PDX Parent November/December 2020

FREE

Oregon: A pro-surrogacy trailblazer. Plus: New-baby essentials.

for the long days and short years

Holiday Magic

Create Memories * Top Toy Picks * DIY Snow Globes PDXPARENT.COM

PORTLAND | VANCOUVER | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020

contents JUDIAANN WOO

28 FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

The Surrogate State......................................... 12

Editor’s Note........................................................................ 6

Hands On...............................................................................32 Create a winter wonderland in a jar and

A look at the numerous factors that make Oregon a top surrogacy

Play Room................................................................................ 8

learn scientific principles with this DIY

destination for would-be parents.

Pick up a pie for Thanksgiving, new-baby

snow globe project. By Chelsea Schuyler.

By Beth Slovic.

must-haves, and we debut a new column: Ask the Middle School Counselor.

Family Supper................................................................34

Field Trip.................................................................................28

at the Nacheaux food cart at Cartlandia.

The Giving Season.............................................22

Keep holiday magic alive in the time

By Denise CastaĂąon.

Find the just-right gift for all the kids on

of COVID-19 with these fun ideas to

your list with these recommendations

celebrate the season as a family.

RESOURCES

from local, independently owned toy

By Judiaann Woo.

PDX Baby.......................................................................... 17-21

PDX Parent Picks: Baby...............................16

stores. By Joanna Close.

Mexican cuisine meets Southern staples

Gift Guide.......................................................................26-27

* cover stories

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e d i t o r ’ s n ot e

Making Family and Memories

S

tupid coronavirus. My kids say this every once in a while. I can’t help but agree with them.

Especially when looking at what we are missing out on this winter. This time of year, we usually fly to spend the holidays with family. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we’d been saving up to do something a little different: travel to Hawaii to celebrate my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday and Christmas with the rest of my husband’s family, too. It would have been a chance for my kids to play with all their cousins. I’m an only child and I was very close to my cousins growing up, so even though my kids’ cousins live in Tennessee and New Jersey, I really want that for my kids, too.

Two of their cousins, my nephews Rowan and Clyde, are part of our family because of the incredible generosity of a surrogate.

While my brother-in-law and his husband live in New Jersey, they had to work with a fertility center in California that matched them with a gestational carrier in Massachusetts because compensated surrogacy was illegal in their home state.

(Ironically, New Jersey legalized compensated surrogacy in May of 2018, when they brought their sons home from the hospital.)

While my brothers-in-law did not work with a fertility center in Oregon, it makes me proud to know that Oregon is a state that has been at the forefront of ensuring families can grow through surrogacy. To understand exactly why Oregon is a top destination for would-be parents seeking the help of surrogates and how it got there, check out the article on page 12.

So even though my kids don’t get to see their cousins this year, we’re still going to TREVOR PARKER make the holidays special. I love the ideas Cousins 2018 Judiaann Woo came up with for helping families make memories and capture holiday magic safely during the pandemic on page 28. The best part? Several options are low or no cost. And if you need gift ideas for your kids, writer Joanna Close talked to local toy-store owners about their favorite toys for the holidays. We’ve got recommendations for babies up to tweens that include budget-savvy picks and splurges, starting on page 22.

You know, my kids have really surprised me with their resilience this year. Even with muttering about stupid coronavirus now and then, they have been troupers and can still find the joy in things like a new bunch of bananas from the grocery store or outdoor scooter playdates with friends or popcorn movie nights at home. I know I don’t have to explain to other parents how hard this year has been. But as we close the door on 2020, I’m on the verge of optimism that their resilience (and hopefully your kids’ resilience) will be less tested in 2021.

On our cover: Sibling love, happy mom and dad, and rows and rows of fir trees — it doesn’t get much better than that. Photographer Megan

Norman of The Beatific Lens captured this moment of pure joy as the White family romped through the Northern Lights Christmas Tree Farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon. Norman, mama to a 3-year-old boy with a little girl on the way, has a moody, fairy-tale-like photography style with an emphasis on bright, bold colors. And she loves catching those natural emotions and reactions between family members having fun. See more of her work at thebeatificlens.com or on Instagram @thebeatificlens.

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What nonprofits does your family like to support?

“

Our go-tos are

Oregon Food Bank and

The Children’s Book Bank.

I donate used clothing

and toys to Insight and Northwest Children’s Outreach. Northwest Children’s Outreach is great to bring the girls to. Easy tasks for them to do.

We’ve made meals for families at the Lilac Meadows and Laurelwood shelters.

Since we know folks impacted by the fires, this year we’re donating to the Echo Mountain Fire relief efforts.

Oregon Food Bank.

Community Warehouse and PAWS.

I’m a big fan of Portland Food Project.

”

for the long days and short years

PDX Parent P.O. Box 13660 Portland, OR 97213-0660 Phone: 503-460-2774 Publisher Rose Caudillo, 503-460-2774 publisher@pdxparent.com Editor Denise CastaĂąon, 503-922-0893 denise.castanon@pdxparent.com Art Director Susan Bard Web Director Michelle Carew, 503-914-6151 michelle.carew@pdxparent.com IT Support Specialist Lionel Di Giacomo lionel.digiacomo@pdxparent.com Eastside Account Executive Lauren Wylie, 503-331-8184 lauren.wylie@pdxparent.com Westside Account Executive Jill Weisensee, 503-309-8272 jill.weisensee@pdxparent.com Newsletter and Calendar Editor Melissa Light melissa.light@pdxparent.com Finance Manager Christie Kline, 503-810-9817 christie.kline@pdxparent.com President Jill Weisensee jill.weisensee@pdxparent.com For distribution issues, e-mail us at distribution@pdxparent.com For calendar submissions, e-mail us at calendar@pdxparent.com

PDX Parent is published monthly (except July) by Northwest Parent, LLC., and is copyright 2020 Northwest Parent, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PDX Parent is distributed free of charge throughout the Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA metropolitan area.

PDX Parent reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Distribution of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised herein.

PDX Parent does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender expression, sex or sexual orientation.

Although every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of published material, Northwest Parent, LLC., and its agents and employees cannot be held responsible for the use or misuse of any information contained herein. The contents of PDX Parent and its website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or treatment.

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p l ay r o o m

Even if you love baking, there’s a lot going on right now.

Pies To-Go for Thanksgiving

Maybe ease your mental load by outsourcing the pie for Thanksgiving? You can’t go wrong at any of these local bakeries.

➊ Southeast Division Street’s Lauretta Jean’s

has a bourbon pecan pie that looks absolutely decadent.

Laurettajeans.com.

➋ Just want a small pie or two? Pie

Spot in Northeast is your best bet. It’s got a wide selection of adorable little mini-pies — from chocolate peanut butter to brandy apple crumble. (But there’s full-size pumpkin pie, too!) Pie-spot.com.

➌ Paiku in St. Johns offers

a number of seasonal whole pies around the holidays. Call 503-860-4773 to find out what will be on the menu for Thanksgiving!

TOP 5 ...

➍ Pacific Pie Company in Southeast has a number of

savory options, but the Oregon-centric chocolate bourbon hazelnut or mixed-berry pies would make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving meal. Pro tip: Pacific Pie will also bake up a custom pie not on the menu — just ask! Pacificpie.com.

➎ Find gluten-free and/or vegan goodies at Petunia’s Pies and Pastries downtown. The pumpkin ginger

cheesecake sounds amazing! Use the custom order form CONNIE LEE MAKES

Playlist: Live Reggae

Rhythms

Portland reggae artist Aaron Nigel Smith recently released a new live album: Aaron Nigel Smith & 1 World Chorus — Live in LA. The 1 World Chorus is a nonprofit organization started by Smith that serves youth in the United States,

The wannabe wizards in your life will flip over The Unofficial Hogwarts for the Holidays Cookbook

Kenya and Jamaica. On

by Rita Moke-Pike.

Smith’s new live album, 25 kids from the Los Angeles wing of

The book goes

the choir lend their voices. And in more ways than one, it’s

season by season,

really the perfect time for Smith to offer up this recording of a

giving instructions

live show at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California. It will

on how to make food mentioned throughout the Harry

be a while before we can go to live shows again. And because,

Potter series — everything from pumpkin pasties

as Smith says in the intro to the last track, “Reggae music is

to Aunt Petunia’s sugared violet cake. I made the

the music of love. It’s the music of compassion. It’s the music of

“Talonless Beef Casserole” inspired by Hagrid’s cooking

upliftment and empowerment of ourselves and our community.”

(his version had a talon in it). It was basically a beef

Smith covers his own work from his 20-year career like Natty

shepherd’s pie, but my kids actually ate it. We also

Dreadlocks; a mellow jam version of Pete Seeger’s protest song

made the outrageously delicious and seriously easy

If I Had a Hammer; and several Bob Marley classics, including

pumpkin tarts. And if the grown-ups want to raise a

a sweet rendition of Three Little Birds. So if (when) you hit a

glass to the defeat of He Who Must Not Be Named,

distance-learning meltdown, play this album for your kids and

you’ll also find recipes for potent potables such as Fire

keep repeating the words of Bob Marley: “Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing is gonna be all right.” — D.C.

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Magical Recipes

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DENISE CASTAÑON

Whiskey and Liquid Luck, a bourbon drink akin to an Old Fashioned. — D.C.

ULYSSES PRESS

— Denise Castañon

We Recommend:

to opt for a whole pie or cake. Petuniaspiesandpastries.com.

Kids to Know:

Ask the Middle School Counselor

The Founders Two Portland teenagers recently were recognized for their outstanding acts

Q:

My seventh-grade daughter has gotten off to a rocky start with distance learning this fall. I’ve got to work from home and cannot be there over her shoulder making sure she does her assignments.

How can I help her be more accountable for her own schoolwork?

of volunteerism, specifically through founding nonprofit organizations seeking to better our community.

Elliot Shin and Jaden Winn were both honored with the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for 2020. Elliot,

A:

an accomplished oboist, started a nonprofit called Olivenbaum that educates and empowers refugees and strives to bring peace through music. His group provides academic tutoring, free music classes and

ELLIOT SHIN

college scholarships for refugees in our community. Elliot recruited 45 peers to serve as academic tutors for refugee students. A local nonprofit matched them with refugee families.

But he went a step further and also asked refugee students to share their knowledge by arranging for refugee students who spoke Arabic to serve as tutors for high schoolers taking Arabic language courses. “So often refugees are misunderstood as ‘outsiders,’ not worthy of belonging,” says Elliot. “I’ve learned the importance of overcoming misconceptions and that most everyone wants to give back and to belong.”

JADEN WINN

Jaden founded Youth Igniting Change, an alliance of youth activists working to promote climate justice, advocate for homeless youth, and advance the conversation around equity and inclusivity. His group helped organize Portland’s climate strikes in 2019, when nearly 30,000 people marched to demand climate action. Jaden and his team recently worked alongside organizations like Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Affected Generation to successfully advocate for statewide climate policy reform.

Youth Igniting Change also helps homeless youth through monthly deliveries of self-care bags and will soon expand the program. “I believe it’s up to my generation to redefine what it means to be an engaged and caring citizen,” says Jaden. “My goal is to bring ordinary young people together to turn seemingly small everyday actions into a movement of social uprising.” — D.C.

Distance learning compounds the already intense challenge of organization for middle schoolers!

It’s a learning curve for adults, add in the developing prefrontal cortex of an adolescent and ... suffice it to say, your kid is not alone with this. Different things work for different kids, but some sort of system is a good idea. I recommend going over some different options when you’re both rested and in a good place and letting her have some input as to what will work for her. Some kids prefer to use a digital calendar, like Google, or the one integrated into Canvas. Some kids need a paper planner, and some like whiteboards.

Whatever she wants — as long as she has a written list of work she needs to do somewhere that you can check. At this age, it’s still appropriate to follow up with her about assignments and contact teachers as needed. Accountability is a good goal, but seventh grade is still in that age where guardians often need to help. Developing prefrontal cortex, remember?

Normally, I would suggest you come up with a daily plan; something like from 4 pm to 5 pm is homework time, show your work is done and then you get free time ... that sort of thing. The thing is, though, we’re in the middle of a seemingly endless global pandemic.

Social distancing is taking a toll on kids unlike anything I’ve seen in 20 years. So while I think school is important and systems and plans are great, right now making sure the kids are all right is my priority.

I’ll let you in on a secret — I’m not making sure my son does every bit of work assigned to him. It’s enough that he is engaging with his teachers and classes and doing as much of the work as he can. If he misses a few assignments, that’s OK with me. Your daughter doing her best — and you doing your best — is enough.

Everyone deserves some grace right now.

Sahjo Brown is a 20-year veteran of school counseling, mostly at the middle-school level. She has one kid, a dog, a cat, five chickens and some fish. (And secretly wishes she could add in some rabbits.) Her favorite part of working with middle schoolers is their desire to connect and build relationships; plus, their pop culture references keep her on her toes.

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p l ay r o o m

Chalkboard: Baby

Bucks

41,861 babies

BORN IN OREGON IN 2019

11th best state TO HAVE A BABY ACCORDING TO WALLETHUB

$12,622.35: The cost OF HAVING A VAGINAL BIRTH IN OREGON WITHOUT INSURANCE

$17,948.33: The cost OF HAVING A CESAREAN SECTION IN OREGON WITHOUT INSURANCE

20,400: The number OF DELIVERIES IN 2019 COVERED BY THE OREGON HEALTH PLAN (OHP)

DOVETAIL WORKWEAR

In the Know:

$0: Out-of-pocket delivery

Workin’ Mom Pants

COST FOR MOTHERS ON OHP

3rd:

Oregon’s rank FOR STATE WITH LOWEST INFANT MORTALITY

Gone are the days of

maternity muumuus when designers assumed moms-to-be had nothing else to do besides

SOURCES: OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY, WALLETHUB AND BUSINESS INSIDER

lounge around. Dovetail Workwear, a

Having a baby is expensive. We’re not just talking blankets, bottles and

Portland-based, women-owned company,

booties, but labor-and-delivery costs, too. The good news is that Oregon

now offers the Maven Maternity Pant for

ranks as a pretty good place to have a baby. While out-of-pocket costs for

tradeswomen, women in agriculture and

delivering a baby without insurance are higher than the national average of

anyone else engaged in physically demanding

around $10,000, mothers-to-be without insurance can apply for the Oregon

work while pregnant. Designed by moms (and

Health Plan. Typically, people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty

with input from pregnant moms), the pants are

wage qualify for OHP; however, the maximum monthly income threshold

made of durable stretch denim and feature

is slightly higher for expecting mothers. (See an eligibility chart here:

elastic waist inserts, 10 functional pockets and

healthcare.oregon.gov/DocResources/440-5063es_FPL%20Chart_1120.pdf).

Good prenatal and labor and delivery care means a safer start for all those

a modernized tool loop. In sizes 0 to 18 with a

little Olivers and Olivias born here. (And, yes, those were the two most popular

31-inch inseam. $99. At dovetailworkwear.com/

names in Oregon in 2019, according to the Social Security Administration!) — D.C.

products/maven-maternity. — D.C.

Gear Guide:

New Baby Picks

Once you use the Boppy Feeding and Infant Support Pillow, you’ll never want to feed your baby without it. The Boppy

Keep outside noises from

Finding a sleek, midcentury-

intruding into your baby’s

modern crib with a price tag

room with the LectroFan

comparable to traditionally

white-noise sound machine.

pillow gets your infant to the right

Choose from 10 fan sounds

height for feedings, whether you

and 10 ambient noise

are going with bottles or nursing.

variations — all nonlooping.

As your baby starts sitting, the

$49.99. At Bed Bath and

U-shaped pillow can provide extra support. Pro

Beyond and amazon.com.

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released their Sloane 4-in-1 Acrylic Convertible Crib.

The clean lines and clear acrylic slats give the crib an three height settings and

cover or two.

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order until Delta Children

open, airy feel. The crib has

tip: Get an extra

BOPPY

styled cribs was a tall

$40. Available

can turn into a toddler bed,

at Target and

daybed or sofa. $499.99. At

amazon.com.

deltachildren.com. — D.C ‘LECTROFAN

Science & the Public recently awarded

Q A

: My daughter’s pediatrician always asks us if my daughter

$5,000 to Philip Clarke,

a teacher at Centennial High School in Gresham, to help him mentor they are learning at home.

Clarke is in his fourth year of teaching and runs an engineering club through the MESA organization.

What:

PHILIP CLARKE

Clarke will use his grant money to help his students who are aiming to compete in the MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition, Designing for Equity. “I’m putting together packages of equipment, (including some treats), and delivering those to students’ houses myself,” says Clarke. “It’s really important to me to give my students hands-on experiences with these materials that they might not otherwise have access to.”

“As a teacher, I have always thrived on my relationships with my students,” says Clarke. “It’s what

makes the job so rewarding and fun. I definitely learn as much from them about life and the world as they do from me. I think the move to comprehensive distance learning in Oregon has made that far more challenging.

We’re all incredibly grateful for a safe teaching and learning environment, but it’s a whole new world in terms of communication.” — D.C.

DELTA CHILDREN

snores when she sleeps. She doesn’t, but I’m wondering why she asks and what we should do if she does start snoring?

: I’m glad your pediatrician is asking about this. Asking about sleep

students in science while

Why:

Ask Dr. Doug

is an important part of my well child check visits, and sometimes snoring is a clue that sleep isn’t as good as we need it to be.

First, why care so much about sleep? Seems obvious to overtired parents! Sleep, beyond just allowing us to feel rested in the morning, is an active process critical to our brain and body. During sleep, important functions happen such as a consolidation of memories and learning, as well as a release of hormones that impact growth and mood. Tired kids may not seem sleepy, but rather can be irritable and impulsive. Any time I’m thinking about ADHD I’m also asking Got a question for about sleep. Getting enough quality sleep Dr. Doug? Send it to is a critical piece of keeping us healthy — AsktheDr@pdxparent.com. kids and adults alike.

Snoring may be a clue that your child is having breathing problems while they sleep. Most kids will snore at some point, especially if they are sick or have allergies. But if snoring is a habitual problem or seems to be impacting sleep, then we need to address it. Kids sometimes have obvious sleep breathing problems like gasping or long pauses in breathing, but other issues may be more subtle. Unless you are seeing it happen or sleeping together, it’s often hard to know if they’re having problems or not. A sleep study can help clarify this, where you and your child sleep in a center overnight with monitors to check breathing, sleep phases, oxygen levels and more.

If a child snores and has a positive sleep study or concerns with breathing, it’s worth a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor to discuss options. Many children have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, which are patches of immune system tissue in our nose and throat that sometimes get too big and can block airflow. Tonsils we can see (those balls on the sides of your throat at the back), but adenoids are at the back of the nose and can’t be seen by looking in the mouth. Other children may have breathing problems due to obesity or genetic differences like Down syndrome.

If tonsils or adenoids are enlarged, options include watchful waiting to see if they get smaller on their own, addressing allergies, trying nasal steroid sprays, or surgically removing them. Removing tonsils hurts more than removing adenoids, and while there are risks of bleeding and dehydration, it’s usually a quick recovery after a short day surgery. Kids always impress me with how resilient they are. As always, if you have any concerns about breathing, snoring or your child’s sleep, make sure to bring it up with your pediatrician.

?

Dr. Doug Lincoln practices general pediatrics at Metropolitan Pediatrics in Happy Valley. He is board-certified in both pediatrics and preventive medicine, with special interests in helping parents meet their breastfeeding goals, caring for neurodiverse children with behavioral health needs, and advocating for children via teaching and policy. As a dad of two boys, he understands the joy and hard work that comes with parenting. Find out more about Dr. Doug and Metropolitan Pediatrics at metropediatrics.com.

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DR. DOUG

Who:

The organization Society for

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The Surrogate State Would-be parents flock to Oregon to start their families with the help of surrogates. We explore the numerous factors that make Oregon a top surrogacy destination. BY BETH SLOVIC

I

t was never about the money.

Cristina Ferguson, 45, knew after three pregnancies in her 20s — one that ended in miscarriage and two that resulted in healthy babies — that she wanted to ease the heartache of other would-be parents who had trouble conceiving.

“I empathized,” says Ferguson. “It just felt like a thing in my life, a pull toward wanting to help someone so they could have a happy ending.”

It took until last year — and a chance encounter with a Beaverton surrogacy agency — to realize her dream of carrying a baby for an LGBTQ family. Now Ferguson, a social worker who lives in Reno, Nevada, has only one regret: “I would have done it younger, so I could do it again.”

That Oregon played a starring role in Ferguson’s journey is both a coincidence and not.

Even as COVID-19 upends every aspect of life today, Oregon remains a leader in surrogacy in the United States and internationally because of a host of factors that include: top fertility clinics, experienced family-formation lawyers, numerous surrogacy agencies, friendly attitudes toward LGBTQ parents, and an easy legal process for assigning rights to parents who might not be genetically

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related to their children. Add to this mix Oregon’s population of openminded moms who want to give others the gift of children, and it’s clear why couples and individuals have come to Oregon from across the country and overseas to conceive. Health concerns and international travel restrictions due to the coronavirus have made the already complicated process more so, but that hasn’t slowed demand here, experts say.

“It’s welcoming in terms of the law and politically,” says Robin Pope, a Beaverton lawyer who helped establish Oregon’s legal process for surrogacy.

“We are able to do virtually any permutation you can think of.”

Shifting landscape It wasn’t always that way.

In the 1970s and ’80s, gay and infertile couples faced a very different medical, political and legal landscape.

Initially, surrogates were genetically linked to the babies (see “Glossary” sidebar, right). The surrogates donated their eggs and carried babies conceived with either donated sperm or the sperm of intended fathers. Such surrogacies came with risk and headaches. For one, there was the worry a surrogate might change her mind (see “Washington” sidebar page 14).

In Oregon then, state agencies also required that intended parents go through adoption proceedings, even if they used some of their own genetic material. That meant intended parents also needed to submit to home studies and criminal background checks. That felt wrong and intrusive, says Pope: “Basically, clients asked, why do I have to adopt my own baby?”

In the 1990s, as doctors made advances in creating embryos through in vitro fertilization, more couples opted to transfer those embryos to surrogates with no genetic link to the babies they gestated. Pope, the Beaverton lawyer, wanted couples such as these to avoid the adoption process. Using an existing Oregon statute, Pope and Eugene lawyer Tim Brewer helped create a method for establishing legal parentage without going through an adoption.

With each new variation in family formation, Pope and others used the existing statute to give legal rights to the people who intended to parent the child born via surrogacy. By 2008, the process accommodated single parents, gay parents, parents who used some of their own genetic material and parents who used none of their genetic material. It was all done without changing Oregon law. Now, in all cases except international ones that require different rules, intended parents can establish legal rights to the child before it is born. The judicial order then becomes effective when the child is born.

“Our parentage process is quite popular,” says Pope, who works with parents across the U.S. and in China, Israel, Western Europe, New Zealand and Australia. “I’m really proud of it … I know people all over the world who have become parents, and I helped them do that.”

"Our parentage process is quite popular," says Robin Pope, who works with parents across the U.S. and in China, Israel, Western Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS Medical advances coupled with society’s embrace of new kinds of families mean new terminology to describe the myriad ways babies enter the world today.

Surrogate — A generic term that actually

encompasses two very different scenarios in which a person with a uterus (not necessarily a person who identifies as a woman) carries a child who is intended for a different parent or parents.

Genetic surrogate — Also known as a “traditional surrogate,” a genetic surrogate donates her own

egg and agrees to carry the baby formed from that egg with donated sperm or the sperm of a person who intends to raise the child. A genetic surrogate agrees to relinquish parental rights upon birth.

But as some cases show, this scenario comes with risks. (See “Washington” sidebar page 14.)

Gestational carrier — Also known as a

“gestational surrogate,” this is a person with a uterus (again, not necessarily a person who identifies as a woman) who gestates an embryo that was formed from someone else’s egg that was fertilized with either donated sperm or the sperm of a person who intends to raise the child. A gestational carrier has no genetic relationship with the child.

Altruistic surrogate — A surrogate who carries a child for a relative or close friend or stranger who

is not compensated beyond reasonable expenses such as medical copays and deductibles.

Commercial surrogate — A term favored by surrogacy opponents. It’s a surrogate who

carries a child for someone with whom she has a contractual relationship. Surrogates such as these can expect to have their medical bills covered and earn additional compensation. Proponents of surrogacy would call this person a “compensated surrogate.”

Intended parent(s) — The person or couple who

intend to raise a child whether they’re genetically related to the child or not. In Oregon and other states, intended parents have legal rights even before the child is born.

Pre-birth parentage order — Specifically,

intended parents in Oregon and elsewhere have rights through a pre-birth parentage order: a court order that establishes the intended parents as a child’s legal parents even before the child’s birth. The order overrides the assumption that a child belongs to his or her surrogate and the surrogate’s spouse.

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WASHINGTON For decades, Washington and Oregon held different attitudes toward surrogacy.

The story of why goes back to 1986, when the fate of a child known as Baby M captured the imagination of Americans.

Baby M got her start as a newspaper ad in a New Jersey daily. A professional couple in their early 40s, William and Elizabeth Stern, wanted a child and sought the assistance of a surrogate. Mary Beth Whitehead, then a married mother of two in her late 20s, responded to the ad. The New York Times reported she agreed to be artificially inseminated with William Stern’s sperm and then relinquish her rights to the child, which would be hers genetically, for $10,000 (the equivalent of $24,000 today).

After giving birth to a girl she called Sara Elizabeth and the Sterns called Melissa Elizabeth, Whitehead changed her mind, igniting a court battle that made headlines internationally. “Baby’s fate rates King Solomon’s touch,” blared The Boston Globe.

At the time, the law was fuzzy on what reigned when it came to parentage — a legal contract or blood relation. The final outcome muddied the legal precedent around surrogacy. The New Jersey Supreme Court nullified the surrogacy contract but awarded custody to the Sterns, according to the Times.

“I wanted to do something good for someone, and if I could have done it, I would have, but my emotions just overpowered me,” Whitehead told The New York Times 34 years ago. “People treat it like we’re fighting over a car. But she’s not a possession, she’s a part of me.”

Elsewhere in the country Other states have kept pace with Oregon or caught up, as celebrities such as Kim Kardashian have turned to surrogacy as an increasingly out-in-the-open option.

Creative Family Connections, a Maryland surrogacy agency, maintains an online map of U.S. surrogacy laws. There are no federal regulations, and states have adopted different practices. In 2020, Creative Family Connections gave a green light to 10 states and Washington, D.C., where surrogacy is permitted for all parents, pre-birth orders are granted and both intended parents are named on the birth certificate.

California and Washington, which both passed specific legislation outlining the surrogacy process, are among the 11 “green light” jurisdictions. (The agency classifies Oregon as “light green” because it doesn’t have a law that specifically addresses surrogacy, but lawyers here argue it’s not necessary given existing practice.)

Only a few states remain “red lights,” either because they ban compensated surrogacy or make it next to impossible. For many years that list included New York, where, despite pressure from LGBTQ advocates, legislators ran up against conservative opponents and an unlikely one: famed feminist Gloria Steinem.

Together, they argued that “commercial” surrogacy exploited vulnerable women. (Steinem said she didn’t oppose “altruistic” surrogacy.)

Amid the pandemic, New York reversed its ban on paid surrogacy, allowing it to go forward starting in 2021.

In response to the dramatic tale unfolding in New Jersey, state legislatures across the country took action to prevent another Baby M. Washington was one of them. Oregon was not.

Led by Republican Sen. Linda Smith of Vancouver, the state of Washington in 1989 outlawed paid surrogacy, such as what happened in the Baby M case. (Smith would go on to win a seat in U.S. House of Representatives and in 1998 founded a nonprofit that fights sex trafficking.)

In the intervening years, medical advances made genetic surrogates such as Mary Beth Whitehead far less common. In their place now are gestational surrogates who carry embryos from donated sperm and eggs. These surrogates have no genetic link to the children they carry.

It wasn’t until 2019 that the laws in Washington caught up with the medical advances that made cases such as Baby M more unlikely. Led by then-state Rep. Jamie Pedersen, a gay Seattle Democrat whose children were born via surrogate in California, Washington last year adopted the Uniform Parentage Act. The bill makes paid surrogacy lawful, and it puts in place legal, financial and medical protections for surrogates and intended parents so everyone enters such arrangements willingly and no one changes their minds.

“It’s now specifically allowed and there are guidelines,” says Mark Demaray, a lawyer north of Seattle who specializes in surrogacy cases.

“Everyone knows where they stand.”

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Intended parents The idea of starting a family or expanding one is dizzying for anybody. For intended parents such as Bob Ball and Grant Jones, the process to become parents might be more laborious than actual labor.

The Portland couple first considered adoption. But when a birth mother and father rejected them because they are gay, they turned to surrogacy. Then the questions and the decisions hit them.

“You just have to kind of dive in and learn,” says Ball.

They picked an egg donor and a gestational carrier, and finding matches meant considering questions of life and death. If something were wrong with a fetus, would they want to go forward with birth? Would the carrier?

Was she open to a C-section? A natural birth? An allorganic diet? Would she agree to refrain from travel to places that banned paid surrogacy, just in case?

All of these matters and more were eventually spelled out in contracts by attorneys who represented the couple and the carrier separately. Ball and Jones, who used the Northwest Surrogacy Center to find an egg donor and carrier and ORM Fertility clinic to create and transplant embryos, paid all the fees plus health insurance and expenses for the carrier.

Because of the rigorous Bob Ball (left) and Grant Jones with their son, Parker Jones-Ball.

process, only about 3% to 5% of people who express interest in becoming surrogates do, Flamer-Powell says.

BOB BALL

In Oregon, first-time surrogates can expect $30,000 to $40,000 in base compensation. Experienced surrogates can earn a bit more, $35,000 to $45,000.

All told, the Jones-Ball family spent far more than that.

Their surrogate gave birth to twin boys, Wyatt and Parker, in 2013. As with all pregnancies, real life sometimes intrudes on surrogacy; Wyatt died when he was about 7 weeks old. If not for the unexpected tragedy, Ball says they would have added to their family.

“It’s like my body was meant to do it” Over the years, Cristina Ferguson, the Nevada surrogate, looked into surrogacy by talking to agencies in California and Texas. “I just felt like a number,” she says of those experiences.

Searching the internet one day in 2016, she stumbled upon a posting for All Families Surrogacy, an agency in Beaverton whose founder and director, Carey Flamer-Powell, once acted as a surrogate for a lesbian couple.

Ferguson signed up. Then she had to have unexpected back surgery.

Eventually, though, she flew to Portland for a uterine evaluation at ORM Fertility, which claims to perform 16 percent of gestational surrogacy treatments with IVF in the U.S. She then underwent psychological screenings to make sure she had a stable home life (her husband supported the decision, as did her teenage children) and a clear understanding of the process and terms. “I’ve always known I would have no issue handing over that baby,” she says.

Because of the rigorous process, only about 3% to 5% of people who express interest in becoming surrogates do, Flamer-Powell says. To avoid potentially exploitative situations, one of the functions of the screening process is to weed out would-be surrogates who only sign up for the money.

Flamer-Powell matched Ferguson with an LGBTQ couple who was like-minded (and requested privacy for themselves and their child). “Carey is like a wizard in matchmaking,” says Ferguson.

Five days after a doctor at ORM Fertility implanted an embryo, Ferguson took a hormone test that showed the pregnancy took. She texted the couple, who were ecstatic.

When she gave birth last year, the intended parents were in the hospital room with Ferguson and her husband. It was her choice to have hospital staff immediately hand the baby to the parents, not her, for skin-to-skin contact.

“Watching them hold the baby for the first time was by far one of the best moments of my life,” she says.

Beth Slovic is a freelance writer in Portland who teaches journalism at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. Her kiddo is 7.

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Pregnancy & Baby

This month we highlight the winners of our PDX Parent Picks reader poll in the Baby & Pregnancy categories! Here are our readers’ top choices for where to get help getting pregnant, give birth, and find postpartum help.

Find the complete list of winners at pdxparent.com/picks-winners.

2020

FERTILITY & SURROGACY RESOURCES Winner

OHSU Fertility Consultants

HOSPITALS & BIRTH CENTERS Winner

Legacy Health

3303 S Bond Ave. 503-418-3700, ohsu.edu/womens-health/fertility

Multiple locations, Legacyhealth.org

From fertility evaluations to egg

Private birthing

donations to in vitro fertilization, readers place their trust in Oregon Health & Science University’s Fertility Consultants. OHSU offers a full range of fertility and reproductive endocrinology treatments to help would-be parents start a family. And its on-site lab is one of the most comprehensive fertility labs in the

suites, accessories like birthing balls and stools, and lactation consultants on hand: Check, check and check at the Family Birth Centers at Legacy Health

region.

hospitals. Four Legacy locations even

Top 5

delivering at a Legacy hospital? Should

offer a water-birth option. Another plus to you need it, you’ll have direct access

ORM Fertility All Families Surrogacy Northwest Fertility Center Oregon Fertility Institute Surro Connections

LEGACY HEALTH

PD X

S CK

RENT P PA I

and special transport to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, which provides the highest level of

Top 5 Providence Health System Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Kaiser Permanente Alma Midwifery Women’s Healthcare Associates

neonatal care in our region.

PREGNANCY & POSTPARTUM SUPPORT Winner Bridgetown Baby 1703 SW Clay St. Bridgetownbaby.com Bringing that new little bundle home is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. But the team at Bridgetown Baby can make your transition to new parent so much smoother. Their postpartum doulas come into your home and can help get breastfeeding off to a good start, provide daytime support or spend the night so an exhausted mom can catch some ZZZs.

Top 5 OHSU Providence St. Vincent Medical Center’s Mother and Baby Clinic Portland Doula Love

BRIDGETOWN BABY

Doula My Soul Lactation Services Luna Lactation & Wellness 16

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PDX BABY

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PDX BABY

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A

So cast your vote in our 2021 PDX Parent Picks readers’ choice awards. Businesses tell us it means so much to them to be recognized as Winners and Top 5 Picks!

DE

2021 RS

’ CH OICE AW

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VOTE RE

Right now, it’s more important than ever to support local businesses as you can. Even though things are different, we’d love to hear about your family’s favorite people, places and spaces in PDX.

ENT P PAR I

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Visit pdxparent.com/vote when voting opens on January 2, 2021. Don’t see your favorite on the list? Write it in online (and tell your friends to do the same). Results will be announced starting in March. pdxparent.com

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TheTGiving

Local toy store owners share their favor

Babies & Toddlers Pat Bells by Playme These eight colorful bells are made of beechwood and iron, and represent a full octave. The ideal first instrument for toddlers, this musical gift will grow with children

PLAYME

for years. 3+ years. $160. Hammer and Jacks.

Stacking Rainbow by Grimm’s

Zippee by Möbi Little fingers

A beautiful heirloom toy that will last

can’t resist the soft silicone and

an entire childhood. Toddlers will

brightly colored, textured cords.

stack, sort and build. And as they get older, their imaginations take over as they integrate the pieces GRIMM’S

This fun activity toy is designed for little brains to develop midline play, and to support

into play: a cradle for dolls,

hand-eye coordination and

fence for animals or a tunnel

balance. 6 months to 3 years.

for trains. 0+. $44. Made

$19.99. MudPuddles

You Look.

Toys & Books.

MÖBI

Dizzy Bees by

Leggings by

This magnetic,

These bright and

stackable toy

fun baby leggings

can spin, wobble

are designed with

and pull apart.

active children

Tiny hands will

in mind. Flexible

be “abuzz” with

and comfortable,

excitement for

with an adorable

these friendly bees.

picture on the bum.

6-18 months. $20.

0+ months. $20,

Thinker Toys.

assorted styles.

FAT BRAIN TOY CO.

Fat Brain Toy Co.

Blade & Rose

BLADE & ROSE FAT BRAIN TOY CO.

Babu Rollers by MindWare A modular car set with three bases and six tops so little ones can turn a car into a camper or a pickup into a tow truck. Sleek, simple and stackable, Babu Rollers are a modern twist on toy cars for toddlers. 18+ months. $26. Kids at Heart Toys.

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MINDWARE

Kids at Heart Toys.

gSSeason

rite holiday gift picks for kids.

BY JOANNA CLOSE

Preschoolers Wooden dollhouse by

Preschool Watch by Preschool Collection Help

wooden dollhouse has all

before being able to read a clock. Minutes are

the fixin's and fits even in the littlest of spaces. Great for fostering imagination and imitative play. 3+ years. $70. Black Wagon.

EGMONT

replaced by animals, and hours are replaced by colors. You’ll find yourself saying things like: “We’re going to leave when the big hand gets to the cat.” 3+ years. $28.

Hammer and Jacks.

Discover kit by

Knock

toolbox to make

Subscription

Makedo A kid-friendly almost anything from upcycled cardboard.

Kits include a safe steel cardboard saw and perforator: It doesn’t cut kids, but it cuts cardboard.

Perfect for the budding creator,

MAKEDO

preschoolers develop a sense of time long

engineer, builder or environmentalist in your life. 4+ years. $25-$42. Hammer and Jacks.

PRESCHOOL COLLECTION

Egmont This modular

Knock Box

Made You Look is excited to introduce its very own subscription box. Every six to eight weeks (or whenever exactly you choose), a fun box will arrive at your door: As much of the magic of the shop that can possibly fit in one care package. 0-8 years. Pricing tiers vary, average

MADE YOU LOOK

$40. Made You Look.

Squishables These “pillows” come in just about any style you can imagine — corgi, banana, UFO and grilled cheese, to name a few. Kids of all ages, or just kids at heart, love to hug a Squishable. And in this pandemic, we can all use as many extra hugs as we can get. All ages. $20-$55. Kazoodles Toys, Thinker Toys and Presents of Mind.

SQUISHABLE

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ElementarySchool-aged Kids Tonies This kid-friendly audio system brings stories, songs and messages from far-away family and friends to life! The Tonie characters play preloaded stories and songs, or you TONIES

can record your own. 3-10 years. $100. MudPuddles Toys

JANOD

& Books.

Geckobot by Thames & Human body puzzles by Janod These educational

puzzles are 3 feet tall and help children better understand how bodies work. Includes four different puzzles, detailed education cards and glow-inthe-dark features. 5+ years. $33.

Black Wagon.

Kosmos A favorite STEM kit, the pieces can be assembled to climb walls. A motorized air-suction system even lets your child’s creations walk vertically on smooth surfaces like glass or plastic. 8+ years. $48.

Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts.

THAMES & KOSMOS

My First Chess Game by Vilac Lions and tigers and birds (and more!) adorn chess pieces in this gorgeous wooden set with illustrations by Ingela P. Arrhenius. A lovely, fresh take on a COPERNICUS TOYS

classic game. 6+ years. $35. Grasshopper.

VILAC

Crazy Forts by Everest

Toys 25 balls and 44 sticks make for endless fort design. Save your cushions and blankets; instead, just

Brew It Yourself Root Beer kit by Copernicus Toys

Explore the science of CO2

add a bedsheet to this kit

produced by yeast metabolism

and you’ll have creative

and enjoy delicious, homemade

hideouts with extra-easy

root beer. Includes everything

cleanup. 5+ years. $44.

you need to make 2 gallons. 8+

Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts.

years. $17. Kids at Heart Toys.

Where to Buy:

All stores in Portland, un

Black Wagon: 3964 N Mississippi Ave., blackwagon.com.

Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts: 820 SW Washington St., finneganstoys.com.

Grasshopper: 1816 NE Alberta St., grasshopperstore.com.

Hammer and Jacks: 6406 SE Foster Rd., hammerandjacks.com.

Kazoodles Toys: 13503 SE Mill Plain Blvd., B-3, Vancouver, Wash., shopkazoodlestoys.com.

EVEREST TOYS

Kids at Heart: 3445 SE Hawthorne Blvd., kidsathearttoys.com.

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Tweens Klask A portable, two-person

KLASK

“fast and frantic” game,

Otamatone Deluxe Musical Toy Encourage kids to make noise (in a fun and productive

reminiscent of classic table

manner!) with this portable synthesizer toy.

games such as foosball or

Create different sounds and pitches — you can

air hockey. 8+ years. $53.

plug this into an amp and simulate vocal range.

Kazoodles Toys.

10+ years. $65. Hammer and Jacks.

Grow N’ Glow Terrarium

Rad Women

by Creativity for Kids This

Worldwide book

DIY ecosystem is awesome

Fresh, engaging and

for school-aged kids and

amazing tales of

teens alike, particularly for

perseverance and the

crafty kids who love to make,

radical success of diverse

or those who are getting

CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

OTAMATONE

women spanning from 430

interested in room decor. 7+

BC to 2016, from 31 countries

years. $15. Finnegan’s Toys

around the world. 10+ years.

& Gifts.

$16. Black Wagon.

RANDOM HOUSE

Exit: The Game by

The Original Buddha

Thames & Kosmos

Board Help your tweens

Bring the challenge of

calm their minds while

an escape room to your

creating with this Zen twist

home! Your kids will

on an Etch-a-Sketch. The

have to decipher hidden

design stays … until it dries,

clues, logic puzzles and

and then the slate is clean to

mysteries to make an

start again. 5-105 years. $35.

“escape.” Each box is But Thames & Kosmos offers several themed challenges such as “The

Thinker Toys.

BUDDHA BOARD

THAMES & KOSMOS

a one-time-use puzzle.

Catacombs of Horror” and “The Enchanted Forest,” so you can order more games if your kids get hooked. 12+ years. $15. MudPuddles Toys & Books.

GeoSafari Vega 600

nless otherwise noted Made You Look: madeyoulookpdx.com.

MudPuddles Toys & Books: 2305 NW Kearney St., and 16420 SW Langer Dr., Sherwood, mudpuddlestoys.com.

Presents of Mind: 3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd., presentsofmind.tv.

Thinker Toys: 7784 SW Capitol Hwy., thinkertoysoregon.com.

telescope by Educational

Insights Budding astronomists will love exploring the stars with this real science tool. The telescope boasts magnification from 30x to 150x, perfect for scoping out not only the skies, but birds and animals, too. 8+ years. $99. Hammer and Jacks.

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS

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GIFT GUIDE

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GIFT GUIDE

Stayed tuned to our family calendar for in-person and virtual events and holiday fun! v pdxparent.com/ events-calendar

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field trip

Li ht Up th he Season Create some holiday magic in the time of COVID and spark family memories your kids will cherish.

Where to See Holiday Lights The Oregon Zoo’s holiday tradition

of more than 1.5 million colored lights will be back on November 26 with timed ticket reservations and COVID-19 safety measures in place. In

BY JUDIAANN WOO

addition to a one-way, walk-through display of wonders, ZooLights

T

will be adding a new drive-through experience on certain nights. The Sunshine Division’s Winter Wonderland, “the largest holiday light show

here’s no doubt that the winter holidays are going to look a little different this year. But if crowded malls, long lines and the pressure to buy and see it all never really appealed to you, this just might be the year to slow down and explore the truer meaning of the holidays while making some long-lasting family memories.

Here are just a few magical ways to celebrate the winter season while social distancing during these COVID days.

west of the Mississippi,” will return on November 27. Visitors can expect to see more than 250 different light displays spanning the length of Portland International Raceway from the comfort of their own cars.

Let Your Kids Shop for Kids in Need The holiday season can

be an especially difficult time for kids in foster care. Making a monetary donation to a foster support group is always welcome, but many also accept donations of new, or like-new, clothes, toys, books and other childhood essentials. Let your kids help select items to give so they feel involved in the gifting process. With Love, a local organization that supports Oregon’s foster community, even has an Amazon gift registry, which lets you shop and have the items delivered, contact-free.

Hanukah in a Box Kids love

getting mail. And a package with their JUDIAANN WOO

name on it is even better. Days United,

Harvest Your Own Tree Oregon has no

shortage of U-cut Christmas tree farms. This year, with Santa self-quarantining, it might be fun to check out a new-to-you farm such as Loch Lolly Christmas Forest in North Plains, Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm in Beaverton, or Sauvie Island

Farms just 10 miles from downtown Portland. For families with older kids who are up for an adventure, you can get a permit from the U.S. Forest Service and harvest a tree from the wild for just $5.

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a subscription-box company that helps families celebrate cultural traditions, makes it super-easy to fill the eight days of Hanukah with fun activities and experiences for the whole family.

Expect a colorful guide filled with holiday traditions, crafts, songs, recipes and more. Available as a single box for $49.90 or a subscription of four or eight boxes per year.

Where to Find Portland’s Best Hot Chocolate Here are three fun places to try and

why, each offering contactless order and pickup. Check out Soro Soro Coffee & Dessert for their perfectly executed hot chocolate in original and chocolatebanana flavors, but don’t miss ordering a few of their adorable individual desserts, often featuring googly eyes or sweet animal faces. Whipped-cream lovers will appreciate the generous swirls that top each hot chocolate order at Moonstruck Chocolate shops.

Be sure to stock up on their mixes to enjoy at home. If you’re feeling adventurous, try their horchata, mint or golden milk flavors. If you’ve got a kid who can never finish a mug of hot cocoa, the House Xocolata drinking and dipping chocolate at 180 Xurros just might be a game changer. Order with fresh xurros and let the kiddos dunk away, coffee-and-doughnuts-style.

180 XURROS

GREGOR HALENDA

Make an Ice Igloo With Sugar Cubes Gingerbread houses are fun,

Surprise Your Family With DIY Crackers Christmas crackers — not

but if you’re looking for more ways to

the snacking kind, but the surprise-

keep your little builders busy, make an

holding kind — are a fun way to add a

ice igloo with nothing more than sugar

pop of fun at the Christmas table. Pull

cubes and glue. Depending on your audience, call it a Minecraft fortress, Elsa’s castle or Pingu’s igloo. Dust your final creations with powdered sugar if you like, and add some toy figures to create your own snow-covered wonderland display.

JUDIAANN WOO

the ends apart, and the crackers make a cracking sound before revealing their contents. Popular in England, traditional crackers contain a joke or a riddle, a paper crown, and some sweets and trinkets. There are many companies that sell ready-made crackers, but it’s not hard to make your own. DIY means you

The Nutcracker at No Cost If you’re one of the families who make it a tradition

to attend a stage production of The Nutcracker each year, don’t let the lack of in-person performances deter you from enjoying the music and magic of George Balanchine’s

family member. Visit oldenglishcrackers. com to purchase all the supplies and watch a video tutorial.

YouTube and can be viewed for absolutely free with no traveling involved.

Learn (Like, Really Learn) All the Lyrics to Those Classic Christmas Carols

If you’re like me and mumble your way through anything besides Jingle Bells, maybe it’s time to finally learn the lyrics to all those classic Christmas songs. Search “Christmas Carols with Lyrics” on YouTube and you’ll

Decorate for Kwanzaa During the seven

days of Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1), the African-American celebration of life and family,

Be Your Own Events Calendar Now that you have all these ideas for how to make

decorate your home with the colors red, black

the most of this once-in-a-lifetime

and green. Reflect on each of the seven guiding

season, create and decorate

principles (unity, self-determination, collective

a large wall calendar from

work and responsibility, cooperative economics,

Thanksgiving to the New Year

purpose, creativity and faith) and help the kids

listing your very official “events”

craft colorful paper garlands, woven placemats

so the kids have something to

and beaded necklaces for each family member

look forward to each week and

to wear during the Karamu celebration feast on

you have time to plan (and rest)

New Year’s Eve.

in between.

be rewarded with karaokestyle singalong videos that make it fun for the whole DAYS UNITED

family to get in the holiday spirit through song.

Judiaann Woo lives in Southwest Portland with her photographer husband, two kids and five pets. When she’s not helping brands better connect with their audiences, she’s out exploring the best of Oregon in safe and responsible ways. Follow her family’s adventures on Instagram at @judiaann. pdxparent.com

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For more ideas for fun outings, visit: pdxparent.com/ field-trip.

famous ballet. Full-length productions, from the New York City Ballet and others, exist on

can customize the contents for each

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hands on

❄ ❄DIYfSnow f ❄

Globes

This fun winter craft from Yellow Scope science kits also demonstrates a scientific concept to your kids.

BY CHELSEA SCHUYLER

W

hat kid doesn’t love a snow globe? Not only does this craft project result in a one-of-a-kind version, it teaches kids the concept of viscosity. And while your kids can create a traditional snowy winter scene, they could just as easily create an underwater tableau with mermaids, sharks or fish; a prehistoric display with dinos and volcanoes; or anything else they can think up. Pro tip: Ceramic or plastic figures and toys work best in a snow globe. Avoid using wood and metal.

DENISE CASTAÑON

Instructions

For more kid-friendly projects, visit: pdxparent.com /hands-on

Materials

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Newspaper or placemat

Glycerin

Empty, clear jar with a screw-top lid

White or colored glitter or sequins

Small toys and decorations

A chopstick or long spoon

A glue that is not water-based, such as Super Glue or epoxy

Water

1. Line a flat work surface with newspaper or a placemat. Place the jar lid on top of the newspaper.

2. Set your toys or decorations in the jar lid in an arrangement that you like. Check to make sure that the jar will fit over the items. (Nothing should stick out beyond the lid borders).

3. Carefully glue your items to the lid. (A grown-up should help with this part!)

4. Set the lid aside to dry.

5. Fill of the jar with glycerin. Add a small amount of glitter or sequins.

❄

Why does the glitter fall slowly in my snow globe?

6. Using a chopstick or spoon, mix the glitter into the glycerin.

(Observe what happens to the glitter.)

How things flow has to do with viscosity. Viscosity is a measure of how “thick” a liquid is. Water has a low viscosity, meaning

it is a rather “thin” liquid. In

other words, glitter moves around

very easily when you stir it in water! But glycerin, as you noticed in the project, is thicker; it has a higher viscosity. You likely noticed that, even when vigorously stirred, the glitter barely moved in the glycerin!

Adding water to the glycerin creates a liquid with a

7. Adding water, fill the jar almost to the top. Stir again. Add more glitter if you like.

8. Now add water to fill the jar completely — all the way to the very top.

9. Check the lid to make sure the glue has completely dried and your items are stuck solidly in place.

10. P lace the jar in the sink or a tray. Turn your decorated lid over and slowly screw it onto the jar. The water will spill a bit over the sides, but that’s good — it will help to keep bubbles out of the finished snow globe.

11. Dry off your snow globe. Feel free to add more decorations, such as ribbon, to the jar lid.

medium amount of viscosity. That way the glitter falls slowly, more like snow, rather than staying suspended for hours. (As it would if you only used glycerin without any water!)

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Chelsea Schuyler is a blogger and social media marketer for Yellow Scope, yellow-scope.com. An avid science nerd, she believes in getting kids (and adults) learning with their hands and their laughter.

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fa m i ly s u p p e R

The Spice of Life Food cart Nacheaux brings Cajun/Mexican fusion cuisine to Southeast Portland.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY DENISE CASTAÑON

W

hen I heard about the Nacheaux food truck at the Cartlandia pod on 82nd Avenue, I was intrigued. Husband-and-wife team Anthony and Stephanie Brown serve up Southern-fried goodness with a Mexican twist. Both Mexican and Cajun cuisines are two of my all-time favorites, and I felt their marriage could either be really great or fall flat.

My family had planned to go to Nacheaux for lunch on a Friday, but I called to make sure they were open. It turns out they were closed for a special event. (Pro tip: Always call ahead!) But I was told they’d be open the next day, so we headed out on a blustery Saturday for lunch.

You can’t miss the robin's-egg-blue cart adorned with a dabbing unicorn. We perused the menu and decided on our picks. Once we ordered, we were told it’d be a 30-minute wait.

So we decided to walk around before finding a covered table. (Cartlandia has an abundance of distanced, covered outdoor spots.) We grabbed tempura-fried onion rings from the Ball-Z cart and a blended strawberry boba from Bobablastic. It was a good thing, because our wait ended up being more like 45 minutes.

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My 8-year-old daughter, Adela, got a side of mac ‘n' cheese for her lunch. Cart owner Anthony Brown had helpfully offered to make her the less-spicy kids' mac ‘n' cheese ($5.50), especially since it's not a formal menu item.

She gave the creamy macaroni a big thumbs-up. And I mean this literally — she didn’t want to stop eating to answer me when I asked how her lunch was. My 5-yearold son, Cruz, ordered a side of cornmeal-crusted fried chicken tenders ($5.50). He ate them with no complaints, which is honestly not how most meals go.

My husband tried one of the specials: a fried catfish sandwich on Texas toast ($9) with cabbage slaw, pickled onions and a kicked-up Mexican crema called Nacheaux sauce; this combo is called “Nacheaux-style” and is a recurring theme on the menu. He finished it in about three giant

For more family-friendly restaurant reviews, visit: pdxparent.com/ family-supper.

COMING IN JANUARY 2021

bites and said he’d order it again. And I opted for the fried-chicken burrito, which also included red beans and rice, a fivecheese blend and those Nacheaux-style toppings ($9). The concept worked and the salsa that came on the side was the real deal — like the salsa my family makes at home when tomatoes and jalapeños from our garden are ripe.

And the tart punch of the pickled onion reminded me of the escabeche my grandfather used to make.

We also tried the signature Nacheaux Nachos ($9), which I liked even better than my burrito. The fried tortilla chips were coated with Cajun spices and topped with Mexican-style pork carnitas, red beans and dirty rice, and the Nacheaux accompaniments. The nachos really were a shining example of how well this fusion of flavors worked.

We had also ordered the churro beignets ($4.25), but they didn’t come with our food. So I went back and asked for them. A batch got fried up quickly for me, and we ate them as we loaded into the car. The cinnamon flavor and denser texture were definitely reminiscent of a churro, and the dusting of powdered sugar added that beignet touch.

We gobbled them up, but I felt they could have benefited from having more of that yeasted lightness that you’d find in a traditional New Orleans-style beignet.

So even with a long wait time and a forgotten order of churros, the successful mix of flavors at Nacheaux was enough to make us want to try the cart again — provided we place our order online before leaving the house.

Nacheaux 8145 SE 82nd Ave., in the Cartlandia pod. 971-319-1134, nacheauxpdx.com.

Editor Denise Castañon loves exploring Portland’s family-friendly dining scene with her husband, 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.

PDX Parent’s City Guide

We take a deep dive into what

PDX neighborhoods

offer kids and their grown-ups.

We’ll cover the best places

to play, eat and explore. Plus, we’ll share walk and bike scores;

what to keep in mind when looking at online school rankings; which neighborhoods are most welcoming to LGBTQ+ families; and much more.

Readers will undoubtedly refer to the January issue all year long.

pdxparent.com

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November / December 2020

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