San Antonio Parenting Magazine
By St. Peter – St. Joseph Children’s Home
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries
THE BEST OF THE BEST
THE DREAM TEAM AT UT MEDICINE
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Classic Broadway Fun
“GUYS AND DOLLS”
Comes to The Playhouse
OPTHALMOLOGY AUTHORITY
DR. CARLOS ROSENDE november.december 2013
> Gearing Up for Winter Safety > THE ABCs OF SCHOOL SUCCESS > Making Champions Out of Students nfamily magazine 1
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Excellence...
in all aspects of Pediatric Orthopaedic & Spine Problems
The Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center specializes in the entire spectrum of non-surgical and surgical care. Our surgeons and proceduralist are board certified and fellowship trained by the nation’s top institutions.
To learn more about how we can help with your child’s back, neck or extremity pain, call: 210.387.3388 To Make An Appointment 210.487.7463 Main Office Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center Texas Center for Athletes 21 Spurs Lane, Ste. 245 | San Antonio, Texas 78240
SaChildrensOrthopaedics.com SaKidBone.com SaKidSpine.com SaMedicalCenters.com nfamily magazine 2
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Dr. Hongbo Liu is a fellowship trained pediatric and adult orthopaedic spine surgeon, who received extensive training to specialize in the delicate science of Spine Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
HAVE AN INJURY? HAVE SCOLIOSIS?
Feel like a Hero again…
Our Services include, but are not limited to: Scoliosis Cerebral Palsy Pediatric Orthopedic Disease & Deformity Spina Bifida
Dr. Eric R. Ritchie is a board certified pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He joined the Children’s Orthopaedic and Spine Center in 2013 after a distinguished 20-year career in the United States Air Force Medical Service.
Spine Surgery Sports Medicine
l anni o San Ant nfamily magazine 3 Po ● ● ● ●
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november2013december
contents 10
parenting
26
education
30
safety
32
child development
38
special issues
42
therapy
50
fur family
54
nonprofit
60
faith
62
arts
64
kids’ etiquette
66
events
- The ABCs of school success - Setting the stage - Planning makes the difference
- Making champions out of students - A guiding light
- Gear up for safety
- The gift of connecting with sucess - Screen smarts - Click, clack - just like that!
- My camp experience - Breaking the chain
- Fuel your engine - Fighting the flu - In search of solutions - Super doctors to the rescue!
- Make a happy ending - Happy paw-lidays!
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- Giving back in a big way - Breakthrough connections - All are welcome
- A cup of water in Jesus’name - Prioritizing rest
- Classic Broadway fun
- A touch of class
- The holidays in SA
One strong survivor shares her story of how she beat one of the rarest forms of cancer with the help of faith, family and the dream team of dedicated doctors at UT Medicine.
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Dr. Carlos Rosende From naval officer and academic professor to authority in opthalmology and director of the largest medical group in South Texas, this distinguished physician is at the top of his game in more areas than one.
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november/december 2013
Eliot Garza
CEO / NSIDE Media Productions
liz whittaker Publisher
Editorial Director Shana Hamid
Executive Editor Erin O’Brien
Creative Director Elisa Giordano
Senior Graphic Designer Cristina Villa Hazar
International Marketing Account Sales Anabelle Rodriguez
Contributing Writers Genevieve Allen Richard Amiss Olivia Bakke Jenny Breuer Claudia Castillo Candace Disler Bre’anna Emmitt Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes Ashley Holifield Maura Horton Rosanne Hughes Lenore Kaiser Sr. Rose Kruppa Katherine Lozano Heather Magarian Susie Monday Lisa Munter Elizabeth Nickel Amanda A. Petter Alex Portillo Victoria Raquepaw Deborah D. Salas Dr. Sandra Carrell Tremblay Casey Weed
Photography Memory Magic Photography
With your family of the way.
every step
Liz Whittaker 210.621.7301 liz@nfitsa.com ● ● ● ●
6 nfamily magazine
Editorial Intern Katrina Torres
For advertising information, please call 210.373.2599 or email eliot@getnside.com. For editorial comments and suggestions, please email kelly@getnside.com.
www.getnside.com 18402 U.S. Highway 281 N, Ste. 201 San Antonio, Texas 78259 Phone: 210.298.1761 Copyright © NSIDE Media Productions. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
nfamily staff Liz Whittaker
shana hamid
Publisher
Editorial Director
liz@nfitsa.com
shana@getnside.com
Erin O’Brien
Elisa Giordano
Executive Editor erin@getnside.com
Creative Director elisa@getnside.com
“ Where smiles blossom ”
pediatric dentistry Carlen Palmer Blume, DDS, PC Board Certified Pediatric Dentist Dr. Blume and staff aim to nurture and support your child’s oral health throughout the formative years. We provide contemporary, preventive dentistry in an intimate, fun environment.
Cristina Villa Hazar
Anabelle Rodriguez
Senior Graphic Designer
International Marketing Account Sales
8221 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78229 210.614.3334 www.BlumeDentistry.com
210.685.3028 anabelle@getnside.com
Se habla Espanol
cristina@getnside.com
Major insurance accepted, including Medicaid nfamily magazine 7
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Where Hearts and Minds Heal
from the ceo of st. pj’s Over the past year or so,
The Ecumenical Center is an interfaith organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and facilitating spiritual, physical and emotional healing and growth through the services of counseling, education and consultation.
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: ■ Counseling for children, adults and families (including play therapy, testing and assessment, neurofeedback) ■ Training for clergy, religious workers and healthcare professionals. ■ Collaborative community based educational programs.
www.ECRH.org
Medical Center, 8310 Ewing Halsell Drive San Antonio, TX 78229
St. PJ’s has taken a number of monumental steps toward improving how we heal children from the trauma effects of abuse and neglect. For years, we’ve been providing excellent case management and counseling services, and facilitating access to psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists and of course, medical care. Yet statistics indicate that while we keep children safe and nurtured in our care, once they leave our beautiful campus, children from the foster care system have the highest rates of becoming drug/alcohol abusers, committing crimes and incarceration, frequent homelessness, prostitution, chronic unemployment and becoming teen parents. And worst of all, they have the highest rates of continuing the cycle of abuse and neglect by becoming abusers of children themselves. We recognized that our good work needs to be better. So how could we be better? First, we determined we must treat the trauma issues of the child with the same sense of urgency as the physical protection of the child. The toxic stress of abuse and neglect on the rapidly developing brain of an infant, toddler, preschooler or youth can have permanent and prolonged negative developmental implications when not adequately addressed. Therefore, we have escalated our response of new admissions into the foster care system with the same purposeful determination you would experience in a hospital emergency room. We have created the 14-Day Model Toward Healing. This model is not implemented in isolation, though. We are changing how we interact and communicate with Child Protective Services, the family courts, ad litem attorneys, caregivers, foster families, community mental health providers, biological families and whoever else can and should participate in the healing of the child. Our short- and long-term goals are simple enough: All children must be healed of their trauma issues in order for them to truly have a successful transition into adulthood. Once we all begin to address healing children of their trauma issues with the same sense of urgency as their physical safety, we will begin to achieve another significant goal: ending the cycle of abuse and neglect. Stay tuned: Next time, I’ll address how we’re strategically utilizing education, training and interventions to heal children. Please include us in your gift giving this holiday season. We are grateful for the support you give – it all goes to the cause of “where hope lives and where healing begins.”
james castro
210.533.1203
P: 210.616.0885 / F: 210.616.0845 / E: mail@ecrh.org ● ● ● ●
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Transplants for Children empowers families to
MASTER LIFELONG CHALLENGES of pediatric transplantation
We accomplish this through: n Peer to Peer Networks for children and their parents to create a sense of “normalcy” and acceptance, and to keep families together n Transition Program from pediatric to adult medical care that prepares transplant recipient youth to survive into adulthood n Patient Navigation & Direct Services to help families overcome the complex demands of transplant care cycles
1.
2.
3.
“Transformational Change”
Your donation changes a child’s life.
Your gift goes to where it is needed most Tax deductible
n Advocacy & Parent Education to eliminate barriers to critical services and assist families to succeed long term
CALL TODAY 210.949.1212 OR DONATE AT www.transplantsforchildren.org 7550 W IH 10, Suite #104 San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: 210.949.1212 Fax: 210.949.1217 nfamily magazine 9
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The ABCs of School Success Whether your child is in kindergarten or college, there are three important things you can do to help your child succeed throughout the journey of lifetime learning. by Katherine Lozano ● ● ● ●
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girlstudying image Andresr/shutterstock.com
parenting
I
n the days before Velcro was invented and before digital clocks and microwave lunches, I took my ballerina lunch bucket, my Big Chief tablet and my new book satchel to the first day of first grade. Although my mother had taught me many nursery rhymes and how to write my name, I did not know the alphabet. I remember having to stay in at recess because I did not know the difference between M and N. I was embarking on a journey of lifetime learning in my new plaid dress and my pixie haircut.
mother and son image Marina Dyakonova /shutterstock.com
As a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Your own memories of the first day of school may be similar – the smell of new crayons, the rainbow colors of your new folders and the echo of laughter and tears as you lined up to enter school. Maybe you went to kindergarten with fat primary pencils and chubby crayons. You learned your colors and shapes and the “wheels on the bus” song. Whether your early learning fun was with Big Bird, Barney, the Teletubbies or Dora, a world of discovery lay ahead. The sense of wonder and anticipation of the first day of school has kept many a child and many a teacher awake the night before classes begin. For more than 30 years, I have been on the teacher side of the equation. There is a great excitement and sense of newness to each school year. It is a process of renewal like winter turning into spring. As a parent, I have been on the other side of the blacktop, watching my own children line up with their new classmates. After so many years of helping parents adjust and let go so that their child could begin the school adventure, I was the one crying in the parking lot when my daughter skipped off to kindergarten. The tears continued at the airport as she flew away to college a thousand miles away. The journey of learning continues. Like all parents, I worry about my children. Will they choose the right crowd? Will they remember the values we share? Have I given them the tools and resources to meet the challenges? When I think over the many school years that have come and gone, I see a few common denominators in school success.
I call them the ABC plan: is for “Ask questions.” Find out what is going on at school. Don’t just say, “What did you learn today?” because your child is likely to say “Nothing!” Go to the teacher if there is something you do not understand. I have tutored parents in algebra when they were not sure how to help their child with homework. The curriculum is changing rapidly. More is expected in earlier grades, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. is for “Be involved.” Make every effort to go to school programs, conferences and meetings. It is very important that both parents take part in school activities. Children sense very early where the priorities lie if dad goes to football and T-ball, but never makes it to report card conferences. Create family reading time to stress the importance of learning through books. Start reading to your children from birth, and they will develop a lifelong love of books. is for “Communicate positively.” Use the chain of command at your child’s school. Talk over challenges with the teacher first. Respect the teacher, and get all of the facts before you take action. If you badmouth the teacher, your child will do the same. Be kind to your child when helping them with schoolwork or counseling them about grades. “Cracking down” on them is just that: It breaks the spirit. You can set goals and boundaries that respect all partners in the education process. You are your child’s first and most important teacher. Whether they head off to prekindergarten or college, your support and love are the most important items on their school supply list. The adventure of learning extends to all, so have your No. 2 pencils ready. ✪
Katherine Lozano is the director of the Parents’ Academy. Call 210-532-0894 for information on parenting classes.
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Setting the Stage
You’ve found a new love. Here’s how you can help your children transition. by Richard Amiss
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t’s wonderful! You’ve been dating for six months, maybe more, and it’s all going so well: the joy of the discovery of one another, the times together, the blissful plans for the future. The children seem to really like this new presence in their lives and are really glad to see you so happy again. And now the talk has turned to combining households and living together as you take the relationship to a deeper level. ● ● ● ●
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How will this impact my children if we do this? Are there risks I need to know about, because my children are the most important things in my life? Living together with children is certainly a decision that requires a good deal of thoughtful planning because there are risks to the mental health of the children involved. W. Bradford Wilcox, Ph.D., director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, notes that compared with marriage, living together
furnishes less commitment, stability, sexual fidelity and safety to the romantic partners and their children. Consequently, couples who live together are more than twice as likely to break up and four times more likely to be unfaithful to one another, again compared with married couples. Chuck Donovan, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, notes that more couples are having children in cohabiting unions, which are less stable than marriage unions. Not only is living
couple moving in together image gpointstudio/shutterstock.com
parenting
together less stable, but it is also more dangerous for children. Children in these relationships, as research has indicated, are more likely to become delinquent, abuse drugs and drop out of school, according to Wilcox’s research. So if we’re going to live together for a period of time, how can I help my children cope and minimize the risks? Wendy Manning and K.A. Lamb at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan offer the following information on how to improve outcomes:
Improving Child Outcomes
Growing up in a stable married home with two biological parents appears to be a child’s best bet, statistically
family eating dinner image Monkey Business Images/shutterstock.com
When teens consistently have dinner with their families, they are at lower risk for substance abuse. speaking. However, this arrangement is not always possible. If you are a livingtogether parent, here are some steps you can take to minimize the negative impacts on your child: ● Good parenting: Good parenting is good parenting. While family structure is important, so is the individual character and conduct of all parental figures involved. ● Limiting your child’s exposure: Be sure anyone you bring into your home can be trusted to be a positive influence on your child. A revolving door of live-in boyfriends or girlfriends can be confusing to a child, so limit the number of significant others you bring into your home. This may make it easier for your
child to attach to your partner, if and when you find someone truly worthy of commitment. ● The importance of intent: Marriage or at least the intent to marry can make a difference. There are two types of livingtogether arrangements: those who intend to marry and those who do not. Those who live together with the intention of marrying often share many of the positive characteristics of marriage. By contrast, those who cohabit without intending to marry typically have short relationships with few of these benefits. ● Having dinner together as a family: When teens consistently have dinner with their families, they are at lower risk for substance abuse. When teens have dinner with their
families two or more times a week, they are 2.5 times less likely to smoke cigarettes, 1.5 times less likely to drink alcohol and nearly three times less likely to try marijuana. These basic steps set the stage for your new relationship by inviting participation by both adults to share in responsible parenting. And doing daily things such as
chores, dinners and activities inside and outside of the home will communicate to one and all the importance of commitment to the concept of building a loving, robust and healthy family for one and all to grow, enjoy and thrive within. ✪
Please visit www.ecrh.org for more information and parenting resources.
About the Author
Richard Amiss, DMin, LPC-S, is a counselor at the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, where he and his colleagues provide a wide variety of services including outpatient psychotherapy for adults, as well as play therapy for children. Amiss also works with clients on a variety of issues relative to relationships, trauma, personality disorders and spiritual issues, and he is able to provide supervision for interns and graduate students.
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parenting
Planning Makes the Difference Simple strategies for getting small children involved in the hustle and bustle of the holidays while minimizing meltdowns and creating lasting family memories by Victoria Raquepaw praise and repeat the word back to them to encourage them to continue trying. Another fun activity is to get your little ones in the kitchen. When you are making your favorite holiday meals and treats, get your kids involved by giving them their own bowl and spoon to cook alongside you. Encourage them to sample what you prepare, and ask them how they like different smells and textures. The key is to engage your child in what you are
It’s important to remember that the holidays can be just as stressful for our children as they can be for us. doing and encourage them to participate. This might seem difficult when things get hectic, but simple steps can make a big difference in how children respond to what is happening around them. These additional ideas appeared on the blog post, “All is Calm: Preventing Sensory Overload During the Holidays,” at www. nextstage-edu.com: •Keep your kids busy with arts and crafts: Keep art supplies handy so your kids have something creative to do based on their age and ability
strategies to minimize meltdowns while enhancing learning opportunities for your children. One idea is to provide kids with experiences by using fun activities that allow them to explore in a more controlled setting. For example, make a picture book with items for your child to look for while shopping. This activity can also be used to foster language development and cognitive skills as you label items around your child and model how to say them correctly. If your child makes an attempt, give them
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•Play soothing music: classical, jazz or holiday favorites •Allow them to blow off steam: run around outside, play with the dog – anything to burn off energy •Keep healthy snacks handy: fruit, cheese, nuts or peanut butter (unless there are nut allergies), low-sugar protein bars, trail mix – keep a few in your bag for emergencies •Don’t let them stay up too late: They need lots of sleep. Besides, Santa’s coming! It’s important to remember that the holidays can be just as stressful for our children as they can be for us, but awareness and planning can make a big difference. When you include your kids in what you are doing, it can serve as a great reminder to slow down and focus on what really matters: spending time with our children, teaching them and creating family traditions. ✪ Victoria Raquepaw is an early childhood intervention specialist and manager at the Brighton Center, a local nonprofit organization that provides direct services to children with disabilities and/or developmental delays through a holistic and family-centered approach. Brighton’s programs include a child learning center, home-based therapy services, counseling, case management and family support services. To find out more about the Brighton Center, visit us online at www.brightonsa.org.
little boy with dough images Sergiy Bykhunenko/shutterstock.com
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t’s that time of year again, and if you are like many of us, your days are filled with shopping, baking and entertaining as we all try to make the holidays special for our families. This time of year can also be a challenge for small children, especially those who have a disability or a developmental delay and tend to become overwhelmed easily. The key is to be aware and to use some simple
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210.826.4492 nfamily magazine
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cover story
The dream team
With the help of the best of the best at UT Medicine, Cathy Turcotte Wolfe beat one of the rarest forms of cancer. Here she shares her story of faith, family and how her doctors had her back every step of the way. special to nfamily | photography by memory magic photography
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few days before Christmas in 2011, Cathy Turcotte Wolfe received a critical call that would make most people freeze and shudder. She remembers it vividly. She was grocery shopping with her husband for an upcoming Christmas party. In the middle of the sugar aisle, her cell phone went off; it was her ophthalmologist, Dr. Carlos Rosende, the physician she had seen only a few hours before at the UT Medicine Medical Arts and Research Center (MARC) for her chronic headaches. In a very conscientious and professional voice, Rosende gave Wolfe an update: There was a large mass behind her eyes and the bridge of her nose. He wasn’t sure what it was or if it was dangerous, but he needed her back at MARC as soon as possible. Her tenacity responded: I’m ready. What’s even more striking is what had been accomplished during that holiday and within the few hours since Wolfe had first been seen. While most people were Christmas shopping, the physicians at UT Medical Center were busy at work, and they were completely at her service. In-mid 2011, Wolfe started experiencing a series of painful, sharp headaches. She explains it as Pac-Man rummaging inside her head. She didn’t know if it was her eyes or her contacts, but she did know she had to get to an ophthalmologist. She was referred to Rosende, a professor of ophthalmology at the UT Medical Center. She saw Rosende a few days before Christmas, and his first impression astounded her. According to Wolfe, “Literally within
Rosende conducted a regular eye exam and had his staff schedule her for a CT scan. She had the scan done that same day. Even so close to the holiday, the different departments were in full operating mode. Wolfe resumed her day preparing for Christmas. Radiology notified Rosende that Wolfe had an abnormality. He enlisted a second pair of eyes in Dr. Randal Otto, an ear, nose and throat specialist and chairman of the department of otolaryngology. Because UT Medicine offers the capability for its physicians to access medical records, labs and studies via a secure portal, together, the doctors reviewed the images on the phone with each other. “We have the capability of quickly connecting with our colleagues, and I have everyone’s home phone and cell number,” Rosende says. “So I got on the phone with Otto, and together, we looked at the images.” “There was no ‘we’ll-getto-it-tomorrow,’” Wolfe says. “They have the capacity to share files so the specialists who need to see them can instantaneously see what’s going on.” Wolfe had had a large mass behind the bridge of her nose, which seemed to be in her sinuses and in her skull cavity, and her bone appeared partially consumed by the growth. Hours after he met Wolfe, Rosende called her to schedule her with specialists. As a kid, Wolfe hated even the surprises of wrapped Christmas presents. “I wanted to know,” she says. “I told them I was going to be fine with hearing whatever they were going to tell me. I wanted to participate.” A week after Christmas, she returned to meet with Rosende and Otto, who was able to evaluate how the growth was affecting her sinuses and the bone within. Otto recruited a neurosurgeon, Dr. John Floyd, who serves as assistant professor
All of the doctors were
incredibly hands-on. None of them backed down.” minutes of meeting him, he said, ‘let me see your driver’s license.’” He wanted to look at her eyes relative to an old photograph. Immediately, he told her that her eyes didn’t seem normal. He said her eyes had changed since that license photo. “Most people don’t recognize it when things happen gradually, but there was a change,” Rosende says. “Her eyes were more prominent, and I suspected there was something going on behind or around her eyes. This was not normal for her.” Something was back there.
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for the department of neurosurgery. He also weighed in and assessed how the mass posed a threat to her brain. Ultimately, the three-man team concluded she had a tumor growth. Her tumor was in the bone of her anterior skull base at the interface where the eyes and nose begin. It was extending back, affecting her optic nerve and causing her eyes to push out. “What we were really worried about was blindness,” Floyd says. “Her tumor was putting pressure on her optic nerve.” The news took an emotional toll. Wolfe was physically, mentally and emotionally drained. “It was physically sickening,” she says. Her entire family stood at the foot of her bed and reassured her that everything was going to turn out OK. Otto called Wolfe’s house and personally promised that the team would figure this out. “The first 24 hours of diagnosis – I have never felt so sick, hollow or empty,” Wolfe says. “I was mad. I was afraid. I kept looking across the room at my son, thinking, ‘he’s just a teenager.’” But the “feeling sorry” syndrome was brief. The very next day, Wolfe looked at her husband and said, “You know what – that felt awful for 24 hours, but that didn’t get me anywhere. I’m glad I had my sulking time, but that’s over. We have got to go forward because I need to participate in my recovery. I want to be a participant.” They needed to take a biopsy and remove her tumor. Although the size of her tumor was concerning, the doctors were pretty hopeful that the tumor would be precancerous. On Valentine’s Day in 2012, Floyd and Otto met with her entire family on the seventh floor of the MARC building. In a conference room, they spent close to three hours with her family. They explained everything, educating her family on what the surgery entailed and what her recovery phase would be like. After three hours, her family simply wanted to know when she was going to get started. Her surgeons had already booked a surgical room for her in the coming weeks. “What the doctors in this system provided me and my entire family,” Wolfe says, “was a depth of knowledge, expertise and skill unlike any others – that I was going to wake up out of surgery, and that this was not the end of the world.” Even more touching was the gesture Otto extended to Wolfe’s 15-year-old son, Chase. Prior to surgery, Otto met with Chase to personally explain his mother’s surgery and assure him she was in good hands. “He knew his mom wasn’t going to be with strangers,” Wolfe says. “I know a physician can’t say they guarantee 100 percent that ● ● ● ●
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you will walk away from this, but I tell you, my doctors told me they were there 110 percent to help me walk away from this. They took care of all of us.” Both skull-base specialists, Floyd and Otto performed her tumor removal. Floyd worked from inside her skull cavity through her forehead, and Otto in through her sinus passages. Her surgery meant removing the forehead bone and unwrapping the face to access the tumor. Though graphic, this method is still the least intrusive and the least scarring way to approach the tumor. Her tumor was attached to both bone and tissue, and their goal was to de-anchor it from where it had attached and remove it entirely. The surgery was delicate, but the doctors worked in concert, relying on each other to analyze and assess the other’s contribution. “Otto and I have a nice cohesive bond, and we compliment each other,” Floyd says. “Patients do better when they have doctors who compliment each other.” Otto adds, “It’s a dance of sorts. It’s a combination of what we both do best.” During surgery, the surgical staff conducted something called a frozen section, where in about 10 minutes, a small biopsy sample is frozen and set up on a slide that in a crude way allows them to identify histologic cancer. They look for blue cells (the sign of cancer) – and Wolfe’s slides confirmed it. Her tumor was parked next to her right frontal lobe, resting on the brain and slightly penetrating brain tissue. Tumor samples were immediately sent out to local and backup facilities for confirmation on what kind of cancer Wolfe had. During surgery, each time the doctors had an opportunity, one would walk out and talk to her family. Eighteen hours later, they had completely removed her tumor and sutured her back up. Earlier in the morning in her pre-op room, Wolfe took notice of the clock; she thought she’d be waking up to in a matter of hours. Wolfe told her doctors that when she woke up groggy, the signal they needed to give her was the gig ‘em Aggie thumbs up that all is good. The next thing Wolfe remembers is waking up post-op and the clock showing 12:30 in the afternoon. She wondered why she had been out for so long. Her entire family and Otto stood by her right shoulder. She looked at everyone, laughed and asked where her thumbs up were. At that moment, about 18 hands touched her, and every single instrument that was hooked up to her started going off. “I’ll never forget that moment,” Wolfe says. “Dr. Otto said, ‘it’s not what we wanted it to be.’” Wolfe
San Antonio is blessed to have the
UT Medical Center.”
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was kept in an intentional comatose state for four days to avoid swelling in her brain. Her brain recovered back to its normal state, and even in her twilight moments, she remembers opening her eyes and her doctors being there. “Every morning and every evening, they were checking on me,” she says. “I remember hearing a news program on in the background, and when I’d open my eyes, one or both of the doctors would be there in the room watching the news waiting for me to wake up.” Lab results revealed a distressing diagnosis. Wolfe had an exceedingly rare cancer type: esthesioneuroblastoma. Approximately 10 people a year are diagnosed with it in the world. “I always knew I was special – I never knew how special,” Wolfe jokes. Esthesioneuroblastoma begins in the part of the brain called the olfactory bulb, and it can cause confusion, headaches, sinusitis and the loss of smell and sight. Though exceedingly
she reached out to MD Anderson in Houston and sent them her files. She described her doctors’ proposed plan. “We quickly came to understand what good hands we were in after we met with the folks out of town and compared them to our team,” Wolfe says. “You sometimes don’t really appreciate what you have until you go elsewhere and see what they offer. I didn’t even want to talk to other doctors. Those doctors knew the doctors I was in the hands of, and they respected them. They were complimenting my team. I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t need to go anywhere else.” “I know the people over at MD Anderson, and they’re absolutely great people – very skilled and capable,” Otto says. “But I think we have the same things here. We’re not so big that patients get lost. There’s a bit of a potential elsewhere that you are assigned a number. That’s what differentiates us.” Wolfe breathed a sigh of relief that the
and can penetrate the skin at a very minimal intensity, go through the bone at minimal intensity and expand its blast up to 100 percent when it hits its target to fully treat it. As it travels out of the target, it dissipates back down to a very low percentage, minimizing radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissues. UT Medicine radiation specialist Dr. Tony Eng directed Wolfe’s radiation plan with help from Floyd in mapping out her tumor bed, and together, they helped identify and isolate where the target radiation needed to hit and the dosage required to do so. After six weeks of radiation therapy, Wolfe began weekly chemotherapy treatments with medical oncologist Dr. Andrew Brenner, who also worked collaboratively with what radiation had accomplished. Her entire team shared statuses and updates. But radiation and chemotherapy both devascularizes tissue and suppresses the immune system, leaving the body prone to infection.
We’re very patient-centered. members of rare, the reported causes are well documented, but Wolfe had none of them. Adding to the complexity was the way her tumor had thickened her bone. “I haven’t seen any other esthesioneuroblastoma that caused bone changes like hers,” Otto says. The five-year survival rate is about 80 percent, but if it penetrates the brain, that rate becomes more dismal. Her doctors reached out to facilities nationwide and around the world for any and all information on the rare cancer. “All the doctors were incredibly hands-on,” Wolfe says. “None of them backed down. Everyone put forth their 110 percent in communicating so well with me and my family. They provided me with documentation, and they recommended I seek second opinions and talk to other doctors. They told me we’ll never know why I got it, but the only thing to do was move forward.” Wolfe was under the initial impression that San Antonio didn’t have the expertise, the facility or the equipment to provide for her treatment needs, so ● ● ● ●
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best of the best was already at her side. “At the end of the day, my needs were met better here in San Antonio than anywhere else,” she says. “I had been diagnosed with a cancer that any one of these facilities would want to treat. The UT Medical Center was ready for me here with ample ability to handle it. I found out I wasn’t going to get what I would get here with other facilities.” On her home turf, Wolfe was ready for the next step in her treatment: postoperative therapy. Strategic radiation would follow six weeks after surgery at the UT Medicine Cancer Treatment and Research Center (CTRC), and again, the doctors would thoroughly collaborate. Wolfe underwent daily radiation that was tactically mapped out for her body in advance. Traditional radiation therapy can cause substantial peripheral damage, burning the outer and inner skin before hitting the target it’s supposed to reach. Wolfe received a conformal technique called external beam radiation. This technique produces minimal damage
Again, Wolfe faced a roadblock: A few months after surgery and into her first round of chemo, she developed an infection in her forehead bone. In October, reconstruction specialist Dr. Howard Wang joined her team, and with Floyd, he removed the infected bone, rebuilt her sinus passages and created a protection flap between her sinuses in the interior of her skull. With a titanium duplicate of her forehead on hold, her doctors decided to wait until her last reconstructive surgery and round of therapy before replacing the missing part of her skull. Only time could avoid hurting her swelling skin and a healing immune system. “I’ve become a big fan of hats in the last year,” Wolfe jokes. Last holiday season, she underwent radiation and chemotherapy again. She admits, “I was more than happy to do it.” Over the course of a year of healing, Wolfe continued to see one or more of her doctors at least four times a month. They continued to do MRIs and CT and PET scans. They made sure she was
clear of any growth. She maintained stellar health, and her images continued to look good. An avid golfer, Wolfe was liberated to go golfing again. She power-walked. She hiked. She collected more than 100 hats in over 30 different colors. Her journey back to normalcy was definitely pitted with emotional exhaustion, but she chinned up the entire way. “There were days I would look at my husband like, ‘I can’t take this anymore,’” she says. “I’d be invited to a Christmas party and be so happy to go, but then have to look in my closet for a hat that goes with black silk. I said, ‘the heck with it: I’m wearing my golf hats wherever I go!’ There were days I didn’t want to go to the medical center anymore. And that’s when I said, ‘wait – who’s whining? That’s where my life is going to be saved. The car is on autopilot.’” In September 2013, Wolfe went in for the first of her final two-part reconstructive surgeries, which would
her family. The expertise and technology are here at your fingertips. For those who think they can stick it out with concerning symptoms or have to be away from home to receive top-notch care, Wolfe affirms that we have it all in San Antonio: “MARC is so unique. Go see a specialist. They have every type of specialty doctor that you need. On the same day, they will pull together the team you need. San Antonio is blessed to have the UT Medical Center. It’s onestop treatment. You have access to the dream team.” “We are a group of 700-plus physicians all under the same umbrella, the same system and with the same mission of patient care,” Floyd says. “We’re very patient-centered. We treat patients like members of our own family.” The UT Health Science Center became a second home for Wolfe and a place she went to see physicians who became her friends. “If he could, my dad would adopt my two surgeons!” Wolfe jokes. Otto even gave his personal cell
really mean or don’t mean.” And have faith. Wolfe’s faith steered her attitude from grim to grateful. She stopped sweating the small stuff and focused on her son and her stepchildren. Today, she’s just having fun watching her son complete his last year of high school. “If this is the walk that God has me on, as much as I might not like it, there’s a reason,” she says. “And at the other end of this walk, I’m going to be a better person. And every day, I have to wake up and thank God for another glorious day. I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity: the opportunity of diagnosis.” As rare as her cancer was, it was no match for her character and the care provided at the UT Medicine. Two years after Wolfe went in to get her headaches checked out, she’s changed the statistics on one of the rarest forms of cancer, and she deeply credits her doctors. “I take this job very seriously,” Otto says. “But I’m just the technician – I give God the credit. And Cathy is an
we treat patients like our own family. give her back a complete skull and her hairline. Wang teamed up with Floyd again. Wolfe made a deal with her doctors that there’d be no more hats by Thanksgiving, and they delivered a month ahead of schedule. She’s finally at the end of a long path of confronting and tackling cancer – a soldier in the process. “Here we are this year, and we’re not attacking cancer anymore,” she says. “We’re not removing it. It’s purely reconstructive now.” She shares her experience with pride, more pleased with what she’s gained from the experience rather than simply surviving it. She’s grateful it was a hometown process. “I cannot imagine not being in my city with my family,” she says. “I am so glad these doctors are in the same city as my family. I would have been a number at any other facility. I would not have had the morning, afternoon and evening visits in any other hospital. Here, I was personally cared for.” The service at the UT Medicine was a blessing in the backyard for Wolfe and
number to Wolfe, as he does with all of his patients. “I want them to feel comfortable at the end of the day,” he says. “I tell them to call me if they need to.” Wolfe made a pact that after her last surgery, no more medical calls – only calls as friends. Wolfe encourages people to be in control of whatever health condition or treatment phase they find themselves in. She advises to fully participate. “The more you participate, the less fearsome it becomes and the better you feel. It empowers you.” She recommends you check your gut feelings and take time to take care of yourself – for you and your family. Ask your doctors to speak in laymen’s terms and research what your statistics really mean. Wolfe’s odds were against her until she discovered that the existing statistics for her cancer involved people who could have already been in poor health or diagnosed after it was too late. “Those people could have been 100 years old or 2 years old. Don’t let the statistics fool you until you find out what they
incredible patient. Much of her success should be attributed to her and her family. I can be a great surgeon, but this is a community event … It takes a good scrub in nurse, a good recovery team – everyone – to make it a success.” “We call each other almost every day to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Floyd adds. “And the little extra things really go a long way. There’s almost nothing we can’t take care of here. If you can get your care near home, you should.” Wolfe has embraced the challenge, knowing she’d walk into it in good hands and walk away from it hat-free. “To this day, I tell everyone I never would have made it through this were it not for my faith, my family, my friends and – work with me on this last F – my physicians.” ✪
For more information on UT Medicine, visit www.utmedicine.org. nfamily magazine 21
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profile
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The
of His Game Naval officer. Academic professor. Ophthalmology authority. Director of the largest medical group in South Texas. Meet Dr. Carlos Rosende, truly a man of many talents. Special to NFamily
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r. Carlos Rosende’s dream as a boy was to become an officer in the U.S. Navy and retire as a captain with a naval career under his belt. At 17, he was offered the chance to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. His aspirations in the Navy broadened after he discovered the academy offered a pre-medical program limited to 2 percent of each class of Naval cadets. He applied for the program and was accepted. In addition to the required engineering and naval courses, his pre-med curriculum prepared him to be a competitive candidate for medical school. He was accepted into several medical schools, and with a scholarship from the Navy, he decided on the University of Miami, back in his home state of Florida. His internship followed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va.,
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and afterwards, the Navy assigned him to an amphibious assault ship for a year as the ship’s medical officer. Rosende found the concept of vision fascinating, and the intricacies of the eye enthralled him. Doing surgery via a microscope and using tiny instruments were very appealing, so he chose his specialty and completed his residency in ophthalmology at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He was assigned back to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where he eventually led his department and ran the ophthalmology clinic and its ambulatory surgery facility. There, he developed skills and experience in running a clinical enterprise. By 1999, Rosende had achieved his childhood dream with a twist, as he also became a physician. “When I retired from the Navy, I was ready to pursue other goals,” he said. “I wanted to continue practicing ophthalmology, but I also wanted to get involved with teaching and concentrate my clinical efforts on taking care of diabetic ocular complications.” He was recruited by the ophthalmology department at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) as the director of the ophthalmology clinic at the Texas Diabetes Institute. In 2001, he took on the additional duty of serving as the director of the residency program for the department of ophthalmology. He continued to demonstrate his abilities, and he moved into other leadership roles. In 2006, he became the chairman of the department of ophthalmology. He credits his foundation in military medicine with providing him the clinical and administrative skills that served him well afterwards. “The clinical experience in the military was incredible,” he said. “I saw diseases and managed ocular conditions that I would have never been exposed to in another setting. And that continued after my initial training. Patients from all over the world were sent to our hospital for advanced care. Similarly, the leadership opportunities were terrific. When you rise in rank, you’re expected to take on more administrative and leadership responsibilities. So I learned how to run a department and run a clinic – duties that I ended up doing here in San Antonio.” Rosende takes great pride in the school of medicine of UTHSCSA and the outstanding manner in which they prepare the next generations of physicians. His role as an educator is as important as his ● ● ● ●
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role as an ophthalmologist. “That’s one of our missions: to teach,” he said. “We teach medical students and residents. It is implied in our title of ‘professor.’ You have to really know what you’re doing to be able to teach it to others. We have excellent clinicians and surgeons.” He has great respect for his colleagues in ophthalmology and in other specialties. “To be appointed to our faculty, you are subject to significant scrutiny. The institution and the departments thoroughly assess the candidate and his or her credentials. The result is we have really superb people. They are at the top of their game.” Rosende is now the vice dean for clinical affairs of the school of medicine and the executive director of the school’s medical practice, UT Medicine, which is composed of more than 700 physicians in more than 100 specialties. He credits UT Medicine as the largest multi-specialty practice in the region. It offers a system of care delivery that benefits both the patient and the physician. UT Medicine has an integrated health care system in which doctors all have access to the same records, studies and images that allow them to communicate fluidly with each other on shared patients. “The military first exposed me to an integrated health care system,” Rosende said. “In the military, it’s all one shared medical record. All of your physicians have access to the same information and can readily communicate about the patient and coordinate the care. It’s the best way to provide care, and it’s one of the reasons I was attracted to academic medicine when I retired from the Navy.” Rosende encourages people to find a primary care physician with whom they can establish a relationship and work together to keep healthy. Of course, if they are experiencing anything out of the ordinary or a symptom keeps recurring, they should check with their physician. For those who believe they can stick it out until symptoms pass, he warns you to err on the side of caution. If the problem is with your vision, seek the advice of an ophthalmologist. Regardless of the problem, typically, the sooner it can be identified and treated, the better it is for the patient. “Some people think that most things are part of the aging process, and that’s simply not true.” With a career marked by achievements and steady progression, Rosende admits he feels he has been blessed. He’s been a naval officer, an authority in
ophthalmology, an academic professor and the director of the largest medical group in South Texas. “I have been very fortunate. I’ve had tremendous opportunities where I’ve seen and learned a lot, and had the chance to work with terrific people. And what’s best of all: I have been able to help people along the way.” ✪
For more information on Dr. Carlos Rosende and UT Medicine, visit www. utmedicine.org.
I have been very fortunate. I’ve had tremendous opportunities where I’ve seen and learned a lot.” nfamily magazine 25
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education
Former professional basketball star Antonio Daniels and Community Bible Church Teaching Pastor John “Coach Val” Valenzuela at a Sept. 5 press conference at Rita’s on the River. Daniels and Valenzuela talked about the kickoff of a new weekly event at the University of Texas at San Antonio called Night of Champions. The event will be held each Sunday at 9 p.m. in the UTSA Convocation Center.
Making Champions Out of Students
The aptly named local startup, MakingChampions.com, forms a partnership with YouVersion and launches Night of Champions events with the goal of leading and inspiring students and young adults to make the transition from the backpack to the briefcase. by Rosanne Hughes About MakingChampions.com
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new San Antoniobased startup, MakingChampions com, launched an online community in September with a kick-off event at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). MakingChampions. com utilizes a combination of interactive curriculum, videodriven devotionals hosted by YouVersion and weekly events that inspire attendees to make a true transformation in their lives. YouVersion, one of the original free apps Apple offered when it launched its iTunes store five years ago, is an app that offers the Bible in more than 600 versions and more than 400 languages. By sharing the curriculum through the Bible app, which just announced a milestone of 100 million downloads, the worldwide YouVersion community will have access to these innovative devotionals, as well. “We are excited to add the helpful content from MakingChampions.com to our app,” said Terry Storch, cofounder of YouVersion. “We see great potential to reach people across the world as multiple speakers and languages are added.” MakingChampions. com launched with video study devotionals hosted by YouVersion, ongoing online teaching series, game-changing curriculum apps and weekly large group event education. The curriculum initially features video and study content from John “Coach Val” Valenzuela. Coach Val is a teaching pastor at Community
Bible Church, a former UTSA student athlete and a successful high school basketball coach. In addition to the online community, MakingChampions. com launched a weekly event called Night of Champions at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in the UTSA Convocation Center. Night of Champions, which takes place on Sunday nights, features a free concert and leadership training intended to help students make the transition from the backpack to the briefcase. “John is a dynamic speaker,” said Lynn Hickey, UTSA assistant vice president and director of athletics. “His experiences as a coach are obvious, but his messages are pertinent to everyone. He has had a profound impact on our campus with both studentathletes and non-studentathletes.” The weekly events fall under the auspices of First Light Christian Fellowship, a registered UTSA faculty and staff organization. The inaugural Night of Champions event in September featured Coach Val and former professional basketball player Antonio Daniels as keynote speakers, and it was sponsored by local downtown Mexican restaurant, Rita’s on the River. ✪
Rosanne Hughes is the director of community outreach. For more information, visit www. makingchampions.com. Note: While NFamily officially adheres to AP style, certain exceptions were made in the editing of this article.
MakingChampions.com is an innovative online community that utilizes a combination of interactive curriculum, video-driven devotionals hosted by YouVersion and weekly events to lead and inspire attendees to make a true transformation in their lives. Visitors are encouraged to follow www.makingchampions.com and its social networks as additional languages, speakers and writers are added in the near future.
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education
The Childrens Lighthouse Learning Center opens a new center in Greater San Antonio, providing best-inclass educational childcare services to the community. Special to NFamily
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guiding light is shining bright on families with young children throughout the San Antonio area. Long-time local resident Angie O’Connor recently opened a new Childrens Lighthouse Learning Center in the greater San Antonio area. The educational childcare facility, located on Bulverde Road one mile north of TPC Parkway, provides a safe, warm and welcoming environment for children to learn and grow. “We’re thrilled to provide best-in-class educational childcare services to our community,” said O’Connor, who lives in San Antonio with her husband and two children. “As a parent, I understand that everyone wants what’s best for his or her child. That’s why I feel Childrens Lighthouse is addressing a true need in San Antonio with an educational childcare option that meets and exceeds the expectations of today’s families.” ● ● ● ●
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“I feel we are addressing a true need in San Antonio with an educational childcare option that meets and exceeds the expectations of today’s families.” Spanning 10,500 square feet in a park-like setting on nearly two acres of land, the new San Antonio center has 10 individual classrooms, play areas inside and out and an onsite kitchen to provide students with fresh, healthy meals daily. The school features three shaded outdoor play areas, coded door locking, computerized check-in and classroom surveillance, ensuring parents have peace of mind when dropping their child off. And with Childrens Lighthouse Learning Centers’ Internet
a sophomore at the University of Alabama and a daughter who attends Frank Tejeda Middle School in San Antonio. ✪
For more information on the Childrens Lighthouse Learning Center and the childcare services it offers, please visit http:// childrenslighthouse.com, email infobulverderoad@childrenslighthouse.com or call 210-494-9200.
curious baby boy image Olesia Bilkei/shutterstock.com
A Guiding Light
monitoring connection, parents can even watch their children from the comfort of their own home or while at work. Serving families with children from 6 weeks old to 12 years old, Childrens Lighthouse Learning Center aims to promote positive development of young children in all areas of growth including social, emotional, intellectual, physical and creative development. The centers use and follow an award-winning and respected curriculum, which is built on a foundation of academic excellence and character training. San Antonio families have clearly taken to the warm and engaging environment Childrens Lighthouse offers. O’Connor’s center is the sixth in the market. Existing centers in the San Antonio area are located in Alamo Ranch, Helotes, Potranco, Schertz and Stone Oak. “We’re ready to share our new center with the San Antonio community,” O’Connor said. “The waiting list for our infant and afterschool care program continues to grow. Luckily, we have a few spots still open that we’re looking forward to filling [in the near future].” Prior to launching her new Childrens Lighthouse Learning Center, O’Connor held top executive-level positions in the information technology and insurance sector. Her husband, Tim, served in a key leadership position for Polo Ralph Lauren prior to retiring several years ago. Together, the couple have two children: a son who is
Now Bringing the Bank to You
In San Antonio
Lone Star National Bank banking centers and motor banks throughout South Texas are providing the resources and the expertise to help Texas businesses grow and prosper, communities expand and invest in the future, and individuals and families succeed in achieving their dreams. Established in 1983, Lone Star National Bank has provided banking services to communities in South Texas for over 27 years. Lone Star National Bank is an independent bank with more than 2 billion in total assets and twenty-five (25) full-service banking centers throughout South Texas. Our branches in San Antonio are just another way we bring the bank to you by giving you the convenience you want and the service you need; including local banking decisions and a full range of business and consumer products and services. Come by and meet our outstanding team of bankers. Lone Star National Bank…Bringing the Bank to You in San Antonio.
San Antonio Locations 40 NE Loop 410, Suite 408 • 7954 Fredericksburg Road • 10000 San Pedro, Bldg 2 1-800-580-0322 www.lonestarnationalbank.com
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safety
Gear Up for Safety How you can keep your little ones safe from cold weather, germs and other threats without breaking the bank this season by Candace Disler
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hen it comes to our children’s safety, there is simply nothing more important. Many parents know the basics when it comes to the winter season, but there other possible safety issues that can arise. We did our research to find items that will protect your kids from cold weather, germs and other threats you may not have control over. Here are some of our top choices to keep your little ones safe without breaking the bank this season.
Parents know to dress their kids in warm clothes for the winter season. However, we must remember not to neglect our children’s ears to protect against ear, nose and throat infections. One great option is available through Dots on Tots. Their innovative hat design features flaps that serve to protect infants and toddlers from cold weather, wind and ear, nose and throat infections. Created by a mother of two, these hats are designed to be extra comfortable. They are lightweight and seamless, so your little one won’t mind wearing them. The brand also offers special ear protection hats that feature an added benefit of 50 percent noisereduction ear inserts, shielding infants’ and toddlers’ delicate ears from loud sounds. Hats are also available in various colors, patterns and materials, including sherpa cotton for the winter season. An added bonus: All hats are 100 percent organic, ecofriendly and made in the United States. Check them out at www.dotsontots.com.
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[hope paige bracelet]
If you have a child who has a medical condition or allergy, consider the incredibly smart medical ID bracelet from Hope Paige. Whether your child is out in the cold, at a play date with a friend or even at school, you want their caregivers to be aware of their health conditions should an emergency arise. Hope Paige designs stylish, one-of-a-kind medical ID bracelets for children that look great and alert medical professionals in case of an emergency. Additional designs are available at www.hopepaige.com.
snowflakes illustrations sellingpix/shutterstock.com
[DOTS ON TOTS]
snowflakes illustrations sellingpix; baby girl image blessings/shutterstock.com
[halo sani-cuffs]
How many times have you told your kids to wash their hands? Whether it’s from a long day at school or from playing outside, the winter months are especially crucial to keep your kids protected from the rising rates of cold and flu. There is a great, fashionable option your kids will love. Armorteria Halo Sani-Cuffs is the first line of comfortable, stylish and hypoallergenic hand sanitizer wristbands for kids. This healthy accessory gives parents peace of mind that their little ones are never more than an arm’s length away from fighting germs. The idea behind Halo Sani-Cuffs is simple: It’s a wearable, refillable dispenser of hand sanitizer distributed at the push of a button. Halo Sani-Cuffs provide children with an onthe-go solution to staying germ-free, and they are available in six colors. They are available at www.armorteria.com.
[sebamed baby lotion]
Lastly, if you have a very young child, their skin can be sensitive to the cold winter wind. Babies’ skin is more soft and delicate than adults’ skin, so proper nourishment and hydration is essential to protecting children from irritants and skin conditions like eczema. To prevent skin sensitivity during cold winter months, use a daily pH balanced moisturizer like Sebamed Baby Lotion, which offers a rapidly absorbed, non-greasy formula that combines a high concentration of moisturizing substances such as glycerin and sorbitol with a light 7 percent lipid compound to help preserve the natural moisture balance of babies’ skin. Sebamed Baby Lotion uses natural-based buffer substances to balance babies’ skin at a desirable pH of 5.5. It’s great for soothing winter skin and keeping it healthy. This will help you prepare your baby’s skin for the colder weather in the months ahead. For more information, visit www. sebamedusa.com. We hope these products will help you rest easy at night knowing your kids are even safer this season! ✪
As parents, we must remember to protect our children’s ears against ear, nose and throat infections in the winter season. nfamily magazine 31
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The Gift of Connecting With Success Brain Balance Achievement Centers of San Antonio provides some healthy eating tips and sensory-based activities so you and your family can enjoy a joyful, stress-free winter season. by amanda a. petter
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uring the holidays, delicious foods and tasty treats are everywhere, making it easy to let healthy eating habits slide. But keeping the holidays healthy is particularly important for children with a neurobehavioral or learning disorder. A recent study by the International Review of Psychiatry showed that there is promising evidence to support a role for omega-3 in combating ADHD, dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and other developmental disorders by supporting cognitive and behavioral function. Additional research has found sugar
to cause an increase in restlessness, inattention and destructiveness in children with ADHD. Brain Balance Achievement Centers of San Antonio, a nationwide supplemental achievement center that takes a drug-free approach to the treatment of neurological disorders, aims to keep children healthy this holiday season with healthy eating tips. “Nutrition is a big factor in the healthy development of a child’s brain, and as a company that has worked with thousands of children with behavior and learning issues, it is our goal to educate parents on how they can establish a dietary plan at home,”
kids banging on pots image nagy-bagoly arpad/shutterstock.com
child development
mother teaching child crafts image oksana kuzmina/shutterstock.com, fresh broccoli image dionisvera/shutterstock.com
said Dr. Robert Melillo, founder of Brain Balance Achievement Centers. “Nutrition for adequate development of the body and brain requires a mix of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and complex carbohydrates.” Omega-3s are crucial for proper cognitive development, fighting inflammation, protecting the heart, insulating the body from the cold and maintaining a healthy metabolism and weight. Fiber is crucial for maintaining proper digestive health, and folate has been long touted for its effectiveness in enhancing cognitive development and performance. Find the foods high in these important nutrients, and consider adding them to your family’s diet. Brain Balance Achievement Centers recommends the following foods for children with neurobehavioral issues: - Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids: This includes tuna, broccoli, salmon, walnuts, avocado and spinach, among others. - Foods high in folate: Sprouts, asparagus, beans, broccoli, spinach and kale are good examples. - Foods high in fiber: These include whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. “As you become familiar with the nutrient-rich foods, the options are endless,” Melillo said. “As a family, you can spend time creating recipes that your children will love.” During the winter months, it is important to keep your body warm by fueling up on fats. The body requires additional fats over the winter, as they effectively insulate our bodies from the cold. The cooling fruits are no longer in season, but root vegetables are in abundance. This allows us to eat more warming foods like soups and stews made with animal protein and warming vegetables like carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, parsnips and butternut squash. Looking for a few sensory activities to do with your kids over the holidays? All kids benefit from sensory-based play, particularly those with learning and behavioral disorders like ADHD and Asperger syndrome. This is a great time of year to engage children in sensory activities the whole family can enjoy.
Read and share the following ideas for sensory-based winter activities: - Baking: Baking is the easiest way to engage in a sensory-based activity with your children during the holidays. From kneading cookie dough to sifting and pouring, getting your kids involved in the kitchen offers a tactile experience with the welcome benefit of a treat once they’ve completed the task. Allowing them to do heavy work like pouring and kneading can give kids with sensory issues the proprioceptive input they need to organize their senses. Remove all other distractions except for some soft holiday music, and let your kids get messy in the kitchen. - Crafting: Making holiday decorations and other crafts with your children can be fun for the whole family, and it can help your children develop and improve fine motor skills. String beads or popcorn for a great fine motor workout. Glue pipe cleaners, glitter and fuzzy pompoms to paper trees cut from green construction paper. With supervision, allow young children to use scissors to strengthen small hands, which will help make handwriting easier. Wrap gifts in plain paper and allow children to decorate the packages for more fine motor practice. - Making music: Children with neurobehavioral disorders often have rhythm and timing issues and can benefit greatly from making music. So grab some pots and spoons from the kitchen, jingle bells, homemade rattles or other “musical instruments,” and have your children practice their percussion skills while listening to their favorite holiday tunes. Help them stay on the beat with their instruments while they sing for a multi-sensory experience. Don’t have an instrument? No problem! Have children clap their hands or stomp their feet to the beat. For children who are sound sensitive, find quieter instruments or use hands to tap on pots instead of spoons. Do you have a child with sensory issues, motor skills delay or other learning differences? Give your child the gift of connecting with success this holiday season by enrolling at a Brain Balance Center. Brain Balance Achievement Centers works with children – some have been diagnosed with neurobehavioral difficulties such as ADHD, dyslexia, processing disorders and Asperger syndrome, and some have no formal diagnosis. After a comprehensive assessment, our team creates custom sensory-motor and cognitive activity plans in conjunction with nutritional objectives for each child to establish proper neural connections and improve rhythm and timing. ✪
For more information on how nutrition plays a role in children’s learning and behavior, visit www.brainbalancesatx.com.
About Brain Balance Achievement Centers
Brain Balance Achievement Centers of San Antonio helps children reach their academic, behavioral and social potential through a unique drug-free, whole-child approach. The Brain Balance program utilizes customized sensory motor and cognitive activity plans coupled with nutrition guidelines to address the root cause of most learning and developmental disorders. Brain Balance Achievement Centers of San Antonio is located at 1742 N. Loop 1604 E., Ste. 121, in San Antonio, Texas. For more information and additional resources, call 210-620-7378 or visit www.brainbalancesatx.com.
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Screen Smarts
Using apps and digital tools to help our children engage with – rather than substitute for – the sensory and social world by Susie Monday
The digital camera on a smart phone or tablet is an amazing tool for studying light. ● ● ● ●
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ift packages this year will for many families include something with a screen: a digital tablet or mini tablet, a new smart phone or a digital camera. And your kid’s name just might be on the tag. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in 2006, 90 percent of parents said their children younger than 2 were users of some form of electronic media. That was before the iPad and before the big screen phones. By 2010, according to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center (which studied children’s media), two-thirds of children ages 4 to 7 had used a smart phone.* We, as curriculum developers and educators, know that these new technologies provide wonderful tools for young children – and the key word is “tool.” Digital technology is best (for all of us, not just kids) when it’s used to engage with (rather than substitute for) the sensory and social world. Here are some of our favorite apps that
woman with kids and tablet image Tyler Olson/shutterstock.com
child development
nurture different creative modes of perception and creative thinking, and promote the use of tablets and smart phones as tools and amplifiers of real-life experiences, not as stand-ins. (Note: All of these apps are available for the iPad and/or iPhone. Many of them are also available for Android devices. Search the store for your device. Some apps are free with limited features and ads, but none cost more than $10. Some also have in-app purchases; be certain you have the parental controls in place to keep kids from buying add-ons.)
• Photo apps • The digital camera on a smart phone or tablet is an amazing tool for studying light. Add a simple app for editing photo filter apps (PicShop is easy to use), and set up some albums or scrapbooks for collecting images. When you’re waiting in line at the supermarket or in a doctor’s office, ask your child to use the camera as a looker and to take photos to explore a category like “little spaces,” “shades of green” or “reflected light.” Suggested apps for photo filters: Popsicolor (cool color effects), Instant Sketch (changes a photo into black-andwhite lines) and Poster Me, for instant pop art. Set up a private Pinterest or Flickr account for your child’s scrapbooks or use one especially for kid art like Artkive.
writing pen illustration Colorlife/shutterstock.com
• Drawing and painting • The Museum of Modern Art’s MOMA Art Lab is a beautiful and playful art room for a tablet. Its shape activities (choose the light bulb icon) are inventively delightful, and you’ll find great activities for sound, line, color and even words – all inspired by contemporary works of art. One of our favorite (and super simple, so all ages will enjoy) drawing apps is Magic Ink. Control the width, the color and curliness and how fast the line fades away. LINE Brush, Drawing Pad and Paper by FiftyThree are among the many complex drawing and painting apps available. Drawing Pad is the most kid-friendly, and 5 Minute Masterpiece is too much fun not to mention. Paint with color splats and splashes, and then replay your art-making as a movie. Lazoo: Let’s Color! puts coloring pages into action. Once your child draws on a page, hit “go.” Faces iMake is a silly,
fun app that lets kids make faces with everyday ordinary shapes: fruits, tools, numbers and letters.
• Journaling and storytelling •
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What better way to get in the habit of telling stories than by keeping a diary? Maxjournal is fairly simple, and it allows for photos and words. Kids can also dictate a story while they draw with Doodlecast, and it’s even more fun when parents draw along and share the story.
• Sound and rhythm • Try some of the virtual percussion instruments available such as Ratatap Drums, Drum Kit and Easy Xylophone. Loop is an interactive composition app that easily lets kids create and record tunes. Bloom, designed by Brian Eno, is another visual sound composition machine. ✪
*For this and other timely research, see the Touch-Screen Generation April 2013 issue of The Atlantic online at http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/04/ the-touch-screen-generation/309250/. For information about pattern language, see “The Missing Alphabet: A Parent’s Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids” (Green Leaf Book Group, 2013). You can also visit www.themissingalphabet. com.
TO VIEW THE CURRENT SCHEDULE VISIT OUR WEBSITE Fitness in the Park brings fun & challenging fitness classes to a park near you. Best of all it’s 100% free and open to the
About the Author
Susie Monday, with Susan Marcus and Dr. Cynthia Herbert, is the author of “The Missing Alphabet: A Parent’s Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids.” She teaches, trains teachers, writes curricula and makes art from her studio in Pipe Creek, Texas.
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child development
Click, Clack – Just Like That! MagnaMini coats and vests blend cool weather fashion with a hidden magnetic closure system, helping kids dress themselves. by Maura Horton
hen young children are first learning to dress without help from mom and dad, just getting pants and shirts on with the tags in the back is a big accomplishment. Mastering zippers, buttons and snaps is often beyond the realm of their early mobility skills. The new MagnaMini coats and vests are simple for children to wear whether they prefer putting
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them on one sleeve at a time or laying them on the floor and flipping them above their heads. The first magnetic coats and vests for children, MagnaMini eliminates the need for difficultto-navigate buttons and zippers by replacing them with simpleto-use magnets. Hidden inside the front placket of each MagnaMini jacket and vest are specially designed magnets powerful enough to hold it securely closed and withstand regular laundering. Not only does
MagnaMini help build children’s confidence as they conquer a new skill, it makes getting ready to leave the house faster and simpler for parents. Instead of listening to meltdowns over the inability to zip or button, parents can watch their children proudly press their coat closed with ease. Recess time at school becomes simpler for teachers with MagnaMini, as well. Instead of the teacher zipping and snapping 30 coats closed before the class heads outside, MagnaMini enables kids to ready themselves for outdoor play. Being the mom of two young girls helped me come up with the idea for MagnaMini. As a former children’s clothing designer, I had a background in making children’s apparel, but I was first inspired to put magnets in clothes instead of buttons or zippers because of my husband. When my husband, Don, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at only 48 years of age, I knew I had to find a way to help him remain independent and capable of dressing himself without difficulty when he was traveling for business. Because of the effects of Parkinson’s disease, Don had limited mobility in his fingers, making buttons hard to navigate. I revamped his dress shirts with
magnets to solve the problem, and then I thought to myself, ‘Why not do this for kids, too?’ Constructed with highquality waterproof nylon fabrics,
MagnaMini makes getting ready to leave the house faster and simpler for parents. MagnaMini jackets and vests are the ideal weight for chilly autumn and early spring days. MagnaMini coats and vests are available in quilted pink, quilted navy and striped color fabrics with a contrasting corduroy collar. Sizes range from 2T to 6X. MagnaMini coats retail for $72.99, and the vests retail for $54.99. ✪
Maura Horton is the CEO of MagnaReady. To purchase MagnaMini clothes or to find more information, visit www. magnamini.com.
Shine
She’S achieved So much already, but that doeSn’t SurpriSe you.
becauSe
you’ve
alwayS
known
She
would
excel.
becauSe you believed in her. you have
Faith in her and her ability to go Far. and when She arriveS here, we Further her potential. becauSe we believe in her. we alSo See all that She can become and work to nurture her through Faith-baSed learning and Shared belieFS rooted in SiSterhood, enSuring She not only SucceedS at college, but leaveS with the Faith to move mountainS.
incarnate word high School Office Of AdmissiOns 210.829.3123 www.incarnatewordhs.org
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special issues
How
I
See It
My Camp Experience How I faced my fear of going to overnight camp and discovered that it was one of the best things I did all summer by Olivia Bakke
I
was always afraid to go to overnight camp. I thought I would get made fun of for missing my parents or that I would not be able to stay at camp once I got there. I was always scared that the counselors would be mean to me or that there would be mean girls in my cabin. But my mom encouraged me to face my fears. It took me a long time to build up my confidence (almost a year), but I finally went – and none of the things I had been afraid of ever happened. My worries about what could happen were all for nothing. I realized that camp was one of the best things I did all summer. I met 13 new friends and surprisingly, none of them were mean and nobody made fun of me. All of them were funny and cheerful. They helped me build my confidence even more. Feeling confident was one of my favorite things about camp. My counselors, Kylie, Renee and Margaret, were super nice! They let us use the window to climb in and out of the cabin instead of using the door. When we played tag, Brooke, Julia, CamCam and I guarded the window and everyone had to say the secret code to get in. The code was “awesome alley, alley awesome.” We also had to work as a team and help each other out. We did “mission impossible”
When I finally went to camp, none of the things I had been afraid of ever happened. ● ● ● ●
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DON’T STRUGGLE THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR OF MATH! P
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XPERTS! E H T A M E TH Instructors
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ualified ology • Highly Q es & Techn rc u o s e R t n raction • Excelle Strong Inte • e c ti c ra terials • Lots of P Offline Ma • Online &
team relays – that was fun and we all gained trust in one another. Another of my favorite things about camp was the ropes course. I did the screamer and the bushwhacker. First, when I did the screamer, I had to climb a 45-foot tower and jump off a ledge. I felt like my stomach came up my through my mouth, but at the same time, I felt like I was flying in mid air. When I did the bushwhacker, I had to climb up a dangling rope and then over a tire that was in the air, and then I had to climb a pole, grab a chain and pull myself up onto the deck. Then I sat on a 2-by-4 and jumped off. It felt like I was “super lady.” That was awesome! Before I knew it, camp was over. I felt super confident and really excited that I had conquered my fears and gone to T Bar M Camp. When the session was over, I was really happy to be going home, but in the end, I was ready to go back again! ✪
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www.AAlgebra.com 210-669-MATH 1-855-224-MATH nfamily magazine 39
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special issues
Before
after
How Sheri Lewin broke the family chain of obesity and embarked on a life-changing journey toward health and fitness by Lenore Kaiser
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chain breaking image bioraven/shutterstock.com
Breaking the Chain
G
rowing up with parents who struggling with their own weight issues, Sheri Lewin was no stranger to obesity. Overweight for most of her life, Lewin never saw herself as that big or that overweight. But she knew she wasn’t who she wanted to be. Married for more than 23 years with four children, she got caught up in the typical mother syndrome: taking care of the kids, the house, the bills and any other task that came along, leaving very little
make a change that could save my life,” she said. “I have watched my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles struggle with their weight all my life. They have had health problems, and I don’t want that for me. I want to be healthy for my family and be able to take care of them and not have them worried about me.” In January 2013, Lewin’s father lost his battle to cancer. This has motivated her even more to continue her journey toward healthy living. She regularly attends Zumba and Body Pump classes. “Zumba classes have such a fun atmosphere,
Lewin has learned that regardless of her family demands and responsibilities, she needs to be committed to herself first. room for herself. In addition to her daily demands, the family moved every two to three years due to her husband’s career, which also kept him away from home for long periods of time. It was easy to get caught up in the caretaker’s routine, but a turn of events two years ago changed everything. Lewin learned her father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She and her husband made the decision to retire from the military and relocate near her parents to assist them. Her parents eventually moved in with them, and Lewin quickly learned that she was limited by her weight with the additional caretaking duties. She attempted to workout several days a week for two hours a day with no results. Discouraged with swollen knees and ankles, she knew she needed to talk to a doctor to see what her options were. After much serious thought, Lewin decided on weight-loss surgery. With pure determination, she pressed forward after the surgery, making sure fitness was part of her daily routine, making time for herself and constantly changing her workouts, along with her eating habits. “I’ve always had a bubbly personality … always happy and smiling, but I knew there was no better day than today to
and everyone is having a good time and sweating like crazy,” she said. “Body Pump classes work muscles that most classes and even circuit machines don’t.” Since her surgery, Lewin has lost more than 100 pounds and she has several accomplishments. “I got my first bikini in over 20 years!” she said. “I learned to wakeboard; I jumped off a 25-foot cliff; I can now run a mile-and-a-half; and [I participated in] a 5K this September! I am the person I always thought I was. I love me again!” Through her journey, Lewin has learned that regardless of her family demands and responsibilities, she needs to be committed to herself first. She has also learned that drastic weight loss requires weight training to build back muscle tone. “You can’t count on the surgery to fix you,” she said. “You have to want to make the change, and making that change will lead to a new life. You have to be strong all the time and never give into temptation.” ✪
Lenore Kaiser is the wellness director and owner of Kaiser Medical Management. To learn more, call 1-800-764-0418 or visit www.kaisermedicalmanagement.com.
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therapy
Fuel Your Engine A guide to proper care and maintenance for the engine of your life: your body
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our body is the engine of your life. It needs regular attention, maintenance and above all, good fuel. Let’s break it down.
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»
woman with groceries image Aaron Amat/shutterstock.com
by Dr. Sandra Carrell Tremblay
Food
Better fuel means better performance. The best cars take premium gas. They simply do not run well on anything less. We all understand this concept, and you would never put regular gas in your expensive car. Never. It would be just as easy to choose regular gas. It is right there, after all. So why does that concept seem so hard to relate to humans? Maybe it is deeply psychological. Our values determine our actions. We tend to place value on the things we create, choose and purchase, but we didn’t choose ourselves. We are just here, living and going through the motions of life. Consider that when you become an adult, your parents hand you the keys to your life. You are now fully responsible for the vehicle that is you and everything that goes along with keeping you alive and well. Now is the perfect time to review your owner’s manual. There are many concepts about healthy food, but let’s stick to the basics. Food is a fat, a carbohydrate or a protein, and your meals should be a healthy balance of all of these. I like the hand guide to eating: lean protein the size of your palm, carbohydrates (predominately vegetables) the size of your fist and fats the size of your thumb. Planning and preparing your weekly meals makes for the healthiest and best fast food, and fresh whole foods will strengthen your body and mind.
family sleeping together image wavebreakmedia/shutterstock.com
unwind
Exhale! Let your body relax. We are so stressed out that some scientists say we stay in the adrenaline lifestyle. This fight-and-flight mode causes our platelets to become sticky, in preparation to clot from an injury that may occur under what would normally be a rare, but extreme occurrence. In our current day, this response may make it easier to have a heart attack, even in people who assume they are healthy, but are, in fact, adrenaline junkies. It may be time to edit your life and your children’s schedules. Choose the life you want to live – not what other people tell you or what you think they expect. Time is a gift we give to ourselves and to our families. When you take the time to rest, you become more creative and thoughtful, and so do your children. You have more time to connect spiritually and personally – the two most important aspects of our existence.
Exercise –smarter
Focus on flexibility, strength and balance. Even 10 minutes of exercise and stretching each day is helpful, and far better than doing nothing at all. Plan the time you will do a system check every day. Practice movement basics. Lunge forward and to the side. Squat against the wall. Alternate calf raises and stretches on a step. Do pushups and crunches. Stretch your hips and hamstrings and chest muscles. Make this series a ritual, and add fast and moderately paced walking as often as possible. Remember that movement is life. You don’t get a pass on this one!
Love yourself
This is the most important relationship you have. Be kind to yourself and others. By nature, we are critical of ourselves, which means we are prone to negative self talk. When this happens, immediately say to yourself, “cancel, cancel,” and then restate what you really want to say about the situation. Forgive yourself; you are only human,
When you take the time to rest, you become more creative and thoughtful, and so do your children. after all. Look for the good in other people. You will be surprised how this alone will change your own attitude and outlook on life. Acknowledge others. Be kind. Offer genuine compliments. And finally, practice the art of the hug. Hugs make every relationship better, and most people don’t give or get enough. Fuel your life today! ✪
Dr. Sandra Carrell Tremblay is the clinic director of Alamo Heights Chiropractic Health Center, located at 4501 McCullough Ave., No. 107, in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, call 210-828-9211 or visit www.ahchc.com. nfamily magazine 43
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Fighting the Flu Flu season is upon us. Here’s how you can help the whole family fight and prevent it. by Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes
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I
t’s that time of year again! Colds and other respiratory illnesses are more common in the fall and winter seasons. Among these more problematic illnesses is the flu. The flu season varies year by year, but it most often occurs between October and January. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It affects the nose, throat and lungs and causes symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches. The symptoms are mild in most cases, but in some instances, they can cause severe illness and even death. The flu virus spreads through droplets made when those who are infected sneeze or cough. These droplets can be easily transferred to healthy people who are nearby. The period of contagiousness usually starts as early as one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming sick. Although severe complications from the flu are rare, the U.S.
sick woman image Nico Traut/shutterstock.com
therapy
The single most effective way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every season. Centers for Disease Control has estimated 17,000 flu related deaths during the mildest season to more than 50,000 deaths during the most severe. During a regular flu season, the majority of these deaths occur in the elderly and those under 2 years of age. Certain people are at higher risk of contracting the flu and having more serious complications. This includes people older than 50, children less than 2 years of age, pregnant women, people with other medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease and those who are immunocompromised. These individuals are at higher risk for flu complications such as pneumonia, hospitalizations, dehydration and death. The single most effective way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every season. Vaccination is recommended for all persons 6 months of age and older. A variety of influenza vaccines are available in both injectable and nasal-spray formulations. The vaccines contain the three to four influenza viruses that are likely to be prevalent that year and help people develop antibodies against these viruses. These antibodies protect you from becoming infected with the flu within two weeks after vaccination. Yearly flu vaccination is often available as early as September and continues to be administered throughout the season. Since the flu vaccine contains some egg protein in it, people with a known food allergy to egg should consult an allergy specialist before it is administered. The flu vaccine does not guarantee that you won’t get the flu, but it can decrease your chances of having to go to the doctor because of flu illness by up to 65 percent. So before the influenza virus begins to make an appearance, be sure you and your family are ready to effectively fight the flu and go to your health care provider to get vaccinated. ✪ Dr. Erika Gonzalez-Reyes is a board-certified allergy/immunology specialist. For more information on the flu vaccine or to contact GonzalezReyes, please email txallergydoc@gmail.com. nfamily magazine 45
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therapy
In Search of
»Solutions The importance of language in resolving problems by Claudia Castillo and Alex Portillo
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■ Focusing on the positive: When facing a problem, it is common to focus on what’s not going well and the negatives of the situation rather than the positives, which is not helpful when trying to find a solution. Focusing on what someone is doing that’s going well shows the person what is already working and will encourage them to focus on the positives. ■ Present focus: Focusing on the present moment instead of being stuck in the past and on events or situations we cannot change is another useful step to take when looking for a solution to a problem. As much as we’d like to go back to the past and change something in order to make things better, we can’t live in the “what ifs” in life. Instead, talking to the person in the present moment about how you can help them right now is a great first step to take to help them achieve a goal. ■ Non-labeling: We often label people and their problems in order to find meaning and make sense of what is happening in life. Staying away from labels and taking the time to understand someone’s thoughts is important to prevent misunderstandings and negative ideas
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father and son image Blaj Gabriel/shutterstock.com
hat we say – the words we choose and how we say them (our language) – shapes and gives meaning to our lives. The way we use language influences and shapes the people around us. Our language is also an important tool in helping resolve problems. Through our experience working with families who have experienced abuse, neglect and challenging situations, we have seen positive change happen when people and their language are used to lead them. These are just a few steps you can take in helping others who are experiencing crises and trauma-related issues:
We can take part in creating a world of survivors instead of victims by changing our language.
mother and daughter image Blend Images/shutterstock.com
that surround labels. Sometimes it’s better to not label something if you’re not sure and leave the labeling to a doctor. ■ Using the individual’s language: We live in a society where language is different for every culture and language is unique to the individual. Being able to use a person’s own language will help them feel heard, which is important in the healing process. Using some of their own words helps them get closer to finding a solution. ■ Sensitivity: Every person and their situation is unique and different, so it is very important to meet them where they are in their lives and to be sensitive. Listening to the person and their situation can help them and encourage them to resolve the problem. Ultimately, these simple tools can have a positive effect on their journey toward change. We can take part in creating a world of survivors instead of victims by changing our language. People are resourceful and capable of resolving their own problems, but your help depends on what language (words, phrases, expressions, etc.) you use in communicating with them and how you view or handle the problem. ✪
About the Authors »Claudia Castillo, MS, LPC Claudia Castillo is an Our Lady of the Lake University graduate who is now working as a clinical therapist with ChildSafe. She is a licensed professional counselor.
»Alex Portillo, MS, LPC-S Alex Portillo is an Our Lady of the Lake University graduate who is a counselor with Senior Psychiatry. He’s a licensed professional counselor and a board-certified supervisor.
For more information, call ChildSafe at 210-675-9000 or visit www.childsafe-sa. org.
nfamily magazine 47
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therapy
Super Doctors to the Rescue!
With sports season upon us, rest assured that the Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center is there for you in case of injury. by Ashley Holifield
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We aim to give both you and your child peace of mind. ● ● ● ●
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child with plaster bandage image iiya andriyanov/shutterstock.com
ootball season is well underway, and basketball season is right around the corner. Sports are fun, but in the heat of competition, accidents do occur. Do not be afraid, for Captain Osteon and his team of highly skilled professionals at the Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center are here to help! No parent wants to see their child get hurt, but accidents happen, and during sports season, they tend to be common. From ankle sprains and fractured wrists to broken legs, having your child get hurt can be a stressful and scary situation. Our staff at the
boy with arm in sling image suzanne tucker/shutterstock.com
Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center makes it a high priority to help alleviate the stress both child and parent go through when dealing with the complications of an injury. While children are receiving treatment, we strive to make them feel at home in order to distract them from the pain they may be going through. Many children are scared of being in a doctor’s office, but with a state-of-the-art museum located in our waiting room, we aim to give your child peace of mind. The life-sized heroes located throughout our office will make your child feel as if their comic books or cartoons have come to life. Our office often wows the children who visit, but we know it doesn’t help ease the concerns of their parents. The bottom line is that the biggest comfort for a parent is to know they have the best doctor whom they can entrust with their child’s wellbeing. The Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center staffs highly skilled surgeons who have been trained by the nation’s top institutions. Their team will ensure high-quality care for each patient and make sure that each child receives the most accurate diagnosis, as well as the best treatment plan for him or her. The Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care, and it has a dynamic duo of super doctors. Dr. Eric R. Ritchie, a board-certified pediatric orthopedic surgeon, joined the practice in 2013 after a distinguished 20year career in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service. Ritchie earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he was a standout athlete on the Falcons football team. His time as a football player helped him understand sports injuries firsthand. He then attended medical school on a military scholarship at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. After medical school, Ritchie served three assignments as an Air Force flight surgeon. Following his time as a flight surgeon, he was accepted to the only Air Force orthopedic residency in the country at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio. Ritchie was then handpicked to lead the Air Force Pediatric Orthopedic Department. His sub-specialty training in pediatric orthopedic surgery and scoliosis was obtained at the prestigious University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He would go on to serve as the chief of pediatric orthopedic surgery at Wilford
Hall Medical Center, and as consultant to the Surgeon General for Pediatric Scoliosis and Orthopedics. While there, he was also the vice chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery, and he held a teaching position at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences as an assistant professor of surgery. He is a member of the American Academy
training in spine surgery and pediatric orthopedics. Liu’s first fellowship was in pediatric orthopedic surgery at the CCHMC, and his second fellowship was focused on pediatric spine deformity and minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) at the CCHMC, University of Cincinnati Hospital and the Christ Hospital. He then completed his
of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Bexar County Medical Society. The other half of the dynamic duo is Dr. Hongbo Liu, a pediatric and adult orthopedic spine surgeon who received extensive training to specialize in the delicate science of spine surgery, with fellowship training in both pediatric orthopedics and spinal disorders. He completed his training at the prestigious Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Liu earned his medical degree from the Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China, and graduated with three Outstanding Student awards. After completing his orthopedic surgery residency at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (one of the best medical centers in China), Liu accomplished three clinical fellowships in the United States and received well-rounded and extensive
third fellowship training in adult spine surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Liu’s clinical interests include pediatric spinal deformities, degenerative spine disorders, minimally invasive spine surgeries, osteoporosis-related vertebral compression fractures and spinal trauma. He is also specialized in the treatment of pediatric orthopedic disorders, especially pediatric hip disorders, lower limb deformities/deficiencies and fractures. So parents, fear not! While your child may be comforted by the superheroes that protect our office, you, too, will be comforted by the super doctors at the Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center! ✪
For more information on the Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Center or to make an appointment, please visit www.saspine. com or contact Janivee Trevino at 210-4877463. nfamily magazine 49
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fur family
Make a
Ending
Lending a heart and a hand to foster an animal can also foster hope in our community. by Genevieve Allen
H
ave a little extra room in your heart and in your home? Thinking about getting a pet, but not ready to make the commitment? You are needed! San Antonio is home to many animal shelters and independent animal rescue groups. All of these groups have
foster programs. Foster homes are vital to a rescue organization; without them, many of the “happy ending” stories you read and hear about may not have had the same outcome. Perhaps your own dog was adopted from a rescue group; if this is the case, there was most likely a foster parent involved at some point along the way. There are many animal shelters in our
community that could use a hand. These shelters and rescue organizations are trying to save the lives of many animals that have been abandoned or injured. These animals need temporary families until they are ready to be placed for adoption. Animals that are candidates for foster care include puppies, kittens, pregnant or nursing mothers, older
girl with cat image Tubol Evgeniya/shutterstock.com
Fostering is a great way for families to learn together.
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with you. If you can’t foster, can you donate or volunteer? You may not be able to personally foster an animal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help. Volunteers are greatly appreciated! If you are a Web designer, you can design a logo for a new marketing campaign. If you build fences or install lights, you can help with maintenance and construction. If you have love to give, we have kittens that need petting. If you have the desire to help, the need is always there. Shelters and rescues often rely on donations to keep the doors open. Food, formula, blankets, bleach, paper towels – everything helps! ✪
Where do you sign up?
P A R E N T I N G
EVENTS
advice
animals and long-term residents that need extra TLC, animals recovering from surgery and animals in need of socialization and training. Fostering can last from a couple of days to a few months, depending on the animal’s needs. Kittens and puppies may need to be bottle-fed every four hours, whereas older animals can be less stressful on your schedule. Food, medical care, supplies and advice are typically provided by the rescue. Fostering is fun! Having a litter of kittens hang out at your house for a week can be very cute and exciting. Nursing an injured dog back to health and happiness can be a truly rewarding experience. Socializing puppies with children is adorable. Fostering is a great way for families to learn together. There are so many dogs and cats in need. What a great way to teach your children responsibility and love. Here are some important things to consider before applying to become a foster parent: Will you have the time to spend with your foster animal? Are you able to separate foster animals from your own animals? Are you able to get to the organization quickly in an emergency? Will you be a “failed foster”? A “failed foster” is a foster parent who adopts the animal they are fostering. This is a good thing! Some fosters get attached to their animal, and that is OK. Becoming a failed foster is not hard. You spend time and emotions on this animal and realize that you just can’t let the animal go. You can’t keep them all, but some just stick
EDUCATION
boy with puppy image Ermolaev Alexander/shutterstock.com
24-Hour Daycare
health
for the family T H E R A P Y
spiritual
PLAY
Pick a shelter!
Animal Defense League 210-655-1481 www.adltexas.org San Antonio Pets Alive! www.sanantoniopetsalive.org San Antonio Humane Society 210-226-7461 www.sahumane.org
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nfamily magazine 51
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fur family
Happy Pawlidays! Celebrate the season by (safely) including your pets in your holiday festivities. by Elizabeth Nickell and Deborah D. Salas
H
appy Thanksgiving, happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, happy paw-lidays! No matter how you say it, this is the time of year to be joyous. May memories be made, company be cherished and bellies be full – your pets’ included.
Meet and “sniff”
Nowhere does it say that Fido/Fifi can’t join you and your guests in the festivities this holiday season. One of the best ways to begin your party is allowing your pet(s) to help greet guests. As people make their way into the house, introduce them to your pooch. Thanksgiving also has a high volume of lost pets, so having them by your side as the door opens and closes will ensure their safety.
A cornucopia of generosity
Holidays generally bring lots of people, especially to the home. And as Thanksgiving is about sharing, some people can get a little too generous with their pet(s). Here are a few common Thanksgiving items that should be monitored closely when you have pets:
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dog in pilgrim costume image Sarah Lew; dog with gift image Vietrov Dmytro/shutterstock.com
PAWZ IN THE CITY
Bones: Tossing pet scraps is the most commonly made mistake during the holidays. Certain bones can cause lacerations – making for an expensive (holiday) trip to the vet. Be sure to dispose of them properly or save them for future cooking. Fatty foods are a no-no, as well, so don’t give in to those “puppy eyes” … literally. Food wrappings: Foil, Saran wrap and wax paper are not edible – for you or your pet. Since this one is common sense, I’ll just add that it’s best to keep a close eye on your garbage can. With lots of guests comes lots of trash.
dog in trash can image violetblue; cat and dog image WilleeCole; dog biscuits image Marie C Fields/shutterstock.com
Potpourri (liquid or dry): This time of the year, we all love to have our house smell
come bounding out of the box. But folks, a pet is so much more than an adorable fluff of fur and a red ribbon. Adopting a pet is making a commitment to be a forever home. So please make sure adding a fur-baby to the family is not solely based on a “warm and fuzzy” moment you had when you passed the pet store. Your pet is going to love you unconditionally and for the long haul – make sure you can reciprocate.
Knockin’around the Christmas tree
The winter holidays traditionally come with new aromas for your pets, which forces their “sniffers” to work overtime. Try to be mindful of where these wafting scents are coming from. Adorning your tree
Tossing pet scraps is the most commonly made mistake during the holidays. like pumpkin spice or Christmas cookies. As pet owners, you should always be mindful of your potpourri container location. Not only can there be internal damage from the dry chips, but heated potpourri can cause oral or esophageal burns if ingested.
with treats such as popcorn, candy canes and gingersnap cookies can cause some temptation issues. Instead, opt for some scentless décor and bake some scrumptious treats with the recipe to the right. Your pet will love it and you.
All I want for Christmas …
“Fleas” Navidad! ✪
You see it all the time in the movies. The father hands the kids a wrapped box with air holes, and you catch a bit of a whimper. It’s in that moment that you prepare yourself for the cuteness that is about to
Dogmas Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons honey • 2 to 2/3 cups water • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla • 1 egg • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts • 4 cups whole-wheat flour • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1 tablespoon cinnamon • 1 tablespoon nutmeg
Instructions: ➊ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. ➋ Mix together honey, water, applesauce, vanilla and egg. ➌ Separately mix the peanuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. ➍ Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir. ➎ Spoon into a well-greased muffin tin, filling each cup 2/3 full. ➏ Bake for 35 minutes.
That’s it for now, friends! For more information, please contact me at www.pamprdpawz. com or call 210-320-6403.
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nonprofit
Giving Back in a
Big Way
While the Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund helps a wide variety of worthy causes, the common theme remains the same: to help people in need.
D
r. Steven Cyr, founder and director of Orthopaedic and Spine Institute (OSI) Medical Centers, is well-known in the Texas medical community for being a driven and compassionate physician. Cyr and his wife, Le Ann (co-founder of OSI Medical Centers), have not only been busy growing their practices (OSI, their newest venture, Children’s Orthopaedic and Spine Center and HealthCrave Medical Centers), they are also giving back to the community with the Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund. The mission of the Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund is simple: They give back to those in need of help, especially in areas that have most touched their lives. The fund’s focus is to give back to Christian-based charities, educational programs/ institutions, organizations serving military men and women and to
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youth sports organizations. Although the foundation aims to help a multitude of worthy causes, the common theme is to help people in need. One such cause the charity supports is St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. The original vision for St. Jude’s Ranch for Children came from Fr. Jack Adams, an Episcopal priest, more than 40 years ago. Adams, who was located in Southern Nevada, had a dream to create new lives for abandoned, abused and neglected children. More than 40 years later, 1,000 children have been helped by Adams’ vision. The ranch has three campuses spread over Texas and Nevada, and all of them work to “break the cycle of abuse and neglect by mending spirits and
renewing hope.” All of the locations give a multitude of services for at-risk youth including an emergency placement center, which provides a safe haven for children who have been removed from unsafe and abusive homes. The center works to address the children’s immediate and long-term needs. In June, the Cyr Family Charitable Fund participated in the St. Jude’s Ranch Doc McStuffins toy drive event. The residents of St. Jude’s Ranch were able to visit with Drs. Eric R. Ritchie and Hongbo Lui from the Children’s Orthopaedic and Spine Center for checkups for their new stuffed animals they received at the event. Getting colleagues, friends and family involved in the Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund is important to the Cyrs. The Cyr Family Charitable Fund also gives to many charities concerning health. One such organization is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The
girls with painted hands image MANDY GODBEHEAR/shutterstock.com
by Lisa Munter
hands with painted letters image Stephen Denness/shutterstock.com
Getting colleagues, friends and family involved in the Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund is important to the Cyrs. organization’s aim is to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) by funding research and providing advocacy, education and services to those with MS, as well as their family members. MS is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system. The disease can often be disabling and symptoms can range from mild (numbness in the limbs) to very severe (such as paralysis or loss of vision). The symptoms, the severity and how quickly it progresses are very unpredictable and vary greatly from person to person. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is working hard not only to help those who are suffering from this disease, but to promote research for new treatments in order to find a cure. The society is comprised of a 50-state network of chapters, all working toward common goals of prevention, treatment and a cure
for MS. The Cyr family happily joins the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in their fight to end the suffering that MS causes. Having served in the armed forces as a flight surgeon and later as chief of spine surgery and spine surgery consultant to the Surgeon General in the U.S. Air Force, Cyr has treated his fair share of soldiers. Because of these experiences, Cyr and his family find it important to give back to the men and women who serve our country. As such, the Cyr Family Charitable Fund helps sponsor the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The organization focuses on the overall well-being of soldiers serving in the U.S. armed forces with the goal “to foster the most successful, welladjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history.” They strive to help servicemen and women with not only their mental and physical health,
but also their economic stability and growth. ✪
For more information on any of these charities, to learn how to be a volunteer and/or to make a monetary contribution, visit the Steve and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund online at www.cyrcharitablefund.com. To send a donation by mail, please send checks to: San Antonio Area Foundation 110 Broadway, Ste. 230 San Antonio, Texas 78205 Please make checks payable to “The Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund.”
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nonprofit
Breakthrough Connections The generous donation of a lifetime collection of LEGOs helps two boys with Asperger syndrome build relationships and bring down social and behavioral walls at Boys Town Texas. special to nfamily
A
lifetime collection of LEGOs donated to Boys Town Texas by a San Antonio teen is helping bring down the social and behavioral walls that have confined two young boys with Asperger syndrome. Tyler Oates, 15, recently decided he had outgrown the massive LEGO collection he and his two older brothers had accumulated during their childhood. Wanting to share the collection with children, Oates contacted Boys Town Texas and spoke to Donor Relations Specialist ● ● ● ●
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Patricia Peres-Saenz. She suggested that the LEGOs go to the site’s outpatient behavioral health clinic, which provides services for children with emotional, behavioral and mental health issues. Rosemary Coates, the clinic’s licensed professional counselor, put the LEGOs in the waiting area outside of her office so children could play with them while waiting for appointments. At the time, Coates was working with two boys: Juan and Jacob. Both youngsters had been diagnosed with Asperger’s, and their appointments with Coates were usually
scheduled one after the other on the same days. Juan, 9, was very shy and impulsive. He had recently moved from another state, so he had no friends and his grandmother (and primary caretaker) was worried he wouldn’t fit in at his new school. It took a while for him to warm up to Coates and begin following her treatment strategies. When he did, he often would blurt out inappropriate comments, unaware that they might be hurtful to others or cause problems. When school started, Juan was always in trouble, either being sent to
Opposite page: Rosemary Coates, a Boys Town Texas licensed professional counselor, watches Sean, Logan and Tomas play with LEGOs donated by local teen Tyler Oates. The LEGOs have become a valuable treatment tool for children who receive counseling from Coates at the site’s behavioral health clinic. Right: Tyler Oates’ generous gift of his massive LEGO collection to Boys Town Texas is making a huge difference in the lives of children with emotional and behavioral problems. Oates (left) is with Rosemary Coates, a licensed professional counselor at the site’s behavioral health clinic.
time-out or to the counselor’s office. Jacob, 10, was also extremely shy. He rarely spoke, and he didn’t like being around anyone except his mom and little brother. Like Juan, it took him a great deal of time
“Creative play may be the best way for children to express their ‘inner world’” and effort to start speaking to Coates. Jacob liked everything to be in perfect order, stacked or lined up, including all of the toys on the shelf in Coates’ office. He would often enter a session without saying a word, walk to the toy shelves and begin rearranging each toy by size. He did the same with the books. At home, Jacob was very possessive of his toys, and he would cry for long periods if his brother touched them. Neither boy made an effort to interact with other children, either at school or in their neighborhood, and both were slow to respond to Coates’ suggestions and directions during therapy sessions. Like most children with Asperger’s, both boys had a difficult time picking up on social cues and following social boundaries, and they often seemed to be locked in their own world.
One day, though, something different happened. As Coates was visiting with Juan’s grandmother after a session and Jacob and his mom were waiting for their appointment to begin, Juan walked over to where Jacob was playing with these donated LEGOs in the waiting area. Without really speaking to one another, the two boys started connecting the pieces and building toy structures. By the time Coates had finished her conversation with Juan’s grandmother, the two boys were laughing, talking to each other and playing together. Juan’s grandmother was as surprised as Jacob’s mom, since both of their children struggled so mightily with social skills and were usually uncomfortable around new people. But the two boys had somehow gravitated toward
each other over the LEGOs and developed a connection that neither had experienced at school or in other social settings. Playing with the LEGOs had become their social focal point, and neither boy wanted to leave. The grandmother and the mother talked for a long time about getting the boys together to play, and in doing so, they found an understanding friend in each other. Since then, both boys have eagerly looked forward to their clinic appointments because they get to play together. Scheduling has made it possible for them see each other at the clinic office and to continue their friendship outside of therapy. The breakthrough that brought Juan and Jacob together was really no accident.
“Relationship building is important to any therapeutic process, and therapists assist children through activities involving role play and problem solving and the use of various media, games or toys,” Coates said. “Creative play may be the best way for children to express their ‘inner world,’ like Juan and Jacob did. And play can be therapeutic for the whole family. Games and toys are great tools for teaching children essential social skills such as sharing and taking turns.” Thanks to the generosity of Tyler Oates, Juan, Jacob and other children like them will benefit from his wonderful gift of LEGOs for years to come. ✪
For more information about Boys Town Texas, please visit www.boystown.org/texas. nfamily magazine 57
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nonprofit
All Are Welcome
Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries works to break the cycle of poverty by providing emotional and spiritual support – and thus, a glimmer of hope – to families in crisis. by Jenny Breuer
H
e couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness. The children had been through so much already; how could he make sure they did not endure one more loss? He had to ask for help. He just needed a break – one thing to go his way. He had survived cancer and homelessness, and now his wife was being told she had incurable cancer. Her treatments left her debilitated and weak, and he was essentially left raising his two children (5 and 7) on his own. He often felt overwhelmed. He prayed to God for the strength to deal with his sadness. He prayed for hope. Samuel landed on our doorstep one ● ● ● ●
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Tuesday morning desperate for resources. The holidays were quickly approaching, and he had no plan. He was raising his family on $1,000 a month. He couldn’t even think about the medical bills; it was crushing. Someone had told him about Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries (HCDBM), so he came to us not knowing what kind of assistance he would find. He knew the children needed stability, and he knew he was fragile. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before his wife got sick. It was hard to be both the mom and the dad. HCDBM welcomed him with compassion and the grace of God. We are a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping individuals and families living in poverty throughout eight counties in the Texas Hill Country. We offer intake and support services to people like Samuel. We listened, counseled and prayed with him. We walked with him as he desperately tried to replace the spirit of emptiness with a spirit of hope. The ministry partners with more than 150 churches and agencies throughout the Hill Country to serve 8,000 families and children in crisis per year. Although we provide many services, one of the most visible times of year is the holiday season. We see a lot more Samuels show up, anxious for help. We provide hope by loving them where they are and asking
them to look down the road at what is possible. Sometimes they set small goals because that is all they can muster. We walk with them so they can feel the love of Christ and know they are not alone. “We grow with them in order to walk out of the crisis together,” says Agnes Hubbard, executive director. Hubbard and her husband, David, started the ministry
so they can move out of their situation.” During the holiday season, the community comes together as volunteer mentor families come from local churches to pack and provide complete, cookat-home Thanksgiving meals to the families in our program. “We try to be in the background so that it is more about building those relationships with families
At HCDBM, we walk with families in crisis so they can feel the love of Christ and know they are not alone. 13 years ago from their garage. Today, they have grown into a 13,000-squarefoot warehouse with plans for further expansion to meet the growing needs of families in crisis. “Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty and impact these families
and volunteers,” Hubbard says. “It’s about offering emotional and spiritual support to families in crisis.” To people like Samuel who come in hopeless, we provide another layer of defense and the payoff is twofold: The
volunteers see God’s love as much as the families they mentor. The participation of the community is tremendous at this time of year. There are several ways to help: volunteering your time, providing food or resources for our Thanksgiving box program or providing toys for our Christmas project. At Christmas, we quietly give toys to the parents in our program so they have the dignity to give their children gifts themselves. This allows fathers like Samuel to witness a glimmer of hope. Sending a neighbor to lend them a helping hand is just one way God shows his love. ✪
The numbers of those in need are increasing each month. We look forward to the day we can expand even further by breaking ground on a new 42,000-square-foot resource center and warehouse. For more information on volunteering, mentoring or donating, please visit www.hillcountrydailybread.org or call 830-249-0025. nfamily magazine 59
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faith practices was also used in gatherings with moms and their small children. In maledominant cultures, the sharing of women with other women, mom to mom, is so important. We shared information about providing good nutrition through food groups, techniques for making their own oral rehydration solutions with clean water, salt and sugar, as well as techniques for hand washing with soap. Each lesson and sharing session included the creation of crafts and a gospel sharing. Seeing that the children responded so well to the skits, crafts, games and songs, the moms were eager to attend afternoon sessions that repeated some of the same lessons. We went to give them clean water to drink, and we left with changed hearts. Despite language differences, we communicated heart to heart, using the universal language of love and respect. Despite the economic poverty of the people we met, we witnessed such profound examples of faith, such strong family ties
A Cup of Water in Jesus’ Name When members of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church partnered with Living Water International, they went to Guatemala to provide clean drinking water for a community in need – but they left with changed hearts. by Sr. Rose Kruppa e want to give them clean water to drink! The initial motivation for any person to go on a water well drilling trip to Guatemala is usually no more, no less. The water crisis in so many countries is so great – 783 million people lack access to such water. A lack of clean water often leads to illness, including diarrhea. Safe, clean water is a basic human need. With fresh, clean water, there is time for school, work, life and health, which allow individuals and communities to plan for their future. Recently, 11 men and women from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church partnered with Living Water International, a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire clean water, and to experience “living water: the gospel of Jesus Christ.” This has been their mission for almost 20 years. Members of St. Francis of Assisi parish and their friends have now completed eight such missions. The 11 of us traveled to Guatemala to
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provide a well for a community in the La Máquina area in Western Guatemala. There, we teamed up with three local workers who had the equipment (the well-drilling rig and all of the materials for the well), as well as the expertise for engaging a team of eight men in all of the labor involved in the drilling, installation of pipes, well cleaning and setting up of the hand pump. The three women spent time with the women and children of the community instructing them in effective health interventions. Demonstrations of germ transmission became very effective when glitter on one person’s hands spread throughout the community through hand shaking. Lessons in hand washing with soap, the brushing of teeth and the importance of keeping water clean followed. The children in the schools loved the interaction. They laughed and giggled at the songs they learned about Señor Jabón (Mr. Soap), for example. All of the lessons were aimed at changing behavior. Combining playful, memorable teaching techniques with tried-and-true hygiene
and such generosity in giving what they are most rich in: love, joy, gratitude and hopeful spirits. My drinks of water these days are very different. I am so mindful of and grateful for the clean water that I previously took for granted. I think of and pray for the community that walks to the well each day to drink from the well that quenches their thirst for fresh water, as well as for the living water that satisfies their thirst for God, faith and community. The people of this community – the families I met – are the faces of so many in this world who thirst for more. ✪
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is located at 4201 De Zavala Road in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, visit www. stfrancissa.com. And to learn more about Living Water International, go to www.water.cc.
faith
Prioritizing Rest A letter to my back-porch rocking chair by Bre’anna Emmitt
wooden sign image Picsfive/shutterstock.com
I
’ll never forget when I found you. A “loveseat” of rocking chairs with a Texas silhouette carved out of your back, you were the perfect anniversary gift for my husband. I paid for you at the register, and the garden department workers loaded you into my car. I dragged your heavy box onto our back porch, and there we sat: you, me … and your 10,000 pieces I was expected to put together. Matching you up, piece by piece, I quickly found out you were flawed. You were missing pieces, you had extra pieces and your pre-drilled holes did not all line up. We spent hours together that hot August afternoon. You had me biting back words I don’t normally speak. I’m sure you weren’t happy with me drilling more holes into you, either. But at the end of the day, there you stood: beautiful, sturdy and ready to rock. Three years later, I want you to know I am amazed at how our relationship has grown. You’ve held my husband and me for countless hours as we’ve watched the kids run around the backyard. You’ve been like an amusement park ride for my kids. But mostly, you’ve always been there for me when I needed a break. How many times have I collapsed into you after I’ve shoveled rowdy kids into their
that have fallen when painful memories have stirred in my head. You haven’t just been a great rocker. You’ve been a great friend. When my house is a mess, you help me escape that. You’re my respite. My retreat. My rejuvenation. As I sit with you now, all I hear is crickets creaking. All I see is trees gently breezing. You’re my quiet friend. The one who’s always there. The safe place where I can rest. And as I think about the future, I realize I won’t always need an escape from a house of strewn-out toys. One day, my kids will grow up. But don’t worry: I’ll need you even more then. I’ll probably dampen you with even more tears, and we’ll sit and reminisce about the chaotic days of raising little kids. But until then, thank you for being the friend who never fails to remind me to slow down, take a break and enjoy this life. ✪
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:16 (NIV) beds for naps? You’ve heard all of my phone conversations. You’ve seen all of the books I’ve read. You’ve smelled the
flowers I’ve grown by your side. You’ve felt the prayers I’ve pleaded during our time. You’ve even tasted the tears
Bre’anna Emmitt is a Christian, a wife, a mother of three and a freelance writer. You can usually find her each weekend ministering alongside her husband, Chris, at Community Bible Church. To read more articles like this, along with recipes, marriage topics and more, go to www.sozowomen. com. You can also contact her via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (@breannaemmitt). nfamily magazine 61
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arts
Classic Broadway Fun A staple of classic Broadway and a family favorite since it premiered in 1950, “Guys and Dolls” comes to The Playhouse. by Casey Weed
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Chris Berry and Paige Blend
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Adelaide; and the city’s oldest established permanent floating crap game. In his attempts to keep the game afloat, Nathan finds himself in desperate need of $1,000 cash, which he hopes to earn by making a bet with Sky, another notorious gambler. Nathan bets Sky that he can’t seduce Sgt. Sarah Brown of the Save-a-Soul Mission into accompanying him to Havana, Cuba, for a romantic dinner. Craziness ensues as
script is fun and playful, with a romantic streak a mile wide. Based on two short stories by Damon Runyon, “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure,” the musical retains much of the irreverent humor found in the stories. “Guys and Dolls” premiered on Broadway in 1950 and has been a family favorite ever since. The Playhouse has chosen to produce the show in its holiday slot, running from
“Under the glitz and fun of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ the show is really a wonderful story of love and becoming a new person.” the couples rush headlong into love, and of course, everyone eventually gets their happy ending. The show is a staple of classic Broadway and one of the most commonly produced in community theaters, in high schools and around the United States in general. The
Dec. 6 to 22. Asia Ciaravino, president and CEO of The Playhouse, chose the show specifically for this time of year. “The market is saturated with Christmas-type shows, and I felt like it was great to give families a theatrical option that was fun and nostalgic without necessarily being ‘Christmas,’” she says. “This show tells a beautiful story of the power of love and the benefits of generosity.” The Playhouse also hopes to partner with the Salvation Army (the basis for the Savea-Soul Mission in the script) to promote the holiday spirit and giving back to those in need. “Under the glitz and fun of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ the show is really a wonderful story of love and becoming a new person,” Ciaravino says. “Giving people that support to lift them up is really what the Salvation Army is all about, and we want to use theater to help achieve that mission.” ✪
The show will be an exciting, fantastic whirlwind of classic Broadway fun. For more information, please contact The Playhouse at 210-733-7258 or visit www. theplayhousesa.org.
photo by Dwayne Greene
hen people hear “Guys and Dolls,” they envision a bright, wild, rollicking good time. And that’s exactly what director Michelle Pietri plans to deliver. “It’s a classical, feel-good musical,” Pietri says when asked to describe her vision for the show. “When you leave, you’re singing two or three or four of the songs.” This stereotypical big Broadway musical has such an engaging cast of characters that you’re sure to find someone you know onstage. As Pietri says, “Everyone knows an Adelaide or a Sarah, a Sky or a Nathan. What’s really important, too, is all the detail; it’s the ensemble that makes this show really rich and engaging. Everyone needs to treat their part as a lead and develop their character; it’s what makes this show great. And with the talent we’ve assembled, it’s going to be great.” “Guys and Dolls” tells the story of New York gambler Nathan; his loving girlfriend (and soon-to-be wife, if she gets her way),
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kids’ etiquette
A Touch of
Class
A guide to compliments and graciously receiving them by Heather Magarian
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little girl in green dress image Raisa Kanareva/shutterstock.com
P
arents, admit it: You have cringed a time or two when someone complimented your child on their appearance or how well they performed in the dance recital, and the response was complete silence – or even worse, a loud “I know!” It is crucial to teach your children what a compliment actually means and that no one is required or obligated to share with them how nice they look or how exceptionally they performed a talent. Begin by sharing what the word “compliment” literally means. According to Webster, a “compliment” is an expression of praise, commendation or admiration toward an individual. I usually start by asking my students, “If you got your hair cut and were wearing a brandnew outfit, would I be obligated to tell you how nice you look?” I also ask, “If you had just advanced from the junior varsity team to the varsity team, would I be required to say, ‘great job’ and ‘congratulations?’” The responses I have heard range from “of course you would” to “no, I guess you wouldn’t have to, but why wouldn’t you?” Secondly, educate your child to say more than just “thank you.” It’s always very striking to me when children can make eye contact, smile and respond in sentence form vs. one-word answers. It’s just an added touch of class to share a little comment about whatever someone has taken the time to compliment you on.
For instance, if your teacher compliments you on your pretty green dress, instead of just saying, “thanks,” you could smile and say, “thank you; my mom bought it for me this past weekend from Justice and green is my favorite color.” Another example: If a friend says, “I like your Astros baseball cap,” you could respond, “thank you; I got it at a game my dad and I went to last season.” Probably the most important advice you can give your children is to never make someone feel bad or embarrassed for paying them a compliment. Look at receiving a compliment as a little present given to you as a sign of respect or admiration that should always be treated as such. Even some adults are guilty of not grasping this concept. For example, a poor response to “Lisa, I love your hairstyle!” would be, “oh my goodness, I absolutely hate my hair; I was just about to make an appointment with my hairstylist to chop it off.” Or “Matt, I really like your classic Mustang!” – a poor reply to that might be, “I hate this car! It’s a total lemon, and I should drive it to a junk heap.” Here are a couple of examples of good and bad dialog:
Good:
Patty: Kira, I like your pretty earrings! Kira: Thanks, Patty. They were a present from my sister.
bad:
Patty: Kira, I like your pretty earrings! Kira: Oh, my mom made me wear these because my sister gave them to me. They make my ears hurt!
The most important advice you can give your children is to never make someone feel bad or embarrassed for paying them a compliment. So class, even if you didn’t want to wear them, but your mom made you, and even if they really do make your ears hurt, you should never impose your problems or issues on the innocent. Go compliment someone today. You’ll feel good, and you will make someone else feel great! ✪
For more information, visit Little Miss Manners School of Charm & Etiquette online at www.lilmissmanners.com.
A child needs you Become A foster or foster-to-Adopt pArent boystown.org/texas | 210-271-1010 1304-079
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events
The Holidays in SA
Enjoy festive fun for the whole family at SeaWorld San Antonio, the Witte Museum, the San Antonio Museum of Art and other favorite local venues in November and December.
Mondays Little Sprout Mondays
The First Tuesday of Every Month Little Daily Planner’s Tuesdays at the Museum
Bring your little ones ages 3 and 4 to the San Antonio Botanical Garden for kidfriendly fun! Each Little Sprout Monday runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and includes storytelling, kids’ crafts and hands-on explorations at your child’s pace. No registration is necessary, and the cost is $3 per child with garden admission. www.sabot.org
Kick off the new month with a great family outing at Little Daily Planner’s (LDP) Tuesdays at the San Antonio Children’s Museum. LDP members will receive 50 percent discounted admission to the San Antonio Children’s Museum every first Tuesday of the month. Preregistration required! www.sakids.org
Tuesdays Free Tuesdays at the Witte
The Second Thursday of Every Month Art Crawl Gallery Tours for Caregivers And Babies
Enjoy free admission to the Witte Museum every Tuesday from 3 to 8 p.m. www. wittemuseum.org
Tuesdays and Sundays Free Admission at SAMA Admission to the San Antonio Museum of Art is free to the public on Tuesdays from 4 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon. www.samuseum.org
Wednesdays SAMA Playdates Playdates at the San Antonio Museum of Art will cultivate, nurture and inspire creativity while developing an appreciation of art and world cultures. Each Wednesday morning from 10 to 11 a.m., toddlers experience stories, gallery activities, hands-on art, movement and music. Playdates are free with museum admission. Call 210-978-8100 for more information. www.samuseum.org
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Fridays Miss Anastasia’s Storytime Come join Miss Anastasia at The Twig Book Shop for a seriously fun, wacky and wonderful storytime and delightful crafts. Storytime runs every Friday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. http://thetwig.indiebound. com/miss-anastasia
Saturdays Free Crafts for Kids Join us every Saturday for Free Crafts for Kids at your local Lakeshore Learning Store. Enjoy creating a fun, new craft each week. Each session runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and ages 3 and older are welcome. www.lakeshorelearning.com
Moms, dads and caregivers of all sorts, put your babies ages 0 to 18 months in their slings and take a walk with us through the galleries at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Talks are geared toward adults, while art selections are chosen to engage the senses of both you and your infant. Cooing babies are welcome! Each tour begins at the front desk at 10 a.m. and ends with playtime and refreshments. Front-carrying baby carriers are encouraged, and strollers are welcome. Call 210-978-8100 for more information. www.samuseum.org
The First Saturday of Every Month the Marketplace at Old Town Helotes Saddle up and get ready for the MarketPlace at Old Town Helotes! Music, food and a good time are served up, and local craftsmen fill Helotes with treasures from across South Texas. Coming to town the first Saturday of every month, the MarketPlace is located in the heart of Old Town Helotes near the historic
Floore Country Store and scenic Helotes Creek. Jewelry, arts and crafts, fresh produce and one-of-a-kind pieces are on display. Additionally, local boutiques open their doors and offer visitors a taste of Old Town Helotes. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., so gather the kids and come down to Old Town for an afternoon of fun. www.helotes-tx.gov/marketplace
technologies, fitness apparel, health and nutrition information and interactive displays. The expo runs on Friday, Nov. 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/sanantonio/expo
The Second Saturday of Every Month Family Flicks at Sundown
Enjoy family-friendly activities that celebrate skateboarding culture – art, music, language and more! In conjunction with the “Ramp It Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America” exhibit at the Institute of Texan Cultures, this program promises to be fun and fast-paced. The cost is $6 to $8, and the event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.texancultures.com
Enjoy an outdoor film series at the San Antonio Museum of Art in collaboration with Slab Cinema. Special performances and art activities begin one hour prior to screening time, and the films begin at sundown. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnics. During inclement weather, films are screened in the auditorium. For film descriptions and exact times, see the website. The event is free with museum admission. www.samuseum.org
The First Sunday of Every Month First Sundays for Families at SAMA Children and families are invited to explore the collections, create art and share Sundays at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Enjoy interactive fun including sketching, painting, storytelling, films, performances and more. There’s no need to make a reservation – just stop by as we explore a new gallery each month. This program is free for children 12 and under, and it runs from 1 to 5 p.m. www.samuseum.org
Nov. 5 & 12, 2013 Open Art Classes Bring a friend to Artworks for the weekly Open Art Classes. With 12 or more different art stations, vibrant music and plenty of soap and smocks, it’s the perfect answer to the inevitable question, “What are we going to do today?” Pack a snack and a drink! Each class runs from 4 to 7 p.m., and the cost is $7. www.artworksartstudio.com
Nov. 15 & 16, 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Health and Fitness Expo The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio marathon and half-marathon features a two-day health and fitness expo prior to the race, where all participants must pick up their race packets. Free and open to the public, this expo features the latest in running
Nov. 16, 2013 Ramp It Up: Family Day
Nov. 23 – Dec. 31, 2013 SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration The season meets the sea at SeaWorld San Antonio’s Christmas Celebration, a magical holiday program offered on scheduled operating days from Nov. 23 through Dec. 31. From noon to 9 p.m., the park will be transformed into a wintery, watery wonderland where families of all ages can enjoy stunning live shows, sip hot cocoa and stroll through a sea of sparkling lights. In our newest addition, SnowWorld, families can even play in real snow! Guests will be immersed in the spirit of the season during the heartwarming show, “Shamu Christmas – Miracles.” They’ll laugh along with our jolly sea lions during “Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas.” Plus, guests won’t want to miss the twist on “The Nutcracker” with the show, “A Dolphin Christmas.” SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is a tradition the whole family will enjoy. Entry is included with paid park admission. www.seaworld.com
Nov. 29 – Dec. 21, 2013 A Wonderful Christmas at Morgan’s Wonderland Make Morgan’s Wonderland part of your holiday tradition with A Wonderful Christmas. On Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 29 through Dec. 21, you can have your picture taken with Santa, listen to Christmas carolers in the park, stop by the petting zoo and enjoy all rides open at night. Call 210-495-5888 for more information. www.morganswonderland.com
Nov. 29 – Jan. 1 Holiday in the Park It’s the most wonderful time of the year as Six Flags Fiesta Texas celebrates Holiday in the Park. Experience the park transformed into a winter wonderland. Call 210-697-5050 for more information. www.sixflags.com
Dec. 4, 2013 Ford Holiday Boat Caroling Joyous caroling fills the evening air along the San Antonio River Walk as more than 185 school, church, company and civic choral groups ring in the holidays by singing traditional carols on cruising boats from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Call 210-227-4262 for more information. www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com
Dec. 5 – Dec. 8, 2013 Ford Caroling Nights With Santa Enjoy a magical evening on the River Walk with luminarias, Christmas lights and carolers singing to everyone beginning at 6 p.m. Bring your camera and take a picture with Santa on a decorated river barge. Call 210-227-4262 for more information. www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com
Dec. 6 – Dec. 22, 2013 Ford Fiesta de las Luminarias Experience the holiday serenity of the River Walk as you stroll along the lush banks of the San Antonio River guided by more than 6,000 luminarias. Warmly glowing candles in sand-filled bags line the walkways to symbolically mark the “lighting of the way” for the Holy Family. This centuries-old tradition begins at dusk on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. Call 210-227-4262 for more information. www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com
Dec. 13 – Dec. 15, 2013 Holiday Arts & Crafts Show Starting at 5 p.m., enjoy a stroll along the picturesque River Walk, stop to talk to our vendors who are anxious to share information about their craft and take home an item that will enhance your home, wardrobe or garden. Call 210-2274262 for more information. www.sanantonioriverwalk.com
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Be a Hero!
JOIN THE SOCIETY OF ST. PJ’S
HELP PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN TO LIVE HEALTHY AND FULFILLED LIVES.
The Board of Governors of St. PJ’s Children’s Home cordially invites you into Charter Membership in the Society of St. PJ’s
The Impact of an Annual Gift Our Mission
Don a
The mission of St. PJ’s Children’s Home is to serve the needs of children and families by providing a safe, nurturing community to heal the body, mind and spirit; shape successful adults and break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
The Society of St. PJ’s is a group of concerned people who are taking a personal responsibility in the fight against the abuse of children. Our members recognize the value of social force. By banding together and pooling our contributions, we are able to have considerably more effect than we could as individuals. It is with great hope that you join us in our fight of helping abused children.
it o
s l e ev
Mentor: L n Annual Gift
Friend: Annual Gift of $250 Keep up to date with a newsletter and receive a decal to share your support!
ofEnjoy $500 a
newsletter, decal, commemorative pin, and a box of St. PJ’s cards.
Caregiver: Annual Gift of $1,000 Invitation to two ‘invitation only’ events plus all the gifts from the previous levels.
Thank You!
Pal: Annual Gift of $100
Be a part of the Society’s sustainable future.
919 Mission Rd., San Antonio, TX 78210 • (210) 533-1203 • (210) 531-8554 • www.stpjhome.org/society • society@stpjhome.org St.Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. ● ● ● ●
68 nfamily magazine
Pledge Form
❑ I accept your invitation to Charter Membership in the Society of St. PJ’s.
❑ $5,000 Family Member ❑ $2,500 Guardian Member ❑ $1,000 Caregiver Member
❑ $500 Mentor Member ❑ $250 Friend ❑ $100 Pal
PAYMENT METHOD: ❑ Check enclosed (Made payable to St. PJ’s Children’s Home) ❑ You may charge my contribution to: ❑ Mastercard ❑ Visa ❑ AMEX
Big Plans for the Big Picture St. PJ’s intends to expand its support services to include family based services to prepare a family for their children to return home and to ensure the family and child together receive the services needed to stay together for a happy, successful future.
Account #: Name on Card: Exp. Date: Signature: Your gift to St. PJ’s Children’s Home is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
❑ Please list my/our name on the Roster of Charter Members as follows: Mailing Address:
❑ Do not list my/our name on the Roster of Charter Members
Guardian: Annual Gift of $2,500 A very special level of
giving which includes invitation to an exclusive event at a board member’s home; plus all the gifts from the previous levels.
Family: Annual Gift of $5,000 An opportunity to enjoy
all the gifts of appreciation and an invitation to be a celebrity server at the children’s only annual “Party with a Purpose” on the campus of St. PJ’s!
“Your gift is our future ”
CIE E SO TY O F TH
For more information on general donations, email society@stpjhome.org or call us at (210) 533-1203.
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join
THE
CONVERSATION
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NSIDE MAGAZINE FIND OUT MORE AT
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St. Thomas Episcopal School provides a faith-based education for children ages two through fifth grade. Our core values include inclusiveness, creativity, respect, and excellence. The dedicated teaching staff of degreed teachers instructs students in a caring environment that promotes excellence in education. Fully accredited by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools, St. Thomas builds on its thirty plus years of faith-based education. Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tom1604school
OUR CURRICULUM INCLUDES: ✚ Mathematical thinking ✚ Inquiry science ✚ Literacy ✚ Art ✚ Computer literacy ✚ Spanish ✚ Music ✚ Physical Education
Contact: DR. DEBRA ROOT 210-494-3509 www.stthomaskids.com 1416 N. Loop 1604 E. San Antonio, TX 78232
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72 nfamily magazine
More “ME” time
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(210) 216-3098 (210) 822-2804 nfamily magazine 73
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Keeping your family active with
a Fitness guide for the whole family
Liz Whittaker // liz@nfitsa.com // 210.621.7301 ● ● ● ●
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Read 3 times a week. Help shape a child’s mind.
With your help, we have given away over 1.5 million children’s books! Over 500,000 Texas children are not read to on a regular basis and many of them do not have any books in their homes at all. H-E-B’s Read 3 program encourages families to read to young children at least three times a week and provides access to books. Go to heb.com/read3 to learn more. ©2013 HEB, 13-4409
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