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham. 205-879-0409, www.birminghamzoo.com

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum All aboard Thomas the Tank Engine! Thomas will roll into the museum for Day Out with Thomas on May 12-14 and May 20-21.

Arts and crafts, Thomas-themed activities and merchandise, bounce house, carpet golf, bubble station, sand box and more!

Advance purchase required.

866-468-7630, www.hodrrm.org.

1919 Ninth St., Calera.

205-668-3435, www.hodrrm.org

Jefferson County Library Cooperative Find a library close to you! www.jclc.org

McWane Science Center Going Places. Planes! Trains!

Rockets! Cars! Explore this exhibition and discover the technology of transportation. Fly a plane, ride a hovercraft, learn to fly an airship!

Oak Mountain State Park 200 Terrace Drive, Pelham.

205-620-2520, www.alapark.com.

Roy Downs Calera Library 9700 Highway 25, Calera.

205-668-7200. www.cityofcalera.org.

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center 1214 81st St. S., Birmingham.

205-833-8264, www.ruffnermountain.org.

Shelby County Public Libraries Find a library near you! www.shelbycounty-al.org

IMAX Movies: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction.

Southern Museum of Flight

Extreme Weather. This movie takes you to the frontlines where few have gone. Travel to the edge of 300-foot-tall glaciers collapsing to massive wildfires and more.

12632 Confederate Parkway, McCalla. 205-477-5711, www.tannehill.org

Dream Big. Engineering’s impressive impact on our world and our lives.

200 19th St. N., Birmingham.

205-714-8300, www.mcwane.org.

4343 73rd St. N., Birmingham.

205-833-8226, www.southernmuseumofflight.org

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park

Vulcan Park 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham. 205-933-1409, www.vulcanpark.org

CALENDAR

Calendar sponsored by

Moss Rock Preserve Preserve Parkway, Hoover.

205-739-7141, www.hooveral.org.

You r neighborhood orthodontist

Working together as a team

CONVENIENT BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL HOURS

to provide compassionate

LO CAT E D I N T H E H E A R T O F H O OV E R S C H O O L S A N D N E I G H B O R H O O D S

& exceptional oral surgical care to every patient who walks through our doors.

Lisa L. Miller DMD, MD One Inverness Center Pkwy Suite 200, Birmingham, AL 35242 www.lisamillerofs.com 205-789-5075

5336 Stadium Trace Parkway Suite 112, Hoover, AL 35244 205 988-9678 whiteheadorthodontics.com birminghamparent.com | 53

poetry party

by Charles Ghigna

Mini-Motivators in Verse!

The Merry Month of May is here!

Time to read and write some cheer!

What’s your dream? What’s your goal?

Here are a few mini-motivators to help you reach your goals & dreams.

Fun to read! Fun to write.

DREAMS ALLOWED Don’t be afraid to dream aloud The things you want to do; Just saying what is in your heart Will help your dreams come true.

SOLID GOAL Don’t let the distance to your goals Keep you from your dreams; It’s never really quite as far As what it often seems.

TRUE GRIT The move from failure to success Takes more than simply grit; It starts when you first realize You know you’ll never quit.

THE WORST BAD WORD Try to think of all the words That you could live without; Make a list of all those words And throw the worst word out.

It’s not a very easy task, You might just rave and rant; But don’t give up before you find The worst bad word is can’t.

— all poems by Charles Ghigna

NOW YOU TRY IT! Write a rhyme or two about your goals and dreams!

54 | birminghamparent | may 2017

For more poetry activities, visit the Father Goose website at FatherGoose.com.

Want to submit YOUR poems for publication? Parents, here are some magazines that publish poems written by children: http://www.ckmagazine.org • http://www. magicdragonmagazine.com, http://www.cricketmag.com

free mammograms and pap smears If you are age 40 to 64, have no insurance and a low income, you may qualify for a FREE Mammogram and Pap smear.

With you every step of the way from FREE SCREENING to FREE TREATMENT For more information, call toll-free 1-877-252-3324 adph.org/earlydetection

VETERANS PARK HOOVER Grab a blanket, your family and friends and head on out to Veteran’s Park in Hoover for a free, family-friendly film every Friday night starting June 2.

Come out early and enjoy a picnic with food and drinks available from food vendors.

Movies start at dusk. FREE! For complete movie line up visit WBRC.com Visit Alagasco’s Facebook page for weekly chances to win The Good Heat VIP seat package!

Follow us on Twitter for any weather updates affecting a movie @BYMovieParties or friend us at www.facebook.com/freefridayflicks.

Rain date: August 28

PANTONE©

Cool Grey 11 C

PANTONE©

368 C