Issuu

March 2014

Jumpstart

your gardening dreams

Omaha Street Percussion

teaches your kids to keep the beat

Keep your athlete safe this baseball season

The besT plaCe fOr kids.

Diego, age 8 Kearney, NE Critical Aortic Valve Stenosis

Visit ChildrensOmaha.org for more information on how we can help your child. For a pediatrician, family physician or pediatric specialist, call 1.800.833.3100.

on the

inside

march 2014

Volume 1 • Issue 10 PUBLISHER Todd Lemke

features

OMAHA MAGAZINE EDITOR

7 Keeping It Safe on the Baseball Field 9 Meet the Hogans 13 Omaha Street Percussion Teaches Kids to Keep the Beat 17 Sharing the Grieving Process with Your Child

David Williams HER FAMILY EDITOR Chris Wolfgang EDITORIAL INTERNS Anna Hensel (No. 33) Molly Mahannah (No. 34) CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Gawley DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERACTIVE MEDIA Bill Sitzmann

columns

8 Teen Voice: Harvesting Memories 12 Mom on the Rocks: Gardening—the

Hope and the Reality 26 Education: High LG Parenting

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER & WEB CONTENT MANAGER Katie Anderson ASSISTANT GRAPHIC DESIGNER Marti Latka CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bev Carlson • Cindy Copich • Sarah Dunsmore • Allison Janda • Karla Leriger • Brittany Mascio • Emmie McMinn • Leslie Murrell • John P. Sheehan, M.D.

departments

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gwen Lemke • Greg Bruns • Gil Cohen • Vicki Voet

11 Young Hero: Joshua Royal 18 Pets: Swine and Dandy—the Story of

Gracie, the Pot-Bellied Pig 20 Lifestyle: Get Your Patio Garden Right the First Time 23 Food: Basil, Feta, and Red Pepper Pizza 24 Food: St. Patty’s Day Shake 28 Activity: How to Attend a Seed Swap 29 Fitness: Reverse Crunch 30 Calendar of Events

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Sandy Besch Matson ACCOUNT ASSISTANTS Alicia Smith Hollins • Jessica Linhart Dawn Dennis • Sydney Stander OPERATIONS Tyler Lemke ACCOUNTING Jim Heitz WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Mike Brewer For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $9.95 to

@omahamagazine

P.O. Box 461208, Papillion, NE 68046-1208.

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Original contributions become the property of Omaha Publications. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned.

www.omahamagazine.com March 2014

Jumpstart

omahamagazine

your gardening dreams

Addyson, 7, and Kaelyn Kes, 5, are photographed at Lanoha Nurseries. Photo by Bill Sitzmann

4 HerFamily • March 2014

Omaha Street Percussion

teaches your kids to keep the beat

The information contained within HerFamily is for informational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be used to take the place of seeking professional advice, counsel or assistance. Omaha Publications makes no endorsement of and is not responsible for contributors or advertising herein. If you have concerns or questions related to your health, consult with you physician. HerFamily is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of Omaha Publications, 402.884.2000. Owned and managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD

Keep your athlete safe this baseball season

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feature story by John P. Sheehan, M.D. – Boys Town Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Keeping It Safe

on the Baseball Field

the most popular recreational sports for adults and children alike, with more than 40 million Americans participating in softball and baseball leagues every spring and summer. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, more than 3.5 million children under age 14 experience sports and recreation related injuries each year. Approximately 500,000 of these are baseball injuries that must be treated in hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers. aseball is one of

BASEBALL SAFETY

However, if players, coaches, and parents practice a few safety rules, they can prevent most baseball-related injuries. Keep your child injury-free this spring by following a few general rules provided by Boys Town Orthopaedics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS): • Always provide time for children to warm up and stretch. Have them start by warming up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running, or walking in place for three to five minutes. Then slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch for 30 seconds. bestofomaha.com

• Insist they wear safety equipment that fits properly. • Have them wear a batting helmet with facial protection devices while at the plate, when waiting a turn at bat, and while running bases. • Follow the guidelines about the number of innings pitched as specified by your baseball league (usually four to 10 innings in a week), not by the number of teams played. • Provide the appropriate mitt for their position. For example, catchers should always use a catcher’s mitt. • Catchers should always wear a helmet, face mask, throat guard, long-model chest protector, protective supporter, and shin guards. • Require molded, cleated baseball shoes that fit properly. • Inspect the playing field for holes, glass, and other debris.

COMMON BASEBALL INJURIES

One of the most common injuries to baseball players is referred to as Little Leaguer’s Elbow. This condition, according to the AAOS, affects pitchers and other players who throw repetitively, and it may cause pain on the inside of the elbow. If your child experiences symptoms such as elbow pain, restricted range of elbow motion, or locking of the elbow joint, he or she should stop throwing. Continuing to throw could lead to major complications. If such pain occurs, rest the affected area and apply ice packs to bring down any swelling. If any pain persists after a few days of rest or if pain recurs when throwing or resuming sports activities, see your child’s physician. HerFamily • March 2014 7

teen voice

story by Emmie McMinn,

Marian High School

Harvesting Memories

buy storevegetables, they may be grown in a lab somewhere in a foreign country, injected with chemicals, or sprayed with pesticides. You really have no idea what could have been put in your vegetables when you are not growing them yourself. When you grow your own veggies however, you have complete control. You water, weed, watch, and harvest at your own convenience. If you are making your own recipe and happen to need a carrot and some tomatoes, you can just run out to your garden and pull one right out of the ground or pick it from the vine. But taking care of a garden can be a lot of work—I know from experience. I grew up in a household where we didn’t have to buy vegetables at the store because we gardened every summer. My mom would wake up early every morning to go take care of the garden before the summer heat wave came. Gardening was something that she took pride in. She grew tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, lettuce, peppers, broccoli, sugar snap peas, garlic, onions, and who knows what else! All I remember is that they always tasted amazing, minus the leftover dirt and occasional bug. We harvested so many veggies from our garden that my mom had to start sending them home with whomever came over to the house, whether it was my best friend, her parents, or the electrician. The best thing that came out of all those hours of hard work was not the memories or the money saved. It was my mom’s tomato pie. The most delicious way you could eat vegetables was in a pie with countless other vegetables cooked in with them. Gardening comes with memories, amazing food, and good times. It may be difficult and not your favorite thing in the world, but in the long run, it really pays off. You get to brag to everyone that you grew that vegetable and didn’t just buy it: “I’m making heirlooms.” hen

you

bought

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meet the family story by Allison Janda • photo by Bill Sitzmann

HisFamily

Jeremy Hogan breaks the boundaries as a stay-athome dad.

bestofomaha.com

Maren and Jeremy Hogan relax with their three boys in their kitchen.

t ’s funny how people end up where they do. Looking back can often bring chuckles about the circumstances that led us to where we are. At least, this was the case for Jeremy and Maren Hogan when they decided to switch roles—he became the stay-at-home dad while she went back to work. “You know, it’s funny,” Jeremy muses. “My wife and I would lie in bed, and she’d tell me to say this to my boss or try that thing at work. I would fantasize about staying home with the boys and just wrestling and doing awesome

stuff. It took awhile for us to both catch on that maybe we should switch places.” While he was a stay-at-home dad for about four years, Jeremy also used that time to consult or work from home on small projects as well as finish up his UNO degree. “But being a father was my primary goal during those years,” he adds. Another interesting twist in their story is that Jeremy happened to homeschool all three of their children during his time as the stay-at-home parent. Having three wonderful boys (Rocky, 7; Quinlan, 12; and

HerFamily • March 2014 9

meet the family

It took awhile for us to both catch on that maybe we should switch places. -Jeremy Hogan

Jackson, 14), Maren and Jeremy shared a common philosophy regarding the education of their sons. “It needs to work for everyone in the family,” Jeremy sums it up. “When we homeschooled, it was exactly the right time for me and for the boys.” He says that in the past, he’d wanted to teach and felt that it came naturally. “When we saw how quickly they learned working with me, homeschooling was a no-brainer.” Working to his advantage was how close their boys were in age. He recalls that his youngest enjoyed coloring and pretending to read, though his main desire was to serve as a distraction. “That’s what little brothers are for right?” Jeremy says. He found that the only subject the boys needed to learn according to their ages was math. “Most of the rest, the boys were on fairly equal footing,” he says. While Jeremy enjoyed his time being a stayat-home dad, he slowly found himself getting back into the workplace with Maren’s business, Red Branch Media, a full-service marketing company which she began on her own. He started out in the company by helping to develop a website Maren designed and now leads the web development team while he also works on technical projects. “I love what I do and never would have predicted this is what I’d be doing!” he says with enthusiasm. Their boys, now all attending school in Bellevue, integrated incredibly well. Still, that doesn’t mean Jeremy doesn’t miss the perks of being the stay-at-home dad. “There is a lot of freedom with your days, especially the nice ones,” he says. “The boys and I could save schoolwork and go for a bike ride or snuggle up next to a fire or wrestle in the basement.” He pauses before adding, “Also, like any sane person, I miss sleeping in.”

10 HerFamily • March 2014

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young hero story by Chris Wolfgang • photo by Bill Sitzmann

Joshua Royal: Boy Scout Hero

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Joshua Royal, 10, wanted to take at Webelos camp the summer of 2012 was full. The young Boy Scout decided to take a first-aid class instead. His mom, Lesley, is so very glad he did. “They taught him the Heimlech, CPR, and so on,” she says. The lessons stuck. Nearly a year later, Joshua and his 8-year-old brother Jacob were eating with their grandmother last April when Jacob started to choke. “We were eating dinner,” Joshua recalls, “and we had hard-shell tacos. And when we were eating them, Jacob started coughing. And then he started turning a little blue and purplish.” The boys’ grandmother attempted to dig the piece out of Jacob’s throat, but unfortunately the shell pushed further down. “Then I hit him on the back, and I accidentally bruised him,” Joshua says. He recalls that at Camp Cedars, he learned to pound on the back three times before trying the Heimlech. Joshua remembered the maneuver from his lesson at camp where he practiced on a dummy. “First you get behind them, and you lock your hands,” he explains. “You clutch your hand around your fist. And then you squeeze them really hard, and you do it upward so you can get the air to go up and push the thing out of there.” After two pumps, Jacob spat out the shell and promptly vomited. “I’ve never been happier to see him throw up,” Joshua says. Lesley says that the boys’ grandmother relayed how calm Joshua was. “He said, ‘I got this,’” Lesley says, “told Mom to call 911, asked Jacob if he was choking. Everything.” Her voice still conveys amazement. “Jacob will be taking that first-aid class. Definitely.” Lesley’s thankful to have both boys safe and sound after such an incident. The only change is that one of them still can’t be convinced to eat hard-shell tacos anymore. Young Hero proudly sponsored by: Is our Young Hero confident enough to try any other first aid should the need arise? Joshua says that while CPR is kind of harder, he’d be willing to try if he had to. he class that

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HerFamily • March 2014 11

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Gardening

The Hope and the Reality

s I write this , I hear the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing and a light rain dotting the beach and mountains of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We came down here to show the kids how to relax on vacation, how to stay warm in the winter, and to experience beach life. We’re turning off our phones and enjoying the simplicity of

npdodge.com 12 HerFamily • March 2014

beach life. The kids are surprised to see bright green grass and beautiful bougainvillea as well as a little thing called a rain forest. The flowers and lush landscaping are amazing. My kids even find the fresh vegetables delightful. Our view from our bedroom shows the mountains, the ocean, and just below, a vegetable garden that the resort next door maintains for their restaurant. At dinner, I announce we’re going to try gardening again. Chris shakes his head at the consistent, epic failure known as my optimism. But we’re living in a land of hope and well-watered warmth, serenaded by waves practically daring me to garden. I get some asinine thought in my head every time I walk by a stunning garden: “We could so do that at home.” Last year, my gardening column involved raised beds for veggies. It never happened. What did happen was that I ripped down a bunch of conifer bushes in the front that bothered me for years. Conifer stumps and dirt now adorn my front yard. I keep researching stump grinders and low-budget landscapers. And yet it’s been a year, and the stumps still reign. Gardening at my house is kind of our big family lie. I have hope it’ll get better, but not much success to show for it. Case in point: Last year I wrote about my black thumb, my mom who lives in the tropics and can’t seem to understand why I can’t grow anything, and my hope every year that maybe I’ll turn it around and figure it out. My husband and kids don’t agree with my columnist rule of thumb—if I write about it, I better stick to it. They read the column, chuckled, and walked away, not encouraging any discussion about any possibility of any gardening. The reality is I’m a mom who doesn’t do crafts and apparently shouldn’t garden. From Chris’ reaction to my, “Hey, we could so do that in our yard,” I’m guessing the stumps will stay. I inform the kids it’s a clean, crisp, minimalist art effect. I give up and go pick my fruit and vegetables where I’m destined to: the grocery store. I’m pretty good at it. omahamagazine.com

feature story by Chris Wolfgang • photos by Bill Sitzmann

Back row from left to right: Dakarai White, Henry Fernandez, Tony Lever, Chris Sikkema, and Jeff Babcock Front row from left to right: Josh Meyer and Justin Fisher

Omaha Street Percussion

teaches kids to keep the beat.

bestofomaha.com

Omaha Street Percussion can turn anything into a good beat, including the kitchen sink. It’s all fair game: disc brakes, ladders, countless buckets, bar stools, trash cans, “and one enormous iron triangle,” says Justin Fisher, executive director of OSP. What began simply as a downtown performance group in the summer of 2012 has been gaining momentum as an incorporated nonprofit educational program in six Omaha schools. he seven members of

FROM DOWNTOWN PERFORMERS TO EDUCATIONAL NONPROFIT

“We started as a three-man group playing in the Old Market,” Fisher, 26, recalls. “A no-name group, just playing for tips.” The goal was to provide a simple fundraiser for a friend who was in the long process of adopting a child from Korea. After just a couple more performances and one well-timed YouTube HerFamily • March 2014 13

feature

video, the group was asked by Henry Doorly Zoo to play for an Earth Day celebration. Shortly thereafter, OSP joined forces with 402 Arts Collective in Benson, received a grant for use as an educational program, and by fall of 2012 was running a weekly class in Norris Middle School in addition to their normal performances. “Schools will subcontract us out,” says Dakarai White, 23, one of the seven OSP members. The exact arrangement differs from school to school. At Picotte Elementary, for example, students pay a small fee to attend the program. Currently, children in four middle schools (Monroe, Norris, RM Marrs Magnet, and Lewis & Clark) and two elementaries (Indian Hill and Picotte) have the opportunity to spend 45 minutes to an hour learning the art of street percussion once a week. “We give them all a bucket,” Fisher says. “They use regular drumsticks, and they learn

14 HerFamily • March 2014

the very basics of the craft, but they get to implement it in a street percussion feel.” All it takes is a quick trip to YouTube to see that means expertly flipped drumsticks and choreographed head nods along with a perfect drumline rhythm. While only one member (Chris Sikkema) has a music education degree, Fisher says this isn’t anybody’s first teaching gig. He guesses that he’s worked with six or seven different high-school marching bands since graduating. All the members are trained percussionists.

WHAT YOUR STUDENT CAN LEARN FROM STREET PERCUSSION

One goal of OSP is to make the classes meaningful for all skill levels, from the novice to the kid next to him who’s drummed for three years. “The kids will learn what the notes are called, what their value is…there’s actually a lot of math involved for them,”

White says. “In middle school, we’ll talk about how you can fit this note value into this length of music. We’ll reference multiplication, fractions…all the time.” Students can also count on exercising teamwork and communication skills. “We tell kids when they first come in, whenever we play, we play together. We’re a team,” White says. Fisher says he can think of at least one child at every school who simply shuts down when asked to contribute to the class. “We’re able to coach them into trying it,” he says. “Hopefully that carries over into other aspects of life.” He admits that music has played a large part in developing his own social skills over the years. “In drumming, you can’t be uncomfortable for too long. You’re going to eventually break out of your shell.” And of course, there’s the musical skill itself. “Drums are one of the most diverse of all instruments,” White says. “You can make

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so many different sounds. Like with a trumpet, you have three keys. You can only make so many sounds.” Oh yes? What would a trumpet player have to say about that, one wonders? “I played trumpet for a few years,” Fisher says, deadpan. “He’s right.” White has had training in piano and guitar as well. “All instruments help each other,” Fisher points out. “Kids may be instrumentalists, even though they’re not a drummer yet.” Any instrument would benefit from learning drumming, he adds. OSP does still perform all over Omaha and will soon be ramping up its performance schedule for the spring. Once April hits, Fisher estimates OSP will probably be performing every weekend.

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HerFamily • March 2014 15

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business. entertainment. family. food & drink. health. home. lifestyle. style.

art. at home. auto. beauty. beer, cocktails & wine. before & after. business profiles. calendar of events. chefs. coffee & tea. diy project. downtown. education. entrepreneurs. ethics. family activities. fashion. finance & real estate. fitness. galas. galleries & museums. home happenings. home improvement. hot products. in the office. leaders. music. neighborhoods. new home businesses. news. nightlife. nonprofits. nutrition. opinion. parenting. people. people on the rise. pets. places. q&a spotlight. recreation. restaurants. retirement. reviews. social media. sports. stylists. teen voices. theatre. young hero.

story by Bev Carlson, APR, Lutheran Family Services

Sharing the Grieving Process with Your Child

week. It was a family member on my husband’s side—a wonderful man but not someone my children knew well. Still, I kept thinking it might have been a really good idea for them to attend the funeral with us. It would have been a new experience for them. Even though they are both teenagers, we’ve been fortunate that they’ve never had to attend one before. My father-in-law died before my 16-year-old was born, so neither of my children has yet experienced losing someone really close to them. Experts don’t agree on whether having children and teenagers attend funerals is a good idea. They do agree that it really depends on the child and their relationship with the deceased. Children process events within the parameters of their ability to understand, so their parents and guardians can really help by being mindful of how the child is reacting (or not reacting) to events. Small children, for example, can be confused by an open casket and why they can’t see the bottom half of the body. At Omaha’s Ted E. Bear Hollow, toddlers actually “play” funeral so they can grasp what they’ve seen or will see. Ted E. Bear Hollow is a wonderful local resource for children and teenagers who have lost loved ones. There are peer support groups and other types of encouragement to help children understand that their grief is normal and won’t last forever. They learn to express their feelings and celebrate their memories of the person they lost. I’ve had more than one friend tell me that Ted E. Bear Hollow was a godsend when their spouse died, and they were trying to comfort their broken-hearted children even as they grieved themselves. If the loss was traumatic or very sudden, it may be that the child would benefit from talking to a therapist. Lutheran Family Services provides therapy for children who have witnessed or experienced trauma. Working through it is essential for positive mental health; unresolved grief can be toxic. By one estimate, teenagers who are in prison have experienced multiple episodes of unresolved grief and loss1. They become angrier with each loss and soon begin to lash out at the world around them. For many adults, attending a funeral can be a catalyst to their own healing process. Parents and guardians will always be in the best position to know if their child might experience a similar benefit from attending a funeral or “celebration of life” event. One important thing every LFS therapist I visited with told me: If the adults the child depends on are doing okay, they’ll be okay too. Don’t forgo tears and sadness but find ways to reassure the child all along the way. attended a funeral this

1. Parker, H. L. (2008). Bereavement, Grief and Juvenile Delinquency: A Participatory Study (Doctoral dissertation, Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA). bestofomaha.com

HerFamily • March 2014 17

pets story by Allison Janda • photos by Bill Sitzmann

Swine and Dandy

The Story of Gracie, the Pot-Bellied Pig

hances are that if you have a family pet, it isn’t one most people would balk at. Dog, cat, hamster, fish—these are typical animals found in countless homes. For someone like Sarah Drews who has been around animals her whole life, something special was in order. “Animals can be a best friend no matter what. It’s a special bond you form—never ending love and companionship,” she says of the pets she’s cared for throughout her life. Sarah, her husband, Tim, and their three children, Hailey, Ryan, and Kyle, live on a farm

18 HerFamily • March 2014

in Yutan. Tim grew up there. With 40 acres of land, the family often finds themselves spending time together in the field as farming is a year-round commitment. Still, they make time for fun. Driving four wheelers and riding horses are enjoyable activities if there isn’t a crop to take care of. Additionally, Drews finds herself taking care of a lot of animals. “I’ve been out here for 12 years. My heart is here, and so began my animal sanctuary.” One of Sarah’s sanctuary animals includes a pot-bellied pig named Gracie, adopted from the big city of Omaha. “I normally scroll the Nebraska Humane Society website,

and I came across a sweet, little, smooshyface piglet. She was adorable, and I knew I wanted her right away,” Drews gushes. With all of the pet possibilities one has on a farm, what drew her to the idea of caring for a pig? “They are unique looking and acting. They each have their own personalities, but they all love to eat.” After a pause, Sarah adds, “Gracie gives kisses with her wet nose on my forehead, and it’s so incredibly touching. A pig is a lot like a dog or cat. You can potty train them, teach them tricks, take them on walks, and they can even live inside your home.” omahamagazine.com

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Gracie, who is the smallest of the family’s five pot-bellied pigs, weighs in at a whopping 100 pounds. While she normally stays close to home where she has a spot on the porch complete with a roof and a blanket, Gracie did get to enjoy getting off the farm to attend a small town fair earlier this summer for a Kiss the Pig contest. “She was a hit,” Drews shares. “She was nervous but enjoyed her kennel and all of the belly rubs and kisses!” So what is the most endearing part of owning pigs? Drews doesn’t have to think long for an answer. “The things I love the most are the grunts, squeals, and oinks. They are the cutest noises in the world.” But perhaps what makes Gracie most relatable of all is her love of summer treats. “She enjoys a good slice of watermelon on a hot summer day,” Drews says, then admits, “Well, she about eats the whole thing.” While Tim likes to tease her about her pigs, Drews knows that he shares a similar devotion. “I catch him petting them or getting them some food or hay,” she says with a laugh. “I am a stay-at-home farmer mommy, and it’s a life I love and wouldn’t change. Besides my family, my animals are my everything.” bestofomaha.com

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lifestyle story by Brittany Mascio • photos by Bill Sitzmann

Get your patio garden right the first time.

ith

spring

around

the

corner, many green thumbs will be itching to get out of mittens and into gardening gloves. For many first-time urban gardeners, patio gardening can be an easy and enjoyable way to begin a simplified horticulture hobby. Preparation for your patio garden can start as early as today. With the right foundation, your plants can start growing as early as Mother’s Day.

20 HerFamily • March 2014

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT YOUR GARDEN TO DO

John Fech, extension educator of horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, says that determining your patio garden’s purpose will answer a few key questions: which types of plants you want to experiment with, how much space and maintenance it will need, and the overall aesthetic goal of your garden. Whether your garden will be situated on a deck, a raised apartment porch, or a space at ground level, there are three key site assessments to determine before bringing home the potting soil.

• Size. Map out the garden space on your patio and consider the weight that the area can support. Dirt is heavy; you don’t want a massive raised bed on a thin porch. • Sunlight exposure. Watch your designated area carefully for a few months (preferably a year) prior to planting in order to determine the patterns of sunlight and shade. • Fit. Colors, textures, and size are all plant properties to consider for the fit of your garden. wvHaving an arrangement that blends together in the right places will make a cohesive and visually attractive display from both the outside and inside views from your home. continued on page 22 omahamagazine.com

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HerFamily • March 2014 21

lifestyle

W H AT D I D

YOUR CHILD LEARN TODAY? continued from page 20

SELECT THE RIGHT PLANTS FOR YOUR GOALS

For the first-time gardener, Fech suggests a mix of ornamental and edible plants. He recommends investigating ferns, begonias, annual grasses, and herbs based on the results of your site assessment. Fech also suggests that gardeners select patio plants while keeping advice in mind from garden designer Steve Silk: Arrange plants in groups of Thrillers, Spillers, and Fillers. The Thriller is the tall, featured plant in the center of the pot. The Filler is the plant surrounding the middle, and the Spiller is the climber overhanging the pot’s edge.

CONSTRUCT THE BEST SOIL

For patio plants, potting soil becomes their ultimate foundation. Combine fertilized potting soil or rich compost with a selection of light additives like Canadian peat moss or coconut coir to help hold in moisture. Adding an even mix of vermiculite or perlite insulation, Styrofoam, or sand will encourage drainage and balance within the pot. Angie Phillipp, a custom potting supervisor at Mulhall’s Garden Center recommends refreshing the fertilizer every two weeks to once a month depending on the plant type.

Call (402)932-4978 or visit omahacm.org to begin your child’s

LEARNING!

SELECT YOUR POT(S)

Look for breathable, size-appropriate containers that aid in water drainage. Most gardening pots have a hole at the bottom of the container. Melissa Burdick, the director of horticulture at Lauritzen Gardens, says the best time to look for bargains on planters are in the winter months before the new spring stock arrives.

PROCEED TO PLANT

After the last frost—typically around the second week in May— your outdoor patio garden will be ready for planting. Plants sold at reputable nurseries will have care tags detailing basic care and maintenance. Fech says the tags are typically accurate if followed with the proper soil construction and watering. When watered completely, 10 percent of the water should drain out of the bottom of the container. “Potting soil is hydrophobic,” Burdick says. “Never let it dry out completely and spend a lot of time working the moisture back in.” She recommends watering cans over a traditional hose to get a consistent, slow drizzle. When it comes to planting in containers, make sure to water only the plant’s roots rather than getting the entire plant wet, which can encourage mold. And of course, before you pull on those gardening gloves, always consult a local gardening expert to make the most of your garden.

22 HerFamily • March 2014

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food story by Chris Wolfgang • photo by Bill Sitzmann

Basil, Feta, and Red Pepper Pizza

thletics are upon us once again, and you’re ready to show off your A game at the next March Madness party. This meatless pizza is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with two types of cheese (hello, feta and mozzarella) and the unbeatable flavor combo of basil and tomato. Score.

Ingredients • 4 large rounds of pita bread • 2/3 cup pasta sauce • 2½ cups fresh basil • 1 red bell pepper • 3½ oz feta

Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 475°F. 2. Place pita rounds on baking sheet(s) and spread each with sauce. 3. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over each round, and top with basil, bell pepper, and feta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. 4. Bake pizzas, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until cheese melts and crusts are crisp.

Nutrition per serving Calories: 579; Fat: 21; Saturated fat: 12g; Carbohydrates: 63g; Fiber: 5g; Protein: 32g bestofomaha.com

HerFamily • March 2014 23

food story and photo provided by Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Go green

with a healthy St. Patty’s Day Shake.

o green with this healthy recipe for St. Patrick’s Day. A fast-food Shamrock Shake can exceed 500 calories! This Healthy Kohl’s Kids St. Patty’s Day Shake is only about 100 calories, all while being nutritious and delicious. For more healthy recipes, visit HealthyKohlsKids.com. The Healthy Kohl’s Kids program is a partnership between Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and Kohl’s Department Stores to educate children and parents about healthy nutrition and fitness.

Ingredients • 1½ cups chopped kale, ribs and thick stems removed • 1 banana • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed • 1 cup ice • 1 cup orange juice • 1 Tbsp honey

Preparation 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend thoroughly until smooth and kale is completely puréed. Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Facts Calories: 109, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 13mg, Carbohydrates: 27g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 2g *Nutritional information is based on ingredients listed and serving size; any additions or substitutions to ingredients may alter the recipe’s nutritional content.

24 HerFamily • March 2014

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HerFamily â€˘ March 2014â€ƒ25

education

story by Cindy Copich

LOCATIONS 14460 West Maple Rd.

14303 U St.

402.493.0443

402.895.0181

2609 S. 132nd St.

1919 N. 90th St.

402.334.6933

402.391.2072

10770 Fort St. [NEC]

4840 Dodge St.

402.493.3257

402.558.2000

8315 West Center Rd.

1701 S. Galvin Rd.

402.393.2557

402.292.2685

6901 S. 84th St.

545 West Washington St.

402.339.1090

712.352.4152

Omaha, NE

Bellevue, NE

Council Bluffs, IA

LaVista, NE

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What Humans Can Learn from Rats about Child Growth

Omaha, NE

Reasons why it makes sense.

High LG Parenting

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recently read a book that gave me a lot to think about as an educator and as a parent. In How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character (2012), author Paul Tough addresses complex issues like poverty, parenting, education, and success. What sparked my curiosity the most was the section on High LG (Licking-and-Grooming) Parenting. Michael Meaney, a neuroscientist at McGill University, studied the grooming characteristics of parent rats toward their babies. He found that rats that had been licked and groomed more often as pups were later more curious, social, and healthy. While the licking-and-grooming techniques of rat parents are of course not recommended for humans, the point to take away is the effect human parents have when they provide comfort, hugs, and kind words to their babies. Meaney suggested that such behavior prompts a biological change in a child’s brain. Highly responsive and attentive parenting or caregiving actually helps a child develop more successfully. The brain develops a better stress-response system that becomes important later in life during traumatic situations. There is a distinction made in the book between attentive parenting techniques and “spoiling” a child. High LG parenting (or attentive caregiving) helps children develop secure attachments. Later in life, Meaney’s study suggested, these High LG children will be more willing to try new things and experience challenges because their brains have the capacity to deal with stress. This is in contrast to helicopter parenting that is often associated with an attempt by some parents to shield children from all forms of failure and anxiety. Tough describes successful parents as those that are able to help their children “manage failure” or develop “grit” as a key noncognitive skill for future adult success. The good news for those of us that work with children that come from environments of both high LG and low LG parenting is that this stress-response can be changed through therapy, interventions, and specific strategies. This book strengthened my understanding of the importance of positive and affirming relationships in the lives of all children.

Author Paul Tough will be the keynote speaker at the Midlands Mentoring Partnership Summit and Awards Luncheon on March 19. More information is available at 402-715-4175 or go to mmpomaha.org for tickets.

cathy.tichy@mollymaid.com

26 HerFamily • March 2014

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Camps for kids ages 2-8

Now - April 13, 2014

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ter by Regis and April 1