September 2014 HerFamily

September 2014

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Young Hero Boy Scout Justin Niss Husker (Mom) Fever Stephanie Heibel Meet the Family The Reiners

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inside

on the september 2014 features

16 Into the Air

Tuskegee Airmen 18 Weaving the Safety Net

Foster Care Stretched to the Limit

10 15

15

@omahamagazine @omahamagazine

departments 6 health:

Fighting Asthma at School 8 school feature:

PTO on the Go 10 meet the family:

The Reiners 12 diy:

Twig Art 14 health:

Family First-Aid Kits 15 young hero:

Boy Scout Justin Niss 20 parenting:

The Five W’s of Homework 22 lifestyle:

Husker (Mom) Fever 24 food:

Breakfast Burrito 26 mom on the rocks:

Morning Glory 27 fitness:

Twist & Kick 28 calendar of events 30 the grandpa chronicles:

Butterflies are Free

Volume 2 • Issue 4 PUBLISHER Todd Lemke EXECUTIVE EDITOR David Williams MANAGING EDITOR Robert Nelson EDITORIAL INTERN Jillian Humphries CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Gawley DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERACTIVE MEDIA Bill Sitzmann SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER & WEB CONTENT MANAGER Kristen Hoffman GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rachel Joy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bev Carlson • Allison Janda • Leslie Murrell Kevin R. Murphy, M.D. • Traci Osuna • Kara Schweiss.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Sarah Lemke ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Gwen Lemke • Greg Bruns • Gil Cohen George Idelman • Vicki Voet 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 Printed by Omaha Print For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $9.95 to P.O. Box 461208, Papillion, NE 68046-1208. www.omahamagazine.com Original contributions become the property of Omaha Publications. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned.

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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 your 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.

Seven-year-old Regan Girthoffer, a 2nd-grader at Rose Hill Elementary School, is all set for a new school year.

4 HerFamily • September 2014

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Fighting Asthma at School

o

ver the past five years, the Nebraska school system has taken an active role in helping families, students, and schools in the treatment of life-threatening asthma and allergic reactions. A protocol for the treatment of life-threatening emergencies requires that three individuals in every school building be trained to respond to the treatment of symptoms of a child with life-threatening asthma or allergic reactions. Taking care of children with asthma/allergies at school has become a priority since children spend the majority of their day with peers and staff.

Boys Town Allergy, Asthma & Pediatric Pulmonology offers some helpful reminders for both parents and schools.

PARENTS • See your child’s doctor annually to review his/her medications and treatment plan.

• Notify the school of your child’s asthma or allergy.

• Submit any medical history, health status and treatment plans.

• Include a list of asthma triggers.

• Send a list of emergency contacts,

6 HerFamily • September 2014

including names to contact if you are not available.

• Talk with your school nurse/ principal about how to respond in an emergency attack.

• Leave a set of medications at your child’s school with detailed instructions on how to administer medicine if an attack should occur.

• Talk with your child about the use of his/her medications at school.

SCHOOLS • Review the written emergency plan with the child’s parents at least once a year to make sure there have not been changes or updates.

• Know exactly where the child’s medicine is stored and how to administer medicine if necessary.

• Understand the trigger signs for an asthma attack.

Review the school’s protocol for emergency situations. Remember that asthma and allergy attacks can strike at any time, that’s why Nebraska requires that children have access to lifesaving medications. Children are able to carry

their own inhalers and other medications needed for asthma or allergy attacks and schools have Epinephrine (EpiPen®) on hand for emergencies.

The EpiPen® is easy to administer and store, and is available in two strengths to support weight-based dosing. An injection of epinephrine can be given within minutes after a serious reaction begins and can be lifesaving for the child, allowing time to get to the emergency room for further treatment, and it gives the child relief of airway constriction.

All Nebraska schools are prepared to respond to life-threatening asthma and allergic emergencies. Families, physicians, and schools working together can make a difference in a child’s asthma and allergy condition. Parents can rest a little easier knowing that schools in Nebraska are ready to take care of children with asthma or allergic reactions.

Kevin R. Murphy, M.D. Boys Town National Research Hospital omahamagazine.com

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HerFamily HerFamily • August • July 2014 7

school featureSarah Lemke Traci Osuna by

photography by

PTO on the Go Technology has helped busy parents stay involved with their kids’ school life.

h

ow many of us don’t end the week wondering where the time has gone? Between work, keeping up the house, kids’ activities, and just plain old family time, it can feel nearly impossible to fit in just one more thing. Like many working parents, Valarie Taylor says that, although she would like to be more involved in her children’s school, it’s just difficult to find the time.

“I try to help out with the classroom parties and volunteer for field trips,” Taylor says. “My work is pretty good about flextime.”

She says she is also a member of the PTO, but she still feels that she could be doing more. “Sometimes it would be nice to be more involved on a day to day basis; to see the dynamics of the classroom and how the teacher interacts with the children.”

“It’s tough,” says Sue Rice, Principal of College View Elementary School in Council Bluffs, who describes Taylor as one of her “super-volunteers.”

“It’s just another way of becoming involved and it provides a glimpse into what’s happening in the classroom if the parents can’t be there.”

-Sue Rice

“It’s really hard for parents to have a fulltime job and also participate in their child’s education.” Rice and her staff identified the growing need to move from the traditional school groups and toward a more innovative and inclusive way of doing things.

“What I’ve found out, as the years have gone by, is that it is really hard for people to attend meetings and be on committees and do

all the things they need to do while holding down a fulltime job,” Rice says. “So we’ve kind of come into the 21st century and looked at what can we do to help parents feel involved and get them interested in their children’s education.”

While Rice says that the school still has the traditional PTO meetings that occur every other month for those who can attend, more and more parents are becoming involved by participating in the committees online. “PTO is run different,” she says. “People are able to sign up for things electronically.”

Another way that many parents are able to engage in their child’s classroom activities is by joining their classrooms’ Facebook pages. “Parents can see, during the day, what is going on in the classroom.” Rice explains that teachers and students alike take turns posting about what the children are learning as well as about daily events. Short video clips can also be added. “It’s just another way of becoming involved and it provides a glimpse into what’s happening in the classroom if the parents can’t be there.”

Rice adds that even though parents are very busy, the school has had a great response for volunteers. The increased access to committees and groups online has not seemed to hinder or decrease onsite parent involvement. “Parents have a lot of opportunities to be involved. We still have parent volunteers that come in for classroom parties and activities.”

College View, which opened four years ago and has been recognized as an International Baccalaureate World School, has added several clubs for students, including a running club, Spanish club, and art club, all of which have been sponsored by parents.

By embracing technology and thinking outside the box, the faculty at College View has been able to reach and accommodate more parents than ever before. “We’ve tried to spread it out so there are a variety of opportunities for everyone, rather than having just a select few doing everything.”

College View Elementary School Parent Valarie Taylor

8 HerFamily • September 2014

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HerFamily • September 2014 9

meet the family

by David Williams photography by Bill Sitzmann

Meet the Reiners and their little free library.

Kim and Kevin Reiner with Henry and Charlotte

10窶ォerFamily 窶｢ September 2014

omahamagazine.com

t

he new library located in Metcalfe Park is doing a brisk business. Oh, you didn’t know that the park in the Country Club neighborhood had its own library? At about 20 cubic inches, this “library”—a simple house-shaped box on a pedestal— could be easy to miss…except, of course, for all the kids usually gathered around it selecting children’s books while following a “take-one-leave-one” lending policy.

The open-air library is the work of Kim Reiner, who is a public relations coordinator with Omaha Performing Arts. She and husband, Kevin, are the parents of Henry (4), and Charlotte (2).

Kim is also a blogger, and her “Oh My! Omaha” site is a parent’s guide to the city.

That’s how Kim got into the library business to begin with. Post Alpha Bits cereal had contacted hyper-local bloggers across the nation with an offer to supply one of their Little Free Library kits in an effort to promote early childhood literacy.

Perhaps as much as any single space in Omaha, Metcalfe Park represents the classic melting pot view of what it means to be an American. Little girls in hijabs play with Somali refugees who play with Burmese children—most too young to understand the gift that their parents have given them in bringing them to our country.

“Many of the kids who play in the park are learning English,” Kim explains, “so it’s really inspiring to know that their first book in their new world—their very first book in English—might just be one from the Little Free Library.”

“Take it another step,” adds Kevin, “and think about the idea that many of those kids’ parents may be learning the language through the same books. It’s been said that countless immigrants have learned English by watching Sesame Street with their kids, so I picture moms and dads and kids all learning together with the children’s books that flow through that library.”

Kevin also works in the creative world as a digital media producer with Clark Creative Group. You’ve probably seen a million of his TV commercials and other projects but, just like Kim, he’s also played a role in delivering fine art magic on the Orpheum Theater stage and beyond. Kevin created the animations that became the projected backdrops for the Jun Kaneko-designed productions of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Opera Omaha), Beethoven’s Fidelio (The Opera Company of Philadelphia), and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Washington National Opera). bestofomaha.com

So it’s no surprise that Henry and Charlotte are being raised in an environment where they are immersed in art and culture.

“It’s kind of a hit-or-miss experiment every time we take in a show in terms of learning what the kids are now old enough to sit through,” Kim says, “but it’s great to experience theater and other cultural events through the lens of your kids. You take in a production in entirely new ways when your kids are by your side.”

Henry, Kim and Kevin explain, is a builder of considerable talent.

Just give him enough of anything—from Legos to lima beans—and he’ll soon assemble an impressive architectural feat of some kind, ones that usually incorporate a wildly imaginative collection of other, seemingly unrelated found objects.

“He’s a mixed media artist,” Kevin adds with a chuckle.

The young boy is also pretty good with movie and book quotes.

When a recent shopping trip found Henry crossing the threshold of a local big box store—the one with the red bullseye logo—he was compelled to blurt out “You’re not the Target market, weirdo,” in echoing a line from the film The Lorax.

“And then there was the ‘As you wish’ kick that came after we watched The Princess Bride,” adds Kim. “He was begging for a bonus bedtime story one night and I finally caved with an ‘Okay, okay’ when he corrected me and said ‘No, mom, you’re supposed to say ‘as you wish,’ just like in the movie.”

Charlotte is described by the Reiners as being perhaps a bit more extroverted than her brother. “Henry is more gentle-goofy,” Kim says, “and Charlotte is more spirited. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

“We’ll go to, say, Jazz on the Green,” Kevin says, “and Charlotte is the kid that will plop down next to any group of people and just start chatting away.”

Charlotte’s dreamland domain of late is the backyard sandbox.

The adorable tot was encrusted almost head-to-toe in a rime of sand the evening of the interview.

“That’s where we look whenever anything goes missing in the house,” Kim quips. “We check the sandbox first.”

“Yeah, like that’s where we found last night’s leftover pizza dough,” Kevin winks.

HerFamily • September 2014 11

diy

by HerFamily staff photography by Sarah Lemke

12窶ォerFamily 窶｢ September 2014

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Pools • Spas • Accessories • Chemicals • Repair & Service

Twig Art

Bringing Nature Indoors

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ring the beauty of nature into your home with this cheap, easy, and most organic of DIY projects. All you need is a pair of pruning sheers and an empty, re-purposed picture frame to create this clever wall sculpture.

An unexpected bonus comes in this work of earthy art when the tendrils of twigs cast their irregular shadows, doppelganger-style, on the adjoining wall. The play of light and shadow can be downright mesmerizing!

Be sure to use a varied mix of straightish and bent sticks and twigs. That’s how you’ll achieve yet another “happy accident” where your previously 2-D picture frame now creates a decidedly 3-D vibe as your assemblage veritably bursts from the frame, taking on a sculptural look in a composition that morphs into new patterns with each different angle.

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HerFamily • September 2014 13

Smart Start Learning Center

health

by Robert Nelson

Building a Foundation for Lifelong Learning

Now Enrolling for Fall 2014-2015 Ages 6 weeks to 12 years Before/After School Program SPACE IS LIMITED

Just in Case

The start of school is a good time to refresh (or create?) the family first-aid kit.

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ven if you have a first-aid kid in your car or home, it’s still probably short on a few critical items and long on expired items. Is there hydrocortisone ointment in your kit?

When were the flashlight’s batteries last changed? Was it before that one fireworks show at Rosenblatt?

A good trick is to designate a time each year to refresh or upgrade your first-aid kits, which you should have in your home and any of your vehicles. If you don’t have a kit, you can purchase them already stocked from the American Red Cross or from any number of pharmacies or other stores in the metro area. If you’d like to go it yourself, the following collection of items suggested by the American Red Cross would make for a good basic kit to help you be prepared for emergencies.

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches) • 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) • 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch) • 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram) • 5 antiseptic wipe packets • 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)

• 1 blanket (space blanket) • 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve) • 1 instant cold compress • 2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large) • 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each) • Scissors • 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)

14 HerFamily • September 2014

• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide) • 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) • 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches) • Oral thermometer (non-mercury/ non-glass) • 2 triangular bandages • Tweezers • First aid instruction booklet • Heavy-duty, waterresistant flashlight

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young hero

by Kara Schweiss photography by Sarah Lemke

After the Storm

Veteran Boy Scout Justin Niss joined the fight to save Pilger. Now he’s joining the Marines.

j

ustin Niss spent the day before the Fourth of July out in the sunshine.

But he wasn’t hanging out with buddies or lounging at the lake. Niss spent a long, hot day volunteering to clean up tornado damage in Pilger, Neb. “I just wanted to help,” says the 17-yearold aspiring Eagle Scout from Troop 558, who has also signed on with the United States Marine Corps. With a group of fellow recruits, Niss worked hours in the heat wearing long pants, work boots and heavy gloves, tearing down a partially destroyed storage structure piece by piece.

“There was some pretty heavy metal,” says Niss, a senior at Elkhorn High School.

“There were ceiling braces, and those were really heavy.”

His Boy Scout experience helped prepare him for the task, he says.

“I knew the basics on how to clean something up and fix things and put new things in spaces,” he says. “So I just kind of put that experience in a new context.”

District Executive Tracy Yost, with the Diamond Dick District (part of the Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council, the same council Omaha-area troops are part of), says volunteering is second bestofomaha.com

nature to a Boy Scout.

“We go back to, ‘Do a good turn daily’— one of the Scout mottos. We leave no trace. That’s a Scout concept: Leave the place better than we found it,” says Yost, who oversaw the Pilger volunteering efforts of the region’s Boy Scouts. “These kids have such a sense of giving back to the community at such a young age.”

Yost’s district serves an eight-county area in northeast Nebraska, including Pilger and other communities and rural areas affected by the June tornadoes.

“Some of these places have been wiped clean,” she says. “It’s so emotional, everybody in the community seems to know somebody who has taken a direct hit and a loss.”

Yost says that Scouts from the immediate area stepped up to help right away, quickly followed by out-oftowners like Niss.

“In a situation like this, they don’t care what they’re earning for badges; it’s kind of like an instinct in them,” Yost says, adding that organizers were able to find work for even the younger Scout volunteers.

“There are fields that have debris spread all over and they have to be walked,” Yost

says. “It’s getting your hands down and dirty. You just have no idea until you actually, physically go see it in person what damage has been done.

The debris—everywhere.”

Niss, who says his parents “were all for it” when he asked for their consent to volunteer, went willingly into Pilger despite not knowing exactly what would be asked of him.

“I’d seen the pictures right after (the tornadoes) happened, so when we actually got there, it looked a lot better than I thought. There’s like nothing left of the town, but there’s not rubble everywhere.

It’s a lot of plain lots,” he says. “They’re making progress, but there’s still a lot left to do,” he says.

Niss says he feels good about helping in Pilger, and was also pleased to find himself in good company.

“While we were there, there were always people driving around and helping others; there were five or six people who stopped and helped us take the building down.

We had people stop and give us water while we were working,” Niss says. “It was surprising how many people were there helping. It was amazing.”

HerFamily • September 2014 15

feature Kara Schweiss by

photography by Sarah Lemke

Into the Air Students learn to fly through novel Tuskegee Airmen Inc., program.

16 HerFamily • September 2014

t

ateyna Jones has a fear of heights.

So even though her first piloting experience was on the ground in a flight simulator, she still got a major rush from the experience.

“They had us fly through a storm and the simulator started shaking, she says.

“It was intense.”

Jones’ once-in-a-lifetime adventure came thanks to the 3-year-old flight simulator program coordinated by the area chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Area youth can now experience the sensation of piloting an aircraft in an authentic flight simulator at Offutt Air Force Base that provides realistic graphics—and motion—way beyond the scope of any video game.

Other students in the program get the opportunity to take a ride in an actual aircraft through the Young Eagles program based at Millard Airport.

The larger mission of these programs is to promote aviation and education, says Bob Rose, president of the Alfonza W. Davis Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen in Omaha, one of 50 chapters nationwide named in honor of the groundbreaking African-American members of the Army Air Corps during World War II. “Our national and local mission is to perpetuate the legacy of the TuskegeeAirmen, and we do that through youth,” Rose says.

“We use aviation as a hook to get kids interested in education, and we try to impress upon them that, just as the Tuskegee Airmen succeeded, they can succeed, too, if they’re properly prepared and if they have the right attitude.”

The flight simulator program draws students ages 12 through 18 from schools and youth organizations yearround (the flying program runs April through October). Groups of nine young people, with two adult escorts, are broken into subgroups to give each student 45 minutes in the flight simulator and roughly 15 minutes of stick time. The rest of the 3½ hour base visit includes a control tower tour, an observation of K-9 training (when possible), and classroom-based briefings on aviation principles and military topics like World War II and, of course, the Tuskegee Airmen.

The flying program is organized with members of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s chapter based out of Millard Airport, and students get a certificate of completion. They also have their flight time omahamagazine.com

Bob Rose, head of the local Tuskegee Airmen group entered into a permanent online log book.

Because participants are entering the grounds of a military base for the Flight Simulator Program, Rose’s group must collaborate with several layers of base personnel.

The program’s organizers enjoy a unique relationship with the Offutt hierarchy. The Wing Commander supports the chapter and has given his blessings to this program.

In addition, he has assigned a liaison officer as a go-between and as the eyes and ears for his office and the chapter, Rose says.

“With the assistance of the liaison officer and the base, we are able to execute this program,” Rose says. “It’s very generous.

And it’s unique in that as far as I am aware, it’s the only program of this nature in the country, at least to this extent.”

Jones, 17, says she has never experienced anything close to her flight in a state-ofthe-art flight simulator.

“They closed the door and I really felt that I was in the air,” Jones says. “When you’re looking out a regular airplane window, you don’t see as much, but when you’re in the flight simulator you see everything; you’re flying it.”

Jones says she was quick to sign up when the opportunity arose and thinks the program could benefit any student.

“It just sounded really cool and interesting, and I wanted to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen,” says Jones, the daughter of a retired Marine. “You really learn a lot and I’d recommend it to other students, especially people who going into the military or going into a career field related to flying.” bestofomaha.com

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HerFamily • September 2014 17 7/1/2014 4:29:13 PM

feature

sponsored content by Bev Carlson, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska

Weaving the Safety Net

Good families willing to take in children are needed now more than ever.

i

t’s just depressing, to be honest.

Every hour or so, another email comes. Sometimes, it’s every 45 minutes.

A child has been removed from their home. He isn’t safe there. She’s been neglected. Sometimes it’s several children, and their caregiver was arrested or is too drunk to care for them. Sometimes their adults are fighting and the children are in the crossfire.

The children need a place to stay. Right Now. It doesn’t matter that it’s 2:00 am.

Jessyca Vandercoy oversees Permanency and Well-Being Programs for Children at Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS). She sees the emails come in. It breaks her heart. Because far too often, there’s no good place for the child to stay.

“We have 61 licensed foster families and another 10 more waiting for final approval. Our families are always fostering children,” Vandercoy says. “Sometimes they can take another child. Often they simply can’t because there are no more beds. And it’s just wrenching to see the lists of kids with nowhere to go.”

So what happens to those children when there’s no foster home available for them? It varies. Local foster care providers like LFS regularly receive a status report on children and teenagers still needing placement who have no or limited options. On the one summer day that we looked, there were 23 children on the list. Many were teenagers living in emergency shelters. Others were under 10, living in group homes. One was only three years old. The hope is always that a child will be able to move into a foster home near his or her school, but once that option is exhausted, the next step is changing schools. And probably not for the first time. Many children lose count of how many schools they’ve attended.

Despite caring social workers, case managers, and well-intentioned care givers, this is no way for a child to live, especially a child who has been removed from the home by no fault of his or her own. Children generally end up as wards of the state because, in some way, their adults have failed them.

“It’s traumatic enough for the child to go through the experience of being removed from their home,” Vandercoy says. “But then to compound that trauma by then not having anyone willing to take them in….” Her voice trails off as she shakes her head. “It’s just rough.”

Vandercoy would know. She was once in foster care herself and is now the mother of children adopted from foster care. “These children matter,” she says. “They are part of our community and deserve to be safe and loved. One day they will be adults, and we need to do everything we can to help them be well-adjusted and happy.”

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent through Lutheran Family Services, call 402-661-7100. Or email the foster care team at LFS at fostercare@lfsneb.org. A new foster parent licensing class begins in September.

18 HerFamily • September 2014

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HerFamily • September 2014 19

parenting

by HerFamily Staff

The Five W’s

Establishing Successful Homework Habits

g

ood study habits are just that…habits. Using a structured approach to homework builds strong study habits, ones that set the stage for your child’s academic success. Let’s look at The Five W’s of homework—the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of how to have your kids start the school year with a solid plan for learning.

WHO

L

URA G U A IN OF BEST A OMAH AL V I T S FE 14 11, 20 RENA .

T C O TON A RALS.M. 3-8P

• Good homework strategies start in the classroom. Know your children’s teachers and their expectations.

• Having your child study with a friend runs the risk of turning book time into social time, but quizzing each other in a “study buddy” environment can be particularly effective in the days leading up to tests.

WHAT • Help your kids understand how to sort homework tasks by level of difficulty and have them tackle tougher assignments first.

• If fatigue becomes an issue later in a study session, the remaining, easier work will seem like a breeze by comparison.

WHEN • Establish a set time for homework. This is perhaps the single most important benchmark of good study habits.

• Don’t expect kids to be able to do homework the minute they walk in the door after school. This is a time of day when they need to decompress, and there is nothing like a little much-needed physical activity at this time of day to recharge young minds.

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• Set up a designated study area otherthan your child’s bedroom that has good lighting and comfortable furniture.

• Make sure the study area is stocked with whatever materials are required for the task at hand…pencils, paper, laptop, scissors, etc.

WHY • When parents take a supportive, active role in homework, kids are more successful in their academic efforts.

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HerFamily • September 2014 21

lifestyle

by Allison Janda photography by Sarah Lemke

Husker Husker (Mom) (Mom) Fever Fever

Motherhood hasn’t dampened Stephanie Heibel’s love for all things Husker.

i

f you’re anything like Stephanie Heibel, you haven’t stopped thinking “Huskers” since the end of last season. It’s my passion,” Heibel says.

“Being a Husker fan is what everyone knows me for.”

How big a fan is she? Perhaps the biggest in the history of Husker football?

Some supporting evidence: Heibel took athletic training classes during her time at UNL. Once, back in the fall of 2000, she was helping a trainer tape the ankles of linebacker Carlos Polk. When Polk asked her who her favorite player was, she responded Matt Davison.

“Being a Husker fan is what everyone knows me for.”

-Stephanie Heibel

Polk said she only liked Davison because he was cute. “Which made me mad,” Heibel says. Heibel says she simply respected Davison as a player. “I told (Polk) I could prove him wrong.” Heibel asked Polk what sort of information he would expect a male fan to know. Probably some statistics, right? Heibel knew Davison’s first touchdown, where he was from, his total yards for his career. She even knew his stats from high school in Tecumseh, Neb. Polk couldn’t stump her with any question he asked.

After Polk consulted with a fellow player, Erwin Sweeney, Sweeney concluded it wasn’t too difficult to memorize one player’s stats. “So I respond with, ‘I know you are Erwin Sweeney No. 16, cornerback from Lincoln, Nebraska.’ I looked at Carlos and said, “You are Carlos Polk, No. 13, middle linebacker from Rockford, Illinois.”

I went on to name the rest of the players along with their number, position, and where they were from, and ended with

22 HerFamily • September 2014

‘I can start at No. 1. That’s Thunder Collins, running back from Los Angeles. I told them I could go down the list numerically if you want.’”

Word of the Husker savant spread quickly. At Heibel’s next training session, she had several players approach her asking if she was the fan. “They said that they had heard about this girl who schooled Carlos and they wanted to meet her.”

Being a fanatic actually started when Heibel was young. Her dad, she says, always told her that she was born a Husker, what with her scarlet hair and cream-colored skin.

Heibel has passed along the fever to her 3-year-old son, Lucas. He loves when he gets to put his Husker stuff on, Heibel says. Lucas was born in August, right at the beginning of the Husker football season. As a baby, when Husker games came on, “If he didn’t have his head pointed toward the screen, he would try to move it so he could.” Even his nursery is covered in Husker gear.

And while Heibel usually chooses a favorite player each season, her favorite player of all time is easily Matt Davison.

If you’re a diehard fan, you’ll understand her first reason for liking Davison: The first Husker game she ever attended was Nebraska versus Missouri in 1997. That was the game in which Davison made perhaps the most famous catch in Cornhusker history.

Her favorite number is 3 (Davison’s jersey number). She buys a No. 3 jersey every season for Lucas to wear for game days. She has her ticket from that game with Davison’s signature on it. She has a signed 16 x 20 picture of him from when she met him at fan day as a freshman.

Her collection of Husker memorabilia goes on and on.

“I still even have my pompom that I had at the game,” she says.

Stephanie and Lucas Heibel omahamagazine.com

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HerFamily • September 2014 23

food

sponsored content by Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Breakfast ingredients • 6 egg whites • 2 Tbsp reducedfat cheddar cheese • 2 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)

• 1/2 avocado, peeled and diced • 2 Tbsp salsa

preparation

Burrito

r

oll up this egg and cheese breakfast burrito in minutes, and you’re ready to go. Packed with protein, this simple egg recipe is a great start to the day.

Find more great recipes at 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.

1. In a bowl, mix egg whites and cheese until combined.

2. Lightly coat a microwave-safe bowl with nonstick cooking spray.

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5. Top with avocado and salsa and roll up.

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 225, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 538mg, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fiber: 12g, Protein: 16g Yield: 2 servings

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mom on the rocks

by Leslie Murrell

Morning Glory Grumpy school kids can’t slow the Early Bird.

m

orning people like me take everyone’s grumpy morning breath while being told we’re too perky. I don’t just wake up like Snow White, singing with birds floating around me. I wake up sleepy and then bat all the yappy birds away. Morning people get as much stuff done as possible before the rest of the world can hit their snooze button four times.

By the time anyone stirs at my house in the summer, I’ve gotten dressed, fed the dog, worked out, walked the dog, picked up the dog’s poop, washed my hands six times, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, had two cups of coffee, started laundry, brushed my teeth, and washed my face. Oh, and I’ve written an article.

We’re perky because we’re so darned accomplished by the time you’ve attained basic success of simply waking up.

Each summer Max and Lucy beg me to not sign them up for anything. They reserve the right to stay active on their own terms. I agree to their pleas because I know in my head we’ll have plenty to do.

And I might take advantage of my summer mornings to the point where I get so busy,

26 HerFamily • September 2014

I stop to take a break for lunch and figure maybe I should wake the kids up.

Back to school means my morning routine is abruptly interrupted and no longer all mine. I manage to throw back some coffee before the kids get up and the chaos ensues.

Now my workout consists of pacing between the kids’ rooms, pulling and pushing two human beings into the shower.

I do push ups all summer so that I can manhandle the zombie tweens. They are physically stricken with pain and grief, mourning the loss of their summer sleep-in gig.

I shove a breakfast smoothie under their heaved-over faces and greet them with annoying delight. It’s on the drive to school that the kids form words and wake up just enough that they can manage school. I drop them off and head back home. Then I high-five myself and finish the rest of my morning routine. Summer or fall, I’m still a fabulous morning person.

Read more of Murrell’s work at momontherocks.com.

omahamagazine.com

fitness

by HerFamily staff photography by Bill Sitzmann

Twist & Kick

l

ike last month’s “Split ‘n’ Reach” exercise, this workout is done while seated working your arms, back, and abs. So get comfortable on a flat surface and bring out your resistance band that’s been hanging in the closet. You got this!

W H AT D I D

YOUR CHILD LEARN TODAY? Exercise 1. Anchor a resistance band overhead.

2. Sit with feet hip-width apart, knees bent, with a handle in each hand.

3. Engage abs and lean back at 45-degree angle to begin.

4. Rotate torso to right, pulling right elbow to floor while lifting and extending right leg.

5. Hold for two counts and return to start for one rep.

6. Do 16 reps. Switch sides; repeat. bestofomaha.com

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

LEARNING! HerFamily • September 2014 27

Calendar of Events Zoo Run

Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow

Antique and Garden Show

FOR THE KIDS

FOR THE FAMILY

FOR MOM & DAD

GIFFORD FARM FALL FESTIVAL

END OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

JO KOY AT THE FUNNY BONE

SEPTEMBER 20-21, GIFFORD FARM EDUCATION CENTER

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 25, MIDTOWN CROSSING -

SEPTEMBER 5-7, OMAHA FUNNY BONE – 17305

- 700 CAMP GIFFORD RD. Mini pony rides, hayrack

BETWEEN FARNAM AND DODGE STREETS AND 31ST AND

DAVENPORT ST. Jo Koy has come a long way

rides, farmers market, food booth, and outdoor

33RD STREETS. Start the weekend early. Every

from his modest start performing at a Las

nature classroom. 10 am- 4 pm. 402-597-4920.

Thursday night in September, some of the

Vegas coffee house. His infectiously explosive

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areas most exciting live musical talent will be

energy on stage, insightful jokes, and family

featured. Park opens for seating at 5 pm. Music

inspired humor cross all boundaries and led

MUD PIES AT HABITAT HOLLOW

begins at 6:30 pm. Free. 402-934-9275.

Daily Variety to name him one of the “10 Comics

SEPTEMBER 2-11 (WEEKDAYS), FONTENELLE FOREST -

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to Watch.” Dinner available. Fri & Sat 7:30 pm

1111 BELLEVUE BLVD. Drop by to explore nature

and 9:45 pm. Sun 7:30 pm. $22. 21 and Up.

science topic is introduced each week through

STINSON CONCERT SERIES – FISHHEADS

interactive stations within “Habitat Hollow.” 9:30

SEPTEMBER 6, STINSON PARK - 67TH AND CENTER

am – ll:30 am. For children 5 and under. Free for

STREETS. Come enjoy this free concert series.

ANTIQUE AND GARDEN SHOW

members or daily admission fee. 402-731-3140.

There will be food and drink vendors, face

SEPTEMBER 19-21, LAURITZEN GARDENS - 100 BANCROFT

– FONTENELLEFOREST.ORG

painting, balloon artists, and more. Kids can

ST. Spectacular gardens, lectures and beautiful

play in the fountain and on the playground

antiques ranging from porcelain, silver, jewelry

PALEO JO’S DINOSAUR MINI CAMP

equipment. These concerts are family friendly

and paintings to furniture. $15, free admission

SEPTEMBER 6, OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM - 500 S.

so grab your chairs and blankets and bring

for members. 402-346-4002.

20TH ST. Enjoy a morning of dino-sized fun while

the kids. 7 pm–10 pm. 402-496-1616.

- LAURITZENGARDENS.ORG

exploring the world of dinosaurs and fossils.

– AKSARBENVILLAGE.COM

activities with your child. A different natural

402-493-8036.

– FUNNYBONE.COM

formed, and make your own fossil cast. Plus,

FORT OMAHA INTERTRIBAL POWWOW

ANDY WARHOL IN LIVING COLOR: CONTEMPORARY PRINTS FROM JORDAN D. SCHNITZER

you’ll have the chance to search for real fossils

SEPTEMBER 13, METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

OCTOBER 4 - JANUARY 11, JOSLYN ART MUSEUM - 2200

to take home. 9 am–noon. $25 for members,

- 5300 N. 30TH ST. Celebrating Native American

DODGE ST. This exhibit examines how color

$30 for non-members. 402-342-6164.

cultures, the powwow honors the traditional

impacts both subject and viewer, creating a

– OCM.ORG

dance, music, artistry, oral history, and foods

dialogue between Warhol and 19 contemporary

of various tribes across Nebraska and the

artists who all use color to shape how we

ZOO RUN

surrounding region including, but not limited

understand images. 402-342-3300.

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to, Northern Ponca, Omaha, Santee Sioux

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the 34th Annual Zoo Run. Take part in a 5-mile

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run or 1-mile run/walk. 8 am-11 am, $25-$30.

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AK-SAR-BEN’S RIVER CITY RODEO AND STOCK SHOW SEPTEMBER 25-28, CENTURYLINK CENTER - 455 N. 10TH ST. Host of the Justin Boots Championship Rodeo, stock show, and the Douglas County Fair. Stage shows, parade, and exhibits.

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28 HerFamily • September 2014

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• Find online practice exams for a variety of subjects and age groups using Learning Express.

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• Research using online databases (available 24/7) including World Book Online & eLibrary.

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omahalibrary.org HerFamily • September 2014 29

the grandpa chronicles

by David Williams

Butterflies are Free Mail-Order Metamorphosis

a

s a small boy growing up in the ‘60s I lived off of a steady diet of comic books. The action stories told on cheap pulp in cheaper ink placed me squarely in the midst of super heroes saving mankind from all manner of diabolical evil, but the advertisements found in those 25cent comics had the same power to fuel the imagination of a young lad being raised in the Atomic Age. X-ray specs would allow me to see straight through walls! Bodybuilding panaceas were available for 98-pound weaklings who were tired of getting sand kicked in their faces by beach bullies! Chattering teeth, slingshots, whoopee cushions, and piles of faux feces filled the pages.

Unbelievable! Incredible!

Amazing! And all for the princely sum of $1.98!

None of the offers was more captivating than the very, very creepy ad for sea monkeys—the one showing wildly inaccurate cartoon depictions of a nuclear family of the creatures (little Sis Sea Monkey even had a bow in her hair)— that turned out to be nothing more than microscopic brine shrimp. The very notion of live animals being shipped through the mail was mind-blowing to me, so it was with no little trepidation that I learned all these decades later that my wife, Julie, had ordered a live butterfly garden for our grandsons, Easton (4), and Barrett (3).

Unlike the cheesy come-ons from the ads in vintage comic books (A seven-foot Polaris submarine for under two bucks?

30 HerFamily • September 2014

Really?), our butterfly garden turned out to be a real world adventure showcasing one of nature’s most astonishing transformations. The boys took charge of every step in the process of the care and feeding of the inchworms. Multiple readings of the kid-lit classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, acted as something of a field guide for understanding what we were witnessing as exoskeletons were shed before upsidedown

perches were established so that a miraculous metamorphosis could unfold before our very eyes.

Julie, a para-educator at Hartman Elementary School, skipped the summer session this year so she could care for the boys. The babysitting schedule meant that our little junior entomologists would get only Monday-Wednesday-Friday lab time with their chrysalide charges. The timing was such that they missed the emergence of all five butterflies, but nothing could dampen their enthusiasm as they raced to the butterfly cage upon each new arrival to see what new wonders awaited.

Being of a certain age, I fondly recall a hippie-era flick featuring Goldie Hawn as

a free spirit who invades the world of a life-challenged neighbor. And just as the name of the film was Butterflies are Free, our little investigation into insectology would naturally culminate in a big-big-big butterfly release party.

Easton, after doing his squealing, tippy-toe, flailing-arms dance of nerding out the way only a small child can do, had the honors of unzipping the top of the butterfly garden. But he didn’t quite yet grasp the concept of “free.” All he wanted to do was bury his face in the opening for one last, closeup peek at the Painted Lady butterflies he and Barrett had nurtured along.

But a sense of serenity—or as close to the word as any 4-yearold can hope to attain—soon prevailed as he leaned back and watched as, one-by-one, a quartet of winged beauties fluttered onto the lawn. The last of the butterflies needed a little coaxing before making his jailbreak, and that one landed gently on Easton’s hand for a moment—just one split second—before darting away.

“Look, Easton,” Julie exclaimed. “He just gave you a butterfly kiss!”

The metamorphosis was complete. But there was also a parallel transformation playing out that day and all throughout the experience. The minds of young boys were going through a metamorphosis of their own as they were filled with a reverence for nature and the world around them.

And that’s pure magic in the eyes of a grandparent. Even more magical than sea monkeys.

omahamagazine.com

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HerFamily • September 2014 31

Omaha Magazine 5921 S. 118th Cir. Omaha, NE 68137

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